Cover of The Novel Tea

The Novel Tea

The Novel Tea

By: Neha & Shruti
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Welcome to The Novel Tea, where your favorite English class meets your neighborhood book club. Join us as we go beyond the traditional classics, exploring books from diverse authors and backgrounds. Each episode, we'll talk about a book through different themes, analyzing characters, plot, and writing styles, to determine: does it stand the test of time?

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

Shruti Koti, Neha Ambati Art
Episodes
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: loneliness and domination

    Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: loneliness and domination
    21 Oct 2026

    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 Discovery

    The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

    Dracula by Bram Stoker

    The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

    Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

    The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

    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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    1 hr and 2 min
  • In Conversation: Paige Lewis on epic poetry, dystopias, and the battle between good and evil

    In Conversation: Paige Lewis on epic poetry, dystopias, and the battle between good and evil
    14 Oct 2026
    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 HomerAniara 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 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 1 min
  • Transcription by Ben Lerner: distortion and parenthood

    Transcription by Ben Lerner: distortion and parenthood
    7 Oct 2026

    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 Discovery

    The Road by Cormac McCarthy

    What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

    Audition by Katie Kitamura


    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.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 4 min
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