'Men Like Ours' Author Bindu Bansinath on Gossip, Reddit, and Roach Motels

Don’t be fooled by the title — Men Like Ours by Bindu Bansinath is a book about women. Namely, the women of Willow Road, a South Asian suburban enclave of New Jersey, where recently widowed Anita Sharma and her teenage daughter, Leila, live.

When a family friend, Matthew Pillai, is found dead, the tight-knit neighborhood is thrust into a gossip-fueled investigation. Jumping back and forth in time, the novel chronicles the Sharmas’ unhappy arranged marriage, Anita’s struggle to find home in America, and how Matthew grew suspiciously close to Leila under the guise of encouraging her acting dreams.

Darkly funny and unsettlingly vivid, it’s a riveting portrait of a community with a side of murder mystery. Or as author Gary Shteyngart put it, “the most promising debut I've read in decades.” We asked Bansinath a few questions. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: What’s one thing everyone needs to watch? 

Bansinath: Sons of Ecstasy, a twisty and oddly beautiful doc about two rival kingpins facing off in the 1990s Arizona party scene. One is a British stock trader, and the other is the wayward son of a mafioso in witness protection. 

Q: What’s a corner of the internet you recently discovered?

Bansinath: The GirlDinnerDiaries subreddit, where strangers post food photos and vent about grievances small and large — like how they’re “so f*cking sick of ads being everywhere” (wonton soup pic) or how their ex-best friend is possibly pregnant by their ex-husband (yogurt parfait). It’s vulnerable, messy, and very Old Internet. 

Q: What’s one recipe everyone should make? 

Bansinath: These giant crinkled chocolate chip cookies with double the recommended chocolate. 

Q: What’s one thing you can’t stop listening to?

Bansinath: Mitski’s Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, with “I’ll Change For You” on repeat. 

Q: What’s the one thing you can't leave the house without?

Bansinath: I’m nothing without a giant bottle of Aquaphor. 

Q: What's your favorite unapologetic indulgence? 

Bansinath: Spoilers. I'm not ashamed (though I possibly should be ashamed) to say I'll pause an episode of television to first read the Vulture recap.

Q: What's one thing that’s made you 10% happier? 

Bansinath: Roach motels. 

Q: What is your most prized possession? 

Bansinath: My Vanki ring from Raj Jewels in [Iselin, New Jersey].

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island and could only eat one thing, what would it be? 

Bansinath: Masala dosa with chopped red onions. 

Q: What should be required reading for every human being? 

Bansinath: Lydia Chukovskaya’s Sofia Petrovna, because anything can happen to anyone.

Meanwhile, on the internet…

• The Washington Nationals just added an 8-week-old puppy to their roster — and honestly, he might be the best thing to happen to baseball. 

• Thought you had a bad week? Just be thankful you’re not the person behind KFC’s X account, who is never going to live down this (impressively still live) post. 

• These are the nine “adult cheat codes” that apparently make life easier. Number three just validated our Amazon order history.