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 you read this spring! Let us know at @novelpairingspod on Instagram. 

Listen to the episode in your favorite podcast app or with this link.

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Books mentioned (affiliate links):

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan (Amazon)  – 5:00

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (Amazon)  – 8:38 

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer (Amazon)  – 14:30

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (Amazon)  – 15:09

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton (Amazon)  – 18:25

Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salasses (Amazon)  – 22:10 

Good Company by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (Amazon)  – 27:10

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann (Amazon)  – 30:45

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (Amazon)  – 34:00

Disfigured on Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space by Amanda Leduc (Amazon)  – 36:00

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Amazon)  – 39:55

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Amazon) – 44:50

Summer lineup – 49:22

Today Chelsey and Sara discuss The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. This classic Cinderella story follows Valancy Stirling as she receives life-changing news that shakes up her whole world and leads her to happiness. Her coming-of-age story includes a few highly discussable plot points that we couldn’t help but spoil, so if you haven’t read the book, scroll down to get a timestamp to avoid spoilers. As always, we’re recommending contemporary pairings for our classic, including a whip-smart rom-com and a dreamy fantasy novel. 

Listen to this episode in your web browser or download and subscribe in your favorite podcast app.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk,  join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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

Spoilers start here: [29:15]

And our Pairings start here: [35:52]

Books mentioned (affiliate links):

Chelsey

• Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (Amazon)
• Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan 
• Rough Beauty: Forty Seasons of Mountain Living by Karen Auvinen (Amazon)

Sara

• The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (Amazon)
• The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson (Amazon)
• Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Want to buy an island in Canada? 

The History Chicks: Lucy Maud Montgomery episode

Today Chelsey and Sara share a few of their favorite coming of age novels featuring characters past adolescence. If you’re looking for your next book club pick, this TBR toppler is full of highly discussable women’s fiction and literary fiction to choose from. We can’t wait to hear what you pick up after listening!

Listen to the episode right in your web browser with this link.

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk,  join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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

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

Books mentioned:

• The Mothers by Brit Bennett (Amazon)
• Writers & Lovers by Lily King (Amazon)
• A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan (Amazon)
• The Switch by Beth O’Leary (Amazon)
• All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Massad (Amazon)
• Queenie by Candace Carty-Williams (Amazon)
• You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat (Amazon)
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Amazon)
• All Adults Here by Emma Straub (Amazon)
• Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (Amazon)
• You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac (Amazon)
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon)
• American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (Amazon)
• Circe by Madeline Miller (Amazon)

Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. We kept this conversation spoiler-free, so choose your own adventure: listen before, during, or after reading this historical fiction classic. As always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our main classic, including an under-the-radar memoir in translation and an upcoming family story about sisters and secrets.  

Listen to the episode here or download it in your favorite podcast app (don’t forget to subscribe!).

For access to our next nerdy class and bonus episodes every Friday,  join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [37:00]

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!

Chelsey

• Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (Amazon)
• Days in the Caucasus by Banine (Amazon)
• Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepytys (Amazon)

Sara

• Dominicana by Angie Cruz (Amazon)
• The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargos Llosa (Amazon)
• One Two Three by Laurie Frankel, out  June 8 (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Amazon)

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (Amazon)

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Amazon)

Pick of the week: Mark your calendars for Elizabeth Acevedo’s next novel.

Today Chelsey and Sara explore speculative fiction and sci-fi in anotherTBR toppling episode. We’re not big sci-fi readers, but we have a bunch of grounded, page-turning books to recommend today. Even if you’re not an avid speculative fiction reader, we think you’ll find at least one book to interest you among these titles. 

Listen to the episode here or download it in your favorite podcast app (don’t forget to subscribe!).

For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk,  join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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

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

Books mentioned:

• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Amazon)
• The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin (Amazon)
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Amazon)
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Amazon)
• Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole (Amazon)
• The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (Amazon)
• To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (Amazon)
• The Martian by Andy Weir (Amazon)
• The Resisters by Gish Jen (Amazon)
• In the Quick by Kate Hope Day (Amazon)
• The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (Amazon)
• Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark (Amazon)
• Watchmen by Alan M. Moore (Amazon)
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)
• Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon)
• Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (Amazon)
• Recursion by Blake Crouch (Amazon)
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Amazon)
• Destroyer by Victor LaValle (Amazon)

Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. We take some conversational bunny trails to explore our high school reading experiences, our relationships with science fiction, and our philosophical ponderings inspired by Billy Pilgrim’s story. As usual, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with Vonnegut’s most famous work, including anti-war satire and sci-fi  short stories.

Listen to the episode here or download it in your favorite podcast app.

For access to our recent  class on literary theory and bonus episodes every Friday,  join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [28:45]

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!

Chelsey

• This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Amazon)
• Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (Amazon)
• Regeneration by Pat Barker (Amazon)

Sara

• Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (Amazon)
• Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Amazon)
• A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson (Amazon)
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

• Postmodern literature
• Arrival
• The Writer’s Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-Five by Tom Roston
• The Ezra Klein Show: Why Sci-fi Legend Ted Chiang Fears Capitalism, Not A.I.

Today in “Short Story Club,” Chelsey and Sara are discussing “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler. This post-pandemic story about the importance of language and communication feels incredibly prescient and relevant, like all of Butler’s work. “Speech Sounds” is a highly discussable, quick read. We’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

Join our Patreon community for an extended Short Story Club discussion on Discord. 

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Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get updates and behind-the-scenes info.

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!

Chelsey’s Pairings:

Speak by Laurie Hals Anderson (Amazon)

Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements  (Amazon)

Sara’s Pairings:

Vox by Christina Dalcher  (Amazon)

Severance by Ling Ma  (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Why Octavia Butler’s novels feel so relevant today

Sara: Blindness by José Saramago

Today Chelsey and Sara are discussing Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. We both loved this evocative, ground-breaking classic and couldn’t wait to dig into its setting, themes, and stunning writing. As usual, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with Baldwin’s classic, including poignant YA novels, memoir, and essays.

Listen to the episode in your web browser with this link.

For access to our upcoming  class on literary theory and a book club style discussion of Baldwin’s novel later this month,  join our Classics Club: patreon.com/novelpairings.com.

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

Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription and support independent bookstores.

Skip to the pairings with this timestamp: [31:00]

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!

Chelsey

• Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian (Amazon) TW: homophobia, family trauma,
• How We Fight for Our Lives by Saeed Jones (Amazon) TW: violence, trauma
• James Baldwin: The Last Interview and Other Conversations (Amazon)

Sara

• Real Life by Brandon Taylor (Amazon) TW: eating disorder, trauma
• Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (Amazon) TW: trauma
• Here for It, or How to Save Your Soul in America by R. Eric Thomas (Amazon)

Also mentioned:

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (Amazon)

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (Amazon)

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin (Amazon)

Picks of the week:

Chelsey: Paris Blues (1961)

Sara: I Am Not Your Negro

Today, Chelsey and Sara talk about favorite books from childhood, Little Women fashion, and family stories to read this winter with Annie Jones, owner of The Bookshelf in Thomasville and host of the bookish podcast From The Front Porch. There’s lots of nostalgia, laughter, and book recs in this episode, plus tips for helping your favorite local bookstores thrive during trying times. Note: this episode includes some spoilers for Little Women. 

A special treat: Right now, listeners of Novel Pairings can get 10% off their purchase of a shelf subscription with the code NOVELIDEA2020. This 10% off code applies to shelf subscriptions only, and it lasts through January 31, 2021. 

Support our podcast AND Annie’s beautiful bookstore by using our affiliate link to get a Librofm subscription and selection The Bookshelf as your bookstore. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS to get an audiobook subscription for yourself or purchase a gift. 

Follow Novel Pairings on Instagram, Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter. 

Find show notes on our blog. 

Follow Annie on Instagram, follow The Bookshelf on Instagram, and find From the Front Porch wherever you download your podcasts. 

Books mentioned:

Our book list includes a mix of affiliate links and links to The Bookshelf inventory. If you want to own one of the books we talked about today, we hope you consider supporting The Bookshelf with your purchase. 

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

The Baby-Sitters Club Box

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Franny & Zoey by J.D. Salinger

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konig

Bloomability by Sharon Creech

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz

What Kind of Woman by Kate Baer

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel

House Lessons by Erica Bauermeister

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani 

HRH by Elizabeth Holmes

Passing by Nella Larsen

Emma by Jane Austen

Also mentioned:

“The Baby-Sitters Club Taught Me Everything I Needed to Know About Literary Fiction”