Can Serious Readers Read Romance? ft. Sanjna

What if you could visit Afghanistan, Vietnam, Fiji, Sri Lanka, and the English countryside — all without leaving your reading chair?In this episode, Sanjna is back and we're talking about books that took us places. We explore how books have transported us to corners of the world we may never physically visit, and how historical fiction lets us travel back in time — to British India, colonial Sri Lanka, and Fiji's past. We also discuss how reading translations has opened up the world far beyond English-speaking UK and USA, and how all of this travel through pages makes us more informed and culturally aware readers.Books mentioned: The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, A Room Without Windows, My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird (Afghanistan) · Dust Child, Wandering Souls (Vietnam) · A Disappearance in Fiji · The Tea Planter's Wife (Sri Lanka) · Death by Dumpling · Love with a Chance of Drowning (Pacific Islands) · Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series (Italy) · Famous Five · Tom Lake (Countryside) · Murder in Old Bombay · The Bangalore Detectives ClubShare your suggestions & feedback on: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

Every year, book awards generate enormous buzz - longlists, shortlists, winners, controversies. But do they actually help you find books you'll love?In this episode, I get honest about my relationship with book awards. I've read across the Nobel Prize, the International Booker, the Booker Prize, and the Women's Prize for Fiction, and my experience has been genuinely mixed.From Nobel Prize winners that didn't work for me at all, to discovering Heart Lamp, Burnt Sugar, When I Hit You, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, and The Safekeep through award longlists and shortlists, I share what these awards get right, what they get wrong, and how I've learned to use them as a reader.Share your feedback and suggestions on: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

In Part 2 of this non-fiction series, I talk about books that are thought-provoking and idea-driven, while still being engaging and accessible. I share how my own interest in topics like feminism and marketing led me to explore more serious non-fiction, and how books like Freakonomics sparked my curiosity about data and economics. This episode is about finding non-fiction that challenges how you think, without feeling intimidating or inaccessible.Books Recommended: Freakanomics, Whole Numbers and Half Truths, India Moving: A History of Migration, Prisoners of Geography, No Filter and The Mountain is YouShare your suggestions & feedback on: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

In this episode, I begin a two-part series on non-fiction by focusing on books that are engaging, accessible, and genuinely fun to read. I talk about how I came to non-fiction relatively late, why it is often seen as serious or difficult, and why that perception doesn’t always hold true. From memoirs and essay collections to books that combine humour with insight, this episode is about finding non-fiction that feels enjoyable rather than intimidating. Books I talk about - Born a Crime, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, I Feel Bad About My Neck, Everything I Know About Love, Modern RomanceIn Part 2, I’ll explore more serious and thought-provoking non-fiction.Share your recommendations and suggestions on: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

In this episode, Sanjna and I talk about reading slumps - why they are a normal part of every reading life and why they need not come with guilt. We share practical ways to return to reading, discuss how adults can begin reading without pressure, and suggest choosing books that genuinely match personal interests rather than chasing bestsellers or award-winning titles. We also talk about how reading goals and milestones can help create momentum over time.Share your feedback & suggestions on: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

In this episode, I talk about my changing relationship with Indian books - from struggling with difficult literary works early on, to dismissing some popular fiction as too simplistic, and eventually discovering Indian writing that felt sharp, original, and deeply engaging. I recommend three underrated books that deserve more attention, along with two popular recent favourites, and reflect on why Indian books often go unread despite offering such strong insight into everyday life and society.Books Recommended - Teen Couples have fun outdoors, Moms in the Wild, Prelude to a Riot, Milk Teeth and Women who forgot to invent FacebookConnect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

In this episode, Sanjna and I take on a familiar reader debate: physical books vs digital reading. While Sanjna makes the case for Kindle focusing on convenience, portability, adjustable fonts, built-in dictionary, and reading comfortably at night, I argue for physical books, from sharing books with others to the pleasure of bookstores and building a library at home. But in the end, both of us agree that it's reading that matters, not the format.Share your thoughts & suggestions with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

Audiobooks often divide readers: some embrace them, others remain unconvinced. In this episode, I reflect on why audiobooks have become a part of my reading routine, what this format offers that print sometimes cannot, where it still falls short, and how to listen with better concentration. I also recommend platforms for audiobooks like Audible and Storytel and what you should do if you are new to this format.

In this episode, I talk to Sanjna about a genre I’ve often kept at a distance - romance. We discuss my early tendency to dismiss love stories in favour of 'serious' reading, the difference between romance and chick-lit, and why these books deserve to be read without embarrassment. We also exchange recommendations, from Nicholas Sparks and Sophie Kinsella to quieter books where love exists as part of a larger story.Sanjna Recommended - The Notebook, A Walk to Remember and Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. Twenties Girl, Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me? and Can You Keep A Secret by Sophie Kinsella.Anusha Recommended - Okay Days by Jenny Mustard, The Anthropologists by Aysegul Savas and Heart The Lover by Lily KingShare your feedback and suggestion by following me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/

In this first episode, I recommend two books each from literary fiction, thrillers, and memoirs - one for readers just beginning with the genre, and one for those ready for something deeper or more layered. From warm literary fiction to addictive thrillers and reflective memoirs, these are books that offer very different reading experiences depending on where you are in your reading journey.Featured books: The Authenticity Project, The Safekeep, One of Us Is Lying, Strange Pictures, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and My Past Is a Foreign Country.Share your feedback or suggestion on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbibliophile7/