What Should I Read Next?

Readers, our guest today is sharing a struggle that feels increasingly common: she's finding herself easily distracted when reading, and she's not happy about it!Hannah Gorrie has always loved reading and has a sweet spot for fast-paced doorstoppers that totally engross her attention. But lately, she's felt like she just can't get into reading as easily, or stay as engaged as she used to. Anne and Hannah talk about the type of reading experiences Hannah's loved in the past, then Anne gives Hannah some advice on practical ways she can rediscover her reading groove, and suggests some books that will captivate her attention despite the many distractions of modern life. Visit the podcast website for today's complete book list, and connect with Hannah over on her Goodreads account. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode, Anne's not the only one giving the recommendations: guest Shreyasi Desai, who also goes by Cece, passes on her own suggestions for our reading community.Cece grew up in India, where her parents fed her a regular reading diet of mysteries and mythologies. Today, Cece lives in the U.K. and is on the hunt for books featuring serious, angsty topics explored in lyrical and compelling ways.During their conversation today, Cece shares some of her favorite Indian mythologies and adaptations, while Anne recommends three books that fit Cece's desire for engaging, brave stories she won’t want to put down.To see what Cece reads next, follow her on Goodreads, or leave your own recommendations for Cece on our shownotes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/317. That's also where you'll find a full list of the titles discussed today.Content Warning: while it’s not the focus of the episode today, Anne's conversation with Cece touches on themes of domestic and sexual abuse. If you know that these themes may be difficult for you, please take care of yourself by listening with caution, or simply give this episode a pass and tune in next week.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here at What Should I Read Next? and Modern Mrs Darcy HQ, our team of bibliophiles talks books all year long, and today our whole team is chiming in to share what they loved most in their 2021 reading life. Our team has a wide range of reading tastes, so our selections today are all over the literary map, but one thing holds true: each of these books made a major impact on a member of our team, and stood out from the thousands of pages we each read over the past year. Our conversation today debuted as a live event in our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community, but today's podcast episode contains some extras just for our listeners! Listen in, then let us know in the show notes: which of these reads might be the title you decide to read next?See the full list of titles we discussed today on the show notes page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past six years of talking books with our guests, we've heard about life-changing reading experiences, but today's guest has a unique twist on this story. When Nicole Fagan decided to give away almost every book she owned (not an easy decision for a lifelong bibliophile), she wasn't sure what to expect. But in the years since, Nicole became convinced that this drastic book purge was absolutely worth it, and in today's episode she'll tell us why. We'll also talk about Nicole's reading life now, digging into what makes a book work for her, the specific type of story she’s enjoying lately, and a genre she’s hoping to break into. Anne will add to Nicole's reading menu with some suggestions for titles that line up with her tastes and what she's hoping to bring into her reading experience this year. Have a suggestion for Nicole? Leave a comment at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/315, where you can also find the full list of titles we discussed today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We love reconnecting with previous guests to get an update on their reading life, and today's conversation with Tara Nichols is no exception! Since Tara's previous appearance on the show, in WSIRN Ep 168: A century of good books in a single year, we've been curious to know how her challenge worked out, and what she learned along the way.If you missed Ep 168, Tara shared her goal to read one book published each year between 1920 and 2019, and she and Anne talked about some options that might help her complete her century-long reading list. Tara's back today to share the results and chat about what's she's looking for in her reading life now!Join Anne and Tara in conversation about what surprised Tara about her challenge and how it's impacted her reading choices now that she's not looking for books tied to a specific time.As always, all the books mentioned today can be found in the show notes at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/314, and that's also where we'd love to hear what you think Tara should read next!To see more peeks into Tara's reading life, find her on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a fresh new year ahead of us and so much reading to look forward to, today's conversation brings back a listener favorite and sets the stage for a year of thoughtful reading experiences.Jim Mustich, who you may know as the author of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, first joined us on the podcast back in January 2019 on Episode 165 (which shared a title with his book). That’s one of our most downloaded episodes, and if you missed it the first time around, it's worth a listen to hear him describe the process of choosing those thousand books.Join Jim and Anne in conversation about the challenge of choosing what to read when we’re faced with so many options and so little time. Many readers reach for the latest book getting buzz on social media or a celebrity book club, but they might be missing some incredible titles that require just a little bit more effort to discover.Today we'll share a lengthy list of titles that have proven their staying power across the years. We'll also pass on some ideas to help you reconnect with what you love most about reading, and feel more confident in picking up your next read.See the full list of titles we discussed today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/313, and let us know whether you'll be adding any of the books we mentioned today to your 2022 reading list! You can also connect with Jim on his website, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you have a favorite holiday reading tradition? We recently asked our WSIRN Patrons this question, and we loved one response so much, we had to share it with all of you.Kim Kortas lives in Minnesota, where she's enacted an annual holiday tradition of curating book boxes for each family member! It's a year-round project that brings an extra dose of holiday joy, and Kim and Anne talk about how it started, and how it's going, before pivoting to chat about Kim's reading life.Like so many listeners, Kim's grappling with a lengthy to-be-read list, and Anne helps her narrow down the list today with a spontaneous and fun approach to selecting what she thinks Kim should read next.See the full list of titles we discussed today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/312, and let us know in the comments if you've got a suggestion for Kim! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to picking what to read next, many of us live by our to-be-read (TBR) list, but today's guest has a different approach!Danielle Callendar is a lifelong bookworm, a library devotee, and a mood reader who loves the serendipity of discovering the right book at the right time. She's rejected any kind of reading list, because to her, that would feel like a constraint. But as much as she loves selecting books that reflect her immediate reading mood, sometimes this makes it a challenge to figure out what to read next.Listen in to today's conversation about the joy of picking up a book at the exact moment you're ready for that story, domestic fiction that has you questioning what you really know about a person, and Danielle's search for diverse narrators in stories that don't focus primarily on race or ethnicity.Find the full list of recommendations for Danielle at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/311, and leave a comment to suggest what you think she should read next! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the WSIRN team and many of the guests we've had on this show, we definitely see a trend of readers who consider themselves introverts, and find the quiet act of reading a book the perfect complement to their personality. But what happens when a reader is other end of the energy spectrum?Paul Randall Adams has a reading dilemma that he associates with his self-described mega-extrovert energy, as well as his adult diagnosis of ADHD. He knows his outgoing personality served him well in his previous career as a middle-school teacher, but when it comes to his reading life, he can be easily distracted.Paul Randall loves pairing audio-books with his work as a soapmaker, and while he's generally satisfied with his reading life, he's noticed a major gap he wants to address. He's hesitant to pick up longer books and invest the time to read hundreds of pages when he's unsure of a positive outcome. Today, Paul Randall is looking for the confidence to select the right "big books" that will feel worth it to him, and we'll discuss some methods he can use to select longer books that will satisfy.See the full list of books we discussed today or follow along with a transcript on the show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/310.Connect with Paul Randall on Instagram, shop his soaps, or tune in to his podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guests on this show are united in a love of reading, but sometimes that joy can get lost as life, work, and other obligations take center stage. Today's guest is looking for some suggestions that will help her rediscover not only her love of reading, but identify what she loves to read now—and she's come up with a special project to help frame her quest.Jessica Harrill decided to celebrate her 32nd birthday by reading 32 books, and she's looking for some help to decide which books will make the cut. As an attorney, much of Jessica's recent reading has been work-oriented, and she's ready to tackle some fresh genres, reconnect with her love of reading, and find some support for her current stage of life.Anne and Jessica discuss the three types of books Jessica wants to include in her project and revisit her past favorites, before Anne offers some suggestions to help Jessica rekindle her passion for getting lost in a good book and inform her 32nd year.Listen in and find all of the titles we discussed today at our website: whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/309.We put together our best seasonal posts to get you in the holiday spirit and we'll be adding to that page over the next few days. Get prepared to deal with holiday stress, find the best gifts for everyone on your list, and learn how to make my favorite seasonal snack at modernmrsdarcy.com/christmas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices