What Should I Read Next?

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the end of last year, you heard us ask for your help to create this celebratory episode. For ten years now, you've been telling us how this show has bolstered your reading life, and in some cases, completely transformed it. We don't just talk book titles here: we love diving deep into conversations that explore why we love what we love, why some books just don't work for us, and importantly, what it all means in our reading lives.  We firmly believe that the reason this format works, week in and week out, is that we are constantly together, finding the universal in the specific. While each week Anne gets granular with a reader about their highly unique and individual reading life, the conversation gives you a framework by which to think about your own reading life. For today's show, we wanted to celebrate what What Should I Read Next? has done for your reading lives, and specifically, we wanted to hear what good books you found through the show. With that in mind, we asked you to call in and tell us about a title you discovered, or finally made time to read, because of the show. Your messages poured in, and our team so enjoyed listening to and reading them. Today, you'll hear a collection of oft-repeated themes, a few surprises, and a whole bunch of delightful reading moments.  As always, we've collected all the titles, plus links to the episodes mentioned by our readers, you'll hear from today over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/509. If you didn't have a chance to call in with your title, or you'd like to share your reading memory, it's never too late to talk about a book you love. We would love it if you'd leave a comment with your best, favorite, most memorable books and moments at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com. A few weeks from now, we are airing a special episode of Ask Anne Anything, and we are inviting members of our Patreon community to submit their questions and join Anne live for this episode recording. If you'd like to be there as it happens and or share your burning questions in advance, you can do that by joining us over on Patreon, where you will also unlock immediate access to our full archive of bonus episodes, past summer and seasonal guides, and special membership events like our team's best books of the year. Find out more and join us at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're kicking off 2026 and a year of exciting milestones today! On January 12th, we are celebrating 10 years of our podcast: we'll be sharing a few special podcast episodes to mark this moment. And as you'll hear today, as we move into the rest of 2026, there is plenty more to celebrate. While today's episode isn't technically part of our anniversary celebrations, it's become an annual tradition over the past few years. Today, Anne is joined by her husband and our executive producer Will Bogel to talk about her favorite reads of the past year. Find the list of titles mentioned today and chime in with your 2025 favorites at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/508. Thank you so much to everyone who has listened, supported our show in all the ways, and been a crucial part of our community of readers. We look forward to celebrating the joy of a good book with you all year long. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices