What to Read Next — Book Recommendations for Romance, Thrillers & Escape Reads

What if you could see every version of your life, including the one where your high school nemesis turns out to be the love of your life? Bridget Morrissey is back to talk about her dazzling new speculative sapphic romance.

Bridget returns to the show to dish on In What World. Two former theater-kid rivals reunite as adults to find their missing drama teacher and end up tumbling through alternate realities. We talk about how she plotted a multiverse romance, and how writing adult, YA, and cozy fantasy keeps her a full-time author. We also cover the state of sapphic romance in publishing right now and her witchy YA rom-coms, perfect for spooky season. Stick around for three speculative romance recs (plus a bonus sapphic mystery series) that are ideal for your library holds list or your next audiobook.

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In What World by Bridget Morrissey — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Speculative Sapphic Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers, Second Chance | Audio ✅

Everything She Does Is Magic by Bridget Morrissey — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | YA Sapphic Romance, Witchy Cozy Fantasy | Audio ✅

I Put a Spell On You by Bridget Morrissey — Preorder on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | YA Sapphic Romance, Epistolary, Valentine's Day | Releases Jan 12, 2027

Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Paranormal Romance, Grief, Romantic Comedy | Audio ✅

In Every Possible Way by Alicia Thompson — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Magical Realism Romance, Ireland Setting | Audio ✅

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Sapphic Sci-Fi Romance, Multiverse, Found Family | Audio ✅

Love a Comeback by Ruthie Knox & Annie Mare — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Sapphic Cozy Mystery, Hollywood (TV Detectives #2; start with Big Name Fan) | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Welcome back, Bridget
• [00:40] Writing adult, YA, and cozy fantasy under a pen name
• [01:40] A day in the life of a full-time author
• [03:30] Writing sapphic romance in 2026 and the publishing landscape
• [06:50] The need for more sapphic stories
• [08:00] Theater-kid love and a Spring Awakening story
• [08:50] The pitch: In What World
• [09:55] How Bridget plotted a multiverse romance
• [11:50] Bridget's witchy YA rom-coms
• [13:50] Rec: Seeing Other People
• [15:05] Rec: In Every Possible Way
• [15:55] Rec: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon
• [17:00] Bonus rec: the TV Detectives series
• [18:00] Where to find Bridget

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This post was an original Subtack Live that aired on September 18, 2026.

Awards season has landed — and the 2026 National Book Award (NBA) fiction longlist is stacked. Deedi Reads joins the pod to break it all down.

Deedi from the Deedi Reads Substack joins What to Read Next for a special crossover covering all ten titles on the 2026 National Book Award fiction longlist — from Marlon James's queer epic The Disappearers to Valeria Luiselli's Beginning Middle End. We also dig into the Hugo Awards, the biggest NBA snub of the year, and how to build a budget-friendly award-season TBR using your library

• Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Fantasy, Dark Academia, Horror |
• Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assadi — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction |
• Red Ants by Kimberly Blaeser — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction, Short Stories, Horror
• Dèy by Edwidge Danticat — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction |
• Pretend You're Dead and I Carry You by Julián Delgado Lopera — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction, Magical Realism
• Python's Kiss by Louise Erdrich — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction, Short Stories
• The Disappearers by Marlon James — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction, Crime
• Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction
• Passengers by Alexander Maksik — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction |
• The Renovation by Kenan Orhan — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction
• Mad Eden by Morgan Thomas — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction |
• The Song of Stork and Dromedary by Anjet Daanje (trans. from Dutch) — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Literary Fiction, Translated Literature

• [00:00] Intro — NBA fiction longlist collab with Deedi Reads
• [00:01] Deedi's whirlwind NBA announcement week
• [00:02] Reacting to Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo
• [00:03] The full 2026 fiction longlist, read aloud
• [00:04] Deedi's reads so far: Paradiso 17 & Beginning Middle End
• [00:06] Pretend You're Dead and I Carry You — magical realism & Latin American lit
• [00:08] Deedi's reading game plan — library holds, formats, timeline
• [00:10] NBA after-party & free livestream info
• [00:11] Balancing award reading with a fantasy-heavy TBR
• [00:12] October fantasy lineup + finishing Sabaa Tahir's Empire
• [00:14] Tease: Deedi's upcoming Divergent essay
• [00:15] Hugo Awards recap — Alix E. Harrow & The Raven Scholar
• [00:17] Nonfiction longlist picks + the year's biggest NBA snub (Tayari Jones's Kin)
• [00:19] Translated literature longlist & The Song of Stork and Dromedary snub
• [00:20] Wrap-up and sign-off

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What happens when a literary agent decides to become the author she's spent her career championing for other people? Jennifer Herrera joins us to talk genre-hopping, feminine rage, and why her new witchy fantasy almost didn't happen.

Jennifer Herrera — literary agent at the David Black Agency and author of the thriller The Hunter — is back with something completely different: Siren Says, a Celtic-Welsh botanical fantasy about power, curses, and reclaiming your humanity. If you've ever wondered what agents actually do for writers (beyond "sell the book"), or you're hunting for your next romantasy pick with real teeth, this one's for you.

Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy / Romantasy (Celtic-Welsh mythology, botanical magic) |

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera — Buy on Amazon | Thriller |

If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Mythology & Feminism |

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy Romance (Letters of Enchantment prequel) |

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle — Buy on Amazon | Classic Fantasy |

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [01:00] From philosophy grad school to literary agent
• [02:00] Moving to NYC to break into publishing
• [03:00]–[05:00] Why writing rarely pays the bills — and why that's okay
• [06:00]–[08:00] The myth of the "debut author"
• [09:00]–[10:00] Why thrillers feel easy and fantasy feels hard to write
• [10:00] Elevator pitch for Siren Says
• [11:00]–[13:00] The myth of Mis, power, and reclaiming humanity
• [13:00]–[16:00] Romance, healthy relationships, and feminist themes in fantasy
• [16:00]–[20:00] What writers should expect from a literary agent
• [20:00]–[23:00] Networking, community, and building your author platform
• [23:00]–[25:00] Marketing, selling vs. giving, and how author podcasts changed
• [26:00]–[29:00] Book recs: If Women Rose Rooted, Wild Reverence, The Last Unicorn
• [29:00]–[32:00] On aging, identity, and living an interesting life
• [32:00] Where to find Jennifer online

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Ever wanted to try horror but didn't know where to start? This episode is your gentle on-ramp.

Bri from the Book Goose Substack joins the show to talk about building a book community from scratch — and brings three monster hunter reads perfect for horror-curious readers. If you love found-family adventure stories, a dash of romance, or eerie underground worlds but want something that won't keep you up at night, this episode is for you.

A Fable for Hollow Creatures by R.R. Schaeffer — Buy on Amazon | Dark Fantasy/Horror | Releases Oct 27, 2026

(Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Horror/Fantasy, light Romance |

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne — Buy on Amazon | Horror/Fantasy | Releases Oct 6, 2026

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [00:01] Bri's blogging journey: from Blogger to horror blog to Substack
• [00:07] Substack community & the ARC conversation
• [00:09] Book Goose publication & upcoming virtual book club
• [00:12] How Bri finds hidden-gem books to recommend
• [00:16] Bookseller mindset & intro to today's trope
• [00:17] Trope reveal: Monster Hunters
• [00:17] Book 1: A Fable for Hollow Creatures
• [00:19] Book 2: (Mostly) Human Resources
• [00:21] Book 3: What Feeds Below
• [00:24] Where to find Bri online & outro

CONNECT WITH BRI

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Pirates, mermaids, sea witches, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance — this episode has everything.

Leslie Vedder joins us to talk about The Siren's Kiss, a sapphic fantasy romance she describes as Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Little Mermaid, following a cursed pirate and a fierce mermaid who team up to take down ancient sea gods. We dig into her love of anime and manga, her upcoming graphic novel, and get five (okay, six) can't-miss pirate and fantasy-romance recommendations for your TBR.

• The Siren's Kiss by Leslie Vedder — Buy on Amazon | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy Romance / Sapphic / Pirates
• Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Romantasy / Pirates
• The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Sapphic / Pirates
• The Devourer by Alison Ames — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Sapphic / Pirates
• In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy Romance / Mermaids
• The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | YA Fantasy / Historical Piracy / Trans MC
• A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames (bonus) — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Search on Libby | Fantasy Romance

• [00:00] Welcome back Leslie Vedder
• [00:30] What she's been up to since her debut trilogy
• [01:00] Elevator pitch for The Siren's Kiss
• [01:30] Sapphic pirates and badass female pirate captains
• [02:00] Pirate history research and the reality behind the myth
• [03:30] Anime and manga influence on her writing
• [05:00] Upcoming sapphic Robin Hood graphic novel ⚠️ genre departure
• [07:00] Book recommendations: pirates and mermaids
• [10:30] Where to find Leslie online

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Six books, one vote, and a whole community weighing in — Deedi's back to break down this year's Hugo Awards Best Novel nominees.

Our resident awards correspondent Deedi (@DeediReads) returns to walk us through the 2026 Hugo Awards — sci-fi and fantasy's biggest fan-voted prize. We cover how Hugo voting actually works, break down all six Best Novel nominees, and Deedi tells us which one she's rooting for (and which one she thinks will actually win). Perfect for anyone who loves a good genre awards deep-dive or is just looking for their next fantasy or sci-fi read.

• The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy
• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy/Mystery
• A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Mystery
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Mystery | 2025 Hugo winner, prequel
• The Incandescent by Emily Tesh — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy
• Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Science Fiction
• Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Science Fiction
• Cinderhouse by Freya Marske — Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Novella
• The River Has Roots by Amar El-Mohtar— Buy on Amazon | Buy on Libro.fm | Fantasy Novella

• [00:00] Welcome back, Deedi — our official awards correspondent
• [00:01] Why the Hugos are different from literary prizes
• [00:02] How Hugo voting actually works (Worldcon membership, nominating)
• [00:03] All the Hugo categories beyond Best Novel
• [00:05] Popular vote pros and cons — vs. the Goodreads Choice Awards
• [00:07] This year's six Best Novel nominees, announced
• [00:08] Novella category as an easier entry point (Cinderhouse, The River Has Roots)
• [00:09] How Deedi fits 6 award books into a realistic reading pace
• [00:13] Deedi's "three words" method for choosing what to read next
• [00:17] Letting go of reading identity and genre guilt
• [00:19] Revisiting YA dystopia — Hunger Games, Divergent, and a brewing essay
• [00:22] Breaking up with Amazon and the Kindle ecosystem
• [00:26] Why indie bookstores give you more than just books
• [00:27] Supporting indie authors outside Amazon
• [00:32] Deedi's personal favorite — and her prediction for the win
• [00:35] Where to find Deedi online

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Laura's back with a solo update on slowing down, making reading friends in a new city, and two mysteries that actually caught her off guard.

In this episode, Laura shares how she's navigating a season of burnout, the low-key monthly reading date she's started with a friend (dubbed "Silent Book Club for Two"), and gives full reviews of two standout reads — a cozy small-town mystery obsessed with designer dogs, and a millennial mystery starring a very unlucky crossing guard. If you're looking for your next cozy or millennial-mystery pick, or just want a simple way to build more reading time into your life, this one's for you.

• Murder Bites by Mimi Montgomery | Cozy Mystery | Audio ✅
• Don't Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne | Mystery | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Intro + August update
• [01:00] Birthday PTO and navigating a season of burnout
• [02:00] Making local reading friends through her yoga studio
• [03:00] How the "Silent Book Club for Two" reading date started
• [04:00] Why a one-on-one reading date beats a full book club
• [05:00] Murder Bites by Mimi Montgomery — setup and premise
• [06:00] Murder Bites — the reveal that actually surprised her
• [07:00] Don't Cross Mo Ellery — setup and premise
• [09:00] Currently reading Dungeon Crawl Carl + KU cancellation + sign-off

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What if the boy secretly writing your story isn't just trying to help you grieve — he's trying to get into college with it?

Debut author Gabriela Gonzales joins the show to talk about her YA rom-com How to Love You When You're Gone, a fake-friends-to-lovers story about grief, first love, and the messy business of growing up. We dig into writing Latine representation in genre fiction beyond trauma narratives, why romance's happy ending is actually the hardest thing to earn, and Gabriela's favorite grief-and-joy reads.

How to Love You When You're Gone by Gabriela Gonzales — Buy on Amazon | YA Romance/Rom-Com | Audio ✅ (narrated by Elena Rey & Jeff Ebner)

Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno — Buy on Amazon | YA Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce — Buy on Amazon | YA Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Book Lovers by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Adult Romance/Rom-Com | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Welcome + Gabriela's arts school & circus class background
• [00:03] Deciding to become a writer at age five
• [00:05] Signing with her agent in 2020 on a dystopian circus novel
• [00:06] Her sister's passing and discovering rom-coms
• [00:09] Why a happy ending is the hardest thing to write
• [00:11] The many subgenres of romance — there's a book for everyone
• [00:12] Writing Latine characters beyond trauma narratives
• [00:14] Latina identity isn't monolithic
• [00:17] Elevator pitch: How to Love You When You're Gone
• [00:19] The "grief backpack" metaphor
• [00:21] DBT, glimmers of hope, and managing big emotions
• [00:25] Book recommendations begin
• [00:26] Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno
• [00:31] Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce
• [00:35] Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• [00:39] Where to find Gabriela online

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Four best friends, one Vegas casino, and absolutely nothing left to lose — meet the septuagenarian heist crew you didn't know you needed.

Bestselling author Julia London joins the show to talk about her genre-bending new release, Rules for Aging and Larceny, a commercial fiction romp about four 70-something women reuniting to pull off one last con — this time against a crypto scammer. Julia also shares four wide-ranging reading recommendations, from a quietly devastating Norwegian translation to the LitRPG series everyone's talking about.

Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction, Heist | Audio ✅ (narrated by Christina Moore)

Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction, Classic | Audio ✅

The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten (trans. Alison McCullough) — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction, Translated | Audio ✅

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman — Buy on Amazon | LitRPG, Sci-Fi/Fantasy | KU ✅/ Audio ✅ (highly praised narration)

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley — Buy on Amazon | Commercial Fiction | Audio✅

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [01:00] 29 years in publishing, starting in historical romance
• [02:00] The shift away from historical romance/mass market
• [03:00] Backlist entry points: dog-centric rom-coms & women's fiction
• [04:00] Elevator pitch: Rules for Aging and Larceny
• [05:00] The friend group, the original heist, and the fallout
• [06:00] The health diagnosis that brings the gang back together
• [07:00] Planning the casino heist — and why being "invisible" helps
• [08:00] Being underestimated as an older woman in public spaces
• [09:00] Julia's real-life stint as a white-collar crime investigator
• [10:00] Would you still have it? The book's central question
• [11:00] Recommendation: Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell
• [12:00]–[13:00] Why Mrs. Bridge still feels relevant nearly 100 years later
• [14:00] Recommendation: The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten
• [15:00] Comparing Grytten to Fredrik Backman
• [16:00] Recommendation: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
• [17:00]–[18:00] Why the audiobook and LitRPG genre have taken off
• [19:00] Recommendation: Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
• [20:00] Where to find Julia online
• [21:00] Social media, content strategy, and closing thoughts

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What happens when the Grim Reaper falls for a children's librarian? Kelly Creagh's adult debut says: absolute chaos, and a whole lot of heart.

YA fan-favorite Kelly Creagh (the Nevermore trilogy) makes her adult debut with A Date with Death, a spicy, comedy-forward paranormal rom-com about a Grim Reaper and the sunshine-y librarian who steals his afterlife. In this episode, Kelly talks about jumping from YA to adult romance, writing comedy after years in paranormal horror, and her upcoming Hades and Persephone romantasy retelling — plus she shares the books currently topping her TBR. Perfect for readers who love cozy paranormal rom-coms, monster romance, and stories about finding your process as a writer.

A Date with Death by Kelly Creagh — Buy on Amazon | Paranormal Rom-Com | Audio ✅

A Promise to Hades by Kelly Creagh —YA Romantasy (upcoming)

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine — Buy on Amazon | Paranormal Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson — Buy on Amazon | Monster Romance | Audio ✅

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy/Romantasy |Audio ✅

How to Write Best-Selling Fiction by James Scott Bell — Buy on Audible | Writing Craft | Audio ✅ (Audible-exclusive)

• [00:00] Welcome + intro to Kelly's adult debut, A Date with Death
• [01:00] Moving from YA to adult romance
• [02:00] Adult problems vs. YA coming-of-age stakes
• [03:00] Writing a heroine with romantic baggage
• [04:00] Where the Grim Reaper concept came from (thanks, nephew Ethan)
• [05:00] Why cozy romance is resonating right now
• [06:00] Kelly's comedy background
• [07:00] Family humor, playwriting, and theater roots
• [08:00] Working in a library — and that infamous bookmobile
• [09:00] What's next: A Promise to Hades, a Hades/Persephone romantasy
• [10:00] Researching mythology and the Vestal Virgins
• [12:00] On retellings and finding your voice as a writer
• [14:00] What Kelly reads across genres
• [15:00] Advice on finding your own writing process
• [16:00] Learning structure before you break the rules
• [19:00] The business side of being a writer
• [21:00] Craft book recommendation: James Scott Bell
• [22:00] Fiction recs: vampire rom-coms, monster romance, and The Cruel Prince
• [23:00] Where to find Kelly online

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