Ep 457: Immersive audiobooks for cozy reading anywhere

When today's guest felt something shift in her reading life, she found herself turning to other forms of entertainment instead of the books she typically enjoys. Jacquelyn Duggan isn't thrilled with this substitution, and came to Anne for help in figuring out what's changed and what she can do about it. Jacquelyn is joining Anne from her home in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to reading, she enjoys being outside and working in her flower garden, with a special appreciation for her zinnias and roses. Today Jacquelyn and Anne explore what’s going on with her reading life right now, and Anne shares ideas to help Jacquelyn get back to reading the types of books she's been missing lately. They also discuss the one element of Jacquelyn's reading life that hasn't changed throughout this experience: her love for a great coffee table book. Find the list of titles discussed today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com. Our Fall Book Preview is coming up soon on September 17, and this year we’re featuring a new option to purchase a compact printed booklet to complement your Fall Book Preview experience. We’re calling it our lookbook. It's been thoughtfully designed in a small format and is pleasantly packed with bookish goodness for the literary season to come along with backlist recommendations perfect for fall from our team. If you’ve already purchased your a la carte ticket, or you’re a member of our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, Patreon All-Inclusive, or Patreon Bonuses & Events Tiers, then you’re all set to receive the digital guide and attend our live Unboxing. If you’d enjoy a little analog delight along with, or instead of, those digital experiences, we think you’ll really love the lookbook. Find out more and select the Fall Book Preview experience that’s right for you at modernmrsdarcy.com/fbp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is recently retired and is excited to have more time to read in this chapter of life. She wants to find good books and, in particular, long books that she can really sink into, but her library holds keep wreaking havoc with her well-laid plans. When Amy Czuba wrote into our submissions page with this plea for help, Anne could not say no. After wrapping up her career as a global HR leader, Amy said goodbye to Massachusetts after living there for nearly 40 years and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where she's now enjoying soaking up the history of her new hometown.  Amy is here today seeking ideas for those long books that she's craving. She would especially enjoy a book that teaches her about a topic she might not otherwise learn about. Amy also has a goal to read more books from her as-yet-unread pile of titles that she already owns, but she cannot resist a shiny new library book that's available for checkout at her local branch, and this is keeping her from reading through her owned titles. Anne has ideas to share. Find the list of titles discussed today and share your tips for Amy on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/540. Our eighth annual Fall Book Preview releases on Thursday, September 17th to members of Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and our Patreon All-Inclusive and Bonuses & Events tiers, plus our a la carte ticket holders. The Fall Book Preview experience includes our 12-page digital PDF lookbook and an invitation to our live Unboxing event happening at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 17th. This year we are also offering a printed, delivered by snail mail lookbook that is available as an add-on to your Fall Book Preview experience order or as a standalone purchase. Mark your calendars, get your a la carte ticket or professionally printed lookbook, or just get more information at ​modernmrsdarcy.com/fbp​. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week you heard part one of our team’s selections for their best books of summer. And as promised, today we’re back with another round of book talk. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Executive Producer Will Bogel, Community Coordinator Brigid Misselhorn, Community Manager Shannan Malone, and Media Production Specialist Holly Wielkoszewski. As with last week, today’s team members represent a cross-section of the bookstore. Today’s conversation features sci-fi and fantasy picks that range from cozy to dystopian, thrillers and stories with non-stop action, memoir, and nonfiction.  Find the list of titles discussed today and tell us more about your favorite summer reads on our show notes page. Today we’re talking about summer books we’ve loved, but fall is just around the corner and that means it’s almost (or already!) sweatshirt season. Our shop is freshly stocked with all colors and sizes of our MMD Sorority Sweatshirt. We spent literal years finding just the right source for this sweatshirt: after a long, painstaking process, we're thrilled with how it came together. Based on our original sales from our limited spring release, so were you. Order yours now and shop all our merch, including our newly available Fall Book Preview print lookbook, at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years now, our team members have joined Anne on the podcast in late summer to share the books they’ve been loving most this season. Last year, we split this conversation into two episodes: we heard really positive feedback, so that’s what we’re doing again this year.   In today’s episode, the first in our two part series, Anne is in conversation with three of our team members: our Resident Spreadsheet Queen Donna Hetchler, our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club Community Manager Ginger Horton, and Modern Mrs Darcy Editor and Social Media Manager Leigh Kramer. Next week, you'll hear from the rest of our team. Our reading lives vary widely and we read across a range of genres that reflect the reading world at large. Today you’ll hear about true crime and books in translation, a backlist novel that inspired an award-winning musical, a literary mystery from a fan favorite author, romantasy and thriller titles that captured our team’s imagination this season, and more.  Find the list of titles discussed today and leave a comment to share your best book of the summer on ⁠our show notes page.⁠ Fall reading is just around the corner and if you’re curious about the titles that you may be hearing about in the weeks ahead, or what new releases might be suited to your TBR list, our Fall Book Preview was designed to help with those answers. We’ll be gathering for our 8th annual Fall Book Preview on Thursday, September 17. A la carte ticketholders and eligible community members will receive a downloadable digital preview, as well as an invitation to the live Unboxing event happening that night at 8pm EDT.  We’re also offering a printed booklet edition of the digital preview: it’s smaller and in a different format than our printed magazine-style Summer Reading Guide, and priced accordingly. Find out more and join us at modernmrsdarcy.com/fbp.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear from many readers who set reading goals informed by their to-be-read stacks, whether physical or digital. Today's guest has a specific and relatable goal of making progress through her library of already purchased ebooks. Danielle Petrie lives and works in the Canadian prairies, where she enjoys swing dancing, outdoor activities, and reading. Historically, it's been important to Danielle to keep her ebook library at about 50% read, with the other half ready to enjoy. But lately, Danielle's balance has tipped heavily towards the purchased but not yet read end of the spectrum. When she reached out as a potential guest, she was currently sitting at 36% read, and shared her desire to create a reading challenge to bring that ratio back into balance and focus on reading from her unread library of titles. Today, she and Anne take a look at Danielle's reading life, see what's on her Kindle and how it got there, and make a plan for her to experience reading satisfaction on several different levels. Find the titles discussed today and leave your suggestions for Danielle on our show notes page. For many years now in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, we mark the month of August by reading an Austen novel. This year, we're reading Pride and Prejudice. We'll enjoy reading through the annotated edition together, gathering for a watch party of the 1995 BBC edition, and enjoying all things Austen all month long. We'd love to have you join us and stick around into the fall for more bookish connection and conversation. Get all the details or join us now at modernmrsdarcy.com/club.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices