Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
stephen king
I’m that girl… on the subway, on the train, on the plane, in a restaurant… If I see someone with a book, and I (ever so politely and not at all overtly) crane my neck and can’t see the title, well – I will ask people what they’re reading, if they look even remotely approachable. Annoying, but I just can’t help myself. Otherwise, I would never interrupt someone I didn’t know! Celebrities? Never! Friend of a friend that I met years ago? Probably not! However, my reading disease is in the advanced stages, and I am compelled to discover anything new that I might enjoy…
Since retiring, I have more time to read, as I have shouted from the mountaintops ad nauseam. I have also become more acutely aware that I need to be very selective in what I choose, because I have WAY more books than I’ll ever have time to read. How to weed out the MUSTS from the MIGHTS? Enter the adorable Anne Bogel, from the podcast What Should I Read Next https://www.whatshouldireadnext.com, and her equally wonderful blog, The Modern Mrs. Darcy https://modernmrsdarcy.com
Anne is an avid reader, and is always on the cutting edge of what’s new, what’s coming up from publishers, while keeping a sharp eye and memory for the back-list of an author. The format for her podcast is simple, and brilliant. She has listener/readers who apply to be on the podcast, and when chosen, Anne and her guest spend the first few minutes discussing their backgrounds, their reading life and genres they enjoy. Then Anne gets more specific and asks the interviewee to share with her three books they loved, and one book they did not love. From this info, Anne makes suggestions to the participant as to what they should read next. I am amazed at how she can always find the right book for the right person – it’s her superpower!
I cannot tell you how many titles I have explored because of this podcast. Sometimes I research a book and realize it’s not for me, however, I am sometimes led to something that is for me through her suggestions. What I love about her format is that it always teaches the reader something about themselves. I think we’re sometimes the last to know about something really fundamental in our own makeup – we need for someone else to point it out to us. So, even if you don’t make it onto Anne’s podcast, you can listen to others and compare your reading preferences to theirs, do your own research, and always have a full “to be read” list or stack!
If you visit the links above, the What Should I Read Next front page has a wonderful source, where you can type the title of a book in (or the author name), and get other titles similar to it for your next reading possibility – she also provides a “Info/buy” button! Modern Mrs. Darcy has book reviews, reading challenges, e-book deals, and Anne’s always much anticipated Reading Guides. These are amazing, and all gathered and carefully curated by Anne to guide you through different reading seasons.
But, the main thing I love about Anne and her approach is that she is not a book snob. This is important! She considers everything, each genre, author, subject, etc., a possibility and important in its own way. She will say if she liked or didn’t like a book, but she does not judge. I love this. The publishing and book world, like all artistic communities, has its share of snobs. Real book lovers know that sometimes the simplest book can deliver a powerful message and that books mean different things at different times in your life. Snobs miss out!
In closing, I hope you will find the time to poke around her website and give a listen to the podcast. My life has certainly been the richer for both of these!
Until next time, blessings, my friends!
Honey, Let Me Tell You 