What Should I Read Next?

WSIRN goes international once more! Today's guest is Charity Dušíková, an art teacher and mother residing in a small town in the Czech Republic*.Anne and Charity talk about the impact of big life changes on their reading lives, what to do when you HATE your best friend’s favorite book, what it takes for a book that collects dust on your shelves to finally get picked up and read, and more. Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Charity should read next!Connect with Charity on her blog. Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram *Charity asked to add the following footnote: "Ostrava is an industrial city with a history of mining and with a steel industry. Though the mining has ceased, the steel industry is still at work (hence the connection to Detroit). My dear Ostrova has much more to offer than just mining and steel!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anne first met today's guest Shawn Smucker and his wife Maile while they were on an epic cross-country road trip with the whole family, in a big blue bus named Willie. If that sounds like interesting reading, Shawn wrote a book about the experience! It’s called How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp, and the title is NOT just a metaphor. Today Anne delves into the special significance certain books and authors hold for Shawn and his family. Other topics covered include the fascinating art of ghost-writing, journaling's place in the writing life, and multi-sensory reading experiences. Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Shawn should read next!Connect with Shawn: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | BooksConnect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re a longtime listener, you’ve heard from today's guest Donna Hetchler before—she hopped on episode 64 and chatted with Anne about the unconventional way she tracks what she reads, in our special episode devoted to how 15 WSIRN listeners track their books.In today's one-of-a-kind episode, Anne investigates Donna's plans for a very special road trip. They also discuss stories with whit and whimsy, books that stand the test of time, and Donna also had a unique request when it came to helping her choose what to read next.Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Donna should read next!Check out Donna's blog, I Am Your Rabbit, where she chats about entertainment, personal finance, health, and wellness. Connect with Anne:Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is That-Reader-Who-Is-Impossible-To-Recommend-Books-To... because it seems she's read it EVERYTHING! Claire Diaz Ortiz has a very specific favorite genre that makes her go "crazy with excitement", and Anne faces a real challenge finding any titles under that umbrella that Claire hasn't already devoured. In this episode, Claire and Anne discuss what it means to be an "obsessive reader" and how to spot others out in the wild, the way our personalities influence how we read, the feeling of hating a book that you know isn't BAD but nevertheless isn't for you, and of course we dive into the genre that makes Claire's heart sing. Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Claire should read next!Connect with Claire:Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedInConnect with Anne:Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, Anne chats with Chelsea Humphrey about what a surprisingly broad category "suspense/thriller" actually is. Of course there's some Gone Girl chatter - but they're going deeper, talk about how psychological suspense connects with the various struggles women experience every day.Also covered: being a sucker for a beautiful book cover and a book with a great map in the front pages, redemptive narratives, and legitimately good romance novels that were not what we were expecting.Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Chelsea should read next!Connect with Chelsea: Blog | Twitter | Instagram | GoodreadsConnect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it SO HARD to describe a book you REALLY LOVE? Anne tries to figure it out with today's guest Cori Jara, a case worker in Eureka CA. Cori is a lifelong reader who loved the written word so much she became a creative writing major. But after college books lost their luster for Cori for a while—reading felt too much like work. So several years ago, she started keeping a detailed spreadsheet about what she was choosing to read. That spreadsheet led to an epiphany: she diagnosed why her reading life had gotten dull, and what she could do about it.In this episode Anne and Cori talk the prosaic, like what it’s like to move to a town with a smaller library, and the unforgettable—like a book that makes you want to skip dinner, bedtime, and the rest of your life until you finish it.Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Cori should read next!Connect with Cori on InstagramConnect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WARNING: today's episode might make you long for a warm sandy beach, a cozy cabin, or a French villa... wherever your heart longs to vacation, that's where you'll want to be. That's right, Anne is talking SUMMER READING today with the help of WSIRN insider Melissa Klassen! Melissa makes magic happen behind the scenes for WSIRN and the Modern Mrs Darcy blog, so you'll get a little peek behind the curtain. In this episode, Anne and Melissa discuss Summer’s big releases, the backlist titles they'll be bringing with them to the pool, their favorite Summer reading memories, and at the end there's a Summer Reading Lightning Round that you won't want to miss. We're also giving you a peek behind the scenes of the SIXTH annual Modern Mrs Darcy summer reading guide! Keep your eyes peeled for the guide's release on May 17th.Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know about your Summer reading plans!Connect with Anne:Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Feels like May 17th is just too far away? Tide yourself over with some throwback reading guides from the past 3 years of Modern Mrs. Darcy: 2016 | 2015 | 2014  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's conversation won't go the direction you're expecting - and we think you're going to love it for just that reason. The guest is Kathleen Grissom, author of the hugely bestselling books The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything. Kathy (she said we could call her Kathy) is a reading discussion pro: she has talked to more than ONE THOUSAND book clubs since The Kitchen House was published!Today, she and Anne chat about hardcovers versus paperbacks, "reading books like popcorn", historical fiction with a touch of redemption, take a deep dive into Kathy's fascinating intuitive writing process, and of course Anne puts on her matchmaking hat and recommends what Kathy should read next. Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Kathleen should read next!Connect with Kathleen Grissom: Website | Twitter | Instagram | FacebookConnect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If YOU have ever dreamed of opening your own bookstore, you’re about to learn exactly how another reader is making that dream come true. Meet Alison Frenzel, a reader from Waco Texas who is in the process of bringing her bookish business idea into the real world! Alison and Anne discuss their nostalgic reading habits, what books and chocolate cake have in common, and the extroverted reader's perspective. And when it's time to talk bookshop, Alison has some solid business advice for Anne's favorite fictional bookshop owner, Kathleen Kelly.Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Alison should read next!Follow Alison's future-bookshop, Fabled: Website | Instagram Check out Readerly: Shop | Instagram Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSIRN just hosted our first LIVE event at the fabulous bookstore The Novel Neighbor in St Louis. (Many thanks to shop owner Holland Saltsman for having us!). Anne surprised three readers from the audiences with their very own book-matchmaking session! If you weren't able to make it, today's episode will hopefully make you feel just a little bit like you were sitting in the bookshop with Anne, having a group book-therapy session. Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know where you'd like our next liveshow to be!Connect with The Novel Neighbor: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook.Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices