The Novel Tea
Neha & Shruti
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Top 10 The Novel Tea Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Novel Tea episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Novel Tea 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 The Novel Tea episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
02/12/25 • 64 min
In this episode, we discuss the short story The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe, its many interpretations – from institutional decay, to psychology and health, to imagined realities – and the real-life history the story is said to have been based on. We then talk about What Moves the Dead, a retelling of Poe’s short story, and whether or not it accomplished what it set out to do.
Along the way, we also get into what makes a good adaptation and differences between gothic and horror genres. We also talk a bit about the recent Netflix adaptation The Fall of the House of Usher by Mike Flanagan.
Shelf Discovery:
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: guilt and alienation
The Novel Tea
02/12/23 • 34 min
For our first book, Neha and Shruti discuss The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - one of the first books we ever read that resonated with us as first generation immigrants, and third culture kids. We explore how our feelings have changed re-reading the book all these years later, and reflect on how relevant immigrant stories are to every generation.
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
Links:
The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes
Shelf Discovery:
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Shruti - Passing by Nella Larsen; and Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
Neha - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
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Prologue
The Novel Tea
02/03/23 • 7 min
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12/04/24 • 40 min
This week we are so excited to invite Sri Ramesh of Brown Girl Bookshelf to chat with us! Last week, Neha and Shruti got into some of their critiques of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, and this week, Sri is here to tell us what she loved about. Will she change our minds?
We also talk more broadly about Sri Lankan literature, the Booker prize, book endings, and our reading idiosyncrasies.
Links
What Makes a Book a 'Classic'? [The Novel Tea Newsletter archive]
Books
A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam
Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshanathan
The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Khong
Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones: A Memoir by Priyanka Mattoo
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Season 3 Wrap: Other Worlds, the Genre Debate, and Speculative Fiction Books to add to your TBR
The Novel Tea
06/26/24 • 33 min
In our last episode until the fall, we talk all about speculative fiction: our favorite fictional worlds, the best reading experiences we've had this season, and more. We also share the books that didn't make the cut for this season (even though we want to read them all), and get into the great realistic vs. genre fiction debate.
Books mentioned:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
If you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
02/26/23 • 32 min
In The Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich introduces us to a rich cast of characters in weaving a story based on her grandfather's fight against Native American dispossession. We work our way through some confusing moments of magical realism, and discuss the importance of passing on these kinds of stories to new generations of readers.
If you would like to hear more in-depth literary and cultural analysis, curated book recommendations, and critical commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter. You can also connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
Shelf Discovery:
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Neha - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Shruti - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
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11/13/24 • 64 min
Neha and Shruti discuss Another Country by James Baldwin, a book that follows a group of friends and lovers in New York City in the mid-20th century. We talk about the characters and their relationships, the inaction that fills the novel, and the importance of having 'difficult' conversations with the people you love. We also go on a brief Gossip Girl tangent as we attempt to better understand the characters in this book :)
Links:
Another Country by Claudia Roth Pierpont [The New Yorker]
Jazz by Toni Morrison: violence and ambition [The Novel Tea]
Books mentioned & Shelf Discovery:
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Jazz by Toni Morrison
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10/30/24 • 56 min
Neha and Shruti discuss Daughters of the Deer, by Danielle Daniel, a work of historical fiction that follows an indigenous woman and her daughter in a 17th century French colony that is now Quebec, Canada. We talk about the historical context of the book, discuss the characters and their journeys, and reflect on the importance of telling these stories.
Shelf Discovery:
East by Edith Pattou
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Hope Leslie; Or Early Times in Massachusetts by Catharine Maria Sedgwick
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Emma by Jane Austen: autonomy and companionship
The Novel Tea
04/30/25 • 72 min
In this episode, we discuss, laugh about, and delight Jane Austen's Emma. We talk about the novel’s themes of autonomy and companionship and how these are at odds; we also delve into what we think the book is saying about love, marriage, friendship, and class. We of course giggle and marvel over the book’s wonderful characters, and we also get a bit nerdy as we make comparisons to Shakespeare’s comedies.
Links:
The Powers of the Instrument: Or, Jane, Frank, and the Pianoforte [JASNA]
Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
The Luck of the Bodkins by PG Wodehouse
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Emma by Jane Austen: Adaptations
The Novel Tea
05/14/25 • 63 min
In this episode we discuss the many adaptations of Jane Austen’s Emma: Emma (1996 with Gwyneth Paltrow), Emma (1996 with Kate Beckinsale), Emma (2020 with Anya Taylor Joy), Clueless (1995 with Alicia Silverstone). We talk all about what each version gets right, and what it gets wrong, and decide on a favorite Emma, a favorite Knightely, and favorite overall!
We also reference a few other Emma adaptations, including Aisha (2010 with Sonam Kapoor), Emma Approved (Youtube Miniseries), and Emma of 83rd Street by Aubrey Bellezza and Emily Harding.
If you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.
We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at [email protected].
This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Novel Tea have?
The Novel Tea currently has 60 episodes available.
What topics does The Novel Tea cover?
The podcast is about Book Club, Leisure, Hobbies, Literature, Novels, Podcasts, Books, Arts and Diversity.
What is the most popular episode on The Novel Tea?
The episode title 'Season 3 Wrap: Other Worlds, the Genre Debate, and Speculative Fiction Books to add to your TBR' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Novel Tea?
The average episode length on The Novel Tea is 49 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Novel Tea released?
Episodes of The Novel Tea are typically released every 13 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of The Novel Tea?
The first episode of The Novel Tea was released on Feb 3, 2023.
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