164. Brand New Books with Backlist Pairings: Summer 2025 Edition

Novel Pairings

Get ready to load your summer totes with compelling reads, both new and old! We’re sharing our anticipated summer releases on today’s episode, carefully curated from a long list of captivating titles to shake up your TBR. As always, we’ve included some perfectly paired backlist favorites to enjoy while you wait for the buzzy new books.

Today, we explore an exciting mix of poignant literary fiction, immersive historical narratives, richly layered contemporary stories, and even a touch of magical realism to spark your imagination. You’ll find everything from heartfelt memoirs threaded with nostalgia to sharp, insightful critiques of today’s world, alongside enchanting tales perfect for reading all season long.

This is our final season with Novel Pairings, but we are saving all of our episodes right here for you to return to, plus we’re opening a shop for our exclusive classes and recap series. Stay tuned. To learn when our shop opens up and to get all new announcements, make sure you are following @novelpairingspod on Instagram and subscribed to novelpairings.substack.com.

Find us individually and continue to read with each of us here:

Chelsey – IG: @chelseyreads | Substack: chelsey.substack.com

Sara – IG: @fictionmatters | Substack: fictionmatters.substack.com

Books Mentioned

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Heart, Be at Peace by Donal Ryan (5/20)

The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

Dubliners by James Joyce

I’ll Tell You When I’m Home by Hala Alyan (6/3)

Disoriental by Négar Djavadi

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Challenger by Adam Higginbotham

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (6/3)

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue (6/3)

A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab

The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey (6/17)

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Liars by Sarah Mangusso

The Tiny Things are Heavier by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo (6/24)

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott (6/24)

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (8/26)

Poppy War Trilogy by R.F. Kuang

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

The Odyssey by Homer

The Austin Affair by Madeline Bell

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Minor Black Figures by Brandon Taylor

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Heart the Lover by Lilly King

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

The Unveiling by Quan Berry

Endurance by Alfred Lansing

Also Mentioned

Paperback Summer Reading Guide

Libro FM

The Irishification of Pop Culture (The Culture Study Podcast)

LuLaRich Documentary