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.
Today Anne chats with Aaron White, a runner, content developer, INTJ, and married father of two who lives in Minnesota. Aaron's lifetime favorite book will make some of you jump up and cheer, and maybe make some of you yell back at your podcast player (and not in a happy way). Anne and Aaron discuss that AWFUL FEELING when you’ve read what feels like a bunch of underwhelming books in a row, nostalgic fantasy favorites, and how adding a book to your permanent collection can be a Very Big Deal.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. Make sure to let us know what YOU think Aaron should read next in the comments!
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
A lot of us learned to love reading by watching LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow. And now LeVar has a new podcast that recreates that magic for grown-ups: LeVar Burton Reads! Each episode, LeVar picks one of his favorite short stories, and reads it to you. You can Subscribe to LeVar Burton Reads in Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Promoting literacy is a both a paycheck and a free-time passion for today's guest. Emily Kinard comes from a family where it’s completely normal for her grandmother and mom to give her book recommendations, and for her to return the favor. And if she sees you a reading a book she loves on the plane, she won’t hesitate to strike up a conversation about it—because there’s nothing like a good book for bringing people together.
In today's episode, Anne and Emily discuss the etiquette of writing in books, #SlowReaderProblems, bonding with strangers over a good book, reading the book before you watch the movie, and more.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. Make sure to let us know what YOU think Charity should read next in the comments!
Connect with Emily:
Twitter | Goodreads
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Prep Dish is a subscription-based meal planning service that makes it easy to eat healthy, tasty meals at home. When you sign up, you receive an email every week with an easy to use grocery list and instructions for prepping ALL your meals ahead of time.
Prep Dish’s founder Allison is giving What Should I Read next listeners a totally free two-week trial. To get this amazing deal, go to PrepDish.com/readnext.
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Revell Books has tons of new books for July – perfect for taking a mini vacation, right in your backyard. Choose your destination and get started today! All titles are available in paperback and ebook. Learn more about Revell's new releases at RevellBooks.com.
WSIRN goes international once more! Today's guest is Charity Dušíková, an art teacher and mother residing in a small town in the Czech Republic*.
Anne and Charity talk about the impact of big life changes on their reading lives, what to do when you HATE your best friend’s favorite book, what it takes for a book that collects dust on your shelves to finally get picked up and read, and more.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. Make sure to let us know what YOU think Charity should read next in the comments!
Connect with Charity on her blog.
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
*Charity asked to add the following footnote: "Ostrava is an industrial city with a history of mining and with a steel industry. Though the mining has ceased, the steel industry is still at work (hence the connection to Detroit). My dear Ostrova has much more to offer than just mining and steel!"
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
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BookBub is a daily email service that lets readers know when ebooks go on sale. Deals are available across all major ebook retailer platforms, like Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Google Play, apple ibooks, kobo. BookBub’s book-loving editorial staff hand-selects each deal, to make sure they’re sending you the good stuff.
To sign up for yourself, visit bookbub.com/readnext, enter your email address, choose which genres you’re interested in, and you are ALL SET. That’s all there is to it!
Anne first met today's guest Shawn Smucker and his wife Maile while they were on an epic cross-country road trip with the whole family, in a big blue bus named Willie. If that sounds like interesting reading, Shawn wrote a book about the experience! It’s called How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp, and the title is NOT just a metaphor.
Today Anne delves into the special significance certain books and authors hold for Shawn and his family. Other topics covered include the fascinating art of ghost-writing, journaling's place in the writing life, and multi-sensory reading experiences.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. Make sure to let us know what YOU think Shawn should read next in the comments!
Connect with Shawn:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Books
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Blue Apron makes incredible home cooking easy and accessible by delivering seasonal recipes with step by step instructions and pre-portioned ingredients right to your door – all for less than $10 per meal.
Check out this week’s menu and get your first3 meals free—WITH FREE SHIPPING—by going to BlueApron.com/READNEXT. You will love how good it feels, and tastes, to create incredible home cooked meals with Blue Apron, so don’t wait!
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Readers, I wrote a book, and it’s time to finally let a few details out of the bag! Click here to read more, and click here to preorder Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything, and its official release date is September 19th.
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Audible has the best audiobook performances, an unmatched selection and the most exclusive content. Start a 30-day trial and your first Audible book is free. Learn more at Audible.com/WSIRN.
If you’re a longtime listener, you’ve heard from today's guest Donna Hetchler before—she hopped on episode 64 and chatted with Anne about the unconventional way she tracks what she reads, in our special episode devoted to how 15 WSIRN listeners track their books.
In today's one-of-a-kind episode, Anne investigates Donna's plans for a very special road trip. They also discuss stories with whit and whimsy, books that stand the test of time, and Donna also had a unique request when it came to helping her choose what to read next.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. Make sure to let us know what YOU think Donna should read next in the comments!
Check out Donna's blog, I Am Your Rabbit, where she chats about entertainment, personal finance, health, and wellness.
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Happy Socks the world’s favorite choice for colorful socks and underwear. Each unique design helps people to express their personality through high quality products.
For a limited time, WSIRN listeners can visit happysocks.com/readnext and use the promo code READNEXT for a 30% discount and free shipping!
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StoryWorth safeguards your narratives so that future generations can enjoy them, and brings families together as they get to know each other better. Plus, it makes the perfect gift for Father’s Day. For $20 off your StoryWorth subscription, just visit Storyworth.com/readnext.
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Today's guest is That-Reader-Who-Is-Impossible-To-Recommend-Books-To... because it seems she's read it EVERYTHING! Claire Diaz Ortiz has a very specific favorite genre that makes her go "crazy with excitement", and Anne faces a real challenge finding any titles under that umbrella that Claire hasn't already devoured.
In this episode, Claire and Anne discuss what it means to be an "obsessive reader" and how to spot others out in the wild, the way our personalities influence how we read, the feeling of hating a book that you know isn't BAD but nevertheless isn't for you, and of course we dive into the genre that makes Claire's heart sing.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. Make sure to let us know what YOU think Claire should read next in the comments!
Connect with Claire:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
• ThirdLove uses real women’s measurements to create bras that fit better—available in sizes double-A through G, as well as their exclusive half-cup sizes. Go to ThirdLove.com/READNEXT now and try ThirdLove FREE for 30 days.
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• A Kindle e-reader is a great way to encourage a child’s emerging love for reading, especially as they begin to read chapter books independently. The lightweight Kindle e-reader is perfect for young readers because they can bring thousands of books with them, wherever they go, without weighing down their backpack! Learn more about the ways Kindle inspires a child’s love of reading by visiting amazon.com/kindleforkids.
In today’s episode, Anne chats with Chelsea Humphrey about what a surprisingly broad category "suspense/thriller" actually is. Of course there's some Gone Girl chatter - but they're going deeper, talk about how psychological suspense connects with the various struggles women experience every day.
Also covered: being a sucker for a beautiful book cover and a book with a great map in the front pages, redemptive narratives, and legitimately good romance novels that were not what we were expecting.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode.
Connect with Chelsea:
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Why is it SO HARD to describe a book you REALLY LOVE? Anne tries to figure it out with today's guest Cori Jara, a case worker in Eureka CA. Cori is a lifelong reader who loved the written word so much she became a creative writing major. But after college books lost their luster for Cori for a while—reading felt too much like work. So several years ago, she started keeping a detailed spreadsheet about what she was choosing to read. That spreadsheet led to an epiphany: she diagnosed why her reading life had gotten dull, and what she could do about it.
In this episode Anne and Cori talk the prosaic, like what it’s like to move to a town with a smaller library, and the unforgettable—like a book that makes you want to skip dinner, bedtime, and the rest of your life until you finish it.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode.
Connect with Cori on Instagram.
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Blue Apron. Check out this week’s menu and get your first 3 meals FREE—WITH FREE SHIPPING—by visiting Blue Apron here.
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Amazon Kindle. Learn more about the ways Kindle inspires a child’s love of reading by visiting amazon.com/kindleforkids.
Don't miss next week’s Scripps National Spelling Bee presented by Kindle, Thursday June 1st at 8pm on ESPN. Click here to learn more about how Kindle inspires a child’s love of reading.
WARNING: today's episode might make you long for a warm sandy beach, a cozy cabin, or a French villa... wherever your heart longs to vacation, that's where you'll want to be. That's right, Anne is talking SUMMER READING today with the help of WSIRN insider Melissa Klassen! Melissa makes magic happen behind the scenes for WSIRN and the Modern Mrs Darcy blog, so you'll get a little peek behind the curtain.
In this episode, Anne and Melissa discuss Summer’s big releases, the backlist titles they'll be bringing with them to the pool, their favorite Summer reading memories, and at the end there's a Summer Reading Lightning Round that you won't want to miss. We're also giving you a peek behind the scenes of the SIXTH annual Modern Mrs Darcy summer reading guide! Keep your eyes peeled for the guide's release on May 17th.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode, and let us know YOUR Summer reading plans in the comments!
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Feels like May 17th is just too far away? Tide yourself over with some throwback reading guides from the past 3 years of Modern Mrs. Darcy:
2016 | 2015 | 2014
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Thanks to this week's sponsors:
PrepDish wants to keep you winning at meal time, even in the summer months when everything is a little off routine, maybe because the kids are running around, maybe because there are just a million things on your to-do list. With that in mind, PrepDish’s founder Allison created a fun 21-Day Meal Prep Challenge
When the Challenge starts, you get an easy-to follow guide for prepping all of your meals- breakfast lunch dinner & snacks for the full 21-days. They’re throwing in lots of goodies too! Checklists, bonus recipes, a guide to eating out, a Facebook group page for accountability, and more.
For only $1/ day, you can delegate the worry and stress of mealtime this summer. The 21-Days start June 3rd. Register today at prepdish.com/readnext. That’s prepdish.com/readnext.
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With FabFitFun you receive a seasonal box of full-size products four times a year! Each FabFitFun box retails for $49.99 and always has a value of over $200! It’s the perfect way to treat yourself with the most amazing products of the season.
Become a member today and get $10 off your first box when you use code “READNEXT” at fabfitfun.com.
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Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or snag the perfect gift, CrateJoy’s subscription box marketplace has thousands of options to choose from. With dozens of categories like book clubs, new age, gaming, and fitness, there really is a box for everyone.
For book subscriptions that cater to female entrepreneurship, Young Adult fiction, Sci-fi, graphic novels, and more, be sure to check out the ‘What Should I Read Next?” collection at www.cratejoy.com/readnext.
Today's conversation won't go the direction you're expecting - and we think you're going to love it for just that reason. The guest is Kathleen Grissom, author of the hugely bestselling books The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything. Kathy (she said we could call her Kathy) is a reading discussion pro: she has talked to more than ONE THOUSAND book clubs since The Kitchen House was published!
Today, she and Anne chat about hardcovers versus paperbacks, "reading books like popcorn", historical fiction with a touch of redemption, take a deep dive into Kathy's fascinating intuitive writing process, and of course Anne puts on her matchmaking hat and recommends what Kathy should read next.
Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode.
Connect with Kathleen Grissom:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Anne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Happy Socks is the world’s favorite choice for colorful socks and underwear. They make a great gift, and with Mother’s Day right around the corner the Moms in your life will love them! For a limited time, our listeners can visit www.happysocks.com/readnext and use the promo code READNEXT for a 30% discount and free shipping.
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With FabFitFun you receive a seasonal box of full-size products four times a year! Each FabFitFun box retails for $49.99 and always has a value of over $200! It’s the perfect way to treat yourself with the most amazing products of the season!
Become a member today and get $10 off your first box when you use code “READNEXT” at fabfitfun.com.
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Whether you’re looking to treat yourself or snag the perfect gift, CrateJoy’s subscription box marketplace has thousands of options to choose from. With dozens of categories like book clubs, new age, gaming, and fitness, there really is a box for everyone.
For book subscriptions that cater to female entrepreneurship, Young Adult fiction, Sci-fi, graphic novels, and more, be sure to check out the ‘What Should I Read Next?” collection at www.cratejoy.com/readnext.
