Malavika Praseed - Podcast Details

Shows

Best Book Ever Podcast127 End of Year Wrap Up with Malavika PraseedTime for an end of year wrap up with my Podcast Twin, Malavika Praseed. Malavika is putting her marvelous podcast on hiatus for the time being while she pursues a Master’s Degree in Fiction Writing. She is one of my very favorite readers, and I always love catching up with her and finding out what books she loved over the past year, and how she thinks her reading life will change now that she’s not running her podcast. As always, it was a great chat, with lots of laughs about serious and not-so-serious books. Fo...2022-12-1239 min

Your Favorite BookThe Lesser Blessed by Richard Van Camp (with Morgan Talty, Author of Night of the Living Rez)My guest this week is Morgan Talty, author of the debut short story collection NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZ. Morgan shares his insights on his low residency MFA program, his approach to book structure and generating ideas, and his approach to writing intergenerational trauma from a Native American perspective. For this episode, Morgan chose the 1991 novel THE LESSER BLESSED by Richard Van Camp, and we dive into what seems to me to be the anti-YA novel. The book is abrasive and tough to read at times, but altogether unique in its craft and the level of nuance each of...2022-07-0736 min

Your Favorite BookShort Story Book Club: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (with Anna Johnson)In light of recent events, for the first week of airing, my guest and I will be donating a dollar to local abortion funds across several states for every listen this episode gets. You can feel free to spread the word or join me in the fundraising. If you'd like to match a portion of the listens, please reach out to me on instagram or twitter @yfbpodcast We're chatting about one of the most famous American short stories ever written, "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Anna and I chat about how unfortunately timely this story feels, some...2022-06-3034 min

Your Favorite BookThis Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (with Kristina Forest, author of Zyla and Kai)I'm not much of a romance reader, but I always love reading books that challenge my preconceived notions and break down boundaries. It's why I started this podcast in the first place. My guest is Kristina Forest, who writes romance for adults and young people alike, and today we talk about all things writing craft, summer reading experiences, and so much more. Kristina chose a well-loved Sarah Dessen book, THIS LULLABY, for our discussion and it proved to be a great first foray into Dessen's work for me. As always, no spoilers, although I bet many of you have...2022-06-2340 min

Your Favorite BookAirborn by Kenneth Oppel (with Jesmeen Kaur Deo, Author of TJ Powar Has Something to Prove)We're back in the wonderful world of YA, and my guest this week is Jesmeen Kaur Deo, author of TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE, a book that takes on high school pettiness, Eurocentric beauty standards, and high school debate teams. I personally related on so many levels. Jesmeen and I chat about the intricacies of debate, the joys of writing a headstrong character, and how the choice to remove or leave body hair takes on a whole new meaning to South Asians. We switch gears entirely with Kenneth Oppel's AIRBORN, a childhood favorite of Jesmeen's that h...2022-06-1642 min

Your Favorite BookThe Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh (with Joseph Han, author of Nuclear Family)Our guest this week is Joseph Han, the author of debut novel NUCLEAR FAMILY and one of the 2022 5 under 35 National Book Foundation honorees. His novel centers the palpable nature of generational trauma and hope by manifesting it literally, the spirit of an ancestor possessing a descendant, all amongst the backdrop of the longstanding Korean War and a Korean restaurant based in Hawaii. Joseph chose a book reflecting on similar themes for this episode, THE MAGICAL LANGUAGE OF OTHERS by EJ Koh. This memoir told through the language of translation defies expectation and feels to the reader like...2022-06-0941 min

Your Favorite BookEmergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (with Grace Shim, Author of The Noh Family)We're back in the world of YA literature and we're talking about one of the new greats (if I do say so myself), Mary H.K. Choi. Choi's book YOLK was one of my favorites of the year so far, and EMERGENCY CONTACT, her debut, brings some of the nuanced storytelling, subtlety, and maturity that she showed off in later works. My guest is Grace Shim, whose debut novel THE NOH FAMILY is all kinds of wild, with some of the craziness of Korean dramas and a lot of the cultural critique that can only come from someone intimately...2022-06-0244 min

Your Favorite BookShort Story Book Club: Inventory by Carmen Maria Machado (with Rena Patel)We're at the end of another month, and we're bringing back a familiar voice for this one. Rena Patel was on the show over a year ago to talk about JULIET by Anne Fortier, but now we're taking on something far darker and foreboding, the short story "Inventory" by Carmen Maria Machado, part of her renowned collection HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES. This story is wild, y'all. Beautifully crafted, deeply unsettling, and somehow written before COVID. Yeah. We also chat about the differences between playwriting and prose writing, and there are some spoilers for the movie DON'T LOOK UP...2022-05-2637 min

Your Favorite BookReal Life by Brandon Taylor (with Naheed Phiroze Patel, Author of Mirror Made of Rain)This was an intriguing one, fellas! My guest is Naheed Phiroze Patel, author of the new novel MIRROR MADE OF RAIN, and she and I chat in detail about former YFB podcast guest Brandon Taylor and his debut novel REAL LIFE. Yes, being a podcast guest is Brandon's only claim to fame, how'd you guess? In all seriousness, this book is a masterclass of carefully crafted scenes, excruciatingly awkward moments, and flat-out beautiful prose. I couldn't put it down. Naheed and I also chat about her book, including writing for an audience in different continents, the possibly ingrained sexism...2022-05-1939 min

Your Favorite BookWise Children by Angela Carter (with Nghi Vo, Author of Siren Queen)Another weird book and a blast of an episode! Our guest is Nghi Vo, author of The Chosen and the Beautiful and most recently, Siren Queen. Combining 30s Hollywood with fairyland rules, Siren Queen shows us the dark side of celebrity and what it means to craft a persona for public consumption, and what it takes to climb to the top. The book is part Faustian legend, part Gatsbyesque glamour, and ultimately an aesthetic all its own. Nghi chooses a book she picked up at a Barnes and Noble over twenty years ago, a book she's read...2022-05-1236 min

Your Favorite BookShort Story Book Club: The Worst Friend Date I Ever Had by Samantha Irby (with Jasmine Vyas)It's the end of another month and we're here with another edition of the Short Story Book Club, the lowest stress book club you could ever join. This month it's an essay, and a hilarious one at that. My guest is Jasmine Vyas (from our What We Carry episode) and together we bring together equal parts literary criticism and laughing about trying to make friends as an adult. Okay, it's mostly the latter. Seriously, this is a great one if you just need to kick back and enjoy something funny, but there's some honest insight in this essay and...2022-04-2841 min

Your Favorite BookGregor the Overlander with Vaishnavi Patel (Author of Kaikeyi)It's been a minute since we've had an honest to goodness childhood favorite on this show. You know the kind, the book you're obsessed with for most of your waking life, to the point where it creeps other people out. For me, it's the Trumpet of the Swan. For Vaishnavi Patel, it might just be Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Along with talking all things middle grade, writing nuanced characters, portraying trauma in a second world fantasy, and so much more, we also talk about Vaishnavi's own writing journey. Her book Kaikeyi is a retelling of the Ramayana...2022-04-2148 min

Your Favorite BookAzadi with Madhushree Ghosh (Author of Khabaar)Our guest this week is Dr. Madhushree Ghosh, author of the memoir Khabaar: An Immigrant Journey of Food, Memory, and Family. The book defies all real genre constraints by combining food writing, immigrant stories, journalism, explorations of trauma and violence, and so much more. Ghosh brings together her background as a scientist as well as her love for food and her Bengali heritage and creates a work unlike any other, a collection of related essays that embrace the idea as food as a personal and political symbol. For this episode, Dr. Ghosh chose the recent collection of...2022-04-1455 min

Your Favorite BookAnimal with Chelsea Bieker (Author of Heartbroke)Another heavy one, y'all. My guest this week is Chelsea Bieker, author of the new collection HEARTBROKE. Here we are thrust into the world of California's Central Valley, its landscapes, textures, history, and people. Bieker highlights the fraught relationships between parents and children and shows us the very limits of human endurance. From wandering artists selling more than dreamcatchers on a toxic beach to delusional cowboy fantasies to the dreams and regrets of raisin farmers, the collection is layered, witty, and never ceases to surprise. For this episode, Chelsea chose a recent novel and a polarizing one...2022-04-0746 min

Your Favorite BookShort Story Book Club: A Cup of Tea by Katherine Mansfield (with MY MOM)We're back with another short story for the end of the month. This one goes all the way back to 1922 by renowned short story writer Katherine Mansfield. Don't be fooled by the simple premise, there's a lot under the surface when it comes to craft, narrative framing, and social commentary. My guest is my beloved mom, Sreelatha. Mom talks about her experiences with this story in her sixth grade literature class, what's changed over the years, how we can discern theme from the movement of characters in a story, and so much more. Seriously, if you think anything I...2022-03-3136 min

Your Favorite BookOreo with Elaine Hsieh Chou (Author of Disorientation)This week’s guest is Elaine Hsieh Chou, whose debut novel Disorientation is part campus novel, part political satire, part analysis of Asian American identity, and adds up to far more than the sum of its parts. The novel follows Ingrid, a PhD student making her way through her dissertation on Chinese-American poet Xiao-Wen Chou. Through her research she comes across a shocking discovery that throws not only her research into new light, but every aspect of her day to day life. Her family life, romantic relationship, friendships, and relationship to her Asian identity at large. As things spiral fu...2022-03-2440 min

Your Favorite BookSee No Stranger with Mishika Narula (Co-Founder of Brown Girl Bookshelf)We're back with another nonfiction pick this week, and it's a heavier one this time. Renowed activist Valarie Kaur's memoir SEE NO STRANGER allowed BGB cofounder Mishika Narula to see herself in print in more ways than one. Kaur's work on revolutionary love draws heavily on her Sikh faith and her experiences as an activist and lawyer in a variety of settings. Mishika and I sit down and chat about the nuances of representation, the many facets of South Asian literature, unpacking labor as metaphor, and our favorite breakfast foods. It's a lively, insightful conversation that you don't want...2022-03-1743 min

Your Favorite BookYou Can't Be Serious with Shreshtha GargWe're doing something new here at YFB, a celebrity memoir! Actor Kal Penn details the story of his life and career in a new memoir, entitled YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS. Despite the reputation celebrity memoirs often have, both Shreshtha and I adored this book, its ability to combine humor with real commentary on racism and politics in the United States. Along the way, we also chat about the 2008 election, our favorite Taylor Swift albums, and the magic of a great audiobook. Books discussed: Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi, Born a Crime by Trevor...2022-03-1046 min

Your Favorite BookShort Story Book Club: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin (with Deedi Brown)We're back with February's short story book club, and my guest is a voice you might recognize from our Song of Achilles episode, Deedi Brown! Deedi and I chat about this sci-fi classic, its reinterpretations, how it's changed context in recent years for us, and so much more. Deedi even shares a bit about her hot tea obsession and her lavish smart mug (seriously, it sounds like the most unnecessary necessity in the world). There are spoilers for this one, so please read first! It's only 4 pages guys, come on. The Story: http://shsdavisapes.pbworks.com/f...2022-02-2429 min

khōréō magazine1.4 My Mother's Samosas by Malavika Praseed 2022-02-1723 min

Your Favorite BookThe Book of Light with Leslie Gray Streeter (Author of Black Widow)This episode covers all kinds of topics, where do I even begin? My guest is the funny and insightful Leslie Gray Streeter, whose memoir BLACK WIDOW captures the messiness of grief in a perspective often ignored. We chat about the enduringness of Joan Didion, how grief is non-linear, and so much more. Our conversation then switches to poetry. I share my thoughts on the intimidating medium and how I've learned to approach it (thanks in part, but not completely, to Thomas C. Foster's HOW TO READ POETRY LIKE A PROFESSOR). Lucille Clifton's book THE BOOK OF LIGHT is a...2022-02-1749 min

Your Favorite BookGiovanni's Room with Marci and Ako (Hosts of the Colored Pages Book Club Podcast)We've got the world's saddest love story, y'all. Happy early Valentine's Day. But my guests, Marci and Ako of the Colored Pages Book club, add as much humor and levity to the conversation. Also, so much insight. We dive into the ins and outs of this amazing book, Baldwin's direct prose, the frustration of reading David, and seeing Blackness and Whiteness in a novel that did not attempt to address race (it definitely did). We also chat about our snack obsessions, amazing animated TV, and so much more. Listen to Marci and Ako: https://www.thesecoloredpages.com/2022-02-101h 07

Your Favorite BookThe Remains of the Day with Simon Jacobs (Author of String Follow)This week’s guest is Simon Jacobs, whose latest novel STRING FOLLOW is a haunting look at Midwest suburbia and the inherent isolation of being a teen. STRING FOLLOW tracks a sprawling cast of characters and their growing fascination with the bizarre and occult. Narrated by the collective 'we' of a controlling force, the novel takes us into the inner minds of scared, lonely teenagers seeking guidance and belonging in a fraught, isolated world. The result is truly shocking, but in a larger sense, not as surprising as we think. Jacobs deviates from his horror/thriller genre to...2022-02-0354 min

Your Favorite BookShort Story Book Club: The Waltz by Dorothy Parker (with Emily Edwards)This is the inaugural episode of the monthly Short Story Book Club, in which listeners can read that month's short story and tune in at the end for an in-depth discussion. This month we have THE WALTZ by Dorothy Parker, in discussion with Emily Edwards (host of Fuckbois of Literature). I'm delighted to have Emily back on the show to talk all things Dorothy Parker, including her skewed feminism, that famous Winnie the Pooh review, weird connections to Seinfeld, and much more. Emily also has exciting news to share about her upcoming cozy mystery series, and she offers some...2022-01-2737 min

Your Favorite BookPride and Prejudice with Casey Meserve (Host of Ents and Sensibility)Well folks, we've got a big one today! We're talking about a book that needs no introduction (and yet I gave it one), Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I needed an authority for this one, so joining me is a Jane Austen Podcaster, Casey Meserve. Casey hosts Ents and Sensibility, which takes a chapter by chapter look at the world of Jane Austen and her universality. We chat about all things P&P, its adaptations, characters, as well as some hot takes. There are spoilers for this one. I mean, come on, it's Pride and Prejudice. A...2022-01-2051 min

Your Favorite BookThe Collected Stories of Grace Paley with Jami Attenberg (Author of I Came All This Way to Meet You)Welcome to a new year and a new season of Your Favorite Book! Our inaugural guest this season is Jami Attenberg, most well known for her fiction (All This Could Be Yours, The Middlesteins, and others) but she's here to talk about her memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home. Jami shares her insights on book events, travel in the midst of COVID, setting boundaries with social media, and so much more. We also chat about a collection of short stories for the first time on this show, in this case the collected works...2022-01-1346 min

Your Favorite BookMy Favorite Books of 2021It's a week late but here we are! My favorite books of 2021, ranked and reviewed (spoiler free of course). Some of these I've referenced on the podcast, some have entire episodes dedicated to them, and some are completely new. I also include some 2022 updates for the podcast, so please pay attention for those announcements. Books were probably the best part of last year, so why not celebrate them? Short Story for January: https://dickatlee.com/poetry/pdfs/waltz_dorothy_parker.pdf Follow the podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast 2022-01-0629 min

Your Favorite BookOn Book Podcasting with Julie Strauss (Best Book Ever Crossover)In honor of 2021 coming to a close and the holiday season stressing us all out, Julie Strauss and I decided to meet again and chat about all things book podcasting. Julie is the host of Best Book Ever, a podcast with a very similar premise to mine but a totally different listening experience. Honestly, if you love my show, you'll probably love hers too! Julie and I chat about our favorite episodes, dream guests, woes and pitfalls, and our favorites in other media. I could talk to Julie for hours and I think it shows! Listen to J...2021-12-1641 min

Best Book Ever PodcastMalavika Praseed's End of Year Wrap UpMalavika Praseed is the host of the Your Favorite Book Podcast, a show with a similar theme as the Best Book Ever, but with a different format and philosophy. She’s been my guest here a couple of times, and I love talking books with her. Today, we got together to talk about what it’s like to ask people about their favorite books. What episodes are our most popular? Which ones are our personal favorites? What genres are we missing? Do we have an unpopular book opinions? Hosting these podcasts have changed both of our reading lives, in most...2021-12-1341 min

Best Book Ever Podcast079 Malavika Praseed's End-of-Year Wrap UpMalavika Praseed is the host of the Your Favorite Book Podcast, a show with a similar theme as the Best Book Ever, but with a different format and philosophy. She’s been my guest here a couple of times, and I love talking books with her. Today, we got together to talk about what it’s like to ask people about their favorite books. What episodes are our most popular? Which ones are our personal favorites? What genres are we missing? Do we have an unpopular book opinions? Hosting these podcasts have changed both of our reading lives, in most...2021-12-1341 min

Your Favorite BookAlice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking-Glass with Dr. Mark M. HennellyThis week's episode is here to give you a new twist on familiar classics. We take on the Alice books, those weird little Victorian novels that Disney and Tim Burton usurped as their own, with a particularly knowledgeable guest. Dr. Mark M. Hennelly is a retired California State University professor specializing in Romantic, Victorian, Gothic, and Fantasy literature, along numerous other topics. Dr. Hennelly continues to write and has written extensively on the Alice books in recent years. We discuss whether children's literature truly exists, how to make material new year after year, what the Jabberwocky even means, and...2021-12-0239 min

Your Favorite BookThe God of Small Things with Mina Seçkin (Author of The Four Humors)Oh boy, we're tackling a BIG one this week! This week’s guest is Mina Seçkin, whose novel THE FOUR HUMORS is a meandering and thoughtful exploration of family secrecy and cultural identity. Our main character, Sibel, is a college student visiting family in Turkey along with her white American boyfriend, and the pressures of adulthood and losing her father culminate in inexplicable headaches. Sibel becomes fascinated with the theory of the four bodily humors and ancient medicine, and slowly finds her way through not only this ancient field, but the covered-up ancient secrets of her own family. The...2021-11-1839 min

Your Favorite BookExit West with SJ Sindu (Author of Blue Skinned Gods)This week’s guest is SJ Sindu, whose second novel BLUE SKINNED GODS takes on religion and identity in a bold new way. The novel follows Kalki, raised as the tenth avatar of Vishnu due to his blue skin, and explores coming to terms with trauma and self-concept as he grows into adulthood. We travel from an ashram in Tamil Nadu to the rock scene of New York City and observe with bated breath as Kalki comes to terms with his fraught familial relationships and the conflict of his divinity. Sindu’s work is accessible to a broad audience yet...2021-11-0441 min

Your Favorite BookThe Shadow of the Wind with Maxwell DunnThat no series rule I have? Well, I may need to rethink it, if Book 1 can be as good as this. I sat down with bookstagrammer Maxwell Dunn and talked about a book he's read five times, THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Despite this book having more Goodreads review than I ever thought possible, I hadn't heard of it and was so, so pleasantly surprised. This book is a love letter to literature, with dark academia vibes and a warm autumnal feeling. And a lot of postwar trauma. And some really crazy family dynamics. It's a...2021-10-2144 min

Your Favorite BookThe Forty Rules of Love with Sumaiya Matin (Author of The Shaytan Bride)We've talked about memoir on this show, but never have we interviewed a memoirist herself. Sumaiya Matin is a social worker and psychotherapist, as well as the author of debut memoir THE SHAYTAN BRIDE. In her book, Sumaiya details not only her childhood as a Bangladeshi immigrant in Canada, but also the traumatic events of her early adulthood. These conflicts bring to rise questions of faith, culture, gender, and the intersections therein. Sumaiya discusses the role of her Islamic faith and distinguishing between cultural norms and religious values, which gives way to the works of Turkish writer Elif Shafak...2021-10-071h 01

Your Favorite BookThe Palace of Illusions with Annika Sharma (Author of Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words)I've always maintained that it's hard to work a full-time job, write, and run a podcast. My guest this week does it all, and more! Annika Sharma is the co-host of The Woke Desi and the author of LOVE, CHAI, AND OTHER FOUR-LETTER WORDS, an interracial romance that takes place in NYC and combines adorable bucket list hijinks with serious cultural conversations. Annika shares her insights on podcasting, evolving as a writer, finding balance day to day, and so much more. I was so pleased that she chose THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni as an all-time...2021-09-2358 min

Your Favorite BookThornyhold with PituToday we're settling in with an underrated comfort read. My guest is Pitu, a bridal stylist and lifelong reader, who relates to THORNYHOLD by Mary Stewart for so many reasons. This book was a pleasant surprise for me, all magical realism and cottagecore vibes. Where the book is a little lacking...maybe plot and characters. But hey, when the escapism and joy is this good, who really needs those other things? Along the way, Pitu and I chat about picking out bridal gowns, living in new continents, really terrible Bollywood movies, and so much more. This is a nice...2021-09-1638 min

Your Favorite BookAlways Coming Home with Shruti Swamy (Author of The Archer)This week’s guest is Shruti Swamy, author of debut novel THE ARCHER. What does it mean to pursue art as a woman, especially when society imposes rigid goals and obstacles never cease to block the path forward? Shruti Swamy explores this in her detailed character study of a young Kathak dancer. Vidya, who wishes to devote her life to the classical Indian dance, must eke out an honest existence for herself as family, teachers, friends, and many others cast doubt along the way. With rich prose and loving interpretations of pure dance, we are transported to an India of...2021-09-0943 min

Your Favorite BookThe Enchanted with Ari Honarvar (Author of A Girl Called Rumi)We're delving into some darker subject matter on the show today. This week's book, THE ENCHANTED, delves into the real-life horrors of death row inmates, with the prose and mystique of a magical realism novel. The book straddles the line between the two and the result is a wholly unique read that I had a hard time discussing. Seriously, I'm still trying to work out how I feel about this book. Ari and I also discuss her upcoming novel, A GIRL CALLED RUMI, which takes place partially in 1980s Iran. Ari shares her own experiences of this time, along...2021-09-0246 min

Your Favorite BookThe Hobbit with Merilla MichaelWe're coming back to books I loathed as a child and reconsidered as an adult, with JRR Tolkein's THE HOBBIT. Joining me is Merilla Michael, Boston-area scientist and Tolkein enthusiast, and we have an absolute blast. Merilla dishes on the LOTR books and movies, loving THE HOBBIT as an adult, the excellence of audio storytelling, and some well-deserved critique of the Hobbit movies. We also chat about our favorite animals, complain about no female characters in this book (seriously, not a one), and talk about other books we'd recommend for those looking beyond the Tolkein universe. I loved getting...2021-08-2648 min

Your Favorite BookNo Comebacks with MY DADWe're a bit outside my comfort zone with the book this week, but certainly not with our guest. My dad, Praseed Thapparambil, decided to admit that he's well-read after all and shared his favorite books on the show. This book, NO COMEBACKS by Frederick Forsyth, is a collection of short stories with thriller plots and twist endings. This book was written with entertainment in mind, but led to great discussion on characterization, racist depictions, when info-dumping works and doesn't work, and so much more. Dad shares his evolution as a reader, his love for short stories, and the audio...2021-08-1941 min

Your Favorite Book1984 with Said Sayrafiezadeh (Author of American Estrangement)We've got another big famous classic on our hands! This week's guest is Said Sayrafiezadeh, author of new collection AMERICAN ESTRANGEMENT. These stories explore the insidousness of boredom, apathy, frustration, and alienation while navigating day to day life in America. Some stories thrive in the mundane, such as a reception desk at an art museum. Others explore a nation just outside the realm of current reality, imagining borders between states as stifling as those between countries. All are detailed, incisive stories that do not span genres, but at times press at their delineations in new and intriguing ways. 2021-08-1251 min

Your Favorite BookThe Heart is a Lonely Hunter with Malavika Praseed and Julie Strauss (Best Book Ever Crossover)Me again! This episode is a throwback to a few months ago, when I sat down with my friend and podcast twin, Julie Strauss, to talk about THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers. It may not be THE favorite, but it's one of the favorites! We talk about my weird affinity for sad stories and Southern literature, revisiting a classic after many years, making sense of changing times and dealing with racism in literature. We also just have a really good time, because Julie is an amazing host and if you don't already follow her show...2021-08-0544 min

Your Favorite BookYour LEAST Favorite BooksIt's the one year anniversary of the Your Favorite Book podcast, and to celebrate me sticking with something for a whole 12 months (and of course celebrating all you wonderful listeners), I decided to have a little fun. We're talking about LEAST favorite books today, the ones that disappoint, frustrate, enrage, and bore you. The ones that make you doubt literature as a whole (okay, maybe that's a little dramatic). We have my musings on least favorites through time, takes on disappointing and problematic literature, and coming back to books you may have hated once. But the best part, we...2021-07-2931 min

Your Favorite BookKid Lit! Sugar in Milk with Brinda ShahOur first, but hopefully not our last, foray into the wonderful world of picture books. My guest Brinda Shah is a pharmacist, aspiring picture book writer, and creator of #PictureTheWordsWithB on instagram. She dives deep into the world of South Asian picture books, fully embracing them as pieces of art for children and adults alike. This book, SUGAR IN MILK by Thrity Umrigar and Khoa Le, is the definition of art. Beautifully crafted and surprisingly tender, the book follows a young girl as she attempts to adjust to a country that is now her home. Her aunt tells her...2021-07-2237 min

11 Questions With Creatives11 Questions with Malavika Praseed (Podcaster, Your Favorite Book Podcast)Malavika Praseed is a writer, book reviewer, genetic counselor, and the host of the Your Favorite Book podcast. In her show she interviews a new guest every week about one of their all time favorite books and offers her own critical perspective, or just adoring praise. When she isn't immersed in the book world, she's cooking, crafting, and watching baseball on TV. Get to know her with #11Questions!⠀ 👉🏽 Go to http://linktr.ee/11questions for all episodes. You can also watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube. Follow @11QuestionsPod on Instagram & Twitter for more. 👉🏽 in...2021-07-2112 min

Your Favorite BookKillers of the Flower Moon with Dean Jobb (Author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream)Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! This week’s guest is Dean Jobb, true crime writer and fellow Chicago Review of Books reviewer. His most recent book, THE CASE OF THE MURDEROUS DR CREAM, tracks the rise and fall of one of the 19th century's most notorious serial killers, and perhaps one of its most unknown. Thomas Neill Cream, Canadian by birth but known for his crimes across several country borders, used and abused his powers as a medical doctor to murder nearly a dozen people, often through poisoning. And that's just what we know. Jobb takes us th...2021-07-1545 min

Your Favorite BookPersuasion with Brandon Taylor (Author of Filthy Animals)This episode marks the Season 2 finale, and our guest is Brandon Taylor, Booker prize nominee and the author of the new story collection Filthy Animals. Taylor weaves together stories of caregiving, grief, and discomfort, presenting us with humanity in all its messiness. From dancers in a fraught relationship to babysitting gone wrong, this collection leans in close to the tenuous nature of human connection. For this episode, Brandon chose Jane Austen's final novel Persuasion. He discusses discovering the works of Jane Austen while in a darkened lab studying C. elegans, and enumerates all the ways Persuasion is...2021-06-2452 min

Your Favorite Book50th Episode Special: Book Recommendations!Our 50th episode! Just me this week, here to offer some reading recommendations as we get into the summer season. We have a lot of different genres to choose from (literary, romance, memoir, and more), all with spoiler free reviews and recommendations. Let me know if you decide to dive into one of these. Happy reading! Follow the podcast on twitter and instagram @yfbpodcast 2021-06-1731 min

Your Favorite BookInvisible Man with Jesse McCarthy (Author of The Fugitivities)This week’s guest is Jesse McCarthy, professor at Harvard University and author of THE FUGITIVITIES. In this debut novel we follow Jonah Winters, a recent college grad and current teacher in New York City. Already disillusioned with teaching and unsure what to do next, he travels to Brazil after a chance encounter with a former NBA player. With nothing but his lived reality as a young Black man and the people he meets along the way, Jonah seeks to find what is missing in his life and in his sense of self. For this episode, Jesse ch...2021-06-101h 00

The Caffeinated Brown Girl PodcastSouth Asian Stories - Representation Through Reading (ft. Malavika Praseed)Book nerds unite! In yet another podcast collab with Malavika Praseed, host of the Your Favorite Book podcast, we are talking all about the love for books, reading and writing! Books have and will always be my bestest friends - in this episode, we about our history with reading, representation through South Asian characters and authors, common troupes that we hate (or love) and recommendations on what you should add to your reading list this summer! Leave a review on Apple podcasts if you enjoyed this episode Connect with the Caffeinated Brown Girl Podcast 2021-06-0754 min

Your Favorite BookAnne of Green Gables with Payal Doshi (Author of Rea and the Blood of the Nectar)Who better to talk about a middle grade novel than a middle grade author? In this nostalgic episode, Payal Doshi and I talk all things ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, everything from Anne's spunky attitude, Merilla's relatable energy, the will they/won't they of Anne and Gilbert, and so much more. We also chat about Payal's upcoming middle grade novel, which is a wonderful read in its own right. Payal talks about researching settings and worldbuilding, how to create a unique magic system, revising to fit the message you want to convey, and a whole lot more. We also share...2021-06-0354 min

Your Favorite BookThe Song of Achilles with Deedi BrownWe've had a few lesser known books on the show recently, so I want to bring it back to a critical and cultural darling, THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller. My guest is none other than Deedi Brown, known as @deedireads on instagram. Deedi runs the Booker of the Month book club, reviews every book she reads on her blog, releases a newsletter, advocates for indie booksellers, and so much more. I'm exhausted just thinking about it! Deedi has excellent taste in books and this one is no exception. We gush about Miller's wonderful prose, tender characters, and...2021-05-2749 min

Your Favorite BookShadow of the Moon with Amrita (Creator of Amrita by the Book, Co-Host of Khandaan: A Bollywood Podcast)Guys, we've made it to our first truly problematic favorite book. And I relish discussions like this, because let's face it, every book is problematic in its own way, even your all time favorites. But M.M. Kaye's SHADOW OF THE MOON might just take the cake. Romanticizing the British empire in India? Yikes. But Amrita points out the nuance, detailed writing, and interesting characterizations of this book. We also chat about multiple perspectives in history, the fascinating life of M.M. Kaye, whether you can write a book like this nowadays (probably not), and so much more. Amrita...2021-05-2057 min

Your Favorite BookThe Buddha of Suburbia with Sanjena Sathian (Author of Gold Diggers)This week's guest is Sanjena Sathian, author GOLD DIGGERS. We follow Neil Narayan as he navigates his tumultuous teen years entrenched in the Indian community in suburban Georgia, as he progresses to struggling grad student in the Bay area. The question of ambition looms large in Neil's life, and his lack of interest in academic and extracurricular excellence set him apart from his peers. His attentions are more focused on his neighbor, Anita. Neil soon learns the secret to Anita's ambition is a potion brewed from stolen gold. Neil gets involved in gold pilfering, and after tragedy strikes, he...2021-05-1352 min

Your Favorite BookThe Westing Game with Mia P. Manansala (Author of Arsenic and Adobo)This week’s guest is Mia P. Manansala, author of ARSENIC AND ADOBO. In this brand-new cozy mystery novel, we follow Lila Macapagal as she returns to her hometown of Shady Palms after a stint in Chicago and the collapse of a relationship. She reunites with her childhood sweetheart, Derek, and starts working in her Tita Rosie’s restaurant. Except Derek’s a jerk, and a vengeful food critic to boot, and things immediately go awry when Derek drops dead at the restaurant. And Lila is immediately suspect number one. Reflecting on the nature of mystery novels and wh...2021-05-0641 min

Your Favorite BookThe Hating Game with Rachel AllenOur first repeat guest on this show, Rachel Allen, returns with another enemies to lovers classic. This time, the contemporary rom-com darling THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne. Y'all, this episode isn't the researched, educated, pseudo-intellectual content you normally get on YFB. Instead, you get a lot of laughter, a lot of rambling, and what I think is a really fun conversation. I'd have Rachel as a permanent co-host in a heartbeat! We chat about trying to do makeup in a pandemic, the joys of bookstagram, what makes a book boyfriend, why boys need to go to therapy, and...2021-04-2947 min

Your Favorite BookWhat We Carry with Jasmine VyasAlthough this book has only been out around a year, Maya Shanbhag Lang's WHAT WE CARRY has already made an impact on so many people. My guest, attorney and bookstagrammer Jasmine Vyas, is one of those people. Jasmine is a longtime YOUR FAVORITE BOOK listener and has always given me wonderful feedback and helpful suggestions, and I was so happy to experience this memoir she suggested. WHAT WE CARRY touches on motherhood, cultural expectations, caring for an aging parent, and so much more. Delving in and out of the present, focusing on relationships with others and with oneself, Maya's...2021-04-2246 min

Your Favorite BookA Discovery of Witches with Rachel (Host of Barely Bookish)I've dabbled into fantasy a bit, but my guest Rachel (host of the Barely Bookish podcast, all about rediscovering classic literature and picking up the books you missed in school) is an expert. We chat about book 1 in the All Souls Trilogy, Deborah Harkness's A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. It wasn't for me. Rachel and I debate a few points and talk about how there are all kinds of readers out there, and what didn't work for me may work for you! We also chat about the challenges of running a podcast, how old is too old for TikTok, my...2021-04-1551 min

Your Favorite BookTemporary with Morgan Jerkins (Author of Caul Baby)This week’s guest is Morgan Jerkins, author of CAUL BABY. This novel combines folklore and Black womanhood with gentrification and healthcare disparity, creating an unforgettable work of magical realism. The book follows the Melancon family, born with a layer of skin (the caul) that protects them from harm and imparts good fortune on those that carry it. The Melancons choose to sell pieces of their caul to ensure their safety and social standing, and for years this occurs without issue. Until the day they refuse sale to a pregnant Black woman and she loses her pregnancy. This sets in...2021-04-0840 min

Your Favorite BookA False Spring with Jeff Pearlman (Author of 9 Books, Host of Two Writers Slinging Yang)A long time ago I wanted to be a sportswriter. I still kinda do. Thanks to writers like Jeff Pearlman, I've been able to immerse myself in the world of sports and in the incredible stories that sports can create. Jeff is the author of nine books, several of which are NYT bestsellers. His 2018 book FOOTBALL FOR A BUCK was one of my favorite reads last year, and his podcast Two Writers Slinging Yang has become one of my go-tos every week. Jeff's choice for this week is A FALSE SPRING by sportswriter Pat Jordan. This memoir catalogues Pat's...2021-04-0146 min

Your Favorite BookThe Blind Assassin with Nicola DeRobertis-Theye (Author of The Vietri Project)This week’s guest is Nicola DeRobertis-Theye, author of The Vietri Project. This novel combines millennial disillusionment, historical and present-day Rome, the resurfacing of childhood trauma, and a healthy dose of intrigue. Gabriele, a 25 year old woman struggling with purpose after graduating from college, travels to Rome in search of Vietri, a former client of hers at the bookstore where she worked. Gabriele knows nothing of Vietri other than his taste in dense academic books, and her quest brings her not only knowledge of Italy’s sordid colonial past, but also brings her face to face with family she left...2021-03-2546 min

Your Favorite BookLong Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls with Kati Kostyk (Host of Shelf Made Women)Kati Kostyk is a bookstagrammer, podcaster, and mental health advocate. Her two podcasts, Books and Boobs and Shelf Made Women, have contributed so much to the literary conversation in just a few months. Today, Kati sits down with me and chats about LONG LIVE THE TRIBE OF FATHERLESS WOMEN by T. Kira Madden, a beautifully crafted and harrowing memoir. Privilege, neglect, sexuality, family, all of these are tackled and more, and with exquisite prose to back it up. Along the way, Kati and I also talk about redefining memoir as a genre, being a literary citizen, the challenges of...2021-03-1848 min

Your Favorite BookThe Catcher in the Rye with Kaylee Craft MitchellWe've got another all-time classic on the podcast today, that controversial piece of early YA fiction, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE. To some of us this is an overrated slog about a whiny privileged kid pointing fingers at everyone. To others it's a heartfelt piece of literature with real insight and beautiful storytelling. To Kaylee Craft Mitchell, a middle school English teacher and mother of two, this book is the latter and so much more. She shares with us how Holden Caulfield helped her feel seen, and about her own journey with mental illness and its stigmatization today. We...2021-03-1149 min

Your Favorite BookThe Autobiography of Malcolm X with Poonam MathurIn what's perhaps the most important book yet on the podcast, Poonam Mathur and I talk about THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X. Impact, construction, insight, appeal, there's so much to cover here. As South Asians, Poonam and I talk about the importance of engaging with stories that are not our own, and the importance of understanding political power structures in America and confronting antiblackness in our communities. If you haven't read this book, you should. We aim to tell you why. Follow Poonam on instagram @bookish.behavior and subscribe to her newsletter! Follow the podcast...2021-03-0443 min

Your Favorite BookThe Bluest Eye with Nancy Johnson (Author of The Kindest Lie)Today we’re joined by Nancy Johnson, author of the debut novel THE KINDEST LIE. This novel centers Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy league-educated Black engineer, who returns to small town Indiana in search of the baby she left behind, and to uncover the secrets surrounding this painful choice. Set in the early days of the Obama administration, THE KINDEST LIE explores division and the effects of the 2008 recession in a “post-racial society”. The novel is warm, insightful, and explores very real characters with a great deal of nuance. Nancy speaks to her experiences as a young Black girl...2021-02-2547 min

Your Favorite BookWhite Oleander with Dantiel Moniz (Author of Milk Blood Heat)Joining us this week is Dantiel Moniz, author of the debut short story collection MILK BLOOD HEAT. This collection touches on the intimacies and darker impulses in all of us, traversing topics such as womanhood, infidelity, loss, survival, and how the undercurrents of identity impact every decision we make. Moniz cites WHITE OLEANDER by Janet Fitch as an all-time favorite book, a cornerstone of her formative years and forever influencing her approach to her own writing. This novel, originally published in 1999, follows Astrid Magnussen, the teen daughter of famed poet Ingrid Magnussen. When Ingrid is convicted of m...2021-02-1849 min

Your Favorite BookJuliet with Rena PatelIn honor of Valentine's Day right around the corner, I wanted to give you all a romance for the ages. JULIET by Anne Fortier is a sprawling historical romance that'll appeal to all the Shakespeare nerds out there...and maybe the Dan Brown nerds too? The book is a new interpretation of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, hearkening back to the original Italian duo and weaving in the modern legacy of these star-crossed lovers. Rena Patel, a first year law student who is hard at work on her debut novel, talks to me about her discovery of this book, her...2021-02-1146 min

Your Favorite BookPULITZER PRIES: The 1920s Part 1 (Wharton, Tarkington, Cather)Episode 2 of our monthly series. I bring you The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington, and One of Ours by Willa Cather. Observations, reviews, jokes, and critiques. Join me on this crazy journey! I attempt to tackle every book that has ever won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, starting in 1918 and all the way to the present day. I attempt to provide spoiler-free reviews and reflections of each of these books in chronological order, and ultimately try to decide how to classify each book. Hidden gem? Forgotten stinker? Overrated book? Deserving classic...2021-02-0832 min

Your Favorite BookAll Men are Mortal with Susan Rubin (Author of The Road Not Taken)This week we're diving far, far outside my comfort zone with some French existentialism. I never knew Simone de Beauvoir wrote novels, and according to Susan Rubin, they're some of the most insightful novels ever written. ALL MEN ARE MORTAL is a tragic love story unlike any other, rich with history and leaves you unsettled at the end. It's also dense, wordy, and has its own flaws. We unpack all of it here! Along the way, Susan and I also talk about her debut novel THE ROAD NOT TAKEN, her journey from playwriting to documentary filmmaking to authorship, and...2021-02-0446 min

Your Favorite BookThe Great Gatsby with David Stuart MacLean (Author of How I Learned to Hate in Ohio)This week we're taking it back to one of those assigned reading classics, The Great Gatsby. Author David Stuart MacLean talks about how he incorporated aspects of this novel into his work, How I Learned to Hate in Ohio, and took it all in a new direction. Add in xenophobia, rural Ohio in the 1980s, a teenage boy, and the Challenger disaster, and you've got yourself one crazy book. Along the way we talk about reckoning with the sins of your childhood, the soullessness of high school, writing during a pandemic, and what we miss when we learn about...2021-01-2842 min

Your Favorite BookThe Quarter-Life Breakthrough with Isha ModiOnce again we journey into the strange world of self-help books! In this book, Adam 'Smiley' Poswolsky takes on the idea of the corporate ladder and how out of date it really is for today's workers. Isha, a grad student in Media Advocacy, says this book found her in the right place at the right time. Along the way, we chat about grad school, white saviorism, career paths in the South Asian community, and so much more. Find Isha on instagram @ishamodiii Follow the podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast 2021-01-2142 min

Your Favorite BookA Visit from the Goon Squad with Joan Thomas (Author of Five Wives)Joan Thomas, winner of the Governor's General Award for Fiction and numerous other accolades, spoke with me about her most recent work FIVE WIVES. This is a fascinating fictionalized account of Operation Auca, a historical event in Ecuador involving Indigenous people and evangelical missionaries. We also talk about Jennifer Egan's Pulitzer prize winning work A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD. Along the way we also chat about Own Voices literature, the lasting impact of evangelism, and what constitutes historical fiction. It's an illuminating conversation you don't want to miss! Joan's website: joanthomas.ca Buy FIVE...2021-01-1445 min

Your Favorite BookThe Tender Bar with Jennifer LockeOur first interview episode of 2021! Jennifer and I talk about the detailed and reflective memoir THE TENDER BAR by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist J.R. Moehringer. What happens when a boy is raised by a single mother and a bar full of rowdy characters in Long Island? Moehringer takes us on a journey through his childhood, adolescence, and post-college life in the midst of all this. Along the way, Jennifer and I also talk about representation in middle grade fiction, drinking culture, and our love for Fleetwood Mac. If you haven't heard of this memoir, don't worry, neither had I...2021-01-0743 min

Your Favorite BookPULITZER PRIES: Intro and the 1910sEpisode 1 of a new monthly series! I attempt to tackle every book that has ever won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, starting in 1918 and all the way to the present day. I attempt to provide spoiler-free reviews and reflections of each of these books in chronological order, and ultimately try to decide how to classify each book. Hidden gem? Forgotten stinker? Overrated book? Deserving classic? This is meant to be a loose, fun discussion, as I have no academic qualifications other than a love for reading. Enjoy! Follow the podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast 2021-01-0322 min

Your Favorite BookMy Favorite Books of 2020It's the end of the year, and time for me to provide my sincerest recommendations. These are twelve books (and several honorable mentions) that I wholeheartedly recommend. As always, these reviews are rambling, unedited, honest, and spoiler-free. Here's to a better 2021, and happy reading.2020-12-3040 min

Your Favorite BookHowards End with Julie Strauss (Host of Best Book Ever)Julie Strauss is the host of the Best Book Ever podcast, and while our shows may have similar premises, we as readers couldn't be more different. Case in point, her favorite book, HOWARDS END by E.M Forster, is the kind of seemingly stodgy British novel I have no interest in. But this book was so much more than that and we had a blast delving into it! Along the way, we also chat about traveling through Europe on a budget, the joys of audiobooks, book to movie adaptations, and me surprising Julie with a lot of fun facts...2020-12-1757 min

Your Favorite BookThe Power with Poonum Desai (Author of Sincerely, Life)Continuing our celebration of South Asian authors, Poonum and I chat about all things personal development, finding your path in life, and the writing process. We also talk about Naomi Alderman's award winning novel THE POWER, a book that asks the question, what would it be like if women held power over men? For our ramblings about feminism, intersectionality, and so much more, tune in! You can find Poonum's book on Amazon or most ebook sites. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Sincerely-Life-Poonum-Desai-ebook/dp/B08CL55MVP Follow Poonum @authorpoonumdesai on instagram 2020-12-1056 min

Your Favorite BookWell-Behaved Indian Women with Sabreet Kang Rajeev (Author of Generation Zero)As part of December's celebration of South Asian authors, I chat with Sabreet about her upcoming memoir, Generation Zero, as well as what representation means in the South Asian community, the writing process, and the model minority myth. We also talk about Well-Behaved Women by Saumya Dave, a multigenerational work of literary fiction that unpacks the lives and narratives of three women in an Indian family. It's relatable, full of heart, and made for a brilliant conversation. Check it out! Sabreet's book, Generation Zero: Reclaiming My Parents' American Dream, is out December 8! Look for it wherever you b...2020-12-0352 min

Your Favorite BookNovember Reading Wrap-Up (Ranked and Reviewed)Another month, another casual, unscripted wrap-up episode. Here are the 10 books I read in November, spoiler-free and ranked from least favorite to most favorite. Most of these you'll see in current or future podcast episodes, so be sure to listen to those for more details! (Books discussed: Crosshairs, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Howard's End, This Land is Our Land, Mother Night, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Quiet, The Tender Bar, Will Grayson Will Grayson, Well Behaved Indian Women)2020-11-3026 min

Your Favorite BookQuiet with Daman Tiwana (Co-Host of Brown Girls Read)Happy Nonfiction November! For this episode, one of the cohosts of the Brown Girls Read podcast and I take on Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Along the way we chat about why cheesy Bollywood movies make us cry, what being an introvert in 2020 means, the role of gender and culture in personality, and why open floor plan offices are the worst. Check it out! Listen to Brown Girls Read: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-girls-read/id1493872857 Follow Brown Girls Read on instagram @browngirlsreadpod 2020-11-2646 min

Your Favorite BookMother Night with Emily Edwards (Host of FBoL)Emily Edwards, host of Fuckbois of Literature, and I talk about one of Kurt Vonnegut's oft-forgotten early novels, MOTHER NIGHT. Along the way we chat about whether straight male English majors can be trusted, sharing favorite books with our mothers, the endurance of Confederate monuments, and so much more. Oh yeah, this episode gets POLITICAL. Consider yourself warned. As always, spoiler free and lots of fun, despite the dark subject matter of this week's book. Emily's Podcast: https://www.fuckboisoflit.com/ --- Follow YFB on: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/yfbpodcast ...2020-11-1953 min

Your Favorite BookThe Priory of the Orange Tree with Caroline ConnerIn this episode, recorded minutes after the results of the 2020 US Presidential Election were announced, Caroline and I talk about the recent feminist fantasy The Priory of the Orange Tree. Along the way we chat about finding English-language books in France, sexism in the wine industry, and so much more. Some MINOR SPOILERS in this episode (it's an 800 page book with so many twists and turns guys) so consider yourself warned.2020-11-1241 min

Your Favorite BookMy Favorite Short StoriesOn this most tumultuous of weeks (at least here in the United States) I wanted to bring you all something casual and lighthearted. I talk about some of my favorite classic short stories, everything from Lahiri to Chekov to Joyce Carol Oates. I talk about my experiences with the genre and spill some hot takes. I mix up Raymond Chandler and Raymond Carver for a hot second. And overall, I just talk about the stories that make me happy, and maybe they'll make you happy too. 2020-11-0530 min

Your Favorite BookOctober Reading Wrap-Up (Ranked and Reviewed)For this casual, unscripted wrap-up episode, I go through the 8 books I read in October and give you my brief thoughts and reflections. No spoilers! (Books discussed: The House in the Cerulean Sea, Nothing to See Here, Radical, The Royal We, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Shadow and Bone, Writers and Lovers, The Writer's Library)2020-11-0126 min

Your Favorite BookShadow and Bone with Kota Connell-LedwonKota, a close friend from college, and I take on Leigh Bardugo's beloved debut, "Shadow and Bone". Along the way we talk about YA fantasy tropes, what you can do with an English major, the Wicker Basket comic, and so much more.2020-10-2950 min

Your Favorite BookThe Royal We with Disha Mistry Mazepa (Host of But What Will People Say)Disha Mistry Mazepa, host of the But What Will People Say podcast, joins me to chat about a quarantine guilty pleasure read, The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. Along the way we talk about which countries are truly romantic, whether you can be any more American than a Cubs fan from Iowa, and whether I need to read the sequel to this book (I probably do). Don't worry, this (and every) episode is spoiler free!2020-10-2238 min

Your Favorite BookCharlotte's Web with Charlene NormanCharlene Norman and I talk about the beloved children's classic and the potent nostalgia surrounding this book. Along the way we also talk about what wine to drink when you don't like wine, how seriously to take elementary school plays, and why EB White may have another book that's a little bit better (at least to me).2020-10-1533 min

Your Favorite BookMuch Ado About Nothing with Rachel AllenRachel, a classmate from my middle school days, and I chat about Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Along the way we discuss whether it's acceptable to name a child after a Shakespearean character, setting plays to Beatles songs, and why Lewis Carroll really had nothing better to do. Hope you laugh along with us!2020-10-0844 min

Your Favorite BookSeptember Reading Wrap-Up (Ranked and Reviewed)In this super casual, unscripted mini-episode, I go through the twelve books I read this month and provide some brief opinions and reviews, and rank the books from least favorite to favorite. No spoilers! (Books discussed in this episode: Born Confused, Charlotte's Web, Ender's Game, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, Half God's, Herzog, Good Talk, The Land, Much Ado About Nothing, Solve for Happy, Wow No Thank You, and The Vanishing Half 2020-10-0421 min

Your Favorite BookBorn Confused with Rabiya BowerRabiya, creator of @beti.books and moderator of SAWIR, sits down with me to chat about a formative read in her teenage years, Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier. Along the way we talk about who's allowed to borrow a sari, parenting expectations, Indian weddings, and being brown in a Post-9/11 world.2020-10-0149 min

Your Favorite BookPigs is Pigs with Baylea WilliamsOur first episode! Join me as I talk to my old college friend Baylea about a short, wacky, early 20th century story about guinea pigs. Or maybe they're pets?2020-09-2739 min

Your Favorite BookSolve for Happy with Craig InzanaCraig Inzana, host of the Happy You Are Here Podcast, and I talk about Mo Gawdat's Solve for Happy. Along the way we talk about self-help books as a genre, mental health, working in a bookstore, and all sorts of other topics.2020-09-2340 min

Your Favorite BookEnder's Game with Alexander ZimmermanArtist and fellow podcaster Alexander Zimmerman chats with me about sci-fi classic Ender's Game. Along the way we talk about separating art from the artist, video games, and our relationships with sci-fi as a genre.2020-09-1647 min

Your Favorite BookHerzog with MY MOMToday's guest is my original literary inspiration. We dive into Herzog by Saul Bellow, one of the many books my mom dissected in her graduate studies. Along the way we talk about long distance relationships in the 90s, the strangeness of canned beans, and whether we've found the most unlikable protagonist in literature.2020-09-1046 min

Your Favorite BookAugust Reading Wrap-Up (Ranked and Reviewed)The first monthly ranking of books I've read in a given month. Books discussed are: A Burning, All My Sons, Kim Jiyoung Born 1982, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali, Master of Poisons, My Sister's Keeper, Red at the Bone, With the Fire on High 2020-09-0723 min

Your Favorite BookQueenie with Jessica PoitevienMy guest, travel writer Jessica Poitevien, and I gush about QUEENIE, the debut novel by Candace Carty-Williams. Along the way we discuss bucket lists, antiracist reading, and the dumpster fire that online dating can be.2020-09-0447 min

Your Favorite BookAll My Sons with Neha PraseedI dive into the wild world of theatre by starting with one of its greats. Helped by my sister, Neha, we explore what makes All My Sons so special. Along the way we talk about stealing food from people's refrigerators, why Hamlet isn't the best introduction to theatre, and cool teachers that let you sneak into their classroom to act out versions of long forgotten plays.2020-08-2746 min

Your Favorite BookMy Sister's Keeper with Anvita JainAnvita and I talk about the nostalgic appeal and emotional resonance of Jodi Picoult's landmark novel My Sister's Keeper. When do subplots work and when do they not? Who's more mature, a thirteen year old girl or a thirty year old lawyer? Tune in to find out!2020-08-2247 min