Neha and Shruti discuss The Secret History, a book that has gained a cult following in the last few decades - and as we discuss the book, we start to see why. We talk about the characters, the atmospheric setting, and how Tartt brilliantly creates and sustains tension. We also provide some background for the book's classical allusions, and share all our theories about the book's shocking climax. And as always, we provide recommendations in our Shelf Discovery segment for books to read next if you loved The Secret History, based on the aspect of the novel that you loved most.

What is the significance of the line 'Beauty is terror'? Which character functions as a cult leader? What is dark academia? You'll find all this and more in this episode. True spoilers start at 19:20

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.

Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Passing by Nella Larsen

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Either/Or by Elif Batuman

Babel by R.F. Kuang

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

Euphoria by Lily King

The Shining by Stephen King

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Links:

Once Upon a Time... at Bennington College

*We mistakenly stated that Icarus is a god; Icarus in Greek mythology is the son of a craftsman.

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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

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In this bonus episode, Shruti and Neha invite some special guests to talk about books: Chelsey and Sara of Novel Pairings! We talk all about reading carefully and deeply, public scholarship, and tools to help sharpen your analytic lens. Along the way, we talk about some of our childhood favorites, trends in literature, high school English classes, and more!

Listen to Novel Pairings, follow them on Instagram, and visit their Patreon for extra classes.

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.

Selected Books and Other Works Mentioned:

Witch Please Podcast

Dolls of Our Lives Podcast

Culture Study by Anne Helen Peterson: Newsletter and Podcast

Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses

A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Wilder Podcast

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Passing by Nella Larsen

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan

The Guide by R.K. Narayan

Selected Poems by Rabindranath Tagore

We love hearing from our listeners! You can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

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We're back, and we're so excited to delve into the worlds of speculative fiction with you all! In this episode, we share the theme we'll be reading through for the next few months: Other Worlds.

We talk about the books we'll be reading for the next few months, including important background about these works and their authors, and why we picked them. If you love fantasy, science fiction, supernatural, and dystopian fiction, then this season is for you! And if these aren't your preferred genres, but you're looking to expand your reading horizons this year, then we think you'll like this season too.

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free email newsletter.

Books mentioned:

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Humans by Matt Haig

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

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].

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In this bonus episode, Shruti and Neha share the most popular books they've in 2023, including Bookstagram favorites, award-winners, and Tik Tok darlings from the past few years. We summarize the books and give our honest opinions on whether or not these books were worth the hype - and for the books we didn't like, we give some recommendations for books that we thought were better.

Listen in to find out if these books are worth reading - and if you loved a book that we hated (or vice versa), tell us why we're wrong! You can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.

Books and Articles Mentioned:

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Victory City by Salman Rushdie

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Dead Stars by Ada Limón

Trust by Hernan Diaz

NYT Review of Trust by Hernan Diaz

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In this (mostly) spoiler-free* episode, Neha and Shruti reflect on the experience of reading books from around the world. We zoom out and talk on a broad level about narrative voice, villainy, disability representation and its portrayal in literature, and post-colonial writing. We also do a deep dive into trauma narratives - why are they so popular nowadays? What stories are being promoted, and how does this limit the stories being told by authors of color?

We had so much to say on these topics, that we just couldn't get to all of it in the episode! We decided to continue the discussion in our upcoming email newsletter - subscribe for free to join the conversation. You can also connect with us on Instagram, or email us at [email protected].

*We mention some minor plot points for The Murmur of Bees, Fruit of the Drunken Tree, and Pachinko (10:26-12:05), but we don't think these spoil the story in a significant way. Still, if you prefer to read books without any prior knowledge, make sure to check out these books before you listen to this episode!

Links:

The Case Against the Trauma Plot by Parul Sehgal in the New Yorker

Books mentioned:

Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag

Tess of D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag

Letters to a Writer of Color edited by Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Sea Monsters by Chloe Aridjis

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

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In this episode Neha and Shruti talk about the Booker prize winning novel The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton. We discuss the characters, the structure of the book, what we want out of long books, and why we should maybe be wary of literary prizes. Whether you loved this book or hated it, there's something for everyone in this discussion!

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

Shelf Discovery:

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Shruti - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Neha - The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough

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Warning: NSFW because this book was very, very weird. Shruti and Neha talk about fate and destiny, Freud, and the spiritual realm, and also throw some shade on the book’s flat and uninspired female characters.

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

Links:

Mieko Kawakami interviews Murakami about his female characters

Shelf Discovery:

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Neha - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Shruti - The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster; The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

*Content warning: this episode contains references to incest and rape as they appear in the book.

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We had so much to say about Pachinko that we had to record a part 2! Joining us on this episode are special guests Marvin and Reera from Books & Boba. We talk to them about their podcast and mission, and get to hear more about Asian diaspora stories and their impact.  

In continuing our discussion on Pachinko, we talk about themes of wealth and opportunity, generational trauma, and relate these to some of our own family’s struggles. We talk more about Min Jin Lee’s process in writing this book, and we also share our unfiltered opinions on the Apple TV adaptation. 

Books mentioned:

Straw Dogs of the Universe by Ye Chun

Banyan Moon by Thao Thai

Sorcerer of the Crown by Zen Cho

The Magical Language of Others by E.J. Koh

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

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Join us for part 1 of our discussion on Min Jin Lee's best-selling novel Pachinko, a sweeping family saga that chronicles several generations of a Korean family living in Japan. In this episode, Neha and Shruti explore themes of pride and virtue, and dissect the complex web of characters that surround Sunja, the book's protagonist. What do these characters have to sacrifice to survive in their world? How do their aspirations shape their identities and influence their relationships?

We talk about the book's cultural significance, narrative depth, and emotional impact, and at the end, as in all our episodes, we rate the book, and ask whether this book will be considered a classic in the years to come.

Shelf Discovery:

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Neha - The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Shruti - Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

*Note: Neha had a small issue with her audio recording, so if it sounds a bit fuzzy, that's why - we are working on fixing the issue so all future episodes have crisp and clear sound!

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In this comprehensive, full-exposure, no-holds-barred* bonus episode, Neha and Shruti dive deep into the Mahabharat, starting out with its history, versions and adaptations, and of course, an in-depth discussion of the story and some key plot points with reference to The Palace of Illusions and The Great Indian Novels (our two selections for India). We discuss the concept of free will, feminism throughout history, Dalit stories and contributions, and expressions of gender identity in mythologic stories.

*We say this in jest, because Neha and Shruti are not in any way experts on Hindu scripture, South Asian history, or literature. However, we did do a lot of research, and we are passionate to share our love for this story with you all!

If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].

Books and Adaptations Mentioned:

Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari

Mahabharata: a Modern Retelling by Carole Satyamurti

The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by RK Narayan

Mahabharat (1980-1988) a television series originally on Doordarshan

Mahabharat (2013) a television series originally on Star Plus, now streaming on Hulu

The Bhagavad Gita

Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince by Anuja Chandramouli

Karna's Wife: The Outcast's Queen by Kavita Kane

The Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Sita: A Tale of Ancient Love by Bhanumathi Narasimhan

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