What Should I Read Next?

Readers, in today's podcast episode, I’m talking with graphic memoirist and comic creator Lucy Knisley. We chat about her overflowing bookshelves, the pleasures and pitfalls of the creative process, what makes the perfect pandemic stress read, and how to cope with your kids’ evolving reading tastes. Lucy is looking for distraction in her reading life right now and needs some low-stress books to read before bed; I have plenty of recommendations to suit her taste (and fill your to-be-read lists).  

We’ve never talked about graphic memoirs and comics in-depth on the podcast before. I can’t wait for you to hear Lucy’s enthusiasm for comics, graphic novels, and what those terms even mean.

The audio for this episode comes from a live event that we hosted in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club. We read Lucy’s graphic food memoir Relish as a bonus book club pick last month, and this What Should I Read Next-style event was an extra sprinkle of bookish joy for our book club members.

Join us for a Patreon livestream!

Readers, it’s time for our quarterly Patreon livestream! Next week, we'll be hosting a virtual chat in our Patreon community. We’ll hang out, answer your questions, and (of course) share a bunch of book recommendations. 

To learn more about our community or to join us for our livestream on Tuesday February 16th at 1 pm click here.

If you can’t make it live, we’ll record the event so members can watch it at any time. 

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Today’s guest is Tiffany Patterson, a Florida reader who created a new kind of literary get-together that is convincing her not-so-readerly friends to give books and reading a chance. She breaks down all the details of her brilliant idea so that you can steal it and start your own group.

This episode was recorded in 2019 and aired as Episode 166: Just don’t call it book club. That means this was pre-Covid, so we talk about getting together as actually getting together. It also means that some of you have already heard this and told us that you’ve borrowed Tiffany's format for your own use, and it’s vastly improved your reading life and your relationships. 

If you're one of them or you find the idea of a neighborhood literary society intriguing, let us know in the comments of today's show notes post.

You can follow Tiffany reading life on Instagram.

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At the end of last year we hosted a virtual book party in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club to celebrate our favorite books of the year. The whole What Should I Read Next and Modern Mrs Darcy teams shared their top books of 2020 and we all walked away with a longer To Be Read list.

Our team is made up of a bunch of bookworms with very different reading tastes, but that doesn’t stop us from swapping book recommendations all the time. We recorded that event (as we do with all of our Book Club events), and WSIRN producer Brenna worked her editing magic to create this episode for you.

Head to our website to see the list of everyone's recommendations.

If you’d like to see us talk about these books, the video recording of this event is available in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club, our member community devoted to bookish community, classes, and conversation. In addition to events like these and classes on the reading life, every month we read one main book together and meet to discuss it on video—often with the author—including recent book club discussions with Anne Mah, Elizabeth Acevedo, Tayari Jones. 

Join today to catch up on all of our past events and to participate in our upcoming live discussion with author Louise Miller or our next class Clean Out the Bookish Clutter.

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Our guest today is an economist and literature enthusiast based in London, England. A well-traveled reader in every sense, Stephanie De Mel has lived on multiple continents and combines her love of travel and books in her Reading the World Challenge. Steph’s sense of curiosity informs her book choices and her broad reading tastes challenge Anne to recommend three books to suit.

Steph also shares how she applies her analytical tendencies to her reading life–looking at her bookish data while focusing on quality over quantity.

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/267 for a full transcript of the show and to see the list of titles mentioned.

Connect with Stephanie on Instagram @thebookisheconomist.

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Readers, it’s the 5th anniversary of What Should I Read Next! Today I'm answering YOUR questions about WSIRN's behind-the-scenes, my personal reading life, and so much more. Thank you for submitting such thoughtful and fun questions! I did my best to answer as many as possible, and you can find answers to frequently asked questions linked in the show notes below. Happy reading!

-Anne

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/266 to see the full list of titles discussed, an episode transcript, and more.

Where to find Anne online:

• The What Should I Read Next newsletter

• What Should I Read Next on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

• Anne on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

• Anne's blog Modern Mrs Darcy

• What Should I Read Next Patreon community

• Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club

• What Should I Read Next Youtube

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Readers, we’re kicking off the new year with a special episode to help you set the right tone for your reading life in 2021. My friend Laura Tremaine is joining me to guide us in some readerly introspection. Laura hosts the Ten Things to Tell You podcast, where she shares guided questions and prompts to help listeners reflect on different aspects of their lives. Laura brings her expert skills as a conversation-starter to our literary therapy session today. 

Here at WSIRN, we love thinking about books almost as much as we love reading them, so today we’re sharing 10 questions to ask yourself about your reading life. These questions are meant to help you read with purpose and create a reading life that YOU love. 

Of course, we can’t help but share our own answers and offer advice along the way. Whether you’re too easily distracted by shiny new bestsellers, or simply in need of a new reading routine, I hope you enjoy this intentional time to reflect on and recharge your reading life. 

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/265 to see the full list of titles discussed, an episode transcript, and more.

Where to find Anne online:

• The What Should I Read Next newsletter

• What Should I Read Next on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

• Anne on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

• Anne's blog Modern Mrs Darcy

• What Should I Read Next Patreon community

• Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club

• What Should I Read Next Youtube

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Anne's challenge today is to share recommendations for books with unique and artful structures.

Today's guest is a Chicago-based mood reader with a contagious love of books. When Anna Morton isn't working or volunteering for the Art Institute of Chicago, she's reading “compulsively readable literary fiction,” a term Anne fondly coined for books with the perfect combination of page-turning plot and stunning prose. 

Reading is also a family affair for Anna, who proudly plays the role of “literary commissioner” for their Literary Christmas tradition, which Anne eager to implement with her family now — and maybe you will too!

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/264 to see the full list of titles discussed, an episode transcript, and more.

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Today’s guest also loves giving recommendations—to her boss, to her mom, and to strangers standing in the book aisle at Target. For Jenica Salazar, nothing is more satisfying than recommending the right book to the right reader. But today, she’s here for a little bit of literary therapy for herself. Anne chats with Jenica about a common bookworm problem: the guilt of giving up on a book that’s just not keeping your attention. They're also working out reading routines and making Jenica's reading life run more smoothly.

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/263 to see the full list of titles discussed, an episode transcript, and more.

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Today’s guest tells a familiar story: he loved reading as a kid, but as an adult without a Scholastic book fair to look forward to, he fell into the habit of rereading or staying in his “safe zone” of sci-fi and fantasy. Geologist Max Lemoine needed just the right book to pull him out of his reading rut. He’s eager to uncover more titles that are outside of his reading comfort zone, so today Anne is recommending books with depth that also offer distraction from everyday life and books with immersive world-building.

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/262 to see the full list of titles discussed, an episode transcript, and more.

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Readers have asked us for “comfort reads” over and over again this year — and it's totally understandable. “Comfort read” means something different to every reader, but if you’re looking for books that slow your heart rate, soothe your soul, and make you want to travel to a quiet English village, this episode is for you. 

Today’s guest Gina House appreciates cozy, comforting reads that feel like a warm hug. She adores cozy mysteries like Agatha Christie novels, but she could do without the murder. So today, Anne recommends charming books that pair well with a comfy chair and a cup of tea. 

Visit the podcast website at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/261 to see the full list of titles discussed, an episode transcript, and more.

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