Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. Each episode we’ll discuss one classic book and share some recommendations for more contemporary reads that feature similar themes. 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.
Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe. This delightfully creepy story ushers in (that pun was NOT intended, but let’s go with it) chilling fall breezes, spooky October vibes, and atmosphere galore….
Today, Sara and Chelsey share the backlist books they’re putting on their To Be Read lists for the next few months. We speculate on which books will carry us through the early days of motherhood and which reading formats might work best in a totally…
Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss chapters 27 through the end of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We discuss Jane’s journeys from coming of age to literally hiking on the moors, the juxtaposition of Rochester and another romantic interest, the ending…
When Chelsey and Sara found out we were both expecting new family members, literally just a few days apart, many conversations of course turned to all things pregnancy and baby. We wanted to consider how motherhood would impact our reading lives and…
Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss chapters 1-26 of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. We’ve each read this Victorian Gothic novel multiple times, learning something new with each reread. In today’s conversation, we reflect on past reading experiences…
Today, Sara and Chelsey share some of their favorite tips for getting the most out of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Our tips include some general advice for reading a dense Victorian novel alongside our thoughts about the genre conventions and…
Today, Sara and Chelsey reflect on their summer reading season with short reviews of their favorite reads, and they look ahead to their upcoming fall season. Do you enjoy hearing about our recent reads? Subscribe to to get weekly reading updates and…
Today, Sara and Chelsey gush about a new favorite novel-in-short-stories: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. We focus on Naylor’s memorable prose and mastery of structure, avoiding spoilers so you can listen before reading. Plus, as…
Influenced by a delightful book club discussion with Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas, Chelsey and Sara share a pile of mythology-inspired books in today’s TBR toppling episode. Myth retellings and adaptations might be a hot trend in…
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