What Should I Read Next?

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 his voice... and that’s because the first time Anne recorded this show, it was on her iPhone, in a moving vehicle, in the middle of nowhere, and the guest? Her husband, Will Bogel. That episode never aired, and the file got trashed a long time ago. But today Will is back to celebrate the anniversary of the show he helped test-drive a year ago! It's been a fun journey so far, and we at WSIRN are so grateful that you've taken the ride with us.  Here's to the next year of WSIRN, readers! 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 Will should read next! Connect with Will: Twitter Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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’s probably as the author of her popular cookbooks (and Bogel Family favorites) Well Fed, Well Fed 2, and Well Fed Weeknights. But that’s just the beginning of her bio, which is one of the most interesting you'll ever read. She’s a retired Roller Girl. Prague is her favorite city. Duran Duran is her favorite band. And her life is also made better by her husband Dave, sports movies, leopard print, lousy truck stop (decaf) coffee, bear crawl, and Jane Eyre.  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 Melissa should read next! Connect with Melissa: Website | Twitter | Instagram Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Assimilate or Go Home: Notes from a Failed Missionary on Rediscovering Faith,a book of essays that was recently released by HarperOne. Danielle often writes about heavy hitting topics like refugees, theology, and downward mobility, but today she and Anne are running away from the heavy stuff and are searching for good comfort reads instead. They're chatting about literary baby names, the wildly differing opinions people have about what makes a book "escapist", and book scenes so jarring they had to set them aside... forever.  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 Danielle should read next! Connect with Danielle: Website | Twitter | Facebook Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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 international border to get to a their nearest library! In this episode, Jamie and Anne dive into how this unconventional setup changes the way Jamie approaches her to-be-read list, the dreaded "you have hit your hold limit" library message, reading difficult literature as a Highly Sensitive Person, 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 Jamie should read next! Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Next for a while, you know Anne can be a bit of a personality-type geek, and Shaney shares that enthusiasm -- so prepare for a lot of nerding out! Today Anne and Shaney discuss scanning and deep-diving reading styles, books that help us understand our differences, and what to read next when you feel like your life is in limbo.  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 Shaney should read next! Connect with Shaney: Twitter | Instagram! Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 know you wanted to know about opening an independent bookstore, how to support indies this holiday season, the best three books we each read this year, and their favorite bookish gifts for this holiday season (and all year 'round.) We hope you enjoy this episode, and get a ton of great holiday gift ideas for the readers in your life. 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 books you're gifting this year! Check out The Novel Neighbor website, and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.  Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    If you want to find EVEN MORE great new gift-worthy titles, check out the Fall Releases episode of WSIRN in which Holland and Anne gushed about all the new treasures that hit bookshelves recently. And don't miss t

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's great great great great great niece! Rebecca is a longtime reader, a former writer in residence at Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, and she currently teaches creative writing in the U.K. She’s the author of Jane Austen's Guide to Modern Life's Dilemmas and the recently published book The Jane Austen Writer’s Club.  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 Rebecca should read next! Connect with Rebecca: Bloomsbury webpage | Twitter Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 LISTEN to next!  Melodee is a stay-at-home mom who owns an online literature tutorial business. Books are (clearly) her bag, and while she's taking a short break from tutoring, she wants to revitalize her love of literature by reading outside the bounds of the texts she teaches at work. Like many of us, some of Melodee's warmest memories are of her parents reading aloud to her, so today she and Anne are delving into what her favorites have been, what her least favorites have been, and what brilliant audiobook discoveries are right around the corner. (Wink, wink.) 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 Melodee should read next! Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    WSIRN highly recommends Audible as an accessible, bountiful r

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 artist and entrepreneur behind Carrot Top Paper Shop. In this episode, Anne and Jenny talk all about why we love our literary heroines of literature so much (think Anne, Elizabeth, Jane, Hermione), wrestle with what makes for a modern heroine. 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 about your own favorite literary heroines! Connect with Jenny: Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads! Check out Carrot Top Paper Shop: Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram. Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Not just for kids, not just in a theoretical sense, but in honest-to-goodness, just-for-the-joy-of-it, everyday-reading-life practice. The guest here to chat with Anne about reading KidLit for fun? The beloved and oft-requested Gretchen Rubin! You all know her as the author of The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and Better than Before, but what you mightnot know is Gretchen is a voracious reader of children's literature who is a member of THREE book clubs dedicated solely to children's lit! In this episode, Gretchen and Anne explore how Kid Lit transcends age group, why you should giving yourself permission to indulge in books written for children, how to find other adults with the same passion, and then they drop a blue million great book recommendations on you. Ready your TBRs, readers.  Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discus

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 Literature, but because they were gosh-darn fun! Here to talk about not-so-serious gateway children's literature are Jack Shepherd and Tanner Greenring, hosts of The Babysitters Club Club podcast. They each have their own story of how they found the series, and why—as thirty-something men—they've chosen to devote a large chunk of their time and attention to the books. In this episode Anne, Jack, and Tanner dive into what this series means to readers of all ages, why these books have such staying power, which babysitter they most identify with, and what Jack and Tanner are reading when they're not reading The Babysitters Club. 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 if your childhood favorites foretold the genres you enjoy now as an adult. Connect with Jack: Twitter Connect w

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 Collazo has a LOT of wisdom to share on that topic. Leigh is a school librarian who serves children from over 30 different countries at an international school in China. Today she shares all about why the middle school years are her favorite when it comes to finding the right books for the right readers. 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 books have hooked the kids in your life. Connect with Leigh: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest.  Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 young at heart topics this week: children’s literature, coming of age stories, literary heroines, kid lit for grown-ups, and more. Who better to jump-start the series than Sarah Mackenzie? Sarah is a friend, devoted reader, and Kid Lit Expert Extraordinaire. You may know her as the host of the Read Aloud Revival podcast and site, or as the author of Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace. Her mission is to help YOU help the kids in your life fall in love with books, and this episode will leave you feeling inspired and empowered to do just that. 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 about your favorite read-along memory - whether it's someone reading to you, or reading to a child in your life. Connect with Sarah: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram C

This week guest Maxwell Dunn (WellDoneBooks on YouTube) introduces Anne to a whole new wonderful world of book lovers online—the Booktube community! Booktube is known best for its voracious YA fans, but there's a book vlogger out there for every literary palate. Max is a great example of this; his videos cover serious award winners, challenging experimental works, and deep dives into substantial modern literature. In today's episode, Max & Anne discuss stories with unique structural elements, books that swing wildly between 1 and 5 star ratings, and the best way to find a Booktube creator who shares your taste.  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 Max should read next! Connect with Max:  YouTube | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 reader, but when she went through a major transition a few years back she rediscovered the therapeutic value of a welcoming book. Join Erin and Anne as they discuss armchair travel, fictional characters as friends, 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 Erin should read next! Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 are they reading now? What did they love? And what did they, uh, not love as much? Click over to the podcast website for the full list of titles discussed in this episode. What book recommendations YOU have picked up after listening to the show! Did you love them? Hate them? Let Anne know in the comments on the podcast site. Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 her whole life, so much so that her parents had to physically drag her away from bookstores when she was growing up. Anne and Ana discuss the joys and challenges of reading across borders, unpack Ana's love for the genre she's been loving recently, and explore why a Kindle is an absolutely magical device for international readers.  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 Ana should read next! Connect with Ana: Blog | Twitter | Instagram Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 bookstore ownership, her love of dysfunctional family literature, and the way meeting an author in person can change the way you experience a book. And unlike a lot of WSIRN guests -- Annie is not afraid to say she hates a book (or... a lot of books.)  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 Annie should read next! Connect with Annie: Website | Instagram Check out Annie's bookshop The Bookshelf and her podcast From The Front Porch. Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 her show, Pantsuit Politics. Sarah is drawn to nonfiction and wants to read more fiction, but tends to grab what's new and hot in fiction for fear of missing out, instead of intentionally selecting it. One of her big strengths is "input," and she loves reading about all kinds of topics to scratch that informational itch. And she's obsessed with Hamilton, so of course we go there. 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 Sarah should read next! Connect with Sarah:  Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Check out Pantsuit Politics: Website | Twitter Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, the first podcast Anne ever listened to, AND the first podcast she ever appeared on!  Erik is a HUGE reader, and in this episode we talk about how he’s made the switch back to paper books after a flirtation with e-reading, personality types, and how he avoids wasting time on bad books. 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 Erik should read next! Connect with Erik:  Twitter | Instagram Check out Erik's productivity podcast Beyond The To-Do List. Connect with Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WSIRN Instagram    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices