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, so we couldn't wait to have her on the show to share her experience.
We hope Anne and Christina's conversation today will encourage you to find a local book festival you can enjoy. Of course, today's episode also features some recommendations for Christina's next read, which you can see over at our show notes pages: whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/354.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 354: Book festivals for beginners

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.

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Books

Leisure

Joining Anne today in a live conversation from the recent Word of South festival is listener favorite Lauren Groff!
This conversation happened in the midst of a big moment for Lauren: she was recently recognized on the Time 100 list, and her new bookstore, The Lynx, just opened in Gainesville, Florida.
Lauren and Anne talk about what led Lauren to open The Lynx and her goals for this new independent bookstore. Their discussion explores a range of readerly topics, like Lauren's love for short stories, her writing process, the intersection of music and writing, and exploring stereotypes in real life and on the page. They also touch on the connection between Lauren, Florence Welch, and the Taylor Swift song, Florida!, and Lauren shares the book she's recommending lately.
Chime in with the books you'd love to buy from The Lynx in the comments section of our show notes page, where we've also compiled the full list of titles discussed today. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/432.

If you love being among book people, you'll love our Patreon community, where we create weekly bonus episodes that keep our patrons close to the pulse of what's happening in the book world. This month, we're sharing bonus episodes that augment our Summer Reading Guide, like great books Anne didn't include in the guide and why, and a dedicated mini matchmaking session that pairs patrons with their perfect Summer Reading Guide titles. We're so grateful for our patrons and their support of our show. If you're curious, come and check out our Patreon community.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 432: Live from Word of South: Lauren Groff talks Time 100, her new bookstore, and Florida!

Join us today for the second in a series of three live events! While Anne was on the road recently, she had the opportunity to stop by fantastic independent bookstore The Bookshelf, in Thomasville, Georgia, for the first time since 2018. 
During this live event, Anne spoke with host and owner Annie B. Jones about summer reading alongside a crowd of friendly and enthusiastic readers. Annie and Anne discussed perennial summer favorites and newer titles that took them by surprise. Plus, Anne shares a bit about what goes into creating our annual Summer Reading Guide that came out last week. Their conversation today will whet your appetite for summer reading of any flavor.
Find the list of titles mentioned today and links to connect with The Bookshelf at our show notes page: whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/431.

If today's conversation has you even more excited for summer reading, grab yourself a copy of our 2024 Summer Reading Guide!Get your guide today at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 431: Live from The Bookshelf: Let's talk summer books!

This week is all about summer reading, because our 2024 Summer Reading Guide is out this Thursday! Our Summer Reading Guide is one of the highlights of our year. Anne spends months reading and vetting both anticipated new releases and under-the-radar gems, resulting in the guide's list of 42 titles with something for every reader. 
Joining Anne today in sharing our excitement for the Summer Reading Guide Unboxing is our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community manager, Ginger Horton. Ginger and Anne have talked summer books before and that conversation was a delight, so we can't wait for you to listen in to today's conversation. They explore this year's Summer Reading Guide theme, give you a sneak peak at a title (or two) on this year's list, and share other favorite summer reads across the years.
As always, you'll find a list of the titles mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/430.

There's still time to pre-order your guide and join us for the live Unboxing party on May 16th. To get all of the details, visit modernmrsdarcy.com/srg
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 430: Summer Reading Guide 2024: We're going to Book Camp!

Anne recently attended Tallahassee’s recent Word of South Festival of Literature and Music, and today we're sharing her live conversation about all things reading with Festival Director Sara Marchessault and Kati Schardl.
Book festivals offer so much potential for discovery, by connecting readers with writers they already love, new authors to experience, and often, books that capture the spirit of the region. Today, Sara, Kati and Anne talk about the books they've been reading lately, the titles they can’t stop recommending to others, the epic fails when these recommendations fall flat, and what they learn about themselves and other readers in the process.
They wrap up with some great conversation on summer reading moods, and Anne recommends a handful of titles they can add to their summer reading stacks. Find that list of the titles mentioned in today's conversation at our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/429.

For more live book talk with our great community, join us for our thirteenth annual Summer Reading Guide launch party. Listen in as Anne takes you through 42 hand-selected reads to pair with your summer adventures and activities. Join us on May 16th - find out more, save your seat, and pre-order your guide right here. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 429: Live from Word of South: the books we can't stop recommending

Today's guest enjoys tackling heavy topics in her reading, but today she's here for Anne's help to bring more levity to her reading rotation.
As a South African of Indian descent, Natasha Govender appreciates reading real life stories from authors across the globe. These stories help her connect with the human experiences behind the pages, but she'd love to balance these emotional stories with titles that are just plain fun.
Natasha's especially interested in discovering Brown voices writing stories that feel joyful and celebratory. If these books come from the fantasy, thriller, or middle grade shelves, even better. And, because Natasha loves to reread the books she loves best, she and Anne focus on finding titles to add to Natasha's to-be-read list that she'll connect with on the first read, and love enough to read again and again. 
Find the full list of titles discussed in today's episode and leave your recommendations for Natasha at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/428.
Our summer merch shop is open! Pair your stack of summer reads with a cozy t-shirt, a tote that's perfect for library hauls, bookish stickers, and more. Explore our latest merch selections at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 354: Book festivals for beginners

Download our free app to listen on your phone