What Should I Read Next?

Karuna Riazi, is here to talk about magic. The magic of carrying a book in your bag that can teleport you to another world, the magic of a beautiful translation, and the magical pairing of a hot cup of tea and a good story. Anne and Karuna also chat about pen names, how to keep a book journal if you’re a total perfectionist, and a host of other things, but at the root of it all is everyday magic,...

A request we hear a lot at WSIRN is “can we have another episode about audiobooks??” So today, Anne is bringing in Michele Cobb, publisher at Audiofile magazine, to not only help recommend audiobooks for YOU, but to match Anne with her own next great audiobook read. Michele and Anne are chatting about the marriage of a great book with a great narrator, visual and auditory learning styles, jumping...

Today’s guest Holli Petersen has created a very special family book club that might inspire you to pick up the phone and call a bookish loved one as soon as the episode is over. She also totally hated one of Anne's favorite titles for the first 100 pages, before a turn of events melted her heart… Anne has mentioned this title DOZENS of times on the show, any guesses what that title might be? What...

Today’s guest is reading speed-demon Liberty Hardy, professional book nerd and host of Book Riot’s All the Books podcast. Together, Liberty and Anne are going deep into a book labyrinth, discussing truly committed bookworm questions like “how do you avoid back strain while reading for hours on end?”, “how do I smuggle 1000 books out of my house safely?” and “what does Kate Atkinson’s grocery list...

Alabama reader Shannan Malone has broad taste and high standards, and when it comes to new releases, even authors she’s loved in the past don’t get a free pass… the new book has to earn her love. So today’s episode goes out to all you eclectic readers who love hopping between genres. Anne and Shannan covering the struggle of pinpointing what you dislike about a book that everyone else thinks is am...

Decision-making is a HUGE part of WSIRN's purpose. Podcaster and author Emily P. Freeman is an expert in the art of decision-making (she’s literally written the book on it), but when assigned school reading hijacked alllllll her personal reading time... deciding what to read next for pleasure got a little more complicated. Today, Anne helps Emily find her way back to confident personal reading dec...

Many listeners and past guests on WSIRN have shared their stories of reading dry spells due to chronic illness, anxiety, and disability. Today’s guest Kate Mitchell has experienced polar opposites in her reading life, going from a period of time when reading was literally her job, to stretches where reading was literally impossible because of chronic illness. Kate is sharing some of the wisdom she...

WSIRN often helps readers get out of their comfort zones, but today’s guest Mallory O’Meara is taking Anne out of hers. Her wheelhouse is everything bizarre, paranormal, and downright scary. But digging past the surface differences, Mallory and Anne have a lot in common, especially the desire to understand how an author DID that.  Today they're chatting about the magic of rereading a favorite book...

Michelle Wilson has noticed a specific character type that is missing from her bookshelves... and she is on the hunt for more. She and Anne chat about characters age 50+ in possession of NO magical powers, yelling at characters who make terrible decisions, reading as broadly as possible, and what it's like to be in not one, not two, but THREE book clubs (mmmmmaybe more.) Click over to the podcast...

Guest Kate Daley is a house painter from New South Wales, Australia, who has been living for the past two and a half years... in a camper van! Today she chats with Anne about the genre that sent her into an intense reading rut, a family reading competition, and where she manages to fit a home library in while living in cramped quarters. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mention...

After a year of focusing on reading over 100 books while recovering from a running injury, today’s guest Natalie Van Waning is sprinting enthusiastically toward many readers’ worst nightmare: Looooooong books. We're talking doorstop, tweak your wrist getting them off the shelf, 40-hours-on-Audible long books. Natalie asked Anne to help her focus on quality instead of quantity, so get ready for swe...

Sean Larkin is a self-proclaimed “slow reader”, stay-at-home-parent, and freelance photographer. If you don’t relate to 100-book reading goals or refreshing your feed for the latest book news, Sean is the kindred reading spirit you’ve been waiting to hear from! Anne chats with Sean about the book that made him nostalgic for a time period before he was born, calculating price-per-page at the librar...

Ready for a trip to Scotland? Today Anne sits down in-person with Ruth Andersen, a brand new bookseller in Wigtown, Scotland, to chat about what it's like to live in a "book town", Ruth's return to school after 50 years, and the delicate balance of stocking a used bookstore's shelves. Because this episode was recorded in the shop, during business hours, you’ll get to experience some of the booksho...

This week Anne chats with Anna LeBaron, author of the memoir The Polygamist’s Daughter, about how literacy kept her going through a difficult childhood, and how as an adult she turned being an author’s biggest fan into a full-time career. You’ll hear how nonfiction put her dearest fractured relationships back together again, her tips for being a “patron of the arts” on a budget, and the redemptive...

Meet Phimy Truong and Erika Thi Benjamin, best friends who share both a passion for work that creates positive change in the world AND practically identical reading taste (as you’ll hear, one of their favorites is shared). Today Anne, Phimy, and Erika chat about the book that taught them radical self-care, how literature has helped them dive more deeply into understanding of their heritage, fictio...

Today’s guest Tara Nichols is giving herself an eagle-eye view of the last century’s literary landscape. Her mission is to read one book published each year between 1920 and 2019. The challenge brings with it a lot of important questions… what is worth her time? Is it better to read the big important book from a given year, or the title she thinks she’ll enjoy most ? And the question she’s hoping...

Today’s guest, Erin Morris, is tackling a book challenge with her child this year, and the impact on his imaginative life and her literary life has been no less than remarkable. If you have little ones, this episode is going to make you want to drop everything, pull them close, and enjoy a good book together. Anne and Erin also discuss making reading fun and stress-free for ADULTS because not ever...

Today's guest Tiffany Patterson is a small-town reader who has created a new kind of literary get-together that is convincing her friends to give books a shot, even if they didn’t consider themselves “readers” before Tiffany got a hold of them. Tiffany is also ready to break down her own reading barriers… she asked Anne to help ease her fiction-loving soul into NONfiction that will help her "feel...

If you entered the new year dreaming of a fresh approach to your reading life, today’s guest Jim Mustich is sharing decades of wisdom to help kick off your best reading year ever. Anne and Jim chat about his new book 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, and why reading 1000 books might not be as daunting as it first sounds, then Jim takes on the book matchmaking mantle recommends which of the 1000 b...

Chelsey and Curtis are childhood sweethearts looking to connect over a good book… and possibly, across an ocean. But their reading taste might not be as compatible as their personalities. Today they get brutally honest about their least-favorite books (Chelsey’s may shock you), Curtis gives a peek at his favorites from the Army’s required reading list, and Anne pushes them both out of their comfor...

Ashley Gossens created a nature-driven Seattle book club that brings the page to life in an adventurous, completely unique way. Today, Ashley and Anne talk about the wildlife encounter that made brought a book up-close and personal, what nature has taught Ashley about motherhood, and the particular, magical way a book can affect your confidence. Click over to the podcast website for a list of book...

Today’s guest Traci Thomas has had a hard time finding her niche in the online bookish community, because, as she puts it, she “reads like a dad”. But I have a hunch lots of listeners will relate to her obsession with true crime and the literary search for truth. We’re chatting about books that strengthen your sense of belonging, Traci’s reluctance to read fiction, and the best bad ending she has...

Literary podcast nerds rejoice–Ann Kingman of Books On The Nightstand fame is behind the mic once more! We asked you to call and write in about the people you want to give the gift of a good read this year… and WOW, you all delivered! Ann and Anne are dishing out rapid-fire recommendations for young AND old readers with highly varied literary interests. You’ll also get to hear what Ann’s been up t...

Have you ever read a book that made the world around you feel just a little bit… magical? Today Anne welcomes author Jon Cohen on the show to chat about the magic of the mundane life in fiction, his unorthodox path to writing, the mighty bookworm women in his life, and what it was like to live with the school librarian as a child. Plus, Anne recommends three books guaranteed to make Jon's everyday...

Shawntaye Hopkins discovered Jane Austen’s books for the first time as an adult - and after that initial discovery, she dove in DEEP. Today, Anne and Shawntaye chat about the magic of immersive literary events that celebrate the classics (not just Jane!) and how they’ve changed the way Shawntaye reads her most beloved books. They also explore TEN YEARS of book journaling, the book Shawntaye is sti...