Novel Pairings Podcast (2026)

16/12/2025

To honor 250 years of our patron saint of classic literature, we posted a brand new bundle on our Gumroad shop! Our Jane Austen Bundle includes two video classes with handouts, Austen-inspired Patreon bonus episodes released from the vault, and all of our Emma Footnotes episodes (which perfectly pair with the free Emma recap episodes on our main podcast feed). This is your sign to indulge your inner Austen nerd. This week only, ALL of our course and recap bundles are 25% off with the code HAPPYBIRTHDAYJANE.

Go to novelpairings.gumroad.com to claim your discount.

Happy Reading and Happy Birthday, Jane!

29/08/2025

We cannot believe it is time to officially close this chapter of Novel Pairings. On August 31st, we will shut down this Patreon page, but we aren’t totally leaving the internet! Our entire backlog of public podcast episodes will remain on the main show feed, and we have most of our courses and recaps posted on our new shop (link in stories and bio).

Get 20% off all bundles until 9/1 with code BACKTOSCHOOL.

We will dearly miss all of you and your wise, kind, lovely support and participation in this project. We truly believe you are the best bookish community on the internet, and we hope you will stay in touch with us.

Find Sara & Chelsey writing about books on Substack or join the Fiction Matter literary society for deep book discussions.

💕 C & S

19/05/2025

We’re keeping our Patreon open through August 31st, so if you’ve been meaning to catch up on our big book recaps, rewatch some of our classes, or check out those bonus episodes, now’s the time! It’s all still available for just $10 a month.

We’re doing this to give our amazing community one last chance to dive into everything before we start archiving some of the content. Don’t worry — not everything is going away, but a few series will be retired and no longer accessible.

To ensure all that of our content doesn't disappear, we’re also setting up a Gumroad storefront where you’ll be able to buy bundles of our classes and readalongs. But if you want access to everything at the best price, Patreon is definitely your best bet right now.

And here's a little thank-you — we’ll be giving exclusive discounts on Gumroad to our Patreon members too.

12/05/2025

We’re keeping our Patreon open through August 31st — so if you’ve been meaning to catch up on our big book recaps, rewatch some classes, or check out those bonus episodes, now’s the time! Everything’s still available for just $10/month.

We’re doing this to give our community one last chance to dive in before we start archiving a bit of the content. Not everything is going away, but a few series will be retired and no longer accessible.

To make sure things don’t disappear completely, we’re also setting up a Gumroad storefront where you’ll be able to buy bundles of our classes and readalongs. But if you want access to everything at the best price, Patreon is still the way to go.

And as a little thank-you, Patreon members will get exclusive discounts on Gumroad too.

07/05/2025

We have two final episodes for the main feed before we stop recording Novel Pairings. You can expect our annual summer anticipated books episode on May 20, and a final farewell Q&A episode on May 27th. Do you have questions for us about reading classic literature, behind the scenes stuff, reading with little kids, or our favorite ice cream flavors? Send all of your nerdy, silly, literary and non-literary questions using the form linked in our bio (and in our stories!), or send us an email at [email protected].

06/05/2025

We’re wrapping up our Emma readalong with final reflections on rereading, standout themes, and Austen’s legacy. We also chat about how we’re marking the momentous occasion of Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary and the ways this milestone is resonating with us as readers.

This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

30/04/2025

“The wedding was very much like other weddings, where the parties have no taste for finery or parade; and Mrs. Elton, from the particulars detailed by her husband, thought it all extremely shabby, and very inferior to her own.—“Very little white satin, very few lace veils; a most pitiful business!—Selina would stare when she heard of it.”—But, in spite of these deficiencies, the wishes, the hopes, the confidence, the predictions of the small band of true friends who witnessed the ceremony, were fully answered in the perfect happiness of the union.”

EMMA by Jane Austen

As we close the final pages of Jane Austen’s Emma, let’s take a moment to reflect on this beautiful conclusion.

It’s a reminder that real happiness comes from love, understanding, and mutual respect—not from appearances or status, sorry Mrs. Elton!

Don’t forget, our final Emma book club meeting is TONIGHT! Come join us for a discussion filled with insights, reflections, and maybe even some final thoughts on who was right all along.

28/04/2025

We’ve had such a great time in Austen in Spring — and the fun’s not over yet!

Our final Emma book club gathering is coming up this Wednesday. If you need a quick refresher before we meet, we’ve pulled together a rewind of all the episodes, special events, and bonus content so you can easily catch up.

What was the highlight of the Emma readalong for you?

24/04/2025

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart,’ said she afterwards to herself. ‘There is nothing to be compared to it. Warmth and tenderness of heart, with an affectionate, open manner, will beat all the clearness of head in the world, for attraction: I am sure it will.”

EMMA by Jane Austen

22/04/2025

We are hosting a special event featuring Professor Devoney Looser on Wednesday, April 23rd (tomorrow!).

Devoney Looser is a Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University, specializing in Jane Austen studies and women’s literary history. Her research focuses on British literature, feminist studies, and recovering marginalized women writers.

Looser has authored or edited several books, including The Making of Jane Austen (2017) and Sister Novelists (2022). She is a Guggenheim Fellow and NEH Public Scholar, known for her engaging public scholarship and her roller derby persona "Stone Cold Jane Austen.”

Her newest book, Wild for Austen, comes out on September 2nd, 2025.

We'd love for you to join us! Join at patreon.com/novelpairings.

18/04/2025

Hello, Classics Club! It's bittersweet to share that this is our final Footnotes episode. We've truly enjoyed reading Emma with all of you.

Let's keep the conversation going, both here and on Discord! Stay tuned for more information on our special event with Professor Looser and our final bookclub!

17/04/2025

As we’re reading through Emma, you might be planning to view an adaptation soon. Here’s a list of excellent film and TV adaptations to choose from, or watch them all and compare them! Let us know your favorites in the comments!

Listen to our 2020 episode on Emma adaptations (37 mins).

Clueless 1995 starring Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, and Paul Rudd.

Emma 1996 starring Gwenyth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Alan Cu***ng, and venerated audiobook narrator Juliet Stevenson to name a few big stars.

Emma 1996 starring Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong.

Emma 2009 starring Ramola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller.

Emma 2020 starring Anya Taylor Joy, Johnny Flynn, and Bill Nighy.

Novel Pairings Podcast