Hi, listeners!
It’s time for another installment of Short Story Club! Today we’re discussing “Horror Story” by Carmen Maria Machado. Each quarter, we choose a short story that’s widely available and discuss its genre, themes, and important moments before recommending books to pair with it. For spooky season, we decided to go with a fresh, new voice we both love. This super short “micro story” felt like the right balance of spookiness for two readers who don’t love horror. Of course, we end up taking a bit of a deep dive into the horror genre anyway (we can’t help ourselves). If you read the story, please let us know what you think!
Some great links for additional reading…
33 Halloween books for a spooky night in
5 spooky books to read this October
5 modern authors upholding the gothic feminist tradition today
PLUS, we’re hosting a giveaway on Instagram! Enter to win a copy of a classic and a pairing from your favorite episode.
Some of our 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 our episode on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. We enjoyed discussing this iconic monster classic and called on some of our carefully honed English major skills for this recording (ahem…hello, Sparknotes).
On October 27th, we have a special interview episode with Courtney Wallace, of The Incessant Bookworm blog, Instagram, and Youtube. Courtney has great insights on reading challenges and the joy of seasonal reading, plus we’re pairing autumnal activities with a BUNCH of great books.
As we record the rest of our fall episodes, we’re already planning ahead for the winter season! Mark your calendars for a special preview on Instagram live Tuesday November 10th.
Currently Reading:
I’ve been getting most of my reading done during long fall hikes with my pup. Recent audiobook* favorites include: Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest, Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, and The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning. I just finished a perfect Jane Austen-inspired story that’s sure to appear on the podcast someday. The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going was an adorable read-in-one-sitting middle grade novel. I’m also slowly working my way through the eerie campus novel (and one of Sara’s favorites) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
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!
Or click here to give the gift of audiobooks to your favorite bookworm.
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 Sara at @fictionmatters and my 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