Эпизоды
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti tackle the natural world in books - we zoom out to consider the eight books we discussed this season, talking about our favorite and least favorite reads, themes that emerged, and questions it raises about what fiction is for, and the way we read. Plus, we share tons of books recommendations, and talk about the books next up on our TBRs.
Books Mentioned:
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Greenwood by Michael Christie
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Euphoria by Lily King
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Playground by Richard Powers
The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Drowned World by JD Ballard
An Immense World By Ed Yong
Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman
The Mosquito Coast by Paul Thoureax
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Out of Africa by Isak Denisen
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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In this episode Shruti and Neha discuss the great American classic, Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. We discuss the book's themes of otherness and obsession, but we also get in to so much more, including its racism and (maybe?) progressiveness, naturalism and Darwin, H.P. Lovecraft, and prophecies. Finally, we ponder its status as a classic; does this book deserve to stand the test of time?
Links:
Beige Moth [Blog]
Shelf Discovery
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Ahab's Bride by Louise M. Gouge
Call me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Sky Daddy by Kate Folk
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Пропущенные эпизоды?
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Shruti and Neha discuss Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, a novel of three stories that unfold over the course of one Appalachian summer. We discuss themes of female desire, fertility, familial love, and harmony. We also make connections between characters and their symbolic representations, discover a new critical lens to read through, and question the veracity of 'moon cycles.'
Shelf Discovery:
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The White Book by Han Kang
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss The Seedkeeper by Diane Wilson, exploring themes of reclamation, integration, and motherhood. We share some historical context, discuss the book's structure, and weigh in on the key relationships in the novel.
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses
Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Shruti and Neha discuss Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, a story of a young woman trying to reintroduce wolves into the wild in the Scottish Highlands, only to find a darker side of the town that has troubling echoes with her own past. We discuss the story through the themes of instinct, villainy, and monsters. We also share some context on real-world conservation efforts, and get into the subgenre of tragedy porn (or misery lit).
Links:
Interview with Charlotte McConaghy
Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned
Popular Trauma Culture by Anne Roth
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Island of the Sea Wolves [Netflix]
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
The Women by Kristin Hannah
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Author Alli Hoff Kosik joins us to discuss her new book Too Blessed to Stress, a novel following four Christian influencers as they navigate their online lives and deal with private struggles becoming public.
We talk about communication and the internet as tools of power, how gossip can be wielded for good and for evil, and the ways social media has begun to appear in novels in a variety of ways. And, of course, we share tons of book recommendations as we talk all about how Too Blessed to Stress is in conversation with other books, media, and popular culture.
This is a spoiler-free discussion (with very minimal discussion of plot and characters) so dive in - whether you read the book and loved it, or have never heard of it until now!
Books and Media Mentioned
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Sex and the City
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Gossip Girl
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter
The Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemore
Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour
If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Leigh Stein
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Amelia's Notebook by Marissa Moss
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Paper Cut by Rachel Taff
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss Greenwood, a multigenerational family saga tied together with a repeating motif of trees and forests. We discuss themes of legacy, inheritance, nature, and addiction, and we also share our critiques of the book, from its character construction to its central message.
Interview with Michael Christie
Shelf Discovery:
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Playground by Richard Powers
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss Annihilation, the first book of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy. We discuss its world building, character development, and share our many theories about the central mystery and the book's ending.
Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned:
His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss What We Can Know, Ian McEwan's latest speculative novel about a lost poem, climate change, and the power of stories. We discuss this novel through the themes of memory and preservation, and talk about our differing opinions on some of the major twists in the novel.
Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned:
Possession by A.S. Byatt
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Universality by Natasha Brown
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss Jon Krakauer's famous account of the 1996 Mt. Everest disaster, Into Thin Air. They discuss his chosen narration style, clarify what actually happened on that mountain, and talk about the role of a writer in controlling their story.
Shelf Discovery
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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New year, new season! In this episode we introduce the theme for our upcoming season, The Natural World - then we get into the eight books we'll be discussing over the next few months.
Vote for your choice of novel here
Books Mentioned:
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Greenwood by Michael Christie
Barkskins by Annie Proulx
We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In our final episode of 2025, we talk about what our reading lives were like this year, and discuss our stand-out reads through superlatives. Listen in to hear the best page-turners, best characters, and most unexpected reads we encountered this year, to name a few!
Books Mentioned
The Margot Affair by Sanae Lemoine
Diary of a Void by Emi Yogi
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Friends of the Museum by Heather McGowan
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
The Oppermans Lion Feuchtwanger
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Universality by Natasha Brown
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Water Moon by Samantha Soto Yambao
The Old Man by the Sea by Domenico Starnone
Emma by Jane Austen
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
Bunny by Mona Awad
The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Get your TBR lists ready, because in this wrap up episode we talk all about the books we read in Season 6, and then welcome David and Melissa of Strong Sense of Place for a special guest segment! They tell us about their favorite travels, settings they've loved, and unique books that have transported them. We also get into our issues with short stories, and discuss ways to get into reading them.
Books Discussed:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver
The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
The Works: Anatomy of a City by Kate Ascher
The Last Warner Woman by Kei Miller
Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka by John Gimlette
Stoner by John Williams
The Prague Sonata by Bradford Morrow
The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre
Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Table for Two by Amor Towles
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Passing by Nella Larson
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsberg
The Cricket in Time Square by Garth Williams
The Original by Nell Stevens
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tay
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highswmith
The Remembered Solider by Anjet Daanje
My Family and other Rockstars by Tiffany Murphy
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode Neha and Shruti discuss The Museum of Innocence, by Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk, through themes of narcissism and honor. We discuss the idea of legacy, cultural norms and the patriarchy, and the way that the book's framing affects the way we interpret the story. Plus, we talk through the book's intriguing ending and reach new insights about what the book is trying to do, and its effect on readers.
Shelf Discovery:
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Shruti and Neha travel to Mumbai in Rohinton Mistry's Booker shortlisted novel Such a Long Journey, through themes of forgiveness, miracles, and misfortunes. We discuss the novel's loveable and sometimes frustrating characters, the symbolism of animals, and the looming specter of death in daily life.
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Neha and Shruti discuss the speculative novel The City We Became, a story about New York City's five avatars who must band together to defend the city from a looming enemy. We discuss our thoughts on the book's premise and structure, get into H.P Lovecraft's legacy of horror and racism, and more!
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery:
The Call of Cthulu by H.P. Lovecraft
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss Zadie Smith's debut novel, White Teeth. We talk about themes of religion, inheritance, class, history, and the need for control; we explore what those 'white teeth' in the title might mean; and finally we get into our issues with the book, and discuss the genre of Hysterical Realism.
Links:
Human, All Too Inhuman by James Wood
How White Teeth transcends its many flaws
Shelf Discovery:
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Virginia Woolf's incredible novel Mrs. Dalloway turns 100 this year! Shruti and Neha talk about this book and its themes of perception, inadequacy, memory, illness, and death. They discuss the effect of the past on the characters, the book's imperialist and pro-colonialism project, and the disappearance of the narrator.
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery:
On Being Ill by Virginia Woolf
Culture and Imperialism by Edward Said
The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway edited by Merve Emre
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Neha and Shruti discuss Brooklyn, a historical novel about a young woman who immigrates from Ireland to America in the 1950s, through the themes of family and duty. We discuss the character of Eilis Lacey and her passivity, Tóibín's spare writing style, and the various forces pulling at the characters in this book. We also draw comparisons to Henry James, and share a few thoughts on the movie adaption.
Links:
The Coldest Place on Earth [London Review of Books]
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Washington Square by Henry James
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Another Country by James Baldwin
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode we discuss Bangkok Wakes to Rain, a novel of interconnected stories set in Krung Thep (Bangkok) over several decades. We discuss how the idea of time is explored through the story, and how each character encounters displacement in their own way. We then get into a conversation about aging, beauty trends, and the afterlife, before our final Filter the Chai and Shelf Discovery segments.
Sea of Tranquility: wilderness and loneliness - Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Shelf Discovery:
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Human Acts by Han Kang
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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