What Should I Read Next?

Today’s guest is reading speed-demon Liberty Hardy, professional book nerd and host of Book Riot’s All the Books podcast. Together, Liberty and Anne are going deep into a book labyrinth, discussing truly committed bookworm questions like “how do you avoid back strain while reading for hours on end?”, “how do I smuggle 1000 books out of my house safely?” and “what does Kate Atkinson’s grocery list look like?” They're also playing a Tom Stoppard-inspired literary game that miiiight destroy your TBR.Check out Anne's brand new podcast One Great Book. New episodes drop on Fridays! If one episode per week isn't enough, our Patreon community will get exclusive weekly bonus episodes. To sign up for bonus episodes, and all sorts of other WSIRN behind-the-scenes goodness visit http://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/180You can check out Liberty's writing at Book Riot, follow her super-bookish and super-kitten-filled Instagram @FranzenComesAlive, and see what books she's talking about on Twitter @MissLiberty. Watch the clip from Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead that inspired our game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alabama reader Shannan Malone has broad taste and high standards, and when it comes to new releases, even authors she’s loved in the past don’t get a free pass… the new book has to earn her love. So today’s episode goes out to all you eclectic readers who love hopping between genres.Anne and Shannan covering the struggle of pinpointing what you dislike about a book that everyone else thinks is amazing, awkward characters for the introverted reader, Shannon’s book club that connects moms near and far through literature, and of course much, much more.Anne has a brand new podcast called One Great Book, highlighting books Anne personally loves that you may have missed or forgotten about, but that you’ll be glad to discover—again, or for the first time. New episodes drop on Fridays. Make sure to subscribe to One Great Book on your preferred podcast player!If one episode per week isn't enough, our Patreon community will get exclusive bonus episodes corresponding with each new One Great Book episode, highlighting an extra title that hasn't been released yet so you can be in the know AND be the first on your library holds list. To sign up for bonus episodes, visit http://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/179Check out Shannan’s blog www.shannanenjoyslife.com, and follow her on Instagram @shannanenjoyslife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a new podcast!WSIRN is about helping readers find their next read. In each episode, the recommendations are geared toward a particular reader’s style, and Anne always looks for titles they haven’t read before.Our new podcast is a short format show called One Great Book. In every episode, Anne pulls one standout selection off her personal bookshelves and tell you all about it. She's highlighting books she loves that you may have missed or forgotten about, but that you’ll be glad to discover—again, or for the first time.We have 8 books planned for this first volume (commonly known as a season, on podcasts that are not of the bookish variety), and the first two books are available now in your favorite podcast player. New episodes drop on Fridays starting this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decision-making is a HUGE part of WSIRN's purpose. Podcaster and author Emily P. Freeman is an expert in the art of decision-making (she’s literally written the book on it), but when assigned school reading hijacked alllllll her personal reading time... deciding what to read next for pleasure got a little more complicated.Today, Anne helps Emily find her way back to confident personal reading decisions. Plus, they discuss what to do when you pick up the totally-wrong book by a totally-great author, biographical historical fiction, the first YA book ever written, and Emily’s newest book The Next Right Thing.On Friday, Anne's brand new podcast One Great Book entered the world. Unlike What Should I Read Next, which tailors recommendations to a specific reader's taste, One Great Book highlights books Anne loves that you may have missed or forgotten about, but that you’ll be glad to discover—again, or for the first time.We have 8 books planned for this first volume (the more-bookish term for "season"). New episodes drop on Fridays. Make sure to subscribe to One Great Book on your preferred podcast player!If one episode per week isn't enough, our Patreon community will get exclusive bonus episodes corresponding with each new One Great Book episode, highlighting an extra title that hasn't been released yet so you can be in the know AND be the first on your library holds list. To sign up for bonus episodes, visit http://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/178Make sure to check out Emily’s podcast The Next Right Thing, and her new book of the same name. Find all the info you need on her website www.emilypfreeman.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, both @emilypfreeman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many listeners and past guests on WSIRN have shared their stories of reading dry spells due to chronic illness, anxiety, and disability. Today’s guest Kate Mitchell has experienced polar opposites in her reading life, going from a period of time when reading was literally her job, to stretches where reading was literally impossible because of chronic illness. Kate is sharing some of the wisdom she’s gained on her roller coaster of a reading life with us all, including practical tips for how to accept reality and adapt your reading life if you’re having a rough go of it yourself.Anne and Kate also chat about what realism looks like in the fantasy genre, books wayyyy too big to keep in your purse, and Kate gives Anne the student-debt-free cheat sheet to reading like you’ve got a Masters degree in literature.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/177Hear more from Kate about her reading life and chronic illness at katethealmostgreat.com.Get closer to the creative process by joining WSIRN’s behind-the-scenes family on Patreon. Visit https://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext for bonus episodes, outtakes, exclusive booklists, livestream chats with Anne, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSIRN often helps readers get out of their comfort zones, but today’s guest Mallory O’Meara is taking Anne out of hers. Her wheelhouse is everything bizarre, paranormal, and downright scary. But digging past the surface differences, Mallory and Anne have a lot in common, especially the desire to understand how an author DID that. Today they're chatting about the magic of rereading a favorite book, arguing with critics, how comfort-reading looks way different for different readers, Mallory's pro tips for dealing with the post-scary-book jitters, and a lot more.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/176Connect with Mallory on Twitter and Instagram @MalloryOMeara, listen to her podcast Reading Glasses, and check out her new book, The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick.Get closer to the creative process by joining WSIRN’s behind-the-scenes family on Patreon. Visit https://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext for bonus episodes, outtakes, exclusive booklists, livestream chats with Anne, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Wilson has noticed a specific character type that is missing from her bookshelves... and she is on the hunt for more. She and Anne chat about characters age 50+ in possession of NO magical powers, yelling at characters who make terrible decisions, reading as broadly as possible, and what it's like to be in not one, not two, but THREE book clubs (mmmmmaybe more.)Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/175What Should I Read Next is now on Patreon to bring you bonus episodes, outtakes, peeks behind the scenes, printable goodness, livestream chats, and access to the epic master spreadsheet holding the loves, hates, and recommendations from each episode. Get closer to the creative process by heading over to https://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext now and joining WSIRN’s behind-the-scenes family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Kate Daley is a house painter from New South Wales, Australia, who has been living for the past two and a half years... in a camper van! Today she chats with Anne about the genre that sent her into an intense reading rut, a family reading competition, and where she manages to fit a home library in while living in cramped quarters.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/174You can connect with Kate on Instagram: @when_kate_readsWhat Should I Read Next is now on Patreon to bring you outtakes, peeks behind the scenes, printable goodness, online hangouts, BONUS EPISODES, and... access to our epic spreadsheet that holds the loves, hates, and recommendations from each episode. Backers also will get to participate in certain aspects of the creative process from call-ins, to special episode ideas, in fact our current backers even helped us title this episode. Get closer to the creative process by heading over to https://patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext now and joining WSIRN’s behind-the-scenes family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a year of focusing on reading over 100 books while recovering from a running injury, today’s guest Natalie Van Waning is sprinting enthusiastically toward many readers’ worst nightmare: Looooooong books. We're talking doorstop, tweak your wrist getting them off the shelf, 40-hours-on-Audible long books. Natalie asked Anne to help her focus on quality instead of quantity, so get ready for sweeping multi-generational sagas, tour-guide novels, and heart-tugging family stories.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/173You can connect with Natalie on her blog: http://imchattynatty.blogspot.com/Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Larkin is a self-proclaimed “slow reader”, stay-at-home-parent, and freelance photographer. If you don’t relate to 100-book reading goals or refreshing your feed for the latest book news, Sean is the kindred reading spirit you’ve been waiting to hear from!Anne chats with Sean about the book that made him nostalgic for a time period before he was born, calculating price-per-page at the library book sale, the longstanding bookish obsession he’s passing on to his wife and kids, and much more.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/172You can check out Sean's photography work on Instagram and his website. Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices