SiriusXM’s 99% Invisible Team Shares Favorite Books in Special Episode

OAKLAND, Calif. — The team behind the hit podcast “99% Invisible” recently gathered for a special episode where they shared their favorite books, revealing their personal tastes and creative inspirations.

Hosted by Roman Mars, this bonus episode was released to SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscribers, celebrating a community of listeners who enjoy ad-free access and exclusive content. Mars described the session as a chance to highlight the diverse literary tastes of the show’s production team while also providing gift ideas for book lovers.

“We read for research, we read for story ideas, and of course we read for fun,” Mars said, kicking off the episode. “This month, we thought it’d be fun to talk about the books we’re currently enjoying.”

Among the contributors was producer Lasha Madan, who revealed she often reads multiple books simultaneously. Currently, she is revisiting a unique pickling encyclopedia titled “Usha‘s Pickle Digest: The Perfect Pickle Recipe Book” by Usha, affectionately known as the Pickle Queen of India. Despite having a longstanding relationship with the book, Madan confessed to yet to reading it cover to cover.

“This book has a cult following because it has over a thousand recipes, and it reads like an old-school textbook,” Madan explained. “Usha originally printed only 1,000 copies, giving them out for free, as her way of sharing her passion for pickling with friends and family.”

In the episode, she delved into Usha’s fascinating journey from compiling recipes into a notebook to creating a beloved pickling guide. Madan shared how pickling became a ritual for her during moments of writing anxiety.

Next up was Chris Berube, who shared his literary choices, including Robert Caro’s “The Power Broker