Shantaram

Rarely do I make such strong book recommendations as I have with one of my newfound favorites: Shantaram. The remarkable story weaves through the life of an Australian escaped convict living on the run in India, with intensely vivid writing that captures a unique perspective of the culture. Nearing 1,000 pages, it's a long read but having already passed on my copy to five people (who also could not put the book down), I predict the tipping point soon- as one of "The" books of 2009; ironic considering it was published in 2003!