165. Celebrate Novel Pairings with Chelsey and Sara with a Farewell Q&A
For our final episode of Novel Pairings, we opened up the mailbag to answer your thoughtful listener questions. From reflections on our favorite classics to behind-the-scenes stories, we're sharing a lot today! And celebrating the journey we've shared with all of you. We'll also be offering some closing thoughts on what this podcast has meant to us, what we've learned along the way, and what comes next for each of us. 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. To learn more about our storefront and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com. Novel Pairings Bundles: novelpairings.gumroad.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 Summer by Edith Wharton A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare Quicksand by Nella Larsen A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle Passing by Nella Larsen The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 1984 by George Orwell Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë There is Confusion by Jesse Redmond Fossett  Also Mentioned From the Front Porch/The Bookshelf Conquer a Classic with Annie and Hunter Shelf by Shelf on Substack The Novel Tea Podcast 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen Smith and Taylor Classics Persephone Books McNally Editions New York Review Penguin Modern Classics Center for Fiction Wuthering Heights adaptation Pride and Prejudice adaptations Â
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164. Brand New Books with Backlist Pairings: Summer 2025 Edition
162. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Six: A Perfect Union
In this episode, we reach the culmination of Jane Austen's Emma, where secrets are revealed, relationships evolve, and characters face pivotal choices that will shape their futures. We discuss shifting affections, unexpected engagements, and the web of emotions that bind the residents of Highbury together. We will conclude our Emma series with a finale reflection episode in a few weeks to give you a chance to catch up on recaps. 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 Chelsey and Sara on Substack, too! Chelsey: The Eclectic Reader @ chelsey.substack.com Sara: Fiction Matters @ fictionmatters.substack.com  Books Mentioned Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters by William Austen-Leigh Also Mentioned Novel Pairings Odyssey Readalong Novel Pairings Les Miserables Readalong Â
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161. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Five: Badly Done, Emma
In this episode, we're unpacking so many juicy moments—from Frank Churchill's restless return to Highbury and the long-awaited ball at the Crown Inn to Harriet's shocking misadventure and Mr. Knightley's heroic turn on the dance floor. We'll explore Emma's ever-active imagination, Mrs. Elton's relentless meddling, and some subtle but oh-so-important moments between Emma and Mr. Knightley. Plus, we'll chat about strawberry-picking at Donwell Abbey, and all the little details that make this part of the novel so rich and entertaining. As a reminder, we've historically shared these "big book readalong" recap series in our patreon community, but to celebrate five years of podcasting, we're sharing it on the public feed! We're so excited to have all of you reading with us. To grab our reading schedule, go to our instagram page @novelpairingspod for our pinned post or subscribe to our free weekly substack newsletter where you'll get reminders and announcements at novelpairings.substack.com. 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. Â
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.
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