Readers, it's almost summer reading season (our 2022 Summer Reading Guide releases next week!), and today's conversation is just filled with summer reading energy. It's also a What Should I Read Next first, as we have four readers talking books and reading in today's show.

Dive into summer reading today with Anne, her husband Will, and their reading buddies Melissa Joulwan and Dave Humphreys. You may recognize Mel and Dave from when they joined Anne in WSIRN Episode 219: Required reading revisited, or from their podcast, Strong Sense of Place, our favorite literary tourism podcast.

With summer reading season just ahead of us, today's conversation is full of talk about what makes a book a summer read, why some stories simply couldn't be set any other time of year, and of course, which books are on our eternal summer shelves. You'll walk away eager to find a sunny space to sit and crack open your next read. 

See the full list of titles we discussed today over at our show notes page, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/331. And, explore Mel and Dave's podcast at their website, on Instagram, and on Facebook.

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Readers, today's guest came later in life to a career that she now loves, and one of her favorite parts of the job? Nurturing budding readers!

As a third and fourth-grade teacher, Katrina Fleming has a plan for getting her kids hooked on reading, but lately she’s felt like her plan for her own reading life has been letting her down. Katrina knows what she likes to read, but she's found it hard to feel truly drawn into the books she's picked up lately, and she's ready for some recommendations so she can dive into a book that will stick.

Anne and Katrina talk about the mysteries and biographies that Katrina loves, and Anne suggests some titles that take Katrina down some of intriguing paths she loves most in her reading life. Their conversation will help you revisit some memories of how you first became a reader, and add some fascinating books about fascinating people to your reading list.

Find Katrina at her website, as well as Instagram and Facebook, and see the full list of titles discussed today at our show notes page. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/330.

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Our first Norwegian guest, Lisa Sølvberg is a lifelong reader who loves a complicated family saga. She also has a particular appreciation for the audiobooks that accompany her athletic pursuits, as you'll hear in today's conversation.

Lisa and Anne talk about the power of book journaling and what Lisa's learned about her reading life as a result of adopting this habit. Then, they explore some of the books Lisa's loved and the type of reads she's looking for right now.

Anne leaves Lisa with a list of intriguing, nuanced books that grapple with the big topics Lisa wants to explore in her reading life. And, because Anne's also a fan of a complicated family saga, she gives Lisa a few bonus recommendations that she's bound to enjoy.

See all of the titles we discussed today and leave your own suggestions for Lisa at our show notes page, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/329.

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Readers, if you've ever dreamed of opening a bookstore, this episode is for you!

Today, Anne's in conversation with Abbigail Glen, the owner of Shelves, an online and pop-up bookstore based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Abby discovered the power of reading at a young age, and decided to make her dream of being a bookstore owner a reality. In her conversation with Anne today, Abby shares how Shelves came to be, her work to create a reading community where reading is a lifestyle, and what she's loving in the book world right now.

You'll also hear about how Abby selects the books she shares with her Shelves subscription readers, and three books she recommends to every reader.

If you've read one of Abby's book picks, we'd love to hear about it—let us know in comments over on the show notes page, where we'll also include a full list of the titles we discussed today!

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Today's guest is both an avid leisure reader and a professional word nerd.

Gary Robinaugh has always been fascinated with the role language plays in our lives. His career studying Aphasia—a language disorder caused by a specific type of brain damage—explores the relationship between thought, language, and communication, and he's equally fascinated by these themes outside of the office.

Gary grew up in a reading home with a heavy helping of science fiction, a genre he still enjoys for its unique ability to ask “what if?", but he also loves reading outside of this genre. Today, he's looking for some titles that will help him explore new ideas and fresh perspectives.

Anne gives Gary some recommendations that speak directly to what he's looking for, as well as some suggestions that might just surprise him.

To see the full list of titles discussed today, or to leave your own suggestions for Gary, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/327.

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Today's guest is an author whose books are regularly discussed in our online community, and she's here to talk with Anne today about the practice of seeking inspiration, and the books she can't stop recommending to the people in her life—and, of course, to get some suggestions for what to read next!

Shauna Niequist is the author of numerous books, including Present Over Perfect, Bread and Wine, and her brand-new release I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet. She's also a devoted reader, and while she finds herself reaching for everything from cookbooks to non-fiction, she's most excited about big, bold novels that have some staying power.

Listen in to Anne and Shauna's conversation and the books Anne recommends that will remind Shauna why she fell in love with fiction in the first place.

To see a full list of the titles discussed today, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/326, where we also share links to Shauna's website and Instagram page.

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Readers, today’s guest is preparing for the arrival of her second child in a particularly bookish way—she's looking for some titles she can enjoy during upcoming midnight feedings and quiet moments with her newborn.

Odeta Dyrmishi has loved to read since high school, and she's relied on books to carry her through other big changes in her life. Whether she's reading entertaining fiction or historical books that teach her something new, she knows that reading is something that always helps her feel like herself. In today's conversation, she's looking for some books that will engage her attention and bring a little more adventure into her reading life.

Anne recommends the perfect titles to help Odeta expand her readerly horizons and prepare for this next chapter in her life.

See the full list of the books discussed today, and let Odeta know what you think she should read next over at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/325.

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Readers, last week's guest told us about her grandmother signing her up for her first library card, and today's guest is a grandmother who is nurturing the next generation of readers!

Joanne Booy spent most of her life living internationally in a wide range of locations, but one thing has remained constant in her life—her passion for reading! She's relied on books to be companions in isolated corners of the globe, and she's worked hard to make books accessible to others, too.

So it's not surprising that when the Covid-19 lockdowns came to their town in Canada, Joanne took on a new book role in the lives of her four grandchildren: selecting library books to be delivered to their home each week! Joanne and Anne discuss the challenge of finding the right books for young readers, as well as what Joanne's reading life looks like right now, and what she's seeking. Plus, listen in as Anne and Joanne talk about the favorite author who also wrote the book Joanne hated, and hear Anne's suggestions for reading gems just waiting to be discovered.

Find the full list of books mentioned in today's episode at our show notes page, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/324, and leave a comment on that post to share what you think Joanne should read next!

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Readers, if you love a good mystery series, you'll definitely want to tune in for today's episode.

Our guest today has been a reader since she was young, and as an adult she discovered her favorite genre: mysteries!

Houston Luke especially loves mystery series featuring engaging main characters like Louise Penny's Gamache or Agatha Christie's Poirot. But now that she's mostly caught up on the backlist titles from her favorite mystery authors, she needs some new puzzles to solve.

Houston is looking for a new multi-book mystery series featuring characters she’ll connect with and evocative settings that invite her into the story. Anne's recommendations today give Houston some new series she'll be excited to investigate.

Do you have a mystery series to recommend to Houston? Find her on Instagram, and visit our shownotes page to see the full list of titles we discussed today and leave your comments and suggestions for Houston.

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Today’s guest is an oil and watercolor painter with a deep appreciation for the storytelling power of both art and writing.

As a child, Gina Ariko Marioni discovered how language could help her better understand the world around her, and to this day, reading brings her joy.

But lately, Gina's been feeling stuck in her reading life. While she's used to reading a wide range of stories from coming-of-age tales to complex, multigenerational epics, in the past year or so she's found herself either reading extremely serious and weighty non-fiction or breezy, escapist, easy-to-read novels.

Today, Gina is asking Anne for some suggestions to broaden her reading palette. Listen in for recommendations for titles to fill in the gaps of Gina's reading life, and spark the feelings of surprise and delight she's seeking.

Learn more about Gina's art, leave your suggestions for what she should read next, and find the full list of titles discussed today over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/322.

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