A registered nurse on the night shift is looking for ways to battle burnout and what it's done to her reading life, and Anne is here to help. We know so many of you have been impacted by the stress of the past few years, and Lexie Hayes is no exception. The last few years of working in healthcare have make it more crucial than ever for her to focus on rest and recovery outside of work, and she's not left with much time to enjoy one of her favorite hobbies: reading! Anne and Lexie are talking abo...
Nov 01, 2022•51 min•Ep. 353
Finding the perfect titles for young readers can be tricky, so today we're answering your questions and suggesting books (and bookish gifts) for the kids and teens in your lives! Every year we ask our audience to write in with their requests for bookish gift recommendations, and Anne partners with another literary professional to share suggestions to help YOU fulfill the wish lists of your favorite readers. To take on today's requests for book recommendations for kids and teens, Anne is joined b...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 352
Four dynamic authors gathered to speak on a Book Club Favorites panel last month at the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors—and Anne was the moderator! Their conversation went in wildly delightful directions, and we're so excited to share it with all of you today. Anne was thrilled when Festival chair Beth Buss (whose name you might recognize from Episode 257: Let's build your holiday booklist) asked her to moderate the Festival panel focused on “Book Club Favorites", featuring authors TJ Klun...
Oct 18, 2022•45 min•Ep. 351
An octogenarian world traveler and her book-loving daughter join Anne to discuss how reading continues to play a vital role in their relationship. Barbara Costner grew up in World War Two London before traveling and working around the world as an adult. Along with gardening, reading's always been one of her passions, and she made sure to cultivate this love in her daughter Adrienne Hudson, too. These days, Adrienne's become her mother's main source of books, recommending titles she thinks her mo...
Oct 11, 2022•47 min•Ep. 350
As a young reader, today's guest discovered the power of books to make her feel less alone, and she's happy to be back to reading regularly after making some lifestyle changes in the past few years! San Francisco-based Rachel Seidman joins Anne on today's episode to talk about how reading has changed her life, and why she's such an advocate for books that thoughtfully tackle disability. Rachel reads a variety of books but often comes back to titles that make her think, or speak to her intersecti...
Oct 04, 2022•41 min•Ep. 349
Today's guest has been suffering through a book slump over the past few years, and Anne's here to help them reconnect with their love of reading. Aimz Rushton (they/them) is a senior lecturer in the United Kingdom, where they focus on North American fiction and literature. Aimz enjoys reading literary fiction inside and outside of the classroom, but their reading's taken a hit lately and they've found it easy to get derailed from what they've always loved. While Aimz has found a few techniques t...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 348
Today’s guest is feeling stuck between two chapters of her reading life, and she needs a guide! 13 year old Noa Hewlett knows what she's looking for in a story, but she's finding it a challenge to identify the right books for her reading taste in the more grown-up sections of the bookstore. Anne is here to share some strategies Noa can use to discover new authors, genres, and titles that will align with what she already knows she enjoys. Whether you remember being in Noa's shoes, you're in the m...
Sep 13, 2022•47 min•Ep. 347
Today's guest has a lengthy to-be-read list, and she's not sad about it! Saadia Shafati Shamsie balances her work as a travel company owner, Department of Defense employee, and Indian Dance teacher with her passion for reading, and she's always got a book (or three) on her nightstand. But even when reading multiple books at a time, her collection of unread titles is considerable—and growing! And lately, many of her picks have been good, but not great. Saadia really wants to read books she loves,...
Sep 06, 2022•52 min•Ep. 346
Readers, today Anne is joined in bookish conversation by reading advocate, author, and creator of @hereweeread Charnaie Gordon. Charnaie's passion is encouraging young readers and supporting families in diversifying their bookshelves, which she achieves through her blog, non-profit, and internet platforms, as well as books like her latest release, A Planet Like Ours. In today's episode, Charnaie and Anne talk about how Charnaie first became a reader and the way books impacted her childhood, befo...
Aug 30, 2022•57 min•Ep. 345
Readers, we're back with the 2022 edition of our team's favorite summer reads! This tradition started with a Patreon bonus episode back in 2020, and it's continued since then right here on our podcast feed. As a team of devout readers, in between creating this podcast and the other Modern Mrs Darcy work we do each week, we do a lot (and we mean a LOT) of talking about books. Today, we're sharing some of those conversations with you. We've gathered into three different groups to talk about what s...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 344
While we love sharing book recommendations each week, we also take great pleasure in helping our guests overcome whatever reading-related struggle they're facing at the moment. Today, Anne's talking to a guest who is torn between reading for pleasure and reading the books they feel they should be reading … even if they don’t enjoy the experience. Academic librarian Lorelei Rutledge is clear on what's working in their reading life, and they regularly turn to the specific genre that always brings ...
Aug 16, 2022•58 min•Ep. 343
Readers, today's guest shares a common reader struggle: finding the time to read! Today, Mattie James—a successful business owner and new author, releasing her first book Everyday Magic later this month—joins Anne to talk about her love of reading nonfiction. But as a busy professional, Mattie often finds it hard to make the time to read. She's looking for solutions to make the most of her time reading, even if it's just for a few minutes. Mattie grew up with a love of reading nurtured by her fa...
Aug 09, 2022•57 min•Ep. 342
Around here, we love celebrating reading memories and creating new ones, and today's show does just that! Anne's newest book journal for young readers, My Reading Adventures, is out today—and to celebrate the power of reading in young lives, we asked our listeners to share some of their favorite childhood reading memories. Anne's here, too, of course, with some moments that stand out in her reading memory. Plus, in today's episode we embark on a journey between the pages of My Reading Advent...
Aug 02, 2022•26 min•Ep. 341
In today's episode, Anne is chatting with author, actress, and audiobook narrator Julia Whelan. You may know Julia from her novel My Oxford Year, or her new book releasing August 2nd, Thank You For Listening, and many readers are also familiar with Julia's voice from her many audiobook narrations. Anne and Julia chat about the art and process of creating the audiobooks so many readers love, and reflect on the joys and challenges of the professional reading life, before sharing a long list of tit...
Jul 26, 2022•52 min•Ep. 340
Adrien Kordas has always identified as a reader, and in the past few years she's been excited about completing grad school so she could devote more time to reading for fun. But now that she actually has the time to read at whim, she's been surprised to find that the kind of titles she's loved in the past aren't working as well for her, and she's not sure what to do about it. In today's conversation, Anne and Adrien talk about recapturing the childhood magic of reading and what to do when your re...
Jul 19, 2022•52 min•Ep. 339
Readers, we're so excited to share today's collaboration with you. Anne is joined on the show today by Craig Getting and Andrew Cunningham, hosts of the show Overdue–a podcast about the books you’ve been meaning to read. On their podcast, Craig and Andrew explore the backlist titles many readers feel like they “should” have read by now, but today, Anne, Craig, and Andrew talk about a wide range of bookish topics, from the perks of having a built-in reading buddy, to the titles they would never h...
Jul 12, 2022•58 min•Ep. 338
Our guest today, Chicago-area reader Rebecca Freeman, struggles with a reading challenge we hear about often from guests and community members: how to balance being a mood reader with maintaining any kind of to-be-read list. In Rebecca's reading life, she's found the library a big help: browsing what's available to check out at any given time lets her bring some serendipity into selecting her next read. But while she shies away from anything that feels like a prescriptive list, she'd like to hav...
Jul 05, 2022•47 min•Ep. 337
Readers, June is audiobook month, and in today's conversation, Anne talks with a dedicated audiophile who wants to discover the formula for a great audio reading experience! Jackie Branz works as a gardener and florist on a private estate, and while she's hard at work keeping the plants happy and thriving, she also gets to enjoy another of her great loves: reading. Jackie enjoys getting pulled into a great audiobook while she's working in the garden, but sometimes she struggles to find the right...
Jun 21, 2022•41 min•Ep. 336
Readers, our guest today is on the hunt for overlooked titles and compelling characters that feel like friends. Andrea Medina lives in Mexico, where she reads in both Spanish and English to expand the range of options on her shelf. Since falling in love with the power of a gripping story as a teen, Andrea's sought out complex tales that speak to real life, and books that she'll keep thinking about after turning the final page. Today, Anne and Andrea talk about rediscovering what you really love ...
Jun 14, 2022•37 min•Ep. 335
Today's guest knows what he likes on the nonfiction shelf, but he's feeling lost when it comes to finding his next fiction read, and Anne is here to help. Wes Martin's developed a love of nonfiction in both his professional role as an industrial and organizational psychologist, and in his personal life. But recently, Wes has found himself turning more to fiction for his reading enjoyment, and he's not very confident about navigating this section of the bookstore. This is especially frustrating b...
Jun 07, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 334
Readers, a good book makes a perfect vacation companion, and today we're pairing a cross-section of titles with three fabulous summery destinations! Joining Anne on the show today is Lynette Calleros, a travel agent who wants to provide her customers with curated, destination-inspired reading lists. She's here for Anne's help in matching three of her commonly booked destinations with “book flights”—purposeful, thematic literary pairings—she can suggest to her travelers. Lynette and Anne also cha...
May 31, 2022•50 min•Ep. 333
Readers, today we're thrilled to welcome Emily Henry to the show! You may recognize her from the 2021 Summer Reading Guide, where we featured her book People We Meet on Vacation, or our Modern Mrs Darcy book club, where she joined us in a delightful conversation. Today, Emily and Anne talk about the titles they reach for when the temperatures rise and the pool (or beach) beckon, and what they mean when they describe a book as a "beach read". They'll also dive into conversation about her brand-ne...
May 24, 2022•48 min•Ep. 332
Readers, it's almost summer reading season (our 2022 Summer Reading Guide releases next week!), and today's conversation is just filled with summer reading energy. It's also a What Should I Read Next first, as we have four readers talking books and reading in today's show. Dive into summer reading today with Anne, her husband Will, and their reading buddies Melissa Joulwan and Dave Humphreys. You may recognize Mel and Dave from when they joined Anne in WSIRN Episode 219: Required reading revisit...
May 17, 2022•53 min•Ep. 331
Readers, today's guest came later in life to a career that she now loves, and one of her favorite parts of the job? Nurturing budding readers! As a third and fourth-grade teacher, Katrina Fleming has a plan for getting her kids hooked on reading, but lately she’s felt like her plan for her own reading life has been letting her down. Katrina knows what she likes to read, but she's found it hard to feel truly drawn into the books she's picked up lately, and she's ready for some recommendations so ...
May 10, 2022•45 min•Ep. 330
Our first Norwegian guest, Lisa Sølvberg is a lifelong reader who loves a complicated family saga. She also has a particular appreciation for the audiobooks that accompany her athletic pursuits, as you'll hear in today's conversation. Lisa and Anne talk about the power of book journaling and what Lisa's learned about her reading life as a result of adopting this habit. Then, they explore some of the books Lisa's loved and the type of reads she's looking for right now. Anne leaves Lisa with a lis...
May 03, 2022•52 min•Ep. 329
Readers, if you've ever dreamed of opening a bookstore, this episode is for you! Today, Anne's in conversation with Abbigail Glen, the owner of Shelves, an online and pop-up bookstore based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Abby discovered the power of reading at a young age, and decided to make her dream of being a bookstore owner a reality. In her conversation with Anne today, Abby shares how Shelves came to be, her work to create a reading community where reading is a lifestyle, and what she's lo...
Apr 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 328
Today's guest is both an avid leisure reader and a professional word nerd. Gary Robinaugh has always been fascinated with the role language plays in our lives. His career studying Aphasia—a language disorder caused by a specific type of brain damage—explores the relationship between thought, language, and communication, and he's equally fascinated by these themes outside of the office. Gary grew up in a reading home with a heavy helping of science fiction, a genre he still enjoys for its unique ...
Apr 19, 2022•45 min•Ep. 327
Today's guest is an author whose books are regularly discussed in our online community, and she's here to talk with Anne today about the practice of seeking inspiration, and the books she can't stop recommending to the people in her life—and, of course, to get some suggestions for what to read next! Shauna Niequist is the author of numerous books, including Present Over Perfect, Bread and Wine, and her brand-new release I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet. She's also a devoted reader, and while s...
Apr 12, 2022•43 min•Ep. 326
Readers, today’s guest is preparing for the arrival of her second child in a particularly bookish way—she's looking for some titles she can enjoy during upcoming midnight feedings and quiet moments with her newborn. Odeta Dyrmishi has loved to read since high school, and she's relied on books to carry her through other big changes in her life. Whether she's reading entertaining fiction or historical books that teach her something new, she knows that reading is something that always helps her fee...
Apr 05, 2022•43 min•Ep. 325
Readers, last week's guest told us about her grandmother signing her up for her first library card, and today's guest is a grandmother who is nurturing the next generation of readers! Joanne Booy spent most of her life living internationally in a wide range of locations, but one thing has remained constant in her life—her passion for reading! She's relied on books to be companions in isolated corners of the globe, and she's worked hard to make books accessible to others, too. So it's not surpris...
Mar 22, 2022•47 min•Ep. 324
