The Novel Tea

In this episode Shruti and Neha discuss one of the most beloved classics of all time: Jane Eyre. We discuss Jane's character through the themes of adventure and self-respect, the metaphor of the red room, and how Jane's desire for affection manifests through her many relationships. We also disagree on Rochester's character (and the book's ending), and analyze the many themes and motifs in this book, including religion, orientalism, fairytales, colonialism & empire, and more! Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery:Pride and Prejudice by Jane AustenMansfield Park by Jane AustenWide Sargasso Sea by Jean RhysNorth and South by Elizabeth GaskellWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëThe Eyre Affair by Jasper FfordeIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we discuss the short story The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe, its many interpretations – from institutional decay, to psychology and health, to imagined realities – and the real-life history the story is said to have been based on. We then talk about What Moves the Dead, a retelling of Poe’s short story, and whether or not it accomplished what it set out to do. Along the way, we also get into what makes a good adaptation and differences between gothic and horror genres. We also talk a bit about the recent Netflix adaptation The Fall of the House of Usher by Mike Flanagan.Shelf Discovery:The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins GilmanThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildeThe Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga TokarczukIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we introduce our theme for the season: adaptations! We discuss some of the best and worst adaptations we've seen, what makes a good adaptation, and the new trends in book adaptations. And, of course, we share what we'll be reading (and watching!) over the next few months for Season 5.Books and movies mentioned:Little Women by Louisa May AlcottWickedEragon by Christopher PaoliniHarry Potter by J.K. Rowling10 Things I Hate About YouShe's the ManThe Lion KingHamlet by William ShakespeareMufasaWuthering Heights by Emily BronteThe Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen PoeWhat Moves the Dead by T. KingfisherJane Eyre by Charlotte BronteWide Sargasso Sea by Jean RhysRebecca by Daphne du MaurierA Gentleman in Moscow by Amor TowlesEmma by Jane AustenHome Fire by Kamila ShamsieAntigone by SophoclesAll's Well by Mona AwadIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's finally here - our year in books! In this bonus episode, we share the 10 best books we read this year, ranging from new releases, to classics, to non-fiction. We also share a few honorable mentions that we loved. And, towards the end of the episode, we spill the tea on a few 2024 releases, including some that we loved and others that didn't quite hit the mark.Books Mentioned:The GuestThe Night SwimThey Called Us ExceptionalEducatedThe Little StrangerYellowfaceThe Left Hand of DarknessMy DeathThe Bee StingJamesBirnam WoodHello BeautifulThe Hunchback of Notre DameAnother CountryCuckoldA Little LifeEnter GhostMartyr!The Illness LessonTomorrow and Tomorrow and TomorrowAn Immense WorldIn the Dream HouseThe Secret HistoryThe God of the WoodsThe WomenThere are Rivers in the SkyArgylleThe Bright SwordFunny Story Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neha and Shruti discuss all 8 books we've covered over the last few months, and talk about themes that emerged - getting a little nerdy along the way. We also discuss the Booker prize, throw some shade at the Oscars, and share more book recommendations around the theme of borders. This episode is spoiler free!Books mentioned:Culture and Imperialism by Edward SaidTermush by Sven HolmHomegoing by Yaa GyasiWe Have Always Been Here by Samra HabibThey Called Us Exceptional by Prachi GuptaThe Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin HamidGiovanni's Room by James BaldwinDisgrace by J.M. CoetzeeThe Laughter by Sonora JhaIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neha and Shruti discuss The Parisian by Isabella Hammad, a book that follows Midhat Kamal, a Palestinian man, between the First and Second World Wars. We talk about the 19th century European novel, prominent themes we noticed in the book, and our thoughts on the characters and their development. We also get into the historical context of the events unfolding in the book.LinksIsraelPalestine For Critical Thinkers on YoutubeEmpire Podcast [Apple Podcasts] [Spotify]Books Mentioned & Shelf DiscoveryWar and Peace by Leo TolstoySentimental Education by Gustave FlaubertThe Sympathizer by Viet Thanh NguyenHope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila LalamiThe House of the Spirits by Isabel AllendeOur Riches by Kaouther AdimiIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are so excited to invite Sri Ramesh of Brown Girl Bookshelf to chat with us! Last week, Neha and Shruti got into some of their critiques of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, and this week, Sri is here to tell us what she loved about. Will she change our minds?We also talk more broadly about Sri Lankan literature, the Booker prize, book endings, and our reading idiosyncrasies.LinksWhat Makes a Book a 'Classic'? [The Novel Tea Newsletter archive]BooksA Passage North by Anuk ArudpragasamStory of a Brief Marriage by Anuk ArudpragasamBrotherless Night by V. V. GaneshanathanThe Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev SahotaA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaGoodbye Vitamin by Rachel KhongBird Milk & Mosquito Bones: A Memoir by Priyanka MattooA Fine Balance by Rohinton MistryThe Message by Ta-Nehisi CoatesThe Luminaries by Eleanor CattonThe Inheritance of Loss by Kiran DesaiThe God of Small Things by Arundhati RoyHomeland Elegies by Ayad AkhtarChai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari ChandranIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neha and Shruti discuss The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, a book that starts with the death of a photographer and follows him in the afterlife as he attempts to find his murderer and his missing photographs. We talk about the nature of death and the afterlife, and share historical context about the Sri Lankan Civil War. We also explore why people might be afraid to critize books, particularly works by marginalized communities.Books mentioned & Shelf DiscoveryHalf of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieThe Luminaries by Eleanor CattonThe Great Indian Novel by Shashi TharoorThe Sympathizer by Viet Thanh NguyenSlaughterhouse Five by Kurt VonnegutIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neha and Shruti discuss Another Country by James Baldwin, a book that follows a group of friends and lovers in New York City in the mid-20th century. We talk about the characters and their relationships, the inaction that fills the novel, and the importance of having 'difficult' conversations with the people you love. We also go on a brief Gossip Girl tangent as we attempt to better understand the characters in this book :)Links:Another Country by Claudia Roth Pierpont [The New Yorker]Jazz by Toni Morrison: violence and ambition [The Novel Tea]Books mentioned & Shelf Discovery:A Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaThe Age of Innocence by Edith WhartonJazz by Toni MorrisonThe Sun Also Rises by Ernest HemingwayIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neha and Shruti discuss Daughters of the Deer, by Danielle Daniel, a work of historical fiction that follows an indigenous woman and her daughter in a 17th century French colony that is now Quebec, Canada. We talk about the historical context of the book, discuss the characters and their journeys, and reflect on the importance of telling these stories.Shelf Discovery:East by Edith PattouFever 1793 by Laurie Halse AndersonHope Leslie; Or Early Times in Massachusetts by Catharine Maria SedgwickIf you would like to get additional behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free newsletter.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.