What Should I Read Next?

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

We love unique reading projects around here, and today's guest has maintained hers since 2021. We're going to hear all about it and explore how she's adding a new twist for 2026. Kate Mosesso is a reader and improv comedian who lives and works in Chicago. She's a lifelong reader, and while she loves the stories on the page, she's an even bigger fan of the connections that reading fosters. Since 2021, Kate's undertaken a community-inspired reading project: every month, she reads a book recommended by a loved one. This project has led her to a lot of great books and given her a new way to connect with people she loves: friends, family members, even favorite professors. For 2026, she's thinking of a new angle for this long-time project and is interested in discussing how to make it really work for her. Today, we're going to explore what's happening with Kate's project, the changes she'd like to make for the year ahead, and what we can do about it. Anne recommends titles and tips to infuse Kate with confidence and enthusiasm for her reading year to come. Find the full list of titles mentioned today and leave your recommendations for Kate on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/505. If you're curious about what the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club is all about, today Anne shares a peek behind the scenes of this online community. From our annual readers' retreats to author talks and classes to help you make the most of your reading life, Book Club is full of things to look forward to each year. Our team Best Books of the Year event is coming up in January, an event that's only available for our online communities. And looking ahead for 2026, our Book Club members will enjoy our February Readers' Day with a Spring Book Preview themed library chat, our Summer Reading Guide unboxing, Austen in August, and more good nerdy fun. We hope you'll join us in 2026 as we celebrate 10 years of the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. A Book Club membership also makes a fantastic last-minute holiday gift. Find out more or sign up now at modernmrsdarcy.com/club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historical fiction is a popular genre among many, but today's guest learned a lot about her reading life when she realized this genre wasn't for her! Today Anne is talking with Laura Howard, an Atlanta-area faculty developer and part-time university professor. She’s always seen reading as both a personal joy and a form of connection, whether with the fellow members of her longstanding book club or with other friends and neighbors.  When Laura realized she wasn't a fan of historical fiction, she was also able to pinpoint why: she’d prefer to learn about the actual history of events before reading fiction inspired by real life. She also has a specific list of topics she’d love to explore via engrossing nonfiction books. A high priority is keeping those books on the shorter side. Laura has tried to research on her own to find titles that meet her needs, but she’s found the options online to be totally overwhelming. That brings her here today: Anne and Laura dive in to identify great nonfiction about history. Please share your ideas for Laura by leaving a comment on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/504, where you'll also find the list of titles discussed today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices