What Should I Read Next?

We often hear from book club members who are interested in finding the right picks for their reading groups. Today Anne explores a deliciously fun twist on this idea with guest Madeline Janney, an early intervention speech therapist with a unique community-based hobby you'll hear more about today.

This year, Madeline and her mom are forming a book club of two in their hometown of New Orleans. And, they'd love to pair their to-be-read list with discussions at the local restaurants they've been dying to try.

Madeline would love Anne's help to find books they can enjoy reading together every month, and is especially hoping for ideas on how to slightly structure their conversations.  She and Anne explore books that suit the small space where Madeline's reading tastes overlap with her mom's.

We hope you enjoy listening in today—find the list of titles mentioned and share your recommendations for Madeline at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/514.

We'd love to make sure that you're only getting the emails you really want from us, and not missing out on any that you would enjoy. You may already receive the Tuesday morning emails about this show: we also send out our Modern Mrs Darcy newsletter, which includes Anne's weekly "Links I Love" posts, occasional personal newsletters not readable via the blog, and new posts from Anne and members of our team. You're also invited to sign up for our popular eBook deals digest. When you visit modernmrsdarcy.com/subscribe, you can check any or all of the boxes to sign up for emails you'd love to see in your inbox each week.
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Readers, we have a special episode for you today: Anne is talking with one of her favorite authors, Maggie O'Farrell.

They're not just talking about one book, one film, or one story today; instead, their conversation explores the creative process, and why certain stories resonate both broadly and individually. They discuss emotional resonance and joy and sorrow and pain, and bringing worlds to life in a way that feels real and true and urgent.

We hope this episode will help you think about what you enjoy, on the page and on the screen, and why you enjoy it.

Find the list of titles mentioned and continue the conversation by leaving a comment on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/513.

Because of the way Anne and Maggie O'Farrell recorded their conversation today, we are able to share a video as a bonus over in our Patreon community. If you'd like to see them talk books on the screen, join us at ​patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext​ to see that recording and access our full archive of other bonus episodes.
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Today's guest has been on a long run of three or three-and-a-half-star reads. This isn't bad, but it's not what she's looking for, so she and Anne dive into this conundrum together.

Meredith Wiggins works in library services from her hometown of Lawrence, Kansas, which means she is well-versed in recommending books to readers and finding great titles for herself.

Lately, though, Meredith has struggled to find the five-star reads that leave her in the best kind of tears at book's end. She's already tried a few solutions that haven't much helped, so she and Anne will dig deeper into what's going on and what tactics might put Meredith back on track to find these standout titles she's seeking. Anne hopes to leave Meredith with more insight into what exactly is going on here, plus ideas for titles and techniques that might just turn this trend around in the year to come and find plenty of stunners that she'll be glad she read.

Find the list of titles discussed today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/512.

We are always happy to welcome new listeners to our show. Whether you've recently found our show or you've been listening for all 10 years, we have so many good bookish conversations to bolster your reading life. Our What Should I Read Next? homepage is a great place to start. For more insight into past conversations, consider joining our Patreon community and you'll get access to our super secret spreadsheet, which lists every episode, every book recommended, and a quick summary of each episode's focus. Find us there at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.
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Across the years, we've periodically hosted Ask Anne Anything events in our Patreon community, and today you're hearing a replay of our latest gathering. These live events invite our Patreon community members to submit their burning questions, and Anne does her best to answer as many of them as she can.

As we continue to mark 10 years of this podcast and all the books and reading talk we've enjoyed across those years, we thought a live AMA would be a fun way to celebrate. You'll get to hear the range of questions and Anne's answers in this replay of a casual, fun, unscripted event that really represents the feel of our Patreon community. We hope you'll enjoy listening.

Find the list of titles and links mentioned today at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/511

Our Patreon community is an intimate corner of the book universe, where we get the chance to periodically gather in smaller groups for events like the one you're hearing today. Our community is gathering next on February 7th for our Reader's Day Spring Preview Library Chat. This is a relaxed and laid back virtual get together where Anne will talk about the spring releases she's most excited about. Members of our Patreon and Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club communities are invited, so if you'd like to join us for that event, weekly bonus episodes, and other upcoming good stuff, like our 2026 Summer Reading Guide, check out the details and join us over at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext.
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Our guest today is searching for classics in audio format, with narration that brings stories and characters alive.

Janae Mast lives in small town, Kansas, where she's a stay-at-home mom to her young son and looking forward to the arrival of her second child this spring. Janae's found that the audio format works especially well for her in this season of life, and she's here to get ideas for classics on audio that offer immersive reading experiences, that prompt curiosity, and that teach her new things about a moment in time or significant historical event.

We love this quest for Janae. Today, she and Anne explore titles that may fit Janae's listening criteria this spring.

For the full list of titles discussed and to share your suggestions for Janae, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/510.

Here at What Should I Read Next? and Modern Mrs Darcy, we have lots of tools you can use to keep your reading life on track as you start a fresh year of reading. Explore our collection of Leuchtturm journals as well as Anne's reading journals, My Reading Life and My Reading Adventures. Find the reading journal of your choice and more bookish accessories at ModernMrsDarcy.com/shop.
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