Novel Pairings Novel Pairings

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
 

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
 

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
 

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

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
 

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