New episode: Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
Hi, listeners!
We have a new episode out today all about a modern classic that neither of us had read previously. Chelsey and I are discussing Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, which we selected for our back-to-school season as “a book we wish we read in high school.” Love Medicine is a novel made up of interconnected stories that span generations of two families: the Kashpaws and the Lamartines. The stories deal with small family dramas, and huge ones, depicting characters’ past romances and relationships as these families interact over decades. There’s drama, humor, spirituality, and history in between the pages, and we have six incredible books to pair with Erdich’s masterpiece, including a brand new YA release and a well-loved favorite. .
This episode is spoiler free and well-suited to listening before, during, or after you read Love Medicine.
Here are a few links to check out for additional reading:
Nine of the best books by Native, First Nations, or Indigenous authors.
100 must-read multi-generational sagas.
Read the original New York Times review of Love Medicine.
Listen to Louise Erdrich discuss her personal connection to her newest novel, The Night Watchman.
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).
Coming up:
Next week we’re dropping an episode we know a lot of bookworms are going to love: a TBR-toppler about campus novels. We’ll share our favorite campus novels from a variety of genres along with some academia-focused books from our own to-be-read piles. We’ll also be sharing extra campus novels in an upcoming blog post, so make sure you’re subscribed to the Novel Pairings blog to get updates on that.
Then in October, things get spooky. We’re kicking off Halloween month with an episode on The Crucible by Arthur Miller. This is a super fun episode and we’re pairing tons of fall reads and witchy books with this classic high school staple.
Currently Reading:
This week I’m reading two wonderful (and very different) campus novels: On Beauty by Zadie Smith and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Fangirl is a reread for me, and I decided to listen on audio through Libro.fm*—the narration is excellent! I’m also continuing to read my way through the Aspen Literary Prize submissions. Most recently I read Memorial by Bryan Washington and Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa.
*Listeners, we’re excited to be partnering with Libro.fm to offer you two audiobooks for the price of one. Just click this link to get two audiobooks for $15 all while supporting the pod and independent bookstores!
And click here to find a list of Black-owned bookstores to support when you sign up.
Where to find us:
Download episodes of Novel Pairings wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Check out our blog for bonus pairings, reading tips, and book recommendations. Find me at @fictionmatters and my newsletter. Find Chelsey at @chelseyreads or @hereadsheread. We love hearing what you’re reading, so feel free to tag us in your #bookstagram posts!
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