The Novel Tea

In our last episode until the fall, we talk all about speculative fiction: our favorite fictional worlds, the best reading experiences we've had this season, and more. We also share the books that didn't make the cut for this season (even though we want to read them all), and get into the great realistic vs. genre fiction debate.Books mentioned:Dark Matter by Blake CrouchMexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaSnow Crash by Neal StephensonTill We Have Faces by C.S. LewisNeverwhere by Neil GaimanStardust by Neil GaimanJonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna ClarkePride and Prejudice by Jane AustenThe Eyre Affair by Jasper FfordeIf you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

Today, Neha and Shruti talk about Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, a dreamy, fantastical novel set in a beautiful House where there are birds, fish, tides, and statues. We talk about the narrator's unique perspective, the writing style, and our thoughts on the underlying meaning of the story. We also get into the book's many allusions and references, from C.S. Lewis, to Plato's Allegory of the Cave.Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned:Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna ClarkeThe Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupéryThe Starless Sea by Erin MorgensternCirce by Madeline MillerIf you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

Shruti and Neha talk about Sea of Tranquility, the latest book from speculative fiction author Emily St. John Mandel. We dive into the differences between loneliness and solitude, past vs. present tense in fiction, time travel, the history of the simulation hypothesis, and much more!Spoilers start at 15:53.Shelf DiscoveryThe Glass Hotel by Emily St. John MandelThe Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey NiffeneggerThe New York Trilogy by Paul AusterIf you would like to get more in-depth analysis, book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

In this episode, Neha and Shruti dive into the historical underbelly of Barcelona where they find twisted tales, hidden secrets, family drama, and heartbreak. We read The Shadow of the Wind through themes of obsession and memory, talk about Gothic fiction and mystery stories, and finally get to our problems with the book's ending.Shelf Discovery:Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia MarquezThe Starless Sea by Erin MorgensternThe Book Thief by Markus ZusakIf you would like to get more in-depth analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

Shruti and Neha discuss Fledgling, Octavia Butler's last novel before her untimely death, through the themes of home and innocence. We talk about vampire lore (including Twilight and The Vampire Diaries), the ethics of genetic manipulation, and race through the lens of childhood.Links:Code Switch: Taylor Swift and the unbearable whiteness of girlhoodShelf Discovery:The Vegetarian by Han KingThe Bluest Eye by Toni MorrisonIf you would like to get more in-depth analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss one of the most acclaimed science fiction novels of all time: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. We give you all the context you need to understand this complex and nuanced novel, and even some information you may not have thought you needed, including: the evolutionary biology of menstruation, gender constructs & stereotypes, conflicts of love and trust, and much more.Spoilers start at 33:19Links:How and Why did Women Evolve Periods? by Suzanne Sadedin, PhD in evolutionary biologyShelf Discovery and Books Mentioned:A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le GuinDune by Frank HerbertFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyHis Dark Materials by Phillip PullmanIf you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

Shruti and Neha discuss The Humans by Matt Haig, a novel that is dressed up as science fiction, but is really about learning to love life. We talk about reading the right book at the right time, science fiction's relationship to colonialism, and bigger questions about the way we live today. We also wonder if there is a such thing as self-help fiction.Shelf Discovery:An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed YongThe Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith EgerSpeak by Laurie Halse AndersonThe Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen ChboskySpoilers start at 22:20Content warning: suicide, mental healthIf you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

In this fun bonus episode, Shruti and Neha dive into everything mythology-related, including: what are myths? Why are Greek mythology retellings so popular, and is that problematic? Does mythology still exist today?We talk about all this and more, referencing The Hero's Journey, Joseph Campbell, and world mythologies.*Spoilers for American Gods between 20:50-21:10Books Mentioned:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK RowlingAmerican Gods by Neil GaimanThe Secret History by Donna TarttThe Penelopiad by Margaret AtwoodCirce by Madeline MillerClytemnestra by Costanza CasatiKaikeyi by Vaishnavi PatelIf you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.

In this episode Neha and Shruti tackle one of the living titans of speculative fiction: Neil Gaiman. We discuss American Gods through the themes of deception and survival, tracking the characters through the story as we ponder stories of immigration, faith, and disillusionment. We also talk about the importance of reading challenging novels and taking our time with certain books.Spoilers for the ending start at 21:50.Content warning: the book contains references to historical violence against Black people, which we discuss 22:30-24:00.If you would like to hear more in-depth literary analysis, curated book recommendations, and cultural commentary, subscribe to our free newsletter.Shelf DiscoveryThe Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoHis Dark Materials by Philip PullmanWe 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 (which helps support our work) at no additional cost to you.*When talking about carousels, Neha mistakenly mentions The Book Thief - she actually was referring to The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke