When the world feels heavy, many of us look to books for distraction, inspiration, or reassurance. Today's guest has a unique spin on what she's seeking and would love Anne's help in figuring out how the types of reads she wants right now fit into her existing to-be-read (TBR) system.

Émilie Weidl lives in Wales, where she's taken a year off before starting her PhD. When she's not reading or volunteering, you'll likely find her out for a walk or a hike, exploring the beautiful country around her.

Émilie has always had a good grasp on her reading tastes, but lately she's found that the historical fiction she's always loved isn't working well for her. She's also having a hard time reading nonfiction because the topics she's been drawn to in the past feel harrowing right now. Plus, she's found that the TBR management system she's relied on for ages isn't work as well as it used to.

Émilie's looking for absolutely gut-wrenching books that will distract her from her real-world worries, and a system that will help her tee up books she'll really enjoy reading right now. Anne has ideas for Émilie, as you'll hear today.

Suggest gut-wrenching reads you think Émilie might enjoy and see the full list of titles discussed today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/473.

We always have exciting things on the horizon in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, and right now is no exception. Next week, we're going to learn all about Commonplace Books: what they are, and how to keep one, also why you might want to. When you join the club, you get immediate access to this class and all of our past events, along with our 2025 Summer Reading Guide which is coming out in May. Join us for a month or longer and experience the reading buffet book club has to offer.

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