What Should I Read Next?

Dive into a thrilling summer reading roundup as the team shares their top book recommendations across genres. Discover the joy of audiobooks with titles like 'Memorial Drive' that enhance your summer experience. Reflect on nostalgic library days while contemplating the challenges of adult reading habits. Explore the interwoven stories of a reality show and powerful themes of friendship and resilience. Embrace the joy of personal reading journeys and find books that speak to your mood this season!

Rachel Elaine Martens, a book enthusiast and traveler, shares her unique reading experiences from a year in Budapest, utilizing both a virtual library and local titles. She discusses the unexpected joys of limited selections and the serendipity of discovering left-behind books. Now back in Missouri, Rachel seeks a more intentional reading journey while still embracing the thrill of spontaneous finds. The conversation highlights memorable titles like 'Dear Committee Members' and the charm of backlist books, illustrating how travel and literature intersect to create lasting emotional connections.

Kelly Davis, a passionate bibliophile from Lancaster County, shares her unique approach to celebrating her 50th birthday by hosting a book-themed party. Guests brought their favorite reads, helping her collect 50 books to mark her milestone. Kelly created a master document with charts to analyze her new collection, highlighting the personal importance of each title. The conversation dives into selecting meaningful reads and the joy of reconnecting with literature, while also reminiscing about how books shape friendships and community.

Bestselling author Lucy Foley joins the conversation, sharing intriguing insights about her latest thriller, The Midnight Feast. She reveals the real-life inspirations for her atmospheric settings and discusses her fascination with unlikable characters. Foley also dives into the blending of horror and justice in modern murder mysteries, highlighting societal tensions in rural landscapes. With humor emerging in her character dialogues, she reflects on her writing journey from historical fiction to thrillers, influenced by her favorite authors.

Shannan Malone joins for a lively midyear reading check-in. Both reflect on how their reading habits have evolved and share insights on connecting with literary choices. They discuss the importance of aligning reading intentions with current preferences and embrace the idea of 'quitting' books that don't resonate anymore. They explore how personal life impacts reading, rate upcoming titles, and recommend a mix of emotional reads and lighter escapism. This uplifting conversation invites listeners to reassess their own reading journeys.

Brigid Misselhorn, MMD Book Club Community Administrator, shares tips on managing multiple book clubs, benefits of audiobooks, and balancing personal reading. They discuss her book club addiction, reading strategies, and book recommendations. An insightful conversation for book club enthusiasts.

Shannan Malone, Alabama reader turned co-host and contributor, joins the host to discuss eclectic reading tastes, struggling to pinpoint dislikes in popular books, endearing awkward characters, and more. They explore book club selections, recommend beloved books like Circe and The Shadow of the Wind, and navigate managing long TBR lists with compelling storytelling.

Donna Hetchler plans an epic 50th birthday road trip to West Coast bookstores, discussing book purchases, friends joining, and trip details. Listeners inspired to plan milestone book projects. Reflecting on classics beyond school syllabus and personal reading preferences with diverse recommendations and preferences on literary mysteries and classic novels.

Leigh Kramer, an editor and social media manager for Modern Mrs. Darcy, shares her candid love for books and the challenges of being a bookworm. She reflects on her journey as a reader, discussing the perfectly wrong novel for her and the books that shaped her life. Leigh opens up about personal reading goals, especially exploring spiritual memoirs and diverse authors. Their engaging conversation tackles nostalgic book interactions, the impact of literature on identity, and the joys and dilemmas of summer reading.

Guest Corinne Yan, a book restorer at Bibliothèque Mazarine, seeks audiobook recommendations for a road trip. They discuss balancing TBR lists, historical manuscript restoration, and the joy of reading during travel.