Neha and Shruti discuss Another Country by James Baldwin, a book that follows a group of friends and lovers in New York City in the mid-20th century. We talk about the characters and their relationships, the inaction that fills the novel, and the importance of having 'difficult' conversations with the people you love. We also go on a brief Gossip Girl tangent as we attempt to better understand the characters in this book :)

Links:

Another Country by Claudia Roth Pierpont [The New Yorker]

Jazz by Toni Morrison: violence and ambition [The Novel Tea]

Books mentioned & Shelf Discovery:

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Jazz by Toni Morrison

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

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Neha and Shruti discuss Daughters of the Deer, by Danielle Daniel, a work of historical fiction that follows an indigenous woman and her daughter in a 17th century French colony that is now Quebec, Canada. We talk about the historical context of the book, discuss the characters and their journeys, and reflect on the importance of telling these stories.

Shelf Discovery:

East by Edith Pattou

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Hope Leslie; Or Early Times in Massachusetts by Catharine Maria Sedgwick

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Neha and Shruti discuss The Savage Detectives, the story of two poets and the people and world that surrounds them, as they journey across Mexico. We talk about some of the cultural context of this book, the challenges we faced while reading, and share some strong opinions.

Shelf Discovery

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

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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.

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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss The Other Americans by Laila Lalami, a novel about an immigrant family that includes a romance, family drama, and a mystery. After a quick discussion of the It Ends With Us drama, we share a quick summary and dive into some themes we noticed in The Other Americans, including memory, regret, and protection. We talk about some of the key relationships and conflicts, major plot points, and Lalami's writing style.

Shelf Discovery

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

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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.

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In this episode, Shruti and Neha discuss The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, which follows four characters from different social and financial classes, whose stories are linked through familial relationships and employment. As the book continues, their lives become more intimately intertwined and political unrest starts to reach their homes.

We talk about the themes of class and entitlement, the historical landscape of India in the post-independence decades, and discuss how this book is descendant from British literary giants such as PG Wodehouse and Jane Austen.

Shelf Discovery:

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Neha and Shruti discuss The Sympathizer, the 2016 Pulitzer winner for fiction, through the themes of loyalty and duality. This book is a thriller and a satire, following a mixed race narrator who moves to the United States after the fall of Saigon, and must navigate his identity and his role as a communist spy. We talk about the book's historical context, its commentary on race and pop culture, and more.

Links:

Interview with Viet Thanh Nguyen [NPR]

Shelf Discovery:

The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

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In this episode, Neha and Shruti introduce the theme for Season 4: Beyond Borders! We talk about the books we've selected to read in this theme, and share what we're excited about in the upcoming months.

Books Mentioned:

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nyugen

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

The Other Americans by Laila Lalami

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño

Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel

Another Country by James Baldwin

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

If 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.

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