148 episodes

Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. As two nerdy bookworms, we appreciate the role of classic lit, but we but we won’t get too academic about it. We’ll talk about the books we love and the books we loath, and help stock your TBR pile with old and new reads for every literary taste.

Novel Pairings Novel Pairings

    • Arts
    • 4.8 • 533 Ratings

Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. As two nerdy bookworms, we appreciate the role of classic lit, but we but we won’t get too academic about it. We’ll talk about the books we love and the books we loath, and help stock your TBR pile with old and new reads for every literary taste.

    Seasonal book pairings for new releases in spring 2024

    Seasonal book pairings for new releases in spring 2024

    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
     

    • 50 min
    The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

    The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

    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

    • 1 hr 20 min
    Bookish pairings for our favorite period dramas

    Bookish pairings for our favorite period dramas

    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
     

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Five tips for reading television and movies with a critical lens

    Five tips for reading television and movies with a critical lens

    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  

    • 1 hr 16 min
    The best, the backlist, and the buzziest books of 2023

    The best, the backlist, and the buzziest books of 2023

    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
     

    • 1 hr 15 min
    The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges

    The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges

    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!

    • 1 hr 1 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
533 Ratings

533 Ratings

jkrieger12 ,

My favorite bookish podcast

This podcast is the best! It strikes the perfect balance between feeling like you’re chatting about books with friends, getting recommendations from well-read book lovers, and being back in your favorite English class. Every episode is an absolute delight, and although I’m not the biggest classics reader, I enjoy every conversation Sara and Chelsey have and take something new away whether I’ve read the book or not. I’d recommend this podcast to anyone who misses English class, proudly considers themselves to be a bit of a nerd, and appreciates genuine, comfortable conversation about books with other book lovers. Thank you, Sara and Chelsey!

K.Dooot ,

Should a great podcast!

Great chemistry and conversations! A fun listen

:)Amy45 ,

Like the content but hard to listen

This is the second time I’ve followed the show, because I love reading, and I love what these hosts are trying to accomplish. I think they are great at what they do as far as the content goes. But I wish there was better editing or more preparation on the hosts part. It sounds like there is just so much dead space while they think about what to say and constant uses of “umm” and “like” that is really hard to listen to. I came back to this podcast after about a year thinking that maybe that would have been addressed by this point and sadly it is still very present. And for those reasons, despite the fact that I love what they’re saying, I can’t handle how they are saying it. I really hope that the reviews like mine are given some attention. I would love to come back in another year and find that these issues have been addressed because I really do want to listen to this show and what they have to say.

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