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What Should I Read Next?: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Anne Bogel
What Should I Read Next? is the show for every reader who has ever finished a book and faced the problem of not knowing what to read next. Each week, Anne Bogel, of the blog Modern Mrs Darcy, interviews a reader about the books they love, the books they hate, and the books they're reading now. Then, she makes recommendations about what to read next. The real purpose of the show is to help YOU find your next read.
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- 3 days ago1h 0m
Ep 528: What should I read this summer?
Every year we remind readers that our Summer Reading Guide isn't a list of books you should read, it's a list of books you could read. Today's guest knows that reading is personal, and that's why she's here to get Anne's help figuring out which titles from the 2026 Guide she should prioritize. Ashley Cornelius lives in Santa Barbara with her family, where she's a high school science teacher. Ashley reached out to tell us about the books she's loved and one she didn't from past Summer Reading Guides, and wondered if Anne could help her select books from this year's Guide that might fit her desired summer vibe. Today, Anne is helping one particular reader decide what to read next. But more than that, she's walking you through the thought process of considering what to read next in light of what you already know about your reading life. Find the list of titles discussed today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/528. Chapters: 02:58 Meet Ashley 07:13 What brings Ashley to What Should I Read Next? 12:44 The River by Peter Heller 16:27 The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty 19:57 The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 22:34 The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 38:35 Fair Chase by Travis Mulhauser 43:54 Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel 50:39 Country People by Daniel Mason 55:29 What will Ashley read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago53 min
Ep 527: The perfect books for readers fascinated by museums, art, and the creative process
Today's book lover is seeking a literary doorway into the creative world of art and museums. Kristine Parsons doesn't have an art background. She works as a county road commission manager in Michigan, yet she is fascinated by art and museums, and finds herself drawn to immersive and engaging stories that incorporate one or both elements into the story. Kristine loves to travel and visit museums in person, but her day-to-day life between work and two active pre-teens means that in this season, these visits are more likely to occur on the page. Today, Kristine and Anne explore stories featuring art and the creative process. If Anne has recommendations that are actually set in museums, well, so much the better. We'd love to hear your ideas for Kristine, too: please tell us by leaving a comment on our show notes page, where you'll also find the list of titles mentioned today. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/527. We're so happy to announce that our long-awaited MMD sorority style sweatshirt is available for pre-order. A mid-weight Comfort Colors crew, choose from two shades: a soft blue called blue jean and a soft red called crimson. Both feature an MMD applique in deep navy. These are cute and comfortable, and our team is excited to wear them on cool summer nights and into the colder months of the year. We also have a new hat style and other restocked favorites: find everything at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop. Chapters: 03:43 Meet Kristine 09:06 What brings Kristine to What Should I Read Next? 14:31 The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 17:55 The Unseen World by Liz Moore 21:47 Heart the Lover by Lily King 24:47 A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst 31:14 The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews 36:52 Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel 43:07 Dear Monica Lewinsky by Julia Langbein 48:08 What will Kristine read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago22 min
Ep 526: Anne unboxes the 2026 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide
This week, Anne is sharing an excerpt from our 2026 Summer Reading Guide Live Unboxing. To mark our 15th Guide, we’re inviting you to listen in as she tells you all about this year's Minimalist Picks. During our Summer Reading Guide Unboxing, Anne goes through every book and tells you why out of the hundreds of books she considered for the Guide that year, these are the ones she landed on. What makes them interesting, what is each story like, what kinds of readers might they appeal to? In today’s excerpt, we're sharing what Anne had to say about the six titles in this year’s Minimalist Guide. We hope this gives you an exciting preview of our 15th Summer Reading Guide. For the list of titles mentioned today and more, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/526. This year's complete Guide includes 35 new-for-2026 releases, our popular “For fans of” backlist recommendations, Awesome on Audio picks, reading retreat best practices from our team, and a splashy anniversary feature looking back on 15 years of the SRG. If you’ve not yet gotten your Guide, you can do that now or anytime with instant digital delivery. Your a la carte purchase or membership also grants you access to our video Unboxing of the entire Guide. We’re also offering a professionally printed guide, delivered straight to your mailbox in the U.S. These are shipping now: visit our shop at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop to order yours. That's where you'll also find retreat-worthy merch, like our cozy new sorority sweatshirt, a brand new hat that I hope brings a smile to your face, restocked book darts, stickers, totes, and more more. Chapters 03:05 What’s in the 2026 Summer Reading Guide? 04:52 The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh 07:23 Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan 9:48 Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy 12:10 Land by Maggie O’Farrell 13:54 The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders 15:38 Whistler by Ann Patchett 17:58 How to get the complete 2026 Summer Reading Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago56 min
Ep 525: Get ready for a reading retreat
I am delighted to welcome our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club Community Manager, Ginger Horton, back to the show to talk about this year's 15th annual Summer Reading Guide and dive into all things summer reading. Ginger has been collaborating on the Guide for many years now, and she played an integral role in selecting our 2026 reading retreat theme. As you'll hear today, she's also the reason we started hosting our annual Unboxing live events. We're going to get into that in detail. Ginger is also a co-discoverer with readers, though, because just a few hours before we recorded, she saw the first draft of this year's Summer Reading Guide. She and I talk about what we love most about this year's Guide and how you can make sure you get a copy. We hope you'll enjoy this conversation and it sparks your excitement for this week's release of our 15th annual Guide. Find the list of titles mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/525. If you are already a member of our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club or our What Should I Read Next? Patreon communities, or you purchased your à la carte ticket, you are all set to get the Guide on Thursday and attend Thursday's Unboxing events at either 1:00 PM or 8:00 PM. And if neither time works for you, never fear: we'll have the recording available not too long after the events. During the Unboxing, Anne goes through all the titles in the Guide one by one, sharing more about why she chose each title, what the reading experience is like, and what kind of reader may most enjoy each book. Find out all the details you need to know at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg. Chapters: 02:27 What to expect at the Summer Reading Guide Unboxing Event 26:09 Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan 26:54 Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy 28:36 The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders 41:40 How to get the Summer Reading Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- May 5, 202654 min
Ep 524: Short books that still feel substantial
Today Anne is talking books with Lee Weick, a Michigan-dwelling former teacher and grandmother who knows that variety keeps her reading life going. Lee loves big, long books and is most satisfied with her reading life when she's reading those big books on a regular basis. But as you will hear, Lee has learned that the rhythms of her reading life also require a nice, steady supply of books on the shorter side. Lately, Lee is feeling stuck when it comes to finding shorter reads that still feel substantial, thought-provoking, and interesting. Anne has lots of ideas for Lee, and today she'll put a few shorter books on Lee's radar that sound right up her alley. Find the list of titles discussed and leave your suggestions for Lee on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/524. Our Summer Reading Guide release is just around the corner, which means it's the time of year we welcome many new members to our Patreon community. When you join us there, you get immediate access to all our past Summer Reading Guides and seasonal previews, our weekly bonus episodes, and of course, this year's 15th Summer Reading Guide and Live Unboxing event. Choose from monthly or annual membership options that help you enjoy all that we do over in Patreon while also financially supporting our show and our team. Find out more at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext. Chapters: 03:03 Meet Lee 07:25 What Lee is looking for in her reading life 16:52 Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart 18:56 Patriot by Alexei Navalny 21:48 The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 25:26 The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff 35:31 Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give by Ada Calhoun 38:45 Fight Night by Miriam Towes 41:48 Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood 46:22 The Summer Book by Tove Jansson 48:44 What will Lee read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 28, 20261h 2m
Ep 523: Some people read the Great Books, so why not me?
After completing a classics reading project, today's guest really wants to keep her reading momentum while also bringing more non-classics back into her reading life. Today we're trying something new and inviting a team member alongside Anne to help tackle one reader-specific reading dilemma. As you'll hear today, Anne couldn't help but notice that guest Cheryl Drury's tastes and recent reading project shares a lot in common with team member Ginger Horton's reading life. Ginger is our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community manager, and she has recently been immersed in the classics due to her current enrollment in a Great Books graduate study program. That's why Ginger seems like exactly the right reader to bring along for this conversation with Cheryl. Cheryl hails from Charleston, South Carolina. While she's always been a reader, she'd never really dabbled much in classics or Great Books until 18 months ago, when she embarked on a challenge to read through a year-long list of more than 100 influential books. The project energized Cheryl's reading life, but now she's not quite sure where to go next. Anne, Ginger, and Cheryl talk about how Cheryl may retain some of the structure from her classics project as well as where she can have more flexibility to follow where her reading whimsy takes her. Plus, they'll offer title ideas that may feel like just the right bridge between what Cheryl's been reading lately and what she'd love more of in the months ahead. Find the list of titles discussed today and share your ideas for Cheryl on our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/523. This year marks our 10th anniversary of Book Club. It has been so much fun along the way, and we've got great events queued up to celebrate this year. Plus, this is a wonderful time to join because it's Summer Reading Guide season. For more from Ginger and more Book Club fun, join us at modernmrsdarcy.com/club. Chapters: 07:43 Meet Cheryl 12:10 Cheryl’s decision to read the classics 21:08 Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 23:38 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 26:15 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 30:05 Dead Wake by Erik Larson 46:34 1000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich 51:42 Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff 54:15 Hagseed by Margaret Atwood 55:52 What will Cheryl read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 21, 20261h 0m
Ep 522: Keeping things light in my reading life
We often hear from readers who wish to avoid heavier topics in their reading lives, and today Anne is talking with a guest hunting for books that feel light, warm, and stimulating, but not overly stressful. Angela Frith hails from Lexington, North Carolina, where she works as a K-12 curriculum developer and is a member of our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and What Should I Read Next? Patreon communities. As she considers her reading life this year, Angela is hoping for titles that feature the warmth she loves, without the chaos that also sometimes marks titles in her favorite genres of memoirs, found family stories, historical fiction, or fantasy. Anne has ideas to share. You'll find the full list of titles mentioned on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/522. Our Patreon community is full of exciting ways to get more books in your life, from our weekly bonus episodes on a variety of themes to seasonal events like our upcoming Summer Reading Guide. Your monthly or annual support helps us pay our team and keep the lights on around What Should I Read Next? HQ. We are so grateful to all of you who are or have been Patreon members. If you're not a current member of our community, this is a great time of year to join. Find out more at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext. Chapters 03:49 Meet Angela 09:06 Angela’s reading dilemma 18:52 I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott 21:22 Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness 23:04 The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray 26:10 Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 40:12 Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin 45:48 Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau 50:34 The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl 55:18 What will Angela read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 14, 20261h 5m
Ep 521: Everything L.M. Montgomery and how to build a deeper reading roster
Many of you will well understand our team's excitement when we saw today's guest submission land in our inboxes. Today, Anne is talking with Kate Scarth, chair of L.M. Montgomery Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island. They discuss Kate's work as well as some of Kate's favorite Montgomery retellings and homages, but their main focus today is on Kate's reading life. She's interested in building out a deep reading roster for the kinds of books she especially enjoys. Books featuring literary women, books where an investigation or detective work is a big part of the story, books that center on a house, and nonfiction about creative and artistic women in history. She's also very interested in finding more books with magical realism and ghosts. Anne has ideas to share. Find the list of titles mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/521, where you can also leave a comment to share your ideas for Kate. We're so excited to tell you about a live event happening this spring. On May 7th, Anne will be joining Laurie Frankel in conversation at Parnassus Books in Nashville on tour for her new novel, Enormous Wings. We love to tell you about new additions to the calendar on the podcast, but if you want to make sure you don't miss any news, be sure to subscribe to our email list at modernmrsdarcy.com/subscribe so you'll be the first to know all our What Should I Read Next? news and happenings. Chapters 04:45 Meet Kate 24:00 The Postcard by Anne Berest 28:11 A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa 30:47 The Five by Hallie Rubenhold 35:02 All Fours by Miranda July 46:38 Grown Women by Sarai Johnson 51:08 North Woods by Daniel Mason 57:24 Possession by A.S. Byatt 1:00:19 What will Kate read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About What Should I Read Next?
What Should I Read Next? is the show for every reader who has ever finished a book and faced the problem of not knowing what to read next. Each week, Anne Bogel, of the blog Modern Mrs Darcy, interviews a reader about the books they love, the books they hate, and the books they're reading now. Then, she makes recommendations about what to read next. The real purpose of the show is to help YOU find your next read.
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