Ep 447: How to fix a chronic three-star situation

When today's guest, Dana Reams, told us about the cozy reader's gathering she intends to hold later this month, our team instantly wanted to RSVP "yes." Since we can't all gather at Dana's house this season, we thought we'd do the next best thing and have her on the podcast. Today, Anne is chatting with Dana about her delightful concept for this gathering. You'll hear how Dana creates richly textured, immersive reading experiences, both for herself in her own reading life and in times like these when she seeks to offer other friends and readers a sense of community and belonging in a season that could use a little boost of coziness. Plus, Dana and Anne will each share a selection of books with cozy vibes. Find the list of titles mentioned and leave a comment to share your cozy readers gathering tips at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/453 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've been wanting to talk short stories for awhile here on the podcast. When today's guest wrote in with a readerly conundrum on just this topic, it was the perfect opportunity to explore this literary topic in conversation. Jessica Crockett is joining Anne today from Chicago, where she works as a French-to-English patent translator. When she's not enjoying board games or ballroom dancing, she'll often be found reading. And today, she'd love Anne's help in untangling her relationship with short stories. Jessica really wants to love short stories: she's read a few collections that really work for her, but she's also found she keeps buying short story collections that she either never picks up or wanders away from. Jessica is wondering whether she's missing something in her short story reading experience, if she needs a change in approach. Today she and Anne dive into her situation and talk about what makes short story collections shine. Find the full list of titles mentioned and other links from today's conversation on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/452. If you are interested in short stories like today's guest, this is the perfect time to join our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club, because this November we are reading short stories together. Come join our Book Club to enjoy a full year of author talks, classes like Greek mythology for readers, and big events like Fall Book Preview and our upcoming Team Best Books of the Year. Join us for short stories by signing up at ModernMrsDarcy.com/club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are thrilled to welcome Nikki May to the show. Her new book This Motherless Land is a reimagining of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Anne was especially intrigued by this because Mansfield Park is the novel of Jane Austen's that seems most overlooked when it comes to retellings. Today, Anne has questions, and Nikki May has answers. Among some of the gems you will hear are Nikki's personal connection to Jane Austen generally and Mansfield Park in particular, the personal experiences that informed This Motherless Land, and the complexity of belonging and not belonging as explored in these pages. Anne and Nikki also discover their shared appreciation for family novels, especially complicated, messy families, and Nikki shares some of her favorites today. Find the full list of titles mentioned at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/451. Our annual traditional holiday gift-giving episode is just around the corner. If you'd like to give a bookish gift to a reader in your life and you'd like our team's help, please email hello@modernmrsdarcy.com with the subject line "Gift Help". In your email, please include details about who are you shopping for, a little bit about their reading life, and any ideas you have or the direction you'd prefer to go. We'll read some of your requests and answer lots of reader inquiries on our upcoming episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Readers, like so many of you, we have such fondness for Asheville and the Blue Ridge mountain region, which is desperately hurting in the wake of Hurricane Helene. We’ve been thinking constantly of those affected, both in Asheville and now in Florida in the aftermath of Milton. While it feels like nothing we can do can touch the enormity of what is happening on the ground, today Anne is sharing fond memories of her very first visit to Asheville and the Blue Ridge mountains, along with actual literary matchmaking audio from an event at Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville’s downtown. After sharing that clip with you, Anne talks a bit about what's changed since this 2017 conversation, and also shares a handful of her favorite North Carolina books. Malaprop's is closed while they assess the damage caused by Helene, so they're directing those who wish to support the local book community to two organizations: BeLoved Asheville, and The Binc Foundation. To help not only Malaprop's but the local community in Asheville, we're donating all proceeds from today's episodes to these two organizations. That means both advertising revenue, and any affiliate earnings we get when you shop at our links below. If you'd like to support the Asheville community during this time, we thank you for listening today, and encourage you to check out these two organizations, too. Portions of this episode originally aired in December 2017 as Episode 108: What Should I Read Next LIVE from Asheville. Find the full list of titles mentioned today at our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/450. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ontario reader Emma Sweeney wants to explore books that incorporate elements from the horror genre. She's not interested in books that give her nightmares, but she's found that these stories often prompt reflective and meaningful reading experiences. Today, she and Anne talk about finding titles that include horror elements without being truly horrifying. They also tackle Emma's other reading conundrum: she'd like to get better at discerning whether a book is a good fit for her or not before she spends 100 pages of precious reading time on stories that turn out to be not what she's looking for. We expect this conversation will resonate with so many readers this season, no matter where you fall on the spooky reading spectrum. Let us know if you have recommendations for Emma by leaving a comment on our show notes, where you'll also find the full list of titles mentioned today. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/449. A quick note: in today's conversation Emma and Anne talk about a story featuring a hurricane in North Carolina. Because this conversation was recorded before Hurricane Helene caused so much destruction, there's no mention of the recent storm. Our thoughts are with all those affected. It's time to submit your request for our upcoming gift recommendation episode, where we will help you find the books and bookish goodies for everyone on your holiday list. Tell us about your gift-giving situation and get answers from our team by emailing hello@modernmrsdarcy.com with the subject line "Gift Help". Let us know who you are shopping for, a little about their reading life, any ideas you have, or the direction you prefer to go. We will read some of your requests on our episode and answer lots of reader inquiries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices