Episoder
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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.
Follow us on Instagram @novelpairingspod and subscribe to our newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com.
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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Manglende episoder?
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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.
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.
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
Unstacked
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 -
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.
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! -
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!
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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.
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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.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.
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!
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
Books Mentioned: - Vis mere
