Jacob Shymanski

In a way, it feels more emotionally true when it's told in a story form than in a textbook form like in nonfiction.

It can be just as much about the author than it is about the reader themselves and how they interpret it.

Yeah.

Well, Amrit, if I recall from this book, one of the things that kind of triggered a lot of the action is that she was accidentally granted permission on her work account to see everybody in the company's emails.

Exactly.

Imagine that.

Imagine that, being in your company, being able to read everybody's emails, the gossip, the drama.

This book delivers you.

Yeah.

And fantastic narration, if I'm remembering correctly.

With the fantastic Persian accents, too.

Yes, yes.

Yeah, that was I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Hsu.

Next up, Sarah, what's your favorite book that you discovered in 2025?

You described it as not being ironic, that it just is what it is.

And I know what you mean by that.

There's a quality to a lot of books that came out post-2010-ish.

And even movies and TV shows, this post-modern sensibility as if everything's been done already.

And there's always this subtext of ironic cynicism.

And it just gets grating.