Ep 456: Timeless meets timely: Anne diagnoses why Ginger loves New England books

We hosted our Spring Book Preview last week, and if you missed out on that event you're in luck: today we're sharing an excerpt to whet your spring reading appetite! In this sneak peek at our Spring Book Preview live event, you'll hear Anne tell you about 3 of the 35 titles included in the preview. Spring Book Preview is one of our marquee events that we host for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and Patreon Community members. Our community members provide tangible, financial support for our show and our team of readers, and we love to say thank you by sharing special events like this one. If you like what you hear today and want to get your hands on the full Spring Book Preview booklet and video event replay we'd love for you to join us either by becoming a member of one of our communities or by purchasing your ticket for a la carte access. Click here for more information and to get your Spring Book Preview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of the readers we talk to tune into the seasons to inspire their next read, and today's guest has a twist on the usual seasonal reading dilemma: Nell Cavallo is joining Anne today from midsummer in Sydney, Australia. When Nell sent in her guest submission for the show, she told us that as a southern hemisphere reader, winter meant reading the shiny and new titles that are summer releases here in the U.S. For Nell, her summer reading was all about backlist titles. Nell loves reading backlist, but she agonizes over choosing what older books to read next, because there are just so many good backlist books to read. She wants to make careful choices, she wants them to be the right ones, and it can leave her feeling stuck. Today we'll talk about that and Anne recommends titles that provide her with that brain-fizzy feeling she loves, especially books that are emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating. Find the list of titles mentioned today and share your suggestions for Nell by leaving a comment on our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/461. It's a new reading year and that makes it a great time to start a new journal: keeping track of what you're reading has a big impact on your reading satisfaction. Anne's reading journal, My Reading Life, is the perfect companion for your year of reading. Get yours at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop or at your local bookstore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're kicking off 2025 with a special episode: today Anne is joined by her husband Will Bogel to discuss Anne's best books of the past year. Every week here on the show, we take a personal approach to the reading life, really digging into what readers love, what they don't, and why. Our conversations are about individual readers and their individual taste, so it's not often Anne shines a spotlight on what she loves and why. But Anne doesn't work in a vacuum: her own reading life plays a role in her recommendations, and today she's sharing some insights into her taste as she shares the books that she loved most last year, and why she loved them. Find the list of the titles discussed today on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/460, where we'd love to hear from you in the comments section, too. Our Spring Book Preview is just around the corner, on January 16th at 8:30 PM EST. This is an annual event that invites our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and Patreon members to join us: we've also got a la carte tickets on sale if you're not currently part of one of those communities. There are so many incredible titles coming out this season, and Anne will be talking about her most anticipated selections with all of you. Find out more and sign up to join us at modernmrsdarcy.com/sbp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is feeling stuck between quality and quantity in her reading life. With all of the end-of-year reading reflections happening lately, Anne is here to help if you're also facing this situation. Caroline Hines lives on a Christmas tree farm, which is not really related to today's book-talk, but feels like the perfect setting for our final episode of the year. When she wrote in to get Anne's help, Caroline mentioned that since she started tracking her reading against a numerical goal, she's felt an unwelcome shift in her reading life. Rather than reaching for the heftier reads she suspects she'll love, even though they take her longer to finish, she finds herself dashing through fast-paced thrillers because she knows she'll read them quickly, not because she thinks they're perfect for her. Today she and Anne discuss the pros and cons of using a numerical reading goal, and how Caroline might enjoy that glorious feeling of falling headfirst into a book more often. Find the full list of titles mentioned and share your suggestions for Caroline by leaving a comment on our show notes page, at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/459. A quick note: our team will be taking the next two weeks off to enjoy good books and good times with our loved ones. We'll be back in January with a brand new episode—Anne's Best Books of 2024! In the meantime, enjoy our archives, or explore all of our bonus episodes, author chats, and more in our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and our Patreon community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Anne was invited to speak at WriterFest, a creative gathering for aspiring writers, published authors, screenwriters, poets, and songwriters in Nashville, we couldn't wait to share that conversation with all of you. Today we're sharing Anne's conversation with WriterFest co-founder Ami McConnell. From books and reading to the common themes they've heard people are experiencing in their creative lives right now, it's a conversation to spark your own creative spirit. Thank you again to WriterFest co-founders Ami McConnell and Sara Wigal and to their their amazing teams and volunteers who made this event happen. Let us know if you have a book or a creative moment you'd like to share by leaving a comment on our show notes page, where you'll also find the list of titles mentioned today. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/458. We're so looking forward to sharing our annual Team's Best Books of the year! This has become a tradition, and this year, we'll be gathering for this live party on December 19th. Members of our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and our Patreon Community are invited: this fun event is just one of many ways we say thank you for your financial support. Find out more and become a member at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices