Novel Pairings

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For our final episode of Novel Pairings, we opened up the mailbag to answer your thoughtful listener questions. From reflections on our favorite classics to behind-the-scenes stories, we’re sharing a lot today! And celebrating the journey we’ve shared with all of you. We’ll also be offering some closing thoughts on what this podcast has meant to us, what we’ve learned along the way, and what comes next for each of us.

This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. To learn more about our storefront and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

Novel Pairings Bundles: novelpairings.gumroad.com

Find us individually and continue to read with each of us here:

Chelsey – IG: @chelseyreads | Substack: chelsey.substack.com

Sara – IG: @fictionmatters | Substack: fictionmatters.substack.com

Books Mentioned

Summer by Edith Wharton

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

Quicksand by Nella Larsen

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Passing by Nella Larsen

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

1984 by George Orwell

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

There is Confusion by Jesse Redmond Fossett

Also Mentioned

From the Front Porch/The Bookshelf Conquer a Classic with Annie and Hunter

Shelf by Shelf on Substack

The Novel Tea Podcast

250th Anniversary of Jane Austen

Smith and Taylor Classics

Persephone Books

McNally Editions

New York Review

Penguin Modern Classics

Center for Fiction

Wuthering Heights adaptation

Pride and Prejudice adaptations

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Get ready to load your summer totes with compelling reads, both new and old! We’re sharing our anticipated summer releases on today’s episode, carefully curated from a long list of captivating titles to shake up your TBR. As always, we’ve included some perfectly paired backlist favorites to enjoy while you wait for the buzzy new books.

Today, we explore an exciting mix of poignant literary fiction, immersive historical narratives, richly layered contemporary stories, and even a touch of magical realism to spark your imagination. You’ll find everything from heartfelt memoirs threaded with nostalgia to sharp, insightful critiques of today’s world, alongside enchanting tales perfect for reading all season long.

This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

Find us individually and continue to read with each of us here:

Chelsey – IG: @chelseyreads | Substack: chelsey.substack.com

Sara – IG: @fictionmatters | Substack: fictionmatters.substack.com

Books Mentioned

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan (5/20)

The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

Dubliners by James Joyce

I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan (6/3)

Disoriental by Négar Djavadi

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (6/3)

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue (6/3)

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey (6/17)

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Liars by Sarah Mangusso

The Tiny Things are Heavier by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo (6/24)

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott (6/24)

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (8/26)

Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

The Odyssey by Homer

The Austin Affair by Madeline Bell

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Heart the Lover by Lilly King

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

The Unveiling by Quan Berry

Endurance by Alfred Lansing

Also Mentioned

Paperback Summer Reading Guide

Libro FM

The Irishification of Pop Culture (The Culture Study Podcast)

LuLaRich Documentary

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We’re wrapping up our Emma readalong with final reflections on rereading, standout themes, and Austen’s legacy. We also chat about how we’re marking the momentous occasion of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary and the ways this milestone is resonating with us as readers.

This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

Find Chelsey and Sara on Substack, too!

Chelsey, The Eclectic Reader: chelsey.substack.com

Sara, Fiction Matters: fictionmatters.substack.com

Books Mentioned

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson Superworm by Julia Donaldson
Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Juvenilia by Jane Austen
Of Love and Friendship by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Also Mentioned

Novel Pairings Readalongs
Emma Footnotes #4: Foils
250 Years of Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice Series on Netflix
Hamilton
Pride and Prejudice on the big screen
Emma
Slow Horses

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In this episode, we reach the culmination of Jane Austen's Emma, where secrets are revealed, relationships evolve, and characters face pivotal choices that will shape their futures. We discuss shifting affections, unexpected engagements, and the web of emotions that bind the residents of Highbury together. We will conclude our Emma series with a finale reflection episode in a few weeks to give you a chance to catch up on recaps.

To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

Find Chelsey and Sara on Substack, too!

Chelsey: The Eclectic Reader @ chelsey.substack.com

Sara: Fiction Matters @ fictionmatters.substack.com

Books Mentioned

Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters by William Austen-Leigh

Also Mentioned

Novel Pairings Odyssey Readalong

Novel Pairings Les Miserables Readalong

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In this episode, we’re unpacking so many juicy moments—from Frank Churchill’s restless return to Highbury and the long-awaited ball at the Crown Inn to Harriet’s shocking misadventure and Mr. Knightley’s heroic turn on the dance floor. We’ll explore Emma’s ever-active imagination, Mrs. Elton’s relentless meddling, and some subtle but oh-so-important moments between Emma and Mr. Knightley.

Plus, we’ll chat about strawberry-picking at Donwell Abbey, and all the little details that make this part of the novel so rich and entertaining.

As a reminder, we’ve historically shared these “big book readalong” recap series in our patreon community, but to celebrate five years of podcasting, we’re sharing it on the public feed! We’re so excited to have all of you reading with us. To grab our reading schedule, go to our instagram page @novelpairingspod for our pinned post or subscribe to our free weekly substack newsletter where you’ll get reminders and announcements at novelpairings.substack.com.

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In this episode, we’re savoring the drama and intrigue of Emma, Volume Two, Chapters 9 through 18. The aftermath of the Cole’s party has Emma rehashing every social triumph and misstep, from her jealousy over Jane Fairfax’s piano skills to her playful gossip with Frank Churchill about the mysterious pianoforte.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Elton makes her grand entrance into Highbury society, leaving Emma unimpressed but the rest of the town charmed. Between witty banter, romantic musings, and subtle moments of humor (looking at you, Mr. Knightley), these chapters are packed with Austen’s signature blend of sharp social commentary and entertaining drama.

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In this recap, we’re discussing Volume Two, Chapters 1-8 of Emma by Jane Austen.

In this episode, we'll explore the arrival of some intriguing new characters to Highbury that shake up Emma's carefully curated social circle. We'll also explore Emma's complex relationships, including her aversion to a certain reserved newcomer and her budding friendship with a charming gentleman. Plus, we'll uncover how Emma's imagination runs wild with romantic theories that may or may not have any basis in reality.

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In this recap, we’re diving into Emma by Jane Austen — covering Volume One, Chapters 10–18.

Join us on Patreon for bonus content.

Emma Woodhouse is back at it — charming, meddling, and trying to navigate Highbury’s tricky social scene. This time, she’s determined to set Harriet up with Mr. Elton… but, surprise, things don’t exactly go as planned. From awkward visits to the vicarage to a snowstorm-fueled carriage ride that takes an unexpected turn, Emma’s confidence in her matchmaking skills starts to crumble.

We’ll also unpack the iconic moment when Emma explains why she’s still single — and why finding someone who meets her high standards might be harder than she thought. Emma’s missteps are about to catch up with her in the most entertaining way.

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In this recap episode, we’re discussing Volume One, Chapters 1-9 of Jane Austen's Emma. We take a deep dive into Emma Woodhouse's world, examining her relationships with key figures like Miss Taylor, Mr. Woodhouse, and the insightful Mr. Knightley. We explore how Emma's interactions with these characters set the stage for her matchmaking adventures.

As we continue through the chapters, we meet the wider community of Highbury, including the mysterious Frank Churchill and the charming Harriet Smith. Emma's matchmaking ambitions quickly take center stage, leading her to meddle in Harriet's love life and sparking a significant conflict with Mr. Knightley. We analyze Austen's use of narrative techniques, and discuss the importance of riddles and social expectations in the novel.

In a special bonus segment, we preview our upcoming Footnotes episode, where we compare and analyze the opening lines from all six of Austen's most famous novels. If you're interested in more literary analysis and Austen insights, be sure to check out the full episode and head to patreon.com/novelpairings for exclusive content!

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Welcome to our Spring Season! We're reading Emma by Jane Austen as a community, and we hope you will join us. Listen to today's introduction to hear why we love this novel, how we approach readalongs and recaps, and what to pay attention to as you follow along.

To get maximum delight this season, join our Patreon community for classes and conversation, plus special Footnotes episodes.

Here's the reading schedule:

March 4: Introduction
March 11: Volume 1, 1-9 or Chapters 1-9
March 18: Volume 1, 10-18 or Chapters 10-18
March 25: Volume 2, 1-8 or Chapters 19-26
April 1: Volume 2, 9-18 or Chapters 27-36
April 8: Volume 3, 1-10 or Chapters 37-46
April 15: Volume 3, 11-19 or Chapters 47-End

And here are our recommended texts:

The Annotated Emma
Vintage Classics
Patterned Vintage Classics
Penguin Clothbound Classics
Rifle Paper Co. + Puffin in Bloom
Oxford Classics

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We’re back and kicking off 2025 with our annual Superlatives episode. Today, we’re excited to highlight stand-out books from 2024. We’ve got eight superlatives lined up that highlight our favorites, least favorites and everything in between. Plus, we’re looking back on our podcasting journey through 2024 and give you some behind-the-scenes insight to our reading lives. Stick around because we’ve got two big announcements to wrap things up!

Special Announcement (Timestamp 58:20)

Link to Announcement video on Patreon

Books Mentioned

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

James by Percival Everett

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst

The Wedding by Dorthy West

Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-Zi Yang

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel

Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Private Rites by Julia Armfield

Salt Slow by Julia Armfield

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr

Emma by Jane Austen

Say You’ll Be Mine by Nayina Kumar

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Quarterlife by Devika Regge

Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Sandwich by Katherine Newman

Blue Sisters by Coco Melores

Also Mentioned

Classics We Love & Loathe Episodes

Fiction Matters Paperback Summer Reading Guide

Liz Moore on New York Times Podcast

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We’re excited to be back in your podcast feeds to pair highly anticipated fall book releases with beloved backlist favorites. Prepare to overload your TBR pile as we dive into an exciting fall publishing season filled with moody, atmospheric titles.

In today’s episode, we’ll share our carefully curated lists of outstanding upcoming fiction from both renowned authors and indie presses, along with a selection of diverse fiction and nonfiction we think you’ll enjoy, all paired with a backlist book to explore while you await your library holds and pre-orders.

Before diving into the books, we want to remind our community that Chelsey will be on maternity leave this fall. As a small (very small!) business, this requires significant planning and adjustments. To best manage our schedules while preserving the community we've created, we will take a short break from the main feed while focusing on providing fun, nerdy new content on Patreon at patreon.com/novelpairings.

We aim to return to the main feed in December or January with a special episode featuring the best books of 2024, along with a thrilling spring season. In the meantime, we will continue to offer bonus episodes, discussion-based classes, and book club events through our Patreon community. You can join us at either the $5 or $10 level, depending on your desired level of participation.

We are incredibly thankful for your support. Thank you for being with us!

Books Mentioned

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Guide Me Home by Attica Locke

The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

The Professor by Charlotte Bronte

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

Graveyard Shift by ML Rio

If We Were Villians by ML Rio

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osmond

The Wildes by Louis Bayard

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Jackie & Me by Louis Bayard

The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Don’t Be a Stranger by Susan Minot

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

All Fours by Miranda July

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

The Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Curdle Creek by Yvonnne Battle-Felton

Ours by Philip B. Williams

Lone Women by Victor Lavalle

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Wedgford Trials by Courtney Milian

The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes

Homefire by Kamila Shamsie

Rental House by Weike Wang

Chemistry by Weike Wang

Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang

Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Kong

The Fortnite In September by RC Sheriff

Also Mentioned

The English Teacher

A Discovery of Witches

Fiction Matters Substack

Joyce Carol Oates

Algonquin Books

Anonymous Divorce/Sex Substack

Cup of Jo Substack

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As the summer reading season comes to a close, we’re turning our eyes to fall. With Chelsey on maternity leave, we’ve made some thoughtful adjustments to our plans and structure here at Novel Pairings. Our goal is to ensure that we stay connected and continue to foster the amazing community we’ve built together. The best way to stay connected this fall is through our Patreon community; we’re excited about the bonus episodes, discussion based classes and book club events we have planned!

On today’s episode, we revisit last summer's buzzy book reviews from our Patreon archives. Each summer, we sit down for a conversation where we share our thoughts on the latest buzzworthy books we've read. Today, we're re-airing last summer's discussion on popular titles, which features some unconventional opinions on well-known works.

Books Mentioned

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’ Donaghue

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Saddiqi

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Congratulations, the Best is Over by R. Eric Thomas

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Loot by Tania James

Also Mentioned

Our Town on YouTube

Chelsey's Recipe for a Summer Romance Reading Guide

Sara's Reading in Public newsletter on long books and active attention

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In today's recap episode, we discuss Book One of The Custom of the Country (that's chapters 1-10 if your book is not divided into books). This episode includes detailed discussion of the plot and characters introduced in this first section of the novel, so spoilers abound. We discuss our initial impressions of the unforgettable character that is Undine Spragg, how well this book would translate to the screen, a close read of a mythology reference, and what we've learned about parenting from this portion of the novel because we desperately want to avoid raising Undines!

Some more background on this episode: twice a year, we choose a big bucket list classic to read together as a community. For every book we read, we dust off our English teacher skills to break down plot, themes, style, and more in recurring recap podcast episodes.

We have our Big Book Summer Read Along of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables on the horizon and we’d love for you to join us! We do know that it can be hard to sign up for a subscription community if you don’t know what you’re getting so we wanted to give you a taste for what we do in our Patreon Classics Club by putting two of our recent recap episodes here on the main feed. Over the winter months, we read Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country and we think it would make for a great summer read if you haven’t read it yet.

If you love these two episodes, head over to our Patreon at patreon.com/novelpairings. Enrolling at the $10 Literature Scholar level will get you access to the rest of our Custom of the Country recap series, the corresponding classes, our entire Odyssey recap series from last summer, and all of our previous bonus episodes and class recordings. Plus, you'll get access to our current summer recap series of Les Misérables.

Books Mentioned:

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Eloise at The Plaza by Kay Thompson

Also Mentioned:

Gossip Girl

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Today’s episode is a special one! Twice a year, we choose a big bucket list classic to read together as a community. For every big book we read, Chelsey and Sara dust off their English teacher skills to break down plot, themes, style, and more in recurring recap podcast episodes.

In today's first recap episode, we discuss the introduction materials from the Penguin Classics (Sofia Coppola & Sarah Blackwood) and Scribner (Brandon Taylor) versions of the text. You do not need to read the intros in order to listen to this episode. Future recaps will include plot spoilers, of course, but this introduction episode is completely spoiler-free! We discuss initial impressions of the introductions, lenses and questions for guided reading, literary relevance and contemporary comparisons, and three big things to look for as you read.

Books Mentioned:

The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Also Mentioned:

The Buccaneers

Bridgerton

The Gilded Age

Downton Abbey

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We’re taking it back to the classroom in today’s episode! Chelsey and Sara reflect on their experience with high school summer reading as both students and teachers: the good, the great, and the hot takes. While we aren’t assigning any reading in this episode, we are sharing 10 classics that would make for great summer reads at any age! For an enhanced reading experience, pair a past Novel Pairings episode with each of these classics to listen as you go.

Of course, our main summer reading recommendation is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, our BIG summer readalong hosted in Patreon with classes, bonus episodes, and special recaps to get the most out of this huge novel.

Novel Pairings operates on an academic calendar to keep our work sustainable. But like most teachers, just because we have summer “off” doesn’t mean we aren’t hard at work behind the scenes! This summer, we will take off from sharing new episodes on the main feed in July and August to devote more time and energy to planning for the year ahead, restoring our creativity, and strengthening our bond with Patreon community members.

If you are missing Novel Pairings in your podcast feed, we would love for you to join our community for extra nerdy summer fun.

Books Mentioned:

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The Joyluck Club by Amy Tan

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Passing by Nella Larsen

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

James by Percival Everett

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Novel Pairings Episodes

Episode 86: Palpable tension and shocking twists in Passing by Nella Larsen

Episode 136: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Episode 117: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Episode 114: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Episode 68: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and contemplative books for moody summer reading

Episode 66: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part Two

Episode 64: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part One

Episode 61: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery, plus books about complicated families, romance, and boundaries

Episode 20: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and romantic Black feminist heroines

Episode 126: Leaving a Legacy: The Odyssey in modern literature

Episode 142: The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Stay Connected with Novel Pairings

Novel Pairings Substack

Novel Pairings Instagram

Novel Pairings Patreon

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Today, we’re wrapping up our spring season with Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, a theme-driven novel that recreates the social world of an elite liberal arts college, exploring issues through nuanced satire on race, class, and beauty. We dig into the stories of the Belsey and Kipp families and Smith’s use of the academic setting to discuss identity and social satire. Our pairings for On Beauty include callbacks to previous classic episodes, essays by Zadie Smith, and surprising historical fiction.

Our Slow Down Summer Read Along of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo is starting soon! Just like our readalongs for The Odyssey and The Custom of the Country, you can expect exclusive Patreon content, including book clubs and classes, to guide you through this ginormous classic. We’d love for you to join us! Go to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up.

Books Mentioned:

Howard’s End by E.M. Forster

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset

Passing by Nella Larsen

Members Only by Sameer Pandya

Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays by Zadie Smith

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Love Marriage by Monica Ali

Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

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Get ready for your summer TBR to pile high as we share our most anticipated titles releasing this summer! Plus, each new release that we preview in today’s episode is perfectly paired with a backlist book or two, giving us plenty to read while waiting for pre-orders and library holds to come in.

If you enjoy our recommendations on today’s episode, we have even more book suggestions to explore in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great place to discuss books with a smart group of readers, and now is the perfect time to join as we're about to start our Slow Down Summer Read Along of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. Visit patreon.com/novelpairings to learn more.

You can also stay up-to-date with all things Novel Pairings by following us on Instagram and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on Substack. Thank you for supporting our book-loving community!

Books Mentioned:

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty

LaRose by Louise Erdrich

The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma

At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

Every Day Is For the Thief by Teju Cole

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Unseen World by Liz Moore

In the Woods by Tana French

Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

One Star Romance by Laura Hankin

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Bear by Julia Phillips

The Hunter’s Wife by Anthony Doerr

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

The Latecomer by Jean Hanf Korelitz

The Plot by Jean Hanf Korelitz

The Coin by Yasmin Zaher

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Liars by Sarah Manguso

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abudrraqib

Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Also Mentioned:

Novel Pairings Summer 2023 Book Preview and Backlist Pairings

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On today’s Modern Readers episode, we’re placing “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift in context with pieces of contemporary political satire. We'll explore how satire is being used today to comment on politics and social issues, and the power, or limits, of its influence. Throughout our discussion, we discuss the lasting legacy of Swift’s essay, the rise of satirical media, and how satire is used as a rhetorical tool. Listen to the end for contemporary satirical examples in TV, online media, and comedy.

We’re also excited to announce our Summer Big Book Read Along: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. We’re looking forward to digging into this classic with you! This Big Book Read Along includes 5 recaps spread over June, July, and August, 3 book club meet ups to discuss along the way, an active Discord chat for support and motivation, classes and bonus content. The summer is a great time to join our scholarly community!

Find more details on our summer plans in our free Substack newsletter or head to patreon.com/novelpairings to join our community.

Books Mentioned:

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Odyssey by Homer

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Also Mentioned:

A Modern Proposal on Project Gutenberg

Little Women Musical

Jo Musical

A Point of View: What’s the point of satire?

The Onion

Saturday Night Live

The Daily Show

The Colbert Report

White Lotus

Abbott Elementary

Veep

The West Wing

John Oliver

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In today’s episode, we’re discussing The Importance of Being Earnest by the ever-delightful Oscar Wilde. A classic example of British theater, this play is known for its biting social satire and brilliant comedic dialogue. Throughout our conversation, we dive into the play’s themes, discuss Wilde’s mastery of wordplay, and his ability to write characters that satirize Victorian society in the cleverest ways. As always, we share our complementary pairings, and we hope this episode adds a few books to your TBR pile!

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have a hunch that you would also love participating in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Books Mentioned:

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

Nevada by Imogen Binnie

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

The Best of Me by David Sedaris

I Am Not Sidney Poitier by Percival Everett

Dr. No by Percival Everett

What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Also Mentioned:

Bonus: 127. An Introduction to The Importance of Being Earnest

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

R. Eric Thomas

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We're thrilled to welcome back Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks Podcast, for a thought-provoking discussion on one of Shakespeare's darkest comedies, Measure for Measure. In this conversation, we'll dive deep into the play's timeless themes including punishment, gender, power, and politics. We discuss how these themes continue to resonate with modern audiences, revealing the parallels between the play and our contemporary world. We also talk about how Shakespeare masterfully uses this satire in this work, even when satire doesn't necessarily equate to laugh-out-loud humor. Listen to the end for Traci’s book recommendations, including Shakespeare pairings and a soon-to-be-released title.

Connect with Traci:

The Stacks Podcast

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Instagram: @thestackspod

Join our community!

Patreon

Substack

Instagram: @novelpairingspod

Books Mentioned:

Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper

Blackface (Object Lessons) by Ayanna Thompson

New People by Danzy Senna

Color Television by Danzy Senna

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Erasure by Percival Everett

Severance by Ling Ma

Victim by Andrew Boryga

Love’s Labor Lost by William Shakespeare

All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

Othello by William Shakespeare

Richard III by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Also Mentioned:

Ask a Shakespeare Professor

Macbeth

The Stacks episode on Romeo and Juliet

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If aesthetics, British aristocracy and nostalgia sounds like an appealing combination, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh is the book for you. In today's episode, we talk through the key themes, relationships, Waugh's stated purpose for writing Brideshead, and we ask: is Brideshead Revisited a satire or a novel with satirical elements? Plus, today’s pairings include a fantasy novel, historical fiction and a psychological thriller.

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have a hunch that you would also love our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Books Mentioned:

The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Also Mentioned:

Downton Abbey

Brideshead Revisited Mini Series

The Crown

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Today, Chelsey and Sara share their most anticipated spring book releases paired with backlist selections. After listening today, your TBR will be filled with delightful fiction, thrilling mysteries, historical romance and literary books from favorite writers, all releasing between late February and May. As always, our go-to pairings will keep your spring both entertaining and engaging.

If you love our recommendations on the podcast, we have even more books to share over in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart, eclectic group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Listeners can also stay in the loop with all things Novel Pairings by giving us a follow on Instagram and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on Substack. Thank you for supporting public scholarship!

Books Mentioned:

Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrush

Victim by Andrew Boryga

Erasure by Pervical Everett

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett

Sirens of Sussex series by Mimi Matthews

James by Percival Everett

The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn by Mark Twain

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Clear by Carys Davies

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

The Colony by Audry McGee

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

A Few Rules for Predicting the Future: An Essay by Octavia Butler

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

The Oracle of Delphi by William J. Broad

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

Oye by Melissa Mogollon

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley

Also Mentioned:

Beforeigners

Bridgerton

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Episode 141: Bookish Pairings for our favorite period dramas

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In today’s episode, we’re wrapping up Wharton in Winter with a conversation about The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. We focus on Undine and question whether she’s a signature unlikable heroine or an anti-hero. Our conversation also digs into the other dynamic characters, themes of motherhood, greed, marriage, business, and Edith’s incredible writing. Every plot point builds to a bigger narrative in this timely classic. At the end of the episode, we share our complementary pairings , and we hope you add one to your TBR pile!

If you loved our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have even more content to enjoy over in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart, eclectic group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Shows Mentioned:

Mad Men

Breaking Bad

Selling Sunset

Downton Abbey

Books Mentioned:

Italo Calvino

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

There Is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset

Emma by Jane Austen

Free Food For Millionares by Min Jun Lee

These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore

Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz

One Woman Show by Christine Coulson

Wahala by Nikki May

Trust by Hernan Diaz

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Reading The Custom of the Country this winter has felt like stepping into the most lush, dramatic, and marathon-worthy period piece–so today we’re sharing some of our favorite period dramas and pairing them with excellent books for cozy winter reading. We discuss the appeal of watching historical fiction versus reading it, the throughline from reading Dear America books to watching Downton Abbey as a comfort show, and the complex nature of colorblind casting. We hope you find a new, or old, TV series or novel to enjoy after listening to today’s episode.

PS: if you hear some odd background noises in this episode, just imagine little toddler feet stomping above Chelsey's head!

For more pairings, classes, and nerdy conversation join our Patreon community! Go to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up today.

Don’t miss our FREE weekly newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com.

Shows Mentioned:

Downton Abbey

Poldark

Miss Scarlet and the Duke

Gentleman Jack

The Gilded Age

Bridgerton

Queen Charlotte

The Crown

Outlander

The Empress

The Great

The Good Lord Bird

The Underground Railroad

Reign

Books Mentioned:

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

Longbourn by Jo Baker

Poldark series by Winston Graham

Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn

Knockout by Sarah Maclean

Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas

Sarah Waters

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

Fiona Davis

Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Jane Austen

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan

The Countess by Sophie Jordan

Victoria by Daisy Godwin

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Shakespeare’s history plays

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton

James McBride

John Brown by W.E.B. DuBois

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

The Water Dancer by Ta Nehisi Coates

Royal Diaries series

My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, et al

Alison Weir

Philippa Gregory

Margaret George

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Today we’re sharing five tips for “reading” your favorite (or least favorite) TV shows and movies. These close reading tricks will help you get more critical while you watch television, which we hope prompts more engaging discussions with your friends and family. We’re using The Buccaneers (Apple TV) as our main example in this episode, but you don’t need to watch the show in order to listen. In fact, if you like episodes in which we get a little sassy, well, this one’s for you. We also share questions to make you a more critical viewer, what we’re reading with a literary lens, and book recommendations to pair with The Buccaneers show. We’ve included a bunch of resources in our free weekly newsletter, so be sure to visit novelpairings.substack.com to supplement today’s listening.

For more public scholarship and continued literary learning, sign up for our community at patreon.com/novelpairings. We would love to see you in our classes and book club meetings!

Books mentioned:

The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

The Great White Bard by Farah Karim-Cooper

The Fifth Avenue Rebels series by Joanna Shupe

Also mentioned:

Close reading
Fiction Matters Substack: Book Reviews with Traci Thomas
Leave The World Behind
The Culture Study Podcast
The Atlantic review of The Buccaneers
The Guardian review of The Buccaneers

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It's time for our annual Superlative Soirée! (Okay, so we've never called it that before, but it fits, right?!)

Today Chelsey and Sara share their favorite and least favorite books of 2023, plus everything in between. YOU helped us come up with some creative categories to cover in this official wrap-up episode, and we can't wait to hear what you think of the titles we discuss.

To get your very own superlative printable, subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com--and to join us for Wharton in Winter, go to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up. We're so excited for the year ahead!

Find us on Instagram @novelpairingspod. Shop for your 2024 TBR through our Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Books Mentioned:

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Gone Girl & Rebecca

Wellness & To the Lighthouse

Congratulations, the Best is Over! By R. Eric Thomas

Wellness by Nathan Hill

Disoriental by Negar Djavadi

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park

The Employees by Olga Ravn

One Woman Show by Christine Coulson

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

The Pleasing Hour by Lily King

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill

The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sheriff

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

Blind Owl by Sadeq Hedayat

The Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Beyond the Door of No Return by David Diop

All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim

Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Saddiqi

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Loot by Tania James

North Woods by Daniel Mason

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We’re wrapping up the 2023 season with a final Short Story Club, this time exploring a prime example of Postmodern fiction with Jorge Luis Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths.” Borges is often considered one of the most important literary figures of the 20th century and credited as an early writer of magical realism, lo real maravilloso.

In today’s discussion, we take a close work at Borges’ popular story and share our interpretations on this text that begs us to stretch our concept of time and causality and consider the infinite possibilities and choices that shape history and destiny. We also share background on Jorge Luis Borges’ life as well as discuss the Argentinian writer’s contribution to the literary canon. And as always, we can’t help but talk about what texts we’ve read that use tropes and elements developed in Borges Ficciones.

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have even more content to enjoy over in our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart, eclectic group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

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Ever wonder what it’s like to attend a class at Novel Pairings University? We have a special treat for our listeners as we prepare for #WhartonInWinter and our readalong of Edith Wharton’s Custom of the Country. Today on the main feed, we’re releasing the audio from our Patreon Class Gilded Age Literature: Entering Edith Wharton's World for everyone to enjoy.

In today’s class we talk about key literary figures of the Gilded Age, historical events and social movements that shaped this period, and how they connect to today. Plus, we share details about the grandiose drama, architecture, and wealth that give this period its weighty name. This episode is just one example of the public scholarship we’re creating on Patreon, where we teach classes on author and historical context, literary movements, critical lenses and more. We are working hard to convert past classes into exclusive Patreon episodes so you can catch up and listen on-the-go!

If you’d like to access more classes like the one you heard in today’s episode, to join our monthly book club, to get handouts, to listen to weekly bonus episodes, and to join our engaging Discord community, you can sign up for our Classics Club over at patreon.com/novelpairings for just $10 a month. We’d love to see you in book club, class, or on social media this winter!

Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter.

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Today, Chelsey and Sara explore TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf, investigating Woolf’s intention to put “real life” on the page, analyzing her prose and structure, discussing themes and characters, and contextualizing historical references. For a deeper reading and listening experience, check out our episode on A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN and our bonus episode on Patreon all about The Bloomsbury Group. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts about Woolf’s masterpiece.

Order your Novel Pairings University Sweatshirt today! Our shop closes on 11/30.

Books mentioned:

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Norton Critical Edition)

The Long Form by Kate Briggs

Wellness by Nathan Hill

Day by Michael Cunningham

And Yet by Kate Baer

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Shakespeare in Bloomsbury by Marjorie Garber

Assembly by Natasha Brown

Also mentioned:

Maggie Smith’s Substack

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We’re kicking off our month of Virigina Woolf with an episode exploring Woolf’s dense and sprawling extended essay, “A Room of Own’s Own.” At just over one hundred pages, Woolf gives herself ample space on the page to explore and consider the issues that keep women from the forefront of the literature and what might be done to give them the creative freedom to write unencumbered. In today’s episode, we’re following along closely with the text while helping our fellow readers pull out key takeaways from Woolf’s work. We share our own experiences reading and teaching this seminal piece of feminist critique, Woolf's use of figurative and practical language to provide compelling arguements, and limitations of the essay, including who was included in Woolf’s critique and who was left out.

The Baby on the Fire Escape by Julie Phillips
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
How to Think Like A Women by Regan Penaluna
Cross Stitch by Jasmina Barrara
The Marriage Question by Claire Carlilse

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If a dark and twisty stream of consciousness narrative in translation sounds like an intriguing read, Blind Owl by Sadeq Hedayat is perfect for you. Penned by the forefather of the Modernist movement in Iranian literature, this surrealist story blends Western influences, Iranian folklore, and psychology. In today’s episode, we discuss key themes and questions raised by Hedayat’s text (so. many. questions). Today’s pairings include a contemporary Iranian work in translation, a Persian fairy tale retelling, and a polarizing love-it-or-hate-it novel that is perfect for group discussions.

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have a hunch that you would also love our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship and talk about books with a smart, eclectic group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Books Mentioned:

Girl Serpent Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Disoriental by Negar Djavadi

The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

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What is the difference between literary historical fiction and “woman with her back turned on the cover” historical fiction? In today’s episode of Modern Readers, we’re discussing the literary landscape and rise in popularity of the historical fiction genre. We explore the definition of historical fiction, significant time periods, craft vs. plot, and “literariness” to understand whether a historical book is literary or a really entertaining read—or both! Plus, we share Novel Pairings episodes and book recommendations to pair with our nuanced conversation.

If you enjoyed today’s episode and want more conversations similar to this nerdy genre deep dive, you should check out our Patreon community where for just $5 a month, you can access weekly bonus episodes just like this one. At our $10 Literature Scholar level, patrons have access to classes and our virtual book club, where we’ll be discussing The Blind Owl by Sadeq Hedayat this month. To join, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

For more updates from Novel Pairings, make sure to follow us over on our Instagram or subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter.

Timestamps

Further Reading:

Claire North (Ithaca and House of Odysseus)

Madeline Miller (Song of Achilles and Circe)

Stephen Fry (Mythos, Heroes, and Troy)

Olympus, Texas by Stacy Swan

Island of Forgetting by Jasmine Sealy

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

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Do you love the feeling of happening upon a subtle reference to a great literary work in the midst of your current read? Or do you feel like you’re on the outside when books allude to works you haven’t read? In today’s episode, we’re getting extra nerdy and breaking down all things literary allusions. For our discussion, we share what a literary allusion is and what kinds of allusions are referenced most widely. Plus, we’ll share tips on how to access these oft-referenced stories to illuminate your reading experience, and we’ll share book recommendations to build your TBR with classic and contemporary literature.

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have a hunch that you would love our Novel Pairings Patreon community. Our Patreon is a great space to take part in public scholarship, get a little more academic, and talk about books with a smart, eclectic group of readers. Subscriptions start at just $5 a month, and yearly discounts are available. To learn more about our Patreon, visit patreon.com/novelpairings.

Classic Books for Allusions:

The Odyssey by Homer (NP episode 123)

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Dante’s Inferno

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (NP episode 32)

Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (NP episode 111)

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (NP episodes 77 + 79)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Mauier

Beloved by Toni Morrison (NP episode 12)

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (NP episode 20)

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (NP episode 51 + 53)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (NP episode 26)

Other Books Mentioned:

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Telephone by Percival Everett

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

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This summer on Patreon, our Classics Club has been voyaging across the Aegean Sea with Odysseus, reading Emily Wilson’s brilliant translation of Homer’s epic poem. To deepen our experience with this ancient text, we’re offering ongoing opportunities for public scholarship and reading in community. Today we’re sharing one of these Patreon exclusive episodes with all of you and inviting you to come set sail with us this summer because it’s not too late!

Join at the Literature Scholar level to access all of our Odyssey bonus material plus our back catalog of classes and episodes to go deeper into whatever books you’re picking up this summer. Enrollment is always open and we’d love to see you there!

If you would like you stay connected to what’s happening at Novel Pairings, make sure to sign up for our Substack and follow us over on Instagram. You can make sure you never miss an episode of the podcast by subscribing to the show wherever you get your podcasts. And if you love the work we’re doing, make sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

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Today we are re-airing one of our very first episodes of Novel Pairings: Episode 18 on Homer’s Odyssey, in which Sara reveals her nerdy middle school obsession, Chelsey has strong opinions on defining “the classics,” and we have a LOT of fun discussing the complicated character of Odysseus. You don’t need to have any knowledge of mythology or The Odyssey in order to enjoy this episode. This episode is mostly spoiler-free, except for a brief discussion of the ending. We’ll warn you in advance before we get into it, and timestamps are listed below.

If, after listening to today’s rerelease, you’re interested in joining us for a Slow Down Summer Odyssey, head over to the Novel Pairings Patreon page and join us at the $8 literature scholar tier. In addition to weekly podcast recaps of each section of The Odyssey, you’ll also get invitations to monthly book club discussions and classes to help you get more out of this epic poem, along with our regular Friday bonus episodes and access to our entire back catalog of bonus episodes and class recordings. Perhaps most exciting of all, Patreon supporters will get first access to our limited edition merch shop opening this month! We’d love to explore The Odyssey and beyond with you this summer so head to patreon.com/novelpairings to join our classics crew.

Our discussion includes:

What is a “mythology girl?” [13:08]
Analyzing Odysseus: a larger-than-life character [20:10]
More on Odysseus as a complex, flawed and nuanced hero [29:30]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a business book and a book in translation.

Notes:

Edith Hamilton’s Mythology

“Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood

“ Penelope” by Carol Ann Duffy

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

Madeline Miller: Circe and The Song of Achilles

Gareth Hinds graphic novel The Odyssey

Bull by David Elliot

Pairings:

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger [40:35]

The Martian by Andy Weir [46:06]

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown [53:05]

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood [37:10]

The Songs of the Kings by Barry Unsworth [42:55]

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera [48:35]

Also mentioned:

Chelsey: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow recommended by Bezi @beingabookwyrm

Sara: Rick Riordan Presents

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We’re closing out our spring semester of children’s classics with one final book about a book—and another richly imagined story in translation, The Wild Book by Juan Villoro. This modern story reached great acclaim in Mexico, with an English translation finally reaching America in 2017. We found this work a compelling companion to our first children’s work in translation, Inkheart, and we share our thoughts on the book’s proposed relationship between books and reading, how this modern work stacks up besides tried-and-true classics, and the supernatural elements that feel grounded in the magical realism traditions of incredible Lantix authors.

We love reading and discussing books with our listeners, and we hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers for a summer of EPIC reading over on our Patreon at patreon.com/novelpairings. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price.

Pairings Timestamp: 25:50

Books Mentioned:

The Wild Book by Juan Villoro

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

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Get ready to load your summer totes (ahem…your summer Novel Pairings totes, more to come on that) with lots of good reads; we’re talking about our most anticipated summer reads on today’s episode! We’ve carefully culled our long lists of interesting books coming out this summer to provide some high-interest titles that are sure to topple your TBR while also providing backlist books that will pair perfectly and are available right now.

Today we talk about forthcoming humorous memoirs (including one woven with lots of 90s nostalgia), a searing, fictional critique of contemporary publishing, and plenty of engrossing tales you’ll want to curl up with poolside. And if that’s not enough, we take a shot at solving the mystery surrounding the unnamed Flatiron title prior to it being settled by the New York Times (and Chelsey will add amateur sleuth to her list of alternate career options should occasion arise).

We love discussing books and reading with all of you and hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers at patreon.com/novelpairings. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price!

Books Mentioned

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Disorientation by Elian Hsieh Chou

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Crosby

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

My Murder by Katie Williams

Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Banyan Moon by Thao Tai

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Loot by Tania James

The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

Wannabe: Reckoning with the Pop Culture that Saved Me by Aisha Harris

Piccolo is Black by Jordan Calhoun

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Half-Life of a Stolen Sister by Rachel Cantor

Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg

Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman

The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell

History’s Angel by Anjum Hassan

Members Only by Sameer Pandya

The Lost Ranger by Peter Heller

Congratulations, the Best is Over! by R. Eric Thomas

Here for It by R. Eric Thomas

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Our Town by Thorton Wilder

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As voracious readers we love to dive into stories about books and reading, whether it’s paying homage to the source of procuring books (think publishing, bookshops, and libraries) or the physical books themselves. In today’s episode, we’re taking you on a dark, mysterious, and twisty adventure in translation with Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart. A plot-packed novel for the not-so-faint-of-heart, we discuss what Funke’s international bestseller has to say about the power stories hold for children, the necessity to engage a child’s imagination, and how the tone of this children’s classic spooked us (just a little bit). If you’re looking for more imaginative fantasies, we’ve paired this sweeping novel with a rich, outlandish romantic historical fantasy and a slim work of non-fiction about the nature of books from one of the most renowned writers and translators of our time.

A quick note: we had some technical difficulties, so the audio on this episode may sound slightly different than usual. It'll be back to normal in our next episode!

[Pairing Timestamp: 41:33]

Books Mentioned:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Clothing of Books by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex E. Harrow

Other Books Mentioned

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

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Pack your bags and get ready for an adventure. This week, we’re discussing E. L. Konigsburg’s Newbery award-winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a 1960s romp about a pair of siblings who find refuge and mystery at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. From the Mixed-Up Files is a story simple in prose, yet imbued with rich descriptions and detail to leave a lasting impression. In today’s episode, we talk about our own mixed-up, nostalgic memories of reading Mrs. Frankweiler, the alluring nature of Konigsburg’s novel for generations of readers, and the need to have our own private “somethings.” Plus, we help you dive deeper into the world of art and art forgery with a novel in translation and prepare for beach reading with a summer-y story about two teenage misfits, first love, and their creative endeavors.

We’re learning to be better, more critical and thorough readers of classic and contemporary literature, and there’s still time to join us for the last month that we’re reading children’s classics! Sign up to join our community of nerdy readers where we host bonus mini-episodes, lectures, seminars, and book clubs. Head on over to patreon.org/novelpairings to join our Classics Club today. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price.

Pairings Timestamp: 39:22

Books Mentioned:

Portrait of an Unknown Lady by María Ganzia

Now That I Found You by Kristina Forest

Possession by A. S. Byatt

The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley

Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson

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Anne-with-an-e Shirley, a hallmark figure in children’s literature, provides a formative childhood reading experience for many readers. An imaginative and loquacious orphan who finds home and community with the Cuthbert siblings at Green Gables of Avonlea, Anne is a feisty, feminine, and dramatically charming protagonist. In today’s episode, we talk about how this sweet and endearing novel worked for us compared to other “warm hug” classics that missed the mark, the aspects of Anne’s character that make her loveable and realistic, our favorite scenes from the book, and whether Montgomery’s work can be considered feminist. Plus—our pairings today include a whimsical fairy story loosely based on the premise of Anne, as well as a novel that features another unforgettable protagonist from a Canadian author.

We love discussing books and reading with all of you and hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers at patreon.com/novelpairings. Thank you for supporting the show!

Pairings Timestamp: 44:16

Books Mentioned

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett
Blue Cedar Falls series by Jeannie Chin: try The House on Mulberry Street
Fight Night by Miriam Toews
J. Ryan Stradal: try Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club
The Lucy Barton series by Elizabeth Strout: try My Name is Lucy Barton

Also Mentioned:

Why Anne Makes Us Dizzy by Julia McQuillan and Julie Pheiffer (Critical Study)

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a staple in high school classrooms and a foundational piece of American literature. This children’s classic is a boisterous and satirical novel addressing a vast array of social and political issues couched in an episodic coming-of-age tale. In today’s episode, we address some of the teaching baggage that comes along with this book, consider Huck’s moral development, and wrestle with the complexities of encountering this book as a modern reader. As always, we also offer contemporary pairings including a National Book Award winner and a sweet and tender father-and-son story.

Together, we’re learning to be better, more critical and thorough readers of classic and contemporary literature. We love discussing books and reading with all of you and hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers at patreon.com/novelpairings. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price.

Pairings Timestamp: 39:14

Books mentioned:

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

Also mentioned:

Percival Everett’s Huck Finn Retelling
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Lonesome Dove episode
Toni Morrison on Huck Finn
Jane Smiley on Huck Finn

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Catherine, Called Birdy has been a surprise hit with our listeners and book club community, and today Chelsey and Sara share their experience with Karen Cushman’s award-winning work of middle grade historical fiction. We share what we remember about the book from childhood, why we connected with it more now, and why a book about a girl trying to avoid marriage in the 13th-century feels so relevant today. We also go down a couple of rabbit holes of our own this episode, including a discussion about how we teach and model gender for children and the role of literature in that development.

Pairings Timestamp: 42:00

Books mentioned:

Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Matrix by Lauren Groff
My Lady Jane, My Plain Jane, My Contrary Mary, My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Also mentioned:

Dear America, The Royal Diaries, and American Girl Dolls
The Men–and the Boys–are Not Alright

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While we’re spending most of this season discussing classic children’s literature, today Chelsey and Sara break from form to share our most anticipated spring book releases. Spring is a busy time in the publishing cycle and we will topple your TBR with feel-good fiction, literary books from favorite writers, and a surprising number of intriguing nonfiction titles, all releasing between late February and early May. Today is all about those new releases, but if you want to hear us offer backlist pairings for these anticipated buzzy titles, head over to our Patreon community to get that bonus content delivered to your podcast feed. To shop for all of the titles mentioned in today’s episode while supporting our show, head to our Bookshop.org affiliate storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Books mentioned:

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
In Springtime by Sarah Blake
How to Think Like a Woman by Regan Penaluna
Ten Planets by Yuri Herrera
Lone Women by Victor Lavalle
Above Ground by Clint Smith
Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
Greek Lessons by Han Kang
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann
Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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Chelsey and Sara discuss Mildred D. Taylor’s Newberry Award winning novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. We gush about the writing, share our favorite characters, and unpack a few memorable scenes. We also spend some time considering why this book feels like it could be classified as an adult novel and the value it would add to a middle or high school curriculum. And, of course, we each offer a couple of books to pair with this middle grade classic. This conversation is largely spoiler-free, and we encourage you to listen whether or not you’ve read this book recently or at all!

Pairings Timestamp: 42:05

Books mentioned:

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip Hoose
Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes
Stealing by Margaret Verble
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Also mentioned:

Profile: Mildred D. Taylor
Novel Pairings Not Without Laughter episode

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Chelsey and Sara discuss The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman as individual children’s classics and explore the way they are in conversation with each other. We chat about each novel’s philosophical framework, storytelling style, and depiction of childhood, which leads into a larger conversation about the role of Kid Lit in ethical and moral development. We thoroughly enjoyed returning to both of these fantastical stories, but each brought up some big questions for us as readers and new moms.

Pairings Timestamp: 1:07:05

Books mentioned:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge
The Princess and the Goblin by George Mac Donald
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Also mentioned:

Watch clips from the BBC adaptation on YouTube
Reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis: An Experiment in Criticism
Phillip Pullman: Far from Narnia

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Chelsey and Sara chat about another children’s classic: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, reflecting on the difference between reading it as a kid versus our current adult perspectives. We discuss this novel’s unique characters and content, as well as the distinctive nature of the author herself. Allusions abound in this novel, from the biblical to the literary. As part of our exploration of children’s literature, we explore some themes and tropes of children’s literature that will certainly keep coming up throughout this semester as we explore the world of Classic Children’s Literature in your podcast feed and with our Patreon community.

Pairings Timestamp: 39:10

Books mentioned:

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
A Circle of Quiet or The Crosswick Journals by Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time the Graphic Novel by Madeleine L’Engle & Hope Larson (Illustrator)
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Steed
The Story Of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

Also mentioned:

What time is it when you pass through A Wrinkle in Time?

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Chelsey and Sara discuss Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This short, weird, and word play-filled story explores the “slipperiness” of language, the joys and fears of growing up, and the traditions of Victorian schooling.

In addition to the historical and literary context for this classic, we also enjoyed talking about what it feels like to be a child in a world of rules. Today’s pairings include magical middle grade novels and a cozy light academia fantasy, and we hope you find your next silly, escapist read among them.

Are you ready for deeper reading in 2023? This spring we’re exploring the world of Classic Children’s Literature in your podcast feed and with our Patreon community. Together, we’re learning to be better, more critical and thorough readers of classic and contemporary literature. We love discussing books and reading with all of you and hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers at patreon.com/novelpairings. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price.

Pairings Timestamp: 43:50

Books mentioned (affiliate links):

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney

Silverworld by Diana Abu-Jaber

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Also mentioned:

Adventures in Wonderland (1992-1994)

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Chelsey and Sara discuss Langston Hughes’s 1930 novel: Not Without Laughter, the story of a young boy coming of age in small-town Kansas with his matriarchal family. His mother Annjee works as a maid and cook for a wealthy white family, his grandmother Hager takes in laundry work, and his Aunt Harriet has big dreams of performing. His wandering father, Jimboy makes appearances as does his upper class Aunt Tempy. As a collective, these characters reveal varied philosophies and histories of the Black diasporic experience.

We expected to enjoy Hughes’ use of language and imagery, but we did not anticipate the rich tapestry of history and themes explored in this short classic. We hope you take something away from this spoiler-free episode before, during, or after listening, whether you choose to pick up the book or one of our contemporary pairings. These pairings include complex families in fiction, sweeping historical accounts, and blues-y musings on the power of music.

Pairings Timestamp: 29:50

Books Mentioned:

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby

Perish by Latoya Watkins

Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Links & Things Mentioned:

"Done Made Us Leave Our Home": Langston Hughes's Not without Laughter--Unifying Image and Three Dimensions - R. Baxter Miller (JSTOR)

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This spring semester, we are trying something a little different. We hope you all are up for venturing into uncharted territory together as we spend a few months reading Classic Children's Literature! From fantasy to historical fiction to adventure, we will explore the influences of children's stories on contemporary literature. Using our signature literary lens, we intend to reflect on some of our favorite books as young readers while scrutinizing how well they hold up to the modern kid lit canon.

We will discuss each of these selections on the main feed, but if you'd like to dive deeper into the themes, history, and connections between these texts, consider joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.

A quick note: we don't share which books are our book club selections for each month, because we haven't chosen them yet! We'll put out a poll on Patreon.

Novel Pairings Spring 2023: Classic Children's Literature

February: Fantasy

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
Patreon Lecture: Reading Children's Classics with a Literary Lens

March: Historical Fiction

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
Patreon Seminar: Should Grown-Ups Read Twilight?: The role of children's literature in the adult reader's life

April: Orphans and Scamps

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Patreon Lecture: From Alice to Amari: The Hero's Journey in Children's Fiction

May: Books in Translation

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Wild Book by Juan Villaro
Patreon Office Hours

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Today we enter the towering stack of “Best Book” lists, but we like to think our annual episode stands out from the crowd. Instead of narrowing down a list of favorites every year, we share superlatives to include a wider variety of genres, themes, and reading experiences in our year end wrap up episode. Check our stories at @novelpairingspod on Instagram for templates to share your 2022 superlatives, and please do not forget to tag us! We would love to see which books you select in each category.

For more superlatives, go to patreon.com/novelpairings. We will share a bonus episode on Friday FULL of more titles we loved this year.

Podcast episodes mentioned:

Maryanne Wolf and Ezra Klein discuss “deep reading”

All about hyped books

Buzzy summer 2022 books we both read

Books mentioned:

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle ZevinBabel by R.F. Kuang

Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

Search by Michelle Hunevan

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Invisible Storm by Jason Kander

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet

Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro

A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King

The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland

The Trees by Percival Everett

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

Recitatif by Toni Morrison

Have I Told You This Already? By Lauren Graham

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk

These Precious Days by Ann Pachett

Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Share your own superlatives! Here’s the list:

Lived up to “the hype”
Didn’t live up to “the hype”
Most likely to become a modern classic
Best surprise
Biggest disappointment
Most comforting/helped through a hard time
Best characters
Best UNlikeable characters
Kept you thinking the long after reading
Most discussable
Best under the radar
Best audiobook experience
Book you would recommend to a friend

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Join us as we discuss the sumptuous, sexy, and speculative adaptation of The Great Gatsby: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo. We adored Vo’s language, voice, and inventive storytelling and will give you a heads up for brief spoilers [20:35-25:00]. In addition to classic themes with a contemporary twist, we also discuss what we’ve learned over the course of this adaptation-themed semester in Novel Pairings University.

We are not offering pairings for this episode, but we highly recommend checking out our popular bonus episodes on classic literature from the 1920s Part One and Part Two.

If you’ve enjoyed our eclectic and educational content this season, we would love for you to join us for our exciting December and January events in our Patreon community. You can find calendars and details in our newsletter or on our Patreon page.

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

Books & Links mentioned:

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor
Nghi Vo on the Poured Over podcast
Was Gatsby Black?
Deconstructing the American Dream: Identity and Illusions in Nghi Vo’s The Chosen and the Beautiful

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Readers, today we are taking it way back to September 2020 (a lifetime ago!) when we discussed The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This month’s book club is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (a Gatsby retelling) so we’re taking this opportunity to refresh our memories about the plot, characters, and themes of Fitzgerald’s iconic work. We hope you enjoy this blast from the past, and we’re so excited to discuss Vo’s novel with you next week!

Books mentioned:

Chelsey’s Pairings:
Let Us Dream by Alyssa Cole
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavincencio
The Diviners by Libba Bray

Sara’s Pairings:

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero
Severance by Ling Ma

Coming Up
Next Week: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

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In anticipation of this month's book club read, we're sharing a whole stack of novels set in the 1920s. We are giving you a little bit of everything in this list: historical fiction, romance, mystery, backlist books, and new releases to help you step back in time and witness the opulence and turbulence of the Roaring 20s. We hope you find the perfect glittering, scandalous, or suspenseful novel to escape into.

Pairings

Chelsey:

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Let Us Dream by Alyssa Cole
The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich

Sara:

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

Coming Up

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

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Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. It’s been awhile since we discussed a Shakespeare play and we’re thrilled to be back with the Bard for spooky season to chat about witches, ghosts, murder, and betrayal. Take a listen to hear us discuss why Macbeth feels different from other tragedies, the way staging decisions can impact the meaning of this play, and how much of this story is inspired by the real King James I’s fears and paranoias. We also touch on what we actually admire about the Macbeths’ marriage and just how much Game of Thrones owes to the Scottish Play. For today’s pairings we have a Macbeth retelling set in Appalachia, two tales of things gone wrong in the theater, plus a modern classic, an epic fantasy novel, and a quiet meditation on the power of prophecy. This episode is great for Shakespeare lovers as well as readers less familiar with his works.

Listen to Our Pairings: [51:35]

Chelsey:

All’s Well by Mona Awad

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

Sara:

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Serena by Ron Rash

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Coming Up

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

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Today, we are toppling your TBR with Shakespeare-inspired stories, retellings, and adaptations. We have ten books for you today, but there are so many more we could have discussed. Join our community over on Patreon for three additional recommendations from each of us!

Pairings

Chelsey:

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston

That Way Madness Lies, edited by Dahlia Adler

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

All’s Well by Mona Awad

Sara:

The Third Witch by Rebecca Reiser

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Coming Up

October (next week!): Macbeth by William Shakespeare

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

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Today, Chelsey and Sara are discussing the new Netflix film adaptation of Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson, Cormo Jarvis, and Henry Golding. We lament the anachronistic language, mull over the casting, and consider the obvious influences of Fleabag, Bridgerton, and Schitt’s Creek, all while attempting to figure out just what this movie had to say about Jane Austen’s most romantic novel. Additionally, we talk about the Austen adaptations we wish we had and which supporting cast members saved the movie for us.

This episode is made possible by our supporters on Patreon. Join us this month for all things Shakespeare, including a class on deciphering difficult texts, a live book club discussion of Macbeth, and a Macbeth movie watchalong. In joining our Patreon community, you also get access to weekly bonus episodes along with the archive of all previous bonus content. Your Patreon support keeps our podcast afloat and allows us to keep creating the coziest corner of the bookish internet. Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

Turning Persuasion into Fleabag was a truly terrible idea

Persuasion review: The Netflix film is an absolute disaster

Persuasion review: The present intrudes into the past

Brandon Taylor’s review: persuasion is a hate crime

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Welcome to Shakespeare 101! It’s a perfectly fitting episode number for today as we invite a Shakespeare professor to answer YOUR questions about the Bard’s staying power, how to read his works, and how to interpret Lady Macbeth. We always say we won’t get TOO academic here, but we’re getting pretty academic thanks to Chelsey’s former Shakespeare professor.

Professor Doug Green taught at Augsburg University, including Shakespeare and Renaissance literature, writing, drama, and film. He also helped develop and taught Augsburg’s first course in queer studies. He has an abundance of knowledge and advice to share with us as we read Macbeth together this month, so jump in and travel back to the college classroom with us today.

Books, authors, and resources mentioned:

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Samson Agonistes by John Milton

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

The Bacchae of Euripedes

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Ben Jonson

Beaumont & Fletcher

John Dryden

Alexander Pope

Theater Mu

Penumbra Theater

Ovid

Plutarch

Holinshed’s Chronicles

Chaucer

The Guthrie Theater

Classical Actor’s Ensemble

10,000 Things

Barbarian

Tony Kushner

Colson Whitehead

James McBride

Toni Morrison

Louise Erdrich

Margaret Atwood

Robert Frost

Mary Oliver

Lucille Clifton

Ross Gay

Richard Blanco

Elizabeth Alexander

Shakespeare Supplements:

The Oxford English Dictionary

Folio Facsimile

The Folger Library

MIT Global Shakespeare

Norton Shakespeare

Macbeth on Film:

Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021, stream on Apple TV)

Polanski’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (1970, stream on Amazon Prime)

Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957, stream on HBO Max or Amazon Prime)

Find Doug’s work: Jumping the Median with Doug Green

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It’s our 100th episode, readers! Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming along with us on this nerdy creative endeavor. We are immensely grateful for those of you who listen to the podcast, share it with friends, and support us on Patreon.

Today, we are talking about Persuasion by Jane Austen, often described as Austen’s most autumnal work. Persuasion is a deeply romantic novel about longing, loss, and found family. We discuss Anne as an Austen heroine, and Wentworth as her perfect match. We discuss coming of age, family strains, and other exceedingly modern themes. Finally, of course we could not stop ourselves from diving into the theme of the season: adaptation, and why we think there is a resurgence of interest in this story right now.

Pairings

Chelsey:

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass

Sara:

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt

Other Links

Oxford classes

Cynthia Erivo narration of Persuasion on Spotify

Backlist coming of age novels for book clubs and beach reads

Coming Up

October: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

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Welcome to fall, readers! Today, Sara & Chelsey dive into all things adaptations: why we enjoy them, when they fall short, and how adaptations fit into literary and pop culture conversations. We discuss how literature thrives on adaptations, and Sara shares some salty opinions. Subscribe to our newsletter for more resources on adaptations and the topics we covered in this episode.

Books Mentioned

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Chelsey:

Epically Earnest by Molly Horan (The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde)

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells)

Two Wrongs Make A Right by Chloe Liese (Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne (Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne)

Marmee by Sarah Miller (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)

Sara

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher (The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe)

Ben and Beatriz by Katalina Gamarra (Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)

Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Ithaca by Claire North (The Odyssey by Homer)

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (David Copperfield by Charles Dickens)

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

Coming Up

September: Persuasion by Jane Austen

October: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

November: The Chosen and The Beautiful by Nghi Vo

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. This novel surprised us in the best ways, and we loved reading along with you all summer. Tune in to hear us talk about the fantastic characters and McMurtry’s narrative style in this sweeping tome, drawing surprising similarities with Jane Austen. This novel touches on themes of love, family, masculinity, and so much more. If you’re looking for a fantastic book club selection with more to discuss than could possibly fit in an hour, consider this novel along with some of our pairings. This episode is mostly spoiler free, with warnings included before we share important plot details.

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

Books Mentioned

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you!

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Listen to our pairings: [56:15]

Chelsey:

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann
Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Sara:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Sun by Philipp Meyer
The River by Peter Heller
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Pick of the Week:

Chelsey: The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Sara: The Watch: Lonesome Dove

View Details

To support Novel Pairings:

Write a review in Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com
Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Send this episode to a bookish friend!

Books Mentioned

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you!

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Listen to our pairings: [56:15]

Chelsey:

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann
Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Sara:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
The Sun by Philipp Meyer
The River by Peter Heller
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Pick of the Week:

Chelsey: The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Sara: The Watch: Lonesome Dove

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay. We discuss the classic nature of this novel along with some of its modern elements, as well as our own personal impressions and individual reading experiences of the book. This Harlem Renaissance novel explores themes that pushed the boundaries of its time: disability, the physical body, race, migration, post-colonialism, Marxism, economics. If you’re looking for a short classic novel that covers many modern ideas, consider this one alongside some of our pairings.

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Books Mentioned

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you!

Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay (Penguin Classics)

Listen to our pairings: [41:05]

Chelsey:

At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop
A Country for Dying by Abdellah Taïa

Sara:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Also Mentioned:

The Best New Novel Was Written 90 Years Ago by Molly Young (Vulture)

A Book So Far Ahead of Its Time, It took 87 Years to Find A Publisher by Tayla Zax (NYTimes)

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It’s that time of year, readers! Pull out your favorite book tote and get thee to pre-ordering (or library requesting) because we’ve got an episode full of our most anticipated reads for summer 2022. Since we can’t help ourselves, we’ve paired each buzzy new title with a backlist pick. We’re also talking about summer reading hopes (not goals), our favorite summertime genres, and what’s happening in Classics Club this season.

If you’re enjoying our content, please write a review on Apple Podcasts, share an episode with a friend, or shout us out on social media. Growing this show is only possible because of our lovely listeners. Thank you!

A Special thank you to The Lost City for sponsoring this episode.

Love these episodes? Support us on Patreon patreon.com/novelpairings and get bonus episodes full of reading recs this summer.
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Books mentioned (thanks for supporting us by shopping our Bookshop affiliate links!):

May

5/3 The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price, Sense & Second Degree Murder

5/3 When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister

5/17 We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

5/17 Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces by Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Piccolo is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture by Jordan Calhoun

5/24 Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

5/31 Half-Blown Rose by Leesa Cross-Smith

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, Half Light

June

6/7 Woman of Light by Kali Farjado-Anstine

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

6/7 Fibbed by Elizabeth Agyemang

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

6/14 Horse by Geraldine Brooks

The Son by Philip Meyer

6/28 American Royalty by Tracey Livesay

The Royal We, Red, White & Royal Blue, or American Royals
Like Lovers Do by Tracey Livesay

July

7/5 Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata

Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link

7/5 Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

There, There by Tommy Orange, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

7/12 The Crane Wife by C.J. Hauser

The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy

7/12 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevinn

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

7/19 Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

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Today Sara and Chelsey discuss Jane Austen’s silly, ridiculous, and absolutely delightful work of juvenilia: Love and Freindship. From fainting spells to the history of parody, this episode is full of nerdy information and fun Austen context. If you’re looking to lighten up your reading life with irreverent novels and humorous romance, today’s pairings are for you, regardless of whether you’ve picked up Love and Freindship. * Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings. * Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter. * Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned: Love and Freindship by Jane Austen

Chelsey:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortburg

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

Sara:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbetson

Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

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How did Sara and Chelsey meet? What goes into making a Novel Pairings episode? And how do they find time to read with busy, curious babies in their lives? Today’s episode holds all the answers to YOUR questions about classic literature, teaching English, baby bookworms, reading habits, and more. (Plus plenty of book recommendations. We can’t help it.) The show notes are full of links today, so be sure to scroll down in your app or visit novelpairings.com.

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you!

Books Mentioned:

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Episode: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Episode: The Crucible by Arthur Miller

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

Episode: The Odyssey by Homer

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Aubrey Niffenegger

Episode: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Episode: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Circe by Madeline Miller

Episode: Passing by Nella Larsen

Episode: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Episode: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Episode: Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Houghton

Let’s Look at Animals by Marion Deuchars

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young

The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi

Episode: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Episode: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Episode: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Episode: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Episode: Emma by Jane Austen

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Love and Freindship by Jane Austen

Also Mentioned:

@fictionmatters

@chelseyreads

He Read She Read Podcast

The Novel Pairings Ultimate Spreadsheet

Sandra Boynton: Frog Trouble Album

Raising Readers with Anne Bogel

The Sleepy Bookshelf Podcast

@clumsy.words

Don’t forget to:

Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.
Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

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Today Sara and Chelsey consider Middlemarch by George Eliot through a contemporary lens with paired books about marriage, community, and time-tested advice. You don’t need to read Middlemarch to put a book recommendation in your pocket today, so enjoy this unique collection of titles and a spoiler-free conversation.

We’re recording an Ask Us Anything episode! Submit your questions to novelpairingspod@gmail.com, DM us on Instagram, or stay tuned for a question box in our Instagram stories.

Need more Jane Austen in your life? Of course you do. Check out Live from Pemberley, from the creators and hosts of Hot & Bothered.

Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.
Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:
Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Wahala by Nikki May

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Today Sara and Chelsey check in and discuss Middlemarch by George Eliot. What does this 800-page Victorian novel have in common with Love is Blind on Netflix? Tune in to hear literary analysis, pop culture connections, and personal reflections on reading this giant tome. Plus, Sara and Chelsey reveal plans for a new episode format, coming soon. * Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings. * Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter. * Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info. * Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:
Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)
Emma by Jane Austen (The Annotated Version)
Love and Friendship by Jane Austen

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Love is Blind (Netflix)

Sara: My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead

Also mentioned:

“It Can Be Embarrassing to Love Dorothea” The Paris Review

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After a few months off, we're back in your feeds today to discuss some of our favorite (and least favorite) books of 2021. We've organized this episode into bookish superlatives that let us share books you may not hear us talk about otherwise. We also offer a reflection on our reading year as a whole, including what it's been like to read with newborns around. It's great to be back at the mic talking all things books!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Links:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

Wintering by Katherine May

Insurrecto by Gina Apostol

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

We’re All in This Together by Amy Jones

Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman

Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley

Detransition, Baby by Torrie Peters

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

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“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” So begins the book that launched a million little girls’ love affair with reading. While we here at Novel Pairings have pretty mixed feelings about Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, our discussion of this beloved childhood classic is one of our favorites.

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some discussion of Little Women, so whether you love them or loathe them, we hope you enjoy today’s rerelease as we deep dive into the world of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books Mentioned:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Amazon)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Amazon)

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux (Amazon)

So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan (Amazon)

March by Geraldine Brooks (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Episode 40 with Annie B. Jones

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [36:14]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Chelsey’s Pairings:

More to the Story by Hena Khan (Amazon)
Most Likely by Sarah Watson (Amazon)
Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez (Amazon)
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas (Amazon)
The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Home Cooking Podcast

Why the British Tell Better Children’s Stories

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Here at Novel Pairings, if there’s one thing we love almost as much as reading it’s supporting independent bookstores. Today, we’re re-airing an interview with one of our favorite indie bookstore insiders, Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia. Annie shares a little about her own reading life and tastes, and offers some sweet and moving book pairings for one of her favorite classics: Little Women.

Remember, you can support The Bookshelf or your favorite local indie bookstore and the Novel Pairings podcast by signing up or gifting a Libro.fm membership. Use our code NOVELPAIRINGS when you join, and help boost business at your favorite bookstore through another difficult holiday season.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Our book list includes a mix of affiliate links and links to The Bookshelf inventory. If you want to own one of the books we talked about today, we hope you consider supporting The Bookshelf with your purchase.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

The Baby-Sitters Club Box

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Franny & Zoey by J.D. Salinger

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konig

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani

HRH by Elizabeth Holmes

Passing by Nella Larsen

Emma by Jane Austen

Also mentioned:

“The Baby-Sitters Club Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know About Literary Fiction”

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We love revisiting our favorite books for episodes of Novel Pairings, but there’s also something truly special about finding a new-to-us classic that becomes a forever favorite. There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset was a book neither of us had read or even knew much about before deciding to cover it on the podcast.

What we found was a beautiful and nuanced novel of manners that both echoed many of our favorite works while offering something wholly original. We keep this episode spoiler-free to encourage more readers to give this novel a chance. We hope you’ll listen and then pick up this too long neglected Harlem Renaissance classic.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [33:15]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Books mentioned:

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset (Amazon)

Passing by Nella Larsen (Amazon) [30:39]

Chelsey’s Pairings

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Amazon) [36:06]

This Lovely City by Louise Hare (Amazon) [42:23]

Becoming by Michelle Obama (Amazon) [49:18]

Sara’s Pairings

On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Amazon) [33:33]

No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts (Amazon) [39:35]

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (Amazon) [45:52]

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: How WWI Sparked and Artistic Movement that Transformed Black America [53:30]

Sara: New Yorker article on Fauset (by Morgan Jerkins) [52:09] and Women of the Harlem Renaissance by Cheryl A. Wall [52:40]

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Our penchant for pairings goes far beyond books and in today’s gift guide rerelease we’re offering a variety of suggestions for what to give the literary minded loved ones in your life. Each book and gift pairing is put together with a particular type of reader in mind to help you find the perfect holiday gift no matter who you’re shopping for this season.

Our Gift Guide: https://novelpairings.com/2020/11/10/35-a-2020-gift-guide-for-every-literary-taste/

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Luster by Raven Leilani (9/1)

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (9/1)

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Daddy by Emma Cline (9/1)

The Girls by Emma Cline

Florida by Lauren Groff

Sabrina & Corina by Kali Farjado-Anstine

Lot by Bryan Washington

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman (9/1)

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (9/1)

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

13th on Netflix

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

When They See Us on Netflix

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (9/1)

Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivers (9/1)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

Episode 18 The Odyssey

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (9/1)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Jack by Marilynne Robinson (9/15)

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

New Gilead covers

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (9/15)

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (9/29)

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo (9/29)

The Best Worst Man by Mia Sosa

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (10/6)

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab (10/6)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Dolly Parton’s America

She Come by It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh (10/13)

Natural Acts: Gender, Race, and Rusticity in Country Music by Pamela Fox

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (10/20)

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

Jane in Love by Rachel Givney (10/27)

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Cobble Hill by Cecily Von Ziegesar (10/20)

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

I Wanna Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom (11/17)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

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When we first released our episode on Passing by Nella Larsen in June of 2020, we were already professing our excitement for the new movie starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Nega. This month, the film is finally releasing on Netflix.

We can’t wait to watch and see how the palpable tension and twisty tone translate to the screen. This episode contains spoilers, but we give you ample warning so feel free to listen before or after watching.

Our discussion includes:

Gatsby connections galore, and an argument for replacing Gatsby with Passing [16:35]
Intersectionality and Irene’s struggle with loyalty across race, gender, and class lines [27:56]
Who should pick this up? [32:15]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a literary thriller and one of this summer’s buzziest books.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Show Notes:

Emily Bernard’s intro

Excerpt from Vanishing Half

@reggiereads review

Chelsey’s Pairings:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite [40:48]

Black is the Body by Emily Bernard [47:05]

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert [53:17]

Sara’s Pairings:

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson [37:50]

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah [43:14]

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [50:00]

Pick of the Week:

You Must Remember This podcast “Passing for White, Merle Oberon”

13th the Ava DuVerny documentary

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. We’ve read this story more times than we can count—as students and as teachers, and today we’re sharing new insights and appreciation for its themes, tone, and terrifying ending. We cover connections to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s biography, historical context, and deeper analysis as we talk through this 1892 classic and classroom staple. In Short Story Club we do share spoilers, so read this story for free and then tune in to our discussion—or listen to see what you remember from a previous reading experience. As always, we offer pairings with similar themes to add to your TBR.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings: [48:10]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Read “The Yellow Wallpaper” for free

“The Yellow Wallpaper” audiobook on Hoopla

Chelsey:

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski (Amazon)
Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black by bell hooks (Amazon)

Sara:

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (Amazon)
Mrs. March by Virginia Feito (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey - “The Yellow Wallpaper” The Musical and All’s Well by Mona Awad

Sara - Gaslight (1944)

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Today, we welcome Raelyn Torngren to the podcast to educate us on the horror genre. From defining tropes to engaging in literary criticism to offering excellent book recommendations, we cover a lot of ground! This episode is excellent for readers who are ready to lean into their darker tastes this season or readers who are new to the genre. You can find Raelyn on Instagram @reading.reverie and follow her Youtube channel, Reading Reverie for video essays and book recommendations. She also hosts a horror book club!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Novel Pairings Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Amazon)

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (Amazon)

Powers of Horror by Julia Kristeva (Amazon)

White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon)

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Amazon)

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez (Amazon)

The Shining by Stephen King (Amazon)

The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Amazon)

The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun (Amazon)

Naomi’s Room by Jonathan Aycliffe (Amazon)

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson (Amazon)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (Amazon)

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Silent Hill video game

Alien

Midsommar

Fear Street

Cosmic Horror/Lovecraftian Horror

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This season we’ve been getting into the autumnal mood with Gothic short stories, Victorian fiction, and an upcoming exploration of horror literature. Today, we’re rereleasing our episode on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a work that fits perfectly into our seasonal theme. We hope listening or relistening to our discussion about this classroom staple will be enhanced by all the additional Gothic content in the Novel Pairings feed this fall.

Show notes

Our discussion includes:

Sara’s experience with teaching Frankenstein in the high school classroom [8:20]
The stranger-than-fiction true story behind the novel [10:30]
Defining “Gothic novels,” historical and contemporary [20:05]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including graphic novels and absorbing nonfiction.

Shop our pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-frankenstein

What to read or skip in Frankenstein:

Victor thinking about creating his creature
Creating the monster
Monster talking to Victor
Skip all of the wandering around the countryside

Shop the pairings:

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Millicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara [43:30]
- WSIRN Episode w/Mallory
Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Granddaughter by Brea Grant & Yishan Li [50:40]
The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey [58:20]

Sara’s Pairings:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro [40:02]
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood [46:45]
Destroyer by Victor LaValle, illustrated by Dietrich Smith [53:51]

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: Penny Dreadful on Showtime/Netflix

Sara: Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge

illustrations: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626725003

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In case you missed it, we're reading Middlemarch together! We're both excited (and, let's be honest) a little apprehensive about diving into George Eliot's Middlemarch with you this fall and winter. This is a BIG book filled with lots of historical references and Eliot's signature attention to the smallest of details. It's also a cozy and thoughtful depiction of a small town that brings us relationships to root for, villains to hate, and characters we'll remember for a long time to come.

Today, we're sharing some logistics of how our big book readalong will work, basic background information on the text, and tips for making your reading experience valuable and enjoyable.

We can't wait to get reading with you!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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Links:

Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)

Middlemarch on the Serial Reader app

Middlmarch on Spotify

A brief biography of George Eliot

"Silly Novels by Lady Novelists" by George Eliot

Virginia Woolf on George Eliot

Henry James' review of Middlemarch

Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith

My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead

A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. This delightfully creepy story ushers in (that pun was NOT intended, but let’s go with it) chilling fall breezes, spooky October vibes, and atmosphere galore. We walk through a close reading of this classic horror story and cover Poe’s signature writing style and the horror tropes he plays with here, leaving a legacy for modern authors and even filmmakers in the horror genre. As always in Short Story Club, we offer four contemporary pairings to add to your gothic reading pile this fall.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings: [43:50]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe

Poe’s stories on audio

A collection of Poe’s short stories

Chelsey:

His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler (Amazon)
The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks (Amazon)

Sara:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Amazon)
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (Amazon)

Both (Bonus):

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey - For students: The Poe Museum & Common Lit For teachers: Drunk History, Edgar Allan Poe feuds with Rufus Griswold

Sara - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez and The Fall by Bethan Griffin

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Today, Sara and Chelsey share the backlist books they’re putting on their To Be Read lists for the next few months. We speculate on which books will carry us through the early days of motherhood and which reading formats might work best in a totally unpredictable season. This episode is for anyone who wants to read more backlist, readers who have a hard time focusing right now, and bookworms eager to add overlooked titles to their book stacks.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (Amazon)

The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power (Amazon)

Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin (Amazon)

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Suzanna Clarke (Amazon)

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (Amazon)

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (Amazon)

The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan (Amazon)

A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey (Amazon)

Poldark by Winston Graham (Amazon)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Amazon)

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (Amazon)

Middlemarch by George Eliot (Amazon)

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (Amazon)

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Amazon)

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (Amazon)

Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (Amazon)

Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper (Amazon)

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (Amazon)

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Amazon)

Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel (Amazon)

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (Amazon)

The Book of Night Women by Marlon James (Amazon)

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (Amazon)

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (Amazon)

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (Amazon)

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (Amazon)

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemain (Amazon)

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (Amazon)

The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Marlon and Jake Read Dead People

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss chapters 27 through the end of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We discuss Jane’s journeys from coming of age to literally hiking on the moors, the juxtaposition of Rochester and another romantic interest, the ending (of course), and whether or not we think this qualifies as a “feminist text.” Plus, we offer six pairings that touch on the tone, themes, and legacy of Brontë’s iconic novel. We think you’ll be shocked by one of Sara’s pairings and can’t wait to hear what you think!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings: [46:35]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Chelsey:

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (Amazon)
The Governesses by Anne Serre (Amazon)
My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, et al (Amazon)

Sara:

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers (Amazon)
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon)
The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey - What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell (Amazon)

Sara - Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontës by Isabel Greenberg (Amazon)

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When Chelsey and Sara found out we were both expecting new family members, literally just a few days apart, many conversations of course turned to all things pregnancy and baby. We wanted to consider how motherhood would impact our reading lives and today we're thrilled to have Anne Bogel on the podcast to talk about raising readers and reading in the hazy newborn days. Anne is an author, blogger, and host of the What Should I Read Next podcast. She's also one of our favorite literary therapists, who happens to be a mom of four. In this conversation, we talk about simple strategies to encourage a love of reading in kids as well as tips for maintaining a robust reading life as a new parent. And, of course, we couldn't let Anne leave without recommending a few books to us! She shares some of her favorites for readalouds alongside some adult fiction that touches on themes of parenthood.

Preorder Anne's new book journal, My Reading Life (out September 21st), to access a batch of preorder goodies that are perfect for avid readers. And keep up with Anne's reading life by following her on Instagram at @annebogel and @whatshouldireadnext or by visiting her blog ModernMrsDarcy.com.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault and Bill Martin

The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger

Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger

The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili

Landslide by Susan Conley

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

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Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss chapters 1-26 of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We’ve each read this Victorian Gothic novel multiple times, learning something new with each reread. In today’s conversation, we reflect on past reading experiences and dive into analysis. We share our thoughts on the early coming of age chapters, Jane and Rochester’s romance, and what’s going on in the attic at Thornfield. We’ll give you a heads up for major spoilers, but we think this is a great episode to listen to before, during, or after you read Brontë’s iconic novel.

We’ll discuss Part Two on September 21st. For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination by Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Also mentioned:

Charlotte Brontë biography

Sorry, but Jane Eyre Isn’t the Romance You Want It to Be, from JSTOR Daily

Bluebeard fairytale

Picks of the week:

Chelsey - The Rom Pod series “On Eyre”

Sara - Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

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Today, Sara and Chelsey share some of their favorite tips for getting the most out of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Our tips include some general advice for reading a dense Victorian novel alongside our thoughts about the genre conventions and stylistic elements of Jane Eyre that can enhance your reading of this novel in particular. This episode is designed to help you get the most out of this novel whether it's your first read or your fifteenth!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get weekly reading updates and podcast news or joining our Patreon community, where we share bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and a whole bunch of book talk at patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

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Today, Sara and Chelsey reflect on their summer reading season with short reviews of their favorite reads, and they look ahead to their upcoming fall season. Do you enjoy hearing about our recent reads? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get weekly reading updates and podcast news or joining our Patreon community, where we share bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and a whole bunch of book talk at patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Amazon)

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (Amazon)

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann (Amazon)

The Guide by Peter Heller (Amazon)

The River by Peter Heller (Amazon)

All’s Well by Mona Awad (Amazon)

Bunny by Mona Awad (Amazon)

The Round House by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

The Sentence by Louise Edrich (Amazon)

The Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley (Amazon)

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee (Amazon)

The Guncle by Steven Rowley (Amazon)

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Amazon)

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb (Amazon)

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (Amazon)

Read with us this fall season:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre Norton Critical Edition (great introduction, annotations, and scholarly articles)
Jane Eyre Vintage Classics (wide margins for annotating, affordable, and a nice paperback weight)
Jane Eyre Penguin Classics Deluxe (one of the coolest covers out there)

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
Read the story for free online
The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Read the story for free online
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Gibbs Smith Women's Voices Series)
The Yellow Wallpaper and Selected Writings by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Penguin Vitae Collection)

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Today, Sara and Chelsey gush about a new favorite novel-in-short-stories: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. We focus on Naylor’s memorable prose and mastery of structure, avoiding spoilers so you can listen before reading. Plus, as always, we offer six contemporary pairings that capture similar themes, featuring short story collections and well-crafted memoirs.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings: [34:43]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (Amazon)

The Men of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor

Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor (Amazon)

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (Amazon)

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (Amazon)

Chelsey

The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom (Amazon)
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (Amazon)
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (Amazon)

Sara

Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor (Amazon)
Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz (Amazon)
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: The Women of Brewster Place Reissue Review (NPR)

Sara: The Promise podcast

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Influenced by a delightful book club discussion with Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas, Chelsey and Sara share a pile of mythology-inspired books in today’s TBR toppling episode. Myth retellings and adaptations might be a hot trend in publishing right now, but their popularity dates back centuries. In today’s discussion, Chelsey and Sara explore the resurgence of Greek mythology, what makes a great retelling, and which mythological novels they love or want to read.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann (Amazon)

Circe by Madeline Miller (Amazon)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Amazon)

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (Amazon)

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (Amazon)

The Women of Troy by Pat Barker (Amazon)

Lovely War by Julie Berry (Amazon)

xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths, edited by Kate Bernheimer (Amazon)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie (Amazon)

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough (Amazon)

Bull by David Elliot (Amazon)
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward (Amazon)

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (Amazon)

Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard (Amazon)

Weight by Jeanette Winterson (Amazon)

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (Amazon)

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis (Amazon)

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera (Amazon)

Lore by Alexandra Bracken (Amazon)

Mythos by Stephen Fry (Amazon)

Troy by Stephen Fry (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Episode 18: The Odyssey by Homer and mythology retellings for adventurous readers

The Last Five Years

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Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss a melodramatic classroom staple: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. We relive our classroom experiences, investigate why this play is still taught, and dig into the iconic characters made famous by Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in the 1951 film adaptation. Plus, as always, we offer six contemporary pairings that capture similar themes.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings: [43:50]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Chelsey

Luster by Raven Leilani (Amazon)
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison (Amazon)
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Amazon)

Sara

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (Amazon)
Real Life by Brandon Taylor (Amazon)
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (Amazon)

Picks of the Week:

You Must Remember This: On the Waterfront and Eliza Kazan

The Morgan Tennessee Williams Exhibit

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We have an extra special Friday bonus episode for you! We've expressed our love for Laurie Frankel and her new book One Two Three on the podcast. Today, we're sharing an episode from Storybound, in which Laurie reads an excerpt from her book. This is paired with an original piece of music to make an immersive soundscape of original music and sound effects.

Storybound comes to you from The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Season 4 is the best yet, so subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening now.

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Today, Sara and Chelsey share their favorite books of the year (so far) with a series of bookish superlatives to guide them. From most surprising to most disappointing, we discuss the books that have shaped our reading lives in the first half of 2021. We love this low pressure format for sharing "the best" books and would love to hear about YOUR favorites, using our superlatives list.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jandrowski (Amazon)

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (Amazon)

Anna K by Jenny Lee (Amazon)

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (Amazon)

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Amazon)

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (Amazon)

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (Amazon)

Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)

Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First by Laura Tremaine (Amazon)

One Two Three by Laurie Frankel (Amazon)

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (Amazon)

Wintering by Katherine May (Amazon)

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon (Amazon)

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Amazon)

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Amazon)

Matrix by Lauren Groff (Amazon)

You Got Anything Stronger? by Gabrielle Union (Amazon)

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Chelsey and Sara discuss The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton*, a glittering Gilded Age classic that feels particularly relevant today. We chat about our experiences rereading one of Wharton’s early novels, how we felt about the divisive character Lily Bart, and our recommendations for contemporary pairings—including one of our favorite essay collections and a coming of age novel set at a boarding school.

This episode does include spoilers, so listen carefully for spoiler warnings if you haven’t read The House of Mirth* yet.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Listen to our pairings: [45:58]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting us by shopping our affiliate links!

Chelsey

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue (Uptown Girls series) by Joanna Shupe (Amazon)
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino (Amazon)
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (Amazon)

Sara

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Amazon)
The Party Upstairs by Lee Conell (Amazon)
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

The Gilded Age Girls Club series (Duchess by Design #1) by Maya Rodale

The Gossip Girl of Her Time: On the Pleasures of Edith Wharton

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Today in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are discussing “The Prairie Wife” by Curtis Sittenfeld. It’s a quick, absorbing read about summer camp, social media, and how stories shape our identities. We’d love to hear your thoughts on it! Note: Short Story Club episodes do contain spoilers. Read the story first, and then come back to hear our nerdy discussion.

Join our Patreon community for an extended Short Story Club discussion on Discord.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

These links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Novel Pairings will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Short stories for summer from Bustle

Chelsey

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Amazon)
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler (Amazon)
Under the Influence podcast with Jo Piazza

Sara

No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood (Amazon)
Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey (Amazon)
Be There in Five podcast with Kate Kennedy

View Details

Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss The Summer Book by Tove Jansson*, a contemplative and vivid book in translation about a young girl, her grandmother, and the little island they inhabit. We discuss our favorite vignettes, the endearing characters, and our recommendations for contemporary pairings—including memoir, literary fiction, and poetry.

*This episode is spoiler-free.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Listen to our pairings: [31:50]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting us by shopping our affiliate links!

Moomin books by Tove Jansson (Amazon)

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (Amazon)

Chelsey:

Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge (Amazon)

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver (Amazon)

Memories of Low Tide by Chantal Thomas (Amazon)

Sara:

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (Amazon) // SSR Episode 87

Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson (Amazon)

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (Amazon)

Pick of the week:

Chelsey: We Can Do Hard Things podcast: What the hell is FUN and why do we need it?

Sara: Tove Jansson’s Moomins and her private universe.

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Today, Sara and Chelsey share their favorite classic and contemporary sweeping family sagas. We recommend intergenerational stories that take place over decades or centuries—or across multiple continents. We also define and discuss this sub genre and speculate about why it’s become such a popular phrase in publishing. Do you have a favorite novel that fits on our list?

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Amazon)

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (Amazon)

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Amazon)

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (Amazon)

Middlemarch by George Eliot (Amazon)

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Amazon)

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough (Amazon)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (Amazon)

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (Amazon)

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (Amazon)

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley (Amazon)

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Amazon)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Amazon)

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (Amazon)

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (Amazon)

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Amazon)

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Amazon)

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Today Chelsey and Sara discuss the second half of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, Chapters 7 through 14. In this episode, we cover new characters, prominent themes, and final thoughts on spending so much time with the Trueba family, plus our contemporary pairings! We’ve paired Allende’s masterpiece with novels of magical realism from all over the world, and we can’t wait to hear your recommendations for further reading.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to this timestamp for our pairings: [41:55]

Books mentioned:

Thank you for shopping our affiliate links!

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Amazon)

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (Amazon)

The Poetry of Pablo Neruda (Amazon)

Chelsey

Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup (Amazon)
Eartheater by Dolores Reyes, translated by Julia Sanchez (Amazon)
The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind by Meg Medina (Amazon)

Sara

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia (Amazon)
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (Amazon)
Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn (Amazon)

Pick of the week:

Chelsey: “Everyone called me crazy for getting divorced in my 70s”

Sara: Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir on PBS

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Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss: when it comes to the classics, what makes a great book club pick? They also share a handful of highly discussable classics, plus their top tips for better book club discussions. Tell us which classics your book club loved (or loathed) on Instagram.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Thank you for shopping our affiliate links and supporting the podcast!

Passing by Nella Larsen (Amazon) // Episode 16

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Amazon) // Episode 26

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (Amazon) // Episode 10

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (Amazon)

Myths and Retellings // Episode 18

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann (Amazon)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (Amazon) // Episode 33.5

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (Amazon) // Episode 20

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Literary Theory & Critical Lenses

Episode 5: Feminist Theory

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Today Chelsey and Sara discuss the first half of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, Chapters 1 through 6. There’s so much to discuss in this jam-packed, sweeping family novel. In this episode, we cover initial impressions and approaches to the book, Allende’s style, and key characters. We’ll share contemporary pairings in Part Two on June 22nd!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Pick of the week:

Chelsey: Research the slave trade in Chile and Indigenous Chileans for even more historical context

Sara: Magical Realism: Embracing the Absurdity of Latin America | Andrés Hermida

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We’re kicking off the summer reading season with a TBR toppler full of highly anticipated summer releases and backlist pairings! This episode is full of books we haven’t read and our best guesses at which books might be readalikes or thematic pairings. With buzzy books and under-the-radar releases from every genre, you’re sure to find at least one book (or maybe ten) for your summer To Be Read list. We can’t wait to hear which books you put on hold at the library or pick up from your local bookstore!

For bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned (affiliate links):

June:

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Amazon) - 5:35

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (Amazon)

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Amazon) - 8:25

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (Amazon)

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia - 11:26 (Amazon)

Loyalty Bookstore

The Diviners by Libba Bray (Amazon)

The Girls of Murder City by Douglas Perry (Amazon)

Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford (Amazon) - 15:15

This is My America by Kim Johnson (Amazon)
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (Amazon)

Walking on Cowrie Shells by Nana Nkweti (Amazon) - 19:00How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin (Amazon)
The Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires (Amazon)

Grown Ups by Marie Aubert - 21:45
Emma Straub — try All Adults Here (Amazon)

The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood by Krys Malcolm Belc (Amazon) - 25:05Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (Amazon)

Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor (Amazon) - 27:40
Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo Anstine (Amazon)
Lot by Bryan Washington (Amazon)

God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney (Amazon) - 31:24 The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (Amazon)

July:

Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy (Amazon) - 35:43
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon)

Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub (Amazon)

We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen (Amazon) 39:38
For All Mankind on Apple TV

All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Amazon)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Amazon)

The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam (Amazon) - 43:08
The Circle by Dave Eggers (Amazon)
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood (Amazon)

August:

All’s Well by Mona Awad (Amazon) - 47:00If We Were Villains by M. Rios (Amazon)

The Turnout by Megan Abbott (Amazon) - 50:00
Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet from Itself by Chloe Angyl (Amazon)

In The Country of Others by Leila Slimani (Amazon) - 54:50The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani (Amazon)
Tangerine by Christine Mangan (Amazon)
This Lovely City by Louise Hare (Amazon)

The King of Infinite Space by Lyndsay Faye (Amazon) - 57:17Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (Amazon)
The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig (Amazon)

Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (Amazon)

The Guide by Peter Heller (Amazon) - 60:01The River by Peter Heller (Amazon)

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke (Amazon)

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Every quarter, we stop to reflect on our reading lives and share a few of our favorite reads. Today, we’re looking back at books from our spring reading season, from palate-cleansing pageturners to nuanced nonfiction. We’d love to hear what you read this spring! Let us know at @novelpairingspod on Instagram.

For bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan (Amazon) - 5:00

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (Amazon) - 8:38

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer (Amazon) - 14:30

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (Amazon) - 15:09

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton (Amazon) - 18:25

Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salasses (Amazon) - 22:10

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (Amazon) - 27:10

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann (Amazon) - 30:45

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Amazon) - 34:00

Disfigured on Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc (Amazon) - 36:00

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Amazon) - 39:55

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Amazon) - 44:50

Summer lineup - 49:22

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Today Chelsey and Sara discuss The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. This classic Cinderella story follows Valancy Stirling as she receives life-changing news that shakes up her whole world and leads her to happiness. Her coming-of-age story includes a few highly discussable plot points that we couldn’t help but spoil, so if you haven’t read the book, scroll down to get a timestamp to avoid spoilers. As always, we’re recommending contemporary pairings for our classic, including a whip-smart rom-com and a dreamy fantasy novel.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Spoilers start here: [29:15]

And our Pairings start here: [35:52]

Books mentioned (affiliate links):

Chelsey

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (Amazon)
Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan
Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living by Karen Auvinen (Amazon)

Sara

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (Amazon)
The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson (Amazon)
Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Want to buy an island in Canada?

The History Chicks: Lucy Maud Montgomery episode

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Today Chelsey and Sara share a few of their favorite coming of age novels featuring characters past adolescence. If you’re looking for your next book club pick, this TBR toppler is full of highly discussable women’s fiction and literary fiction to choose from. We can’t wait to hear what you pick up after listening!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned (affiliate links):

The Mothers by Brit Bennett (Amazon)

Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)

A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan (Amazon)

The Switch by Beth O’Leary (Amazon)

All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Massad (Amazon)

Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams (Amazon)

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat (Amazon)

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Amazon)

All Adults Here by Emma Straub (Amazon)

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)

You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac (Amazon)

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon)

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (Amazon)

Circe by Madeline Miller (Amazon)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. We kept this conversation spoiler-free, so choose your own adventure: listen before, during, or after reading this historical fiction classic. As always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our main classic, including an under-the-radar memoir in translation and an upcoming family story about sisters and secrets.

For access to our next nerdy class and bonus episodes every Friday, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [37:00]

These links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Novel Pairings will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Chelsey

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (Amazon)
Days in the Caucasus by Banine (Amazon)
Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepytys (Amazon)

Sara

Dominicana by Angie Cruz (Amazon)
The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargos Llosa (Amazon)
One Two Three by Laurie Frankel, out June 8 (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Amazon)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (Amazon)

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Amazon)

Pick of the week: Mark your calendars for Elizabeth Acevedo’s next novel.

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Today Chelsey and Sara explore speculative fiction and sci-fi in anotherTBR toppling episode. We’re not big sci-fi readers, but we have a bunch of grounded, page-turning books to recommend today. Even if you’re not an avid speculative fiction reader, we think you’ll find at least one book to interest you among these titles.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Amazon)
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (Amazon)
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Amazon)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Amazon)
Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole (Amazon)
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (Amazon)
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (Amazon)
The Martian by Andy Weir (Amazon)
The Resisters by Gish Jen (Amazon)
In the Quick by Kate Hope Day (Amazon)
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (Amazon)
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (Amazon)
Watchmen by Alan M. Moore (Amazon)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Amazon)
Recursion by Blake Crouch (Amazon)
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Amazon)
Destroyer by Victor LaValle (Amazon)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. We take some conversational bunny trails to explore our high school reading experiences, our relationships with science fiction, and our philosophical ponderings inspired by Billy Pilgrim’s story. As usual, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with Vonnegut’s most famous work, including anti-war satire and sci-fi short stories.

For access to our recent class on literary theory and bonus episodes every Friday, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [28:45]

These links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Novel Pairings will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Chelsey

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Amazon)
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (Amazon)
Regeneration by Pat Barker (Amazon)

Sara

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (Amazon)
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Amazon)
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson (Amazon)
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Postmodern literature

Arrival

The Writer's Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-Five by Tom Roston

The Ezra Klein Show: Why Sci-fi Legend Ted Chiang Fears Capitalism, Not A.I.

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Today in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are discussing “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler. This post-pandemic story about the importance of language and communication feels incredibly prescient and relevant, like all of Butler’s work. “Speech Sounds” is a highly discussable, quick read. We’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

Join our Patreon community for an extended Short Story Club discussion on Discord.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

These links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Novel Pairings will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Speak by Laurie Hals Anderson (Amazon)

Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

Vox by Christina Dalcher (Amazon)

Severance by Ling Ma (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Why Octavia Butler’s novels feel so relevant today

Sara: Blindness by José Saramago

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. We both loved this evocative, ground-breaking classic and couldn’t wait to dig into its setting, themes, and stunning writing. As usual, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with Baldwin’s classic, including poignant YA novels, memoir, and essays.

For access to our upcoming class on literary theory and a book club style discussion of Baldwin’s novel later this month, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Find trigger warnings for each book mentioned today on our blog: novelpairings.com

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [31:00]

Chelsey

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (Amazon)
How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones (Amazon)
James Baldwin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations (Amazon)

Sara

Real Life by Brandon Taylor (Amazon)
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (Amazon)
Here for It, or How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (Amazon)

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (Amazon)

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Paris Blues (1961)

Sara: I Am Not Your Negro

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We couldn’t close our immersive Pride and Prejudice experience without sharing a bunch of book recommendations for readers who want to stay with Elizabeth and Darcy awhile longer. Today, Chelsey and Sara share their favorite and least favorite Pride and Prejudice pastiche, sequels, adaptations, and retellings.

For more Austen nerdiness, including a class on Jane Austen and a bonus episode on Regency customs, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Sequels, Pastiche, and Alternate Perspectives

The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going (Amazon)

Longbourn by Jo Baker (Amazon)

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (Amazon)

The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley (Amazon)

The Heiress by Molly Greeley (Amazon)

First Impressions by Charlie Lovett (Amazon)

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (Amazon)

Cozy Classics (Amazon)

Babylit Counting (Amazon)

Retellings

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Amazon)

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (Amazon)

Heartstone by Elle K. White (Amazon)

Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (Amazon)

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev (Amazon)

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal (Amazon)

Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding (Amazon)

Unequal Affections by Laura S. Ormiston (Amazon)

Also mentioned

Why are so many romance novels set in the Regency period?

Regency romance recommendations

And a few more Regency romances

Death Comes to Pemberley TV adaptation

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In today’s episode, Chelsey and Sara discuss Part Two of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and share their contemporary pairings for romantic and insightful books that feature similar themes. We talk about the sweeping drama, swoony moments, and satisfying ending of the second half of Lizzie and Darcy’s love story, with plenty of nerdy asides. This episode covers Chapters 35-61 or Volume II, Chapter 12 - Volume III.

For more Austen nerdiness, including a class on Jane Austen and a bonus episode on Regency customs, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [49:35]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Chelsey’s Pairings

The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going (Amazon)

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (Amazon)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal (Amazon)

Red , White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Amazon)

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (Amazon)

Sara's pick of the week: Austenland

Chelsey's pick of the week: Austen ASMR room

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We’re back with another TBR toppling episode! Today, Chelsey and Sara pair brand new and upcoming spring book releases with backlist titles that share similar themes, plotlines, or settings. We haven’t read all of these new releases, so our pairings are based on speculation and best guesses. If you pick up any of the books we mention today, we’d love to hear about it!

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Check out our show notes to see every title in this episode on our blog.

For more literary content, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

These links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Novel Pairings will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Out in March

3/2/2021

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (Amazon)

Fiebre Tropical by Juliana Delgado Lopero (Amazon)

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster (Amazon)

Nice White Parents podcast

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet (Amazon)

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset (Amazon)

3/9/2021

Brood by Jackie Polzin (Amazon)

My Antonia by Willa Cather (Amazon)

Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unswerth (Amazon)

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chonda Prescod-Weinstein (Amazon)

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Amazon)

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Amazon)

The Salt Fields by Stacy D. Flood (Amazon)

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (Amazon)

Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Amazon)

3/16/2021

That Way Madness Lies by Dahlia Adler (Amazon)

His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler (Amazon)

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (Amazon)

The Radical Element by Jessica Spotswood (Amazon)

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell (Amazon)

Because You Love to Hate Me by Amerie (Amazon)

Lolita in the Afterlife by Jenny Minton Quigley (Amazon)

Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov (Amazon)

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Amazon)

Excavation by Wendy C. Oriz (Amazon)

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (Amazon)

Living with Shakespeare by Susannah Carson (Amazon)

3/23/2021

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura (Amazon)

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (Amazon)

3/30/2021

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge (Amazon)

Everything Inside by Edwinge Danticat (Amazon)

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce (Amazon)

Let Us Dream by Alyssa Cole (Amazon)

Libro.fm Reads

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Culture Warlords by Talia Lavin

Here for It by R. Eric Thomas

Out in April

4/6/2021

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon)

Snowpiercer by Jaques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette (Amazon)

Stream Snowpiercer or Parasite

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian (Amazon)

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (Amazon)

4/8/2021

Hamlet by Gillian Flynn

Anything in the Hogarth Shakespeare project

4/13/2021

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (Amazon)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Amazon)

4/27/2021

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Salfe (Amazon)

Ellen @reading_theend

Life After Life by Kate Atkinison (Amazon)

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore (Amazon)

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab (Amazon)

Out in May

5/4/2021

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (Amazon)

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (Amazon)

Maintenance Phase podcast

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (Amazon)

Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead (Amazon)

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead (Amazon)

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (Amazon)

Amelia Earhart by Doris Rich (Amazon)

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (Amazon)

Beloved by Toni Morrison (Amazon)

Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (Amazon)

5/25/2021

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams (Amazon)

The Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright (Amazon)

The Guncle by Steven Rawley (Amazon)

Be Frank With Me by Julia Claybourn Johnson (Amazon)

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (Amazon)

Out in June

6/1/2021

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Amazon)

Passing by Nella Larsen (Amazon)

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell (Amazon)

Luster by Raven Leilani (Amazon)

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In today’s episode, Chelsey and Sara discuss Part One of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, including fond memories of reading the book and in-depth character analysis. (Plus plenty of gushing about Darcy and Elizabeth and MORE). We’d love for you to read along with us this month! Part One covers Chapters 1-34 or Volume I-Volume II, Chapter 11. You can listen to this episode before reading to guide you through Part One or after reading to feel like you’re in book club!

For more Austen nerdiness, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, annotated and edited by David Shapard

Teacher Scholarships for Oxford Summer Program: https://www.esuus.org/esu/programs/study_abroad_for_teachers/programs_1/oxforduniv/

Learn a Regency dance:

https://youtu.be/YaHoNnedp1g

Sparknotes Character Analysis:

https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/pride/characters/

The Proposal Scenes:

https://youtu.be/h-CJ2CioJVc

https://youtu.be/tWx7AF8B0R8

https://youtu.be/yBqyLoWtYg8

https://youtu.be/IGr8QbWY19s

Picks of the week:

The Jane Austen Guide to Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Kantor

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on Youtube

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We’re sharing our top five tips for reading Jane Austen’s novels with you, whether you’re a frequent re-reader or new to her work. Today’s episode is meant to help you get the most out of any Austen novel, but we hope you’ll read Pride and Prejudice with us this month! To celebrate one year of podcasting and the launch of our new Patreon community, we’re enjoying all things Austen for the whole month of March with discussion episodes and a bunch of bonus content (available for our Classics Club members on Patreon). To sign up, go to patreon.com/novelpairings and listen in to hear about our plans for the Classics Club this month.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info and connect with us on Instagram or Twitter.

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

March 9th Episode: Part One (we’ll discuss Chapter 1-34 or Volume I-Volume II, Chapter 11)

March 23rd Episode: Part Two (we’ll discuss the rest of the book and share our pairings)

1. Listen to the audiobook

Amazon: Rosamund Pike

Libro.fm: Kate Redding, Emilia Fox, Elizabeth Klett and Karen Savage

2. Research some Regency customs

Sparknotes context

Historical context

The Georgian Era

(and more in our upcoming Patreon class!)

3. Investigate Jane Austen’s writing style

Free indirect discourse

Austen’s voice

Austen Said

Irony and Elizabeth Bennett

4. Use Sparknotes, LitCharts, or Schmoop

5. Watch a film adaptation

Our favorite: 1995 BBC series on Hulu

Most popular: 2005 film on Peacock or Amazon Prime

Throwback: 1980 film on Amazon Prime

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Today, Chelsey and Sara share some stand-out titles they read over the winter season, including amazing audiobooks, short story collections, and page-turning romance. These quarterly wrap-ups include reflections on our winter season, previews of what’s coming up, and a bunch of book recommendations. We can’t wait to hear what you think of our favorites from the quarter.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Chelsey:

Whiteout by Adriana Anders (Amazon)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (Amazon)

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (Amazon)

The Toni Morrison Book Club (Amazon)

Wintering by Katherine May (Amazon)

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Amazon)

Sara:

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland (Amazon)

On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee (Amazon)

Anna K by Jenny Lee (Amazon)

Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain (Amazon)

Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong (Amazon)

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

The Head on HBO Max

Deesha Philyaw on The Stacks Podcast

Spring lineup:

March 9th & 23rd: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

April 6th: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

April 20th: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

May 4th: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

May 18th: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. This collection of twisted, Gothic fairytales is perfect for fans of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, or Edgar Allan Poe. We’re keeping this episode spoiler-free, though we do discuss specific aspects of several stories. We loved connecting this collection across literary movements, explaining the heroine’s journey, and (as always) recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including short story and poetry collections.

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Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [35:15]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Books mentioned:

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (Amazon)

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier (Amazon)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Amazon)

Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories (Amazon)

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Amazon)

50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Amazon)

The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairytales by Sheldon Cashdan (Amazon)

Chelsey’s Pairings

Burning Girls and Other Stories by Victoria Schanoes (Amazon)

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (Amazon)

A Universe of Wishes, ed. by Dhonielle Clayton (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings

Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link (Amazon)

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (Amazon)

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Promising Young Woman (19.99 on Amazon Prime) & Wolfwalkers (Apple TV)

Sara: The Witch Must Die: The Hidden Meaning of Fairytales & Singing Bones Podcast

Also mentioned:

Gail Carriger’s Heroine’s Journey

Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey

More heroine’s journey resources

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Today, Sara and Chelsey topple your TBR lists with fairytale retellings for every type of reader. They reminisce about the book that sparked their love of retellings and discuss why fairytales are still so appealing to adult readers.

You can find titles and links for every book mentioned in this episode at novelpairings.com.

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Books mentioned:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Amazon)

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (Amazon)

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (Amazon)

The Princess Test by Gail Carson Levine (Amazon)

Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (Amazon)

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Amazon)

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Amazon)

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (Amazon)

Austenland by Shannon Hale (Amazon)

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer (Amazon)

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (Amazon)

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (Amazon)

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly (Amazon)

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (Amazon)

Thorn by Intisar Khanani (Amazon)

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig (Amazon)

The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (Amazon)

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory McGuire (Amazon)

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Amazon)

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon)

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia (Amazon)

The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Mallory Ortberg (Amazon)

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me by Kate Bernheimer (Amazon)

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn (Amazon)

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (Amazon)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Amazon)

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

SSR Podcast Episode 12: Ella Enchanted

Gail Carriger’s Heroine’s Journey

Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey

More heroine’s journey resources

Up next:

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset. We loved this Austen-like Harlem Renaissance novel, and we kept this episode spoiler free in the hopes that it’ll encourage you to pick it up! Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, with a mix of historical fiction and satire.

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Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [33:15]

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Books mentioned:

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset (Amazon)

Passing by Nella Larsen (Amazon) [30:39]

Chelsey’s Pairings

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Amazon) [36:06]

This Lovely City by Louise Hare (Amazon) [42:23]

Becoming by Michelle Obama (Amazon) [49:18]

Sara’s Pairings

On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Amazon) [33:33]

No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts (Amazon) [39:35]

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (Amazon) [45:52]

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: How WWI Sparked and Artistic Movement that Transformed Black America [53:30]

Sara: New Yorker article on Fauset (by Morgan Jerkins) [52:09] and Women of the Harlem Renaissance by Cheryl A. Wall [52:40]

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Readers, today’s episode is inspired by Helene Hanff’s love of books, nonfiction, and observation. We’re sharing a bunch of nonfiction books about books, reading, and readers. Some of these are longtime favorites and others are on our endless TBR lists. This episode is extra nerdy, a little nostalgic, and supremely bookish. We hope you find a title to add to your TBR today.

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Nonfiction loveletters to books

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (Amazon)

Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (Amazon)

Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani (Amazon)

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (Amazon)

I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel (Amazon)

The Possessed by Elif Batuman (Amazon)

Well Read Black Girl edited by Glory Edim (Amazon)

The Dark Fantastic by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (Amazon)

Bezi @beingabookwyrm

The Library Book by Susan Orlean (Amazon)

Susan Orlean on Twitter

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Amazon)

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (Amazon)

Bibliophile by Jane Mount (Amazon)

Diverse Spines by Jamise Harper and Jane Mount (forthcoming)

The Toni Morrison Book Club by Juda Bennett, Winnifred Brown-Glaude, Cassandra Jackson, Piper Kendrix Williams (Amazon)

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Anne Boyd Rioux (Amazon)

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland (Amazon)

Books Promiscuously Read: Reading as a Way of Life by Heather Cass White (Amazon)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff, the ultimate comfort read for bibliophiles. Chelsey can’t believe she hadn’t read it sooner, and Sara revels in her rereading experience. We cover everything from the epistolary form to Helene’s unique reading habits to the satisfaction of a bittersweet ending. Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, with a mix of charming memoir and plucky historical fiction.

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Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [30:05]

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Chelsey’s Pairings:

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life by Annie Spence (Amazon)

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce (Amazon)

Dinner with Edward: An Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (Amazon)

Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread by Michiko Kakutani (Amazon)

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

The Repair Shop (Netflix)

The Crown (Netflix)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are ready to topple your TBRs with highly anticipated winter releases and backlist books. Our goal is to hype up the buzzy new books and under-the-radar releases while offering pairings that are easier to get at the library (or more affordable in paperback). There are a TON of titles mentioned in today’s episode, so be sure to visit our show notes at novelpairings.com to find full lists of every book we talked about.

Find show notes HERE.

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Books mentioned (affiliate links):

January 5

The Push by Ashley Audrain (Amazon)

Long Bright River by Liz Moore (Amazon)

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (Amazon)

Members Only by Sameer Pandya (Amazon)

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant (Amazon)

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (Amazon)

Outlawed by Anna North (Amazon)

True Grit by Charles Portis (Amazon)

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry (Amazon)

January 12

The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell (Amazon)

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (Amazon)

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Amazon)

The Captive by Fiona King Foster (Amazon)

Scribe by Alyson Hagy (Amazon)

January 19

The Divines by Ellie Eaton (Amazon)

The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams (Amazon)

The Girls by Emma Cline (Amazon)

January 26

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (Amazon)

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (Amazon)

Troy by Adele Geras (Amazon)

February 2

The Removed by Brandon Hobson (Amazon)

Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson (Amazon)

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

My Year Abroad by Chang Rae-Lee (Amazon)

The Idiot by Elif Batuman (Amazon)

February 9

A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett (Amazon)

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (Amazon)

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite (Amazon)

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh (Amazon)

February 16

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (Amazon)

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Amazon)

March 2

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan (Amazon)

March 9

Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology by Jess Zimmerman (Amazon)

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (Amazon)

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset (Amazon)

Anna K by Jenny Lee (Amazon)

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Today in Short Story Club, Chelsey and Sara are discussing “The Hunter’s Wife” by Anthony Doerr. This wintry, atmospheric story is absolutely absorbing and highly discussable. We talk about the beautiful writing, the unique structure, and some problematic aspects of the characters and plot. We do discuss spoilers in our Short Story Club episodes; you can find a copy of the story to read online from The Atlantic to join in and read before listening. Plus, as always, we’re recommending a few pairings that fit the atmosphere, themes, and setting of today’s short story.

The short story: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/05/the-hunters-wife/302198/

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Books Mentioned:

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (Amazon)

How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams (Amazon)

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne (Amazon)

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May (Amazon)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Amazon)

Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr (Amazon)

My Antonia by Willa Cather (Amazon)

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Chelsey’s Pairings:

A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter (Amazon)

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (Amazon)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

Devotions by Mary Oliver (Amazon)

The Bear by Andrew Krivak (Amazon)

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. This collection of essays, speeches, and other writings is highly discussable and totally re-readable. We loved diving into this seminal Black Feminist text, though our conversation today barely scratches the surface of all there is to learn from Lorde’s ideas, language, and poetry.

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a beautiful novel in verse and one of Chelsey’s recent favorite YA reads.

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Books Mentioned:

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall (Amazon)

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (Amazon)

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (Amazon)

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [32:42]

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Chelsey’s Pairings:

How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor (Amazon)

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (Amazon)

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (Amazon)

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Amazon)

Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Episode 359: The Lady Gang & Traci Thomas discuss White Fragility Part 1

Episode 116: Part 2 on The Stacks

Anti-racism Daily

#DisruptTexts

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Instead of the “best books of the year” or our “favorite reads from 2020,” we’re sharing 12 bookish superlatives to highlight some underrated gems, popular favorites, academic reads, and more. Whether you love dark and moody literary fiction or genre-bending contemporary stories, we hope you find a new title to add to your TBR list today.

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View all of our recs and shop our links on the blog.

Books mentioned (affiliate links):

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry (Amazon)

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn (Amazon)

Beach Read by Emily Henry (Amazon)

Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony (Amazon)

Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer (Amazon)

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat (Amazon)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (Amazon)

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (Amazon)

Little Weirds by Jenny Slate (Amazon)

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (Amazon)

Beloved by Toni Morrison (Amazon)

On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Amazon)

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Amazon)

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (Amazon)

Lovely War by Julie Berry (Amazon)

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Amazon)

A Castle in the Clouds by Kerstin Gier (Amazon)

The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda (Amazon)

Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)

Sisters by Daisy Johnson (Amazon)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (Amazon)

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (Amazon)

Emma by Jane Austen (Amazon)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. We share what we admire about Alcott and her iconic children’s classic, as well as the reasons why it doesn’t hold a fond place in our readerly hearts. We know that many readers adore this sisterly, warm-hearted book, so we’ve backed up our opinions with extra-nerdy analysis.

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including books about the writing life and one of Sara’s favorite moody books from this year.

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Books Mentioned:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Amazon)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Amazon)

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux (Amazon)

So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan (Amazon)

March by Geraldine Brooks (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Episode 40 with Annie B. Jones

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [36:14]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Chelsey’s Pairings:

More to the Story by Hena Khan (Amazon)
Most Likely by Sarah Watson (Amazon)
Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez (Amazon)
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas (Amazon)
The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams (Amazon)

Extra Picks:

Home Cooking Podcast

Why the British Tell Better Children’s Stories

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Today, Chelsey and Sara talk about their favorite books from childhood, Little Women fashion, and family stories to read this winter with Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville and host of the bookish podcast From The Front Porch. There’s lots of nostalgia, laughter, and book talk in this episode, plus tips for helping your favorite local bookstores thrive during trying times. Note: this episode includes some spoilers for Little Women.

A special treat: Right now, listeners of Novel Pairings can get 10% off their purchase of a shelf subscription with the code NOVELIDEA2020. This 10% off code applies to shelf subscriptions only, and it lasts through January 31, 2021.

Support our podcast AND Annie’s beautiful bookstore by using our affiliate link to get a Librofm subscription and selection The Bookshelf as your bookstore. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription for yourself or purchase a gift.

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Find show notes on our blog.

Follow Annie on Instagram, follow The Bookshelf on Instagram, and find From the Front Porch wherever you download your podcasts.

Books mentioned:

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

The Baby-Sitters Club Box

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Franny & Zoey by J.D. Salinger

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konig

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani

HRH by Elizabeth Holmes

Passing by Nella Larsen

Emma by Jane Austen

Also mentioned:

“The Baby-Sitters Club Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know About Literary Fiction”

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing My Antonia by Willa Cather with a special guest: Michelle Timmins, English literature student and Novel Pairings assistant extraordinaire. There’s plenty to discuss in this wintry classic, including stunning imagery, surprising connections to an American Girl Doll, and where Cather’s novel fits into the American literary canon. Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a Western, an arctic memoir, and a nonfiction book about grief.

Books Mentioned:

My Antonia by Willa Cather (Amazon)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (Amazon)

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (Amazon)

Also mentioned: Deconstruction Theory

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Michelle’s Pairings:

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang (Amazon)
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa (Amazon)
Wintering by Katherine May (Amazon)

Chelsey’s Pairings:

A Woman in the Polar Night by Christiane Ritter (Amazon)
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee (Amazon)

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Have we mentioned how much we love audiobooks? We’ve both been avid listeners for a long time, but between pandemic life and Sara’s Aspen Words reading, this has been a banner year for audiobooks. Today, we’re each sharing twelve of our favorite listening experiences. With a mix of literary fiction, romance, nonfiction, and YA, today’s episode has an audiobook recommendation for every reader.

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View all of our recs and shop our links on the blog.

Chelsey's Favorites:

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

The Switch by Beth O’Leary // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Here for It: Or How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas. // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Sara's Favorites:

The City We Became by NK Jemison // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Members Only by Sameer Pandya // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Stamped The Remix by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Intimations by Zadie Smith // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit // Amazon // Bookshop

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Black Sunday by Tola Rotimi Abraham // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Annaparra // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

The Remains of the Day // Amazon // Bookshop // Libro.fm

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Today, we reflect on our favorite reads from the last three months. These quarterly reflections might be our favorite episodes to record. It’s lovely to take time to consider our favorite episodes, our favorite reads, and what we’ve learned over the course of the season. We’re sharing a bunch of book recommendations in this episode; shop our recs here.

Visit our podcast pals Heaving Bosoms!

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Books mentioned:

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Luster by Raven Leilani

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell

Like Lovers Do by Tracey Livesay

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Intimations by Zadie Smith

Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

The Next Great Jane by K.L Going

The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

She Come by It Natural by Sarah Smarsh

All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Masad

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole

The Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafa

Winter lineup:

December

My Antonia by Willa Cather

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

January

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

February

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

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Today, Traci Thomas of The Stacks podcast joins Chelsey and Sara to discuss The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm, X, as told by Alex Haley. We loved diving into this iconic nonfiction classic with our favorite nonfiction expert, and we’re so excited to share this conversation with you.

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Shop Traci’s book recs

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Our discussion includes:

What makes this a “life-changing” book?
Does The Autobiography of Malcolm X belong in the classroom?
Which parts of the book ring especially true today
Brilliant storytelling and an incredible use of rhetoric

Plus, as always, we’re recommending a bunch of contemporary pairings to read along with this classic.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x

Traci’s Pairings:

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
The Dead are Arising by Malcolm X by Les Payne, Tamara Payne
Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Men We Reaped: A Memoir by Jesmyn Ward
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. by Peniel E. Joseph
Stokely: A Life by Peniel E. Joseph
Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson

Sara’s Pairings:

Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo by Zora Neale Hurston
Pale by Edward A. Farmer

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
X: A Novel by Ilyasha Shabazz and Kekla Magoon
How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones

Also mentioned:

The Stacks Ep. 60 Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Stacks Ep. 135 The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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It's holiday shopping season! Today we're pairing giftable books with fun items for readers with varied tastes. Build your holiday shopping list or your personal TBR with gift ideas for Austenites, fantasy readers, history buffs, and more.

Find every title and gift item we mentioned on our gift guide blog post.

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. We’re sipping some red wine while we talk about this classic locked-room mystery and pair it with some atmospheric, page-turning reads. We discuss Christie’s legacy in the mystery world (and her impact on literature in general), what we look for in the mystery genre, and that wild ending.

Our discussion includes:

How Christie’s novels have shaped today’s literary landscape, perhaps more than any other classics [17:18]
The appeal of locked room mysteries [23:00]
Spoiler alert: the twisty ending [26:42]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a Japanese mystery in translation and a Christie-inspired campus novel.

We do discuss some spoilers in this episode, but we’ll give you fair warning.

Books Mentioned:

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-and-then-there-were-none

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Guest List by Lucy Foley [38:50]
The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji [46:45]
- Honkaku murder mysteries
The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda [55:25]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Truants by Kate Weinberg [42:08]
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty [51:18]
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton [1:00:48]

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jane Ashford

When Agatha Christie Vanished
Drunk History Agatha Christie

Sara: Clue

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Readers, today we have a special treat, a bonus episode! We watched the new Rebecca adaptation on Netflix, and we have OPINIONS. We’re talking about how we feel about DuMaurier’s original, what we loved about the movie, what we hated, which spooky and suspenseful movies we’re excited to watch this Halloween weekend, and what we’re currently reading. Did you watch the new movie? What did you think?

P.S. We discuss the movie in depth, so spoilers abound!

Tell us on Instagram or Twitter.

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Support our show AND independent bookstores. Use our Libro.fm affiliate link to get an audiobook subscription for yourself or as a gift.

Watch Hitchcock’s Academy Award winning adaptation here.

“Lily James Looks Like an American Girl Doll in Rebecca”

Lily James stars in The Pursuit of Love

Books mentioned:

Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier

The Winters by Lisa Gabriele

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell

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Today we are thrilled to welcome Courtney Wallace, also known as The Incessant Bookworm on her blog, Youtube, and Instagram account where she shares what she’s reading, tips for the reading life, and reading challenges. We’re chatting with Courtney about her back to school reading challenge, how reading challenges influence her reading life, AND we’re pairing our favorite fall activities with a bunch of book recommendations.

Courtney’s back to school reading challenge // Anne of Green Gables read-a-long // and read around the world challenge.

Connect with Courtney:

@incessantbookworm
On Youtube
On her blog

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Ulysses by James Joyce

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

A Brush with Death by Ali Carter

Harlem Shadows by Claude McKay

We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union

While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Jackaby by William Ritter

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Inferno by Dan Brown

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

A Taste of Sage by Yaffa S. Santos

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

October Sky by Homer Hickam

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

How Much of These Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

The River by Peter Heller

An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good by Helene Tursten

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister

The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert

Fall-themed ASMR Channels

Autumn Cozy

Autumn Ambiance Playlist

Calmed By Nature

Cafe Ambiance

Fall Ambiance

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We admit to some bad English major habits in this episode, and we get super nerdy with a discussion on Gothic novels and the Romantic literary movement, modern horror, and the history behind Mary Shelley’s iconic monster. We also make some surprising modern connections across science, ethics, and social media. If you’re in the mood for eerie, spooky, and not-too-scary reads this month, get ready to take note of our pairings in this episode.

Our discussion includes:

Sara’s experience with teaching Frankenstein in the high school classroom [8:20]
The stranger-than-fiction true story behind the novel [10:30]
Defining “Gothic novels,” historical and contemporary [20:05]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including graphic novels and absorbing nonfiction.

Shop our pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-frankenstein

What to read or skip in Frankenstein:

Victor thinking about creating his creature
Creating the monster
Monster talking to Victor
Skip all of the wandering around the countryside

Shop the pairings:

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Millicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara [43:30]
- WSIRN Episode w/Mallory
Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Granddaughter by Brea Grant & Yishan Li [50:40]
The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey [58:20]

Sara’s Pairings:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro [40:02]
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood [46:45]
Destroyer by Victor LaValle, illustrated by Dietrich Smith [53:51]

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: Penny Dreadful on Showtime/Netflix

Sara: Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge

Illustrations: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626725003

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing “Horror Story” by Carmen Maria Machado for this season’s installment of Short Story Club. Each quarter, we choose a short story that’s widely available and discuss its genre, themes, and important moments before recommending books to pair with it. For spooky season, we decided to go with a fresh, new voice we both love. This super short “micro story” felt like the right balance of spookiness for two readers who don’t love horror. Of course, we end up taking a bit of a deep dive into the horror genre anyway. If you read the story and join us for this mini book club, please let us know what you think of the story!

Our discussion includes:

Machado’s striking imagery and sparse prose
What does the horror genre do? Why is it popular?
Gaslighting in horror stories
Deeper themes and metaphors

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six pairings, including a modern gothic novel and a few scary short story collections.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-horror-story

Books mentioned:

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Shop the pairings:

Chelsey’s Pairings:

His Hideous Heart ed. by Dahlia Adler [32:47]
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez [39:18]
Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft ed. by Jessica Spotswood [45:05]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Bright Lands by John Fram [30:17]
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole [35:18]
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia [41:22]

Also mentioned:

Gaslight (1944)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are kicking off the spooky season by discussing The Crucible by Arthur Miller—a play about the infamous Salem witch trials. We get pretty nerdy in this episode. Full of drama, history, and high school English class nostalgia, this play was so much fun to talk about! Chelsey shares details from her immersive high school reading experience, Sara shares memories of teaching the book (and the movie), and we share absorbing reads to pair with the themes, history, and tone of the play. Plus, we discuss implications and complexities for discussing and teaching this play during the Me Too era.

Our discussion includes:

How the play conveys (or villainizes) feminine power and gender roles [9:20]
Complicated feelings about Abigail Williams & John Proctor [14:00]
What IS a crucible? [20:21]
Speculating why there are lots of witchy books on the publishing calendar right now [29:45]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a comedic novel set in the 1980’s and a murder mystery set on the Plymouth Plantation.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/witchy-novel-pairings-for-the-crucible

Chelsey’s Pairings:

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry [35:45]
- Interview w/Barry
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson [44:45]
I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde [49:57]

Sara’s Pairings:

Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit [41:15]
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell [47:02]
A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan [52:02]

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: You Must Remember This Episode 14 Arthur Miller, “After the Fall”

Sara: The Unobscured Podcast

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Today Chelsey and Sara are toppling your TBRs with campus novels. We know this back to school season is weird for students, teachers, parents, and the rest of us as we navigate new seasons during a pandemic. So let’s go back to school safely with books that take place at school, that revolve around learning or academia, and that give us the new school supplies, crisp fall leaves, sharpened pencils feeling.

We have so many books on this list...all sorts of tones and types! Don’t worry about writing everything down; we have links to all of the books mentioned in our show notes. It’s very possible we won’t get through all of the books we want to on this episode, but we’ll have an even more complete list of campus novels on our new blog: novelpairings.com.

Shop our Campus Novels list on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/campus-novels-83ca9b6c-710c-436f-a0cb-af159a5ac6b7

Use our referral code to get TWO audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Classics

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Possession by AS Byatt

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Mysteries

If We Were Villains by M.L Rio

Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Likeness by Tana French

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Young Adult

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart (@allisonreadsdc)

We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Bloomability by Sharon Creech (@anniebjones05, The Bookshelf)

Dear Martin & Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

Magic Campuses

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Campus Romances

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

Normal People by Sally Rooney

My Education by Susan Choi

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Miscellaneous

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, which we selected for our back-to-school season as “a book we wish we read in high school.” Love Medicine is a novel made up of interconnected stories that span generations of two families: the Kashpaws and the Lamartines. The stories deal with small family dramas, and huge ones, depicting characters’ past romances and relationships as these families interact over decades. There’s drama, humor, spirituality, and history in between the pages, and we have six incredible books to pair with Erdich’s masterpiece.

Shop our Backlist Recs on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/anticipated-fall-reads-2020-backlist-pairings

Use our referral code to get TWO audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

(We’re currently listening to: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi and The Pull of the Stars, Barn 8, and Migrations).

Our discussion includes:

Floating on the beauty of Edrich’s language and enjoying a little bit of disorientation [13:40]
Erdrich’s dark, sarcastic humor [18:03]
The biggest thematic question in Love Medicine and other important themes [23:25]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a brand new YA release and a well-loved favorite.

This episode is spoiler free and well-suited to listening before, during, or after you read Love Medicine.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-love-medicine

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Break by Katherena Vermette [38:00]
Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings by Joy Harjo [44:37]
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi [51:30]

Sara’s Pairings:

Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford [41:05]
Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine [48:30]
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kemmerer [55:08]

Other books mentioned:

LaRose by Louise Erdrich

The Nightwatchman by Louise Erdrich

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga

Sara: This Land Podcast

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Today Chelsey and Sara are back to topple your TBRs with highly anticipated fall releases and backlist books. We know hardback books are pricey and library waitlists for the hottest new releases are long, so we’re going to be pairing the books we’re most excited to read this fall with older books that are easier to get your hands on. There are about 60 titles mentioned in today’s episode, so be sure to visit our show notes at novelpairings.com or our shop at Bookshop.org to find full lists of every book we talked about.

Shop our Backlist Recs on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/anticipated-fall-reads-2020-backlist-pairings

Use our referral code to get TWO audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Books mentioned:

Luster by Raven Leilani (9/1)

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (9/1)

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Daddy by Emma Cline (9/1)

The Girls by Emma Cline

Florida by Lauren Groff

Sabrina & Corina by Kali Farjado-Anstine

Lot by Bryan Washington

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman (9/1)

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (9/1)

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

13th on Netflix

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

When They See Us on Netflix

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (9/1)

Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivers (9/1)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

Episode 18 The Odyssey

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (9/1)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Jack by Marilynne Robinson (9/15)

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

New Gilead covers

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (9/15)

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (9/29)

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo (9/29)

The Best Worst Man by Mia Sosa

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (10/6)

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab (10/6)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Dolly Parton’s America

She Come by It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh (10/13)

Natural Acts: Gender, Race, and Rusticity in Country Music by Pamela Fox

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (10/20)

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

Jane in Love by Rachel Givney (10/27)

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Cobble Hill by Cecily Von Ziegesar (10/20)

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

I Wanna Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom (11/17)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We both read this in high school, had mixed feelings, came back to the text later, and still have mixed feelings! Plus some pretty strong opinions about Gatsby himself, Fitzgerald’s writing style, the prominence of this text in pop culture and in the classroom, and the narratives we repeat in American history class. We had a lot of fun recording this episode, and we can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts on Gatsby.

Our discussion includes:

What we thought of this book in high school versus what we think now
Whether or not Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship is romantic
Why this is such an enduring classic text
Why Sara hates the Baz Luhrman film version with the fire of a thousand suns
And...is this the Great American Novel?

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a Jazz Age novella and plenty of literary fiction.

We do discuss some spoilers in this episode, but as with all of our episodes, we still think that readers can enhance their experience by listening before, during, or after the reading experience.

Books Mentioned:

So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan

Passing by Nella Larsen

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-the-great-gatsby

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Let Us Dream by Alyssa Cole [48:30]
The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavincencio [56:33]
- OWN voices reviews: @lupita.reads & @booksteahenny
The Diviners by Libba Bray [1:04:36]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell [44:50]
The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero [53:05]
Severance by Ling Ma [59:25]

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton

Sara: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, Ep. 245 of What Should I Read Next

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We love to take time to reflect here at Novel Pairings. Each season, we stop and consider our favorite episodes, our favorite reads, and what we’ve learned. Today we’re sharing some personal updates, gushing about our favorite reads of the summer, and giving listeners a peek at what’s to come in the fall.

Shop our Quarterly Favorites on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/quarterly-favorites-spring-2020/

Use our referral code to get two audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Books we both read:

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo [14:03]

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [16:45]

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham [18:24]

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavincencio [21:27]

Chelsey:

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert [29:17]

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin [36:15]

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry [40:52]

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan [47:10]

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh [55:25]

Sara:

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell [25:50]

Heavy by Kiese Laymon [32:45]

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan [38:13]

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner [44:52]

One to Watch by Kate Staymon-London [50:34]

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Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. We’re not shy about sharing our lack of experience with the fantasy genre. It’s not the go-to genre for either of us, but we love to branch out and try new literary things. This book delighted us in some surprising ways and helped us figure out what exactly we love—or could do without—in fantasy novels.

Our discussion includes:

What surprised Sara about reading this book, what she loved and what she didn’t [14:03]
Fantasy elements we love and gravitate towards [20:45]
Gender roles and stereotypes in LOTR and high fantasy in general [24:54]
A few favorite moments that warmed our hearts and pleased our literary minds [30:00]
Connecting to LOTR in the middle of a global pandemic [35:28]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a fast-paced fantasy set in NYC and a beautiful book for map-lovers.

We avoided major spoilers in this episode, so feel free to listen before or after reading in order to enhance your reading experience.

Books Mentioned:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-by-j-r-r-tolkien

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin [40:57]

Bezi’s Review of The City We Became
Jemisin Interview
Short story

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan [51:11]

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss [59:18]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike [45:40]

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James [54:00]

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places by Alberto Maguel, Gianni Guadalupi, and Graham Greenfield [1:01:48]

Picks of the Week:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin

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Today Chelsey and Sara are sharing the lineup for Novel Pairings’ fall season. We share our plans for an extra nerdy back-to-school-inspired season and which books we selected to feature. The books include a book seemingly everyone read in high school, a spooky listener’s choice, and a classic mystery novel. All of the books were chosen to fit with different fall reading moods and learning opportunities in mind.

To shop all of the books in the fall lineup, and more, visit our Bookshop storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

SPOILERS AHEAD

Scroll down for links to our six fall classics:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Beowulf or Frankenstein (Listeners’ Choice)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

In the Woods by Tana French

The Likeness by Tana French

Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Coming up: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Today Chelsey and Sara are kicking off Women in Translation Month by discussing Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. This romantic, sensuous novel was so much fun to discuss, and our pairings include some of our absolute favorite books! We can’t wait to hear what you think of these pairings.

Our discussion includes:

Esquivel’s stunning use of food as a conduit for emotion, passion, and tension [11:10]
Celebrating passion and different types of love [15:30]
Rooting for Tita! [19:03]
Structure and expanding the coming of age category [23:54]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a novel in verse and another classic in translation.

We avoided spoilers in this episode, so feel free to listen before or after reading in order to enhance your reading experience.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-like-water-for-chocolate

A Burning by Mehga Majumdar

Beheld by Tarashea Nesbitt

Chelsey’s Pairings:

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera [39:00]

The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan [45:10]

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo [52:13]

Sara’s Pairings:

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez [34:12]

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev [42:13]

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende [48:26]

Picks of the Week:

@thedefineddish “Pass the Dish” series

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting with Jamise Harper of @spinesvines and @diversespines. Jamise is a champion for independent bookstores, for authors, and for the books she loves. We’re delighted to have her on the podcast today to share more about her Literary Wine Down interviews on Instagram live, her favorite books, and the perfect wine pairings to match summertime reads. We had so much fun gushing about our favorite books and authors with Jamise and hope you enjoy listening to our conversation.

Follow Jamise: @spinesvines and @diversespines

To shop all of the books in the summer lineup visit our Bookshop storefront or shop the individual links below: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Support Jamise’s favorite D.C. bookstores:

Mahogany Books

Politics and Prose

Kramer Books

Solid State Books

Loyalty Bookstore

East City Books

Purchase a #diversespines mug: https://www.idealbookshelf.com/products/mug-spines-vines-diversespines

Books mentioned:

Native Son by Richard Wright

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Jazz by Toni Morrison

Sula by Toni Morrison

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Book & Wine Pairings:

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson + Cabernet

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo + Rosé

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory + Rosé

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Where to Begin by Cleo Wade + Malbec

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + Merlot

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Recent recommendations:

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

The City We Became by N.K Jemisin

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Passing by Nella Larsen

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the perfect book to discuss on a sweltering summer day. Sara read and did not finish this classic in high school. We talk about where she stopped and why, and how we both have a greater appreciation for this work as adults. We gush about Hurston’s writing, bond over our love of Janie the dreamer, and share some tips for approaching this seminal work of southern literature.

Our discussion includes:

Hurston’s use of dialect [8:08]
Our fondness and love for Janie Crawford [12:06]
Seamless symbolism: silencing, oppression, and Janie’s relationships [23:20]
Reading Tea Cake’s fate symbolically [20:05]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a celebrity memoir and narrative nonfiction.

We will get into some spoilers in this episode, but we must say, we both read summaries prior to reading and think it benefited our reading to know more information going in. Having a prior awareness of plot helped us take in the dialect and rhythm of the story and allowed us to admire Hurston’s writing all the more.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-their-eyes-were-watching-god

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins [43:03]

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories that are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union [48:13]

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall [55:30]

Jaime’s review

Sara’s Pairings:

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward [38:20]

Jaime’s review

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson [45:30]

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde [51:07]

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Today, in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are chatting about “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Brudbury. This short story is about a group of young schoolchildren living on Venus, who have never seen the sun in their lifetime. It’s about sacrifice, the pain of nostalgia, bullying. It’s super short but packed with stunning detail and emotion. Our discussion includes:

Bradbury’s descriptive language [11:07]
That ending! We love an ambiguous ending. [15:34]
Themes of sustainability and climate change [18:40]

Plus, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with this story, including an award-winning fantasy and a dystopian YA novel.

Past short story episodes:

“Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton

Mentions:

Fahrenheit 451 film

Fahrenheit 451

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian's Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life

The Hunger Games

The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Pairing spoilers ahead!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Martian by Andy Weir [30:12] & Artemis by Andy Weir [30:50]

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin [33:39]

The Dry by Jane Harper [37:30]

Sara’s Pairings:

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah [31:42]

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman [35:22]

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson [38:58]

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Homer’s The Odyssey. Sara reveals her nerdy middle school obsession, Chelsey has strong opinions on defining “the classics,” and we have a LOT of fun discussing the complicated character of Odysseus. You don’t need to have any knowledge of mythology or The Odyssey in order to enjoy this episode.

Our discussion includes:

What is a “mythology girl?” [11:38]
Analyzing Odysseus: a larger-than-life character [18:40]
More on Odysseus as a complex, flawed and nuanced hero [28:00]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a business book and a book in translation.

Show Notes:

Edith Hamilton’s Mythology

“Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood

“ Penelope” by Carol Ann Duffy

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

Madeline Miller: Circe and The Song of Achilles

Gareth Hinds graphic novel The Odyssey

Bull by David Elliot

Pairings spoilers below!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger [39:05]

The Martian by Andy Weir [44:36]

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown [51:35]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood [35:40]

The Songs of the Kings by Barry Unsworth [41:15]

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera [47:05]

Pick of the Week:

Chelsey: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow recommended by Bezi @beingabookwyrm

Sara: Rick Riordan Presents

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Today Chelsey and Sara are toppling your TBRs with backlist books to enjoy this summer. We know hardback books are pricey and library waitlists for the hottest new releases are long, so we’re going to be pairing some of 2020’s most exciting books of summer with older books that are easier to get your hands on.

Shop our Backlist Recs on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/buzzy-summer-books-and-backlist-favorites

Use our referral code to get TWO audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Books mentioned:

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

Abigail Adams: A Life by Woody Holton

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

A Burning by Megha Majumdar

There There by Tommy Orange

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Dreamers series by Adrianna Herrera (American Fairytale #2)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Friends and Strangers by J Courtney Sullivan

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

A Room with a View by EM Forrester

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Other mentions:

Kazuo Ishiguro’s new book

The Stacks Podcast

Attica and Tembi Locke

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Passing by Nella Larsen. Published in 1929, Passing is a book about two women: Clare and Irene, who grew up in the same middle class Black community in Chicago and come back into each other's lives as adults. Irene is living in Harlem with her husband, a successful doctor, while Clare has left the family and friends of her youth behind to marry a white man and pass as white. Clare and Irene’s bond is built on a shared past and a deep mutual affection, but also curiosity and jealousy over the lives each of them might have had. As their lives become more and more intertwined the tension builds, and a sense of impending doom makes this book impossible to put down.

Our discussion includes:

Gatsby connections galore, and an argument for replacing Gatsby with Passing [16:35]
Intersectionality and Irene’s struggle with loyalty across race, gender, and class lines [27:56]
Who should pick this up? [32:15]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a literary thriller and one of this summer’s buzziest books.

This episode will be mostly spoiler-free, except for a brief discussion of the ending. We’ll warn you in advance before we get into it, and timestamps are listed below.

Show Notes:

Emily Bernard’s intro

Excerpt from Vanishing Half

@reggiereads review

Pairings listed below!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite [40:48]

Black is the Body by Emily Bernard [47:05]

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert [53:17]

Sara’s Pairings:

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson [37:50]

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah [43:14]

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [50:00]

Pick of the Week:

You Must Remember This podcast “Passing for White, Merle Oberon”

13th the Ava DuVerny documentary

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We’re excited to welcome our first guest on the podcast today! Alli Hoff Kosik is the host of the SSR Podcast, where she breaks down an old school read from her tween and teen years with a special guest every Tuesday. Today, we’re chatting about classic and contemporary YA lit, the magic of middle grade, how childhood books stick with us into adulthood, and more. As always, we’re offering some novel pairings—this time with classic kid lit or YA books and contemporary adult reads.

You can find the SSR Podcast wherever you download your podcast episodes. Follow Alli on Instagram and Twitter and say hello!

PS: Congratulations on 100 episodes, Alli!

Listen to Chelsey and Alli talk about Tuck Everlasting on Ep. 34

Listen to Sara and Alli talk about Jacob Have I Loved on Ep. 87

Books mentioned:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin

Speak by Laurie Hals Anderson

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

Pairings:

Little Women & The Most Fun We Ever Had

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks & Fleishman is in Trouble

The Baby-Sitters Club & Most Likely

Guest Rec:

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, one of the first novels categorized as Young Adult fiction. We discuss the nostalgia associated with our favorite children’s books. Today’s discussion includes:

Formative experiences with books from our childhoods [8:40]
Which couples we ship and which handsome actor captured our hearts in the movie version [15:00]
Who should read this book? Downton Abbey fans, we’re looking at you...[20:17]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic including a YA novel in verse and a Regency-era romance novel.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Resources mentioned:

I Capture the Castle film

Comforting Classics episode

For more links: Subscribe to our Substack newsletter

Today’s episode is brought to you by Bookshelf Tees, a small female-owned business we love. We each own several comfy t-shirts from Bookshelf Tees and always look forward to Lauren’s new designs. You can get 20% off your next order by using code NOVELPAIRINGS at checkout.

Pairing spoilers ahead!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest [28:05]

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare [35:56]

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert [43:22]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo [25:03]

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell [32:10]

By the Book by Amanda Sellet [39:36]

Chelsey’s Pick of the Week: Never Have I Ever on Netflix

Sara’s Pick of the Week: Harry Potter vs. Huckleberry Finn

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As we wind down our spring season, Chelsey and Sara are talking about our favorite Novel Pairings episodes and the best books we read over the last three months. We also discuss some of the books we’ve both read recently including a celebrity memoir and a delightful book about the writing life.

Books mentioned in this episode: Open Book by Jessica Simpson [8:37], The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel [12:02], The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare [15:50], Beach Read by Emily Henry [19:29], The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende [24:43], Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo [27:19], Pride by Ibi Zoboi [28:38], The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams [29:25], Most Likely by Sarah Watson [31:24], We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan [34:24], Here for It: Or How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas [36:40], Wow No Thank You by Samantha Irby [37:46] Severance by Ling Ma [38:13], The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham [41:51], Young Jane Young by Gabrille Zevin [44:42], Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer [47:26]

Shop our Quarterly Favorites on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/quarterly-favorites-spring-2020/

Listen to He Read She Read Episode 50 on The Duchess Deal

Use our referral code to get THREE audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Next Episode: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Beloved by Toni Morrison. This American masterpiece and 1988 Pulitzer winner tells the story of Sethe, a woman who escaped from slavery to find freedom for herself and her children, only to be haunted by the traumas of her past. It’s a story of motherhood, womanhood, freedom, and redemption, and Morrison’s genius and language are incomparable. Today’s discussion includes:

Sara sharing her experience with teaching this book and why it’s the perfect book to bring into the classroom [4:10]
Reading Beloved symbolically and being okay with not understanding everything [10:30]
Each of us sharing why we love Toni Morrison and why this book might just be THE Great American Novel [36:03]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic including a heartbreaking work of middle grade fiction and a debut novel from an award-winning nonfiction writer.

Shop the pairings: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Resources mentioned:

The Stacks Episode 60 [27:27]

BBC World Books Toni Morrison Interview [30:28]

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter

Pairing spoilers ahead!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward [46:18]

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes [52:39]

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora [57:53]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates [42:48]

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson [48:59]

The Mothers by Brit Bennett [55:29]

Chelsey’s Pick of the Week: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

Sara’s Pick of the Week: The 1619 Project

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Today Chelsey and Sara are sharing the lineup for Novel Pairings’ summer season. We discuss what makes a great summer read, different readerly tastes in summer books, and then reveal the six classics we’ll be reading and discussing in June, July, and August. The books include a southern literature classic, a class work of young adult fiction, and several epic adventures. All of the books were chosen to suit a variety summer reading moods and to be perfect pairings for the contemporary books we love to read in the summer.

To shop all of the books in the summer lineup visit our Bookshop storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

SPOILERS AHEAD

Scroll down for time stamps and links to our six summer classics:

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith [6:21]

Passing by Nella Larsen [8:06]

The Odyssey by Homer [9:51]

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston [11:24]

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel [13:17]

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein [14:50]

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. We’re discussing iconic literary mothers and the depiction of motherhood in Amy Tan’s debut novel. Plus, we talk about the blurred lines between Tan’s fiction and her real life and which characters really captured our attention. Our discussion includes:

Our love for novels told in short stories that all tie together [9:50]
Approaching texts from cultures different from our own, as teachers and readers [11:42]
The beautiful theme of female friendship depicted along with complex mother-daughter relationships [27:42]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic include a and a YA graphic novel and a 2019 Booker Prize winner.

Today’s episode is brought to you by Libro.fm, the only audiobook company that allows you to purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite indie bookstore. You can get THREE audiobooks for $15 by clicking this link or by using code NOVELPAIRINGS at checkout.

Books Mentioned:

The Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan [42:38]

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang [49:20]

Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee [56:06]

Sara’s Pairings:

Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi [39:16]

Girl Woman Other by Bernardine Evaristo [45:19]

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu [52:51]

Shop all the books from this week's episode: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Picks of the Week:

Ugly Delicious on Netflix

Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong

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Today Chelsey and Sara are trying something a little different and discussing a short story. First, we’ll deep dive into the dishy, gossipy, and glitzy world of Edith Wharton’s Roman Fever (this conversation sounds more like a discussion of The Bachelor than a work of classic lit!) and then we’ll share some contemporary authors who remind us of Wharton and short story collections we’re eager to read. Today’s discussion includes:

Our relationships with short stories and why this one in particular made our jaws drop.
Why Edith Wharton is the perfect classic author for lovers of Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, and anyone who loves reading about “rich people problems.”
The contemporary author Chelsey realized was the perfect pairing for Wharton’s sassy and drama-filled books.

Plus, as always, we’re recommending lots of contemporary books along the way, including short story collections we love and our favorite rich people problems books.

Read Roman Fever online for free: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/pleasureofthetext/files/2016/10/Roman-Fever.pdf

Books discussed in today’s episode:

Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (29:03)

The Garden Party and Other Stories Katherine Mansfield (30:08)

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (31:10)

The Six Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (31:40)

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (32:22)

All this Could be Yours by Jami Attenberg (32:24)

Succession (32:30)

How Long til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemison (33:20)

Tales of Two Cities: The Best and Worst of Times in Today’s New York (35:13)

Florida by Lauren Groff (37:03)

Laugable Loves by Milan Kundera (38:22)

You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld (39:22)

Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires (40:06)

Lot by Bryan Washington (40:49)

Sabrina and Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (41:20)

Cowboys are My Weakness by Pam Houston (41:43)

Shop all of the books we mentioned today through our Bookshop storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

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Hey listeners! Today we’re talking about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. As you probably know, this play ends tragically with the two star-crossed lovers taking their own lives. Today’s episode includes a conversation about using this play as a bridge to discuss mental health and suicide with high schoolers. We believe this is an important part of the conversation about this play, but if this topic is triggering for you, we recommend skipping ahead about 2 and a half minutes starting at minute 26 to minute. Alright, let’s get into the episode!

Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This play is the perfect match for spring fever, and for many of us, it was our first encounter with Shakespeare. We share lots of thoughts on reading this play as freshmen in high school and later as English teachers. Plus, we have opinions on how Shakespeare should be read and taught in general. Listen in for book recommendations that capture the star-crossed lovers theme but don’t end quite so tragically. Our discussion includes:

How we may have misunderstood the main characters (11:58)
Why Mercutio is our favorite character (20:57)
Content warning: brief discussion on teaching suicide awareness as part of the Romeo and Juliet curriculum (26:10-29:00)
Why this play endures, and is still read in high schools (31:18)

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic include an unexpected literary retelling and a few YA romances.

Librofm: https://libro.fm/membership/new

Shop our pairings at Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-romeo-and-juliet

Shakespeare in Love Prologue

Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing

Ian McKellen as King Lear

The American Player’s Theatre

10 Things I Hate About You

She’s the Man

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Opposite of Always by Jason Reynolds (47:00)

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (51:31)

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (55:41)

Sara’s Pairings:

The Shakespeare Miscellany by Ben and David Crystal (45:41)

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson (49:02)

Circe by Madeline Miller (53:06)

Sara: Don’t Quill the Messenger podcast

Chelsey: No Holds Bard “So You’re Going to See Shakespeare” podcast episodes

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Today Chelsey and Sara are celebrating National Poetry Month. We chat about our strong feelings towards poetry in high school, how our view has changed as teachers, and the ways in which we incorporate poetry into our daily reading lives. Our discussion includes:

How we feel about poetry and how our high school experiences shaped our view (1:45)
Our favorite poets and poetry collections (28:30)
Amazing YA novels in verse (42:30)

Shop this episode in our affiliate shop at Bookshop.org to support independent bookstores.

--Scroll down for titles and timestamps--

Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

Eating Poetry by Mark Strand

If I Should Have a Daughter by Sarah Kay (13:38)

3 Ways to Speak English by Jamila Lyiscott (13:55)

Romantic poets

A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver (17:40)

Japan by Billy Collins (24:35)

Emily Dickinson (28:47)

Funeral Blues by WH Auden (31:22)

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay (31:44)

No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay (31:49)

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy (32:56)

Felicity by Mary Oliver (34:33)

Audre Lorde (35:33)

Shakespeare’s Sonnets (36:33)

Sir Patrick Stewart Reading a Sonnet a Day

Sonnet 116

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda (38:37)

Langston Hughes (38:45)

Theme for English B

Rupi Kaur

I, Too

I Hear American Singing by Walt Whitman (40:54)

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (42:42)

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson (43:32)

Red at the Bone

Brown Girl Dreaming

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (44:36)

Kwame Alexander (45:39)

Poem-a-day emails

Poetry Foundation

Poets.org

Button Poetry

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Set in 1954, this Booker Prize winning novel follows a quintessential English butler named Stevens on a road trip to visit his manor’s former housekeeper Miss Kenton. This is the perfect novel for Downton Abbey fans, but it’s darker and more introspective than the show. In addition to the historical context of this modern classic, we discuss character-driven novels and four of Sara’s all-time favorite books.

Our discussion includes:

Personal reading preferences and the appeal of character-driven novels (6:55)
The theme of regret (20:00)
Connections to Downton Abbey and why fans needs to read this book (28:28)

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic including a time-hopping literary fiction novel and a cozy historical mystery.

Librofm: https://libro.fm/membership/new

Bookshop List: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-the-remains-of-the-day-by-kazuo-ishiguro-and-downton-abbey-fans

Contemporary Pairings & Timestamps:

Chelsey’s Pairings: Atonement by Ian McEwan (33:45), Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (39:24), Americanah by Chimamamnda Ngozi Adichie (46:15)

Sara’s Pairings: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (36:37), The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (42:08), Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (49:07)

Sara’s Pick: You’re Wrong About Podcast (52:38)

Chelsey’s Pick: The Plot Against America on HBO (55:10)

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Today Chelsey and Sara dig up some well-loved English major lingo and dust it off. We’re talking about critical theory and how it enhances our reading lives, starting with the feminist or gender lens. We provide examples and suggestions for how to incorporate critical theory into your everyday reading life because you don’t have to be a teacher, English major, or scholar in order to get the most out of this tool!

Books Discussed in Today’s Episode:

Emma by Jane Austen: https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780143107712

The Awakening by Kate Chopin: https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780743487672

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf: https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780156787338

If you’d like to learn more, check out these resources:

Introduction to Literary Theory: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and_schools_of_criticism/index.html

Feminist Criticism: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/literary_theory_and_schools_of_criticism/feminist_criticism.html

The Bechdel Test: https://bechdeltest.com/

Resources for Middle and High School teachers:

Critical Encounters in Secondary English by Deborah Appleman: https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780807756232

“Teach the How”: https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1034-mar2014/EJ1034Teach.pdf

How and Why to Teach Literary Theory in Secondary ELA: http://doccopteaching.com/2019/03/26/how-and-why-to-teach-literary-theory-in-secondary-ela/

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Today Chelsey and Sara are toppling your TBR with classics and pairings to keep you company during the pandemic. Comfort reading is different for everyone, so we’ve got a wide range of books to recommend including books with cozy communities, classic comedies (and modern pairings), and big books to last you through many weeks of social distancing.

Full Show Notes: https://fictionmattersbooks.com/article/comfort-reading-notes

Shop the Episode: https://bookshop.org/lists/comforting-classics-and-other-absorbing-reads

Topics Discussed:

Current Reads (5:20)

Comfort Reads (10:40)

Cozy Communities (32:49)

Page Turners (40:15)

Big Books (49:54)

Escapist Reads (56:28)

Comedies (1:04:48)

Books that Make You Think (1:10:57)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about The Awakening by Kate Chopin. This novella published in 1899 follows Edna Pontellier as she discovers her desires and her identity outside of wifehood and motherhood. Our discussion includes how this book illustrates the constraints placed on 19th century women, why we don’t seem to have any issues with the infidelity in the novel, and how Kate Chopin speaks to modern-day mom-shaming. We also dig into some of the problematic content in this book and offer suggestions on how to read it through a more modern lens.

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic include a young adult novel full of evocative nature imagery and a closed door second chance romance.

Books, Pairings, and Time Stamps Books Discussed: The Awakening Modern Library Torchbearers Edition (23:50), Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (30:36), Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (30:38)

Chelsey’s Pairings: Educated by Tara Westover (39:45), Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper (44:08), We Are Okay by Nina Lacour (48:40)

Sara’s Pairings: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (41:40), Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (46:02), Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (50:20)

Picks of the Week: Love is Blind (52:35) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (54:45)

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Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about the new Emma movie directed by Autumn de Wilde. In this sparkling new film adaptation, Emma is just as snarky and delightful as she is in the book. Our discussion includes us gushing over the vivid colors and costumes, some love for how the female characters are depicted, and a few serious problems with period piece adaptations in general. . . Today’s episode is brought to you by Libro.fm, the only audiobook company that allows you to purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite indie bookstore. You can get THREE audiobooks for $15 by clicking this link or by using code NOVELPAIRINGS at checkout.

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In this episode, we're discussing Jane Austen's final novel, Emma. We admit our love for Emma's sass and bossiness, debate her potentially problematic friendship with the orphan Harriet Smith, and swoon over Mr. Knightley. Plus we're offering six contemporary reads that perfectly pair with Austen's most memorable heroine.

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Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. In this welcome episode, Chelsey and Sara introduce themselves and the podcast format, and share exactly what they mean by "pairings."

Novel Pairings: Recent Episodes