150. Ten classic novels you should read this summer

Novel Pairings

We’re taking it back to the classroom in today’s episode! Chelsey and Sara reflect on their experience with high school summer reading as both students and teachers: the good, the great, and the hot takes. While we aren’t assigning any reading in this episode, we are sharing 10 classics that would make for great summer reads at any age! For an enhanced reading experience, pair a past Novel Pairings episode with each of these classics to listen as you go.

Of course, our main summer reading recommendation is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, our BIG summer readalong hosted in Patreon with classes, bonus episodes, and special recaps to get the most out of this huge novel.

Novel Pairings operates on an academic calendar to keep our work sustainable. But like most teachers, just because we have summer “off” doesn’t mean we aren’t hard at work behind the scenes! This summer, we will take off from sharing new episodes on the main feed in July and August to devote more time and energy to planning for the year ahead, restoring our creativity, and strengthening our bond with Patreon community members.

If you are missing Novel Pairings in your podcast feed, we would love for you to join our community for extra nerdy summer fun.

Books Mentioned:

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The Joyluck Club by Amy Tan

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Passing by Nella Larsen

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

James by Percival Everett

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

Novel Pairings Episodes

Episode 86: Palpable tension and shocking twists in Passing by Nella Larsen

Episode 136: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Episode 117: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Episode 114: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Episode 68: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson and contemplative books for moody summer reading

Episode 66: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part Two

Episode 64: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Part One

Episode 61: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery, plus books about complicated families, romance, and boundaries

Episode 20: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and romantic Black feminist heroines

Episode 126: Leaving a Legacy: The Odyssey in modern literature

Episode 142: The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton

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