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Neha and Shruti discuss Another Country by James Baldwin, a book that follows a group of friends and lovers in New York City in the mid-20th century. We talk about the characters and their relationships, the inaction that fills the novel, and the importance of having 'difficult' conversations with the people you love. We also go on a brief Gossip Girl tangent as we attempt to better understand the characters in this book :)
Links:
Another Country by Claudia Roth Pierpont [The New Yorker]
Jazz by Toni Morrison: violence and ambition [The Novel Tea]
Books mentioned & Shelf Discovery:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
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We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
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Neha and Shruti discuss Daughters of the Deer, by Danielle Daniel, a work of historical fiction that follows an indigenous woman and her daughter in a 17th century French colony that is now Quebec, Canada. We talk about the historical context of the book, discuss the characters and their journeys, and reflect on the importance of telling these stories.
Shelf Discovery:
East by Edith Pattou
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Hope Leslie; Or Early Times in Massachusetts by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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Neha and Shruti discuss The Savage Detectives, the story of two poets and the people and world that surrounds them, as they journey across Mexico. We talk about some of the cultural context of this book, the challenges we faced while reading, and share some strong opinions.
Shelf Discovery
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss The Other Americans by Laila Lalami, a novel about an immigrant family that includes a romance, family drama, and a mystery. After a quick discussion of the It Ends With Us drama, we share a quick summary and dive into some themes we noticed in The Other Americans, including memory, regret, and protection. We talk about some of the key relationships and conflicts, major plot points, and Lalami's writing style.
Shelf Discovery
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, which follows four characters from different social and financial classes, whose stories are linked through familial relationships and employment. As the book continues, their lives become more intimately intertwined and political unrest starts to reach their homes.
We talk about the themes of class and entitlement, the historical landscape of India in the post-independence decades, and discuss how this book is descendant from British literary giants such as PG Wodehouse and Jane Austen.
Shelf Discovery:
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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Neha and Shruti discuss The Sympathizer, the 2016 Pulitzer winner for fiction, through the themes of loyalty and duality. This book is a thriller and a satire, following a mixed race narrator who moves to the United States after the fall of Saigon, and must navigate his identity and his role as a communist spy. We talk about the book's historical context, its commentary on race and pop culture, and more.
Links:
Interview with Viet Thanh Nguyen [NPR]
Shelf Discovery:
The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti introduce the theme for Season 4: Beyond Borders! We talk about the books we've selected to read in this theme, and share what we're excited about in the upcoming months.
Books Mentioned:
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nyugen
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño
Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel
Another Country by James Baldwin
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
The Parisian by Isabella Hammad
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
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It's time for the best, the worst, and everything in-between: in the 2024 Novelties, Shruti and Neha give awards to their favorite reads of 2024 so far. Ranging from classics to new releases, we share our picks for most unexpected, best character, worth the hype, best page-turner, weirdest book, and more!
Books Mentioned:
Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Belleza and Emily Harding
My Death by Lisa Tuttle
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams
James by Percival Everett
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
The Membranes by Ta-Wei Chi wei
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Cuckold by Kiran Nagarkar
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In our last episode until the fall, we talk all about speculative fiction: our favorite fictional worlds, the best reading experiences we've had this season, and more. We also share the books that didn't make the cut for this season (even though we want to read them all), and get into the great realistic vs. genre fiction debate.
Books mentioned:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
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Today, Neha and Shruti talk about Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, a dreamy, fantastical novel set in a beautiful House where there are birds, fish, tides, and statues. We talk about the narrator's unique perspective, the writing style, and our thoughts on the underlying meaning of the story. We also get into the book's many allusions and references, from C.S. Lewis, to Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Circe by Madeline Miller
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
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Shruti and Neha talk about Sea of Tranquility, the latest book from speculative fiction author Emily St. John Mandel. We dive into the differences between loneliness and solitude, past vs. present tense in fiction, time travel, the history of the simulation hypothesis, and much more!
Spoilers start at 15:53.
Shelf Discovery
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti dive into the historical underbelly of Barcelona where they find twisted tales, hidden secrets, family drama, and heartbreak. We read The Shadow of the Wind through themes of obsession and memory, talk about Gothic fiction and mystery stories, and finally get to our problems with the book's ending.
Shelf Discovery:
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Shruti and Neha discuss Fledgling, Octavia Butler's last novel before her untimely death, through the themes of home and innocence. We talk about vampire lore (including Twilight and The Vampire Diaries), the ethics of genetic manipulation, and race through the lens of childhood.
Links:
Code Switch: Taylor Swift and the unbearable whiteness of girlhood
Shelf Discovery:
The Vegetarian by Han King
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss one of the most acclaimed science fiction novels of all time: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. We give you all the context you need to understand this complex and nuanced novel, and even some information you may not have thought you needed, including: the evolutionary biology of menstruation, gender constructs & stereotypes, conflicts of love and trust, and much more.
Spoilers start at 33:19
Links:
How and Why did Women Evolve Periods? by Suzanne Sadedin, PhD in evolutionary biology
Shelf Discovery and Books Mentioned:
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Dune by Frank Herbert
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Shruti and Neha discuss The Humans by Matt Haig, a novel that is dressed up as science fiction, but is really about learning to love life. We talk about reading the right book at the right time, science fiction's relationship to colonialism, and bigger questions about the way we live today. We also wonder if there is a such thing as self-help fiction.
Shelf Discovery:
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Spoilers start at 22:20
Content warning: suicide, mental health
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this fun bonus episode, Shruti and Neha dive into everything mythology-related, including: what are myths? Why are Greek mythology retellings so popular, and is that problematic? Does mythology still exist today?
We talk about all this and more, referencing The Hero's Journey, Joseph Campbell, and world mythologies.
*Spoilers for American Gods between 20:50-21:10
Books Mentioned:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Circe by Madeline Miller
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this episode Neha and Shruti tackle one of the living titans of speculative fiction: Neil Gaiman. We discuss American Gods through the themes of deception and survival, tracking the characters through the story as we ponder stories of immigration, faith, and disillusionment. We also talk about the importance of reading challenging novels and taking our time with certain books.
Spoilers for the ending start at 21:50.
Content warning: the book contains references to historical violence against Black people, which we discuss 22:30-24:00.
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
Shelf Discovery
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
*When talking about carousels, Neha mistakenly mentions The Book Thief - she actually was referring to The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss one of Margaret Atwood's lesser known works, The Penelopiad - a retelling of The Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope, and the twelve hanged maids. Even if you haven't read the book, we think there's a lot you'll enjoy in this episode!
We consider the themes of justice and persuasion as we talk about modern feminism (and the #MeToo movement), how myths evolve, and trends in mythology retellings. We also talk about Atwood's character portrayals and narrative choices, and how they impacted our reading experience.
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
Books Mentioned in Shelf Discovery:
The Greek Myths by Robert Graves
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Circe by Madeline Miller
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Neha and Shruti discuss The Secret History, a book that has gained a cult following in the last few decades - and as we discuss the book, we start to see why. We talk about the characters, the atmospheric setting, and how Tartt brilliantly creates and sustains tension. We also provide some background for the book's classical allusions, and share all our theories about the book's shocking climax. And as always, we provide recommendations in our Shelf Discovery segment for books to read next if you loved The Secret History, based on the aspect of the novel that you loved most.
What is the significance of the line 'Beauty is terror'? Which character functions as a cult leader? What is dark academia? You'll find all this and more in this episode. True spoilers start at 19:20
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Passing by Nella Larsen
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Either/Or by Elif Batuman
Babel by R.F. Kuang
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
Euphoria by Lily King
The Shining by Stephen King
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Links:
Once Upon a Time... at Bennington College
*We mistakenly stated that Icarus is a god; Icarus in Greek mythology is the son of a craftsman.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In this bonus episode, Shruti and Neha invite some special guests to talk about books: Chelsey and Sara of Novel Pairings! We talk all about reading carefully and deeply, public scholarship, and tools to help sharpen your analytic lens. Along the way, we talk about some of our childhood favorites, trends in literature, high school English classes, and more!
Listen to Novel Pairings, follow them on Instagram, and visit their Patreon for extra classes.
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, you can also subscribe to our free newsletter.
Selected Books and Other Works Mentioned:
Witch Please Podcast
Dolls of Our Lives Podcast
Culture Study by Anne Helen Peterson: Newsletter and Podcast
Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders
Wilder Podcast
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Passing by Nella Larsen
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
The Guide by R.K. Narayan
Selected Poems by Rabindranath Tagore
We love hearing from our listeners! You can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
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