Image Sourced Through Pinterest

Reading might have once been seen as a solitary activity, and it’s true that us readers do appreciate being left undisturbed – always a little too comfortable in our solitude. But in this day and age, where our eyes are glued to screens 24/7 and talking in real life is a luxury, reading can actually bring us out of our shells. A love for literature is one of the easiest and fastest ways to bond with someone, and we can attest to that.

Hi, we’re Julia and Ayesha, and we’ve been friends for about twenty years now! Two decades of friendship is a milestone worth celebrating, but of course, it’s not so uncommon. That said, a friendship built on a mutual love for books is a strong one.

We first met in the 5th grade during a lunchtime Spanish club. There is almost no doubt that we both packed battered library hardcovers to accompany our lunch. Who was the first one to say “Hello,” or was it rather “Hey, what book are you reading?” – the fastest way to get a book lover’s attention and make a new friend. Fast forward a year, and the Spanish didn’t stick, but our obsession with everything book-related became a defining factor of our friendship. Our middle school years were marked by the release of cult classics like Twilight, The Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, and more – needless to say, there were many great books to talk about. Whether we were whispering to each other in math class, giggling in homeroom, or chatting away on the landline (yes, we had those back in the day), books were always part of our conversations.

Ayesha Mukherjee and Julia Yee Together 20 Years Ago

Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob? Team Jacob all the way! Can you believe Alex Pettyfer is playing Alex Rider in the Stormbreaker movie, he is so perfect for the role! You should read Uglies next. Do you think you would survive the Hunger Games? Definitely not. Team Peeta, right? Are you reading City of Bones? Are you kidding, I’m already on City of Glass!

Even now, many years later, we never fail to bring up the topic of books when the two of us are chatting. A few years ago, Ayesha visited Julia in New York city, and after multiple trips to The Strand and binge watching the latest season of Bridgerton (we’re Kanthony stans), we somehow kept circling back to bookish topics. Let’s be honest, talking about hot faerie warriors and men written by Julia Quinn is way more interesting than talking about virtual work meetings and disappointing Hinge dates. It’s actually what prompted us to take a leap and launch the Hot Girls Read Podcast!

Reading has always been something we loved to do. And honestly, it wasn’t until we created a podcast all about reading and books that we realized the impact that reading has, and more importantly, how essential it is to continue reading as an adult. Why? Because reading creates community. You’ve likely seen the various articles outlining how society is going through a loneliness epidemic, and the reality is we’re starving for connection. It may seem counterintuitive, but reading can help with that! Not only have we deepened our own friendship through books and the many paths books have taken us on, but we’ve developed communities, both off and online, with other book lovers. Whether we’re talking with guests on our show, co-workers, new friends, or crushes, books are an easy gateway to further conversation. Also, reading a wide array of material means you have more to connect over! You want to talk about art history, dragons, sports mindsets, or even Greek heroes? We’ve probably read a book or two about it.

Making new friends as an adult, or even initiating a conversation with strangers, can be intimidating. A friend shared a recent story. While on the metro, she noticed the guy next to her nose deep in a book, completely riveted by what he was reading. A few stops later, she worked up the courage to ask him what he was reading. They had a brief conversation, and she came away with a new book recommendation and a renewed sense of confidence. Maybe meeting new people in a big city isn’t so hard after all, especially when there are books involved.

So, from us to you, “Hey, what book are you reading?” Let’s not be strangers.

P.S. If you want to be inspired by literary friendships formed over books, we’ve compiled a little reading list of suggestions below:

Days At the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

The Reading List by Sarah Nisha Adams

Funny Story by Emily Henry

The Village Green Bookshop by Rachel Lucas

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Ayesha Mukherjee and Julia Yee together 20 years later.

About Us: Julia Yee and Ayesha Mukherjee are co-hosts of Hot Girls Read Podcast – a podcast all about books. We cover everything from our favorite books in every genre and deep dives into specific books, to niche topics like interracial romance reads, our most loved characters, and more. You can listen to us on most podcast platforms, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

This was written by our contributing writers, Ayesha Mukherjee and Julia Yee.