Novel Feelings

Our second entry in Novel Tropes, our mini-series, focuses on the 'people with mental health issues are violent' trope. Elise puts on her researcher hat and discuss the stats about this relationship in real life. We also chat with Anna Ross, a PhD candidate whose research focuses on reducing stigma towards severe mental illness through improved media reporting. Tune in for our recommendations on how writers can do better. Hint: we want to see less of this trope in general, tbh.

Our website: novelfeelings.com | Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads: @novel_feelings | Find Anna Ross on Twitter: @Anna_Ross_

Introducing our new mini-series: Novel Tropes is all about taking a closer look at tropes involving mental health issues in fiction. This episode, we discuss a trope often found in romance storylines: commitment issues. Can attachment theory shine light on the complexity of these issues? Also, we have some thoughts about a recent and very popular example of this trope: Bridgerton.  

Our website: novelfeelings.com | Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads: @novel_feelings

How do you help some who seems determined to push you away? Join Elise for a bonus (solo) review of A Court of Silver Flames, the latest book by Sarah J Maas in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. This novel follows Nesta, sister of Feyre, as she recovers from multiple traumas in a fantasy setting. Topics include rage, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and the many faces of PTSD.

Our website: novelfeelings.com | Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads: @novel_feelings

This month, we welcome a very special guest! We chat to author Wai Chim about her book, The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling. Topics include: writing about mental health issues in Asian families, flawed but well-intentioned characters, introvert representation, and self-care. The first half of the episode is spoiler-free (we let you know when the conversation gets spoiler-y!).  

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.

Find Wai through waichim.com or @onewpc

We are kicking off the year with a bonus episode all about getting back into reading, setting goals, and smashing them. We discuss a bunch of different ideas, including those that have worked for us. Hint: it’s not just about the number of books you read!

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.

We're pretty keen to say goodbye to 2020, but before that happens, we wanted to spend some quality time rambling about other books - not just those that are mental health-specific. In this special spoiler-free bonus episode, we each present our Top 3 books of the year (plus some honourable mentions) and reflect on our experience putting Season 1 together. We also talk about a potential Season 2, and other exciting things!

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.

It's our Season 1 finale and, guess what? We break the first rule of Fight Club! (yes, that is a very new, unique joke). Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk, follows a man suffering from insomnia. He meets a strange man named Tyler Durden; the two bored men form an underground club and fight other men who are fed up with their own mundane lives. In this episode, we discuss arguably the best-known portrayal of dissociative identity disorder in fiction, for better or worse.

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.

What if the things you remember never happened? More importantly, what if no one believes your version of events? We discuss Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein, a fascinating YA psychological thriller. Small Spaces follows Tash Carmody who has has been traumatised since she witnessed her imaginary friend, Sparrow, lure a child away from a carnival. We discuss stigma, gaslighting, trauma, and the impact of bad therapy.   

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.

Can you practice romance? Stella thinks so. In this episode, we talk about The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang. It tells the story of Stella, an econometrician diagnosed with Asperger’s, who decides to hire Michael, an escort, to teach her intimacy and romance. We discuss autism, the relationship between core beliefs and miscommunication, and the importance of being a decent human.  

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.

Even faeries experience trauma. This episode is all about the novel A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas. ACOMAF explores what happens after a brutal experience for Feyre, human-turned-fae. We discuss post-traumatic stress disorder in a fantasy setting, signs of a healthy (or potentially unhealthy) relationship, and a lot of angsty faeries. 

Find Novel Feelings via:

• Our website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads.

Detailed show notes available on our website.