The Novel Tea

In this episode, Neha and Shruti tackle the natural world in books - we zoom out to consider the eight books we discussed this season, talking about our favorite and least favorite reads, themes that emerged, and questions it raises about what fiction is for, and the way we read. Plus, we share tons of books recommendations, and talk about the books next up on our TBRs.

Books Mentioned:
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Greenwood by Michael Christie
Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Euphoria by Lily King
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Playground by Richard Powers
The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Drowned World by JD Ballard
An Immense World By Ed Yong
Nothing But the Rain by Naomi Salman
The Mosquito Coast by Paul Thoureax
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Out of Africa by Isak Denisen

If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.

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.
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In this episode Shruti and Neha discuss the great American classic, Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. We discuss the book's themes of otherness and obsession, but we also get in to so much more, including its racism and (maybe?) progressiveness, naturalism and Darwin, H.P. Lovecraft, and prophecies. Finally, we ponder its status as a classic; does this book deserve to stand the test of time?

Links:
Beige Moth [Blog]

Shelf Discovery
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Ahab's Bride by Louise M. Gouge
Call me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.

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.

Shruti and Neha discuss Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, a novel of three stories that unfold over the course of one Appalachian summer. We discuss themes of female desire, fertility, familial love, and harmony. We also make connections between characters and their symbolic representations, discover a new critical lens to read through, and question the veracity of 'moon cycles.'

Shelf Discovery:
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The White Book by Han Kang

If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.

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, Shruti and Neha discuss The Seedkeeper by Diane Wilson, exploring themes of reclamation, integration, and motherhood. We share some historical context, discuss the book's structure, and weigh in on the key relationships in the novel.

Books Mentioned & Shelf Discovery
Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses
Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami

If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.

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.

Shruti and Neha discuss Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, a story of a young woman trying to reintroduce wolves into the wild in the Scottish Highlands, only to find a darker side of the town that has troubling echoes with her own past. We discuss the story through the themes of instinct, villainy, and monsters. We also share some context on real-world conservation efforts, and get into the subgenre of tragedy porn (or misery lit).

Links:
Interview with Charlotte McConaghy

Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned
Popular Trauma Culture by Anne Roth
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Island of the Sea Wolves [Netflix]
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
The Women by Kristin Hannah
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius

If you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.

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.