Reading The Custom of the Country this winter has felt like stepping into the most lush, dramatic, and marathon-worthy period piece–so today we’re sharing some of our favorite period dramas and pairing them with excellent books for cozy winter reading. We discuss the appeal of watching historical fiction versus reading it, the throughline from reading Dear America books to watching Downton Abbey as a comfort show, and the complex nature of colorblind casting. We hope you find a new, or old, TV series or novel to enjoy after listening to today’s episode.
PS: if you hear some odd background noises in this episode, just imagine little toddler feet stomping above Chelsey's head!
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Shows Mentioned:
Downton Abbey
Poldark
Miss Scarlet and the Duke
Gentleman Jack
The Gilded Age
Bridgerton
Queen Charlotte
The Crown
Outlander
The Empress
The Great
The Good Lord Bird
The Underground Railroad
Reign
Books Mentioned:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
Longbourn by Jo Baker
Poldark series by Winston Graham
Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn
Knockout by Sarah Maclean
Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas
Sarah Waters
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan
The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Fiona Davis
Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
Jane Austen
The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
The Countess by Sophie Jordan
Victoria by Daisy Godwin
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Shakespeare’s history plays
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
The Lost Queen by Signe Pike
Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller
Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton
James McBride
John Brown by W.E.B. DuBois
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
The Water Dancer by Ta Nehisi Coates
Royal Diaries series
My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, et al
Alison Weir
Philippa Gregory
Margaret George
35. A 2020 Gift Guide for every literary taste
34. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and twisty, atmospheric mystery novels
33.5 Discussing the new Netflix adaptation of Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, starring Lily James and Armie Hammer
33. Reading challenges and books for every fall reading mood with Courtney Wallace, The Incessant Bookworm
32. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and eerie books to read with the lights on
31. Short Story Club: Horror Story by Carmen Maria Machado and spooky book recommendations
30. The Crucible by Arthur Miller and witchy books to read this fall
29. Campus novels to read in the fall and why we love books about school
28. Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich, books by Indigenous authors, and intergenerational family stories
27. Anticipated Fall 2020 Reads and backlist books to pair with them
26. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and books about The American Dream
25. Quarterly Favorites: The Best Books We Read in Summer 2020
24. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy novels for readers who love strong characters and complex worlds
23. On Campus with Novel Pairings, a preview of our back to school fall season and books that feel like Autumn
22. Like Water for Chocolate and mouth-watering fiction books about food, cooking, and romance
21. Book & Wine Pairings with Jamise Harper and book recommendations from our recent reads
20. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and romantic Black feminist heroines
19. Short Story Club: All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury and descriptive dystopian novels
18. The Odyssey by Homer and mythology retellings for adventurous readers
17. Buzzy Summer Books and backlist titles to read while you wait on your library holds
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