diff --git a/src/components/CatalogueContent.tsx b/src/components/CatalogueContent.tsx
index bf83bf3..017da6a 100644
--- a/src/components/CatalogueContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/CatalogueContent.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import axios from "axios";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
-import { type IPaper, type Filters, type StoredSubjects, type ApiResponse } from "@/interface";
+import { type IPaper, type Filters, type ApiResponse } from "@/interface";
 import Card from "./Card";
 import Loader from "./ui/loader";
 import SideBar from "../components/SideBar";
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import posthog from "posthog-js";
 import EmptyState from "./ui/EmptyState";
 import SelectionToolbar from "./SelectionToolbar";
 import SortComponent from "./ui/sorting";
+import { readPinnedSubjects } from "@/lib/utils/pinned-subjects";
 
 const CatalogueContentInner = ({ subject }: { subject: string | null }) => {
   const [isMounted, setIsMounted] = useState(false);
@@ -94,9 +95,7 @@ const CatalogueContentInner = ({ subject }: { subject: string | null }) => {
   useEffect(() => {
     setIsMounted(true);
     if (searchParams) {
-      const currentPinnedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-        localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-      ) as StoredSubjects;
+      const currentPinnedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
       const subjectName = searchParams.get("subject");
       setSelectedExams(
         searchParams.get("exams")?.split(",").filter(Boolean) ?? [],
@@ -136,9 +135,7 @@ const CatalogueContentInner = ({ subject }: { subject: string | null }) => {
     const current = !pinned;
     setPinned(current);
 
-    const saved = JSON.parse(
-      localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-    ) as string[];
+    const saved = readPinnedSubjects();
     const updated = current
       ? [...new Set([...saved, subject])]
       : saved.filter((s) => s !== subject);
diff --git a/src/components/PinnedPapersCarousel.tsx b/src/components/PinnedPapersCarousel.tsx
index be9f72e..1783159 100644
--- a/src/components/PinnedPapersCarousel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PinnedPapersCarousel.tsx
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/ui/carousel";
 import Autoplay from "embla-carousel-autoplay";
 import { chunkArray } from "@/lib/utils/array";
-import { type StoredSubjects } from "@/interface";
 import SkeletonPaperCard from "./SkeletonPaperCard";
 import PinnedModal from "./ui/PinnedModal";
 import { type ApiResponse } from "@/interface"
+import { readPinnedSubjects } from "@/lib/utils/pinned-subjects";
 
 interface userPaperResponse {
   subject: string;
@@ -63,9 +63,7 @@ function PinnedPapersCarousel() {
     try {
       setIsLoading(true);
 
-      const storedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-        localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-      ) as StoredSubjects;
+      const storedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
 
       const response = await axios.post<ApiResponse<userPaperResponse[]>>(
         "/api/user-papers",
@@ -116,9 +114,7 @@ function PinnedPapersCarousel() {
     const handleSubjectsChange = () => {
       void (async () => {
         try {
-          const storedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-            localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-          ) as StoredSubjects;
+          const storedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
 
           const response = await axios.post<ApiResponse<userPaperResponse[]>>("/api/user-papers", storedSubjects);
 
diff --git a/src/components/Searchbar/pinned-searchbar.tsx b/src/components/Searchbar/pinned-searchbar.tsx
index f70f3b4..4421fe6 100644
--- a/src/components/Searchbar/pinned-searchbar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Searchbar/pinned-searchbar.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import { Search } from "lucide-react";
 import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
 import PinButton from "../PinButton";
 import Fuse from "fuse.js";
-import { type StoredSubjects, type ICourseWithCount, type IUpcomingPaper } from "@/interface";
+import { type ICourseWithCount, type IUpcomingPaper } from "@/interface";
+import { readPinnedSubjects } from "@/lib/utils/pinned-subjects";
 
 function PinnedSearchBar({
   initialSubjects,
@@ -53,9 +54,7 @@ function PinnedSearchBar({
   const handleSelectSuggestion = (suggestion: string) => {
     setSearchText(suggestion);
 
-    const currentPinnedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-      localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-    ) as StoredSubjects;
+    const currentPinnedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
 
     if (suggestion && Array.isArray(currentPinnedSubjects)) {
       setPinned(currentPinnedSubjects.includes(suggestion));
@@ -94,9 +93,7 @@ function PinnedSearchBar({
       return;
     }
 
-    const saved = JSON.parse(
-      localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-    ) as string[];
+    const saved = readPinnedSubjects();
 
     let updated: string[] = [];
 
@@ -133,9 +130,7 @@ function PinnedSearchBar({
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handlePinsChange = () => {
-      const saved = JSON.parse(
-        localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-      ) as string[];
+      const saved = readPinnedSubjects();
 
       if (saved.length === 0) {
         setShowControls(false);
@@ -152,9 +147,7 @@ function PinnedSearchBar({
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const storedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-      localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-    ) as string[];
+    const storedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
 
     if (storedSubjects.length > 0) {
       setShowControls(true);
diff --git a/src/components/UpcomingPaper.tsx b/src/components/UpcomingPaper.tsx
index b5cba19..438ffa2 100644
--- a/src/components/UpcomingPaper.tsx
+++ b/src/components/UpcomingPaper.tsx
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ import {
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { Pin } from "lucide-react";
 import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
-import { type StoredSubjects } from "@/interface";
 import { useCourses } from "@/context/courseContext";
 import { Capsule } from "@/components/ui/capsule";
+import { readPinnedSubjects } from "@/lib/utils/pinned-subjects";
 
 interface PaperCardProps {
   subject: string;
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ export default function PaperCard({ subject, slots }: PaperCardProps) {
     const current = !pinned;
     setPinned(current);
 
-    const saved = JSON.parse(
-      localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-    ) as string[];
+    const saved = readPinnedSubjects();
     const updated = current
       ? [...new Set([...saved, subject])]
       : saved.filter((s) => s !== subject);
@@ -39,9 +37,7 @@ export default function PaperCard({ subject, slots }: PaperCardProps) {
   };
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const currentPinnedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-      localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-    ) as StoredSubjects;
+    const currentPinnedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
 
     setPinned(
       Array.isArray(currentPinnedSubjects) &&
diff --git a/src/components/ui/PinnedModal.tsx b/src/components/ui/PinnedModal.tsx
index d74110f..beabf6d 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/PinnedModal.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/PinnedModal.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/ui/dialog";
 import SearchBar from "@/components/Searchbar/searchbar";
 import { type IUpcomingPaper } from "@/interface";
-import { type StoredSubjects } from "@/interface";
 import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
 import { Pin, PinOff, Plus, GripVertical } from "lucide-react";
 import {
@@ -31,6 +30,7 @@ import {
 import { type ApiResponse } from '@/interface'
 
 import { CSS } from "@dnd-kit/utilities";
+import { readPinnedSubjects } from "@/lib/utils/pinned-subjects";
 
 interface userPaperResponse {
   subject: string;
@@ -102,9 +102,7 @@ const PinnedModal = ({
   const fetchPapers = async () => {
     try {
       setIsLoading(true);
-      const storedSubjects = JSON.parse(
-        localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]",
-      ) as StoredSubjects;
+      const storedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects();
       const response = await axios.post<ApiResponse<userPaperResponse[]>>(
         "/api/user-papers",
         storedSubjects,
@@ -143,9 +141,7 @@ const PinnedModal = ({
   };
 
   const unpinSubject = (subjectToRemove: string) => {
-    const updatedSubjects = (
-      JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem("userSubjects") ?? "[]") as string[]
-    ).filter((subj) => subj !== subjectToRemove);
+    const updatedSubjects = readPinnedSubjects().filter((subj) => subj !== subjectToRemove);
     localStorage.setItem("userSubjects", JSON.stringify(updatedSubjects));
     setDisplayPapers((prev) =>
       prev.filter((paper) => paper.subject !== subjectToRemove),
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/pinned-subjects.ts b/src/lib/utils/pinned-subjects.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de58d4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/pinned-subjects.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+const pinnedSubjectsKey = "userSubjects";
+
+function parseSaved(saved: string): unknown {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(saved);
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+export function readPinnedSubjects(): string[] {
+  const saved = localStorage.getItem(pinnedSubjectsKey);
+  if (!saved) return [];
+
+  const subjects = parseSaved(saved);
+  if (Array.isArray(subjects) && subjects.every((subject): subject is string => typeof subject === "string")) {
+    return subjects;
+  }
+
+  localStorage.removeItem(pinnedSubjectsKey);
+  return [];
+}