What Should I Read Next?

Readers, if you've ever dreamed of opening a bookstore, this episode is for you!Today, Anne's in conversation with Abbigail Glen, the owner of Shelves, an online and pop-up bookstore based in Charlotte, North Carolina.Abby discovered the power of reading at a young age, and decided to make her dream of being a bookstore owner a reality. In her conversation with Anne today, Abby shares how Shelves came to be, her work to create a reading community where reading is a lifestyle, and what she's loving in the book world right now. You'll also hear about how Abby selects the books she shares with her Shelves subscription readers, and three books she recommends to every reader.If you've read one of Abby's book picks, we'd love to hear about it—let us know in comments over on the show notes page, where we'll also include a full list of the titles we discussed today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is both an avid leisure reader and a professional word nerd.Gary Robinaugh has always been fascinated with the role language plays in our lives. His career studying Aphasia—a language disorder caused by a specific type of brain damage—explores the relationship between thought, language, and communication, and he's equally fascinated by these themes outside of the office.Gary grew up in a reading home with a heavy helping of science fiction, a genre he still enjoys for its unique ability to ask “what if?", but he also loves reading outside of this genre. Today, he's looking for some titles that will help him explore new ideas and fresh perspectives.Anne gives Gary some recommendations that speak directly to what he's looking for, as well as some suggestions that might just surprise him.To see the full list of titles discussed today, or to leave your own suggestions for Gary, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/327. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is an author whose books are regularly discussed in our online community, and she's here to talk with Anne today about the practice of seeking inspiration, and the books she can't stop recommending to the people in her life—and, of course, to get some suggestions for what to read next!Shauna Niequist is the author of numerous books, including Present Over Perfect, Bread and Wine, and her brand-new release I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet. She's also a devoted reader, and while she finds herself reaching for everything from cookbooks to non-fiction, she's most excited about big, bold novels that have some staying power.Listen in to Anne and Shauna's conversation and the books Anne recommends that will remind Shauna why she fell in love with fiction in the first place. To see a full list of the titles discussed today, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/326, where we also share links to Shauna's website and Instagram page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Readers, today’s guest is preparing for the arrival of her second child in a particularly bookish way—she's looking for some titles she can enjoy during upcoming midnight feedings and quiet moments with her newborn.Odeta Dyrmishi has loved to read since high school, and she's relied on books to carry her through other big changes in her life. Whether she's reading entertaining fiction or historical books that teach her something new, she knows that reading is something that always helps her feel like herself. In today's conversation, she's looking for some books that will engage her attention and bring a little more adventure into her reading life.Anne recommends the perfect titles to help Odeta expand her readerly horizons and prepare for this next chapter in her life.See the full list of the books discussed today, and let Odeta know what you think she should read next over at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/325. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Readers, last week's guest told us about her grandmother signing her up for her first library card, and today's guest is a grandmother who is nurturing the next generation of readers!Joanne Booy spent most of her life living internationally in a wide range of locations, but one thing has remained constant in her life—her passion for reading! She's relied on books to be companions in isolated corners of the globe, and she's worked hard to make books accessible to others, too.So it's not surprising that when the Covid-19 lockdowns came to their town in Canada, Joanne took on a new book role in the lives of her four grandchildren: selecting library books to be delivered to their home each week! Joanne and Anne discuss the challenge of finding the right books for young readers, as well as what Joanne's reading life looks like right now, and what she's seeking. Plus, listen in as Anne and Joanne talk about the favorite author who also wrote the book Joanne hated, and hear Anne's suggestions for reading gems just waiting to be discovered.Find the full list of books mentioned in today's episode at our show notes page, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/324, and leave a comment on that post to share what you think Joanne should read next! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Readers, if you love a good mystery series, you'll definitely want to tune in for today's episode.Our guest today has been a reader since she was young, and as an adult she discovered her favorite genre: mysteries!Houston Luke especially loves mystery series featuring engaging main characters like Louise Penny's Gamache or Agatha Christie's Poirot. But now that she's mostly caught up on the backlist titles from her favorite mystery authors, she needs some new puzzles to solve.Houston is looking for a new multi-book mystery series featuring characters she’ll connect with and evocative settings that invite her into the story. Anne's recommendations today give Houston some new series she'll be excited to investigate.Do you have a mystery series to recommend to Houston? Find her on Instagram, and visit our shownotes page to see the full list of titles we discussed today and leave your comments and suggestions for Houston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is an oil and watercolor painter with a deep appreciation for the storytelling power of both art and writing.As a child, Gina Ariko Marioni discovered how language could help her better understand the world around her, and to this day, reading brings her joy.But lately, Gina's been feeling stuck in her reading life. While she's used to reading a wide range of stories from coming-of-age tales to complex, multigenerational epics, in the past year or so she's found herself either reading extremely serious and weighty non-fiction or breezy, escapist, easy-to-read novels.Today, Gina is asking Anne for some suggestions to broaden her reading palette. Listen in for recommendations for titles to fill in the gaps of Gina's reading life, and spark the feelings of surprise and delight she's seeking.Learn more about Gina's art, leave your suggestions for what she should read next, and find the full list of titles discussed today over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/322. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest discovered the joy of reading as a child listening to audiobooks on 45s. As an adult, she still turns to audiobooks consistently, and especially loves listening to books in the car with her boys or tackling some self-help titles on her commute.Tiffany Uzor is regularly on the hunt for new reads that will draw her in immediately or transport her somewhere else. Tiffany describes herself as a serial starter—she’s up for beginning any book that sounds interesting, and as a mental health therapist, she’s especially drawn to stories that probe complex human relationships. As much as Tiffany loves audiobooks, listening on the go, especially during her commute, can make it tricky to keep track of what she loves in a reading experience in the moment. She’s eager for some ideas to address this challenge, and Anne is here to offer techniques that should help, while also suggesting some titles that speak to the types of stories and voices Tiffany wants more of in her reading life right now.Connect with Tiffany at her website, www.dfwtalktherapy.com, and find today's show notes with the full list of titles we discussed at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/321. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Readers, today's guests were already linked through legal and family ties, and since discovering their mutual love of reading, they've become even closer. Father-in-law and daughter-in-law Verne and Gabby Wright hit it off from the start, but their friendship deepened when Gabby lent Verne a book from her personal library. It was the start of a beautiful reading relationship! Gabby and Verne have found that their reading interests intersect with contemplative, philosophical stories that make them consider things from a different perspective or plant a new idea, and they'd love some recommendations for new titles to tackle together. Anne recommends three matched pairs of books to inspire their next joint read.Connect with Gabby on her website, mommylikesbooks.com, and see all of the titles mentioned in today's episode at our show notes page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Erin Fagan sent in her guest submission describing herself as a “grumpy man whisperer” who turns to books to create connections, we just had to invite her onto the show.Erin works as an airline pilot and spends hours in the air with her colleagues. To quickly build relationships in a small space, she's found a perfect shortcut: talking about books!Luckily, Erin loves to read widely and can rely on her reading rolodex for almost any conversation. She's an avid audiobook reader, but today she'd love a recommendation for an old-fashioned paper book that she won't be able to put down.Erin and Anne chat about what's really on your pilot's airpods and the book Erin can't stop recommending, and Anne suggest some new titles to help Erin make connections on her next trip. Connect with Erin on Instagram and see what she’s reading lately on Goodreads. To see the full list of titles we discussed today or to share your own recommendations for Erin, visit our shownotes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/319. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices