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 by Sarah Mackenzie, the creator of Read Aloud Revival. Sarah's website and podcast support and inspire homeschooling families while helping parents raise kids who love to read.

We were overwhelmed with so many amazing requests, and we answer a whole bunch today. Our recommendations are sure to work for all our listeners, even if you didn't submit a question. We hope today's episode helps you to get inspiring books into the hands of the kids you love. And if you're looking for recommendations for the adult readers in your life, rest assured we'll be back in a few weeks for another literary gifting extravaganza.

We've included the full list of all the books recommended today at our show notes page, which you'll find at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/352.

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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 Klune, Andrew Sean Greer, Brendan Slocumb, and Tia Williams. During the unexpected and entertaining LIVE conversation, these authors shared a taste of what their books are like, told some stories from the writing life, and recommended a few books they think would make great Book Club reads. We're so happy we're able to share this conversation with all of you today: thanks to the Bookmarks NC Festival of Books & Authors, the authors and publishers who supported us sharing this live replay with all of you, and the festival staff and devoted volunteers for making all of this possible.

We'd love to hear which of the books mentioned today is next on your reading list. Let us know over in the show notes at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/351!

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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 mom will enjoy and then shipping them cross country. Today, Anne recommends titles featuring the compelling stories and epic tales Barbara loves most, while helping Adrienne gently introduce her mother to some fresh settings and genres.

See the full list of titles mentioned today over at our show notes at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/350.

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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 intersectional identity as a deaf woman with Colombian and Jewish heritage.

In today's conversation, Anne and Rachel talk about making time for reading and delightful library programs. Anne leaves Rachel with some titles that will help her branch out from her go-to genres and expand her reading horizons.

See the full list of the titles discussed today over at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/349.

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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 that are starting to help, they're looking for Anne's guidance to get fully back on track and trust their book taste again. Anne has some ideas to share and some titles to recommend to help Aimz rediscover the reading experience they've been missing.

See the full list of titles discussed today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/348

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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 midst of a reading transition yourself, or you want to support the kids and young readers in your life, today's conversation will help any reader navigate a period of literary change. Anne and Noa talk about a lot of titles and authors today, and you can find that full list (and leave your own recommendations for Noa) on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/347.

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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, and Anne is here to help.

Anne and Saadia explore what Saadia wants more of in her reading life right now, before diving into Saadia's current library of unread books. Anne recommends some hidden gems on Saadia's shelves that might just be her next 5-star reads.

See the full list of titles discussed today and leave your own recommendations for Saadia over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/346.

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Readers, today Anne is joined in bookish conversation by reading advocate, author, and creator of @hereweeread Charnaie Gordon.

Charnaie's passion is encouraging young readers and supporting families in diversifying their bookshelves, which she achieves through her blog, non-profit, and internet platforms, as well as books like her latest release, A Planet Like Ours.

In today's episode, Charnaie and Anne talk about how Charnaie first became a reader and the way books impacted her childhood, before digging into a whole range of titles they've each loved to read and recommend. After talking about some of their favorites for readers of all ages, Anne also suggests a few novels that Charnaie may enjoy adding to her own reading list.

Find the full list of the titles we talked about today over at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/345, where you'll also find links to Charnaie's website and social media accounts. Be sure to let us know in the comments which of today's titles you're most excited to read next!

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Readers, we're back with the 2022 edition of our team's favorite summer reads!

This tradition started with a Patreon bonus episode back in 2020, and it's continued since then right here on our podcast feed. As a team of devout readers, in between creating this podcast and the other Modern Mrs Darcy work we do each week, we do a lot (and we mean a LOT) of talking about books. Today, we're sharing some of those conversations with you.

We've gathered into three different groups to talk about what summer reading means to us, what we've loved so far this season, and what we're looking forward to reading next. Our team's reading tastes are diverse, and we hope you'll hear us talk about a title that catches your interest, too.

We mention a lot of titles today, and we've collected the full list along with handy links over at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/344. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you've read and loved any of the books our team shares today!

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While we love sharing book recommendations each week, we also take great pleasure in helping our guests overcome whatever reading-related struggle they're facing at the moment. Today, Anne's talking to a guest who is torn between reading for pleasure and reading the books they feel they should be reading … even if they don’t enjoy the experience. 

Academic librarian Lorelei Rutledge is clear on what's working in their reading life, and they regularly turn to the specific genre that always brings them joy and delight. But Lorelei also feels a pressure to read books that are "serious" or "important", or on "everyone's" shelf right now. They've tried some of the books they'd define this way, but the reading experience usually leaves them less than satisfied.

In today's conversation, Anne and Lorelei talk about what these words actually mean and how they might help guide Lorelei's reading life in the future, and Anne encourages Lorelei to overcome their book shame once and for all.

See all of the titles we discussed today, and leave your own suggestions for Lorelei, at our show notes page. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/343.

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