Useless Doctors Book Club

For our 25th (!!) episode, we read the very popular book-turned-movie The Martian by Andy Weir. We discuss how much effort went into saving one person stuck on Mars, what the main character Mark Watney could've done differently, and how we felt about alllll the scientific details in the book. Lots of fun stuff! The three of us have matching NASA sweatshirts (Sarah wore hers during the recording),...

This week the Useless Doctors read a book Pooja chose, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen! Considered one of the greatest novels of all time, written by one of the most popular authors of all time, Pride & Prejudice is a staple of English literature. Yet somehow none of us have ever read the novel. While discussing our thoughts we chat about 19th-century dating habits, Austen’s love for expo...

In today's episode, we explore the mysteries in The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. We talk about family drama and what it takes to kill a person. Also, can a book still hit the mark if the side plots are more interesting than the main plot? Listen to find out!

We're back with a book about a book club! The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix is a horror/thriller book about a group of suburban moms bonded by their love of mysteries and true crime dealing with some disturbing events and a suspicious newcomer in their community. We talk through our realization that the book was different than we expected, laugh at Sarah getting s...

In this week’s episode, we welcome a special guest, our friend Miriam, as we discuss Beartown by Fredrik Backman! Together we chat about Pooja's list of emotional moments in the book, Miriam's enjoyment of Backman's characterization and the featured friendships, Sarah's dislike of all things sloooow-burn, and Harshini's thoughts on the (wild!) ending. Is it possible that a book about a high school...

In today's episode we talk about the book, A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria. Throughout the podcast we discuss what makes a good romance book and how to make a cliché work. We also essentially rewrite the entire book to our liking. And bonus, Harshini learns that "hex" is a real word!

In honor of Black History Month and Galentine's Day, we read Nikki May's debut novel, Wahala (which literally means trouble). We discuss the drama, ALL of Pooja's qualms with the characters, and yet another wild ending. Harshini chose this book for the friendship, but have we found a friendship like ours? Listen to find out!

In this week’s episode we are discussing a seriously dysfunctional family in a book that Pooja chose, We Are The Brennans by Tracey Lange. The Brennans are a well-known Irish-American family in a small town in upstate New York. And they’ve got some major secrets that could ruin their lives. Will the intrigue of this book be enough for the Useless Doctors to all give it 5 stars?  Listen to fin...

In today's episode, we read Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney; a snowy thriller to match all the snowstorms taking over the US. Sarah originally picked this book because she thought it was a romantic comedy.  She soon found out that the book actually follows a couple in a haunted church with a mysterious lady living next door. Is it possible that we've found a thriller which even a thriller...

The wait is over! We're back with season 2 and decided to start the new year with a special episode discussing the book and the show Defending Jacob (book by William Landay, show on Apple TV starring Chris Evans!!). Sarah and Pooja read the book before watching the show, and Harshini watched the show before reading the book. Tune in to find out how we answer the classic question: is the book or th...

We have three books to talk about for our season finale! In this episode, we discuss three books that we recommended to each other and read. Sarah recommended Harshini, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Pooja recommended Sarah, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazlewood, and Harshini recommended Pooja, Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Did Pooja finally succeed in getting Sarah to rate a book 5 sta...

Welcome back everyone! In this episode we're discussing I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin. Pooja chose this friendship-focused book in an attempt to get 5 stars from everyone (since we love a good, wholesome friendship). Did she miss the mark? Was Goodreads trustworthy in its rating? Listen to find out! We also discuss blood queasiness, the importance of good vibes, and who we would...

It's lucky episode 13, and we are so lucky to have a very special guest, our wonderful friend Mahima, join us on the podcast! The four of us read Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne – you guessed it, a romance. We talk through what it means to "girl boss too close to the sun," the misleading premise and reviews of the book, and our moments of audible disappointment. 13 may not have been so luck...

Hey hey hey, welcome (back) to our lovely podcast! In honor of Native American Heritage month, this week we read a novel by Blackfeet Native American author Stephen Graham Jones! While discussing this horror novel, we make sure to also chat about how to haunt properly, nail-biting basketball games, and Sarah’s distaste (!!) for NYC (clearly she's wrong).

In this episode, we explore the steamy romance of Jasmine and Ashton on the set of a telenovela in You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. Throughout the episode, we discuss disappointing plot twists, wholesome friendships, and what makes up a good romance. Is this a romance we support? Listen to find out!

For our tenth (!!) episode, we read one of Sarah's favorite books, Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Marukami. Since both Sarah and Pooja read this one last year and Pooja's wasn't as much of a fan, Harshini is the official tiebreaker of how good this book really was. We break down the whole plot, talking about the oedipal prophecy, the characters we loved and hated, and all the things that confused us...

Happy almost Halloween! The spooky vibes are well underway in our latest read. For our last Spooktober novel, we chat about the classic haunted house story, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Along the way, we talk about Harshini’s love for "cozy" and "nice" ghost stories, toxic friendships, and whether we would ever go to a haunted mansion if invited. Hope you enjoy!

This episode we delve into behind-the-scenes drama at a publishing house in the book, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris. We discuss our love for wholesome friendships in books, as well as, the best way to overthrow a secret organization. We attempt to decipher what happened in the ending and our thoughts on the book's overall messages. Did we finally hit the mark for a thriller this spo...

For the overlap of Hispanic Heritage Month and Spooktober, we discussed Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. In a very rare occurrence, all three of us agreed on our exact rating of this book! While we thought the variety of vampires and their cool powers were promising, we had many thoughts on how this book could have been more satisfying. We also pitch an idea for a sequel of the book an...

Hey hey hey, we are back with episode 6! In this episode we discuss It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. Along the way we chat about Ellen DeGeneres, our crush on one of the side characters, and Harshini’s qualms with unoriginal baby names. As this book is on the heavier side, we’d like to give a content warning. This book has graphic depictions of abuse and we discuss some of these scenes in depth...

In this episode, we read our first book by an Indian American author!! Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian features magical lemonade (yes, gold melted down for the characters to drink ) and some typical brown boy behavior. We judge how unlikable the main character is and laugh at how Pooja thought this book was hilarious when Harshini and Sarah did not. This book also contained some Hindi and Marathi...

In this episode, we delve into the book Newcomer by Keigo Higashino. Throughout this episode, we gush over all the wholesome moments in this murder-mystery and expose our crush for the competent lead detective. Could it be possible that we've found a book that no one has any qualms with? Impossible! Enjoy!

For the start of the new school year, Episode 3 of the Useless Doctor’s Book Club is here with a campus crime novel! In this episode we chat about the book, The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. We also discuss how many stabs is too many stabs, why men shouldn’t write women characters in thriller books, and our past plans to have our own secret society.

For our second episode, we read Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. This novel explores the life of a new mother who’s convinced she’s turning into a dog. Yes, you read that right. Despite some significant confusion, we try to unpack the symbols and explore an unsteady theory. Enjoy!

Welcome to our podcast! In our first episode we discuss the book, Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Along the way we talk about our qualms with tropes in love stories, unrealistic murder expectations and why aunties are always coming in clutch.