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What Should I Read Next?

What Should I Read Next?

By: Anne Bogel
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 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. To learn more or apply to be on the show visit whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com.© Anne Bogel Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Ep 519: Let's plan a Read the USA project

    Ep 519: Let's plan a Read the USA project
    Mar 24 2026
    We hear about all different kinds of reading challenges around here, and today's guest is seeking titles to help mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. Mary Pogue lives in St. Louis with her family, where she enjoys her work as a digital marketing strategist and her hobbies like coaching field hockey, traveling, and of course, reading. This year, Mary's embarking on a challenge she is calling Read the USA. Her goal is to read a book set in or written by an author from every U.S. state. While Mary has made great progress already at this point in the year, she is hoping for Anne's help in picking books for a handful of states Mary has yet to visit, either in person or on the page, and is having a hard time finding options for. Mary would be thrilled if these books could do double duty. She especially enjoys learning about each state's history and culture through works of historical fiction, and she has a preference for titles she'll find at her local library. But as you'll hear today, Mary is open to all kinds of options. Today we'll tackle her list of outstanding states and discover titles she might want to add to this reading road trip. Find the list of the books discussed today and leave your suggestions for Mary on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/519. Chapters: 03:56 Meet Mary 08:32 Mary's Read the USA reading project 16:56 The Huntress by Kate Quinn 20:44 The Secret Book of Flora Lee by Patti Callahan Henry 23:05 The Library Book by Susan Orlean 25:47 Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein 41:11 The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich 44:57 The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver 49:15 Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse 51:22 Montana 1948 by Larry Watson 56:04 Groundskeeping by Lee Cole 57:56 What will Mary read next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Ep 518: Striking a feel-good balance in your reading life

    Ep 518: Striking a feel-good balance in your reading life
    Mar 17 2026
    Indie bookstore owner Nikkya joins Anne today to talk about the pain points in her reading life. Nikkya reads widely for her work as owner of Obodo Serendipity Books in Stratford, Connecticut. She is most at home as a reader in her go-to nonfiction spaces, where she knows what she likes and is able to find it. After having a real aha moment six months ago, Nikkya has been trying to strike a delicate balance between her professional reading and reading for pleasure. And it's only going okay. She's especially feeling the friction of seeking to push into genres she's less familiar with, like historical fiction, romance, and mysteries and thrillers. Today she and Anne explore what successful branching out might look like, with specific title recommendations that may feel like doable, pleasurable steps in a new direction. Find the list of titles mentioned and leave a comment sharing your suggestions for Nikkya at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/518. Around here we believe in the power of understanding your reading life, and our Patreon community is designed for readers like you. It's a space to enjoy more conversations about the books we love and why we love them. Our Friday bonus episodes are grouped around themes, like Industry Insights, our Starter Guide series, One Great Book episodes, ongoing episodes of Mini Matchmaking, and more. On top of enjoying these bonus episodes and big events like our Spring Book Library Chat and Summer Reading Guide, the financial contributions of our Patreon members are a significant part of how we pay our team, continue to create the show each week, and keep the bookish conversations flowing. To everyone who's already a member, thank you. If you're not yet, we'd love to invite you to join us. Find out more at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • Ep 517: Seeking contemporary novels to complement Jane Austen classics

    Ep 517: Seeking contemporary novels to complement Jane Austen classics
    Mar 10 2026
    It's no secret that we are fans of Jane Austen, completist author aspirations, and reading projects of all stripes. So when Tzipi Turner's guest submission landed in our What Should I Read Next? inbox, we could not wait to invite her on and talk about her project to become a Jane Austen completist herself. Tzipi lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where she works as the director of special education for a local school district and is a new grandmother. Tzipi decided to mark Jane Austen's recent 250th birthday by finally making progress towards, or maybe even actually reaching, her goal to complete all of Austen's works. But Tzipi's identified her tendency to get distracted by shiny new releases, which has inspired her to consider a book-flight kind of approach to help her kindle some enthusiasm for reading the remaining Austen titles on her list. Tzipi imagines pairing each Austen classic with a contemporary book, but what should those modern picks be? Tzipi isn't sure about that, but she and Anne will talk about it today. Find the list of titles discussed and leave your recommendations for Tzipi on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/517. This week we are also celebrating the sixth anniversary of Anne's book, Don't Overthink It. Since its release in 2020, new readers continue to find their way to it and find it interesting and helpful when they do. If you have not yet picked up Don't Overthink It, we would love to invite you now to add it to your 2026 reading list. Find out more and get your copy of Don't Overthink It wherever you like to buy your books. We're also having a little sale in honor of the book's sixth anniversary, and that discount is reflected in our shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 mins
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I love this podcast so much!!! Definitely give it a go. Anne Bogel is wonderful and so insightful.

Brilliant book podcast

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