Category: book lists

We couldn’t close our immersive Pride and Prejudice experience without sharing a bunch of book recommendations for readers who want to stay with Elizabeth and Darcy awhile longer. Today, Chelsey and Sara share their favorite and least favorite Pride and Prejudice pastiche, sequels, adaptations, and retellings. 

Download the episode in your favorite podcast app or use this link to listen in your web browser.

For more Austen nerdiness, including a class on Jane Austen and a bonus episode on Regency customs, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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Sequels, Pastiche, and Alternate Perspectives

The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going (Amazon)
Longbourn by Jo Baker (Amazon)
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (Amazon)
The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley (Amazon)
The Heiress by Molly Greeley (Amazon)
First Impressions by Charlie Lovett (Amazon)
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow (Amazon)
Cozy Classics (Amazon)
Babylit Counting (Amazon)

Retellings

Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Amazon)
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (Amazon)
Heartstone by Elle K. White (Amazon)
Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (Amazon)
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev (Amazon)
Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal (Amazon)
Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding (Amazon)
Unequal Affections by Laura S. Ormiston (Amazon)

Also mentioned

Why are so many romance novels set in the Regency period?
Regency romance recommendations
And a few more Regency romances
Death Comes to Pemberley TV adaptation

Chelsey and Sara pair brand new and upcoming spring book releases with backlist titles that share similar themes, plotlines, or settings. We haven’t read all of these new releases, so our pairings are based on speculation and best guesses.

Listen to this episode in your favorite podcast player or in your web browser.

Connect with us  on Instagram or Twitter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

For more literary content, join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com

Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.

Books mentioned:

These links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Novel Pairings will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Out in March

3/2/2021

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (Amazon)
Fiebre Tropical by Juliana Delgado Lopero (Amazon)

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster (Amazon)
Nice White Parents podcast
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet (Amazon)
There is Confusion by Jessie Redmon Fauset (Amazon)

3/9/2021

Brood by Jackie Polzin (Amazon)
My Antonia by Willa Cather (Amazon)
Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unswerth (Amazon)

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chonda Prescod-Weinstein (Amazon)
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Amazon)
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Amazon)

The Salt Fields by Stacy D. Flood (Amazon)
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (Amazon)
Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Amazon)

3/16/2021

That Way Madness Lies by Dahlia Adler (Amazon)
His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler (Amazon)
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust (Amazon)
The Radical Element by Jessica Spotswood (Amazon)
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell (Amazon)
Because You Love to Hate Me by Amerie (Amazon)

Lolita in the Afterlife by Jenny Minton Quigley (Amazon)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov (Amazon)
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Amazon)
Excavation by Wendy C. Oriz (Amazon)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (Amazon)
Living with Shakespeare by Susannah Carson (Amazon)

3/23/2021

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura (Amazon)
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (Amazon)

3/30/2021

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge (Amazon)
Everything Inside by Edwinge Danticat (Amazon)

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce (Amazon)
Let Us Dream by Alyssa Cole (Amazon)

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The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Culture Warlords by Talia Lavin
Here for It by R. Eric Thomas

Out in April

4/6/2021

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon)
Snowpiercer by Jaques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette (Amazon)
Stream Snowpiercer or Parasite

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian (Amazon)
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (Amazon)

4/8/2021

Hamlet by Gillian Flynn
Anything in the Hogarth Shakespeare project

4/13/2021

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (Amazon)
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Amazon)

4/27/2021

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Salfe (Amazon)
Ellen @reading_theend
Life After Life by Kate Atkinison (Amazon)
Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore (Amazon)
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab (Amazon)

Out in May

5/4/2021

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel (Amazon)
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (Amazon)
Maintenance Phase podcast

Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (Amazon)
Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead  (Amazon)
Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead  (Amazon)
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (Amazon)
Amelia Earhart by Doris Rich (Amazon)

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (Amazon)
Beloved by Toni Morrison (Amazon)
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (Amazon)

5/25/2021

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams (Amazon)
The Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright (Amazon)

The Guncle by Steven Rawley (Amazon)
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claybourn Johnson (Amazon)
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (Amazon)

Out in June 

6/1/2021

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (Amazon)
Passing by Nella Larsen (Amazon)
The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell (Amazon)
Luster by Raven Leilani (Amazon)

Readers, today’s episode is inspired by Helene Hanff’s love of books, nonfiction, and observation. We’re sharing a bunch of nonfiction books about books, reading, and readers. Some of these are longtime favorites and others are on our endless TBR lists. This episode is extra nerdy, a little nostalgic, and supremely bookish. We hope you find a title to add to your TBR today. 

Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram or Twitter. 

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates on what we’re currently listening to. 

Nonfiction loveletters to books

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (Amazon)

Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (Amazon)

Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani (Amazon)

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (Amazon)

I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel (Amazon)

The Possessed by Elif Batuman (Amazon)

Well Read Black Girl edited by Glory Edim (Amazon) 

The Dark Fantastic by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas (Amazon)

Bezi @beingabookwyrm

The Library Book by Susan Orlean (Amazon)

Susan Orlean on Twitter

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Amazon)

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (Amazon)

Bibliophile by Jane Mount (Amazon)

Diverse Spines by Jamise Harper and Jane Mount (forthcoming)

The Toni Morrison Book Club by Juda Bennett,  Winnifred Brown-Glaude,  Cassandra Jackson,  Piper Kendrix Williams (Amazon)

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Anne Boyd Rioux (Amazon)

My Autobiography of Carson McCullers by Jenn Shapland (Amazon)

Books Promiscuously Read: Reading as a Way of Life  by Heather Cass White (Amazon)

If there’s one thing we enjoy as much as immersing ourselves in a great book, it’s pairing just the right book with just the right reader. That makes holiday gifting a pretty big deal around here. We had a blast putting together our gift guide and selecting the very best books and goodies for the book lovers in your lives. In this guide, you’ll find books for every literary taste alongside bookish pairings that make for cute, thoughtful gift bundles. You can shop this post through our affiliate links by clicking the photos below. We hope this guide will help you find the perfect gifts for the readers in your life and maybe find some treats for your own wish list. Happy shopping and happy gifting, readers!

Classics Nerds

These gifts are perfect for the English major (or English major at heart), the reader who seems to have read everything, and the one who’s steadily making their way through those “best books of all time lists.”

General Crowd Pleasers

Some books just seem to work for every reader. With their engaging plots, relatable characters, and crisp writing, these books will please just about everyone on your list.

History Buffs

History buffs are the embodiment of the lifelong learner; no matter how many WWII or American history texts they devour, they always want more. These books range from the expansive to the hyper-specific to satisfy the any history lover on your list.

Fantasy Escapists

Everyone is going to need a little escape at the end of this rollercoaster of a year, and what better way to do that than through an epic fantasy. These books are perfect for the hardcore fantasy lover as well as readers who are just breaking into this genre.

The Romantics

Romance readers love their HEAs (Happily Ever Afters). Give the gift of pure joy with these rom-com recommendations and flirty bookish items.

True Crime Podcast Listeners

True crime devotees can seemingly never get enough of their favorite genre. These books and accessories will make sure even the most hardcore fan never runs out of murders, mysteries, and cold cases.

The Environmentalists

Shopping for people who are trying to consume less can be hard. These gifts will remind your environmentalist what they’re fighting for and why their commitment matters.

The Austenites

These gifts are for anyone whose copy of Pride and Prejudice is tattered and torn, who has a definitive ranking of Austen movie adaptations, and who wishes they could have attended the Netherfield ball. Austenites are our kindred spirits, and we know first hand that you can never have too much Jane in your life.

Aspiring Writers

In giving an aspiring writer a beautiful notebook, the perfect pens, or a book about writing, you’re also giving them the gift of seeing them as a writer. These gifts will help inspire and encourage the writer in your life.

Miscellaneous Bookishness

Bookish gifts are the best gifts, so we couldn’t help but add a few more fun treats for all the bibliophiles on your list. Many of these are currently on our own holiday wish lists!