What Should I Read Next?

Readers, we know many of you love to find the perfect books for each season, whether that's a summer beach read or a spooky fall novel. Today's guest is on the hunt for her winter reading vibe, which has eluded her so far, and Anne is here to help. Toronto-based Lara Bulger is a film aficionado and a dedicated reader, and particularly loves the sweet spot where these two passions overlap. Anne and...

Anne is talking with beloved author Louise Penny in today's episode! Their conversation explores Penny's Inspector Gamache mystery series, the world of Three Pines, the upcoming television adaptation, and so much more. We know so many of you are avid Penny fans, and we are delighted to share today's chat. The 18th installment in Penny's Gamache series, A World of Curiosities, is out today, so it's...

Today's guest loves a good mystery, but could do without the murder, and Anne is here to help! Gina House loves cozy, comforting books that are often set in whimsical places. She's not looking for suffering or struggle between the covers of her chosen reads, and she's excited to get Anne's suggestions for titles she hasn't discovered yet in her favorite genre. If you're also on the hunt for cozy r...

If you've got a book-lover on your holiday shopping list, get ready for an episode full of recommendations you can rely on. Every year, Anne and a special guest tackle listener requests for book recommendations, and it's always an episode that's guaranteed to add some fresh titles to your to-be-read list and your gift list. This year, Anne's talking with TWO other bookish professionals: Adah Fitzg...

When a devoted reader attends her very first literary festival, bookish delight is on the menu! Today Anne is in conversation with Christina McCormick. Christina reached out to us here at What Should I Read Next a few weeks before she planned to attend the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors, because she wanted some encouragement and guidance on what to expect as a book festival novice. Readers,...

A registered nurse on the night shift is looking for ways to battle burnout and what it's done to her reading life, and Anne is here to help. We know so many of you have been impacted by the stress of the past few years, and Lexie Hayes is no exception. The last few years of working in healthcare have make it more crucial than ever for her to focus on rest and recovery outside of work, and she's n...

Finding the perfect titles for young readers can be tricky, so today we're answering your questions and suggesting books (and bookish gifts) for the kids and teens in your lives! Every year we ask our audience to write in with their requests for bookish gift recommendations, and Anne partners with another literary professional to share suggestions to help YOU fulfill the wish lists of your favorit...

Four dynamic authors gathered to speak on a Book Club Favorites panel last month at the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors—and Anne was the moderator! Their conversation went in wildly delightful directions, and we're so excited to share it with all of you today. Anne was thrilled when Festival chair Beth Buss (whose name you might recognize from Episode 257: Let's build your holiday booklist)...

An octogenarian world traveler and her book-loving daughter join Anne to discuss how reading continues to play a vital role in their relationship. Barbara Costner grew up in World War Two London before traveling and working around the world as an adult. Along with gardening, reading's always been one of her passions, and she made sure to cultivate this love in her daughter Adrienne Hudson, too. Th...

As a young reader, today's guest discovered the power of books to make her feel less alone, and she's happy to be back to reading regularly after making some lifestyle changes in the past few years! San Francisco-based Rachel Seidman joins Anne on today's episode to talk about how reading has changed her life, and why she's such an advocate for books that thoughtfully tackle disability. Rachel rea...

Today's guest has been suffering through a book slump over the past few years, and Anne's here to help them reconnect with their love of reading. Aimz Rushton (they/them) is a senior lecturer in the United Kingdom, where they focus on North American fiction and literature. Aimz enjoys reading literary fiction inside and outside of the classroom, but their reading's taken a hit lately and they've f...

Today’s guest is feeling stuck between two chapters of her reading life, and she needs a guide! 13 year old Noa Hewlett knows what she's looking for in a story, but she's finding it a challenge to identify the right books for her reading taste in the more grown-up sections of the bookstore. Anne is here to share some strategies Noa can use to discover new authors, genres, and titles that will alig...

Today's guest has a lengthy to-be-read list, and she's not sad about it! Saadia Shafati Shamsie balances her work as a travel company owner, Department of Defense employee, and Indian Dance teacher with her passion for reading, and she's always got a book (or three) on her nightstand. But even when reading multiple books at a time, her collection of unread titles is considerable—and growing! And l...

Readers, today Anne is joined in bookish conversation by reading advocate, author, and creator of @hereweeread Charnaie Gordon. Charnaie's passion is encouraging young readers and supporting families in diversifying their bookshelves, which she achieves through her blog, non-profit, and internet platforms, as well as books like her latest release, A Planet Like Ours. In today's episode, Charnaie a...

Readers, we're back with the 2022 edition of our team's favorite summer reads! This tradition started with a Patreon bonus episode back in 2020, and it's continued since then right here on our podcast feed. As a team of devout readers, in between creating this podcast and the other Modern Mrs Darcy work we do each week, we do a lot (and we mean a LOT) of talking about books. Today, we're sharing s...

While we love sharing book recommendations each week, we also take great pleasure in helping our guests overcome whatever reading-related struggle they're facing at the moment. Today, Anne's talking to a guest who is torn between reading for pleasure and reading the books they feel they should be reading … even if they don’t enjoy the experience.  Academic librarian Lorelei Rutledge is clear on wh...

Readers, today's guest shares a common reader struggle: finding the time to read! Today, Mattie James—a successful business owner and new author, releasing her first book Everyday Magic later this month—joins Anne to talk about her love of reading nonfiction. But as a busy professional, Mattie often finds it hard to make the time to read. She's looking for solutions to make the most of her time re...

Around here, we love celebrating reading memories and creating new ones, and today's show does just that! Anne's newest book journal for young readers, ​My Reading Adventures​, is out today—and to celebrate the power of reading in young lives, we asked our listeners to share some of ​their​ favorite childhood reading memories. Anne's here, too, of course, with some moments that stand out in her re...

In today's episode, Anne is chatting with author, actress, and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan. You may know Julia from her novel My Oxford Year, or her new book releasing August 2nd, Thank You For Listening, and many readers are also familiar with Julia's voice from her many audiobook narrations. Anne and Julia chat about the art and process of creating the audiobooks so many readers love, and re...

Adrien Kordas has always identified as a reader, and in the past few years she's been excited about completing grad school so she could devote more time to reading for fun. But now that she actually has the time to read at whim, she's been surprised to find that the kind of titles she's loved in the past aren't working as well for her, and she's not sure what to do about it. In today's conversatio...

Readers, we're so excited to share today's collaboration with you. Anne is joined on the show today by Craig Getting and Andrew Cunningham, hosts of the show Overdue–a podcast about the books you’ve been meaning to read. On their podcast, Craig and Andrew explore the backlist titles many readers feel like they “should” have read by now, but today, Anne, Craig, and Andrew talk about a wide range of...

Our guest today, Chicago-area reader Rebecca Freeman, struggles with a reading challenge we hear about often from guests and community members: how to balance being a mood reader with maintaining any kind of to-be-read list. In Rebecca's reading life, she's found the library a big help: browsing what's available to check out at any given time lets her bring some serendipity into selecting her next...

Readers, June is audiobook month, and in today's conversation, Anne talks with a dedicated audiophile who wants to discover the formula for a great audio reading experience! Jackie Branz works as a gardener and florist on a private estate, and while she's hard at work keeping the plants happy and thriving, she also gets to enjoy another of her great loves: reading. Jackie enjoys getting pulled int...

Readers, our guest today is on the hunt for overlooked titles and compelling characters that feel like friends. Andrea Medina lives in Mexico, where she reads in both Spanish and English to expand the range of options on her shelf. Since falling in love with the power of a gripping story as a teen, Andrea's sought out complex tales that speak to real life, and books that she'll keep thinking about...

Today's guest knows what he likes on the nonfiction shelf, but he's feeling lost when it comes to finding his next fiction read, and Anne is here to help. Wes Martin's developed a love of nonfiction in both his professional role as an industrial and organizational psychologist, and in his personal life. But recently, Wes has found himself turning more to fiction for his reading enjoyment, and he's...