Welcome to Novel Pairings, a podcast dedicated to making the classics readable, relevant, and fun. 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.
Hosts Chelsey and Sara explore Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility," discussing character identification, thematic depth, and modern relevance in this interview.
3 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT
165. Celebrate Novel Pairings with Chelsey and Sara with a Farewell Q&A
Hosts Chelsey and Sara reflect on favorite classics and behind-the-scenes stories from Novel Pairings, sharing what the podcast has meant to them in this farewell Q&A episode.
20 May 2025TRANSCRIPT
164. Brand New Books with Backlist Pairings: Summer 2025 Edition
Get ready to load your summer totes with compelling reads, both new and old! We’re sharing our anticipated summer releases on today’s episode, carefully curated from a long list of captivating titles to shake up your TBR. As always, we’ve included some perfectly paired backlist favorites to enjoy while you wait for the buzzy new books.
Today, we explore an exciting mix of poignant literary fiction, immersive historical narratives, richly layered contemporary stories, and even a touch of magical realism to spark your imagination. You’ll find everything from heartfelt memoirs threaded with nostalgia to sharp, insightful critiques of today’s world, alongside enchanting tales perfect for reading all season long.
This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.
Find us individually and continue to read with each of us here:
Chelsey – IG: @chelseyreads | Substack: chelsey.substack.com
Sara – IG: @fictionmatters | Substack: fictionmatters.substack.com
Books Mentioned
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan (5/20)
The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan
Dubliners by James Joyce
I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan (6/3)
Disoriental by Négar Djavadi
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Challenger by Adam Higginbotham
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (6/3)
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue (6/3)
A Darker Shade of Magic (https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9781250891211) by VE Schwab
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey (6/17)
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Liars by Sarah Mangusso
The Tiny Things are Heavier by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo (6/24)
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
El Dorado Drive (https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780593084960) by Megan Abbott (6/24)
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (8/26)
Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri
The Odyssey by Homer
The Austin Affair by Madeline Bell
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor
On Beauty (https://bookshop.org/a/1300/9780143037743) by Zadie Smith
Heart the Lover by Lilly King
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
The Unveiling by Quan Berry
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
Also Mentioned
Paperback Summer Reading Guide
Libro FM
The Irishification of Pop Culture (The Culture Study Podcast)
LuLaRich Documentary
Inside a recent episode
166. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Published 6 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] So she just, she like has only an on and off switch, whereas Eleanor has a dimmer. So Marianne is like all pendulum swings. It's all one thing or the other and very black and white thinking, which honestly, as I was reading, I was like, this is her age. And, um, I, as I was reading, could not divorce Marianne from Anne Shirley in my mind. Oh, yes. Totally. She and Anne of Green Gables are like the same character in different books. Like they are so similar. And their big emotions are often played for laughs. She's funny when she's being super dramatic. And She's also really, really smart. These girls are really, really well educated. […]
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