Novel Pairings

Latest Episodes:

155. Notable books of 2024: our bookish superlatives, reading life updates, and a little Jane Austen Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

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

154. Moody & Atmospheric Fall 2024 Book Releases with Backlist Pairings Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

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

153. Dishing our opinions on the hottest summer books of 2023 Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

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

152. The Custom of the Country Book One Recap Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

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

151. Introduction to The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

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:

150. Ten classic novels you should read this summer Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

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

149. On Beauty by Zadie Smith May 28, 2024

Show notes

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

148. We can't wait to read these brand new summer 2024 books and backlist pairings May 21, 2024

Show notes

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

147. The limits of satire & A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift May 14, 2024

Show notes

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?

146. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

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