What Should I Read Next?

Today Anne is in conversation with Keren Form, a self-professed nerd, dedicated board gamer and a fan of fast-moving stories with big themes.This episode originally aired back in 2019 as Episode 193, Rolling the dice on your next read, and was selected by our Patreon community as a guest favorite to bring back this week. Plus, Anne is sharing an update on what Keren did read next and how her reading (and gaming) life is going these days.While Keren has a particular love for sci-fi and fantasy, our conversation today is full of entry points for readers of all genres. We talk about a bunch of titles that will appeal to fans of historical fiction, YA romance, crime drama, or any good story with high stakes.Today we're also asking for your help in choosing Anne's next read. Listen in to hear her share three books she's loved, one that hasn't worked for her, and what she's reading lately. Once you have a suggestion ready, give us a call at 502-627-0663 by February 24th to leave a voicemail telling us your name, what you think Anne should read, and why.See the full list of titles and games mentioned in today's episode over on our shownotes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/367. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When authors and readers come together, it's always a good time, and today's episode is no exception.Today, we're sharing our recent Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club conversation with Brendan Slocumb, who joined us in January to discuss his musical thriller (and our January 2023 book club pick), The Violin Conspiracy. You might recognize Brendan from Episode 351, Book Club Favorites: LIVE from Bookmarks! as part of that excellent panel discussion with Tia Williams, Andrew Sean Greer, and TJ Klune.Today, Brendan is back to chat with Anne, our Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club Community Manager, Ginger Horton, and our Book Club co-host, Shannan Malone. Our conversation today covers a whole range of topics, from music to comic books, and of course we ask about Brendan's recent reads and his future novels. Whether or not you've read (or want to read) The Violin Conspiracy, you'll love listening in to our (spoiler-free!) conversation today. Find the list of titles and other resources mentioned today in our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/366.If our conversation with Brendan today has you thinking more, please, we'd love to have you join us for ALL our author chats over in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, our gathering spot for readers of all ages, and home to classes, conversation, and community. Come on over and say hello. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest has a superpower we've never heard before: she can smell a book and know whether it was published in the U.S. or the U.K.!London-based Claire Handscombe (she/her) spent a decade in Washington DC as a bookseller, a chapter she remembers fondly. These days, she's as much a book-lover as ever, but she's struggling with a common challenge: overcoming a short attention span and endless distractions. How can Claire get back to reading the literary fiction she loves?Anne has ideas for Claire, and shares some laugh-out-loud titles that might be perfect for reading right now, as well as comfortable reads that will keep Claire fascinated all the way to the end.Find the full list of titles mentioned today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/365-episode, and connect with Claire on Instagram and Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With so many books to choose from, it's easy to miss out on some stellar titles. Today, Anne is joined by Andrew Limbong (he/him) to talk about some of the best books you may have missed in 2022.When he's not reading, Andrew's a reporter for NPR's Culture Desk and host of their Book of the Day podcast, so he's no stranger to book-talk. Join Andrew and Anne as they reflect on some of their favorite recent under-the-radar titles, and preview some of the great reads 2023 has in store.See the full list of titles mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/364 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when you're used to reading dozens of books a year, but lately you've barely managed a handful of titles each year?Texas-based pilot and business owner Jada Graff (she/her) is here to get Anne's help in answering that question today, because her reading life has gotten way off course.In 2018 Jada stopped teaching English and donated all of her books. Since then, she's been trying to thoughtfully rebuild her library, but she's struggling to find books that will hold her interest once she gets home from the bookstore. Anne's here to give Jada some ideas to rebuild her book stamina and help find her next favorite reads from among the options already on her home shelves.See the full list of titles discussed today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/363. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden from The Popcast join Anne to celebrate the 7th anniversary of What Should I Read Next!Since Anne started What Should I Read Next back in 2016, she's spoken to so many book lovers, from well-known authors to readers just like you. Today we'll look back at how it all began and how we got to where we are, recalling the roles Knox and Jamie played in helping launch the podcast, and sharing some stories you may not have heard before. Along the way, of course, we'll talk about the books we're loving (and hating) lately. See the full list of titles discussed today over at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/362. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Choosing the best books of a year is always a fun challenge, so today we're flipping the focus and shining a light on Anne's reading life in 2022.In today’s episode, Anne's talking about a selection of the books she loved most in 2022, as well as the themes that showed up most often in her reading life over the past year.Join us as Will (Executive Producer of WSIRN and Anne's husband) takes the host's chair and invites Anne to take a deep dive into the titles that really stood out in 2022, and why she loved them. See that full list of titles and other links mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/361. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When your family has a fierce annual reading competition, it's more important than ever to choose your books wisely! Today's guest, Courtney Haggerty, is here to talk about how her family reads together, and to get a jump-start on her 2023 to-be-read list.Courtney is a sports aficionado, Disney World superfan, and 3rd grade teacher in Louisville, Kentucky, and she always has multiple books in progress. She often reaches for thrillers and mysteries, but in 2023 she'd love to broader her reading selections to include more nonfiction, historical fiction, and family dramas. Anne will give her some recommendations to build a base for the year to come, and share some titles Courtney will enjoy while she moves up the reading contest leaderboard.See the full list of titles discussed today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/360. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new reading year is right around the corner, and today's episode is full of perspective to help you plan for your best reading year yet.Laura Vanderkam is a WSIRN alum and time management and productivity expert whose newest book, Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters was recently released. She's joining Anne today to talk about tackling reading projects big and small.Today's conversation explores ways to bring the joy and ease into our reading lives, while still enjoying a meaningful reading experience. Laura and Anne talk about how we choose the titles we read and practical ways to make our reading goals happen as we enter a new reading year. Check out the full list of titles discussed today over at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/359, where we've also included links to Laura's website and other ways you can connect with her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Lara talk about book-to-film adaptations and how Lara's found her reading vibe for the rest of the year. Then, Anne helps Lara find solutions to some of her reading puzzles while making a plan for a great winter reading season.See the full list of titles discussed today at our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/358. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices