The Novel Tea

In this episode of The Novel Tea, Shruti and Neha introduce Season 8: Technology. We talk about the way technology has become integrated into our lives, share thoughts on the AI crisis, and share some books we've enjoyed that have explored technology and its implications. And, of course, we share the six books we'll be reading together over the next few months.Books MentionedThe Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami1984 by George OrwellThe Giver by Lois LowryNever Let Me Go by Kazuo IshiguroUglies by Scott WesterfeldStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelThe Candy House by Jennifer EganGalatea 2.2 by Richard PowersPlayground by Richard PowersThe Overstory by Richard PowersTranscription by Ben LernerFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyStories of Your Life and Others by Ted ChiangThe Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le GuinThe Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le GuinIf you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

In this episode, Neha and Shruti tackle the natural world in books - we zoom out to consider the eight books we discussed this season, talking about our favorite and least favorite reads, themes that emerged, and questions it raises about what fiction is for, and the way we read. Plus, we share tons of books recommendations, and talk about the books next up on our TBRs.Books Mentioned:Into Thin Air by Jon KrakauerWhat We Can Know by Ian McEwanAnnihilation by Jeff VanderMeerGreenwood by Michael ChristieOnce There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghyThe Seed Keeper by Diane WilsonProdigal Summer by Barbara KingsolverMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleEuphoria by Lily KingThe Snow Child by Eowyn IveyTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules VerneThe Hobbit by JRR TolkeinRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltWild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghyBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererPlayground by Richard PowersThe Overstory by Richard PowersThe Drowned World by JD BallardAn Immense World By Ed YongNothing But the Rain by Naomi SalmanThe Mosquito Coast by Paul ThoureaxOur Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldOut of Africa by Isak DenisenIf you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

In this episode Shruti and Neha discuss the great American classic, Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. We discuss the book's themes of otherness and obsession, but we also get in to so much more, including its racism and (maybe?) progressiveness, naturalism and Darwin, H.P. Lovecraft, and prophecies. Finally, we ponder its status as a classic; does this book deserve to stand the test of time?Links:Beige Moth [Blog]Shelf DiscoveryAhab's Wife by Sena Jeter NaslundAhab's Bride by Louise M. GougeCall me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu GuoFrankenstein by Mary ShelleySky Daddy by Kate FolkIf you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Shruti and Neha discuss Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, a novel of three stories that unfold over the course of one Appalachian summer. We discuss themes of female desire, fertility, familial love, and harmony. We also make connections between characters and their symbolic representations, discover a new critical lens to read through, and question the veracity of 'moon cycles.'Shelf Discovery:The Bean Trees by Barbara KingsolverLincoln Highway by Amor TowlesThe Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodThe White Book by Han KangIf you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss The Seedkeeper by Diane Wilson, exploring themes of reclamation, integration, and motherhood. We share some historical context, discuss the book's structure, and weigh in on the key relationships in the novel.Books Mentioned & Shelf DiscoveryCraft in the Real World by Matthew SalessesDaughters of the Deer by Danielle DanielThe Night Watchman by Louise ErdrichHope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila LalamiIf you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Shruti and Neha discuss Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, a story of a young woman trying to reintroduce wolves into the wild in the Scottish Highlands, only to find a darker side of the town that has troubling echoes with her own past. We discuss the story through the themes of instinct, villainy, and monsters. We also share some context on real-world conservation efforts, and get into the subgenre of tragedy porn (or misery lit).Links:Interview with Charlotte McConaghyShelf Discovery & Books MentionedPopular Trauma Culture by Anne RothIt Ends with Us by Colleen HooverIsland of the Sea Wolves [Netflix]Miracle Creek by Angie KimThe Women by Kristin HannahA Little Life by Hanya YanagiharaStolen by Ann-Helén LaestadiusIf you would like to get additional recommendations, analyses, and behind-the-scenes content related to this and all of our episodes, subscribe to our free email newsletter on Substack.We love to hear from listeners about the books we discuss - you can connect with us on Instagram or by emailing us at thenovelteapod@gmail.com.This episode description contains links to Bookshop.org, a website that supports independent bookstores. If you use these links we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.