Jun 14, 2021
Episode 053 Swetha Nisthala on “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert
Yet another episode in which I am seriously considering to changing my format to an hour long show. Or maybe two? Despite the fact that it was the middle of the night in India, where she lives, Swetha Nisthala and I could have talked for hours about the books and people and places we love. Swetha calls Elizabeth Gilbert a “Soul Writer,” which is her term for an author who can put complicated emotions into words. We also discussed how her love of Gilbert’s work has seen her through many life changes, how grief comes in waves, and Bookstagram’s response to the Covid crisis in India.
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Host: Julie Strauss
Guest: Swetha Nisthala
Want to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast? Go here!
Discussed in this episode:
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield et. al. (holy moly I had no idea there were so many versions of the Chicken Soup series. 259 books!!)
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Swetha’s recommendations if you want to donate to help in India:
KVN Foundation supplies free oxygen concentrators to the needy
Hemkunt Foundation provides oxygen support for whoever needs it
Khushiyaan Foundation: Among other things, they provide free meals daily for underprivileged kids and provide oxygen support for Covid.
Adivasis Lives Matter provides emergency relief material for 10 particularly vulnerable indigenous groups in the remotest forest areas in India
Donatekart for Daily Wage laborers provides groceries and food for daily wage laborers on the brink of starvation
Feeding India by Zomato serves cooked meals to people in need every single day
You can find many other fundraisers to donate on these fundraising platforms:
Discussed in our Patreon Conversation:
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Switzerland’s History in Indian movies
(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)