162. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Six: A Perfect Union
Novel Pairings
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...
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161. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Five: Badly Done, Emma
Novel Pairings
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...
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160. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Four: Jane Fairfax & Mrs. Elton
Novel Pairings
In this episode, we’re savoring the drama and intrigue of Emma, Volume Two, Chapters 9 through 18. The aftermath of the Cole’s party has Emma rehashing every social triumph and misstep, from her jealousy over Jane Fairfax’s piano skills to her playful gossip with Frank Churchill about the mysterious pianoforte. Meanwhile, Mrs. Elton makes her grand entrance into Highbury society, leaving Emma unimpressed but the rest of the town charmed. Between witty banter, romantic musings, and subtle moments of humor (looking at you, Mr. Knightley), these chapters are packed with Austen’s...
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159. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Three: A Mysterious Pianoforte
Novel Pairings
In this recap, we’re discussing Volume Two, Chapters 1-8 of Emma by Jane Austen. In this episode, we'll explore the arrival of some intriguing new characters to Highbury that shake up Emma's carefully curated social circle. We'll also explore Emma's complex relationships, including her aversion to a certain reserved newcomer and her budding friendship with a charming gentleman. Plus, we'll uncover how Emma's imagination runs wild with romantic theories that may or may not have any basis in reality. As a reminder, we’ve historically shared these “big book readalong” recap...
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158. Emma by Jane Austen Recap Two: Matchmaking or Meddling
Novel Pairings
In this recap, we’re diving into Emma by Jane Austen — covering Volume One, Chapters 10–18. Join us for bonus content. Emma Woodhouse is back at it — charming, meddling, and trying to navigate Highbury’s tricky social scene. This time, she’s determined to set Harriet up with Mr. Elton… but, surprise, things don’t exactly go as planned. From awkward visits to the vicarage to a snowstorm-fueled carriage ride that takes an unexpected turn, Emma’s confidence in her matchmaking skills starts to crumble. We’ll also unpack the iconic moment when Emma explains why she’s...
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157. Emma by Jane Austen Recap One: Handsome, Clever, and Rich
Novel Pairings
In this recap episode, we’re discussing Volume One, Chapters 1-9 of Jane Austen's Emma. We take a deep dive into Emma Woodhouse's world, examining her relationships with key figures like Miss Taylor, Mr. Woodhouse, and the insightful Mr. Knightley. We explore how Emma's interactions with these characters set the stage for her matchmaking adventures. As we continue through the chapters, we meet the wider community of Highbury, including the mysterious Frank Churchill and the charming Harriet Smith. Emma's matchmaking ambitions quickly take center stage, leading her to meddle in Harriet's love...
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156. Introducing Emma by Jane Austen
Novel Pairings
Welcome to our Spring Season! We're reading Emma by Jane Austen as a community, and we hope you will join us. Listen to today's introduction to hear why we love this novel, how we approach readalongs and recaps, and what to pay attention to as you follow along. To get maximum delight this season, join our for classes and conversation, plus special Footnotes episodes. Here's the reading schedule: March 4: Introduction March 11: Volume 1, 1-9 or Chapters 1-9 March 18: Volume 1, 10-18 or Chapters 10-18 March 25: Volume 2, 1-8 or Chapters 19-26 April 1: Volume 2, 9-18 or...
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155. Notable books of 2024: our bookish superlatives, reading life updates, and a little Jane Austen
Novel Pairings
We’re back and kicking off 2025 with our annual Superlatives episode. Today, we’re excited to highlight stand-out books from 2024. We’ve got eight superlatives lined up that highlight our favorites, least favorites and everything in between. Plus, we’re looking back on our podcasting journey through 2024 and give you some behind-the-scenes insight to our reading lives. Stick around because we’ve got two big announcements to wrap things up! Special Announcement (Timestamp 58:20) Books Mentioned Also Mentioned
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154. Moody & Atmospheric Fall 2024 Book Releases with Backlist Pairings
Novel Pairings
We’re excited to be back in your podcast feeds to pair highly anticipated fall book releases with beloved backlist favorites. Prepare to overload your TBR pile as we dive into an exciting fall publishing season filled with moody, atmospheric titles. In today’s episode, we’ll share our carefully curated lists of outstanding upcoming fiction from both renowned authors and indie presses, along with a selection of diverse fiction and nonfiction we think you’ll enjoy, all paired with a backlist book to explore while you await your library holds and pre-orders. Before diving into the books,...
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153. Dishing our opinions on the hottest summer books of 2023
Novel Pairings
As the summer reading season comes to a close, we’re turning our eyes to fall. With Chelsey on maternity leave, we’ve made some thoughtful adjustments to our plans and structure here at Novel Pairings. Our goal is to ensure that we stay connected and continue to foster the amazing community we’ve built together. The best way to stay connected this fall is through our community; we’re excited about the bonus episodes, discussion based classes and book club events we have planned! On today’s episode, we revisit last summer's buzzy book reviews from our Patreon archives. Each...
info_outlineWe’re taking it back to the classroom in today’s episode! Chelsey and Sara reflect on their experience with high school summer reading as both students and teachers: the good, the great, and the hot takes. While we aren’t assigning any reading in this episode, we are sharing 10 classics that would make for great summer reads at any age! For an enhanced reading experience, pair a past Novel Pairings episode with each of these classics to listen as you go.
Of course, our main summer reading recommendation is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, our BIG summer readalong hosted in Patreon with classes, bonus episodes, and special recaps to get the most out of this huge novel.
Novel Pairings operates on an academic calendar to keep our work sustainable. But like most teachers, just because we have summer “off” doesn’t mean we aren’t hard at work behind the scenes! This summer, we will take off from sharing new episodes on the main feed in July and August to devote more time and energy to planning for the year ahead, restoring our creativity, and strengthening our bond with Patreon community members.
If you are missing Novel Pairings in your podcast feed, we would love for you to join our community for extra nerdy summer fun.
Books Mentioned:
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
Novel Pairings Episodes
Episode 86: Palpable tension and shocking twists in Passing by Nella Larsen
Episode 136: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Episode 117: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Episode 114: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Episode 68: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and contemplative books for moody summer reading
Episode 66: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part Two
Episode 64: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part One
Episode 20: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and romantic Black feminist heroines
Episode 126: Leaving a Legacy: The Odyssey in modern literature
Episode 142: The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
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