The Novel Tea

Neha and Shruti discuss the ultimate gothic sci-fi classic, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. We talk about how loneliness drives the men in this story, and the power shifts that occur between Frankenstein and the monster. We also get into its parallels to today's technology, AI and robots, beauty standards, and of course, we bring it all back to colonialism and empire.Books Mentioned & Shelf DiscoveryThe Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor HugoDracula by Bram StokerThe Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LerouxNever Let Me Go by Kazuo IshiguroThe Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le GuinPiranesi by Susanna ClarkeIf 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 [email protected] 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.

In this special bonus episode, author Paige Lewis joins Shruti and Neha to talk about their debut novel Canon, the story of an unlikely hero and a woman prophet who embark on a journey to win God's favor.Paige tells us about the stories they loved as a child, how they found inspiration for their characters, and what it was like to go from writing poetry to writing a novel. We chat about epic poetry and myth (while dropping tons of great recommendations along the way!), and consider questions of good vs. evil in ancient and contemporary texts.Texts Mentioned:Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. LewisDungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanFrankenstein by Mary ShelleyThe Last Man by Mary ShelleyGalatea 2.2 by Richard PowersParable of the Sower by Octavia ButlerThe Machine Stops by E.M. ForsterThe Odyssey by HomerThe Iliad by HomerThe White Book by Han KangAniara by Harry MartinsonThe Tale of Kieu by Nguyen DuThe Ramayana translated by Bibek DebroyThe Mahabharata translated by John D. SmithThe Penelopiad by Margaret AtwoodThe Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniCruella (2021)Inanna: Lady of Largest Heart by EnheduannaThe Joker (2019)Moby Dick by Herman MelvilleBalloon Pop Outlaw Black by Patricia LockwoodMulan (1988)Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt VonnegutRead more about Paige Lewis hereCanon by Paige LewisSpace Struck by Paige LewisIf 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 [email protected] 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.

Neha and Shruti discuss Transcription by Ben Lerner, considering themes of distortion, truth, parenthood, memory, and of course, transcription. In addition to discussing technology and smartphones, we get into the strangeness of dreams, and the ways liminal spaces appear in this novel. Finally, we consider what a novel actually is, and what it is for - especially in today's technological day and age.Links:"Ben Lerner and the Impossible Interview" [The New Yorker]Shelf DiscoveryThe Road by Cormac McCarthyWhat We Can Know by Ian McEwanAudition by Katie KitamuraIf 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 [email protected] 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.

In this episode, Neha and Shruti talk about Galatea 2.2 by Richard Powers. Published in 1995, it describes a group of scientists who are attempting to create an intelligent machine that they can feed the great classics of literature. We get into the ethics of the situation, its similarities and differences to the current AI crisis, and draw comparisons to the many versions of the Pygmalion myth that have emerged over the years.Links:An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John LockeBooks Mentioned & Shelf DiscoveryA World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael PollanPygmalion by George Bernard ShawGalatea by Madeline MillerThe Overstory by Richard PowersAuthority by Jeff VandermeerThe Laughter by Sonora JhaDisgrace by J.M. CoetzeeAnnie Bot by Sierra GreerTranscription by Ben LernerIf 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 [email protected] 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.

Shruti and Neha dive in to The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, a kaleidoscopic novel of connected short stories set in a world where our memories can be uploaded to the cloud. We talk about the parts of the book that were successful, some aspects that we didn't love, and what Egan was ultimately trying to say about our relationship to technology.Shelf Discovery:A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer EganThe Keep by Jennifer EganStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelSea of Tranquility by Emily St. John MandelGreenwood by Michael GreenwoodThe New York Trilogy by Paul AusterIf 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 [email protected] 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.

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 [email protected] 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.

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 [email protected] 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.

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 [email protected] 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.

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 [email protected] 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.

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 [email protected] 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.