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Novel Pairings

Novel Pairings

By: Novel Pairings
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About this listen

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. Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • 165. Celebrate Novel Pairings with Chelsey and Sara with a Farewell Q&A
    Jun 3 2025

    For our final episode of Novel Pairings, we opened up the mailbag to answer your thoughtful listener questions. From reflections on our favorite classics to behind-the-scenes stories, we’re sharing a lot today! And celebrating the journey we’ve shared with all of you. We’ll also be offering some closing thoughts on what this podcast has meant to us, what we’ve learned along the way, and what comes next for each of us.

    This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. To learn more about our storefront and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

    Novel Pairings Bundles: novelpairings.gumroad.com

    Find us individually and continue to read with each of us here:

    Chelsey – IG: @chelseyreads | Substack: chelsey.substack.com

    Sara – IG: @fictionmatters | Substack: fictionmatters.substack.com

    Books Mentioned

    Summer by Edith Wharton

    A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

    Quicksand by Nella Larsen

    A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

    Passing by Nella Larsen

    The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

    Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    1984 by George Orwell

    Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

    Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

    There is Confusion by Jesse Redmond Fossett

    Also Mentioned

    From the Front Porch/The Bookshelf Conquer a Classic with Annie and Hunter

    Shelf by Shelf on Substack

    The Novel Tea Podcast

    250th Anniversary of Jane Austen

    Smith and Taylor Classics

    Persephone Books

    McNally Editions

    New York Review

    Penguin Modern Classics

    Center for Fiction

    Wuthering Heights adaptation

    Pride and Prejudice adaptations

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 164. Brand New Books with Backlist Pairings: Summer 2025 Edition
    May 20 2025
    Get ready to load your summer totes with compelling reads, both new and old! We’re sharing our anticipated summer releases on today’s episode, carefully curated from a long list of captivating titles to shake up your TBR. As always, we’ve included some perfectly paired backlist favorites to enjoy while you wait for the buzzy new books. Today, we explore an exciting mix of poignant literary fiction, immersive historical narratives, richly layered contemporary stories, and even a touch of magical realism to spark your imagination. You’ll find everything from heartfelt memoirs threaded with nostalgia to sharp, insightful critiques of today’s world, alongside enchanting tales perfect for reading all season long. This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com. Find us individually and continue to read with each of us here: Chelsey – IG: @chelseyreads | Substack: chelsey.substack.com Sara – IG: @fictionmatters | Substack: fictionmatters.substack.com Books Mentioned Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan (5/20) The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan Dubliners by James Joyce I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan (6/3) Disoriental by Négar Djavadi Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Challenger by Adam Higginbotham The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (6/3) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue (6/3) A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey (6/17) Audition by Katie Kitamura Liars by Sarah Mangusso The Tiny Things are Heavier by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo (6/24) Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott (6/24) Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (8/26) Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang Babel by R.F. Kuang Yellowface by R.F. Kuang The Inferno by Dante Alighieri The Odyssey by Homer The Austin Affair by Madeline Bell Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor On Beauty by Zadie Smith Heart the Lover by Lilly King The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue The Unveiling by Quan Berry Endurance by Alfred Lansing Also Mentioned Paperback Summer Reading Guide Libro FM The Irishification of Pop Culture (The Culture Study Podcast) LuLaRich Documentary
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • 163. Reflections on Emma and 250 years of Jane Austen
    May 6 2025

    We’re wrapping up our Emma readalong with final reflections on rereading, standout themes, and Austen’s legacy. We also chat about how we’re marking the momentous occasion of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary and the ways this milestone is resonating with us as readers.

    This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

    Find Chelsey and Sara on Substack, too!

    Chelsey, The Eclectic Reader: chelsey.substack.com

    Sara, Fiction Matters: fictionmatters.substack.com

    Books Mentioned

    • The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
      Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

    • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    • Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

    • The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
      Superworm by Julia Donaldson

    • Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney

    • Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser

    • Persuasion by Jane Austen

    • Juvenilia by Jane Austen

    • Of Love and Friendship by Jane Austen

    • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

    • Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

    Also Mentioned

    • Novel Pairings Readalongs

    • Emma Footnotes #4: Foils

    • 250 Years of Jane Austen

    • Pride and Prejudice Series on Netflix

    • Hamilton

    • Pride and Prejudice on the big screen

    • Emma

    • Slow Horses

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    56 mins
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