Novel Pairings
Novel Pairings
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Top 10 Novel Pairings Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Novel Pairings episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Novel Pairings for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Novel Pairings episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
0. Introducing Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun
Novel Pairings
03/03/20 • 30 min
Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. In this welcome episode, Chelsey and Sara introduce themselves and the podcast format, and share exactly what they mean by "pairings."
1 Listener
03/03/20 • 59 min
In this episode, we're discussing Jane Austen's final novel, Emma. We admit our love for Emma's sass and bossiness, debate her potentially problematic friendship with the orphan Harriet Smith, and swoon over Mr. Knightley. Plus we're offering six contemporary reads that perfectly pair with Austen's most memorable heroine.
1 Listener
09/17/24 • 56 min
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
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz
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
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osmond
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Don’t Be a Stranger by Susan Minot
The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister
Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann
The Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Curdle Creek by Yvonnne Battle-Felton
The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews
150. Ten classic novels you should read this summer
Novel Pairings
06/04/24 • 40 min
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
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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
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
07/06/21 • 60 min
Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss The Summer Book by Tove Jansson*, a contemplative and vivid book in translation about a young girl, her grandmother, and the little island they inhabit. We discuss our favorite vignettes, the endearing characters, and our recommendations for contemporary pairings—including memoir, literary fiction, and poetry.
*This episode is spoiler-free.
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.
Listen to our pairings: [31:50]
Books mentioned:
Thank you for supporting us by shopping our affiliate links!
Moomin books by Tove Jansson (Amazon)
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (Amazon)
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Chelsey:
Castle of Water by Dane Hucklebridge (Amazon)
A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver (Amazon)
Memories of Low Tide by Chantal Thomas (Amazon)
Sara:
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (Amazon) // SSR Episode 87
Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson (Amazon)
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (Amazon)
Pick of the week:
Chelsey: We Can Do Hard Things podcast: What the hell is FUN and why do we need it?
Sara: Tove Jansson’s Moomins and her private universe.
108. Our favorite (and least favorite) books of 2022
Novel Pairings
12/13/22 • 71 min
Today we enter the towering stack of “Best Book” lists, but we like to think our annual episode stands out from the crowd. Instead of narrowing down a list of favorites every year, we share superlatives to include a wider variety of genres, themes, and reading experiences in our year end wrap up episode. Check our stories at @novelpairingspod on Instagram for templates to share your 2022 superlatives, and please do not forget to tag us! We would love to see which books you select in each category.
For more superlatives, go to patreon.com/novelpairings. We will share a bonus episode on Friday FULL of more titles we loved this year.
Podcast episodes mentioned:
Maryanne Wolf and Ezra Klein discuss “deep reading”
Buzzy summer 2022 books we both read
Books mentioned:
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle ZevinBabel by R.F. Kuang
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
Search by Michelle Hunevan
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Invisible Storm by Jason Kander
A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King
The Long Answer by Anna Hogeland
The Trees by Percival Everett
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
Recitatif by Toni Morrison
Have I Told You This Already? By Lauren Graham
Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
These Precious Days by Ann Pachett
Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles
Share your own superlatives! Here’s the list:
- Lived up to “the hype”
- Didn’t live up to “the hype” ...
06/29/21 • 46 min
Today, Sara and Chelsey share their favorite classic and contemporary sweeping family sagas. We recommend intergenerational stories that take place over decades or centuries—or across multiple continents. We also define and discuss this sub genre and speculate about why it’s become such a popular phrase in publishing. Do you have a favorite novel that fits on our list?
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:
Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Amazon)
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (Amazon)
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (Amazon)
East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Amazon)
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (Amazon)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (Amazon)
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Amazon)
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough (Amazon)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (Amazon)
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (Amazon)
Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (Amazon)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley (Amazon)
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Amazon)
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Amazon)
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (Amazon)
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (Amazon)
70. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and glittering contemporary books full of social commentary
Novel Pairings
07/20/21 • 73 min
Chelsey and Sara discuss The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton*, a glittering Gilded Age classic that feels particularly relevant today. We chat about our experiences rereading one of Wharton’s early novels, how we felt about the divisive character Lily Bart, and our recommendations for contemporary pairings—including one of our favorite essay collections and a coming of age novel set at a boarding school.
*This episode does include spoilers, so listen carefully for spoiler warnings if you haven’t read The House of Mirth yet.
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.
Listen to our pairings: [45:58]
Books mentioned:
Thank you for supporting us by shopping our affiliate links!
Chelsey
- The Rogue of Fifth Avenue (Uptown Girls series) by Joanna Shupe (Amazon)
- Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino (Amazon)
- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (Amazon)
Sara
- The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Amazon)
- The Party Upstairs by Lee Conell (Amazon)
- Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (Amazon)
Also mentioned:
The Gilded Age Girls Club series (Duchess by Design #1) by Maya Rodale
The Gossip Girl of Her Time: On the Pleasures of Edith Wharton
04/14/20 • 53 min
Today Chelsey and Sara are celebrating National Poetry Month. We chat about our strong feelings towards poetry in high school, how our view has changed as teachers, and the ways in which we incorporate poetry into our daily reading lives. Our discussion includes:
- How we feel about poetry and how our high school experiences shaped our view (1:45)
- Our favorite poets and poetry collections (28:30)
- Amazing YA novels in verse (42:30)
Shop this episode in our affiliate shop at Bookshop.org to support independent bookstores.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Libro.fm, the only audiobook company that allows you to purchase audiobooks directly from your favorite indie bookstore. You can get THREE audiobooks for $15 by clicking this link or by using code NOVELPAIRINGS at checkout.
--Scroll down for titles and timestamps--
Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins
Eating Poetry by Mark Strand
If I Should Have a Daughter by Sarah Kay (13:38)
3 Ways to Speak English by Jamila Lyiscott (13:55)
A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver (17:40)
Japan by Billy Collins (24:35)
Emily Dickinson (28:47)
Funeral Blues by WH Auden (31:22)
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay (31:44)
No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay (31:49)
The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy (32:56)
Felicity by Mary Oliver (34:33)
Audre Lorde (35:33)
Shakespeare’s Sonnets (36:33)
Sir Patrick Stewart Reading a Sonnet a Day
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda (38:37)
Langston Hughes (38:45)
I Hear American Singing by Walt Whitman (40:54)
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (42:42)
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson (43:32)
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (44:36)
Kwame Alexander (45:39)
72. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and contemporary novels with plenty of drama
Novel Pairings
08/03/21 • 70 min
Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss a melodramatic classroom staple: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. We relive our classroom experiences, investigate why this play is still taught, and dig into the iconic characters made famous by Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in the 1951 film adaptation. Plus, as always, we offer six contemporary pairings that capture similar themes.
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: [43:50]
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Books mentioned:
Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!
Chelsey
- Luster by Raven Leilani (Amazon)
- Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison (Amazon)
- The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Amazon)
Sara
- Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (Amazon)
- Real Life by Brandon Taylor (Amazon)
- Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters (Amazon)
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FAQ
How many episodes does Novel Pairings have?
Novel Pairings currently has 169 episodes available.
What topics does Novel Pairings cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Hobbies, Podcasts, Books and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Novel Pairings?
The episode title '1. Emma by Jane Austen and our favorite modern romantic heroines' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Novel Pairings?
The average episode length on Novel Pairings is 58 minutes.
How often are episodes of Novel Pairings released?
Episodes of Novel Pairings are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Novel Pairings?
The first episode of Novel Pairings was released on Mar 3, 2020.
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