We’re closing out our spring semester of children’s classics with one final book about a book—and another richly imagined story in translation, The Wild Book by Juan Villoro. This modern story reached great acclaim in Mexico, with an English translation finally reaching America in 2017.  We found this work a  compelling companion to our first children’s work in translation, Inkheart, and we share our thoughts on the book’s proposed relationship between books and reading, how this modern work stacks up besides tried-and-true classics, and the supernatural elements that feel grounded in the magical realism traditions of incredible Lantix authors. We love reading and discussing books with our listeners, and we hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers for a summer of EPIC reading over on our Patreon at patreon.com/novelpairings. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price. Pairings Timestamp: 25:50  . . . Books Mentioned:  The Wild Book by Juan Villoro Pet by Akwaeke Emezi Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng  The Sentence by Louise Erdrich  

Get ready to load your summer totes (ahem…your summer Novel Pairings totes, more to come on that) with lots of good reads; we’re talking about our most anticipated summer reads on today’s episode! We’ve carefully culled our long lists of interesting books coming out this summer to provide some high-interest titles that are sure to topple your TBR while also providing backlist books that will pair perfectly and are available right now.   Today we talk about forthcoming humorous memoirs (including one woven with lots of 90s nostalgia), a searing, fictional critique of contemporary publishing, and plenty of engrossing tales you’ll want to curl up with poolside. And if that’s not enough, we take a shot at solving the mystery surrounding the unnamed Flatiron title prior to it being settled by the New York Times (and Chelsey will add amateur sleuth to her list of alternate career options should occasion arise).   We love discussing books and reading with all of you and hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers at patreon.com/novelpairings. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price!   Books Mentioned Yellowface by R. F. Kuang Disorientation by Elian Hsieh Chou Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Crosby Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke My Murder by Katie Williams Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Chouette by Claire Oshetsky  Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder Banyan Moon by Thao Tai Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo  Loot by Tania James The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson Wannabe: Reckoning with the Pop Culture that Saved Me by Aisha Harris Piccolo is Black by Jordan Calhoun Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi Babel by R. F. Kuang Half-Life of a Stolen Sister by Rachel Cantor Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart by Claire Harman The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell History’s Angel by Anjum Hassan Members Only by Sameer Pandya The Lost Ranger by Peter Heller Congratulations, the Best is Over! by R. Eric Thomas Here for It by R. Eric Thomas  Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Our Town by Thorton Wilder  

As voracious readers we love to dive into stories about books and reading, whether it’s paying homage to the source of procuring books (think publishing, bookshops, and libraries) or the physical books themselves. In today’s episode, we’re taking you on a dark, mysterious, and twisty adventure in translation with Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart. A plot-packed novel for the not-so-faint-of-heart, we discuss what Funke’s international bestseller has to say about the power stories hold for children, the necessity to engage a child’s imagination, and how the tone of this children’s classic spooked us (just a little bit). If you’re looking for more imaginative fantasies, we’ve paired this sweeping novel with a rich, outlandish romantic historical fantasy and a slim work of non-fiction about the nature of books from one of the most renowned writers and translators of our time.  A quick note: we had some technical difficulties, so the audio on this episode may sound slightly different than usual. It'll be back to normal in our next episode!   [Pairing Timestamp: 41:33]   Books Mentioned: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon The Clothing of Books by Jhumpa Lahiri The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield   Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alex E. Harrow   Other Books Mentioned The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

Pack your bags and get ready for an adventure. This week, we’re discussing E. L. Konigsburg’s Newbery award-winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, a 1960s romp about a pair of siblings who find refuge and mystery at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. From the Mixed-Up Files is a story simple in prose, yet imbued with rich descriptions and detail to leave a lasting impression. In today’s episode, we talk about our own mixed-up, nostalgic memories of reading Mrs. Frankweiler, the alluring nature of Konigsburg’s novel for generations of readers, and the need to have our own private “somethings.” Plus, we help you dive deeper into the world of art and art forgery with a novel in translation and prepare for beach reading with a summer-y story about two teenage misfits, first love, and their creative endeavors.   We’re learning to be better, more critical and thorough readers of classic and contemporary literature, and there’s still time to join us for the last month that we’re reading children’s classics! Sign up to join our community of nerdy readers where we host bonus mini-episodes, lectures, seminars, and book clubs. Head on over to patreon.org/novelpairings to join our Classics Club today. Annual subscriptions are now available at a discounted price.   Pairings Timestamp: 39:22   Books Mentioned:   Portrait of an Unknown Lady by María Ganzia Now That I Found You by Kristina Forest Possession by A. S. Byatt The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson

Anne-with-an-e Shirley, a hallmark figure in children’s literature, provides a formative childhood reading experience for many readers. An imaginative and loquacious orphan who finds home and community with the Cuthbert siblings at Green Gables of Avonlea, Anne is a feisty, feminine, and dramatically charming protagonist. In today’s episode, we talk about how this sweet and endearing novel worked for us compared to other “warm hug” classics that missed the mark, the aspects of Anne’s character that make her loveable and realistic, our favorite scenes from the book, and whether Montgomery’s work can be considered feminist. Plus—our pairings today include a whimsical fairy story loosely based on the premise of Anne, as well as a novel that features another unforgettable protagonist from a Canadian author.  We love discussing books and reading with all of you and hope you’ll join our group of nerdy readers at patreon.com/novelpairings. Thank you for supporting the show!   Pairings Timestamp: 44:16   Books Mentioned The Lost Queen by Signe Pike The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett Blue Cedar Falls series by Jeannie Chin: try The House on Mulberry Street Fight Night by Miriam Toews J. Ryan Stradal: try Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club The Lucy Barton series by Elizabeth Strout: try My Name is Lucy Barton   Also Mentioned: Why Anne Makes Us Dizzy by Julia McQuillan and Julie Pheiffer (Critical Study) Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett