Hello, listeners!
We’ve been social distancing for about 10 days now and the longer we live in this new reality, the more feelings I experience. Some days I adore staying home all day, cuddling my pup, and reading. Other days the anxiety and uncertainty creep in. I started online teaching this week and Chelsey’s classes start back up next week so we’re both basically starting new jobs. It’s going to be interesting, but it’s also kind of fun to be learning something new! I’m sure we’ll all experience quite the rollercoaster over the next weeks or months, and it’s important to be kind to ourselves.
I’m extremely grateful that I’ve gotten back into my reading groove, but we know it’s been hard for many readers to focus on books. With that in mind, today’s bonus episode features some comforting classics and contemporary books to pair with them to help you keep reading during the pandemic. We know “comfort read” can mean many different things, so we have a little bit of everything featured on the pod. There are page turners, books with cozy communities, laugh out loud comedies, escapist fantasies, and more. We also recommend a lot of these books on audio. I always love audiobooks, but now they’re more important than ever.
You can find today’s episode wherever you listen to your podcasts. Check out the full show notes for time stamps of every book we mention and support indie bookstores by shopping the books on our Bookshop.org storefront.
If you want some additional comfort listening, Jennifer Ehle (BBC’s Elizabeth Bennet) is reading Pride and Prejudice on her Instagram.
And this New York Times article includes lots of wonderful authors sharing their own favorite comfort reads.
Some of these links are Bookshop affiliate links. We earn a small commission when you make a purchase using these links (plus, you support independent bookstores).
Currently Reading:
I haven’t been taking my own advice to choose comforting books, but I have been reading a lot recently. I recently finished Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel. I didn’t love it as much as Station Eleven, but I still think it’s worth a read! Now I’m in the middle of three books I’m absolutely loving: Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez (on audio), Five-Carat Soul by James McBride (paperback), and The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (digital library loan). The Duchess Deal is one of Chelsey’s favorite romances, and I’m hoping to finish it soon so I can listen to her discuss it with Curtis on He Read She Read.
*Listeners, we’re excited to be partnering with Libro.fm to offer you three audiobooks for the price of one. Just click this link to get three audiobooks for $15 all while supporting the pod and independent bookstores!
Where to find us:
Download episodes of Novel Pairings wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Find Chelsey at @chelseyreads or @hereadsheread. Find me at @fictionmatters and my blog. We love hearing what you’re reading so feel free to tag us!
We declare after all, there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!
Have a lovely week, everyone!
-Sara