Today Anne talks books with David Krohse, an Iowa reader who’s woven a love of literature into all aspects of his life — the waiting room of his chiropractic practice, the bar with a group friends, and quality time spent with his wife. David loves larger than life nonfiction, especially if it reads like an intense thriller, so Anne is hooking him up with exactly that. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/204 You ca...
Oct 08, 2019•42 min•Ep. 204
In today’s episode, Anne talks with Emily Carter about a genre they both used to think they were too smart to be reading. When Emily entered a season when she was busy and stressed, and she discovered that the genre she’d once categorically dismissed was full of books that were exactly what her lackluster reading life needed. Fellow repentant "book snobs" will relate to this conversation about what we miss out on as readers when we seal ourselves off from whole sections of the bookstore, how our...
Oct 01, 2019•44 min•Ep. 203
In today's double-feature, Anne chats books with sisters Mia & Micah. But unlike most of our episodes with multiple guests, they aren’t looking to find titles they’ll enjoy together. Mia & Micah already read the same books frequently, so we’re looking to individualize their reading lives with totally separate recommendations. Mia is looking to introduce a little romance to her bookshelves… without leaving her comfort zone of action and adventure behind. Meanwhile Micah battles a classic middle-s...
Sep 24, 2019•56 min•Ep. 202
Today, Brian Eichenberger dives straight into a hotly debated issue, discussing horrible books that taught him and Anne lessons they still think about allllll the time. Brian is the kind of reader who wants to chew on big ideas, follow characters from childhood to old age to see what makes people tick, and who loves big juicy family sagas. But he also has a taste for the unusual, so Anne recommends 3 titles that hopefully hit more than one target. Click over to the podcast website for a list of ...
Sep 17, 2019•46 min•Ep. 201
In today's milestone 200th episode, Anne and her producer Brenna catch up with the guests of 8 fan-favorite episodes to see what recommendations were hits, which flopped, and what changed in their reading lives after the show. Some guests approached their bookshelves with fresh eyes, some overcame their genre fears, and some realized that stepping out of their comfort zone just wasn’t what they were interested in — and finally felt at peace with the decision. Thanks for 200 fantastic episodes, w...
Sep 10, 2019•59 min•Ep. 200
The WSIRN intro sounds straightforward enough - Anne chats with a reader about books they love, books they hate, and books they could pick up next. Simple. But long-time listeners know this show was originally supposed to be a tight 20 minutes… and today, each episode is easily twice that long. It turns out, a person’s reading taste reveals a lot about who they are as individuals, and digging into those discussions is worth much more to the WSIRN team than hitting a timestamp. Today’s guest is n...
Sep 03, 2019•52 min•Ep. 199
Ever since Anne visited today’s guest, Annie F. Downs, on her podcast That Sounds Fun a little while ago to talk about Summer Reading, she's been wanting to talk all things books and reading with Annie on What Should I Read Next. It's finally happening - and the conversation is going unexpected places. Anne and Annie are chatting about the author who made Annie a better storyteller, her surprising love for reading what she calls “Dead Men’s writing”, totally fangirling about all the literary goo...
Aug 27, 2019•48 min•Ep. 198
Today’s guest, Amelia Mattingly, went through a gut-wrenching experience that ripped her book collection away from her – shelves and all – along with countless other precious signifiers of home. As a result of this experience, the books she craves are different now, and every book purchase feels weighty. Anne is connecting Amelia with three books that will hopefully take some of that heaviness off her shoulders and let her choose a different world to escape into, just for a few hours. CONTENT WA...
Aug 20, 2019•48 min•Ep. 197
Today you’ll get to know Anudeep Reddy, a reader who grew up in a competitive school environment where engaging books were in short supply, so he had to get creative with his reading from a young age. He’s an imaginative reader who appreciates the escapist quality of a good novel, but has struggled lately to find books that call out for him to live between their pages. Fantastic escapist reading can be found in any genre, so today Anne recommends three books to Anudeep that you’d find on complet...
Aug 13, 2019•49 min•Ep. 196
Today’s guest Mary Laura Philpott is an essayist, bookseller, and a big fan of memoirs of people living “everyday lives”. She certainly has experience with an interesting “everyday life” as a Book Enthusiast at Large—yes, that is her job title—for Parnassus Books in Nashville. Anne and Mary Laura chat about the reading and writing life, working through her readerly guilt of hating beloved childhood classics, and the delight of a book flight (or as Mary Laura would say, "reading symphonies"). Cli...
Aug 06, 2019•53 min•Ep. 195
For Nicole Mattke, a clear and driving plot isn’t the most important thing. She loves beautiful, introspective writing that makes her think about everyday emotions. She also spent a year roaming a hotel, doing a job that sounds like it belongs in the pages of a novel. Today Nicole shares some of the stories she heard during her time there, and the literary community-building project she started and has continued to this day. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this...
Jul 30, 2019•48 min•Ep. 194
Keren Form is a self-professed mega nerd who loves everything from LOTR, and board games, and epic science fiction. Today, Keren and Anne chat about what it really means to be a nerd, and how her wholehearted enthusiasm has sent her on many life-enriching adventures. If you hear “science fiction” or “fantasy” and think “nope, not for me,” you might still find something to love in this episode — Anne's recommendations could just as easily be recommendations of a history lover, or a crime drama fa...
Jul 23, 2019•52 min•Ep. 193
Rita and Xoe Amer are a mother-daughter duo who have bonded over books since Xoe was young. She’s all grown up now, but the shared love of reading remains. Today Anne, Rita & Xoe discuss their reading and writing roots, hidden literary gems from the past, and the great conversations that come from bad books. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/192 You can check out Rita and Xoe's mother-daughter podcast, Foibles, ...
Jul 16, 2019•54 min•Ep. 192
Have you ever finished a GREAT book, then realized it left behind a hole no other book will ever be able to fill? Today’s guest is Andy Serrato, a reader who fell into the arms of a mega-popular series with a welcoming fandom and enough pages to smother yourself in… and ever since, she’s struggled to break her obsession and pick up new books in different genres. Anne's doing her best to get to the core of what delights Andy about this series, and open a portal to other reading worlds that will b...
Jul 09, 2019•33 min•Ep. 191
Today’s guest has reached a crossroads in her reading life, and she’s come to Anne looking for a jump start for this new season. Beth Wallen describes herself as a lifelong learner, and she’s about to have more time open up in her schedule to challenge herself, learn new things, and dive deeper into topics that already fascinate her. This is truly a precious opportunity, and Beth really has the guts to go against the grain of her usual reading taste, which makes for interesting and exciting lite...
Jul 02, 2019•45 min•Ep. 190
Today’s guests Brenna Sherrill & Ryan Pait describe themselves as platonic soulmates, book-loving best friends who grew up together, went to school together, read together (sometimes out loud!) and even live together. Today Anne, Brenna, and Ryan chat about a truly magical college class, Ryan’s most embarrassing moment meeting a literary icon, the book Ann Patchett thinks EVERYONE should read, and of course Anne recommends three books she think they’ll enjoy reading together and discussing to de...
Jun 25, 2019•53 min•Ep. 189
Today, we meet Michelle Moreno, who I hope will inspire anyone out there who wants to make their bookstore dreams a reality. Anne got to talk to Michelle right after her very first pop-up shop, while she was still on the high of her first time putting books directly into the hands of her community. Anne and Michelle are discussing the books she chose for her first foray into handselling, the high of putting books directly into the hands of her community, the connection she finds between reading ...
Jun 18, 2019•41 min•Ep. 188
Hannah Christmas is a stay at home mom whose reading life changed forever when she had a baby. Not only how much she read, or when she read, but the big-picture long-term-plan way she wanted to share her love of reading with the world. Today Anne and Hannah chat about the treatment for a serious overdose of books set in New York City, fresh blood in the bookselling world, literary handcrafts, and much much more. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: htt...
Jun 04, 2019•51 min•Ep. 187
Lamar Giles joins Anne to chat about his two great literary loves: children’s books, and... horror novelist Stephen King? If you don’t think those things go together, Lamar is prepared to talk you into changing your mind, and maybe about more than just that. Get ready for a great chat about transcending stereotypes, how books can build up the self-worth of young readers, great novels where the setting becomes a character in its own right, and so so much more. Click over to the podcast website fo...
May 28, 2019•48 min•Ep. 186
Most weeks on What Should I Read Next, I’ll do a little literary matchmaking with one guest… but this week, I’m joined by the show's producer, Brenna Frederick, to hook SEVERAL What Should I Read Next listeners up with their perfect Summer read. Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/185 Find your next great Summer read in the Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/summer-reading-guide-2019...
May 21, 2019•50 min•Ep. 185
Today’s guest is Will Schwalbe, devoted reader and host of the But That's Another Story podcast. Will believes if we all asked the question “what are you reading” more often, it could change the world, and has a few absolutely delightful literary superstitions... Anne and Will chatting all about the downside of conquering your TBR, misremembering poetry, bookstore serendipity, and Will’s attempt to convince ANNE to read a super ambitious classic she just haven’t had the nerve to pick up yet. Cli...
May 14, 2019•48 min•Ep. 184
Karuna Riazi, is here to talk about magic. The magic of carrying a book in your bag that can teleport you to another world, the magic of a beautiful translation, and the magical pairing of a hot cup of tea and a good story. Anne and Karuna also chat about pen names, how to keep a book journal if you’re a total perfectionist, and a host of other things, but at the root of it all is everyday magic, and the books Anne recommends Karuna pick up next are totally on-theme. Click over to the podcast we...
May 07, 2019•56 min•Ep. 183
A request we hear a lot at WSIRN is “can we have another episode about audiobooks??” So today, Anne is bringing in Michele Cobb, publisher at Audiofile magazine, to not only help recommend audiobooks for YOU, but to match Anne with her own next great audiobook read. Michele and Anne are chatting about the marriage of a great book with a great narrator, visual and auditory learning styles, jumping off points if you’re still on the fence about reading with your ears, and the key to some truly fant...
Apr 30, 2019•51 min•Ep. 182
Today’s guest Holli Petersen has created a very special family book club that might inspire you to pick up the phone and call a bookish loved one as soon as the episode is over. She also totally hated one of Anne's favorite titles for the first 100 pages, before a turn of events melted her heart… Anne has mentioned this title DOZENS of times on the show, any guesses what that title might be? What we love most about WSIRN is putting the right book in the hands of the right reader, so Anne wants t...
Apr 23, 2019•56 min•Ep. 181
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 TB...
Apr 16, 2019•56 min•Ep. 180
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 an...
Apr 09, 2019•45 min•Ep. 179
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 disc...
Apr 02, 2019•4 min•Ep. 179
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 aut...
Apr 02, 2019•56 min•Ep. 178
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 a...
Mar 26, 2019•46 min•Ep. 177
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 ...
Mar 19, 2019•52 min•Ep. 176
