Sean Larkin is a self-proclaimed “slow reader”, stay-at-home-parent, and freelance photographer. If you don’t relate to 100-book reading goals or refreshing your feed for the latest book news, Sean is the kindred reading spirit you’ve been waiting to hear from!

Anne chats with Sean about the book that made him nostalgic for a time period before he was born, calculating price-per-page at the library book sale, the longstanding bookish obsession he’s passing on to his wife and kids, and much more.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/172

You can check out Sean's photography work on Instagram and his website. 

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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Ready for a trip to Scotland? Today Anne sits down in-person with Ruth Andersen, a brand new bookseller in Wigtown, Scotland, to chat about what it's like to live in a "book town", Ruth's return to school after 50 years, and the delicate balance of stocking a used bookstore's shelves. Because this episode was recorded in the shop, during business hours, you’ll get to experience some of the bookshop atmosphere… like the ding of the bell on the door, creaky floorboards, even customers shopping in the background!

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/171

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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This week Anne chats with Anna LeBaron, author of the memoir The Polygamist’s Daughter, about how literacy kept her going through a difficult childhood, and how as an adult she turned being an author’s biggest fan into a full-time career. You’ll hear how nonfiction put her dearest fractured relationships back together again, her tips for being a “patron of the arts” on a budget, and the redemptive nature of memoir-writing. Anna asked Anne to pair her with some novels that would convince her fiction isn’t a waste of her time, and that’s a responsibility WSIRN takes very seriously...

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/170

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

Learn more about Anna's work:

Website: http://www.AnnaLeBaron.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaklebaron/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annaklebaron

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annaklebaron

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Meet Phimy Truong and Erika Thi Benjamin, best friends who share both a passion for work that creates positive change in the world AND practically identical reading taste (as you’ll hear, one of their favorites is shared). Today Anne, Phimy, and Erika chat about the book that taught them radical self-care, how literature has helped them dive more deeply into understanding of their heritage, fictional characters who move between cultures, and the community building work Phimy and Erika are doing in LA through their democracy-driven book club SisterInsider.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments if a book has ever changed YOUR self-care routine: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/169

Connect with the SisterInsider book club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sisterinsiderbookclub

Follow Erika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northamerika

Follow Phimy on Instagram: instagram.com/elephantwomxn 

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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Today’s guest Tara Nichols is giving herself an eagle-eye view of the last century’s literary landscape. Her mission is to read one book published each year between 1920 and 2019. The challenge brings with it a lot of important questions… what is worth her time? Is it better to read the big important book from a given year, or the title she thinks she’ll enjoy most ? And the question she’s hoping to answer after the year is over… has literature changed in all this time?

Anne's challenge? Pitching 3 books worthy of adding to her lineup, including a book that is considered by some to be “the best mystery story ever written.”

Are you ready? Let’s get to it!

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments the books YOU would include in a century-of-books list: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/168

Follow Tara's reading challenge this year:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarajoy90/?hl=en

and Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/276636-tara-nichols

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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Today’s guest, Erin Morris, is tackling a book challenge with her child this year, and the impact on his imaginative life and her literary life has been no less than remarkable. If you have little ones, this episode is going to make you want to drop everything, pull them close, and enjoy a good book together.

Anne and Erin also discuss making reading fun and stress-free for ADULTS because not every book has to be a learning experience, serious topics treated with respect, and Anne match Erin with whimsical — but not gimmicky — fiction.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments about the books YOU love that walk the whimsical-but-not-gimmicky line: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/167

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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Today's guest Tiffany Patterson is a small-town reader who has created a new kind of literary get-together that is convincing her friends to give books a shot, even if they didn’t consider themselves “readers” before Tiffany got a hold of them.

Tiffany is also ready to break down her own reading barriers… she asked Anne to help ease her fiction-loving soul into NONfiction that will help her "feel smarter".

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments what books have helped YOU feel smarter: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/166

Follow Tiffany's reading life on Instagram @tiffany_reads_too_many_books

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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If you entered the new year dreaming of a fresh approach to your reading life, today’s guest Jim Mustich is sharing decades of wisdom to help kick off your best reading year ever.

Anne and Jim chat about his new book 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, and why reading 1000 books might not be as daunting as it first sounds, then Jim takes on the book matchmaking mantle recommends which of the 1000 books he thinks *Anne* should prioritize in the new year.

Here's to another year of literary matchmaking, listeners! Thanks for being here with us.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments what books you would include in a read-before-you-die list: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/165

Learn more about Jim’s book: www.1000bookstoread.com

Jim's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1000bookstoreadbeforeyoudie

Jim's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesmustich

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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Chelsey and Curtis are childhood sweethearts looking to connect over a good book… and possibly, across an ocean. But their reading taste might not be as compatible as their personalities. Today they get brutally honest about their least-favorite books (Chelsey’s may shock you), Curtis gives a peek at his favorites from the Army’s required reading list, and Anne pushes them both out of their comfort zone with her recommendations.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments what book YOU think Chelsey and Curtis should read next: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/164

Listen to Chelsey and Curtis' podcast He Read, She Read on iTunes or your favorite podcast app!

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/he-read-she-read/id1436207095?mt=2

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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Ashley Gossens created a nature-driven Seattle book club that brings the page to life in an adventurous, completely unique way. Today, Ashley and Anne talk about the wildlife encounter that made brought a book up-close and personal, what nature has taught Ashley about motherhood, and the particular, magical way a book can affect your confidence.

Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments what YOU think Ashley should read on the trail next: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/163

Connect with Ashley's Alpine Trails book club

Website: http://www.alpinelily.com/portfolio/alpine-trails-book-club

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alpine_lily

Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest

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