What Should I Read Next?

Anne chats with education navigator Hanan Al-Zubaidy about literacy in the justice system, and how her work with incarcerated students has been affected by social distancing. Hanan came to WSIRN looking for an escapist reading experience, but she didn’t mean happy endings and rainbows. She escapes her day to day life by submerging herself in someone else’s complex, difficult world (fiction or non!...

Anne is joined by Gaithersburg, Maryland mayor Jud Ashman to give you an insiders’ look at what goes into the planning and establishment of those community book events. At the time of recording, they were still crossing their fingers that they’d get to meet in person at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. Between then and now, that event has been canceled due to COVID-19. (There will be some online pr...

Today, Anne's exploring a genre that’s on the rise these days... ecofiction! Reader Katy Yocom is constantly on the hunt for absorbing novels with plots that not only incorporate the natural world, but ones in which the story absolutely depends upon it. Anne's challenge today is to pick 3 well-written titles for Katy that paint a lush portrait of natural life without losing that “page turning” app...

A note from Anne — I’ve been soooo looking forward to sharing today’s episode with you. Today we’re sharing the live audio from my book tour stop at the Strand in New York City. This evening in their gorgeous rare books room was MAGICAL. The room was packed with avid readers (and quite a few What Should I Read Next alums, which is what we like to call our past guests). It couldn't have been a bett...

Why do some books with heavy topics leave you feeling uncomfortable, while other books tackling difficult subject matter make you feel understood and connected to humankind? Today, guest Mandy Lambert and host Anne Bogel pick apart the ingredients of Mandy's favorite and least favorite books to discover the subtle difference between a hard book that pays off in the end, and a hard book that’s just...

So, you hate the book you’re reading. Or maybe you just feel blah about the book you’re reading. Or maybe the book you’re reading is good, but a different book on your shelf just looks so appealing, and you can’t help reaching for it… suddenly, you have a stack of 5 half-read books on your nightstand, and you’re still browsing the library catalog for something new. If you relate to any of those sc...

Guest Sterling Hardaway values efficiency and growth in his reading life, which has led him to a hefty serving of nonfiction to learn new exciting things, fiction that sidesteps predictable tropes to deliver a truly unique reading experience, and seeking out authors whose perspectives have been historically underrepresented. Anne's challenge today is recommending 3 books that won’t tread the same...

As audiobooks have become more available and more popular over the years, they’ve become a bigger part so many of your daily routines. Today Anne chats with everyday expert Leanne Hunt about the history of audiobooks and her decades-long connection with the format. Leanne came looking for book recommendations that explore the inner life of characters, and lush sensory descriptions of setting and e...

We're always hearing from listeners about connections made either on the show or in the blog or instagram comment sections. Today’s guest Elizabeth Barnhill had one of these delightful stories to share. She popped into Anne's DMs recently to say “Anne, I wanted to let you know that you are a bookstore matchmaker. I was listening to your show 2 years ago when you interviewed Alison Frenzel about op...

Like many readers, today’s guest Lacey Yong is creative. But her writing hobby is beginning to clash with her book selections, so she came to WSIRN with the question “how do I pick books that inspire me to write, without being too influenced by authors who write in my genre?” It’s a tricky problem, but one we can work through. Lacey is also ready to tackle the titles on what her husband jokingly c...

Anne has recommended books in translation to many guests in the past, but this week we’re venturing away from reading in English, with Parisian reader Florence Breuvart. Because she reads in both French and English, Florence often gets to choose between reading a work in translation, or reading an author’s words in their original language. Today, Anne's challenge is recommending Florence’s next re...

Today we listen in on Anne's recent event in Huntsville, Alabama in collaboration with Snail On the Wall and the Rocket City Moms Book Club. Shannan Malone hosts a conversation about Anne's new book, Don’t Overthink It, and Anne holds a LIVE literary matchmaking session with Erin, a reader from the event audience who loves books about the simple life. We hope you enjoy hearing what WSIRN is like —...

Amy Rohn joins Anne to talk about literal literary matchmaking, the ups and downs of her life as a reader in search of real-life romance. We’re exploring what she looks for in a partner, whether they’re a reader or not, and truly baffling stories from her attempts at talking to men on dating apps about books.  Plus, discussing Amy's newfound love affair with nonfiction after a lifetime of sticking...

Every week, we promise to give you the information you need to choose your next read. Sometimes, that means information about a specific title (like the premise, interesting backstory, or a sense of the atmosphere.) But other times, the information you need is only discovered through thoughtful reflection on your reading patterns, and developing personalized adjustments. Today’s guest Erin Schlese...

You might remember way back in Ep 60, guest Mel Joulwan and I talked about her love for books with a "strong sense of place". Mel realized she loves to travel in her literary life, and in the years since we chatted on WSIRN she’s made that the priority in big, delightful ways, along with her husband Dave Humphries. Mel and Dave are joining us today to chat about their reading journey together, ful...

It’s always fun to read through your guest applications. You fill our inbox with stories, goals, hilarity, and so much heart. One particularly memorable application didn’t come from today’s guest Anna Mittler — it came from one of her best friends, Charlotta, asking if we could make WSIRN a part of Anna’s upcoming bachelorette party. It took a full year to stitch the pieces together and get this e...

Around here we believe that when you improve your reading life, it does good things for the rest of your life. Today’s guest Pamela Hernandez has found creative ways to pull together reading goals and fitness goals in her personal training business. Pamela loves to read about women who mirror herself and her clients–seasoned female characters who live life on their terms, work to make the best of...

The new year is here and that means another milestone is just around the corner. Anne's newest book Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy Into Your Life comes out on March 3rd. In celebration and anticipation on today's episode Anne is sharing chapter 13 Small Shifts Toward Simple Abundance. Anne chose this chapter because there's a funny story in here...

Today we’re revisiting a topic near and dear to our hearts here at WSIRN HQ, and a PERFECT conversation for this time of the year, when the best-of lists start rolling out and everyone is gearing up for a new calendar year of reading. Anne chatted with 14 different readers about how they track their books, and we hope their perspectives will give you some new ideas to start your 2020 reading year...

Today you get to hear from a guest who is very near and dear to the show, Anne's husband Will. Will has been involved with What Should I Read Next since BEFORE the beginning of the show. First he was the sounding board, then he was the trial guest, then he dropped into your feed for the first time in episode 61—and if you haven’t listened to that yet, start downloading it while you listen to this....

Anne chats with reader and children’s book writer Kate DiCamillo about the books that inspired her to dream up stories, the hopeful work of writing for children, and what she learns from readers about her own books. She has so much to share about the value of friendship with other people who work differently than you do, and her advice is applicable whether you’re an aspiring author or simply a re...

Hopefully you haven’t put that wrapping paper away yet… because today we’re bringing you even MORE bookish gift-giving ideas! This episode is specially geared toward the people many WSIRN listeners consider the hardest to buy for — your nonfiction readers, true crime lovers, political thriller fanatics, and doorstop history book deep-divers. Sometimes these are called “dad books” or “dude books”,...

Anne has a delightful & deep conversation with guest Sarah Bessey about writing personal nonfiction, and what might spur an author to write a book unlike anything they’ve written in the past. Last week, Anne talked about books can expand hearts and minds, and Sarah has so much to share with about what books have shifted her perspectives for the better. CanLit lovers rejoice — they're also touching...

Break out the wrapping paper, because our yearly WSIRN holiday recommendation episode is here! Listeners wrote and called in to let us know who they wanted to give the gift of reading to this Winter, and today, Anne is joined by Holland Saltsman of The Novel Neighbor in St Louis to recommend the perfect titles for your distractable teens and tweens, reluctant-reader spouses, impossible-to-buy-for...

Today’s guest is Jamie Freeman, a reader who was led to audiobooks by her favorite true crime podcasts… and has since made serious space in her life to read with her earbuds in.  Anne and Jamie chat about spine-tingly crime nonfiction, historical romance, their favorite audiobook narrators, and tackle a frequently asked question: how to get into an audiobook when you’re finding it hard to focus. ...