Feb 13, 2024
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