What Should I Read Next? is the show for every reader who has ever finished a book and faced the problem of not knowing what to read next. Each week, Anne Bogel, of the blog Modern Mrs Darcy, interviews a reader about the books they love, the books they hate, and the books they're reading now. Then, she makes recommendations about what to read next. The real purpose of the show is to help YOU find your next read. To learn more or apply to be on the show visit whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com.
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This episode dives into the art of creating an engaging literary festival with Sarah Moriarty, Executive Director of the Charleston Literary Festival. They discuss the festival's unique history and Charleston's role in shaping its intimate, conversational atmosphere. Sarah shares insights into the curation process, various ways to attend, and emphasizes the magic and importance of in-person book events for broadening perspectives and fostering community. Listeners will also get practical tips for discovering new authors and making the most of any literary festival.
When the world feels heavy, many of us reach for books. Today's guest is looking for a specific style of comfort reads. Jemima Welsh is joining Anne today all the way from Brisbane, Australia, where she lives with her family and her pets, including four chickens named for the March sisters. Right now, Jemima is specifically looking for books that feel, quite literally, close to home. She's looking for stories that feature warm, rambling houses, complex but inherently lovable and perhaps found fa...
,The team at MMD HQ has always been enthusiastic about fall reading. We shared our first Fall Book Preview back in 2019, and last week we released the seventh annual edition. Today, we’re sharing a sneak peek into this year's event that concludes with Anne describing the first three books in our literary and contemporary fiction category. Our Fall Book Preview offers the gentle guidance you’re looking for in selecting your fall reads. This preview and its 35 books are all hand-selected by Anne, ...
Today we're diving into what feels like a particularly nerdy niche of the reading life as Anne is joined by an expert reader. Sarah Kellogg is a cover designer at a big five publisher, and today she and Anne are exploring what goes into the art of cover design. Sarah answers many of our burning questions and sheds light on some of the lesser known aspects of her work. Of course, they also discuss Sarah's reading life and her search for books that balance old and new while infusing creativity and...
Today's guest is facing a shift in her reading life now that she's an empty nester. Candice Brown-Murray lives in South Florida with her husband, children, and dogs. Her career in public relations keeps her very busy along with her hobbies like kayaking, travel, renovating a historic home, and of course, reading. Candice has always been a reader. She describes herself as a sucker for a good story, but she also struggles with finding enough time to read and dealing with real-life distractions—a c...
We love fielding very specific readerly requests that will also appeal to a wide range of readers, and today's episode is just that. Lynn Bain describers herself as an accidental entrepreneur. While she loves to read a wide range of genres and styles, she's here today to get Anne's help in identifying good business books to read alongside her beloved stack of fiction. Lynn's tried a bunch of business books and found they haven't worked out well for her. But Lynn is also confident that there are ...
Today we're sharing Part 2 of our summer superlatives episode, featuring four more of our team members talking about the books they've loved most this season. Our executive producer Will Bogel joins Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club Community Manager Ginger Horton to talk about their favorite summer reads. Then, you'll hear from Modern Mrs Darcy Editor and Social Media Manager Leigh Kramer and What Should I Read Next Media Production Specialist Holly Wielkoszewski. Today's picks feature our team member...
Readers, we’re back today with an annual tradition we know so many of you look forward to, as our team joins Anne to talk about their favorite books of the summer and what’s happening in their reading lives right now. As always, our team’s range of reading tastes ensures we share titles from a wide range of genres and styles that will appeal to all kinds of readers. You’ll hear titles that might especially appeal to readers looking for your next family drama, who are open to a unique blend of sc...
Today's guest isn't only a reader with a specific readerly conundrum, she is also a beloved author. Anne has recommended Julie Berry's work to several past guests, and Julie also joined us over in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club back in 2020. Today, she's here to talk with Anne about writing and discovering smart books with big heart. They also dive into conversation about Julie's independent bookstore and her unexpected path to becoming a bookstore owner. Plus, they discuss Julie's upcoming new...
Novels featuring an ensemble cast of characters and multiple points of view are a favorite for today's guest, and she'd love Anne's help in finding more of this particular type of reading experience. Olivia Haber Greenwood is joining Anne from Barcelona, where she's lived for the past seven years working as a copywriter and freelance journalist. Olivia is a happy reader with an abundant reading life, but she's found herself stymied when it comes to novels featuring multiple points of view. Olivi...
Today's guest has joined Anne in conversation on the podcast before, but now our media production specialist Holly Wielkoszewski is in the spotlight as they explore her evolving reading tastes and her favorite genres of science fiction and fantasy. Holly splits her time between New Mexico, where she and her husband are building an Earthship, and traveling internationally for several months each year. When Holly mentioned at a recent team meeting that she's shifting away from fantasy and more tow...
Ellen Heath, a reader from the Atlanta area, shares Anne's passion for urban planning, but that's not all they talk about today. Ellen is looking for immersive settings, characters she can connect with, and books that might even teach her something, and Anne has ideas! Ellen and Anne also talk about her Ellen's interesting and unique method for choosing her next read on her eReader, and her desire to DNF—that's do not finish—more books in 2025. Please share your ideas for Ellen by leaving a comm...
A midyear reading check-in has become a small tradition around here, and today Anne is welcoming team member Shannan Malone back to the podcast. Today, you'll hear Anne and Shannan dive into the history of this practice before exploring how this year’s been going so far, what they're each excited about, and what’s working (and not working) in each of their reading lives. With so many books to choose from, and so much going on in all of our busy lives, a midyear check-in is a useful tool to make ...
Today's guest is looking for ways to slow down and sink into what she loves most as she plans her summer of reading. Chelsea Siler is an early childhood special education teacher in Tacoma, Washington. She's often found reading to be a source of joy, escape, and growth, and she'd like these positive experiences to be reflected in her reading selections this summer. Chelsea's always searching for immersive, character-driven stories she will not want to put down. Anne can't wait to share ideas and...
We often discuss auto-buy authors and completist authors around here, and today's guest is a completist on a mission to discover her new favorite summer author. Stephanie Edwards-Gass is a seventh-grade English teacher and an Elin Hilderbrand completist. For years, she's turned to Hilderbrand's novels for summer reading satisfaction. She's read (and reread) every book in Hilderbrand's catalog, but now that there aren't any new Nantucket books to look forward to, Stephanie's on the hunt for a new...
We always love reading on a theme, and today's guest would love to see her real-life love of the ocean mirrored in the pages of her books. Noelle Leong is a science and medicine-focused librarian at a small liberal arts college. She especially loves her work for the opportunities it provides her to join the students on trails and visiting tidepools. So it’s perhaps unsurprising she’d love Anne's help finding books about the ocean, whether that means pop science, books where the ocean is the sett...
Nonfiction books often change the way that readers see the world, and today's guest Evan Carlson is on the hunt for fiction that packs the same punch as the nonfiction works he loves. Evan's joining Anne from Chicago, where he lives and works as an actor and poet. He's found that reading poetry and nonfiction helps him challenge his ways of thinking, and he really enjoys this experience. While Evan has read fiction that's worked for him before, too often it leaves him feeling bored. Evan's confi...
Feeling more confident about finding the right reads is a common bookish goal. In today's conversation, Anne welcomes Tynisha Coleman to the show to talk about her current reading goals. Tynisha is a leadership development coach, university lecturer, and sci-fi and fantasy lover from New Jersey. She doesn't shy away from books that tackle tough plot points, which often feature in the emotionally resonant books she loves. But she does expect these trickier developments to serve a sense of purpose...
Every year we get some variation of this question: how can a reader like today’s guest, Elise Brancheau, balance all the shiny new books of summer with the backlist titles that are already patiently waiting on her to-be-read list? Elise is a New Jersey-based professional classical singer who describes herself as a huge reading-planning nerd. We know Elise is in good company here! But with all of the summer reading titles coming her way, Elise is wondering how she can unapologetically embrace old...
We're taking you behind the scenes of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide and sharing an excerpt from our live Unboxing party. Our 2025 Guide includes 35 books across a range of genres which we've grouped into six categories. Today you'll hear Anne's commentary of three books from the first category, Family Sagas. Our Summer Reading Guide and Unboxing are designed to give you an idea of what your own reading experience might be like with each book so you can then decide if that's a reading experience ...
We're kicking off Summer Reading Season with our fourteenth annual Summer Reading Guide, coming this Thursday! Today on the podcast Anne is joined by a special guest who is particularly well qualified to go behind the scenes of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide with her: Will Bogel! Many of you consider Anne's husband Will to be your book twin, and today they're diving into the project and pleasure that is creating the Summer Reading Guide each year. We hope you'll enjoy this peek behind the scenes ...
Reading projects take all shapes and sizes, and today's guest has set a goal to read all the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlists and winners. Today, Anne is talking books with Kathryn, who lives on the island of Okinawa, Japan, with her military husband and energetic golden retriever. Kathryn works for a nonprofit and spends her leisure time reading, knitting, or walking on the beach close to their home. Since Kathryn's project is an ambitious one, she's come up with a strategy of reading one y...
Today's guest is an avid reader, retired social worker, and What Should I Read Next? completist who lives in New Jersey. Jill Jaclin has a reading conundrum: she really wants to read more nonfiction, but she's struggled to find a way to incorporate it into her reading life. As she told Anne, she also knows that there are nonfiction books out there that will educate her if only she would take the time to read them. In fact, she's got a whole bookshelf full of books that she's acquired but hasn't ...
Readers, if you are feeling burned out right now, you are not alone. In our team meeting last week, we talked about the fact that things are hard right now. That's why this feels like a great time to revisit a favorite past episode from another time not so long ago when we were also feeling burned out. Today we're sharing Anne's May 2021 conversation with journalist Anne Helen Petersen, which originally aired back then as Episode 284. Anne Helen writes the weekly email newsletter Culture Study a...
When the world feels heavy, many of us look to books for distraction, inspiration, or reassurance. Today's guest has a unique spin on what she's seeking and would love Anne's help in figuring out how the types of reads she wants right now fit into her existing to-be-read (TBR) system. Émilie Weidl lives in Wales, where she's taken a year off before starting her PhD. When she's not reading or volunteering, you'll likely find her out for a walk or a hike, exploring the beautiful country around her...
Finding highly discussable books for book clubs often feels like a full-time job, especially if you're a member of multiple long-standing book clubs like today's guest, Lara. Today, Lara joins Anne to talk about her constant search for fiction that explores the human condition in all its messy glory. She loves these sorts of books because they give her so much to talk about with her fellow readers. Recently, Lara was listening to an episode of our podcast when she heard Anne mention her apprecia...
Over the past few years, today's guest has been on a journey of self-discovery. Florida reader Casey has been working on coming to terms with her perfectionism and along the way, she's been noticing what it means for her reading life. Casey's noticed she tends to save highly anticipated books for later: some uncertain time down the road when circumstances make the timing at long last completely perfect to pick up that book she's really been wanting to read. But Casey knows firsthand that our tim...
Re-reading is a practice fits into every reader's life in a different way, and today's guest has embarked on a unique reading challenge that brings a fresh perspective to her re-reading. Sarah Swarbrick joins Anne today from the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, to talk about the special project she's crafted in advance of her 53rd birthday. With her responsibilities shifting and her kids getting older, Sarah's finding more time for reading lately, and she's excited about having extra space to app...
Readers, we often receive questions from you about our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and what actually goes on in our online reading community, and today's guest is here to help Anne take you behind the scenes! You may already know Ginger Horton, our MMD Book Club Community Manager, from her prior appearances here on the podcast or because you interact with her all the time in book club. Today, Ginger and Anne dive into all things book club, like the nitty-gritty details of our approach to choosing...
Today's guest is a mood reader who often finds herself falling down a reading rabbit hole. Madelyn Kresinske is an elementary school librarian, wife, and mom who reads widely from middle-grade and picture books to romance, family dramas, and more. Madelyn doesn't hate her pattern of falling into sometimes a rut, sometimes she actually quite enjoys it, but it can also be tough to break out and figure out which title to read next. She and Anne discuss that struggle today before changing their focu...
