Today Chelsey and Sara are trying something a little different and discussing a short story. First, we'll deep dive into the dishy, gossipy, and glitzy world of Edith Wharton's Roman Fever (this conversation sounds more like a discussion of The Bachelor than a work of classic lit!) and then we'll share some contemporary authors who remind us of Wharton and short story collections we're eager to read. Today's discussion includes:

• Our relationships with short stories and why this one in particular made our jaws drop.
• Why Edith Wharton is the perfect classic author for lovers of Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, and anyone who loves reading about "rich people problems."
• The contemporary author Chelsey realized was the perfect pairing for Wharton's sassy and drama-filled books.

Plus, as always, we're recommending lots of contemporary books along the way, including short story collections we love and our favorite rich people problems books.

Read Roman Fever online for free: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/pleasureofthetext/files/2016/10/Roman-Fever.pdf

Books discussed in today's episode:

Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty (29:03)

The Garden Party and Other Stories Katherine Mansfield (30:08)

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (31:10)

The Six Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (31:40)

The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (32:22)

All this Could be Yours by Jami Attenberg (32:24)

Succession (32:30)

How Long til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemison (33:20)

Tales of Two Cities: The Best and Worst of Times in Today's New York (35:13)

Florida by Lauren Groff (37:03)

Laugable Loves by Milan Kundera (38:22)

You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld (39:22)

Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires (40:06)

Lot by Bryan Washington (40:49)

Sabrina and Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (41:20)

Cowboys are My Weakness by Pam Houston (41:43)

Shop all of the books we mentioned today through our Bookshop storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

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