The Litty Podcast

If you've ever wondered what it really means to be well-read, this episode is your new blueprint. Forget the dusty classics people pretend to finish. Forget the long-dead men dominating syllabi. On this month’s episode of The Litty Podcast, we're building Our Very Biased Guide to Being Disgustingly Well-Read.This list is personal, chaotic, global, queer, political, emotional, and full of taste. These are the books that expanded our worldview, rearranged our insides, and reminded us that being well read is not about prestige. It is about range, nuance, and flavor. It is a personality test. A vibe check. A declaration of reading independence.In this episode, we get into:• Why being well read is not about collecting classics• Diaspora stories• The power of queer and intimate narratives• Speculative chaos and systemic critique• Nigerian fiction that proves we contain multitudes• And the books that emotionally ruined us in the best wayYou'll walk away with new additions to your TBR, a renewed sense of reading freedom, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be disgustingly well-read in a world that keeps trying to shrink your imagination.If you love book recommendations, literary chaos, diaspora perspectives, and honest conversations about reading life, tap in. This episode is for the Litty fam who want more from their bookshelves and more from their bookish community.Hit play and get lit with us.Books discussed: • Olga Dies Dreaming - Xochitl Gonzalez• Chain-Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah• Under the Udala Trees - Chinelo Okparanta• The Mountains Sing - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai• Pachinko - Min Jin Lee• Circe - Madeline Miller• In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado• My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite• Vagabonds! - Eloghosa Osunde• Bitch Planet - Kelly Sue DeConnick• The Green Bone Saga - Fonda Lee• The Poppy War Series - R. F. Kuang• The Murmur of Bees - Sofia Segovia• How We Disappeared - Jing-Jing Lee• Know My Name: A Memoir - Chanel Miller• Not My Time to Die: A Testimony - Yolande Mukagasana• How to Say Babylon: A Memoir - Safiya Sinclair• The Khan - Saima Mir• The Only Child: A Novel - Seo Mi-Ae• The Night Stalker - Chris Carter• Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun - Sarah Ladipo Manyika• Butter Honey Pig Bread - Francesca Ekwuyasi• Beartown - Fredrik BackmanOne last thing!If you’ve got thoughts, hot takes, or book recs, fill out our feedback form and help shape what we do next ➡️ lnk.bio/TheLittyPodcast

What happens when two book‑obsessed Nigerian women decide to explain novels badly and then guess the genre anyway? Pure, unfiltered Litty chaos, and this week’s episode delivers it in abundance.In The Litty Sessions: Summaries Gone Wild, we’re switching up the vibe and leaning all the way into the unserious side of reading life. No deep dives. No structured analysis. Just two friends gisting, roasting, and trying (and failing) to identify books from the most misleading summaries imaginable.Karachi comes armed with curveballs like Main Characters by Bobby Palmer, Rouge by Mona Awad, Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi, Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, and The Pairing by Casey McQuiston, plus her recent reads, Bad Words and The Verifiers. Amyn fires back with iconic chaos: Gone Girl, A Game of Thrones, The Great Gatsby, It Ends With Us, and My Year of Rest and Relaxation, along with her latest reads, How to Hold Someone in Your Heart and This Motherless Land.Expect vibes, laughter, and the kind of bookish banter that feels like catching up with your favorite cousins.In this episode, we get into:• Misleading book summaries that should honestly be crimes• Genre‑guessing that goes left every single time• Why some books are impossible to explain without sounding unhinged• Diaspora reading habits and chaotic TBR confessions• Fresh recommendations across literary fiction, fantasy, thrillers, and romanceWhether you’re here for Iron Widow energy, Gone Girl messiness, or just want to hear two Black women talk books with honesty and humor, this episode is your new comfort listen.Tap in, Litty fam! Let’s get lit together.--------Help Shape The Litty PodcastLitty fam, we want to hear from you. We’ve opened a listener feedback form so you can share your thoughts, hot takes, book recs, and ideas for future episodes.Tell us:What you love about the podWhat you want more ofWhat books we should cover nextWhat we could improveWhat kinds of episodes you want to hear more oftenIt only takes a few minutes, and your feedback helps shape future Litty Reviews, Litty Sessions, and community content ➡️ lnk.bio/TheLittyPodcast

Worldbuilding isn’t just for fantasy nerds. It’s the secret sauce behind every story that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. This month on The Litty Podcast, we’re getting deep into the art of building fictional worlds that feel lived‑in, layered, and real enough to touch.Whether you’re obsessed with sprawling fantasy realms, tight contemporary settings, or the chaotic magic of speculative fiction, this episode breaks down how authors craft universes that stay with us long after the last page.We’re talking culture, politics, vibes, sensory detail, character grounding, and the tiny choices that make a world feel alive.In this episode, we get into:• What makes worldbuilding good vs. forgettable • How authors use culture, language, and history to shape fictional worlds• Why sensory detail matters more than maps and magic systems• How worldbuilding shows up in contemporary fiction • The books that shaped our understanding of immersive storytelling• The chaotic worldbuilding sins we cannot forgiveThis episode is perfect for readers who love fantasy books, literary fiction, sci‑fi, contemporary fiction, and any story with a world you can feel.

Litty fam, we picked up Daytripper, the graphic novel that has been floating around Bookstagram, BookTok, and every “must‑read graphic novel” list for years.In this Litty Review, we dive into Gabriel Bá & Fábio Moon’s award‑winning graphic novel with our usual mix of curiosity, chaos, and cultural commentary. We didn’t walk away sobbing on the floor, but we did walk away impressed, especially by the color palettes, the paneling choices, and the way the art carries so much emotional nuance.Here’s what we get into:What Daytripper is actually doing: the structure, the premise, and why it’s so belovedHow the art and color palettes shape the emotional experienceThe themes that stood out to us as Nigerian women navigating adulthood, identity, and meaningWho this book is perfect for and who might bounce off the pacing or structureThis episode is for anyone who’s been curious about Daytripper, anyone who wants to dip into graphic novels, or anyone who loves hearing two Black women unpack a book with honesty, humor, and a little bit of bookish chaos.If you want a thoughtful, unpretentious conversation about a graphic novel that’s more about craft than shock value, tap in and get lit with us.

What happens when a decades‑long marriage ends and everyone in the family is forced to bloom in unexpected ways? In our final Litty Review of 2025, we’re diving into Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan, a debut novel that explores divorce, reinvention, and the drama of an Indian American family caught between tradition and modern life.The story follows Suresh and Lata, newly divorced after decades together, as they each navigate independence, dating, and rediscovering themselves. Meanwhile, their adult children, Priya and Nikesh, are dealing with their own messy realities, from career pressures to identity struggles, while watching their parents unravel and rebuild.In this episode, we get Litty with:The drama of divorce and what it means for parents and adult childrenGenerational clashes between tradition, independence, and cultural expectationsThe messy pursuit of joy and reinvention at midlifeOur honest verdict: did Late Bloomers bloom or wilt?Why a book sometimes leaves you wanting your minutes backDeepa Varadarajan’s debut has been praised for its layered look at Indian American family life, but we’re here to give you the Litty fam perspective: unfiltered, witty, and rooted in the kind of bookish chaos you love.Takeaways for listeners:A fresh lens on contemporary fiction tackling family, culture, and reinventionRelatable banter that feels like catching up with your best friends over teaTap in for our last episode of the year, where we close out 2025 with laughs, side‑eyes, and a whole lot of bookish honesty.👉 Listen now and join the Litty fam conversation.

October was supposed to be our birthday shindig, but life had other plans. Now we’re back with a belated celebration that’s even better. In this episode of The Litty Podcast, we pick books for each other, stories that speak to us personally and that we can’t wait to share with you.Expect fierce heroines, haunting mysteries, and unforgettable reads that remind you every chapter of your life deserves center stage. This isn’t just a list of recommendations. It’s a birthday toast, a love letter, and an invitation to step fully into your main character energy.🎧 Press play now and join the party.

It’s Libra season, our birthdays are around the corner, and we’re in full reflection mode. In this edition of The Litty Sessions, we built a Bookish Bingo grid and, in the process of playing, revisited books that made us laugh, spiral, whisper “damn,” and question our taste (see: the use of emojis by both hosts to indicate displeasure with certain books 👀 one of many ways we were perfectly in sync during this episode).This episode is part strategy, part literary therapy, and all vibes. We talk about the stories that stuck with us, the ones that and the ones we wish we could unread.Tap in, tag your squares, and tell us which one made you pause.

We’re back (yes, a little late, but still lit!) with this month's breakdown of Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter. This debut thriller serves influencer culture with a side of family dysfunction, and we’re here for every messy moment.In this episode:🍷 Our adult beverages of choice📱 A deep dive into the twisted dynamics of influencer/manager relationships💬 Banter, bold takes, and a closer question that might make you rethink your next postWhether you’ve read the book or just love a juicy unraveling, this one’s for you. Hit play and get lit with us.