Novel Pairings

By Novel Pairings

Arts Hobbies

What's Novel Pairings about?

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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110. Not Without Laughter b...

01.24.2023

Chelsey and Sara discuss Langston Hughes’s 1930 novel: Not Without Laughter, the story of a young boy coming of age in small-town Kansas with his matriarchal family. His mother Annjee works as a maid and cook for a wealthy white ...

Novel Pairings episodes:

01.24.2023 110. Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes and stories of community, music, and home Chelsey and Sara discuss Langston Hughes’s 1930 novel: Not Without Laughter, the story of a young boy coming of age in small-town Kansas with his matriarchal family. His mother Annjee works as a maid and cook for a wealthy white ...
01.10.2023 109. Reading classic children's literature with Alice, Anne and Aslan This spring semester, we are trying something a little different. We hope you all are up for venturing into uncharted territory together as we spend a few months reading Classic Children's Literature! From fantasy to historical fiction to adventure, we ...
12.13.2022 108. Our favorite (and least favorite) books of 2022 Today we enter the towering stack of “Best Book” lists, but we like to think our annual episode stands out from the crowd. Instead of narrowing down a list of favorites every year, we share superlatives to include a wider ...
11.29.2022 107. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo and adapting the classics for modern readers Join us as we discuss the sumptuous, sexy, and speculative adaptation of The Great Gatsby: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo. We adored Vo’s language, voice, and inventive storytelling and will give you a heads up for brief ...
11.15.2022 106. Revisit West Egg with Novel Pairings: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Readers, today we are taking it way back to September 2020 (a lifetime ago!) when we discussed The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This month’s book club is The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (a Gatsby retelling) ...
11.08.2022 105. A stack of sparkling novels set in the Roaring 20s In anticipation of this month's book club read, we're sharing a whole stack of novels set in the 1920s. We are giving you a little bit of everything in this list: historical fiction, romance, mystery, backlist books, and new releases ...
10.25.2022 104. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare and pairings for theatrical, political, or fantastical readers Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth. It’s been awhile since we discussed a Shakespeare play and we’re thrilled to be back with the Bard for spooky season to chat about witches, ghosts, murder, and betrayal. Take ...
10.18.2022 103. Shakespearean titles to topple your To Be Read stack Today, we are toppling your TBR with Shakespeare-inspired stories, retellings, and adaptations. We have ten books for you today, but there are so many more we could have discussed. Join our community over on Patreon for three additional recommendations from ...
10.11.2022 102. Perplexed by Persuasion on Netflix Today, Chelsey and Sara are discussing the new Netflix film adaptation of Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson, Cormo Jarvis, and Henry Golding. We lament the anachronistic language, mull over the casting, and consider the obvious influences of Fleabag, Bridgerton, and Schitt’s ...
10.04.2022 101. Ask a Shakespeare Professor Welcome to Shakespeare 101! It’s a perfectly fitting episode number for today as we invite a Shakespeare professor to answer YOUR questions about the Bard’s staying power, how to read his works, and how to interpret Lady Macbeth. We always ...
09.27.2022 100. Persuasion by Jane Austen and romantic novels with plenty of pining It’s our 100th episode, readers! Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming along with us on this nerdy creative endeavor. We are immensely grateful for those of you who listen to the podcast, share it with friends, and support ...
09.13.2022 99. Literary adaptations we can't wait to read this fall Welcome to fall, readers! Today, Sara & Chelsey dive into all things adaptations: why we enjoy them, when they fall short, and how adaptations fit into literary and pop culture conversations. We discuss how literature thrives on adaptations, and Sara ...
08.30.2022 98. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and stories as big as Texas Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. This novel surprised us in the best ways, and we loved reading along with you all summer. Tune in to hear us talk about the fantastic characters and McMurtry’s narrative ...
05.31.2022 97. Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay and postcolonial novels to expand your world Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay. We discuss the classic nature of this novel along with some of its modern elements, as well as our own personal impressions and individual reading experiences of the book. ...
05.24.2022 96. Must-read books of the summer paired with beach-worthy backlist titles It’s that time of year, readers! Pull out your favorite book tote and get thee to pre-ordering (or library requesting) because we’ve got an episode full of our most anticipated reads for summer 2022. Since we can’t help ourselves, we’ve ...
04.26.2022 95. Love and Freindship by Jane Austen and adding pure FUN to your TBR list Today Sara and Chelsey discuss Jane Austen’s silly, ridiculous, and absolutely delightful work of juvenilia: Love and Freindship. From fainting spells to the history of parody, this episode is full of nerdy information and fun Austen context. If you’re looking ...
04.12.2022 94. Ask Us Anything with Chelsey, Sara, and a surprise guest How did Sara and Chelsey meet? What goes into making a Novel Pairings episode? And how do they find time to read with busy, curious babies in their lives? Today’s episode holds all the answers to YOUR questions about classic ...
03.22.2022 93. Middlemarch by George Eliot Part Two: Pairings Today Sara and Chelsey consider Middlemarch by George Eliot through a contemporary lens with paired books about marriage, community, and time-tested advice. You don’t need to read Middlemarch to put a book recommendation in your pocket today, so enjoy this ...
03.08.2022 92. Middlemarch by George Eliot Part One Today Sara and Chelsey check in and discuss Middlemarch by George Eliot. What does this 800-page Victorian novel have in common with Love is Blind on Netflix? Tune in to hear literary analysis, pop culture connections, and personal reflections on ...
02.01.2022 91. Bookish superlatives from an unprecedented reading year After a few months off, we're back in your feeds today to discuss some of our favorite (and least favorite) books of 2021. We've organized this episode into bookish superlatives that let us share books you may not hear us ...
12.21.2021 90. Our love/hate relationship with Little Women by Louisa May Alcott “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents.” So begins the book that launched a million little girls’ love affair with reading. While we here at Novel Pairings have pretty mixed feelings about Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, our discussion of ...
12.07.2021 89. Behind the scenes of the shop around the corner with Annie B. Jones Here at Novel Pairings, if there’s one thing we love almost as much as reading it’s supporting independent bookstores. Today, we’re re-airing an interview with one of our favorite indie bookstore insiders, Annie B. Jones, owner of The Bookshelf in ...
11.23.2021 88. A new-to-us and nuanced novel of manners: There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset We love revisiting our favorite books for episodes of Novel Pairings, but there’s also something truly special about finding a new-to-us classic that becomes a forever favorite. There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset was a book neither of us ...
11.16.2021 87. Perfectly paired gifts for every bookworm Our penchant for pairings goes far beyond books and in today’s gift guide rerelease we’re offering a variety of suggestions for what to give the literary minded loved ones in your life. Each book and gift pairing is put together ...
11.09.2021 86. Palpable tension and shocking twists in Passing by Nella Larsen When we first released our episode on Passing by Nella Larsen in June of 2020, we were already professing our excitement for the new movie starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Nega. This month, the film is finally releasing on Netflix. ...
11.02.2021 85. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and perfectly psychological pairings Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. We’ve read this story more times than we can count—as students and as teachers, and today we’re sharing new insights and appreciation for its themes, tone, and terrifying ...
10.26.2021 84. Literary terms, book recommendations, and learning about the horror genre with Raelyn Torngren Today, we welcome Raelyn Torngren to the podcast to educate us on the horror genre. From defining tropes to engaging in literary criticism to offering excellent book recommendations, we cover a lot of ground! This episode is excellent for readers ...
10.19.2021 83. Revisiting Frankenstein by Mary Shelley This season we’ve been getting into the autumnal mood with Gothic short stories, Victorian fiction, and an upcoming exploration of horror literature. Today, we’re rereleasing our episode on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a work that fits perfectly into our seasonal theme. ...
10.12.2021 82. How to read a BIG book: an introduction to Middlemarch by George Eliot In case you missed it, we're reading Middlemarch together! We're both excited (and, let's be honest) a little apprehensive about diving into George Eliot's Middlemarch with you this fall and winter. This is a BIG book filled with lots of ...
10.05.2021 81. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe and creepy fictional houses to explore Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. This delightfully creepy story ushers in (that pun was NOT intended, but let’s go with it) chilling fall breezes, spooky October vibes, and atmosphere ...
09.28.2021 80. Forecasting our fall reading with anticipated backlist titles from our shelves Today, Sara and Chelsey share the backlist books they’re putting on their To Be Read lists for the next few months. We speculate on which books will carry us through the early days of motherhood and which reading formats might ...
09.21.2021 79. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Part Two Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss chapters 27 through the end of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We discuss Jane’s journeys from coming of age to literally hiking on the moors, the juxtaposition of Rochester and another romantic interest, the ending ...
09.14.2021 78. Raising Readers with biblio therapist Anne Bogel When Chelsey and Sara found out we were both expecting new family members, literally just a few days apart, many conversations of course turned to all things pregnancy and baby. We wanted to consider how motherhood would impact our reading ...
09.07.2021 77. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Part One Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss chapters 1-26 of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We’ve each read this Victorian Gothic novel multiple times, learning something new with each reread. In today’s conversation, we reflect on past reading experiences and dive into ...
08.31.2021 76. Our favorite tips, tricks, and insights for reading Jane Eyre Today, Sara and Chelsey share some of their favorite tips for getting the most out of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. Our tips include some general advice for reading a dense Victorian novel alongside our thoughts about the genre conventions and ...
08.24.2021 75. Wrapping up summer with our favorite reads and reflections Today, Sara and Chelsey reflect on their summer reading season with short reviews of their favorite reads, and they look ahead to their upcoming fall season. Do you enjoy hearing about our recent reads? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ...
08.17.2021 74. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor and stories of friendship, community, and resilience Today, Sara and Chelsey gush about a new favorite novel-in-short-stories: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. We focus on Naylor’s memorable prose and mastery of structure, avoiding spoilers so you can listen before reading. Plus, as always, we ...
08.10.2021 73. Greek mythology-inspired novels to topple your To Be Read list Influenced by a delightful book club discussion with Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas, Chelsey and Sara share a pile of mythology-inspired books in today’s TBR toppling episode. Myth retellings and adaptations might be a hot trend in publishing right ...
08.03.2021 72. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and contemporary novels with plenty of drama Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss a melodramatic classroom staple: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. We relive our classroom experiences, investigate why this play is still taught, and dig into the iconic characters made famous by Marlon Brando and ...
07.30.2021 Storybound with Laurie Frankel We have an extra special Friday bonus episode for you! We've expressed our love for Laurie Frankel and her new book One Two Three on the podcast. Today, we're sharing an episode from Storybound, in which Laurie reads an excerpt ...
07.27.2021 71. Superlatives for the best books of 2021 so far Today, Sara and Chelsey share their favorite books of the year (so far) with a series of bookish superlatives to guide them. From most surprising to most disappointing, we discuss the books that have shaped our reading lives in the ...
07.20.2021 70. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and glittering contemporary books full of social commentary Chelsey and Sara discuss The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton*, a glittering Gilded Age classic that feels particularly relevant today. We chat about our experiences rereading one of Wharton’s early novels, how we felt about the divisive character Lily ...
07.13.2021 69. A short story to read in one sitting this summer: The Prairie Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld Today in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are discussing “The Prairie Wife” by Curtis Sittenfeld. It’s a quick, absorbing read about summer camp, social media, and how stories shape our identities. We’d love to hear your thoughts on it! ...
07.06.2021 68. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and contemplative books for moody summer reading Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss The Summer Book by Tove Jansson*, a contemplative and vivid book in translation about a young girl, her grandmother, and the little island they inhabit. We discuss our favorite vignettes, the endearing characters, and our ...
06.29.2021 67. Sweeping family sagas for classic and contemporary reading tastes Today, Sara and Chelsey share their favorite classic and contemporary sweeping family sagas. We recommend intergenerational stories that take place over decades or centuries—or across multiple continents. We also define and discuss this sub genre and speculate about why it’s ...
06.22.2021 66. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part Two Today Chelsey and Sara discuss the second half of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, Chapters 7 through 14. In this episode, we cover new characters, prominent themes, and final thoughts on spending so much time with the ...
06.15.2021 65. Classic novels to read with your book club and tips for getting more out of book club discussions Today, Chelsey and Sara discuss: when it comes to the classics, what makes a great book club pick? They also share a handful of highly discussable classics, plus their top tips for better book club discussions. Tell us which classics ...
06.08.2021 64. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part One Today Chelsey and Sara discuss the first half of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, Chapters 1 through 6. There’s so much to discuss in this jam-packed, sweeping family novel. In this episode, we cover initial impressions and ...
06.01.2021 63. Brand new summer books and backlist pairings to topple your TBR We’re kicking off the summer reading season with a TBR toppler full of highly anticipated summer releases and backlist pairings! This episode is full of books we haven’t read and our best guesses at which books might be readalikes or ...
05.25.2021 62. Quarterly Favorites: page-turning reads and reflections on Spring 2021 Every quarter, we stop to reflect on our reading lives and share a few of our favorite reads. Today, we’re looking back at books from our spring reading season, from palate-cleansing pageturners to nuanced nonfiction. We’d love to hear what ...

Older episodes

Novel Pairings

What's Novel Pairings about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Novel Pairings episodes:

110. Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes and stories of community, music, and home

109. Reading classic children's literature with Alice, Anne and Aslan

108. Our favorite (and least favorite) books of 2022

107. The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo and adapting the classics for modern readers

106. Revisit West Egg with Novel Pairings: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

105. A stack of sparkling novels set in the Roaring 20s

104. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare and pairings for theatrical, political, or fantastical readers

103. Shakespearean titles to topple your To Be Read stack

102. Perplexed by Persuasion on Netflix

101. Ask a Shakespeare Professor

100. Persuasion by Jane Austen and romantic novels with plenty of pining

99. Literary adaptations we can't wait to read this fall

98. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and stories as big as Texas

97. Romance in Marseille by Claude McKay and postcolonial novels to expand your world

96. Must-read books of the summer paired with beach-worthy backlist titles

95. Love and Freindship by Jane Austen and adding pure FUN to your TBR list

94. Ask Us Anything with Chelsey, Sara, and a surprise guest

93. Middlemarch by George Eliot Part Two: Pairings

92. Middlemarch by George Eliot Part One

91. Bookish superlatives from an unprecedented reading year

90. Our love/hate relationship with Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

89. Behind the scenes of the shop around the corner with Annie B. Jones

88. A new-to-us and nuanced novel of manners: There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset

87. Perfectly paired gifts for every bookworm

86. Palpable tension and shocking twists in Passing by Nella Larsen

85. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and perfectly psychological pairings

84. Literary terms, book recommendations, and learning about the horror genre with Raelyn Torngren

83. Revisiting Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

82. How to read a BIG book: an introduction to Middlemarch by George Eliot

81. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe and creepy fictional houses to explore

80. Forecasting our fall reading with anticipated backlist titles from our shelves

79. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Part Two

78. Raising Readers with biblio therapist Anne Bogel

77. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Part One

76. Our favorite tips, tricks, and insights for reading Jane Eyre

75. Wrapping up summer with our favorite reads and reflections

74. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor and stories of friendship, community, and resilience

73. Greek mythology-inspired novels to topple your To Be Read list

72. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and contemporary novels with plenty of drama

Storybound with Laurie Frankel

71. Superlatives for the best books of 2021 so far

70. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and glittering contemporary books full of social commentary

69. A short story to read in one sitting this summer: The Prairie Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

68. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and contemplative books for moody summer reading

67. Sweeping family sagas for classic and contemporary reading tastes

66. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part Two

65. Classic novels to read with your book club and tips for getting more out of book club discussions

64. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part One

63. Brand new summer books and backlist pairings to topple your TBR

62. Quarterly Favorites: page-turning reads and reflections on Spring 2021