The Guilty Reader Podcast

Its been 20 episodes!! (YAYYY!) In this week's episode, I'm celebrating the ride thats been The Guilty Reader Podcast! In this rather vulnerable episode, its less about the books and more about what I've learnt along the way as I've tried to build and create a podcast to make a small slice of the internet for myself. Tune in! P.S.: I am pre-expressing my gratitude to you for listening to this week's episode despite some patchy patches of audio. A better mic shall happen soon!

As a reader in India, I'm kinda guilty of making blanket statements like "There's no good Indian Fiction works". And at the time just because of a stunning lack of awareness, i just knew two spectrums- massy (didnt enjoy the stories or writing) and classy (which felt wildly inaccessible because they weren't themes I enjoyed). It was only when I decided to write that I started down the rabbit hole of Indian Fiction writing and realised that there's some stunning works out there in every genre. In this week's episode I share some of my favourite desi fiction books across the triller, memoir and mythological fiction genres. Books I talk about in this episode: 1. Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt. Ltd by Richa Mukherjee 2. Club you to death by Anuja Chauhan 3. The Fast and the Dead by Anuja Chauhan 4. Truck De India by Rajat Ubhaykar 5. The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi 6. Ram- Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi 7. Sita- Warrior of Mithila by Amish Tripathi 8. Raavan- The Enemy of Aryavarta by Amish Tripathi 9. War of Lanka by Amish Tripathi 10. Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi 11. Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi 12. The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by CL Miller 13. Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

In this week's episode, I talk about the wishes I'd want a book-ish fairy to grant me. You know, the kind of all wish granting fairy-genie situation we read about, but just for books? I talk about the wishes and dreams I want my fairy to grant me. Whether its sequels, or erasing some stories out of existence, I have no filter on my opinion in this episode and the discussion is largely spoiler free! Because the big question always remains: If you could have any book-ish dream fulfilled, what would it be? Books I talk about in this week's episode: 1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 3. The Martian by Andy Weir 4. The Cursed Child by JK Rowling and others 5. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 6. The Cat Who Caught a Killer by LT Shearer 7. Funny Story by Emily Henry

In this week's episode, I launch a new series where every month, I talk about a self help book that I read patiently and tried utilising. This series "Self Help That Worked" is my attempt at being more mindful about reading a genre that I have way too many books in. Rather than popping them like M&Ms, I've decided to take some time, absorb them and really come out with lessons and ideas that stay with me much beyond the end of the book. In this series I share the key ideas from the book that stayed with me and will be something I carry into my life. I also share my experiences with actually having used those lessons. Books I talk about this week: 1. The Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Schfaler 2. The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins 3. The works of Brene Brown

In this week's episode, i talk about a new internal struggle I've been facing: Do i read my reads right or am i just too lenient with my ratings? And if you've ever had to rate anything, you may identify with my struggle! Tune in as i talk about how i'm trying to get out of this mindset and rate books the way I want to, even if its not the most 'professional'. Books I talk about in this episode: 1. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont 2. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

In this week's episode, I talk about my almost life long fear of book clubs and how a recent experience changed my perception of not just book clubs but also about how I approach my reading and life. Books I talk about this week: 1. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 2. The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra 3. The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

In this week's episode I share my experiences with reading classics (or the lack of it). I share my journey where with influence of adults while I may have read a fair number of classics, as an adult I've really chosen my own path as a reader and not too many classics have been stops along the road. Does that make me a 'non'-serious reader? or can one truly enjoy the craft of reading by giving this amalgamation of genres a complete miss? Books I read & reviewed this week: 1. Kanpur Khoofiya Pvt Ltd by Richa Mukherjee 2. Finlay Donovan is Killing it by Elle Cosimano

In this episode, I take inspiration from Taylor and reminisce my eras as a reader. I talk about my journey from a fantasy fanatic to a more literary fiction buff over the years. I speculate over why my preferences may have changed and why it's okay for your reading to evolve with time. I even bring in a bit of my Learning background and talk about T shaped learning & its implication on my reading. Books I read and reviewed this week: 1. The No-Show by Beth O Leary 2. As Good as Dead by Holly Jackson

In this episode, I share my experience of breaking two reading 'rules' that i've imposed on myself for years and years. We all have these rules that we impose on ourselves to be taken more seriously as readers or be more 'mainstream'. But what if i told you, some of these rules are less helpful than you'd think? And that breaking one of them helped me find one of my favourite books this year? Tune in to find out. Books I talk about in this episode: 1. Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quin 2. Days at the Mirosaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

In this week's episode, I address my abrupt month long break from the podcast and why even if getting back to something is hard, it's better than not coming back at all! This episode is about life's turns and how you don't need to be ready for everything to dive in. Books I talk about in this episode: 1. How to be the love you seek by Dr Nicole LePera 2. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

In this week's episode I talk about my own struggle with my reading pace and how I've been trying to consciously calm down the voices which ask me to go faster and faster. Books I talk about in this week's episode: 1. The Year of Less by Cait Flanders 2. Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim

Are you someone who takes your recommendations from the internet but the trendy reads just arent working for you? Have you tried being a 'trend driven' reader but somehow its done more harm for your reading life? Welcome to my side of the internet. In this week's episode I talk about: 1. What it means to be a reader driven by trends 2. Why it didn't work for me 3. How I'm choosing to honour my moods and choices when choosing my books 4. My absolute favourite read of the week! Books I talk about in this episode: 1. Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix 2. None of this is true by Lisa Jewel

Audiobooks are the new 'digital books', with everyone fighting to invalidate them as 'real books' and how they don't 'count' for your reading goals. But is that really the case? In this week's episode, using a story I recently came across, I talk about: Why audiobooks are just as important as any other format How this gatekeeping behaviour is depriving you from reading more How different formats can give you different perspectives into the same content! Books I talk about in this episode: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling The Board-Game Cafe by Jennifer Place The Things You Can See, Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

Happy new year everyone! 2024 brings with it a lot of optimism to our lives and our reading. In this week's episode I talk about how I started my year by finishing a book but also how that brought out old perfectionist patterns in my reading life and what i want to do to overcome them. I also talk about some of the reads I finished this week. So tune in to check them out!. Books I talk about in this episode: 1. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewel 2. Club You to Death by Anuja Chauhan 3. The Fast and The Dead by Anuja Chauhan 4. The No-Show by Beth O'Leary 5. The Wake Up Call by Beth O'Leary

With the year coming to an end, we're all looking at the goals we set and the progress we made on them. In today's episode, I take a leaf out of this spirit of reflection and talk about: My reading goals for 2023 and the progress I made on it My take on the construct of reading goals Will I set reading goals for 2024 and what kind? My top 5 reads of 2023 So tune in and join me! Merry Christmas! Books I talk about in this episode: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Sutanto Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra Finlay Donovan is Killing it by Elle Cosimano You, With a View by Jessica Joyce

In this week's episode I share a shocking discovery: In my collection on 800 or so e-books, I have approximately 250+ self help books! That means there are multiple books across topics such as productivity, goal setting, personal finance etc. The sheer number has made me spiral into a mild existential crisis. In this episode I try answering questions such as: 1. Why do I have so many self help books? 2. Am I substituting taking action with the crutch of accumulating self help books? 3. Can one really read their way out of problems? 4. Is there a difference between reading a self help book and learning from it? 5. Most importantly: Is there such a thing as too many self help books? Tune in to know my take and let me know your thoughts in the comments too!

In this week's episode I talk about my experience finishing a book in a day for the first time in my reading life. In a world obsessed with 24 hour and 36 hour readathons, the pressure to read quickly and finish more books can feel immense to a reader. We look to content like this for reading suggestions, but at times it can be a little discouraging to see someone spend 24 hours and finish off 2-4 books in a day when your TBR piles. Tune in as I talk about my experience finishing a book in a day and what i learnt from it for my reading life. Books I talk about in this episode: 1. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston 2. The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra

Has this ever happened to you where you feel like you must have read at least 35 pages but the progress bar has barely moved an inch? I know i must have given up on several books courtesy the progress bar, especially in this recent season of life where reading has not been coming to me easily. In this week's episode I talk about how my relationship with the progress bar on kindle or e-reader's in general and why reading habits do undergo changes with you are in life at the moment. Because reading shouldn't be stressful and can be adapted to your needs.

In this week's episode I talk about a phenomenon common to me and some of my fellow readers- low reading vacation guilt. Do you have moments on a vacation where you're left wondering why you're not reading more? Do you often make mental trade offs between sight seeing or other vacation activities vs reading? Do you feel like you spend more time ruminating about not using your free time for your interests than actually investing time in said interests? Then this episode is for you! Books I talk about in this episode: 1. You with a view by Jessica Joyce 2. Stop Living on Autopilot by Antonio Neves 3. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Maehrer

Why would any one be a guilty reader? Why would a hobby cause 'guilt'? In this first episode I'm going to talk about my journey with the guilt in my reading, what it means to be a guilty reader and why I still feel I'm not reading enough. Tune in to check out what I've learnt to battle this guilt and some pithy takeaways! Books I've talked about in this episode: 1. You with a view by Jessica Joyce

The world today is a fun and exciting place for readers today! Us nerds are finally getting our moment in the spotlight! There are so many different genres, authors, languages, translations and even cover types (you have paperback, hard covers, collectors editions, holiday editions etc.). We have book-ish merch now and we have series and spin offs too. We have reading goals and planners and trackers for them. But in the midst of all of this wonderful stuff, there's also a little guilt because it just feels like we aren't doing enough. Am i reading enough? Am i reading widely? But am i also specialised? But most importantly: Am I a 'serious' reader? Join me on this journey as i figure out what it means to be a reader today and create a space where you're a 'serious' reader whether you read a page or 500 books this year! Welcome to The Guilty Reader Podcast!