Hello, listeners!
This week, we’re taking you on a journey to Middle Earth. Here at Novel Pairings, We’re not mega-fans of the fantasy genre, but this classic started to change our minds. Michelle shared with us her memories of reading The Fellowship of the Ring in a high school speed-reading class she took over summer, in the midst of frustration with being a somewhat slow reader. Michelle didn’t take a whole lot away from the class except a bad taste in her mouth for The Fellowship of the Ring. Trying to read fast, comprehend the plot, and still enjoy the book was too much! She did learn a valuable lesson about reading, though: she’d rather savor what she’s reading than save time.
Sara and I had never read Tolkien before, though we both have friends and family members who love the Lord of the Rings series. You’ll hear all about our fantasy-loving pals, our own fantasy reading tastes, and how The Fellowship of the Ring fits into the bigger picture of our reading lives in today’s episode.
Whether you’re a huge fantasy fan or you need to get your feet wet with this genre and LOTR, take a look at these links Michelle gathered together for you this week…
Find out if you’re a true LOTR aficionado with this quiz.
Take a trip down memory lane with this negative film review The Guardian gave The Fellowship of the Ring when it first came out.
Could Tolkien have written LOTR when he was avoiding his own academic work?
Speaking of novels-turned-films, here are 100 must-see movie adaptations.
Find wisdom, humor, and insight with these Tolkien quotes.
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 releasing our Quarterly Wrap-Up episode where we discuss our favorite NP episodes, our best non-podcast reads, and a few personal updates. Michelle will be sharing her own summer reading wrap-up right here in the newsletter next Tuesday, and we can’t wait to hear all about her favorite reads from the last few months.
We’re taking a little break on the following Tuesday, but not to worry! We’ll still have something fun coming your way on September 1st (stay tuned). If you listened to last week’s episode that previewed our fall classics selection, you know that we have lots of episodes coming your way on spooky, autumnal, and academic reads.
September 8th marks the official start of the fall season (yay!) and we will kick things off with an episode on The Crucible by Arthur Miller. We can’t wait for a brand new season (and sweater weather, fingers crossed).
A peek at what Michelle is currently reading:
I just finished Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon. I LOVED this mystery/suspense novel! Cannon struck the perfect balance of tying up my major questions at the end while leaving some things up to readers’ imagination. This is the kind of book I have told my friends to read because I need someone to discuss it with! If you decide to read it (or have read it already), please let me know what you think.
I also finished Beach Read by Emily Henry this week. Chelsey is already a romance genre fan, Sara is becoming one, and I think I might be next! I admire how Henry created a full plot that actually taught me something about the book world and wasn’t simply about the main characters’ relationship. I found the story relatable, which I often struggle with when reading romance. -M
What Chelsey is listening to:
Last week, I listened to Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, and it was definitely my favorite romance novel of hers so far. Warning: you will crave cake, cookies, and other baked goods while reading. I just downloaded Austen Years: A Memoir in Five Novels by Rachel Cohen on Libro.fm*. I’m in the mood for memoir lately, and this one sounds just right. Narrated by one of my favorite voice performers, Justine Eyre, this Austen-centered memoir details Cohen’s walk through grief and new motherhood with the help of her favorite classic books.
*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 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 Sara at @fictionmatters and her newsletter. Find me 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!
-Chelsey