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/175 Wha...
Mar 12, 2019•43 min•Ep. 175
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/174 You can connect with Kate on Instagram...
Mar 05, 2019•39 min•Ep. 174
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 t...
Feb 26, 2019•49 min•Ep. 173
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....
Feb 19, 2019•48 min•Ep. 172
Ready for a trip to Scotland? Today Anne sits down in-person with Ruth Andersen, a brand new bookseller in Wigtown, Scotland, to chat about what it's like to live in a "book town", Ruth's return to school after 50 years, and the delicate balance of stocking a used bookstore's shelves. Because this episode was recorded in the shop, during business hours, you’ll get to experience some of the bookshop atmosphere… like the ding of the bell on the door, creaky floorboards, even customers shopping in ...
Feb 12, 2019•45 min•Ep. 171
This week Anne chats with Anna LeBaron, author of the memoir The Polygamist’s Daughter, about how literacy kept her going through a difficult childhood, and how as an adult she turned being an author’s biggest fan into a full-time career. You’ll hear how nonfiction put her dearest fractured relationships back together again, her tips for being a “patron of the arts” on a budget, and the redemptive nature of memoir-writing. Anna asked Anne to pair her with some novels that would convince her fict...
Feb 05, 2019•48 min•Ep. 170
Meet Phimy Truong and Erika Thi Benjamin, best friends who share both a passion for work that creates positive change in the world AND practically identical reading taste (as you’ll hear, one of their favorites is shared). Today Anne, Phimy, and Erika chat about the book that taught them radical self-care, how literature has helped them dive more deeply into understanding of their heritage, fictional characters who move between cultures, and the community building work Phimy and Erika are doing ...
Jan 29, 2019•54 min•Ep. 169
Today’s guest Tara Nichols is giving herself an eagle-eye view of the last century’s literary landscape. Her mission is to read one book published each year between 1920 and 2019. The challenge brings with it a lot of important questions… what is worth her time? Is it better to read the big important book from a given year, or the title she thinks she’ll enjoy most ? And the question she’s hoping to answer after the year is over… has literature changed in all this time? Anne's challenge? Pitchin...
Jan 22, 2019•49 min•Ep. 168
Today’s guest, Erin Morris, is tackling a book challenge with her child this year, and the impact on his imaginative life and her literary life has been no less than remarkable. If you have little ones, this episode is going to make you want to drop everything, pull them close, and enjoy a good book together. Anne and Erin also discuss making reading fun and stress-free for ADULTS because not every book has to be a learning experience, serious topics treated with respect, and Anne match Erin wit...
Jan 15, 2019•43 min•Ep. 167
Today's guest Tiffany Patterson is a small-town reader who has created a new kind of literary get-together that is convincing her friends to give books a shot, even if they didn’t consider themselves “readers” before Tiffany got a hold of them. Tiffany is also ready to break down her own reading barriers… she asked Anne to help ease her fiction-loving soul into NONfiction that will help her "feel smarter". Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell ...
Jan 08, 2019•46 min•Ep. 166
If you entered the new year dreaming of a fresh approach to your reading life, today’s guest Jim Mustich is sharing decades of wisdom to help kick off your best reading year ever. Anne and Jim chat about his new book 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, and why reading 1000 books might not be as daunting as it first sounds, then Jim takes on the book matchmaking mantle recommends which of the 1000 books he thinks *Anne* should prioritize in the new year. Here's to another year of literary matchmak...
Jan 01, 2019•56 min•Ep. 165
Chelsey and Curtis are childhood sweethearts looking to connect over a good book… and possibly, across an ocean. But their reading taste might not be as compatible as their personalities. Today they get brutally honest about their least-favorite books (Chelsey’s may shock you), Curtis gives a peek at his favorites from the Army’s required reading list, and Anne pushes them both out of their comfort zone with her recommendations. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in ...
Dec 18, 2018•45 min•Ep. 164
Ashley Gossens created a nature-driven Seattle book club that brings the page to life in an adventurous, completely unique way. Today, Ashley and Anne talk about the wildlife encounter that made brought a book up-close and personal, what nature has taught Ashley about motherhood, and the particular, magical way a book can affect your confidence. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments what YOU think Ashley should read on the tr...
Dec 11, 2018•33 min•Ep. 163
Today’s guest Traci Thomas has had a hard time finding her niche in the online bookish community, because, as she puts it, she “reads like a dad”. But I have a hunch lots of listeners will relate to her obsession with true crime and the literary search for truth. We’re chatting about books that strengthen your sense of belonging, Traci’s reluctance to read fiction, and the best bad ending she has EVER read. If you recognize her voice, there’s a reason for that… she hosts snappy podcast book club...
Dec 04, 2018•54 min•Ep. 162
Literary podcast nerds rejoice–Ann Kingman of Books On The Nightstand fame is behind the mic once more! We asked you to call and write in about the people you want to give the gift of a good read this year… and WOW, you all delivered! Ann and Anne are dishing out rapid-fire recommendations for young AND old readers with highly varied literary interests. You’ll also get to hear what Ann’s been up to since Books on the Nightstand shut its doors, and both their favorite bookish-but-NOT-book gifts f...
Nov 27, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 161
Have you ever read a book that made the world around you feel just a little bit… magical? Today Anne welcomes author Jon Cohen on the show to chat about the magic of the mundane life in fiction, his unorthodox path to writing, the mighty bookworm women in his life, and what it was like to live with the school librarian as a child. Plus, Anne recommends three books guaranteed to make Jon's everyday just a little bit more... magical. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned ...
Nov 20, 2018•39 min•Ep. 160
Shawntaye Hopkins discovered Jane Austen’s books for the first time as an adult - and after that initial discovery, she dove in DEEP. Today, Anne and Shawntaye chat about the magic of immersive literary events that celebrate the classics (not just Jane!) and how they’ve changed the way Shawntaye reads her most beloved books. They also explore TEN YEARS of book journaling, the book Shawntaye is still hungover from, the things readers do for fear of missing a good book, and Anne's recommendation f...
Nov 13, 2018•47 min•Ep. 159
If you have a gigantic pile of books that you own but haven’t yet read looming somewhere in your house, today's guest Whitney Conard totally gets you. Anne is chatting with Whitney about the Instagram endeavor #TheUnreadShelfProject, saying goodbye to reading shame, the right and not-quite-right times to read (for instance, in math class) and then, at Whitney’s invitation, Anne takes a hard look at Whitney’s unread shelf to help her decide what she should read next. Click over to the podcast web...
Nov 06, 2018•56 min•Ep. 158
Today Anne chats with a reader who turned her family’s difficult story into a book that has brought joy and hope to countless readers. Georgia Hunter got curious about her family history, and a few questions put to the right relatives uncovered something she didn’t expect—a sweeping multi-generational drama just begging to be written down. So, she did. That story became We Were the Lucky Ones, a historical fiction novel Anne discussed with Clara Breitenmoser in Ep 131, and at WSIRN Live! from Th...
Oct 30, 2018•51 min•Ep. 157
Clear your calendars -- today’s episode might inspire you to rethink and rearrange your whole home library. Myquillyn Smith, author of home decor books Cozy Minimalist Home and The Nesting Place, joins Anne to chat about the revelation of ribbon on a bookshelf, spunky iconoclastic women in fiction, why she doesn’t have a library card, and books that give you a kick in the pants... what she does to dust jackets might horrify you, but you’ll be laughing all the way. Click over to the podcast websi...
Oct 23, 2018•44 min•Ep. 156
Today’s guests ask Anne to bridge the divide between an imaginative-fiction lover and a scientific-NONfiction lover. Ashley and Brent are a father-daughter reading duo who share an Audible account and a love for an untold story. Anne, Ashley, and Brent cover everything from Ashley’s mega-popular most HATED book, how they survive differing tastes to make reading a family affair, and the story of who stole whose Audible credits... Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in ...
Oct 16, 2018•41 min•Ep. 155
Today, guest RuthAnn Deveney lead Anne into the world of special-interest reading, discussing how her passion for victim advocacy brought powerful literature into her life that she wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. They also chat about sensitive-reader self-care how books are like spicy food, books that would be much better as the 10 minute TED Talks that inspired them… and so much more. Be aware that today’s episode contains some conversation about human trafficking and physical abuse. If you...
Oct 09, 2018•56 min•Ep. 154
Kari Sweeney is a working mom of four who has developed a VERY unique system to keep her reading life running like clockwork. Kari and Anne chat about wishy washy star ratings, the right season for the right book, reading at the grocery store... and Kari is sharing her secret to getting the hottest new books the week they release -- for FREE. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and leave a comment telling us what YOU think Kari should read next: http:...
Oct 02, 2018•42 min•Ep. 153
Get ready for a serious TBR-filler. Today’s guest Elham Ali flips the script to recommend Canadian literature to Anne… but turnabout is fair play, and Anne won't let her leave without some of HER favorite CanLit recommendations. It's a bookish road trip around the Great White North, full of juicy book-marketing gossip, literary sin revelry, and much much more. Stick around until AFTER the credits to hear one last clip about Elham meeting an unexpected reading hero on the bus. It’s so good, you d...
Sep 25, 2018•53 min•Ep. 152
Today's guest populates the “candy aisle” of the bookstore. Maria Ribas is a literary agent who specializes in gorgeous full-color cookbooks and snappy self-help! So yes, she totally has it covered in the nonfiction department, but her fiction game could use a little freshening… and that’s where Anne comes in. Whether you like exploring the stories behind a great recipe, letting a lush historical novel sweep you away, or pumping yourself up with a snarky self-help book, today’s episode will nour...
Sep 18, 2018•58 min•Ep. 151
Until recently, reading was a means to an end in language arts teacher Julie Mushkin's life - and the type of book that totally turned things around for her may surprise you. Today, Anne and Julie are recommending books perfectly suited for both teens AND adults, chatting about serious book projects, what to do when you have no reading stamina, and infiltrating the not-so-secret world of teens... Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and leave a comment...
Sep 11, 2018•48 min•Ep. 150
WSIRN’s producer Brenna Frederick is in the virtual studio today, and she’s bringing an armload of YOUR questions to the table, gathered from email, instagram, and the comment section. What did Anne do with her life before she became a blogger and podcaster? What movie is TOTALLY better than the book it’s based on? How do guests get themselves on the show? Are audiobooks really considered “reading”? They're answering all these questions and more, plus dropping a bunch of book recommendations str...
Sep 04, 2018•48 min•Ep. 149
We’ve talked more than once on WSIRN about how the power of reading aloud forges family bonds… and today’s guest, Laura Summerhill, puts that thought into action in a brilliant and life-affirming way. But she’s also been out of the pleasure reading game for a long, long time while working on her PhD, and today Anne attempts to reconnect her with what everyone’s been talking about in the book world while she’s been gone. Anne is going on book tour! Find out if she's coming to your area: http://an...
Aug 28, 2018•47 min•Ep. 148
Anne chats with Marines Alvarez and Nicole Sweeney, bookworm best friends who like to keep their reading life SOCIAL. Together they host the podcast Snark Squad, where they rehash books, tv, and movies with a sharp eye and a lot of laughs. True to character, Marines and Nicole brought the giggles to WSIRN -- they're about how the internet has changed reading forever, destroying their childhood favorites, controversial star rating opinions, books that really sucker punch you in the feels, and mor...
Aug 21, 2018•51 min•Ep. 147
Today, Anne has an incredible conversation with Chatti Phal-Brown about how war, family, trauma, joy, and hope for the future have shaped her reading life. Chatti requests recommendations from a genre almost NEVER discussed on the show, and her least favorite book might surprise you... CONTENT WARNING: Today’s episode gets emotional at times, and Chatti speaks candidly about topics like genocide, sexual assault, and racism. If those topics might be triggering for you, please take care of yoursel...
Aug 14, 2018•58 min•Ep. 146
