What Should I Read Next?
Episodes
Ep 108: What Should I Read Next LIVE from Asheville
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anne kicked off her first visit to Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville, NC in a big way - a WSIRN liveshow! You can read more details about what the sho...
Ep 107: Bookish gifts for everyone on your list
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Holland Saltsman from the Novel Neighbor in St Louis joins Anne to talk about their favorite books of the year, supporting local bookstores, and the b...
Ep 106: The anatomy of an excellent reading experience
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Shannon Navin is a Columbus mom and technology professional who came to Anne with a specific request: to recommend great books that Shannon and her te...
Ep 105: Reading makes the whole day better
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Rider Strong, a director & screenwriter (you might know him from Boy Meets World) who spends free time reuniting with readerly ...
Ep 104: Books that don't hold anything back
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Alexandra Rodriguez is an English teacher and grad student in the Indianapolis area whose reading life underwent a big change a few years ago. Today, ...
Ep 103: Accidental book theft & other bookworm crimes
31 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Katherine Riling, a mom, math teacher, and new Alaska resident whose go-to genre is historical fiction — but she doesn’t wan...
Ep 102: A new way to think about fictional characters
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anne is joined by a familiar voice -- Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and, most recently, The Four Tendencies, a new personality frame...
Ep 101: What Anne wishes she'd known (100 episodes later)
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anne and WSIRN's producer Brenna Frederick take a look back at memorable moments from the first 100 episodes of What Should I Read Next. From behind-t...
Ep 100: When everyone loves that book but you
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week Anne chatts with Keith Watts, a Seattle resident who credits Star Wars with making him a reader, and Top Gun for making him a history major....
Ep 99: Nobody hates a beautiful book (or a handwritten letter)
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest, Caroline Weaver, is known as The Pencil Lady, because by day she owns and operates CW Pencil Enterprise, a shop dedicated exclusively t...
Ep 98: Loving that literary lifestyle
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week Anne chats with Rikki and Michaela, two Seattle area friends and serious book lovers who knew each other for YEARS before they discovered th...
Ep 97: How a book REALLY gets made, from idea to the bookstore shelves
19 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne takes you behind the scenes of how her book Reading People came into being. Guided by questions from newsletter subscribers, we're delvin...
Ep 96: Listen to Anne read Chapter 1 of her new book Reading People!
15 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We’re in serious countdown mode: Anne's book Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything comes out on ...
Ep 95: Really weird stories you should totally read
12 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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; t...
Ep 94: Paris epiphanies (and other bookish destinations)
05 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
Ep 93: Books to help you manage anxiety + a book brunch that will have you drooling
29 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest, Kristin Economos, has an incredible story to tell, one many people will resonate with. After experiencing a season of severe anxiety,...
Ep 92: When you feel betrayed by the bestseller list
22 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 pr...
Ep 91: The books you can't stop recommending
08 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 lit...
Ep 90: Immersive books that make you want to read them again (for the first time)
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Ep 89: Ask Anne Anything!
25 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today is a What Should I Read Next milestone - our very first mailbag episode! We invited our newsletter subscribers and Instagram followers for their...
Ep 88: Overlooked books that deserve to shine
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ep 87: Popcorn books, page-turning thrills, and reader regret
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Ep 86: Eclectic tastes, slow readers, and talking about books with strangers
04 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 fo...
Ep 85: When your best friend hates your favorite book (and you hate hers)
27 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
WSIRN goes international once more! Today's guest is Charity Dušíková, an art teacher and mother residing in a small town in the Czech Republic*. A...
Ep 84: You know you're a Serious Reader when...
20 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Anne first met today's guest Shawn Smucker and his wife Maile while they were on an epic cross-country road trip with the whole family, in a big blue ...
Ep 83: An epic birthday bookstore road trip
13 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re a longtime listener, you’ve heard from today's guest Donna Hetchler before—she hopped on episode 64 and chatted with Anne about the u...
Ep 82: Obsessive readers and bookish kindred spirit angels
06 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is That-Reader-Who-Is-Impossible-To-Recommend-Books-To... because it seems she's read it EVERYTHING! Claire Diaz Ortiz has a very specif...
Ep 81: The suspense is thrilling me
30 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Anne chats with Chelsea Humphrey about what a surprisingly broad category "suspense/thriller" actually is. Of course there's ...
Ep 80: Books that make you want to skip dinner, work, and the rest of your life
23 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it SO HARD to describe a book you REALLY LOVE? Anne tries to figure it out with today's guest Cori Jara, a case worker in Eureka CA. Cori is a ...
Ep 79: The books we can't wait to read this summer
16 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
WARNING: today's episode might make you long for a warm sandy beach, a cozy cabin, or a French villa... wherever your heart longs to vacation, that'...
Ep 78: Super-relevant (super-enjoyable) fiction for our time
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's conversation won't go the direction you're expecting - and we think you're going to love it for just that reason. The guest is Kathleen Griss...
Ep 77: How to save The Shop Around the Corner
02 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If YOU have ever dreamed of opening your own bookstore, you’re about to learn exactly how another reader is making that dream come true. Meet Alison...
Ep 76: Book people are the best people (LIVE!)
25 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
WSIRN just hosted our first LIVE event at the fabulous bookstore The Novel Neighbor in St Louis. (Many thanks to shop owner Holland Saltsman for havin...
Ep 75: If Google wrecked your brain, here's what you should read
18 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Dave Harrity, a writer, college professor, and real-life friend of Anne's in Louisville. But there's something else you should know a...
Ep 74: Finally falling in love with reading - at 30!
11 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest hails from Austin, TX, and enjoys the simple things in life: wine, books, chips & salsa. As host of The Happy Hour podcast, it might be ...
Ep 73: Don't judge a person by their (book) cover
04 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been at a bus stop, on a train, or in a waiting room, and casually craned your neck trying to peek the title of a stranger's book? Going...
Ep 72: Embarrassing bookworm confessions
28 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Tuesday, readers! Meet Madeleine Riley, a 24-year-old special education teacher in New England who runs a colorful bookstagram account, Top Sh...
Ep 71: A super-elegant apocalypse
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is an early member of the WSIRN family. If you were a listener back at the veeeery beginning of our show, you have Knox to thank for g...
Ep 70: The book Anne can't shut up about
14 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We're delighted to welcome Jessie Weaver on the show for episode 70! Jessie is a married mother of two who loves to read, which sounds pretty normal, ...
Ep 69: The library is running my life
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today we welcome the marvelous Carolyn McCready to the show! As an acquisitions editor, reading is truly Carolyn's job. In this episode, Anne takes ...
Ep 68: Plot summaries are the WORST
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You may know Laura Tremaine from her former blog Hollywood Housewife... or the Sorta Awesome podcast... or The Smartest Person In The Room podcas...
Ep 67: Just the right book at just the right time
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest, Eli Sykes, is a food scientist who describes his job as “getting to eat snacks all day,” so it’s safe to say Eli is living the...
Ep 66: Books that glitter, sparkle, and pop
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's completely awesome guest is Megan Tietz, host of Sorta Awesome podcast. Some things to know about Megan - she’s an enneagram 9 (just like ...
Ep 65: The joy of buying books on someone else’s dime
07 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Graylin Porter, World-Lit-major-with-a-Masters-in-Modern-&-Contemporary-Lit-turned-children’s-librarian who is expecting a new ad...
Ep 64: The next best thing to reading
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for something a bit different - in today's "from the mailbag" episode, Anne discusses the myriad ways readers track their book lives, from G...
Ep 63: Books so good you'll forget you have a phone
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Elise Blaha Cripe, who you may know as the creative professional behind the Get to Work Book planner, or the host of podcast Elise Ge...
Ep 62: Your TBR will never be the same ...
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hello readers, it's a very special Tuesday! We have officially reached What Should I Read Next's Anniversary episode. It's been a full year since Epis...
Ep 61: When the plot comes full circle...
10 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re catching up with the very first guest of What Should I Read Next! Even if you're a longtime listener, you still might not recognize hi...
Ep 60: The last page can make it or break it
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 2017, listeners! We have a DYNAMIC episode to kick off the WSIRN New Year. Today’s guest is Melissa Joulwan. If you already know Melissa, it’...
Ep 59: Prescribing books for what ails you
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest this week is Danielle Mayfield. Danielle lives in Portland, OR with her husband and two small children. You may know her as the author of ...
Ep 58: "You've hit your hold limit" and other disasters
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Jamie Durham, a full-time missionary living in Tijuana, Mexico. Jamie and her well-traveled family of 5 have to cross an internationa...
Ep 57: What's your reading personality?
13 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Shaney Swift, a massage therapist and social justice advocate from Chicago, Illinois. If you’ve been around What Should I Read Ne...
Ep 56: There's nothing like a bookstore at the holidays
06 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This is a WSIRN first— a repeat guest! Today Anne chats with friend of the show and bookstore owner Holland Saltsman about everything you didn't ...
Ep 55: Choosing contemporary novels with staying power (for Jane Austen's 5x great niece)
29 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Around here, we don’t think you need an excuse to love Jane Austen, but boy does today's guest Rebecca Smith have a great one -- she is Jane Austen...
Ep 54: What Should I LISTEN to Next?
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're back to literary matchmaking, with listener Melodee Skiles here to representing all the avid audiobook lovers who want to know what to LI...
Ep 53: The best of literary heroines (Reading For A Lifetime Pt 5)
18 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Here to help close out the Reading For A Lifetime week is Jenny Williams, who illustrates beloved literary heroines for a living as the charming artis...
Ep 52: There's nothing better than a great book, with Gretchen Rubin (Reading For A Lifetime, Pt 4)
17 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's Day 4 of our special Reading For A Lifetime series on WSIRN, and if our comment section has made one thing known, it's this: Adults LOVE Kid Lit...
Ep 51: Gateway books to lifetime reading (Reading For A Lifetime, Pt 3)
16 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Day 3 of our special Reading For A Lifetime series is all about "guilty pleasure" kid lit - the series we read and re-read not because they were Great...
Ep 50: Growing up with the help of a good book (Reading for a Lifetime, Pt 2)
15 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Day 2 of our Reading For A Lifetime series is about encouraging middle school and young adult kids to indulge in great books, and our guest Leigh Col...
Ep 49: How to help kids fall in love with reading (Reading for a Lifetime, Pt 1)
14 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today kicks off our special WSIRN 5-day miniseries: What Should I Read Next for Kids, and Kids at Heart. We’re focusing on a variety of young and y...
Ep 48: It's good to be a Special Readerly Snowflake
08 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week guest Maxwell Dunn (WellDoneBooks on YouTube) introduces Anne to a whole new wonderful world of book lovers online—the Booktube communit...
Ep 47: Needing books, with a capital "N"
01 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's bibliotherapy time! Today's guest is Erin Swann, is an attorney who lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her family. Erin's always been a re...
Ep 46: What DID they read next (and how did they feel about it?)
25 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we have a special episode: we're revisiting seven guests from previous episodes of the show to find out what they actually did read next. What a...
Ep 45: Heartwarming books for dire situations
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Ana Salazar. Ana is a Columbian who’s now living in Peru, and she’s been, as she says, "absolutely obsessed” with reading for h...
Ep 44: Like speed dating, but with authors
11 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we meet a indie bookstore owner and kindred bookish spirit, Annie Jones. In this episode, Anne and Annie talk about her wildly unlikely path to...
Ep 43: Fiction FOMO and curing Hamilton hangover
04 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're happy to welcome reader and podcaster Sarah Stewart Holland to the show. You may already know Sarah from her blog Bluegrass Redhead or h...
Ep 42: Life's too short to waste on bad books
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we fellow podcaster Erik Fisher to the show! Erik is known as the productivity guru because of his wonderful podcast Beyond the To Do List, th...
Ep 41: The books we can't wait to read this fall
21 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today's bonus podcast episode of What Should I Read Next is focused on fall's hot new releases. Bookstore owner Holland Saltsman of The Novel Neighbo...
Ep 40: Spouses of Readers Anonymous
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When Anne first thought of starting a podcast, her bookstore-owning friend Holland Saltsman was one of the very first people she wanted to have on....
Ep 39: Judging a book by its first sentence
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we welcome Melody Warnick to the show! She’s a Blacksburg-based author, who has been tracking her reading in an excel spreadsheet since 20...
Ep 38: Secrets, cheap tricks, and paradigm-shifting books
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Anissa Davis, a family physician who lives with her family in California. She likes smart, funny, contemporary fiction with div...
Ep 37: Reading as a couple + the best books YOU read this summer
30 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Kurt and Kristin are a husband and wife who want to read more together. Their question for Anne is a fun twist on a familiar theme — “What should ...
Ep 36: Comfort food, but with books
23 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's Tuesday, and time for a new episode of What Should I Read Next! Our guest today is Tiffany King, a dear friend you might know from her food blo...
Ep 35: Internet brain, redemption stories, and books with terrible elevator pitches
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Katherine Willis Pershey. Katherine is a friend whose taste Anne trusts: she's recommended several excellent titles to Anne over ...
Ep 34: Books that marry fiction and reality
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Rose Booth, a technology merchandising director and cinephile who sometimes "feels like she's dating books." Rose loves female pro...
Ep 33: What DID they read next (and what did they think about it?
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today we have a very special episode: Anne is chatting again with seven guests from the first twenty-three episodes of the show to find out what the...
Ep 32: Literature as fun escape and daily companion
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Julie Smith, who you may know from her delightful travel blog Drive on the Left. Julie is an enthusiastic reader. She’s also ...
Ep 31: Lifetime favorite books and reading for a living
19 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Adam Verner. Adam reads for a living -- literally. When he was a kid and people asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up h...
Ep 30: 4-star books with 4-star endings for an ISTJ Type A Upholder
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Amy Johnson, who grew up in a big family in a small town in rural Colorado. (Amy says there were literally more books in her h...
Ep 29: Work, money, love, and mystery
05 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Stacey Loscalzo, a mother of two girls, book reviewer for Great New Books, and former reading specialist in New Jersey, just o...
Ep 28: Books that no one's writing about in Entertainment Weekly
28 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Andrea Griffith, a former medical librarian, mom of two daughters, and independent bookstore owner, and she came to me with a p...
Ep 27: Books good enough to make you turn off the tv (even if you love tv)
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Kendra Adachi, who you may know from her blog, The Lazy Genius Collective, or her Lazy Genius podcast. She’s a mom of three ...
Ep 26: Great adventure books
14 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Tim Gardner. Tim's wife Emily contacted Anne and asked if she could do a little literary matchmaking for Tim. They'd both realiz...
Ep 25: Very personal stories
07 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today I'm talking with Breanne Mosher, a self-described history nerd and travel lover who lives in Nova Scotia with her family. She documents her fam...
Ep 24: Life-changing books
31 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Malisa Price, a mom of two who lives in Raleigh, and she’s a regular reader who does it for the love of it, not for her job, alth...
Ep 23: Honeymoon reading
24 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Mallory Rees, who's getting married next month and is looking for good books to take on her honeymoon. Regardless of your marit...
Ep 22: What DID they read next (and how did they like it?)
17 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's finally happening! Today we have a very special episode: Anne is chatting again with six guests from the first ten episodes of the show to find...
Ep 21: The books that made you fall in love with reading
13 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For today’s bonus episode we have a very special guest: Anne chats with her 8-year-old daughter Lucy. Lucy lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her pa...
Ep 20: Sweeping sagas and strong female leads
10 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Sarah Russell Giglio. Sarah lives in Shreveport, Louisiana: she’s a newlywed who loves cooking and The Bachelor and Bachelorette, ...
Ep 19: Great literary fiction, inspirational favorites, and high school English
03 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Brian Sztabnik, an English teacher, basketball coach, and podcaster who lives on Long Island with his wife and two sons. Anne an...
Ep 18: Compelling, character-driven books steeped in time and place
26 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Jessica Turner, author of The Fringe Hours and My Fringe Hours. Jessica lives in Nashville with her family, where she works...
Ep 17: Smart, slightly eccentric, diverse books
19 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne talks with Andrea Cumbo-Floyd, a writer, teacher, editor, and farmer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. ("Sometimes more of one of th...
Ep 16: Fascinating premises in dystopian fiction
12 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Grace Martin, a 12-year-old bibliophile who lives with her family outside Chicago. Grace loves Harry Potter, dystopian novels, a...
Ep 15: The audacity to tell people what to read
09 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Anne chats with Marybeth Whalen and Ariel Lawhon of SheReads.org, an online reading site and book club for women. Under Marybeth and Ariel's lea...
Ep 14: A snob-free approach to reading
05 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today Anne chats with Caroline Starr Rose. Caroline is a mom, former teacher, and children's author of the novels May B. and Blue Birds. Caroline...
Ep 13: Memoir, creativity, talent, and more memoir
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Anne chats with Ed Cyzewski, author of multiple books including Pray, Write, Grow, Creating Space, Write without Crushing Your So...
Ep 12: Life is hard - but reading doesn't have to be
21 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Anne chats with Cara Strickland, a writer, food critic, and anxious cook who lives in the Pacific Northwest. This episode covers a lot...
Ep 11: What's going on beneath the surface
15 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Anne chats with Meredith Schwartz, a self-described Type A, INFJ, and unapologetic listmaker who is trying desperately (and a big co...
Ep 10: You can be a Serious Reader and still love Matt Damon
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Anne chats with Janssen Bradshaw, creator of the blog Everyday Reading, former children's librarian, and modern mother who's raising...
Ep 9: The reality of bookworm problems
01 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Anne chats with fellow bookworm Leigh Kramer. In addition to being a full-time book nerd, Leigh is a San Francisco resident, fried p...