Blume Recommends: Our favorite books, AI tools, podcasts, and more from 2025!

What makes a year memorable? Sometimes it’s the book you can’t stop thinking about, the show you binge at 2 am, the tool that upends your workflow, or a podcast that changes the way you see the world. As 2025 fades to memory, we polled the Blume team to gather the tools, stories, and discoveries that shaped our lives — on the clock and off it. From game-changing AI hacks and unforgettable reads to soundtracks for deep work and journeys worth taking, this is your ticket to what resonated at Blume this year. Lets go!

Reading

The Blume team’s reading list this year ranged from podcast transcripts and business memoirs to Russian-inspired fiction and deep philosophical texts. Whether you’re looking for operational insights, decision-making frameworks, or simply a gripping story, here’s what kept us turning pages (and scrolling through transcripts)

Sajith, partner at Blume, overindexed on podcast transcripts this year. He points to join​colos​sus​.com (which hosts Invest Like The Best and Founders), Dwarkesh Patel’s podcast, and David Perell’s ​“How I Write” as sources that gave him substantial reading joy this year.

“Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara caught Ria’s attention this year. Guidara’s behind-the-scenes look into exceptional restaurants explores a compelling tension: balancing hospitality (going over and above, doing the extra) with operational excellence (focus, attention to detail, efficiency). For Ria, who leads People and Culture at Blume, it sparked ideas about baking delight and a service mindset into team goals alongside more formal organizational work.’

She also highlights ​“Culture Study” by Anne Helen Petersen — a Substack and Instagram offering insightful social commentary with a 1000-foot view, unpacking viral trends like Taylor Swift’s ​‘The Eras Tour’ through deep anthropological takes and connecting the dots to seemingly unrelated trends.

Elton from our marketing team recommends ​“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles. He initially thought this was written by a Russian author in the 1800s — turns out it was an American investment banker in 2016. The Dostoevsky-esque prose follows a count under house arrest in a Moscow hotel who refuses to let confinement diminish his life. The key insight: when young and wealthy, the count had every luxury, but it was life’s difficulties that gave his existence meaning, a reminder to keep pushing our limits and not settle.

For those interested in exploring the subconscious mind, Mansi from our Finance Team recommends ​“Unposted Letter” by Mahatria Ra, though she warns it isn’t for everyone — it’s deep and reflective, helping readers face truth through simplicity. She returns to it repeatedly. On the other end of the spectrum, she also points to the ​“Slough House” series by Mick Herron (the books behind the hit show Slow Horses) — intricate thrillers about MI5 misfits solving cases in unconventional ways.

Alok, Director of Investor Relations, recommends ​“An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” by Chris Hadfield. Alok’s exploration of India’s 2025 space mission led him to this memoir by a Canadian astronaut who flew to space three times. It covers the journey to becoming an astronaut and daily life on the ISS. Don’t miss Hadfield’s iconic zero-gravity rendition of David Bowie’s ​“Space Oddity.”

Vikram points to ​“Thinking in Bets” by Annie Duke — a standout on decision-making under uncertainty, focusing on probabilistic thinking rather than binary outcomes. A choice recommendation from our Director of Growth Investments.

Watching

The Blume team’s watch list spans gritty thrillers, regional Indian dramas, and subversive superhero stories. Whether you’re craving edge-of-your-seat suspense or darker commentary on power and heroism, here’s what kept us glued to our screens. 

If you’re into suspense and thrillers, Mansi has two strong recommendations. First, Rookie on Netflix — a US drama with a touch of romance that follows the LAPD’s process of training new recruits, their journeys, and how the department deals with crime. Each episode keeps you on the edge of your seat. For something darker and more intense, try Slow Horses on Apple TV. This thriller spans five seasons and follows MI5 misfits sent to a B‑grade office who solve cases in unusual ways while constantly butting heads with headquarters. If you want serious thrillers that keep you gripped, this is the one.

Ankush, VP of Finance at Blume, recommends ​“Maharani” and ​“Family Man”. Both stand out for interesting plots with regional and cultural flavors, plenty of twists, and strong performances from new entrants. The best part: no over-the-top unnecessary slang or sleaze — everything ties to the plot and setting.

Elton discovered ​“The Boys” recently and couldn’t stop watching. It’s a dark, gory, action-packed show that portrays superheroes as villains — making them human and knocking them off their usual pedestal. Gripping from the beginning.

AI Tools

From transcribing rambling voice notes to cutting writing time by 75%, here’s how AI tools transformed the Blume team’s workflows.

Capturing rough, unstructured thoughts without losing them is a common challenge. Sajith solved it with a Granola + ChatGPT workflow: he records rambling voice notes into Granola, which transcribes reliably even with long pauses and messy thinking. Then he feeds the transcript to ChatGPT with detailed prompts — telling it to write in his voice — and edits from there. It’s more forgiving than speaking directly to AI and produces better results than trying to structure thoughts perfectly upfront.

Elton cut his long-form writing time from four days to one using Lex.page. The combination of prompts, style guides, and knowledge banks lets him create repeatable formats without starting from scratch each time — making both drafting and editing substantially faster.

For presentations, Ria found Gamma to be a step up from basic AI tools — especially useful for creating more formal decks without the usual manual assembly.

Listening

The Blume team’s audio rotation spanned KPop soundtracks, moody indie pop, and deep-dive business podcasts — something for every mood and moment.

Ria’s 6‑year-old put the KPop ​“Demon Hunters” soundtrack on repeat, a fun soundtrack for powering through tasks or getting movement in winter air. For something more substantive, she revisited Lenny’s Podcast episode featuring Stanford GSB professor Carole Robin on building deeper, more robust relationships — a valuable listen for navigating people relationships at work and in life.

Mansi recommends the ​“Acquired podcast” by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, particularly their episode on Rolex’s journey. Key revelation: Rolex is universally recognized as a Swiss brand yet neither the founder was Swiss nor did the company start in Switzerland. Even more surprising — Rolex is 100% owned by a charitable foundation in Geneva that gives away money to local people in the city. 

“TV Girl”, an indie pop/​dreampop band, became a new addition to Sajith’s rotation after exploring artists similar to Beach House and Cigarettes After Sex. He says, ​“The sound architecture creates a moody, occasionally wistful vibe — perfect background music for deep work or late-night Delhi winter walks.”

Vikram recommends a standout episode from Blume’s own podcast featuring the MakeMyTrip story.

Beyond the Screen

Sometimes the best recommendations can’t be streamed, downloaded, or prompted. From spiritual practices to mountain roads and family traditions, here’s what the Blume team experienced beyond their devices.

Mitul, Head of Finance at Blume, recommends the ​“Inner Engineering Program” by Sadhguru. He recommends this experiential program for those looking beyond traditional content formats — a structured approach to inner work and self-exploration.

After a short November trip to Shillong, Alok heavily recommends Meghalaya as a tourist destination. Shillong is aptly termed the ​“Scotland of the East”—the drive from Guwahati offers scenic views, crisp pure air, and verdant hills worth experiencing.

Ria’s search for the perfect work notebook ended with this Madurai-based boutique. After wading through personalized journals and brightly designed options with unnecessary extras, she found minimally elegant notebooks that deliver exactly what’s needed: Atelier NEORAH

Ankush’s year was marked by creating experiences for his son — visiting ancestral villages, religious deities, and relatives across Rajasthan, Vrindavan, Siliguri, Kishanganj, and Calcutta. Watching his son react, respond, and absorb as traditions pass from one generation to another was fulfilling and full of gratitude.

For foodies in Mumbai during the holidays, Mansi recommends Toa 66 (one of the best vegetarian Thai tasting menu experiences) and The Lovefools (a charming fine dining spot with exceptional cocktails where you’ll lose track of time).

From productivity workflows to road trips through Meghalaya, the Blume team’s recommendations span tools, stories, and experiences worth carrying into 2026. Whether you’re looking to optimize how you work, find your next great read, or discover a hidden gem, there’s something here for every curiosity. Happy holidays from all of us at Blume — see you in the new year.