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 grace into her reading experience. Anne recommends titles that Sarah may enjoy reading when she's not working on her latest book cover project.

Find the titles mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/494.

Our Fall Book Preview is here to help gently guide your reading all season long, and it's coming this week. In this seasonal preview, Anne shares her top recommendations for books releasing from September through the end of the year. Grab yours anytime this season by visiting ModernMrsDarcy.com/FBP.

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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 challenge we hear from so many readers.

Today, Anne and Candice explore what's happening with Candice's reading life lately, and also dive into discussion about her love affair with a specific author.

Find the list of titles mentioned today and leave your recommendations for Candice on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/493.

modernmrsdarcy.com/fbp

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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 good titles out there and she would love to find them, because she knows they will really benefit her, personally and professionally. She and Anne explore this today and Anne makes recommendations that fit this particular section of Lynn's reading life.

If you have ideas for Lynn, please share those by leaving a comment on our ​show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/492​. That's where you'll also find the list of titles discussed in today's episode.

Our Fall Book Preview is right around the corner! This signature event includes our live unboxing party on Thursday, September 18th, and our 12-page digital booklet featuring the selected titles. It's always a great time. Enjoy this event and access our library of bonus episodes and past previews by joining our Patreon community. Find out more at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.

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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 members and their wide-ranging preferences: romance to sci-fi, classics to outdoor adventure, literary fiction to narrative nonfiction, and beyond. No matter your reading tastes, we bet you'll hear a title that appeals.

Find the list of titles mentioned today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/491.

While we're soaking up the rest of summer, fall is just around the corner, and we have the best new and timeless back-to-school book merch in our shop. Check out all these items and more at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop.

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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 sci-fi/horror, are ready to be pleasantly surprised by memoir, or would love to add a witty read that Jane Austen fans might especially love to your TBR.

You will not be surprised to hear that when the team and Anne get together to talk books, they can talk. So this year, for the first time, we’ve split our best books of summer into two episodes. Today you’ll hear from What Should I Read Next Patreon Community Manager and Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club Co-Host Shannan Malone and our Resident Spreadsheet Queen Donna Hetchler and then you’ll hear the conversation between Anne and Community Coordinator Brigid Misselhorn. 

Find the list of titles discussed today and let us know any of today's titles are on your list of summer favorites—or your TBR—at our show notes page, which you'll find at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/490.

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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 release and how she finds books that shine through the clamor of blurbs and endorsements.

Anne shares a handful of recommendations with Julie while also inviting her to tell us more about some of her favorites.

You'll find the full list of titles mentioned over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/489.

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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.  

Olivia loves the concept of these books, and sometimes she'll find one that really works for her. But since voice is such a strong component of what she loves in a book, too many of the multiple point of view novels she's read fall a bit flat. She's on the hunt for a story told from multiple points of view where every character's distinctive, unmistakable voice elicits a big wow. It's a tall order. Can they do it? Anne and Olivia sure have fun trying in today's conversation.

Find the list of titles discussed today and leave your suggestions for Olivia at our show notes page, which you'll find at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/488.

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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 towards sci-fi in her reading life lately, Anne couldn't wait to explore that on the air.

Today's conversation delves into Holly's evolving journey as a sci-fi fantasy devotee, the trends she's seeing in recent books, and some of her very favorites in these genres. They also explore what appeals to Holly most about these types of books and how she sees the crossover from these genres to other stories she seeks out. This episode highlights a whole bunch of titles that readers who resonate with Holly might also enjoy reading, too.

Please let us know if you have ideas for Holly's next sci-fi read or other suggestions by leaving a comment on our show notes page, where we've also listed all of the titles mentioned today. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/487.

If you love hearing from team members like today's conversation with Holly, you will love our Patreon community, where our team members regularly pop up for bonus episodes. Thank you to everyone who's already signed up, and if you're curious, find all the details at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.

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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 comment on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/486, where you'll also find the list of titles mentioned today.

Check out all of our summer merch, like our popular Well Read hat, our To Be Read tote, stickers, t-shirts, and more at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop.

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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 any adjustments or recalibrations to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want from your reading life, whether that’s escape, education, pure enjoyment, or all of the above.

Find the links and resources mentioned today along with the list of titles discussed at our show notes page, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/485.

If you haven’t yet ordered your Summer Reading Guide—either the digital version (plus the replay of our Unboxing party)—or the printed version—there’s still plenty of summer reading season ahead. Grab your copy at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg.

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