Ep 289: A ridiculous plan to read more books
29 June 2021 - 47 minsToday’s guest created a unique plan to help him tackle the books one “must read before they die,” but now he’s looking for less planning and more bookish serendipity.
Author, blogger, and podcaster Neil Pasricha hosts the show 3 Books, where he talks with avid readers about the three most formative books in their lives. The show originated as a way for Neil to find lesser known titles and backlist books to boost his reading life. Now, he finds himself assigning too much “reading homework,” and he’s looking for ways to spend more time connecting with each book he reads instead of breezing through to the next checkmark on his TBR.
Between two book podcasters we cover a lot of ground today....
Ep 423: Quiet, compelling, and wildly popular novels
Today’s guest is Susan Meissner, a historical fiction author based in the Pacific Northwest. You might know Susan from books like Only the Beautiful and The Nature of Fragile Things: Susan is also a reader and listener and today she's here to talk with Anne about her readerly dilemma. Susan writes character-driven, historical fiction: sometimes books like hers are described as “quiet” and she’s okay with that. Susan knows what she loves to write and what she loves to read. But lately, there have been whispers in the industry that this kind of “quieter” historical fiction is not what readers want right now. Instead, today’s readers are seeking out short, snappy, and plotty books. At least, that’s the conventional industry wisdom these days. So what does that mean for Susan and everyone else loves to read and write "quiet" books? As a lover of these types of books herself, Anne's been mulling over Susan's query, and in today's conversation, they unpack the quiet novel and discuss its place in today’s literary landscape. They dive into questions like what it even means to call a book “quiet” and whether readers have indeed lost their appetite for them, before sharing titles that are highly character-driven while also offering incredibly compelling plots. Whether you know you like quiet books or aren't quite sure, today's show is sure to pique your curiosity. Find the full list of titles discussed today and share your thoughts (and book recommendations) with Susan on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/423. Stay up to date with What Should I Read Next events and happenings, like the upcoming book festivals Anne is speaking at this season. Subscribe to our email newsletter and you’ll receive all the essential information: sign up at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hour 2 mins
26 March Finished
Ep 422: Fiction and memoir, but make it travel
Today's bookish goal: finding the right books to fuel a reader's wanderlust. Georgia-based Joy has traveled extensively and even lived abroad, but now that she's not on the road, she's looking to load up her bookshelf with titles that will take her vicariously to places she can't get to right now in real life. Joy know what she loves when she reads it, but she's struggled with finding a good system when it comes to selecting her travel reads in the first place. Today, she and Anne explore that struggle. After closely examining Joy's loves, as well as a title or two that hasn't worked so well for her, Anne adds both fiction and nonfiction travel narratives to Joy's to-be-read stack that she will actually enjoy reading next. See the full list of titles mentioned and add your suggestions for Joy by leaving a comment on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/422. Keep up with upcoming bookish events, like Anne's upcoming appearances at literary festivals this spring, by visiting our events page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
46 mins
19 March Finished
Ep 421: Go ahead, judge that book by its cover
Today’s guest's love of reading was reignited in late 2022 when she found a path into the bookish zeitgeist by reading a super-popular series. Around the same time, Julie Van Huizen found herself surrounded by her friends' end-of-year reading wrap-ups, which left her feeling inspired, intimidated, challenged, and curious. That curiosity led Julie to declare 2023 her year of intentional reading, and it ended up being an exceptional experience that she and Anne talk about today. Julie and Anne explore the monthly reading formula that works for Julie, and what makes for a satisfying reading "diet". They also talk about the power of getting plugged into what Julie calls “the book people network” and why she’s so excited about being part of the literary and pop culture conversations. Anne's recommendations today are full of all of the ingredients Julie loves on her shelf. If you have ideas for Julie, we'd love to hear your recommendations: please leave a comment on our show notes page, where you'll also find the list of all the titles we discussed in today's show. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/421. If you’d like more book talk without having to join BookTok, you'll love our Patreon community! Patrons enjoy a whole range of bonus episodes and special events, while also playing a huge part in bringing this show to your listening ears each week. If you’re already a patron, THANK YOU so much. If you’re not, it might be just the book community you’re looking for. Find out more at our Patreon site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
55 mins
12 March Finished
Ep 420: Soul-changing reads with staying power
Today, Anne talks with Courtney Dezahd about discovering themes in her reading and finding novels that will stick with her long after she turns the last page. Courtney is a marketing professional and a mom whose reading tastes range from World War I history to outdoor survival stories and beyond. But lately, she's really honed in on themes she always finds satisfying, like stories of unrequited love and the triumph of the human spirit. Courtney's looking to find more books that will stick with her for years, if not decades, and deliver soul-changing reading experiences. Anne has recommendations that speak to Courtney's bookish quest. We've collected the full list of those titles on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/420. In today's episode, you'll also hear a brief update about our recent change to the Airwave Media Podcast Network. If you'd like to share your opinions to help inform our future partnerships with advertisers, we'd be grateful for your time and input. There's a short survey at this link, and it would be a big help to us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
46 mins
27 February Finished
Ep 419: Romance is my entire personality
Today's guest Farrah Rochon is passionate about the romance genre, Disney, and the city of New Orleans (among other things), and today Farrah and Anne dive into all of the juicy details. Farrah is a prolific romance author with 45 books to her name, so you may be as surprised as we were to learn that she never intended to write in this genre in the first place. Obviously, that's changed, and today she and Anne chat about what drew her to this particular genre, what she's learned over the years, and her current writing process as an obsessive plotter. They also get into the state of the industry and what it means for Farrah's writing life these days. Find the full list of the titles we discussed today, including Farrah's two forthcoming books, on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/419. We'd love it if you'd leave a comment suggesting a romance novel you've loved lately. Finally, if you've heard a few small changes in recent episodes, that's because we’ve recently made the change to the Airwave Media network. We share more about this at the top of today's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
58 mins
20 February Finished
Ep 418: Swipe right for book love
Amy Rohn joins Anne to talk about literal literary matchmaking: the ups and downs of her life as a reader in search of real-life romance. We’re exploring what she looks for in a partner, whether they’re a reader or not, and truly baffling stories from her attempts at talking to men on dating apps about books. Plus, we discuss Amy's newfound love affair with nonfiction after a lifetime of sticking to fantastical fiction, bookstore architecture, stylish prose, the book she had a huge grudge against in middle school. Of course, Anne plays matchmaker herself, recommending three titles Amy may enjoy reading next! Today's conversation, which you may have heard when it originally aired in 2020 as Episode 221, is just as good the second time around. If you think you're Amy's book twin or you have recommendations for her or readers with similar tastes, please let us know in the comments section over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/418. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
48 mins
13 February Finished