What Should I Read Next?
Anne Bogel is the host of the podcast, “What Should I Read Next?” and is based in Louisville, KY. The premise of the show is simple and effective. Anne invites a guest (sometimes a couple, a mother and daughter or two friends) and asks them to share with her three books they love and one they hate. The guest provides context for this love/hate relationship with certain books and genres. After the guest shares his/her information, Anne proceeds to provide three book recommendations to the guest. Anne’s hope is that she will offer some book suggestions that the guest has not previously read which is quite difficult given that the guest is always an avid reader. Over time you will see that Anne is not giving the recommendations on the fly, rather she has reviewed the guest’s book list ahead of time. Regardless of this preparation, the show still feels rather genuine.
Anne’s voice is pleasant and her laughter authentic. She puts her guests at ease which makes for a comfortable interview and an overall enjoyable experience. “What Should I Read Next?” provides a feel for what a book is about (typically spoiler alerts are not needed) and why it is appealing or not to another ordinary person. The downside is that if you read a book that has been suggested on the show you might not like it. However, the guests have such wide-ranging backgrounds that once you get through a lot of episodes you will likely have heard both positive and negative reviews of any one book.
“What Should I Read Next?” lasts about an hour. I consider time spent listening to be a bit of an indulgence and use it as a reward for having worked hard during the week. If you LOVE reading fiction – although the show covers non-fiction too – then I believe you will enjoy this podcast. Take the hour to listen to it – you deserve it!