There’s something particularly enticing about a short book that delivers an incredible reading experience. Today's guest Vanessa A. Bee joins Anne to talk about short books that tell great stories in small packages. Vanessa is an author, mother, wife, and attorney who lives in Washington, DC. She recently released a memoir called Home Bound: An Uprooted Daughter's Reflections on Belonging about her experience as an adoptee who was born in Cameroon, and raised by a Black mother and a white father...
Apr 11, 2023•50 min•Ep 375•Transcript available on Metacast Alberta-based Sarah Bramley knows what she likes when it comes to fiction, but lately she's been more and more intrigued by the nonfiction side of the bookstore. Sarah knows there's a ton of good stuff out there she'll enjoy, but she's not sure of her reading identity beyond the fiction she knows and loves. This makes it hard to know how to find the nonfiction she'll find just as unputdownable as her favorite fiction titles. Sarah's here to get Anne's help, because Sarah wants to be purposeful a...
Apr 04, 2023•47 min•Ep 374•Transcript available on Metacast Two sisters with a lifelong love of reading join Anne to talk about the many ways books have framed their lives. Anne first met Laura Gerald-Simms and Ramona Gavin in 2019 at an event at Bookmarks NC, where their passion for reading led them to make a true bookish connection. Since then, they've stayed in touch, and Anne's excited to welcome them to the show in this long-awaited conversation. Laura and Ramona share their favorite recent reads and talk about the ways books and reading have played...
Mar 28, 2023•52 min•Ep 373•Transcript available on Metacast Today's guest Jeff Speck is a familiar name around here! Anne's referred to his book Walkable City in a bunch of past podcast episodes, because it's a great example of how books can invite us to see and understand the world around us in a whole new way. We're excited to have Jeff on the show today to share more about his professional and writing experience, how his book came to be chosen for the 10th anniversary treatment, and to compile a reading list of fascinating nonfiction and fiction that ...
Mar 21, 2023•54 min•Ep 372•Transcript available on Metacast Every week, Anne does a little literary matchmaking with one guest, but today we're flipping the mic and helping Anne discover some books she just might love reading next. The last time we asked our listeners what Anne should read next was way back in 2017, so it's definitely time for another round of crowd-sourced reading recommendations. If you tuned into Episode 367 a few weeks ago, you heard Anne share about her reading life lately, including three books she's loved and one that didn’t work ...
Mar 14, 2023•46 min•Ep 371•Transcript available on Metacast With so many books to choose from, committing to re-reading books you've already enjoyed can feel like a particular challenge. Today's guest, Rosalynn Tyo, deeply appreciates re-reading and wants to do more of it, but regularly finds herself distracted by new releases or unread titles. She's excited to get Anne's help with this bookish conundrum. Rosalynn loves cultivating deep and long-term relationships with the books she loves, but with so many new titles showing up at her local library and b...
Mar 07, 2023•48 min•Ep 370•Transcript available on Metacast Here at WSIRN HQ, we love a great independent bookstore, and it's always especially fun when an indie bookseller joins Anne to talk books and bookstore business. Today, the book party is bigger than ever: Anne is chatting with three booksellers all about what's happening in the bookstore world lately. Joining Anne today are Holland Saltsman, owner of the The Novel Neighbor in St Louis, Missouri; Abbigail Glen, creator of Shelves, an online and pop-up bookstore based in Charlotte, North Carolina;...
Feb 28, 2023•53 min•Ep 369•Transcript available on Metacast What's a reader to do with a stack of book recommendations that have left her feeling dissatisfied? Today Anne is talking with Mollie Hedgecock (she/her) and sharing some ideas for how Mollie can discern which recommendations are right for her. Like many readers, most of Mollie's recommendations come from social media and her friends, but she's realized her tastes just don't align with a lot of these choices. The problem is, Mollie's not sure what she should be looking for, so Anne's here to hel...
Feb 21, 2023•54 min•Ep 368•Transcript available on Metacast Today Anne is in conversation with Keren Form, a self-professed nerd, dedicated board gamer and a fan of fast-moving stories with big themes. This episode originally aired back in 2019 as Episode 193, Rolling the dice on your next read, and was selected by our Patreon community as a guest favorite to bring back this week. Plus, Anne is sharing an update on what Keren did read next and how her reading (and gaming) life is going these days. While Keren has a particular love for sci-fi and fantasy,...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 367•Transcript available on Metacast When authors and readers come together, it's always a good time, and today's episode is no exception. Today, we're sharing our recent Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club conversation with Brendan Slocumb, who joined us in January to discuss his musical thriller (and our January 2023 book club pick), The Violin Conspiracy. You might recognize Brendan from Episode 351, Book Club Favorites: LIVE from Bookmarks! as part of that excellent panel discussion with Tia Williams, Andrew Sean Greer, and TJ Klune. To...
Feb 07, 2023•52 min•Ep 366•Transcript available on Metacast Today's guest has a superpower we've never heard before: she can smell a book and know whether it was published in the U.S. or the U.K.! London-based Claire Handscombe (she/her) spent a decade in Washington DC as a bookseller, a chapter she remembers fondly. These days, she's as much a book-lover as ever, but she's struggling with a common challenge: overcoming a short attention span and endless distractions. How can Claire get back to reading the literary fiction she loves? Anne has ideas for C...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep 365•Transcript available on Metacast With so many books to choose from, it's easy to miss out on some stellar titles. Today, Anne is joined by Andrew Limbong (he/him) to talk about some of the best books you may have missed in 2022. When he's not reading, Andrew's a reporter for NPR's Culture Desk and host of their Book of the Day podcast, so he's no stranger to book-talk. Join Andrew and Anne as they reflect on some of their favorite recent under-the-radar titles, and preview some of the great reads 2023 has in store. See the full...
Jan 24, 2023•51 min•Ep 364•Transcript available on Metacast What do you do when you're used to reading dozens of books a year, but lately you've barely managed a handful of titles each year? Texas-based pilot and business owner Jada Graff (she/her) is here to get Anne's help in answering that question today, because her reading life has gotten way off course. In 2018 Jada stopped teaching English and donated all of her books. Since then, she's been trying to thoughtfully rebuild her library, but she's struggling to find books that will hold her interest ...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr•Ep 363•Transcript available on Metacast Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden from The Popcast join Anne to celebrate the 7th anniversary of What Should I Read Next! Since Anne started What Should I Read Next back in 2016, she's spoken to so many book lovers, from well-known authors to readers just like you. Today we'll look back at how it all began and how we got to where we are, recalling the roles Knox and Jamie played in helping launch the podcast, and sharing some stories you may not have heard before. Along the way, of course, we'll talk ...
Jan 10, 2023•59 min•Ep 362•Transcript available on Metacast Choosing the best books of a year is always a fun challenge, so today we're flipping the focus and shining a light on Anne's reading life in 2022. In today’s episode, Anne's talking about a selection of the books she loved most in 2022, as well as the themes that showed up most often in her reading life over the past year. Join us as Will (Executive Producer of WSIRN and Anne's husband) takes the host's chair and invites Anne to take a deep dive into the titles that really stood out in 2022, and...
Jan 03, 2023•54 min•Ep 361•Transcript available on Metacast When your family has a fierce annual reading competition, it's more important than ever to choose your books wisely! Today's guest, Courtney Haggerty, is here to talk about how her family reads together, and to get a jump-start on her 2023 to-be-read list. Courtney is a sports aficionado, Disney World superfan, and 3rd grade teacher in Louisville, Kentucky, and she always has multiple books in progress. She often reaches for thrillers and mysteries, but in 2023 she'd love to broader her reading ...
Dec 20, 2022•46 min•Ep 360•Transcript available on Metacast A new reading year is right around the corner, and today's episode is full of perspective to help you plan for your best reading year yet. Laura Vanderkam is a WSIRN alum and time management and productivity expert whose newest book, Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters was recently released. She's joining Anne today to talk about tackling reading projects big and small. Today's conversation explores ways to bring the joy and ease into our reading lives...
Dec 13, 2022•50 min•Ep 359•Transcript available on Metacast Readers, we know many of you love to find the perfect books for each season, whether that's a summer beach read or a spooky fall novel. Today's guest is on the hunt for her winter reading vibe, which has eluded her so far, and Anne is here to help. Toronto-based Lara Bulger is a film aficionado and a dedicated reader, and particularly loves the sweet spot where these two passions overlap. Anne and Lara talk about book-to-film adaptations and how Lara's found her reading vibe for the rest of the ...
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 358•Transcript available on Metacast Anne is talking with beloved author Louise Penny in today's episode! Their conversation explores Penny's Inspector Gamache mystery series, the world of Three Pines, the upcoming television adaptation, and so much more. We know so many of you are avid Penny fans, and we are delighted to share today's chat. The 18th installment in Penny's Gamache series, A World of Curiosities, is out today, so it's the perfect time to take a look at how she created Three Pines in the first place, and what goes in...
Nov 29, 2022•45 min•Ep 357•Transcript available on Metacast Today's guest loves a good mystery, but could do without the murder, and Anne is here to help! Gina House loves cozy, comforting books that are often set in whimsical places. She's not looking for suffering or struggle between the covers of her chosen reads, and she's excited to get Anne's suggestions for titles she hasn't discovered yet in her favorite genre. If you're also on the hunt for cozy reads this season, Anne's recommendations to Gina will fill up your to-be-read list with comfort read...
Nov 22, 2022•51 min•Ep 356•Transcript available on Metacast If you've got a book-lover on your holiday shopping list, get ready for an episode full of recommendations you can rely on. Every year, Anne and a special guest tackle listener requests for book recommendations, and it's always an episode that's guaranteed to add some fresh titles to your to-be-read list and your gift list. This year, Anne's talking with TWO other bookish professionals: Adah Fitzgerald and Andrea Jasmin of Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina. Anne's loved Main Street B...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 355•Transcript available on Metacast When a devoted reader attends her very first literary festival, bookish delight is on the menu! Today Anne is in conversation with Christina McCormick. Christina reached out to us here at What Should I Read Next a few weeks before she planned to attend the Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors, because she wanted some encouragement and guidance on what to expect as a book festival novice. Readers, we know Christina's not the only one to wonder about the art and etiquette of literary festivals, s...
Nov 08, 2022•46 min•Ep 354•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 
