Category: Show Notes

Today Chelsey and Sara are back to  topple your TBRs with highly anticipated fall releases and backlist books. We know hardback books are pricey and library waitlists for the hottest new releases are long, so we’re pairing the books we’re most excited to read this fall with older books that are easier to get your hands on. There are about 60 titles mentioned in today’s episode, so be sure to visit our show notes at novelpairings.com or our shop at Bookshop.org to find full lists of every book we talked about. 

Shop our Backlist Recs on Bookshop:  https://bookshop.org/lists/anticipated-fall-reads-2020-backlist-pairings

Use our referral code to get TWO  audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Listen here

Books Mentioned:

Luster by Raven Leilani (9/1)

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (9/1)

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Daddy by Emma Cline (9/1)

The Girls by Emma Cline

Florida by Lauren Groff

Sabrina & Corina by Kali Farjado-Anstine

Lot by Bryan Washington

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman (9/1)

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (9/1)

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• 13th on Netflix

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

• When They See Us on Netflix

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (9/1)

Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivers (9/1)

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

• Episode 18 The Odyssey

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (9/1)

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

Jack by Marilynne Robinson (9/15)

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

• New Gilead covers

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall

Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (9/15)

Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (9/29)

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo (9/29)

The Best Worst Man by Mia Sosa

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (10/6)

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab (10/6)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

• Dolly Parton’s America

She Come by It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh (10/13)

Natural Acts: Gender, Race, and Rusticity in Country Music by Pamela Fox

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (10/20)

Dare Me by Megan Abbott

Jane in Love by Rachel Givney (10/27)

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Cobble Hill by Cecily Von Ziegesar (10/20)

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger 

I Wanna Be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom (11/17)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. We both read this in high school, had mixed feelings, came back to the text later, and still have mixed feelings! Plus some pretty strong opinions about Gatsby himself, Fitzgerald’s writing style, the prominence of this text in pop culture and in the classroom, and the narratives we repeat in American history class. We had a lot of fun recording this episode, and we can’t wait to hear all of your thoughts on Gatsby. 

Listen here

Our discussion includes:

• What we thought of this book in high school versus what we think now
• Whether or not Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship is romantic
• Why this is such an enduring classic text
• Why Sara hates the Baz Luhrman film version with the fire of a thousand suns
• And…is this the Great American Novel?

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a Jazz Age novella and plenty of literary fiction.

We do discuss some spoilers in this episode, but as with all of our episodes, we still think that readers can enhance their experience by listening before, during, or after the reading experience. 

Books Mentioned:

So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures by Maureen Corrigan

Passing by Nella Larsen

Shop the pairings:  https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-the-great-gatsby

Chelsey’s Pairings:

• Let Us Dream by Alyssa Cole [48:30]
• The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavincencio [56:33]
  • OWN voices reviews: @lupita.reads & @booksteahenny
• The Diviners by Libba Bray [1:04:36]

Sara’s Pairings:

• The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell [44:50]
• The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero [53:05]
• Severance by Ling Ma [59:25]

Picks of the Week:

Chelsey: The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton

Sara: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, Ep. 245 of What Should I Read Next

We love to take time to reflect here at Novel Pairings. Each season, we stop and consider our favorite episodes, our favorite reads, and what we’ve learned. Today we’re sharing some personal updates, gushing about our favorite reads of the summer, and giving listeners a peek at what’s to come in the fall. 

Shop our Quarterly Favorites on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/quarterly-favorites-spring-2020/

Use our referral code to get two audiobooks for the price of one through Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings

Books we both read:

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo [14:03]

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett [16:45]

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham [18:24]

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavincencio [21:27]

Chelsey:

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert [29:17]

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin [36:15]

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry [40:52]

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan [47:10]

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh [55:25]

Sara:

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell [25:50]

Heavy by Kiese Laymon [32:45]

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan [38:13]

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner [44:52]

One to Watch by Kate Staymon-London [50:34]

Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. We’re not shy about sharing our lack of experience with the fantasy genre. It’s not the go-to genre for either of us, but we love to branch out and try new literary things. This book delighted us in some surprising ways and helped us figure out what exactly we love—or could do without—in fantasy novels. 

Our discussion includes:

• What surprised Sara about reading this book, what she loved and what she didn’t [14:03]
• Fantasy elements we love and gravitate towards [20:45]
• Gender roles and stereotypes in LOTR and high fantasy in general [24:54]
• A few favorite moments that warmed our hearts and pleased our literary minds [30:00]
• Connecting to LOTR in the middle of a global pandemic [35:28]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a fast-paced fantasy set in NYC and a beautiful book for map-lovers.

We avoided major spoilers in this episode, so feel free to listen before or after reading in order to enhance your reading experience.

Books Mentioned:

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Shop the pairings:  https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-by-j-r-r-tolkien

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin [40:57]

• Bezi’s Review of The City We Became
• Jemisin Interview
• Short story

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan [51:11]

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss [59:18]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike [45:40]

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James [54:00]

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places by Alberto Maguel, Gianni Guadalupi, and Graham Greenfield [1:01:48]

Picks of the Week:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasA Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin

Today Chelsey and Sara are sharing the lineup for Novel Pairings’ fall season. We share our plans for an extra nerdy back-to-school-inspired season and which books we selected to feature. The books include a book seemingly everyone read in high school, a spooky listener’s choice, and a classic mystery novel. All of the books were chosen to fit with different fall reading moods and learning opportunities in mind.
To shop all of the books in the fall lineup,  and more, visit our Bookshop storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Scroll down for links to our six fall classics:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Beowulf or Frankenstein (Listeners’ Choice)

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

In the Woods by Tana French

The Likeness by Tana FrenchMexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

Today Chelsey and Sara are kicking off Women in Translation Month by discussing Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. This romantic, sensuous novel was so much fun to discuss, and our pairings include some of our absolute favorite books! We can’t wait to hear what you think of these pairings. 

Our discussion includes:

• Esquivel’s stunning use of food as a conduit for emotion, passion, and tension [11:10]
• Celebrating passion and different types of love [15:30]
• Rooting for Tita! [19:03]
• Structure and expanding the coming of age category [23:54]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a novel in verse and another classic in translation.

We avoided spoilers in this episode, so feel free to listen before or after reading in order to enhance your reading experience.

Shop the pairings:  https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-like-water-for-chocolate

A Burning by Mehga Majumdar

Beheld by Tarashea Nesbitt

Chelsey’s Pairings:

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera [39:00]

The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan [45:10]

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo [52:13]

Sara’s Pairings:

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez [34:12]

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev [42:13]

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende [48:26]

Picks of the Week:

@thedefineddish “Pass the Dish” seriesSalt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting with Jamise Harper of @spinesvines and @diversespines. Jamise is a champion for independent bookstores, for authors, and for the books she loves. We’re delighted to have her on the podcast today to share more about her Literary Wine Down interviews on Instagram live, her favorite books, and the perfect wine pairings to match summertime reads. We had so much fun gushing about our favorite books and authors with Jamise and hope you enjoy listening to our conversation.

Follow Jamise: @spinesvines and @diversespines

To shop all of the books in the summer lineup visit our Bookshop storefront or shop the individual links below: https://bookshop.org/shop/novelpairings

Support Jamise’s favorite D.C. bookstores: 

Mahogany Books

Politics and Prose

Kramer Books

Solid State Books

Loyalty Bookstore

East City Books

Purchase a #diversespines mug: https://www.idealbookshelf.com/products/mug-spines-vines-diversespines

Books mentioned:

Native Son by Richard Wright

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Jazz by Toni Morrison

Sula by Toni Morrison

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Book & Wine Pairings:

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson + Cabernet

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo + Rosé

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory + Rosé

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Where to Begin by Cleo Wade + Malbec

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi + Merlot

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Recent recommendations:

Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

The City We Became by N.K Jemisin

The Fifth Season by N.K Jemisin

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Passing by Nella LarsenDaisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, the perfect book to discuss on a sweltering summer day. Sara read and did not finish this classic in high school. We talk about where she stopped and why, and how we both have a greater appreciation for this work as adults. We gush about Hurston’s writing, bond over a love of Janie the dreamer, and share some tips for approaching this seminal work of southern literature. 

Our discussion includes:

• Hurston’s use of dialect [8:08]
• Our fondness and love for Janie Crawford [12:06]
• Seamless symbolism: silencing, oppression, and Janie’s relationships [23:20]
• Reading Tea Cake’s fate symbolically [20:05]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a celebrity memoir and narrative nonfiction.

We will get into some spoilers in this episode, but we must say, we both read summaries prior to reading and think it benefited our reading to know more information going in. Having a prior awareness of plot helped us take in the dialect and rhythm of the story and allowed us to admire Hurston’s writing all the more.

Shop the pairings:  https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-their-eyes-were-watching-god

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins [43:03]

Rebel by Beverly Jenkins

We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories that are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union [48:13]

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall [55:30]

Jaime’s review

Sara’s Pairings:

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward [38:20]

 Jaime’s review

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson [45:30]Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde [51:07]

Today, in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are chatting about “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Brudbury. This short story is about a group of young schoolchildren living on Venus, who have never seen the sun in their lifetime. It’s about sacrifice, the pain of nostalgia, bullying. It’s super short but packed with stunning detail and emotion. Our discussion includes:

• Bradbury’s descriptive language [11:07]
• That ending! We love an ambiguous ending. [15:34]
• Themes of sustainability and climate change [18:40]

Plus, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with this story, including an award-winning fantasy and a dystopian YA novel.

Past short story episodes:

“Roman Fever” by Edith Wharton

Mentions:

Fahrenheit 451 film

Fahrenheit 451

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Breakup Notes to the Books in Her Life

The Hunger Games

The October Country by Ray Bradbury

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Martian by Andy Weir [30:12] & Artemis by Andy Weir [30:50]

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin [33:39]

The Dry by Jane Harper [37:30]

Sara’s Pairings:

Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah [31:42]

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman [35:22]Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson [38:58]

Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Homer’s The Odyssey. Sara reveals her nerdy middle school obsession, Chelsey has strong opinions on defining “the classics,” and we have a LOT of fun discussing the complicated character of Odysseus. You don’t need to have any knowledge of mythology or The Odyssey in order to enjoy this episode. 

Our discussion includes:

•  What is a “mythology girl?” [11:38]
•  Analyzing Odysseus: a larger-than-life character [18:40]
•  More on Odysseus as a complex, flawed and nuanced hero [28:00]

Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including a business book and a book in translation.

This episode will be mostly spoiler-free, except for a brief discussion of the ending. We’ll warn you in advance before we get into it, and timestamps are listed below.

Edith Hamilton’s Mythology

“Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood

“ Penelope” by Carol Ann Duffy

The World’s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy

Madeline Miller: Circe and The Song of Achilles

Gareth Hinds graphic novel The Odyssey

Bull by David Elliot

Chelsey’s Pairings:

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger [39:05]

The Martian by Andy Weir [44:36]

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown [51:35]

Sara’s Pairings:

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood [35:40]

The Songs of the Kings by Barry Unsworth [41:15]

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera [47:05]

Pick of the Week:

Chelsey: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow recommended by Bezi @beingabookwyrmSara: Rick Riordan Presents