WE'RE BACK!! And we got an incredible book discussion for you on "Tell me how to be" by Neel Patel.  

Tell me how to be is a story about Akash, an Indian American who lives in LA. He feels an immense shame and guilt about being gay. When his mother tells him she is selling the family home, Akash must return to Illinois to confront his demons and the painful memory of a sexual awakening that became a nightmare. Akash's mum, Renu, is also plagued by guilt. She had it all: doting husband, beautiful house, healthy sons. But as the one-year anniversary of her husband's death approaches Renu can't stop wondering if she chose the wrong life thirty-five years ago and should have stayed in London with her first love.  

In this episode, Daman and Khyati discuss these issues plaguing the Indian society - homophobia, male ego and the gender roles. Anyone who tries to trespass these is ostracized from their families and from their communities.   You can tell us your stories of how you questioned these gender roles and homophobia in your own way. Reach out to us on Instagram - @browngirlsreadpod.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Soniah Kamal, a Pakistani-American writer who is the author of two novels: An Isolated Incident and Unmarriageable. We talk about Jane Austen's classic, the South Asian culture, and the many parallels between the book and real-life, writing life, and much more!

Our episode today is full of laughs! We discuss our favorite and not-so-favorite characters from #SoniahKamal's retelling of #PrideAndPrejudice, called #Unmarriageable. This Pakistani spin on the #JaneAusten classic is hilarious, witty, and thought-provoking at the same time. Listen now to hear us discuss the many parallels between this book and the South Asian culture: weird universal truths, societal expectations, parental excuses, the fixation of the culture with marriage, and much more!

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In today's episode, Daman and Khyati talk to Nadia Hashimi about her latest book Sparks like Stars, the stereotypes that both readers and writers can perpetuate, the current situation in Afghanistan with its impact on Afghans all over the world, and more. 

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In this episode, Daman & Khyati discuss Nadia Hashimi's latest novel: Sparks like Stars, along with the current situation and history of Afghanistan. 

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In this episode, Daman & Khyati discuss the complexities of caste in India and racism in America, and how they are the two sides of the same coin. This discussion brings up several important issues, including the gatekeeping by dominant castes, normalized yet unfair behaviors, and also how understanding this framework allows us to understand other caste systems, which are more popularly called the "-isms", including sexism, and ableism. They also discuss the 2016 election and the rise of hate crimes in America, the power struggle that was behind several events, and the connection between caste and race.

About the book: Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today. In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.   Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including the divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day.

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In this episode, Daman & Khyati discuss what braving and wilderness mean to them, and our common human journey to find belonging. They also touch upon the loneliness that immigrants face, the lack of belonging kids feel in South Asian families, and more!

About the book: In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown will again change the cultural conversation while mapping a clear path to true belonging.

If you like this episode, please leave a 5-star review and a comment. Follow us on Instagram @browngirlsreadpod and Twitter @browngirlsread1 for updates on future episodes, and on our YouTube channel, Brown Girls Read for more content.

You can also support us at patreon.com/browngirlsread and get access to exclusive content!

Show notes: https://browngirlsread.wordpress.com | www.browngirlsread.com

In this episode, Daman & Khyati discuss the inferiority complex that social media brings, trauma and its role in shaping lives, the importance of separation of tasks in a parent-child relationship, how meaning and purpose have the power to get us out of depression and the lows of life, and several other things come up as they talk, such as Elon Musk, Ed-Tech and more!

About the book: The Courage to be Disliked shows you how to unlock the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th-century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, the authors explain how we are all free to determine our own future free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts, and the expectations of others. It’s a profoundly liberating philosophy, allowing us to develop the courage to change and ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves.

If you like this episode, please leave a 5-star review and a comment. Follow us on Instagram @browngirlsreadpod and Twitter @browngirlsread1 for updates on future episodes, and on our YouTube channel, Brown Girls Read for more content.

You can also support us at patreon.com/browngirlsread and get access to exclusive content!

Show notes: https://browngirlsread.wordpress.com | www.browngirlsread.com

In this episode, hosts Daman Tiwana & Khyati Thakur discuss birthdays and the crazy love some people have for their special day, relationships & intimacy, addiction & alcoholism in South Asia, with Glennon Doyle's Carry On Warrior: An inspirational, sidesplittingly funny exploration of the power of living with love, forgiveness, and honesty.

If you like this episode, please leave a 5-star review and a comment. Follow us on Instagram @browngirlsreadpod and Twitter @browngirlsread1 for updates on future episodes, and on our YouTube channel, Brown Girls Read for more content.

You can also support us at patreon.com/browngirlsread and get access to exclusive content!

Show notes: https://browngirlsread.wordpress.com