Pandemic Reading, Sunjeev Sahota, Indian Fiction, Modern Love, Ted Lasso and Why We Hate Riverdale

The Booker Shortlist special: Damon Galgut, Patricia Lockwood, Anuk Arudpragasam and Salman Rushdie

Join Dhruv, Anisha and guest podcaster Bhargavi for Episode 24 of the EWBR podcast as they discuss their favs from the Booker shortlist. From Patricia Lockwood's No One Is Talking About This and social media to Anuk Arudpragasam's searing tale of Sri Lanka and war, A Passage North. And of course Anisha's eerily prescient guess re: the actual winner, Damon Galgut's The Promise. A slight detour into the old Booker favourite Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children, The Ground Beneath Her Feet and magical realism. Also 1997's game changing A God of Small Things by literary magician Arundhati Roy. Listen in today! On Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcast.

The Booker Longlist episode: Sunjeev Sahota, Kazuo Ishiguro, Karen Jennings, Francis Spufford and more.

Join Dhruv, Anisha and guests Vasanth and DJ for Episode 23 of the EWBR podcast. This week we’re talking about the glorious Booker longlist.  Sunjeev Sahota’s searing masterpiece China Room, with its duality and past/future narratives deserves its place on this list. Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and The Sun with its complicated questions on Sentience and Humanity. Karen Jennings’ succinct colonial/post colonial work, The Island. Francis Spufford’s World War II novel about second chances and what ifs and the fragility of life. There is a LOT happening in this episode - listen in now! And while we are at it, what/how much value should be truly be ascribing to literary prizes ? Oh, and for good measure, some eerily prescient predictions by Anisha re: the (now announced) winner of the 2021 Booker.

Sex Education, Nine Perfect Strangers, Sally Rooney, Elif Shafak and Brunch

Join Anisha & Dhruv for Episode 22 of the EWBR podcast. We discuss the new season of the smash Netflix hit, Sex Education, Nicole Kidman starrer Nine Perfect Strangers and Anisha's thoughts on Sally Rooney's delicious new masterpiece, Beautiful World, Where Are You? There's more - some astounding writing by Elif Shafak in her booker nominated 10 Minutes, 38 Seconds in This Strange World. A little detour re: the joys of Brunch. And if all this wasn't juicy enough, we have a massive row on the merits of Orange Is the New Black. Tsk tsk. Listen in now!

The White Lotus and Privilege, Marvel’s What If, Alternate Realities, Paul Auster and Kate Atkinson

In Episode 21 of the podcast, Anisha and Dhruv discuss their favourite “What If” books and movies. From Paul Auster’s seminal 4 3 2 1 to Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life and companion piece, A God in Ruins to Sue Townsend’s lighter Queen Camilla to Curtis Sittenfeld’s alternative history novel, Rodham. Also, books we’ve struggled with: Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride for Anisha and Lincoln in the Bardot by George Saunders for Dhruv. There’s loads on the watch front too: Marvel’s What If and HBO’s latest prestige offering, The White Lotus, with razor sharp observations on privilege and class. We end with Anisha’s controversial admission on Pixar movies. Oh yes we do.  WATCH Marvel Studios What If [https://www.marvel.com/tv-shows/animation/what-if/1] / The Butterfly Effect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly_Effect]/ What is the butterfly effect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect]? / That’s 70’s Show [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_%2770s_Show] / Dude, Where’s My Car [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dude,_Where%27s_My_Car%3F]? / Sliding Doors [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliding_Doors] / Grey’s Anatomy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey%27s_Anatomy] / Inglorious Bastards [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglourious_Basterds]  / The White Lotus [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Lotus ] / American Pie [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pie_(film_series)] / Our discussion on Netflix and its binge strategy [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/mare-of-easttown-disturbing-books-gone-girl-etc/id1543659210?i=1000526035414] / Shang-Chi [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang-Chi_and_the_Legend_of_the_Ten_Rings] / Up [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_(2009_film)]  / Opening montage [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mzsU2O8tuU] of Up BINGE READ 4321 [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780571324651]by Paul Auster / New York Trilogy [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780571322800] by Paul Auster / Rodham [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780552776608] by Curtis Sittenfeld / Queen Camilla [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780241958391] by Sue Townsend / Life After Life [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780552776639] by Kate Atkinson  / A God in Ruins [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780552776646] by Kate Atkinson / Strange Hotel [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780571355150] by Eimear McBride, also discussed in my latest blog post [https://fashionandfrappes.com/everything-i-read-in-august-2021/]/ A Girl in A Half Formed Thing [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9780571317165] by Eimear McBride  / Lincoln in the Bardot [https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4569/9781408871775] by George Saunders / Our short story [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/short-stories-collateral-line-of-duty-and-the/id1543659210?i=1000505933862] episode /  Follow us on Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/eatwatchbingeread/]and listen to our episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor and wherever you get your podcasts by typing EAT WATCH BINGE READ.

Pandemic Reading, Sunjeev Sahota, Indian Fiction, Modern Love, Ted Lasso and Why We Hate Riverdale

In Episode 20 of the EWBR Podcast, Anisha & Dhruv discuss Anisha's latest foray into the saucy older woman/younger man trope, The Idea of You, by Robinne Lee (pure pandemic escapism, apparently). Then we have two solid Indian/origin works of contemporary fiction: (1) The Year of the Runaways, by Booker nominee Sunjeev Sahota (we can't wait to read China Room!), which deals with the plight of immigrant works in Sheffield. What happens when the English class system runs smack bang into the Indian caste system and its prejudices? (2) Neel Mukherjee's devastatingly beautiful "The Lives of Others", which follows the decline of the previously well off Ghosh family. Calcutta, Marxism, Politics, Family Ties and Changing the World. On the watch front we both have a bit of a (therapeutic) rant about the travesty that is Riverdale (UGH). A bit of love for Modern Love, especially the season 1 episode titled "At the Hospital, an Interlude of Clarity". Some beautiful Richard Linklater-esque vibes there - so, so lovely. Finally, views on Ted Lasso season 2 as well as a throwback to our short stories episode. Listen in now!