What Should I Read Next?

As we wrap up our ninth year together, Anne invites our What Should I Read Next? team members to join her and share insight into what the past twelve months have meant in each of their reading lives. This episode borrows from a long-time tradition on Modern Mrs Darcy, the blog where every year Anne asks herself what worked and what didn't. Our team is answering those questions today here, from the...

Today's guest has been participating in reading challenges for nearly a decade, and she's putting a unique spin on this tradition in 2026 that you'll hear about today.  Callie Dean lives in Shreveport, Louisiana, where in addition to reading she enjoys playing the violin in the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, writing children's books, and running and baking. Reading challenges aren't for every read...

We love unique reading projects around here, and today's guest has maintained hers since 2021. We're going to hear all about it and explore how she's adding a new twist for 2026. Kate Mosesso is a reader and improv comedian who lives and works in Chicago. She's a lifelong reader, and while she loves the stories on the page, she's an even bigger fan of the connections that reading fosters. Since 20...

Historical fiction is a popular genre among many, but today's guest learned a lot about her reading life when she realized this genre wasn't for her! Today Anne is talking with Laura Howard, an Atlanta-area faculty developer and part-time university professor. She’s always seen reading as both a personal joy and a form of connection, whether with the fellow members of her longstanding book club or...

Breaking into a new genre can feel intimidating. Today Anne is talking with a reader who is keen to explore cozy mysteries, but isn't sure where to begin. Amber Richcreek lives in Bellingham, Washington with her family, where she’s a pre-k teacher and enjoys baking and photography in her spare time. She’s also a lifelong reader and a fan of emotional, character-driven contemporary fiction.  Lately...

We all know that book gifts are the best gifts, and today Anne is talking with a devoted reader who's come to the show looking for guidance on selecting great bookish gifts for the season to come. Meredith Amadee lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she works as a wedding photographer and hosts a book club that's come to play a big part in her life. Every year, this book club hosts a book exchange for...

When she discovered the idea of a personal curriculum, today's guest couldn't wait to apply this concept to her reading life. Amy St. Amand, a primary care clinical pharmacist from Rhode Island, wants to know a little bit about a whole lot of things. She's working to build a personal learning plan that encompasses a variety of her assorted interests, and she's here today for Anne's help in develop...

Today marks a major milestone: the 500th episode of What Should I Read Next! To celebrate, Anne is joined by two guests today. First, you'll hear her in conversation with our What Should I Read Next Patreon Community Manager Shannan Malone as they explore what's new in our Patreon community space. Then, Anne welcomes one of our previous guests back to the show to talk about how her reading life ha...

One of our favorite things to do in our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club is connect with the authors we all love. Every so often we have the opportunity to share one of those conversations with all of you, too. Today you'll be hearing from Kevin Wilson, author of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide selection Run for the Hills and a writer we've long looked forward to hosting in this space. Our conversation co...

Returning to favorite TV shows is a common stress management strategy. Today’s guest would love to find books that deliver the same soothing feelings she gets from re-watching her favorite comfort shows. Kayla King lives on a small-scale dairy and hobby farm in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania. A lifelong reader, Kayla's recently started to branch out from her usual genres of mysteries, thrillers, and s...

Book events and festivals are always a favorite around here. Today's conversation dives deep into the art and craft of creating an engaging literary festival as Anne welcomes Sarah Moriarty, the Executive Director of the Charleston Literary Festival, to the show. They talk about what goes into curating such a festival, what you may be glad to know before attending a literary festival yourself, and...

When the world feels heavy, many of us reach for books. Today's guest is looking for a specific style of comfort reads. Jemima Welsh is joining Anne today all the way from Brisbane, Australia, where she lives with her family and her pets, including four chickens named for the March sisters.  Right now, Jemima is specifically looking for books that feel, quite literally, close to home. She's lookin...

,The team at MMD HQ has always been enthusiastic about fall reading. We shared our first Fall Book Preview back in 2019, and last week we released the seventh annual edition. Today, we’re sharing a sneak peek into this year's event that concludes with Anne describing the first three books in our literary and contemporary fiction category.  Our Fall Book Preview offers the gentle guidance you’re lo...

Today we're diving into what feels like a particularly nerdy niche of the reading life as Anne is joined by an expert reader. Sarah Kellogg is a cover designer at a big five publisher, and today she and Anne are exploring what goes into the art of cover design. Sarah answers many of our burning questions and sheds light on some of the lesser known aspects of her work. Of course, they also discuss...

Today's guest is facing a shift in her reading life now that she's an empty nester. Candice Brown-Murray lives in South Florida with her husband, children, and dogs. Her career in public relations keeps her very busy along with her hobbies like kayaking, travel, renovating a historic home, and of course, reading. Candice has always been a reader. She describes herself as a sucker for a good story,...

We love fielding very specific readerly requests that will also appeal to a wide range of readers, and today's episode is just that. Lynn Bain describers herself as an accidental entrepreneur. While she loves to read a wide range of genres and styles, she's here today to get Anne's help in identifying good business books to read alongside her beloved stack of fiction. Lynn's tried a bunch of busin...

Today we're sharing Part 2 of our summer superlatives episode, featuring four more of our team members talking about the books they've loved most this season. Our executive producer Will Bogel joins Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club Community Manager Ginger Horton to talk about their favorite summer reads. Then, you'll hear from Modern Mrs Darcy Editor and Social Media Manager Leigh Kramer and What Shoul...

Readers, we’re back today with an annual tradition we know so many of you look forward to, as our team joins Anne to talk about their favorite books of the summer and what’s happening in their reading lives right now. As always, our team’s range of reading tastes ensures we share titles from a wide range of genres and styles that will appeal to all kinds of readers. You’ll hear titles that might e...

Today's guest isn't only a reader with a specific readerly conundrum, she is also a beloved author. Anne has recommended Julie Berry's work to several past guests, and Julie also joined us over in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club back in 2020. Today, she's here to talk with Anne about writing and discovering smart books with big heart. They also dive into conversation about Julie's independent book...

Novels featuring an ensemble cast of characters and multiple points of view are a favorite for today's guest, and she'd love Anne's help in finding more of this particular type of reading experience. Olivia Haber Greenwood is joining Anne from Barcelona, where she's lived for the past seven years working as a copywriter and freelance journalist. Olivia is a happy reader with an abundant reading li...

Today's guest has joined Anne in conversation on the podcast before, but now our media production specialist Holly Wielkoszewski is in the spotlight as they explore her evolving reading tastes and her favorite genres of science fiction and fantasy. Holly splits her time between New Mexico, where she and her husband are building an Earthship, and traveling internationally for several months each ye...

Ellen Heath, a reader from the Atlanta area, shares Anne's passion for urban planning, but that's not all they talk about today. Ellen is looking for immersive settings, characters she can connect with, and books that might even teach her something, and Anne has ideas! Ellen and Anne also talk about her Ellen's interesting and unique method for choosing her next read on her eReader, and her desire...

A midyear reading check-in has become a small tradition around here, and today Anne is welcoming team member Shannan Malone back to the podcast. Today, you'll hear Anne and Shannan dive into the history of this practice before exploring how this year’s been going so far, what they're each excited about, and what’s working (and not working) in each of their reading lives.  With so many books to cho...

Today's guest is looking for ways to slow down and sink into what she loves most as she plans her summer of reading. Chelsea Siler is an early childhood special education teacher in Tacoma, Washington. She's often found reading to be a source of joy, escape, and growth, and she'd like these positive experiences to be reflected in her reading selections this summer. Chelsea's always searching for i...

We often discuss auto-buy authors and completist authors around here, and today's guest is a completist on a mission to discover her new favorite summer author.  Stephanie Edwards-Gass is a seventh-grade English teacher and an Elin Hilderbrand completist. For years, she's turned to Hilderbrand's novels for summer reading satisfaction. She's read (and reread) every book in Hilderbrand's catalog, bu...