Ep 476: Offbeat, intricately plotted books for an ambitious reading project
Reading projects take all shapes and sizes, and today's guest has set a goal to read all the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlists and winners.
Today, Anne is talking books with Kathryn, who lives on the island of Okinawa, Japan, with her military husband and energetic golden retriever. Kathryn works for a nonprofit and spends her leisure time reading, knitting, or walking on the beach close to their home.
Since Kathryn's project is an ambitious one, she's come up with a strategy of reading one year at a time, though not necessarily in chronological order. Today she and Anne talk about which years or titles she may want to bump to the top of her read-next list. They also touch on reading project fatigue and ways Kathryn can truly enjoy the process of reaching her reading goal.
Find the list of titles mentioned today and share your reading and project recommendations for Kathryn by leaving a comment over at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/476.
Our 2025 Summer Reading Guide is nearly here: we'll be gathering on May 15th for our live unboxing party. Get your RSVP and digital guide by joining our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club or Patreon community, or purchase an a la carte ticket. Join us to kick of summer reading season: get the details at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg.
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1:13:42
Ep 475: Help for a fiction lover who wants to read more nonfiction
Today's guest is an avid reader, retired social worker, and What Should I Read Next? completist who lives in New Jersey. Jill Jaclin has a reading conundrum: she really wants to read more nonfiction, but she's struggled to find a way to incorporate it into her reading life.
As she told Anne, she also knows that there are nonfiction books out there that will educate her if only she would take the time to read them. In fact, she's got a whole bookshelf full of books that she's acquired but hasn't touched. Today, Anne helps Jill explore her unread shelf and offers ideas to refine her reading balance in the future.
Find the full list of titles discussed today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/475.
We're just a few weeks away from releasing our 2025 Summer Reading Guide. If you're a part of our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club or Patreon communities, the digital Guide and unboxing party are included in your membership. We're also offering our popular a la carte tickets again for 2025. Find all of the details at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg.
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48:59
Ep 474: Burnout and the reading life
Readers, if you are feeling burned out right now, you are not alone. In our team meeting last week, we talked about the fact that things are hard right now. That's why this feels like a great time to revisit a favorite past episode from another time not so long ago when we were also feeling burned out.
Today we're sharing Anne's May 2021 conversation with journalist Anne Helen Petersen, which originally aired back then as Episode 284. Anne Helen writes the weekly email newsletter Culture Study and she knows a lot about burnout because she literally wrote a book about it: Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation.
In today's episode, Anne Helen shares her personal experience with reading during a grueling season, advice and hope for readers who feel stuck in burnout, and a handful of backlist favorites from her own bookshelves. No matter how your reading life has evolved over the last few years, or even if it hasn't, we think you'll find comfort and insight in today's episode.
Find the full list of titles mentioned today at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/474.
We've been working hard behind the scenes to prepare your 2025 Summer Reading Guide! This year will be our 14th annual Summer Reading Guide, and we kick off the celebration with our live unboxing before continuing with all sorts of bonus reading adventures in Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club and in our Patreon community. Order your Summer Reading Guide at modernmrsdarcy.com/srg.
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51:22
Ep 473: Refining an out-of-date TBR system
When the world feels heavy, many of us look to books for distraction, inspiration, or reassurance. Today's guest has a unique spin on what she's seeking and would love Anne's help in figuring out how the types of reads she wants right now fit into her existing to-be-read (TBR) system.
Émilie Weidl lives in Wales, where she's taken a year off before starting her PhD. When she's not reading or volunteering, you'll likely find her out for a walk or a hike, exploring the beautiful country around her.
Émilie has always had a good grasp on her reading tastes, but lately she's found that the historical fiction she's always loved isn't working well for her. She's also having a hard time reading nonfiction because the topics she's been drawn to in the past feel harrowing right now. Plus, she's found that the TBR management system she's relied on for ages isn't work as well as it used to.
Émilie's looking for absolutely gut-wrenching books that will distract her from her real-world worries, and a system that will help her tee up books she'll really enjoy reading right now. Anne has ideas for Émilie, as you'll hear today.
Suggest gut-wrenching reads you think Émilie might enjoy and see the full list of titles discussed today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/473.
We always have exciting things on the horizon in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, and right now is no exception. Next week, we're going to learn all about Commonplace Books: what they are, and how to keep one, also why you might want to. When you join the club, you get immediate access to this class and all of our past events, along with our 2025 Summer Reading Guide which is coming out in May. Join us for a month or longer and experience the reading buffet book club has to offer.
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1:00:46
Ep 472: Literary + Genre = match made in heaven
Finding highly discussable books for book clubs often feels like a full-time job, especially if you're a member of multiple long-standing book clubs like today's guest, Lara.
Today, Lara joins Anne to talk about her constant search for fiction that explores the human condition in all its messy glory. She loves these sorts of books because they give her so much to talk about with her fellow readers. Recently, Lara was listening to an episode of our podcast when she heard Anne mention her appreciation for books that are literary AND, as in literary novels that also bring in strong genre elements like romance or adventure or mystery. Lara's reaction was, Oh, me too.
In their conversation today, she and Anne talk more about books that are literary AND, and Anne recommends specific titles Lara may want to add to her TBR.
Find the full list of those titles and other links from today's show at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/472.
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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.
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