In today's episode, Anne and guest Nicholas Siegel cover a lot of ground. MFA fiction is a phrase that has been thrown around on the podcast before; today they dive into what exactly that means. Nicholas also pitches a book in a way that TOTALLY changes Anne's perception of it.

Also discussed: literary magazines, when to finish a book that you're not enjoying, and stories that are perhaps best described as “just plain weird."

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Nicholas should read next!

Connect with Nicholas: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook| Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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In today's episode, Anne looks for small business owner Esther Dairiam's origin story. Like so many great plots, Esther’s turns on an epiphany she had on a trip to Paris five years ago. She left convinced that what her adopted city of Chicago needed was its own destination for culinary books and events, and not finding anything like it already in business, she sought to open that business herself. 

Anne and Esther talk about food, of course, and the way it brings people together. You'll hear lots of cookbook and food titles today, but they also discuss the characteristics of a great memoir, the inclusivity of food AND books, and the favorite books of Esther's childhood.

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Esther should read next!

Connect with Esther and her shop Read It & Eat: Facebook |Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today’s guest, Kristin Economos, has an incredible story to tell, one many people will resonate with. After experiencing a season of severe anxiety, Kristin says her return from a decade-long reading sabbatical brought her back to life. She got professional help, and she ALSO soothed her anxiety with books. Fictional stories that transported her to other times and places, and nonfiction reads about mental health and anxiety that taught her strategies and helped her feel less alone. Kristin’s experience with reading kicked off a personal project that she calls her "30 by 30" challenge, which Anne investigates in this episode.

Also discussed: Kristin’s preferred kind of escapist reading, the kinds of books her book club enjoys, and a bookish brunch that will either have you drooling with envy or planning your own.

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Kristin should read next!

Connect with Kristin: Instagram

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today’s guest pointed out that we haven’t talked to an abundance of East Coast readers, and today we’re making amends. Karen Weiss is a nurse practitioner in Maine who gets many of her best book recommendations from her teenage patients, and she returns the favor — it's rare for a patient of any age to leave her office without a book recommendation. Karen loves chatting books so much she talked herself into a job at her local independent bookstore, so of course I needed to find out her secret.

We also discuss Karen's take on the book—or books—she hates, stunning writers, well-written mysteries, and the awful feeling when a bestseller betrays you.

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Karen should read next!

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today’s guest is Bethany Armstrong, a lifelong reader who describes herself as the kind of kid who always had a book in her hand. After studying literature in college, Bethany suffered through a period of bookish burnout. But a surprising thing re-invigorated Bethany’s reading experience... you'll have to listen to find out what it was. 

Today Bethany’s reading life is thriving, and in this episode she and Anne dive into the specifics—they talk about how it’s alllllll about the story, and why it’s important to Bethany to keep the balance in her reading life. And when Bethany shares the book she hates … well, she's sure some of you will want to come after her with pitchforks when you find out what it is.

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles and articles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Bethany should read next!

Connect with Bethany: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today, Anne chats with Mary Gaertner, a listener of the show she met at the Popcast Live pre-party. Mary drove to the Louisville show from Cincinnati, and spent the car ride choosing her What Should I Read Next books - 3 books she loved, 1 book she hated, and what she's reading now. When Mary told Anne her books - especially the book she HATED - Anne knew need to come on the show! So … we made it happen.

Mary and Anne discuss copycat books, strong female protagonists, escapism, genres that left them dubious, the special feeling of reading a unique book for the first time, and more!

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Mary should read next!

Connect with Mary's work at Girls On The Run: Website | Instagram

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today is a What Should I Read Next milestone - our very first mailbag episode! We invited our newsletter subscribers and Instagram followers for their burning questions, and Anne did her best to answer. If you've ever been curious about the inner workings of the WSIRN team, what Anne's typical day looks like, what book changed her life, or how to get on the show yourself, today's episode holds the answers to these questions (and MANY more)!

Click here for the full list of titles discussed in today's episode. 

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today's guest is Amena Brown, a spoken-word poet who writes all her poems to jazz music. When she was a little girl, Amena dreamed of becoming a stand-up comedian, and that doesn’t seem like a stretch! Amena brought a lot of big laughs to the show today, as she and Anne discussed their favorite comedic memoirs by fabulously funny women, pushing the limits of a book’s form, and FEELINGS in books that are hard to find words for. Plus, Anne give a book recommendation… that isn’t a book at all.

Anne also announces the winners of the Deluxe Reading Journal Kit giveaway! A huge thank-you to everyone who has left iTunes reviews in the past few weeks - it really does make a difference. 

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Amena should read next!

Connect with Amena: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Check out Amena's most recent spoken word album.

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Today Anne chats with Aaron White, a runner, content developer, INTJ, and married father of two who lives in Minnesota. Aaron's lifetime favorite book will make some of you jump up and cheer, and maybe make some of you yell back at your podcast player (and not in a happy way). Anne and Aaron discuss that AWFUL FEELING when you’ve read what feels like a bunch of underwhelming books in a row, nostalgic fantasy favorites, and how adding a book to your permanent collection can be a Very Big Deal.

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Aaron should read next!

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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Promoting literacy is a both a paycheck and a free-time passion for today's guest. Emily Kinard comes from a family where it’s completely normal for her grandmother and mom to give her book recommendations, and for her to return the favor. And if she sees you a reading a book she loves on the plane, she won’t hesitate to strike up a conversation about it—because there’s nothing like a good book for bringing people together.

In today's episode, Anne and Emily discuss the etiquette of writing in books, #SlowReaderProblems, bonding with strangers over a good book, reading the book before you watch the movie, and more. 

Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode, and leave us a comment to let us know what YOU think Emily should read next!

Connect with Emily: Twitter | Goodreads

Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram 

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