Author: Chelsey

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

We’re thrilled to welcome Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks Podcast, to Novel Pairings for a thought-provoking discussion on one of Shakespeare’s darkest comedies, Measure for Measure. In this conversation, we’ll dive deep into the play’s timeless themes including punishment, gender, power, and politics. We discuss how these themes continue to resonate with modern audiences, revealing the parallels between the play and our contemporary world. We also talk about how Shakespeare masterfully uses this satire in this work, even when satire doesn’t necessarily equate to laugh-out-loud humor. Listen to the end for Traci’s book recommendations, including Shakespeare pairings and a soon-to-be-released title. 

Connect with Traci:

The Stacks Podcast 

Unstacked 

Instagram: @thestackspod 

Join our community!

Patreon

Substack

Instagram: @novelpairingspod

Books Mentioned:

Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper

Blackface (Object Lessons) by Ayanna Thompson

New People by Danzy Senna

Color Television by Danzy Senna

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

Erasure by Percival Everett

Severance by Ling Ma

Victim by Andrew Boryga

Love’s Labor Lost by William Shakespeare

All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare

Othello by William Shakespeare

Richard III by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Also Mentioned:

Ask a Shakespeare Professor 

Macbeth

The Stacks episode on Romeo and Juliet

If aesthetics, British aristocracy and nostalgia sounds like an appealing combination, Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh is the book for you. In today’s episode, we talk through the key themes, relationships, Waugh’s stated purpose for writing Brideshead, and we ask: is Brideshead Revisited a satire or a novel with satirical elements? Plus, today’s pairings include a fantasy novel, historical fiction and a psychological thriller.

Listen to this episode wherever you download your podcasts.

If you love our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have a hunch that you would also love 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:

The Other Significant Others by Rhaina Cohen

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Also Mentioned:

Downton Abbey 

Brideshead Revisited Mini Series

The Crown

Today, Chelsey and Sara share their most anticipated spring book releases paired with backlist selections. After  listening today, your TBR will be filled with delightful fiction, thrilling mysteries, historical romance and literary books from favorite writers, all releasing between late February and May. As always, our go-to pairings will keep your spring both entertaining and engaging. 

If you love our recommendations on the podcast, we have even more books to share over 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, eclectic 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.

Listeners can also stay in the loop with all things Novel Pairings by giving us a follow on Instagram and subscribing to our weekly newsletter on Substack. Thank you for supporting public scholarship!

Books Mentioned:

• Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
• The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft 
• Intimacies by Katie Kitamura
• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
• Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrush 
• Victim by Andrew Boryga
• Erasure by Pervical Everett
• The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett 
• Sirens of Sussex series by Mimi Matthews 
• James by Percival Everett 
• The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
• Clear by Carys Davies
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• The Colony by Audry McGee
• This Other Eden by Paul Harding
• A Few Rules for Predicting the Future: An Essay by Octavia Butler
• The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• How Long ‘Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
• The Oracle of Delphi by William J. Broad 
• The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson
• Oye by Melissa Mogollon
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
• Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
• House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
• A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley

Also Mentioned:

• Beforeigners 
• Bridgerton
• Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 
• Episode 141: Bookish Pairings for our favorite period dramas

In today’s episode, we’re wrapping up Wharton in Winter with a conversation about The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. We focus on Undine and question whether she’s a signature unlikable heroine or an anti-hero. Our conversation also digs into the other dynamic characters, themes of motherhood, greed, marriage, business, and Edith’s incredible writing. Every plot point builds to a bigger narrative in this timely classic. At the end of the episode, we share our complementary pairings , and we hope you add one to your TBR pile! 

If you loved our extra nerdy discussion on the podcast today, we have even more content to enjoy over 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, eclectic 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.

Shows Mentioned:

Mad Men

Breaking Bad

Selling Sunset

Downton Abbey

Books Mentioned:

Italo Calvino

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald 

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

There Is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset

Emma by Jane Austen

Free Food For Millionares by Min Jun Lee 

These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore

Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz

One Woman Show by Christine Coulson

Wahala by Nikki May

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Reading The Custom of the Country this winter has felt like stepping into the most lush, dramatic, and marathon-worthy period piece–so today we’re sharing some of our favorite period dramas and pairing them with excellent books for cozy winter reading. We discuss the appeal of watching historical fiction versus reading it, the through line from reading Dear America books to watching Downton Abbey as a comfort show, and the complex nature of colorblind casting. We hope you find a new, or old, TV series or novel to enjoy after listening to today’s episode. 

For more pairings, classes, and nerdy conversation join our Patreon community! Go to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up today.

Don’t miss our FREE weekly newsletter at novelpairings.substack.com. 

Shows Mentioned:

• Downton Abbey
• Poldark
• Miss Scarlet and the Duke
• Gentleman Jack
• The Gilded Age
• Bridgerton
• Queen Charlotte
• The Crown
• Outlander
• The Empress
• The Great
• The Good Lord Bird 
• The Underground Railroad
• Reign

Books Mentioned:

• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
• Longbourn by Jo Baker
• Poldark series by Winston Graham
• Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn
• Knockout by Sarah Maclean
• Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas
• Sarah Waters
• The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
• The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
• The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan
• The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
• Fiona Davis
• Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
• A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
• Jane Austen
• The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
• The Countess by Sophie Jordan
• Victoria by Daisy Godwin
• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
• The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
• Shakespeare’s history plays 
• Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
• The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
• Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller
• Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton
• James McBride
• John Brown by W.E.B. DuBois
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
• Beloved by Toni Morrison 
• Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
• The Water Dancer by Ta Nehisi Coates
• Royal Diaries series
• My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, et al
• Alison Weir
• Philippa Gregory
• Margaret George

Today we’re sharing five tips for “reading” your favorite (or least favorite) TV shows and movies. These close reading tricks will help you get more critical while you watch television, which we hope prompts more engaging discussions with your friends and family. We’re using The Buccaneers (Apple TV) as our main example in this episode, but you don’t need to watch the show in order to listen. In fact, if you like episodes in which we get a little sassy, well, this one’s for you. We also share questions to make you a more critical viewer, what we’re reading with a literary lens, and book recommendations to pair with The Buccaneers show. We’ve included a bunch of resources in our free weekly newsletter, so be sure to visit novelpairings.substack.com to supplement today’s listening. 

For more public scholarship and continued literary learning, sign up for our community at patreon.com/novelpairings. We would love to see you in our classes and book club meetings!

Books mentioned:

The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

The Great White Bard by Farah Karim-Cooper

The Fifth Avenue Rebels series by Joanna Shupe 

Also mentioned:

• Close reading
• Fiction Matters Substack: Book Reviews with Traci Thomas
• Leave The World Behind
• The Culture Study Podcast
• The Atlantic review of The Buccaneers
• The Guardian review of The Buccaneers

Ever wonder what it’s like to attend a class at Novel Pairings University? We have a special treat for our listeners as we prepare for #WhartonInWinter and our readalong of Edith Wharton’s Custom of the Country. Today on the main feed, we’re releasing the audio from our Patreon Class Gilded Age Literature: Entering Edith Wharton’s World for everyone to enjoy. 

In today’s class we talk about key literary figures of the Gilded Age, historical events and social movements that shaped this period, and how they connect to today. Plus, we share details about the grandiose drama, architecture, and wealth that give this period its weighty name. This episode is just one example of the public scholarship we’re creating on Patreon, where we teach classes on author and historical context, literary movements, critical lenses and more. We are working hard to convert past classes into exclusive Patreon episodes so you can catch up and listen on-the-go!

LISTEN HERE

If you’d like to access more classes like the one you heard in today’s episode, to join our monthly book club, to get handouts, to listen to weekly bonus episodes, and to join our engaging Discord community, you can sign up for our Classics Club over at patreon.com/novelpairings for just $10 a month. We’d love to see you in book club, class, or on social media this winter!