What Should I Read Next?

Reader and author KJ Dell’Antonia picked up a lot of the wrong books during a difficult time in her life, and those experiences changed her perspective on a hotly debated literary topic: trigger warnings. She talks with Anne about that shift, moving beyond bedtime reading, covert audiobook operations, and how mystery novels could save your local bookstore... 

Content warning — in this episode, KJ and Anne talk about cancer, specifically breast cancer. It’s not the whole episode, and the conversation doesn’t go into detail, but we want you to be aware before diving in.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/240

Anne had the pleasure of joining KJ and her cohost Jess Lahey recently on their podcast #AmWriting

KJ’s new novel The Chicken Sisters comes out on July 28.

KJ's website: kjdellantonia.com

Readers, right now our Patreon community is a veritable celebration of summer reading. We’ve shared some wonderful bonus episodes recently, on topics like fantastic new romance novels, absorbing summer nonfiction, and our publicly-available episode covering spectacular books by Black authors. Our latest bonus episode is a casual home library chat with Anne and her husband Will about what summer reading is like for each of them this year.

Become a patron now to gain access to a huge archive of bonus episodes, and join Brenna and Anne during our upcoming livestream on July 2nd: patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext

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Chris Abi Zeid is counting down the days before a big life event that will significantly alter his reading life. But for a few more weeks he still has precious reading hours. All he needs is his next read–and listeners, he has one huge requirement. He needs a book with a big, beefy, juicy plot. Complicated characters are great, but they need to go somewhere and do something for Chris to be satisfied.

Anne's challenge today is finding the three perfect titles that will carry Chris toward his next big adventure.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/239

Follow Chris on Instagram @chrisabzz.

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Today’s guest Lamar Giles credits his love of reading to his mom who was always willing to buy him a book. Today Anne and Lamar chat about children’s books, horror novelist Stephen King, great novels where the setting is a character in its own right, and the importance of mirrors on the bookshelf.

This episode was recorded and aired last year as Episode 186: Finding the book that feels like it was written just for you. This is the perfect listen for early summer, when you might have young readers at home looking for something to keep them busy. But it’s also a great time to revisit this one as we also have a deep conversation about We Need Diverse Books the non-profit of which Lamar’s a founding member, and the important work that’s still to be done in the literary world.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/238

In this episode, Lamar talks about juggling two book releases in 2019. He’s back at it again this year with another 2 releases: Not So Pure And Simple, a YA book came out in January and The Last Mirror on the Left a sequel to last year’s middle grade novel The Last Last-Day-of-Summer is due out in October.

You can discover more about Lamar’s books at www.lamargiles.com, follow him on Twitter @LRGiles.

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Elyssa Gould is an academic librarian and “recovering English major”, whose goal is to get caught up on her own backlist while she’s separated from her natural habitat, the library. Today, Anne shuffles around Elyssa’s 100 or so unread books into a few smaller stacks, for a DIY literature "curriculum" that should keep her busy at home for as long as necessary. 

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/237

You can admire Elyssa's handcrafts at Instagram.com/elyssamakes

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It’s a weird time to be in the market for a new book. When it’s safer to stay home, and many libraries and bookstores have temporarily shut their doors to the public, what’s a reader to do… but turn to their home bookshelves! Your TBR shelf's time has COME! 

Today Annd chats with Karla Osorno, a WSIRN listener whose 600+ precious unread books have been weighing her reading life down. Not only is Karla searching for her next read in these stacks, but she wants to lighten the mental load by eliminating the titles that just aren’t right for her. You’ll come away from today’s episode with questions and ideas you can apply to your own book collections.

Everyone at WSIRN HQ hopes you are well, and that your bookshelves are a source of solace when the going gets tough. 

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/236

You can connect with Karla on her website KarlaOsorno.com.

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Today we continue our celebration of Summer reading with Zibby Owens, host of the podcast Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books. Anne and Zibby are chatting about what they’re excited to read this Summer, whether those books are brand new or quite old. Get ready for a slew of summer-ready non-fiction recommendations for your TBR. 

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/235

You can visit Zibby at ZibbyOwens.com, and listen to Anne's episode of Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books here: https://zibbyowens.podbean.com/e/anne-bogel-dont-overthink-it

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Readers, summer reading is so close you can almost taste it. Anne has been investigating upcoming summer releases for months now, on the lookout for new and notable titles that should be on your summer reading list. Prepping for the Summer Reading Guide brings up an important question — what makes a book a “summer read”? What’s the perfect balance of frothy to grounded, fun to thought-provoking, or relatable to rich-people-problems?

Today we've brought in author Jennifer Weiner, proud author of several quintessential summer reads, to discuss her criteria for a great poolside book, the upside-down and backwards season the publishing world is about to have, and her appropriately-titled new book Big Summer. 

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/234

 You can learn more about Jen’s books at jenniferweiner.com, and keep up with her on Instagram @jenniferweinerwrites and on Twitter @jenniferweiner.

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Anne chats with education navigator Hanan Al-Zubaidy about literacy in the justice system, and how her work with incarcerated students has been affected by social distancing. Hanan came to WSIRN looking for an escapist reading experience, but she didn’t mean happy endings and rainbows. She escapes her day to day life by submerging herself in someone else’s complex, difficult world (fiction or non!)

If you read lists of ‘escapist fiction’ that’s full of peppy romance and thrilling action thinking “ehhh that won’t do it for me,” maybe you’ll find what you’ve been looking for in Anne's picks for Hanan today. Happy reading!

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/233

You can follow Hanan's reading life on Instagram @hanansbookshelf: https://www.instagram.com/hanansbookshelf

Readers, the ninth annual Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide comes out next week! The Summer Reading Guide is similar to WSIRN–it's about helping you cut down ALL of the new titles to the a manageable number and hopefully helping you decide on a winner. 

Before the guide is officially released Anne and Brenna are doing a live video event with members of our Patreon community. I'll give you a preview of all of the books and what excites me about them.

The Summer Reading Guide Unboxing takes place May 12th at both noon and 7pm eastern (we're doing it twice to make it easier for you to attend).

This is one of the events our community looks forward to the most. The bookish enthusiasm is off the charts. If you’ve ever wondered about joining our readerly community over on Patreon this is the time. Go to Patreon to learn more about the unboxing event and even watch the video replay of last year’s unboxing. Then sign up and join us on May 12th. 

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Anne is joined by Gaithersburg, Maryland mayor Jud Ashman to give you an insiders’ look at what goes into the planning and establishment of those community book events. At the time of recording, they were still crossing their fingers that they’d get to meet in person at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. Between then and now, that event has been canceled due to COVID-19. (There will be some online programming, so watch the website for more information if you're intrigued.)

We're also digging into Jud's eclectic personal reading life, from westerns to middle grade fiction to historical nonfiction, to a book he describes as JAW DROPPINGLY GOOD… and Anne recommends 3 books to him like a human, not an algorithm. That’s a joke, but also a totally real concern when literary matchmaking. Listen in to hear Anne explain the difference in the episode. 

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/232

Readers, we send an email every Tuesday with 3 bookish things I love, 1 thing I don’t, and what I’m reading now. If you want fun, informative, and delightful links to all things books and reading with a little dose of my personal reading habits then sign up for the weekly newsletter.

And be sure to do that now because in 2 weeks we’re sending all subscribers my ninth annual Summer Reading Guide. This is THE answer to what you should read next this summer. So sign up now.

-Anne

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Today, Anne's exploring a genre that’s on the rise these days... ecofiction! Reader Katy Yocom is constantly on the hunt for absorbing novels with plots that not only incorporate the natural world, but ones in which the story absolutely depends upon it. Anne's challenge today is to pick 3 well-written titles for Katy that paint a lush portrait of natural life without losing that “page turning” appeal. 

Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/231

You can read more about Katy’s book Three Ways to Disappear at KatyYocom.com and follow her on Instagram @katyyocom1

Readers, this is an exciting time of year at WSIRN: Summer Reading Guide season is almost here!

Our email subscribers get the our ninth (!!!) annual guide when it comes out, but Patreon supporters get it first. They're invited to join us for our live “unboxing” on May 12. This year we're offering two times to make it easier for you to attend live. Our patrons also get the guide that day, two days before it's publicly available.

If you’ve ever wondered about joining our readerly community over on Patreon this is the perfect time. Visit patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext now to sign up. We’d love to see you there.

-Anne

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