Today Chelsey and Sara explore speculative fiction and sci-fi in anotherTBR toppling episode. We’re not big sci-fi readers, but we have a bunch of grounded, page-turning books to recommend today. Even if you’re not an avid speculative fiction reader, we think you’ll find at least one book to interest you among these titles. 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:  The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Amazon) The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (Amazon) Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Amazon) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Amazon) Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole (Amazon) The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (Amazon) To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (Amazon) The Martian by Andy Weir (Amazon) The Resisters by Gish Jen (Amazon) In the Quick by Kate Hope Day (Amazon) The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (Amazon) Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (Amazon) Watchmen by Alan M. Moore (Amazon) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Amazon) Recursion by Blake Crouch (Amazon) The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Amazon) Destroyer by Victor LaValle (Amazon) 

58. Grounded and inventive speculative fiction recommendations for your TBR

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.

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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

149. On Beauty by Zadie Smith

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  

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

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? The Onion Saturday Night Live The Daily Show The Colbert Report White Lotus Abbott Elementary Veep The West Wing John Oliver  

147. The limits of satire & A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

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 Hamlet by William Shakespeare  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead R. Eric Thomas  

146. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

We're thrilled to welcome back Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks Podcast, for a thought-provoking discussion on one of Shakespeare's darkest comedies, Measure for Measure. In this conversation, we'll dive deep into the play's timeless themes including punishment, gender, power, and politics. We discuss how these themes continue to resonate with modern audiences, revealing the parallels between the play and our contemporary world. We also talk about how Shakespeare masterfully uses this satire in this work, even when satire doesn't necessarily equate to laugh-out-loud humor. Listen to the end for Traci’s book recommendations, including Shakespeare pairings and a soon-to-be-released title.  Connect with Traci: The Stacks Podcast  Unstacked  Instagram: @thestackspod    Join our community! Patreon Substack Instagram: @novelpairingspod   Books Mentioned: Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper Blackface (Object Lessons) by Ayanna Thompson New People by Danzy Senna  Color Television by Danzy Senna Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu Erasure by Percival Everett Severance by Ling Ma Victim by Andrew Boryga Love’s Labor Lost by William Shakespeare All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare Othello by William Shakespeare Richard III by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare   Also Mentioned:  Ask a Shakespeare Professor   Macbeth The Stacks episode on Romeo and Juliet  

58. Grounded and inventive speculative fiction recommendations for your TBR

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