Readers, if you love a good mystery series, you'll definitely want to tune in for today's episode. Our guest today has been a reader since she was young, and as an adult she discovered her favorite genre: mysteries! Houston Luke especially loves mystery series featuring engaging main characters like Louise Penny's Gamache or Agatha Christie's Poirot. But now that she's mostly caught up on the backlist titles from her favorite mystery authors, she needs some new puzzles to solve. Houston is looki...
Mar 15, 2022•47 min•Ep. 323
Today’s guest is an oil and watercolor painter with a deep appreciation for the storytelling power of both art and writing. As a child, Gina Ariko Marioni discovered how language could help her better understand the world around her, and to this day, reading brings her joy. But lately, Gina's been feeling stuck in her reading life. While she's used to reading a wide range of stories from coming-of-age tales to complex, multigenerational epics, in the past year or so she's found herself either re...
Mar 08, 2022•45 min•Ep. 322
Today’s guest discovered the joy of reading as a child listening to audiobooks on 45s. As an adult, she still turns to audiobooks consistently, and especially loves listening to books in the car with her boys or tackling some self-help titles on her commute. Tiffany Uzor is regularly on the hunt for new reads that will draw her in immediately or transport her somewhere else. Tiffany describes herself as a serial starter—she’s up for beginning any book that sounds interesting, and as a mental hea...
Mar 01, 2022•45 min•Ep. 321
Readers, today's guests were already linked through legal and family ties, and since discovering their mutual love of reading, they've become even closer. Father-in-law and daughter-in-law Verne and Gabby Wright hit it off from the start, but their friendship deepened when Gabby lent Verne a book from her personal library. It was the start of a beautiful reading relationship! Gabby and Verne have found that their reading interests intersect with contemplative, philosophical stories that make the...
Feb 22, 2022•44 min•Ep. 320
When Erin Fagan sent in her guest submission describing herself as a “grumpy man whisperer” who turns to books to create connections, we just had to invite her onto the show. Erin works as an airline pilot and spends hours in the air with her colleagues. To quickly build relationships in a small space, she's found a perfect shortcut: talking about books! Luckily, Erin loves to read widely and can rely on her reading rolodex for almost any conversation. She's an avid audiobook reader, but today s...
Feb 15, 2022•44 min•Ep. 319
Readers, our guest today is sharing a struggle that feels increasingly common: she's finding herself easily distracted when reading, and she's not happy about it! Hannah Gorrie has always loved reading and has a sweet spot for fast-paced doorstoppers that totally engross her attention. But lately, she's felt like she just can't get into reading as easily, or stay as engaged as she used to. Anne and Hannah talk about the type of reading experiences Hannah's loved in the past, then Anne gives Hann...
Feb 08, 2022•46 min•Ep. 318
In today's episode, Anne's not the only one giving the recommendations: guest Shreyasi Desai, who also goes by Cece, passes on her own suggestions for our reading community. Cece grew up in India, where her parents fed her a regular reading diet of mysteries and mythologies. Today, Cece lives in the U.K. and is on the hunt for books featuring serious, angsty topics explored in lyrical and compelling ways. During their conversation today, Cece shares some of her favorite Indian mythologies and ad...
Feb 01, 2022•44 min•Ep. 317
Here at What Should I Read Next? and Modern Mrs Darcy HQ, our team of bibliophiles talks books all year long, and today our whole team is chiming in to share what they loved most in their 2021 reading life. Our team has a wide range of reading tastes, so our selections today are all over the literary map, but one thing holds true: each of these books made a major impact on a member of our team, and stood out from the thousands of pages we each read over the past year. Our conversation today debu...
Jan 25, 2022•51 min•Ep. 316
Over the past six years of talking books with our guests, we've heard about life-changing reading experiences, but today's guest has a unique twist on this story. When Nicole Fagan decided to give away almost every book she owned (not an easy decision for a lifelong bibliophile), she wasn't sure what to expect. But in the years since, Nicole became convinced that this drastic book purge was absolutely worth it, and in today's episode she'll tell us why. We'll also talk about Nicole's reading lif...
Jan 18, 2022•40 min•Ep. 315
We love reconnecting with previous guests to get an update on their reading life, and today's conversation with Tara Nichols is no exception! Since Tara's previous appearance on the show, in WSIRN Ep 168: A century of good books in a single year, we've been curious to know how her challenge worked out, and what she learned along the way. If you missed Ep 168, Tara shared her goal to read one book published each year between 1920 and 2019, and she and Anne talked about some options that might hel...
Jan 11, 2022•50 min•Ep. 314
With a fresh new year ahead of us and so much reading to look forward to, today's conversation brings back a listener favorite and sets the stage for a year of thoughtful reading experiences. Jim Mustich, who you may know as the author of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, first joined us on the podcast back in January 2019 on Episode 165 (which shared a title with his book). That’s one of our most downloaded episodes, and if you missed it the first time around, it's worth a listen to hear him d...
Jan 04, 2022•56 min•Ep. 313
Do you have a favorite holiday reading tradition? We recently asked our WSIRN Patrons this question, and we loved one response so much, we had to share it with all of you. Kim Kortas lives in Minnesota, where she's enacted an annual holiday tradition of curating book boxes for each family member! It's a year-round project that brings an extra dose of holiday joy, and Kim and Anne talk about how it started, and how it's going, before pivoting to chat about Kim's reading life. Like so many listene...
Dec 21, 2021•43 min•Ep. 312
When it comes to picking what to read next, many of us live by our to-be-read (TBR) list, but today's guest has a different approach! Danielle Callendar is a lifelong bookworm, a library devotee, and a mood reader who loves the serendipity of discovering the right book at the right time. She's rejected any kind of reading list, because to her, that would feel like a constraint. But as much as she loves selecting books that reflect her immediate reading mood, sometimes this makes it a challenge t...
Dec 14, 2021•50 min•Ep. 311
Between the WSIRN team and many of the guests we've had on this show, we definitely see a trend of readers who consider themselves introverts, and find the quiet act of reading a book the perfect complement to their personality. But what happens when a reader is other end of the energy spectrum? Paul Randall Adams has a reading dilemma that he associates with his self-described mega-extrovert energy, as well as his adult diagnosis of ADHD. He knows his outgoing personality served him well in his...
Dec 07, 2021•42 min•Ep. 310
Our guests on this show are united in a love of reading, but sometimes that joy can get lost as life, work, and other obligations take center stage. Today's guest is looking for some suggestions that will help her rediscover not only her love of reading, but identify what she loves to read now—and she's come up with a special project to help frame her quest. Jessica Harrill decided to celebrate her 32nd birthday by reading 32 books, and she's looking for some help to decide which books will make...
Nov 30, 2021•48 min•Ep. 309
Readers, this show is all about helping you discover your next read—which means we talk each week not only about the books our guests love and Anne's recommendations, but about the authors behind the books. Anne's recommendations and our guests' tastes vary widely, but sometimes we see authors who show up again and again on the show. And in today's episode, we're bringing you conversations with three of these writers who mean something a little extra special to our WSIRN community. Join Anne in ...
Nov 23, 2021•55 min•Ep. 308
If you've ever dreamed about becoming a writer, you're not alone. Writers begin as readers, after all, whether they're grounded in a love of memoir, fantasy, or any other genre on the shelf. Today's guest has built a career around coaching people from all backgrounds to embrace the joy of writing. Allison Fallon (Ally) is a Nashville-based writing coach and author of The Power of Writing it Down. She's seen firsthand the benefits that people experience when they begin to write, whether it's in a...
Nov 16, 2021•42 min•Ep. 307
Today's guest is a dedicated reader who appreciates reading as both a leisure activity and a way to learn about other perspectives and experiences. But over the past few years, the stress of her work in the healthcare industry has impacted her reading life as she's found herself more easily distracted from her usual reads. Corinne Miller turned to poetry collections, finding joy and inspiration in shorter stints of reading and appreciating the elegant artistry of words on the page. Her explorati...
Nov 09, 2021•48 min•Ep. 306
Deciding what to read next is so much easier when you know what you love to read—and what you don't. In today's episode, Anne shares a behind-the-scenes look at her new reading journal, My Reading Life. Created to help you achieve your best reading life, Anne's journal is thoughtfully designed to help you understand what you love, and what you don't, about what you've read lately. My Reading Life is the result of hundreds of conversations and years of gathering knowledge, and the result is the r...
Nov 02, 2021•38 min•Ep. 305
Readers, it's time for our sixth annual holiday recommendations episode! We're back with this much anticipated gift giving guide for the readers in your lives, and as always, it’s been a treat to create. Over the past few weeks, you called and emailed us with your bookish gift questions, and today Anne is teaming up with Valerie Koehler of Houston's Blue Willow Bookshop to help match the loved ones in your life with books we think they'll love. Whether you're looking for the best in board books ...
Oct 26, 2021•49 min•Ep. 304
This time of year, so many readers are looking to tip-toe (or sometimes, to sprint) into scary stories, but finding the right spooky read can be tricky. Today’s guest Margaret Prinzing knows what she likes to read in her preferred genres, but she's recently embarked on a journey to read more thrilling books and is eager to discover some new reads to help her find her way. But we don't just talk ghost stories and haunted houses—we discuss some of the challenges of breaking into a new genre of any...
Oct 19, 2021•52 min•Ep. 303
If you love books that make you think or spark a spirited discussion, you're on the same page as today's guests! Christine Pride and Jo Piazza have a shared passion for books where the stakes are high and the story is personal. From intimate memoirs to books featuring strong female friendships, they are looking for books that will show them something unique while evoking a strong reaction. Christine and Jo have a unique and long-lasting relationship of their own: they've worked together for year...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 302
Readers, as we continue our celebration of 300 episodes of What Should I Read Next, today we are bringing your voices to the stage as Anne and WSIRN team member Leigh Kramer tackle your burning questions! We always enjoy our Ask Anne Anything episodes and the chance to hear what you’re curious about. We hope today's conversation and our answers give you a little more insight into the world of WSIRN. Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a question! Be sure to check out this episode's show no...
Sep 28, 2021•41 min•Ep. 301
If you've listened in to any—or all!— of our past 300 episodes, you've heard conversations with readers and authors, booksellers and book club members, and of course a whole lot of literary matchmaking. Today, after more than five years of creating bookish delight, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the people and process behind our weekly podcast and explore the many layers of WSIRN! Listen in today to hear from some of our original voices as we talk about how the show began, how it's grown ove...
Sep 21, 2021•52 min•Ep. 300
Readers, we know it can be tricky to break out of a reading rut, and sometimes it takes a nudge from a friend to try something new. Michael Clark has a good handle on what he loves to read. From beach reads that don't get the respect they deserve, to stories that acknowledge their literary heritage, he reaches across genres when he's picking up his next book and he's not afraid to put down a book that's not right for him. But today, he's feeling stuck in a bit of a reading drought. Michael's hop...
Sep 14, 2021•57 min•Ep. 299
Today's guest loves Jane Austen, but that's just the beginning for our conversation today. Cristina Griffin's work life as an English professor often overlaps with her personal love of reading for pure fun! She's drawn to atmospheric stories with brilliant endings and compelling characters, and she's read all the way through many an author's backlist. Anne recommends books that fit Cristina's desire for contemporary novels that are fun to read and a new-to-her series she can slowly devour. We ho...
Sep 07, 2021•56 min•Ep. 298
Readers, today’s guest is on the hunt for complex, thought-provoking, and timeless books that have something to say about topics she cares about today. Maria Carrera lives in Spain, where she teaches English language. Her heart for languages drives both her professional and her reading life! She loves the experience of matching a book to her reading mood - and then choosing which translation of that book to read. But with so many good books to choose from, sometimes she just needs someone to tel...
Aug 31, 2021•38 min•Ep. 297
Readers, today’s guest knows that she’s overlooked some amazing books over the last ten years, but she needs a little help to figure out which ones to pick up now. Amber Burns loves discovering something new in the books she reads, and she's also a mood reader. She's looking for stories filled with believable tension and humor, and she loves a good enemies to lovers trope. When she’s not reading in the best coffee shops of her beloved Philadelphia or exploring the city’s vibrant used bookstore s...
Aug 24, 2021•49 min•Ep. 296
Readers, after a move today’s guest craved community and an outlet for her “pent-up book energy.” She started a book club in her new neighborhood and quickly discovered getting started wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. Today, Shweta Hegde walks us through the steps she took to form a bookish community and provides some friendly encouragement for you to get that book talk going. This was only Shweta's latest move: she grew up in India in a military family—so she moved a lot as a kid. In ...
Aug 17, 2021•42 min•Ep. 295
It’s been a long time since we’ve had a teenager on the show—and today’s guest isn’t here to talk about YA. Katie Guenthner has long been reading classics, historical nonfiction, and the most formidable books she can find at the library in order to uphold her status as an “advanced reader.” After listening to countless readers wax poetic about reading for escape on WSIRN, Katie realized that's what was missing in her reading life. Now she’s ready to trade Charles Dickens for the lighthearted sto...
Aug 10, 2021•39 min•Ep. 294
