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 chan...
Jul 14, 2020•44 min•Ep. 19
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 ...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 18
Today Chelsey and Sara are toppling your TBRs with backlist books to enjoy this summer. We know hardback books are pricey and library waitlists for the hottest new releases are long, so we're going to be pairing some of 2020's most exciting books of summer with older books that are easier to get your hands on. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novelpairingspod/ Shop our Backlist Recs on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/buzzy-summer-books-and-backlist-favorites Use our referra...
Jun 30, 2020•56 min•Ep. 17
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Passing by Nella Larsen. Published in 1929, Passing is a book about two women: Clare and Irene, who grew up in the same middle class Black community in Chicago and come back into each other's lives as adults. Irene is living in Harlem with her husband, a successful doctor, while Clare has left the family and friends of her youth behind to marry a white man and pass as white. Clare and Irene's bond is built on a shared past and a deep mutual affection, bu...
Jun 23, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 16
We're excited to welcome our first guest on the podcast today! Alli Hoff Kosik is the host of the SSR Podcast , where she breaks down an old school read from her tween and teen years with a special guest every Tuesday. Today, we're chatting about classic and contemporary YA lit, the magic of middle grade, how childhood books stick with us into adulthood, and more. As always, we're offering some novel pairings—this time with classic kid lit or YA books and contemporary adult reads. You can find t...
Jun 16, 2020•48 min•Ep. 15
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, one of the first novels categorized as Young Adult fiction. We discuss the nostalgia associated with our favorite children's books. Today's discussion includes: Formative experiences with books from our childhoods [8:40] Which couples we ship and which handsome actor captured our hearts in the movie version [15:00] Who should read this book? Downton Abbey fans, we're looking at you...[20:17] Plus, as always, we're rec...
Jun 09, 2020•52 min•Ep. 14
As we wind down our spring season, Chelsey and Sara are talking about our favorite Novel Pairings episodes and the best books we read over the last three months. We also discuss some of the books we've both read recently including a celebrity memoir and a delightful book about the writing life. Books mentioned in this episode: Open Book by Jessica Simpson [8:37], The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel [12:02], The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare [15:50], Beach Read by Emily Henry [19:29], The House...
May 26, 2020•53 min•Ep. 13
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about Beloved by Toni Morrison . This American masterpiece and 1988 Pulitzer winner tells the story of Sethe, a woman who escaped from slavery to find freedom for herself and her children, only to be haunted by the traumas of her past. It's a story of motherhood, womanhood, freedom, and redemption, and Morrison's genius and language are incomparable. Today's discussion includes: Sara sharing her experience with teaching this book and why it's the perfect book ...
May 19, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 12
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, and August. The books include a southern literature classic, a class work of young adult fiction, and several epic adventures. All of the books were chosen to suit a variety summer reading moods and to be perfect pairings for the contemporary books we l...
May 12, 2020•24 min•Ep. 11
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about The Joy Luck Club 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 characters really captured our attention. Our discussion includes: Our love for novels told in short stories that all tie together [9:50] Approaching texts from cultures different from our own, as teachers and readers [11:42] The beautiful t...
May 05, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 10
Today Chelsey and Sara are trying something a little different and discussing a short story. First, we'll deep dive into the dishy, gossipy, and glitzy world of Edith Wharton's Roman Fever (this conversation sounds more like a discussion of The Bachelor than a work of classic lit!) and then we'll share some contemporary authors who remind us of Wharton and short story collections we're eager to read. Today's discussion includes: Our relationships with short stories and why this one in particular...
Apr 28, 2020•44 min•Ep. 9
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 bridge to discuss mental health and suicide with high schoolers. We believe this is an important part of the conversation about this play, but if this topic is triggering for you, we recommend skipping ahead about 2 and a half minutes starting at minute 2...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 8
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 discussion includes: How we feel about poetry and how our high school experiences shaped our view (1:45) Our favorite poets and poetry collections (28:30) Amazing YA novels in verse (42:30) Shop this episode in our affiliate shop at Bookshop.org to support ...
Apr 14, 2020•53 min•Ep. 7
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 Kenton. This is the perfect novel for Downton Abbey fans, but it's darker and more introspective than the show. In addition to the historical context of this modern classic, we discuss character-driven novels and four of Sara's all-time favorite books. Our ...
Apr 07, 2020•58 min•Ep. 6
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 how to incorporate critical theory into your everyday reading life because you don't have to be a teacher, English major, or scholar in order to get the most out of this tool! Books Discussed in Today's Episode: Emma by Jane Austen: https://bookshop.org/a/130...
Mar 31, 2020•37 min•Ep. 5
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, classic comedies (and modern pairings), and big books to last you through many weeks of social distancing. Full Show Notes: https://fictionmattersbooks.com/article/comfort-reading-notes Shop the Episode: https://bookshop.org/lists/comforting-classics-and-ot...
Mar 24, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 4
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about The Awakening by Kate Chopin . 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 placed on 19th century women, why we don't seem to have any issues with the infidelity in the novel, and how Kate Chopin speaks to modern-day mom-shaming. We also dig into some of the problematic content in this book and off...
Mar 17, 2020•58 min•Ep. 3
Today Chelsey and Sara are chatting about the new Emma movie directed by Autumn de Wilde. In this sparkling new film adaptation, Emma is just as snarky and delightful as she is in the book. Our discussion includes us gushing over the vivid colors and costumes, some love for how the female characters are depicted, and a few serious problems with period piece adaptations in general. . . Today's episode is brought to you by Libro.fm, the only audiobook company that allows you to purchase audiobooks...
Mar 10, 2020•37 min•Ep. 2
In this episode, we're discussing Jane Austen's final novel, Emma. We admit our love for Emma's sass and bossiness, debate her potentially problematic friendship with the orphan Harriet Smith, and swoon over Mr. Knightley. Plus we're offering six contemporary reads that perfectly pair with Austen's most memorable heroine.
Mar 03, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 1
Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. In this welcome episode, Chelsey and Sara introduce themselves and the podcast format, and share exactly what they mean by "pairings."
Mar 03, 2020•31 min
