What Should I Read Next?

Latest Episodes:

Ep 207: An all-you-can-read buffet Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

This week's guest is Jennifer Pai, a reader with a particular soft spot for anything that could might be called spooky. Whether it’s thrilling suspense, witchy fantasy, or outright horror, she’s here for it.

Anne and Jennifer chat about atmospheric reads, sleeper hits, gleefully enjoying books other people hate, and the perfect October reads to pair with a comfy blanket and mug of hot cider.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/207

If you want more What Should I Read Next become a supporter on Patreon! Supporters get bonus episodes, behind the scenes looks at how the podcasts are made, and livestreams with Anne and WSIRN's producer, Brenna.

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Ep 206: How to bypass the book hangover Oct 22, 2019

Show notes

Jerrell Everett is serious about creating her ideal reading life. When Jerrell had kids and found herself picking up books less and less, she took action to maintain her reading life by enforcing a routine. And when she decided it was time to branch out from her comfort zone of nonfiction and introduce more novels into her rotation, she took action again… by reaching out to WSIRN for help.

Today, Jerrell and Anne chat about parenthood, complex family stories, the tricky task of avoiding book hangovers, and much more.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/206

You can connect with Jerrell on Instagram @jerrelleverett

If you want more What Should I Read Next become a supporter on Patreon! We're sharing the full interviews we did with the past guests featured in our special 200th episode. Supporters also get bonus episodes of One Great Book, behind the scenes looks at how the podcasts are made, AND occasionally they get to save the day like last week's guest Addie who jumped in when we had a scheduling issue and needed to record immediately!

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Ep 205: Books that won’t let you stop reading Oct 15, 2019

Show notes

Readers, sometimes podcasting doesn’t go as planned. Schedules conflict, last-minute emergencies strike, the flu sneaks up on us, Anne loses her voice during pollen season… and any of those situations can end with a guest cancelling their recording at the last-minute. That happened recently here at What Should I Read Next HQ, and we needed someone to record on short notice, RIGHT AWAY, to avoid a hole in our release schedule.

Luckily there was an obvious answer — tapping into our Patreon community. We asked who would be available to record within 48 hours. Enter Addie Yoder, self-described “farm wife”, who needed book recommendations to fill her time during harvest season. We couldn’t imagine a more fall-appropriate guest!

Today, Addie and Anne chat about libraries that aren’t free, books that lend us a little distance from real life when we need it, and the best time of year for a happily-ever-after.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/205

You can follow Addie’s farm and reading life on Instagram @addie.yoder

If you want more What Should I Read Next become a supporter on Patreon! We're sharing the full interviews we did with the past guests featured in our special 200th episode. Supporters also get bonus episodes of One Great Book, behind the scenes looks at how the podcasts are made, AND occasionally they get to save the day! Join Addie and all of the other delightful readers over on Patreon.

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Ep 204: Nonfiction that reads like a thrilling novel Oct 08, 2019

Show notes

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 can join David's Inspired Book and Brew Crew on Facebook!

If you want more What Should I Read Next become a supporter on Patreon! We're sharing the full interviews we did with the past guests featured in our special 200th episode. Supporters also get bonus episodes of One Great Book, behind the scenes looks at how the podcasts are made, and invites to special events like our Fall Book Preview!

More fun book recommendations happen on our Instagram feed where we use the hashtag #readerrecs to gather your recommendations for a reader who's looking for a little literary inspiration.

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Ep 203: What happens in book club stays in book club Oct 01, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode, Anne talks with Emily Carter about a genre theyboth 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 misperceptions can be corrected with the help of our fellow readers, and how we can take smart chances on books outside our readerly comfort zones.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/203

You can connect with Emily on her blog: https://thesecondarrowblog.wordpress.com

If you want more What Should I Read Next become a supporter on Patreon! We're sharing the full interviews we did with the past guests featured in our special 200th episode. Supporters also get bonus episodes of One Great Book, behind the scenes looks at how the podcasts are made, and invites to special events like our Fall Book Preview!

More fun book recommendations happen on our Instagram feed where we use the hashtag #readerrecs to gather your recommendations for a reader who's looking for a little literary inspiration.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 202: The art (and awfulness) of the cliffhanger Sep 24, 2019

Show notes

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-sibling problem... all her books end up being hand-me-downs, so she’s looking for a good mystery novel (or better yet, a series) that’s exactly suited to HER taste first and foremost.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/202

Get another double feature of What Should I Read Next by becoming a supporter on Patreon at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext! Right now we're sharing new interviews with past guests to hear if they loved or hated Anne's recommendations and of course, what they are reading now.

If you didn't catch our producer Brenna's Instagram takeover during our 200th episode celebration @whatshouldireadnext, be sure to check out the highlights! Her listener Q&A that gives you a fun look at how each episode comes together.

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Ep 201: The hidden value of a terrible reading experience Sep 17, 2019

Show notes

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 books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/201

You can follow Brian on Twitter @beichen22, and check out his podcast Story Guys at wearethestoryguys.com/podcast or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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Ep 200: The good, the bad, and the unread Sep 10, 2019

Show notes

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, we couldn't have done it without you, our wonderful listeners.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books and episodes mentioned in today's episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/200

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Ep 199: The perils of public book recommendations Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

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 no stranger to seemingly-mundane belongings that hold deep meaning - Tara Anderson hosts the NPR show 5 Things, where she gets to know people by discussing five items that matter to them. A guest's treasured items might be books, but they might also be a houseplant, a special coat, heirloom knitting needles, even something as practical as a rice cooker. There are no home appliances in this episode, but Anne is investigating what Tara’s 3 favorite titles say about what she wants out of life, and what new books will take her there.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/199

Follow Tara on Instagram and Twitter, and make sure to go check out her newest project at musicboxpod.org

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Ep 198: Reading for the FUN of it Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

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 good Dolly Parton has done in the world, and Anne recommend a few books she didn’t expect to recommend when the conversation started...

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/198

Learn more about Annie:

Website: www.anniefdowns.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/anniefdowns

Twitter: twitter.com/anniefdowns

Instagram: www.instagram.com/anniefdowns

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