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 Chelsey and Sara are sharing the lineup for Novel Pairings’ summer season. We discuss what makes a great summer read, different readerly tastes in summer books, and then reveal the six classics we’ll be reading and discussing in June, July,…
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about by Amy Tan. We’re discussing iconic literary mothers and the depiction of motherhood in Amy Tan’s debut novel. Plus, we talk about the blurred lines between Tan’s fiction and her real life and which…
A Discussion of Wharton’s Short Story Roman Fever
Hey listeners! Today we’re talking about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. As you probably know, this play ends tragically with the two star-crossed lovers taking their own lives. Today’s episode includes a conversation about using this play as a…
Today Chelsey and Sara are celebrating National Poetry Month. We chat about our strong feelings towards poetry in high school, how our view has changed as teachers, and the ways in which we incorporate poetry into our daily reading lives. Our…
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Set in 1954, this Booker Prize winning novel follows a quintessential English butler named Stevens on a road trip to visit his manor’s former housekeeper Miss…
Today Chelsey and Sara dig up some well-loved English major lingo and dust it off. We’re talking about critical theory and how it enhances our reading lives, starting with the feminist or gender lens. We provide examples and suggestions for…
Today Chelsey and Sara are toppling your TBR with classics and pairings to keep you company during the pandemic. Comfort reading is different for everyone, so we’ve got a wide range of books to recommend including books with cozy communities,…
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about . This novella published in 1899 follows Edna Pontellier as she discovers her desires and her identity outside of wifehood and motherhood. Our discussion includes how this book illustrates the constraints…
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