Today, Chelsey and Sara share some stand-out titles they read over the winter season, including amazing audiobooks, short story collections, and page-turning romance. These quarterly wrap-ups include reflections on our winter season, previews of what’s coming up, and a bunch of book recommendations. We can’t wait to hear what you think of our favorites from the quarter. Connect with us  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. Books mentioned:   Chelsey: Whiteout by Adriana Anders (Amazon) Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (Amazon) The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (Amazon) The Toni Morrison Book Club (Amazon) Wintering by Katherine May (Amazon) Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Amazon)   Sara: My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland (Amazon) On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee (Amazon) Anna K by Jenny Lee (Amazon) Four Hundred Souls by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain (Amazon) Disability Visibility, edited by Alice Wong (Amazon) Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)   Also mentioned:  The Head on HBO Max Deesha Philyaw on  The Stacks Podcast   Spring lineup: March 9th & 23rd:  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen April 6th: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin April 20th: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut May 4th: In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez May 18th: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

50. Quarterly Favorites: the stand-out books we read in Winter 2020-2021

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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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  

150. Ten classic novels you should read this summer

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  

50. Quarterly Favorites: the stand-out books we read in Winter 2020-2021

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