Episodes

  • The Natural World in Books: Wrapping up Season 7

    The Natural World in Books: Wrapping up Season 7
    Jun 24 2026
    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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    42 mins
  • Moby Dick by Herman Melville: otherness and obsession

    Moby Dick by Herman Melville: otherness and obsession
    Jun 10 2026

    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 Discovery

    Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund

    Ahab's Bride by Louise M. Gouge

    Call me Ishmaelle by Xiaolu Guo

    Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

    Sky Daddy by Kate Folk


    If 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver: fertility and harmony

    Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver: fertility and harmony
    May 21 2026

    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 Kingsolver

    Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

    The White Book by Han Kang


    If 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson: integration and reclamation

    The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson: integration and reclamation
    May 6 2026

    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 Discovery

    Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses

    Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel

    The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

    Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami


    If 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    51 mins
  • Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy: instinct and monsters

    Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy: instinct and monsters
    Apr 8 2026

    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 McConaghy


    Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned

    Popular Trauma Culture by Anne Roth

    It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

    Island of the Sea Wolves [Netflix]

    Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

    The Women by Kristin Hannah

    A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

    Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius


    If 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    56 mins
  • In Conversation: Alli Hoff Kosik on influencers, gossip, and the online world in books

    In Conversation: Alli Hoff Kosik on influencers, gossip, and the online world in books
    Apr 3 2026
    Author Alli Hoff Kosik joins us to discuss her new book Too Blessed to Stress, a novel following four Christian influencers as they navigate their online lives and deal with private struggles becoming public.We talk about communication and the internet as tools of power, how gossip can be wielded for good and for evil, and the ways social media has begun to appear in novels in a variety of ways. And, of course, we share tons of book recommendations as we talk all about how Too Blessed to Stress is in conversation with other books, media, and popular culture.This is a spoiler-free discussion (with very minimal discussion of plot and characters) so dive in - whether you read the book and loved it, or have never heard of it until now!Books and Media MentionedThe Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean WeirThe Secret Lives of Mormon WivesSex and the CityThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann BrasharesGossip GirlSuch a Bad Influence by Olivia MuenterThe Influencers by Anna-Marie McLemoreTehrangeles by Porochista KhakpourIf You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Leigh SteinThe Dream Hotel by Laila LalamiIn Her Defense by Philippa MalickaDracula by Bram StokerColton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff ZentnerThe Princess Diaries by Meg CabotAmelia's Notebook by Marissa MossThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansPaper Cut by Rachel TaffIf 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    53 mins
  • Greenwood by Michael Christie: legacy and inheritance

    Greenwood by Michael Christie: legacy and inheritance
    Mar 25 2026

    In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss Greenwood, a multigenerational family saga tied together with a repeating motif of trees and forests. We discuss themes of legacy, inheritance, nature, and addiction, and we also share our critiques of the book, from its character construction to its central message.


    Interview with Michael Christie


    Shelf Discovery:

    What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

    The Overstory by Richard Powers

    Playground by Richard Powers

    Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi


    If 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer: entropy and uncertainty

    Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer: entropy and uncertainty
    Mar 11 2026

    In this episode, Neha and Shruti discuss Annihilation, the first book of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy. We discuss its world building, character development, and share our many theories about the central mystery and the book's ending.


    Shelf Discovery & Books Mentioned:

    His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

    What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

    Piranesi by Susanna Clarke


    If 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    57 mins