Novel Pairings

Latest Episodes:

95. Love and Freindship by Jane Austen and adding pure FUN to your TBR list Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Today Sara and Chelsey discuss Jane Austen's silly, ridiculous, and absolutely delightful work of juvenilia: Love and Freindship. From fainting spells to the history of parody, this episode is full of nerdy information and fun Austen context. If you're looking to lighten up your reading life with irreverent novels and humorous romance, today's pairings are for you, regardless of whether you've picked up Love and Freindship.

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Books mentioned: Love and Freindship by Jane Austen

Chelsey:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortburg

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby

Sara:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbetson

Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

94. Ask Us Anything with Chelsey, Sara, and a surprise guest Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

How did Sara and Chelsey meet? What goes into making a Novel Pairings episode? And how do they find time to read with busy, curious babies in their lives? Today's episode holds all the answers to YOUR questions about classic literature, teaching English, baby bookworms, reading habits, and more. (Plus plenty of book recommendations. We can't help it.) The show notes are full of links today, so be sure to scroll down in your app or visit novelpairings.com.

Some links are affiliate links. Every time you make a purchase through one of these links, it helps us keep the podcast running. Thank you!

Books Mentioned:

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Episode: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Episode: The Crucible by Arthur Miller

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

Episode: The Odyssey by Homer

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Time Traveler's Wife by Aubrey Niffenegger

Episode: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Episode: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Circe by Madeline Miller

Episode: Passing by Nella Larsen

Episode: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Episode: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Episode: Beloved by Toni Morrison

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Houghton

Let's Look at Animals by Marion Deuchars

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young

The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravi

Episode: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Episode: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Episode: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Episode: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Episode: Emma by Jane Austen

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Love and Freindship by Jane Austen

Also Mentioned:

@fictionmatters

@chelseyreads

He Read She Read Podcast

The Novel Pairings Ultimate Spreadsheet

Sandra Boynton: Frog Trouble Album

Raising Readers with Anne Bogel

The Sleepy Bookshelf Podcast

@clumsy.words

Don't forget to:

Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.
Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

93. Middlemarch by George Eliot Part Two: Pairings Mar 22, 2022

Show notes

Today Sara and Chelsey consider Middlemarch by George Eliot through a contemporary lens with paired books about marriage, community, and time-tested advice. You don't need to read Middlemarch to put a book recommendation in your pocket today, so enjoy this unique collection of titles and a spoiler-free conversation.

We're recording an Ask Us Anything episode! Submit your questions to novelpairingspod@gmail.com, DM us on Instagram, or stay tuned for a question box in our Instagram stories.

Need more Jane Austen in your life? Of course you do. Check out Live from Pemberley, from the creators and hosts of Hot & Bothered.

Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.
Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

Good Company by Cynthia D'Aprix

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka

Wahala by Nikki May

92. Middlemarch by George Eliot Part One Mar 08, 2022

Show notes

Today Sara and Chelsey check in and discuss Middlemarch by George Eliot. What does this 800-page Victorian novel have in common with Love is Blind on Netflix? Tune in to hear literary analysis, pop culture connections, and personal reflections on reading this giant tome. Plus, Sara and Chelsey reveal plans for a new episode format, coming soon.

Join our Patreon community at patreon.com/novelpairings.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.
Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)Emma by Jane Austen (The Annotated Version)Love and Friendship by Jane Austen

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Love is Blind (Netflix)

Sara: My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead

Also mentioned:

"It Can Be Embarrassing to Love Dorothea" The Paris Review

91. Bookish superlatives from an unprecedented reading year Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

After a few months off, we're back in your feeds today to discuss some of our favorite (and least favorite) books of 2021. We've organized this episode into bookish superlatives that let us share books you may not hear us talk about otherwise. We also offer a reflection on our reading year as a whole, including what it's been like to read with newborns around. It's great to be back at the mic talking all things books!

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Links:

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith

My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

Wintering by Katherine May

Insurrecto by Gina Apostol

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

We're All in This Together by Amy Jones

Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman

Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley

Detransition, Baby by Torrie Peters

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

90. Our love/hate relationship with Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents." So begins the book that launched a million little girls' love affair with reading. While we here at Novel Pairings have pretty mixed feelings about Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, our discussion of this beloved childhood classic is one of our favorites.

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without some discussion of Little Women, so whether you love them or loathe them, we hope you enjoy today's rerelease as we deep dive into the world of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books Mentioned:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Amazon)

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (Amazon)

Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux (Amazon)

So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan (Amazon)

March by Geraldine Brooks (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Episode 40 with Annie B. Jones

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [36:14]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Chelsey's Pairings:

More to the Story by Hena Khan (Amazon)
Most Likely by Sarah Watson (Amazon)
Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)

Sara's Pairings:

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez (Amazon)
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas (Amazon)
The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Home Cooking Podcast

Why the British Tell Better Children's Stories

89. Behind the scenes of the shop around the corner with Annie B. Jones Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Here at Novel Pairings, if there's one thing we love almost as much as reading it's supporting independent bookstores. Today, we're re-airing an interview with one of our favorite indie bookstore insiders, Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia. Annie shares a little about her own reading life and tastes, and offers some sweet and moving book pairings for one of her favorite classics: Little Women.

Remember, you can support The Bookshelf or your favorite local indie bookstore and the Novel Pairings podcast by signing up or gifting a Libro.fm membership. Use our code NOVELPAIRINGS when you join, and help boost business at your favorite bookstore through another difficult holiday season.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Our book list includes a mix of affiliate links and links to The Bookshelf inventory. If you want to own one of the books we talked about today, we hope you consider supporting The Bookshelf with your purchase.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

The Baby-Sitters Club Box

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Franny & Zoey by J.D. Salinger

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konig

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani

HRH by Elizabeth Holmes

Passing by Nella Larsen

Emma by Jane Austen

Also mentioned:

"The Baby-Sitters Club Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know About Literary Fiction"

88. A new-to-us and nuanced novel of manners: There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

We love revisiting our favorite books for episodes of Novel Pairings, but there's also something truly special about finding a new-to-us classic that becomes a forever favorite. There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset was a book neither of us had read or even knew much about before deciding to cover it on the podcast.

What we found was a beautiful and nuanced novel of manners that both echoed many of our favorite works while offering something wholly original. We keep this episode spoiler-free to encourage more readers to give this novel a chance. We hope you'll listen and then pick up this too long neglected Harlem Renaissance classic.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [33:15]

Shop the pairings with our affiliate links below:

Books mentioned:

There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset (Amazon)

Passing by Nella Larsen (Amazon) [30:39]

Chelsey's Pairings

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Amazon) [36:06]

This Lovely City by Louise Hare (Amazon) [42:23]

Becoming by Michelle Obama (Amazon) [49:18]

Sara's Pairings

On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Amazon) [33:33]

No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts (Amazon) [39:35]

Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour (Amazon) [45:52]

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: How WWI Sparked and Artistic Movement that Transformed Black America [53:30]

Sara: New Yorker article on Fauset (by Morgan Jerkins) [52:09] and Women of the Harlem Renaissance by Cheryl A. Wall [52:40]

87. Perfectly paired gifts for every bookworm Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Our penchant for pairings goes far beyond books and in today's gift guide rerelease we're offering a variety of suggestions for what to give the literary minded loved ones in your life. Each book and gift pairing is put together with a particular type of reader in mind to help you find the perfect holiday gift no matter who you're shopping for this season.

Our Gift Guide: https://novelpairings.com/2020/11/10/35-a-2020-gift-guide-for-every-literary-taste/

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

Luster by Raven Leilani (9/1)

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (9/1)

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Daddy by Emma Cline (9/1)

The Girls by Emma Cline

Florida by Lauren Groff

Sabrina & Corina by Kali Farjado-Anstine

Lot by Bryan Washington

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman (9/1)

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (9/1)

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

13th on Netflix

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

When They See Us on Netflix

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (9/1)

Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivers (9/1)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

Episode 18 The Odyssey

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (9/1)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Jack by Marilynne Robinson (9/15)

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

New Gilead covers

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (9/15)

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (9/29)

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo (9/29)

The Best Worst Man by Mia Sosa

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (10/6)

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab (10/6)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Dolly Parton's America

She Come by It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh (10/13)

Natural Acts: Gender, Race, and Rusticity in Country Music by Pamela Fox

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (10/20)

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

Jane in Love by Rachel Givney (10/27)

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Cobble Hill by Cecily Von Ziegesar (10/20)

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger

I Wanna Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom (11/17)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

86. Palpable tension and shocking twists in Passing by Nella Larsen Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

When we first released our episode on Passing by Nella Larsen in June of 2020, we were already professing our excitement for the new movie starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Nega. This month, the film is finally releasing on Netflix.

We can't wait to watch and see how the palpable tension and twisty tone translate to the screen. This episode contains spoilers, but we give you ample warning so feel free to listen before or after watching.

Our discussion includes:

Gatsby connections galore, and an argument for replacing Gatsby with Passing [16:35]
Intersectionality and Irene's struggle with loyalty across race, gender, and class lines [27:56]
Who should pick this up? [32:15]

Plus, as always, we're recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic, including a literary thriller and one of this summer's buzziest books.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

Connect with us on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Show Notes:

Emily Bernard's intro

Excerpt from Vanishing Half

@reggiereads review

Chelsey's Pairings:

My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite [40:48]

Black is the Body by Emily Bernard [47:05]

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert [53:17]

Sara's Pairings: