What Should I Read Next?

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

As we wrap up our ninth year together, Anne invites our What Should I Read Next? team members to join her and share insight into what the past twelve months have meant in each of their reading lives. This episode borrows from a long-time tradition on Modern Mrs Darcy, the blog where every year Anne asks herself what worked and what didn't. Our team is answering those questions today here, from the unexpected wins to what's decidedly not worked in everyone's reading lives. You'll hear from each of our team members today for a lightning round of book talk. We love talking books as a team, and it's so fun to get to do it with the microphones on for once. We hope you'll enjoy listening to today's episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Find the full list of titles mentioned today on our show notes page, and chime in with your own comments on what worked and didn't in your reading life this year. You'll find that page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/507. This is our last episode for 2025. It's been an incredible year and we are looking to so many exciting things in 2026. Thanks to everyone who helps make this show happen: our whole team, our episode guests, our Patreon community, and each and every listener. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest has been participating in reading challenges for nearly a decade, and she's putting a unique spin on this tradition in 2026 that you'll hear about today.  Callie Dean lives in Shreveport, Louisiana, where in addition to reading she enjoys playing the violin in the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, writing children's books, and running and baking. Reading challenges aren't for every reader, but Anne wanted to talk about Callie's 2026 project because it sounds like fun and might help get you thinking about what you want from your own reading life in the year to come. Callie's challenge is both highly structured and incredibly flexible: in the new year, Callie's hoping to read one book that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Today she and Anne talk about the surprisingly difficult challenge parameters and the books Callie's already identified. Then, Anne fills in some of Callie's gaps in her 2026 reading alphabet, aiming to help her strike a delightful balance of topics, genres, and authors. The long list of titles mentioned today is collected over on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/506. The Modern Mrs. Darcy shop is full of great last-minute gifts. Treat your favorite reader to a present inspired by your shared love of reading, like our sturdy tote, gorgeous journals, or reading accessories. Anne's book journals My Reading Life and My Reading Adventures—designed with the young reader in mind—make a great gift for any style of reader, any time of year, but especially with the new year upon us. And for a truly last-minute gift with no shipping required, give a membership to the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club. Find out more and shop our in-stock selection at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices