Sheila Yasmin Marikar Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Sheila Yasmin Marikar is a general fiction author who is best known for her debut work of fiction “The Goddess Effect,” which she published in 2022.

She does not remember the exact moment she decided to become an author, even though she was always a reader.

But it was not until the 2010s that she began to wonder if maybe she had it in her to write a book that others would find entertaining or even just interesting.

She is now an author whose works have been published in Vogue, the New Yorker, Businessweek, the New York Times, Bloomberg, Fortune, and the Economist among many other publications.

Yasmin Marikar is a critically acclaimed author whose profile of celebrated chef Gaggan Anand in the New York Times Magazine was featured in the Best American Food Writing 2021 edition.
The New Jersey native graduated with a degree in history from Cornell University and currently makes her home in Los Angeles where she lives with her husband.

It was while she was working in the newsroom that she began thinking of writing and publishing a novel. Her colleagues asked her if she knew anything about fiction writing and since she did not, the fact discouraged her for a very long time.
It was in 2014 that she first had an idea for her novel. She was then working for the Style section of the New York Times and had penned a story on modern-day communes in the Bay Area and San Fransisco.
After visiting several communes and getting to know the residents the story stuck in her mind and she thought it would make for a compelling read.

She had been writing narrative fiction for more than ten years and was used to all the note-taking in interviews and scanning for quotes but this could not apply to fiction writing.
In 2015, Sheila Yasmin had the idea to pen a novel about a modern commune and penned about a thousand words before she got stuck.

At that time, she dreamed of publishing the Great American Novel but had no idea about how to create a compelling narrative let alone develop plots or characters.

For many years, she was overwhelmed by all the options. Not knowing what to do with the freedom of fiction, she was overwhelmed and for many years, she gathered words that gathered dust in her Google Drive.

Sheila Yasmin Marikar has always had an obsession with boutique fitness for more than a decade. When she first moved to Los Angeles, she had latched onto “Body by Simone” just like the lead of her novel latches onto “The Goddess Effect.”
Nonetheless, Marikar had never been part of a boutique fitness group and hence writing the novel was an immersive experience for her.

Still, she had been to other fitness classes such as Taryn Toomey’s “The Class,” which is famed for its cultish workouts. These are fitness classes where participants usually scream and stomp their feet up and down as instructed.
For the most part, much of her research was derived from her reporting adventures. The idea of a workout retreat came to the forefront of her mind when she was covering a Businessweek story in Austin Texas.

She was reporting on how women who have achieved certain levels in their careers have the luxury of shelling out $4000 for a weekend of staying at a luxury resort and working out.

“The Goddess Effect” by Sheila Yasmin Marikar introduces a 31-year-old named Anita. While she is on the famous third floor, she has not yet figured out her life.

As such, when she is promised a job at a digital platform in Los Angeles, she leaves behind her job in the news. She moves to California with nothing to her name but credit card debt and enough rent for three months.
But when she arrives, the HR rep stops picking up her calls and to take the stress off, she decides to enroll in “The Goddess Effect” run by Venus, a renowned fitness guru.

It is not long before she is all in for the spirituality/boot camp lifestyle and is accepted by the Lululemon-wearing minions and could just be offered a job.

But then she realizes that “The Goddess Effect” and Venus are not all that they seem to be. There are too many cryptic posts on Instagram and backroom secrets that lambast her gur that Anita can no longer ignore it all.
Ultimately, she decides to investigate as she wants to find out what is happening behind the scenes with the goddesses and the fitness guru.

It is a witty and on-point portrayal of wellness followers and fan culture that comes with some bizarre twists and turns.

“Friends in Napa” introduces Mindy Kaling whose six-odd friends come to visit her in Napa Valley where they are to have a good time as they enjoy a luxurious weekend.
Rachel Ranjani and Raj have invited a small group of their best friends from college to Napa Valley for a mighty old reunion and celebration.

The friends will be spending three nights at the Ranjani mansion and vineyard, attending the grand opening of their high-end winery, having exclusive tasting events, and having the chance to dinner at the hottest new restaurant in Napa.
But the earliest sign that things might not go so well is when the visitors notice palpable tension between the hosts and a brick is thrown into the room through a window.

However, Raj pretends everything is fine as he pops open a few bottles of vintage wine to settle everyone’s nerves. But as college vibes resurface so do unrequited crushes, old animosities, and resentments.
It is not long before the illusion of friendship begins to crumble and soon enough one of the friends turns up dead with just about everyone having something to hide and a motivation to kill.

It is an engrossing work of fiction that will have you engrossed from the first page right to the last.