Novel Pairings

Today, Sara and Chelsey discuss “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. We’ve read this story more times than we can count—as students and as teachers, and today we’re sharing new insights and appreciation for its themes, tone, and terrifying ending. We cover connections to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s biography, historical context, and deeper analysis as we talk through this 1892 classic and classroom staple. In Short Story Club we do share spoilers, so read this story for free and then tune in to our discussion—or listen to see what you remember from a previous reading experience. As always, we offer pairings with similar themes to add to your TBR.   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. Skip to the pairings: [48:10]   Books mentioned: Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!  “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Read “The Yellow Wallpaper” for free “The Yellow Wallpaper” audiobook on Hoopla Chelsey: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski (Amazon) Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black by bell hooks (Amazon) Sara: In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (Amazon) Mrs. March by Virginia Feito (Amazon) Picks of the week: Chelsey - “The Yellow Wallpaper” The Musical and All’s Well by Mona Awad Sara - Gaslight (1944)

Today, we welcome Raelyn Torngren to the podcast to educate us on the horror genre. From defining tropes to engaging in literary criticism to offering excellent book recommendations, we cover a lot of ground! This episode is excellent for readers who are ready to lean into their darker tastes this season or readers who are new to the genre. You can find Raelyn on Instagram @reading.reverie and follow her Youtube channel, Reading Reverie for video essays and book recommendations. She also hosts a horror book club! For more bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and extra book talk,  join our Novel Pairings  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: Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!  Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Amazon) The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (Amazon) Powers of Horror by Julia Kristeva (Amazon) White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon) Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (Amazon) The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez (Amazon) The Shining by Stephen King (Amazon) The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Amazon) The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun (Amazon) Naomi’s Room by Jonathan Aycliffe (Amazon) White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson (Amazon) We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (Amazon) Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Amazon)   Also mentioned: Silent Hill video game Alien Midsommar Fear Street Cosmic Horror/Lovecraftian Horror

This season we’ve been getting into the autumnal mood with Gothic short stories, Victorian fiction, and an upcoming exploration of horror literature. Today, we’re rereleasing our episode on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a work that fits perfectly into our seasonal theme. We hope listening or relistening to our discussion about this classroom staple will be enhanced by all the additional Gothic content in the Novel Pairings feed this fall. Show notes Our discussion includes: Sara’s experience with teaching Frankenstein in the high school classroom [8:20] The stranger-than-fiction true story behind the novel [10:30] Defining “Gothic novels,” historical and contemporary [20:05] Plus, as always, we’re recommending six contemporary books to pair with our classic,  including graphic novels and absorbing nonfiction. Shop our pairings: https://bookshop.org/lists/novel-pairings-for-frankenstein Sign up for Libro.fm: https://libro.fm/redeem/novelpairings What to read or skip in Frankenstein:   Victor thinking about creating his creature Creating the monster Monster talking to Victor Skip all of the wandering around the countryside   . . . . . . . . . . Shop the pairings:   Chelsey’s Pairings: The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Millicent Patrick by Mallory O’Meara [43:30] WSIRN Episode w/Mallory Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Granddaughter by Brea Grant & Yishan Li [50:40] The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey [58:20]   Sara’s Pairings: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro [40:02] Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood [46:45] Destroyer by Victor LaValle, illustrated by Dietrich Smith [53:51]   Picks of the Week: Chelsey: Penny Dreadful on Showtime/Netflix Sara: Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge  illustrations: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781626725003

In case you missed it, we're reading Middlemarch together! We're both excited (and, let's be honest) a little apprehensive about diving into George Eliot's Middlemarch with you this fall and winter. This is a BIG book filled with lots of historical references and Eliot's signature attention to the smallest of details. It's also a cozy and thoughtful depiction of a small town that brings us relationships to root for, villains to hate, and characters we'll remember for a long time to come. Today, we're sharing some logistics of how our big book readalong will work, basic background information on the text, and tips for making your reading experience valuable and enjoyable. We can't wait to get reading with you! 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. Links: Middlemarch by George Eliot (Penguin Classics Deluxe)  Middlemarch on the Serial Reader app  Middlmarch on Spotify  A brief biography of George Eliot  "Silly Novels by Lady Novelists" by George Eliot  Virginia Woolf on George Eliot  Henry James' review of Middlemarch  Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith  My Life in Middlemarch by Rebecca Mead A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney 

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. We walk through a close reading of this classic horror story and cover Poe’s signature writing style and the horror tropes he plays with here, leaving a legacy for modern authors and even filmmakers in the horror genre. As always in Short Story Club, we offer four contemporary pairings to add to your gothic reading pile this fall.  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. Skip to the pairings: [43:50] . . . Books mentioned: Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!  “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe Poe’s stories on audio A collection of Poe’s short stories Chelsey: His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler (Amazon) The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks (Amazon) Sara: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (Amazon) The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry (Amazon) Both (Bonus): Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Amazon) Picks of the week: Chelsey - For students: The Poe Museum  & Common Lit For teachers: Drunk History, Edgar Allan Poe feuds with Rufus Griswold Sara - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez and The Fall by Bethan Griffin

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 unpredictable season. This episode is for anyone who wants to read more backlist, readers who have a hard time focusing right now, and bookworms eager to add overlooked titles to their book stacks.  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: Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!  Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (Amazon) The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power (Amazon) Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin (Amazon)  Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Suzanna Clarke (Amazon) Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear (Amazon) A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (Amazon) The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan (Amazon) A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey (Amazon) Poldark by Winston Graham (Amazon) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Amazon) A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (Amazon) Middlemarch by George Eliot (Amazon) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (Amazon) The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Amazon) Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner (Amazon) Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (Amazon) Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper (Amazon)  The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (Amazon) The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen (Amazon) Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel (Amazon) A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (Amazon) The Book of Night Women by Marlon James (Amazon) The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (Amazon) Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (Amazon) The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (Amazon) The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (Amazon) Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemain (Amazon) Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (Amazon) The Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian (Amazon)   Also mentioned: Marlon and Jake Read Dead People

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 (of course), and whether or not we think this qualifies as a “feminist text.” Plus, we offer six pairings that touch on the tone, themes, and legacy of Brontë’s iconic novel. We think you’ll be shocked by one of Sara’s pairings and can’t wait to hear what you think! 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. Skip to the pairings: [46:35] . . . Books mentioned: Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë   Chelsey: Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (Amazon) The Governesses by Anne Serre (Amazon) My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, et al (Amazon)   Sara: Twilight by Stephanie Meyers (Amazon) White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (Amazon) The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud (Amazon) Picks of the week: Chelsey - What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell (Amazon) Sara - Glass Town: The Imaginary World of the Brontës by Isabel Greenberg (Amazon)

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 we're thrilled to have Anne Bogel on the podcast to talk about raising readers and reading in the hazy newborn days. Anne is an author, blogger, and host of the What Should I Read Next podcast. She's also one of our favorite literary therapists, who happens to be a mom of four. In this conversation, we talk about simple strategies to encourage a love of reading in kids as well as tips for maintaining a robust reading life as a new parent. And, of course, we couldn't let Anne leave without recommending a few books to us! She shares some of her favorites for readalouds alongside some adult fiction that touches on themes of parenthood. Preorder Anne's new book journal, My Reading Life (out September 21st), to access a batch of preorder goodies that are perfect for avid readers. And keep up with Anne's reading life by following her on Instagram at @annebogel and @whatshouldireadnext or by visiting her blog ModernMrsDarcy.com. 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: Chugga Chugga Choo Choo by Kevin Lewis Press Here by Herve Tullet Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault and Bill Martin The Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger  Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger  Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger  The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili Landslide by Susan Conley Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

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 and dive into analysis. We share our thoughts on the early coming of age chapters, Jane and Rochester’s romance, and what’s going on in the attic at Thornfield. We’ll give you a heads up for major spoilers, but we think this is a great episode to listen to before, during, or after you read Brontë’s iconic novel.    We’ll discuss Part Two on September 21st. 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: Thank you for supporting the show by shopping our affiliate links!  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination by Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter   Also mentioned: Charlotte Brontë biography Sorry, but Jane Eyre Isn’t the Romance You Want It to Be, from JSTOR Daily Bluebeard fairytale    Picks of the week: Chelsey - The Rom Pod series “On Eyre” Sara - Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

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 stylistic elements of Jane Eyre that can enhance your reading of this novel in particular. This episode is designed to help you get the most out of this novel whether it's your first read or your fifteenth!   Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get weekly reading updates and podcast news or joining our Patreon community, where we share bonus episodes, nerdy classes, and a whole bunch of book talk at patreon.com/novelpairings.com.   Connect with us  on Instagram or Twitter. Get two audiobooks for the price of one from Libro.fm. Use our Libro.fm affiliate code NOVELPAIRINGS and support independent bookstores.