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Those who love reading know there are only a few things that are better than reading a good book. One of them is discussing a book you’ve read and loved with other readers. In Nepal, except for a few Instagram pages and corporate book clubs, there aren’t many groups where we can discuss our favorite titles, recent reads, and other bookish things.

Reading doesn’t have to be an isolated affair if you can connect with others who share your love of authors and characters. While physical meet-ups, with steaming cups of tea or coffee and generous slices of cake, might be an ideal way to talk about the book you’re reading, online book clubs can cross international barriers and connect you with readers and authors from across the globe.

Here are five of our favorite book clubs where you can get some really good book recommendations, connect with other like-minded readers, and discuss your thoughts and opinions on everything related to books and reading.

Reese’s Book Club

Reese Witherspoon, an American actor and film producer, runs an online book club called the Reese’s Book Club. It has over two million followers on Instagram. Every month, she chooses two fun and thought-provoking books with female leads, one for adults and one for YA readers. You can then read along with Reese and others by following the online book club on Instagram and Facebook. There’s also an app and you can subscribe to the newsletter for some upbeat content in your inbox. Reese has also adapted some of her book club picks into movies, notably ‘Wild’, ‘Big Little Lies’, and ‘Little Fires Everywhere’.

Our Shared Shelf

Founded by Emma Watson in 2016, this Instagram community is focused on intersectional feminist literature. During the initial days, Emma selected a book with feminist themes every two months. Emma stepped back from the group in 2020, requesting its Facebook and GoodReads community members to continue sharing recommendations. The hashtag #oursharedshelf is going strong for like-minded and lively discussions. Some books on this list will make you smile and some will make you cry. But what’s for sure is that they will all inspire you and encourage you to be the best version of yourself.

Sonali’s Book Club

On her book club’s website, Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre Behl says she has always been passionate about reading but juggling motherhood and her career made it difficult to read as much as she would like. So, she started Sonali’s Book Club as a means to interact with book lovers from across the globe. It was a way to ensure she got her reading life back on track as she would have to compulsorily read at least one book every month. Every month, she picks a book for the members of the book club to read and sets a date to discuss any thoughts and questions that they might have. The discussion happens via Facebook Live or a textual discussion online on the Sonali’s Book Club Facebook group.

Oprah’s Book Club

Oprah Winfrey’s book club is arguably America’s most influential literary hit-maker, turning unknown titles into massive bestsellers. Every book Oprah picks for her club becomes an instant bestseller. The Instagram page of the book club is a virtual delight. You will find yourself scrolling through it for hours on end since it has over 2100 posts to date. The books she tends to pick are usually thick volumes so make sure you have the time and patience for such long reads before getting into them. The book club picks have over 100 titles—both fiction and non-fiction. Visit OprahDaily.com for book-related articles and many author interviews. You can also sign up for a book club newsletter to get a complete experience.  

Belletrist

Belletrist, co-founded by actresses Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss, is an online reading community dedicated to books and reading. Each month, the book club selects a book and hosts discussions about it. There are often author interviews too. This allows readers to get an insight into the workings of the author’s mind while writing the book. Since its launch in 2017, the community has chosen over 75 titles, and the books are discussed on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.

Which is that one place which comes to your mind when you think of trekking? Is it Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi, or Everest Base Camp? There are many places in Nepal that are yet to be explored. A beautiful trekking destination which has not gained much popularity, even among people who love to be in the lap of mountains, is Api Himal Base Camp Trek in the far-western region of Nepal.

This trekking route doesn’t have a long history. It was officially made accessible to the public only in 2020.

Though Api Himal Base Camp Trek is one of the shortest trekking destinations, it offers breathtaking sights, rocky mountain terrain, amazing food, pristine free-flowing river, steep gorges, and unique local culture. 

We got an offer to explore this off-beat trekking destination, and without a second thought we packed our bags and bid adieu to Kathmandu.

We traveled on a bus for around 30 hours, enjoying the magical forests, beautiful landscapes, and sceneries of Doti, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, and Darchula, to reach the Api Himal Base Camp in Darchula, situated in the remotest part of Nepal. 

We spent the first night on the bus and stayed at a hotel in Gokuleshwor of Darchula on the second. The next day, after indulging in a typical Nepali breakfast, we took a jeep at around 6: 30 am and headed towards Makarigaad.

We traveled in the four-wheeler for almost four hours along a perilous stretch of road.

After reaching Makarigaad, we had Nepali food—dal, bhat, tarkari with chicken—for lunch. I have never tasted such scrumptious food on the trekking route so far. We started heading towards Khandeshwori Village, our home for the night. 

After climbing around 4,000 stairs, we reached the top of the hill from where we got a glimpse of a traditional village high up. We didn’t find a source of water on the way to the village. Finally, we reached Makarikot and found a tap. We were exhausted and at the same time excited to reach Naupata Homestay in Khandeshwori Village, where we were going to spend our third night. 

We were so taken by the natural beauty of the surrounding that we didn’t even realize that we had walked for two hours to reach the village. We saw many eye-pleasing varieties of flowers everywhere in the village. There were traditional mud houses with clay stone roofing with maize laid out on it to dry.

A mothers’ group clad in traditional attire came to welcome us. They offered us flowers and tika and performed the traditional folk dance. Our team members couldn’t stop themselves and started dancing with them, donning traditional dresses.

The next day, as we were leaving, the owner of the homestay packed us some parathas and fried corn for lunch. She didn’t even charge us for it. Her kindness and love made us feel at home, creating a sense of belonging in that remote corner of Nepal.

We left the homestay at around eight in the morning and headed towards Siti. After walking through well-trodden trails for some time, we crossed a suspension bridge over the Chaulani river. The sounds of the water felt melodic and meditative.

The excitement turned into fear when we found out we had to climb uphill through a narrow trail. After walking for around half an hour through a steep trail, we reached Ghusa.

We were given cucumbers with the paste of salt and chilies by a woman and her grandson in Ghusa which helped us unwind and recharge ourselves to reach Nali, where we had pre-ordered lunch. After having lunch at Nali and resting for some time, we reached Siti in the evening. 

Our next destination was Dhauliodar. We started hiking early in the morning, had breakfast at Khayakot, and moved towards Chirchire to have lunch. Enjoying picturesque views of alpine forest and vegetation, grasslands, flora and fauna, green pastures and mystic region with Chaulani river flowing on our side, we reached Dhauliodar in the evening.

Unfortunately, there was only a tea house which had only mattresses and sleeping bags. The night was chilly and we couldn’t sleep properly. The next day, after walking for around an hour and a half, we reached Api Himal Base Camp.

We were rewarded with views of snow-capped mountains and sounds of nature. The moment was surreal. Words can’t describe how we felt at that moment. 

We took a lot of photos and videos. After that, we walked for two hours to reach the main attraction of the Api Nampa Base Camp, holy Kalidhunga Lake that lies at an altitude of 4,100 meters from sea level. The view was stunning and awe-inspiring. It had a calming effect on us. We felt like we had stepped into a fairytale world.

Though we wanted to stay there for hours enjoying the beauty of the lake, scenery, music of nature and the mountains, we had to return to the Base Camp as we had already planned to spend that night at Chirchire. The next day we reached Gokuleshwor at around 10 pm and headed back to Kathmandu.

Situated at an altitude of 7,132 meters from sea level, Mt Api is the highest mountain in Yoka Pahar Gurans Himalayan region. Api Nampa Conservation Area has been protecting this hidden treasure of the far-west Nepal bordering India to the west and Tibet to the north.

The trek offers spectacular views of Mt Api (7,132 meters), Mt Kapchuli (6,850 meters), Mt Rajama (6,537 meters), Mt Thado Dhunga Tuppa (5,368 meters) and the Api Himalayan ranges.

The trek can be completed in nine days. March to May and September to November are the best months for trekking to Api Himal Base Camp. The cost comes around to Rs 15, 000-20,000 per person.

Despite the challenges and its remoteness, we would highly recommend this adventure to those looking for an authentic Nepali experience.

What do youths want? This is an invaluable question Nepal must think about and address as youths are the driving forces of transformation and a better tomorrow. Rastrika Shakya from ApEx spoke to three young people to find out what change they would like to see in their communities and local areas.

Rahita Shakya, 21, Patan

In the Newar community, there’s a tradition of hosting a bhoj (party) seven days after a person’s death. But I believe it’s time for a change. Instead of focusing on lavish gatherings, we could redirect our efforts towards helping the bereaved in more meaningful ways, such as emotional support and practical assistance. By shifting the emphasis away from extravagant rituals, we can promote a culture of compassion and empathy, fostering stronger bonds within the community. This change would not only alleviate financial burdens but also encourage a more compassionate and supportive environment during times of loss.

Ishta Dangol, 22, Dallu

One change I’d like to see in my local community is more green spaces. It would be amazing to have more parks, gardens, and tree-lined streets where people can relax, exercise, and connect with nature. Green spaces not only enhance the beauty of the community, they also provide various health and environmental benefits. Having more green spaces would make our community a more vibrant and livable place. People are cooped up inside their homes, watching television, or on their phones and laptops. This can have both physical and mental repercussions. So, it’s very important to provide education and resources to community members about the benefits of green spaces, and how to use and maintain them responsibly and sustainably.

Bijen Tuladhar, 21, Bungamati

One thing I’d like is a place where people can easily throw their garbage, especially when it gets dark, as it can be difficult to walk around safely. It’s important because some people throw trash in public areas, which makes the environment dirty and can cause health problems, especially for children who play outside. Everyone in the community needs to be aware of this. Throwing garbage not only pollutes the surroundings but also harms the people living in the area.

Another important improvement would be to fix up the Rato Machindranath Temple, which was damaged during the 2015 earthquake. This temple is important to many people, and it’s sad that it’s been abandoned for so long. It will take the help of the government, local people, and leaders to rebuild it and make sure it’s taken care of for future generations to enjoy.

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

Charles Duhigg

Psychology | Self-Help

Supercommunicators know the importance of recognizing—and then matching—each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. With his storytelling that takes us from the writers’ room of The Big Bang Theory to the couches of leading marriage counselors, Duhigg shows readers how to recognize these three conversations—and teaches us the tips and skills we need to navigate them more successfully. 

The Lost Bookshop

Evie Woods

Historical Fiction 

For too long, Opaline, Martha, and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder where nothing is as it seems.

Maktub

Paulo Coelho

Short stories | Philosophy 

An essential companion to the inspirational classic The Alchemist, filled with timeless stories of reflection and rediscovery. From one of the greatest writers of our age comes a collection of stories and parables unlocking the mysteries of the human condition. Gathered from Paulo Coelho’s daily column of the same name, Maktub, meaning ‘it is written,’ invites seekers on a journey of faith, self-reflection, and transformation. As Coelho explains, ‘Maktub is not a book of advice―but an exchange of experiences.’

All these titles and more are available at Bookverse, 4th Floor, Civil Mall, Sundhara, Kathmandu. Currently, they have a ‘buy one get one free’ offer on select titles.