Podcast: What Should I Read Next?

I'm still on a podcast kick, and I've just stumbled across my new favorite.

You may remember that time I raved about Overdue, and how before that I could not get enough of Serial. Well, I've listened to almost every single episode of Overdue already (they post a new one each Monday, and they're great for long drives), but I found myself really unimpressed with season two of Serial. In the spirit of only using my free time for things that make me feel content, I kicked Serial to the curb and went looking for a new show to listen to.

I found What Should I Read Next? by way of one of my favorite book bloggers, who was featured as a guest on the show a couple weeks ago, and I can't stop listening!

Here's how it goes: the host, Anne Bogel, invites a guest onto the show each week. Then, she asks the guest to talk a little bit about their reading life (what do they love about reading, how did they become a reader, etc.). The guest then shares three books that he/she loves and one that he/she hates (this is my favorite part of each episode). After that, Anne asks each guest to share a little about what they want more of in their reading life. This part always makes me feel connected to the show, because I think as a population, all of us avid readers wish for the same things: more time to read, but I love how that desire comes out in different forms for different readers. After all that, Anne shares three recommendations for the guest, based on their conversation throughout that episode.

I love listening to the podcast for two main reasons:

1. I come out with recommendations galore. One book that has been mentioned several times on the podcast is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which I'm pretty sure my friend Lorraine has recommended to me several times over already. Apparently, it's everyone's favorite book, so I'm determined to make it part of my next library haul.

2. Every episode, regardless of the guest, is a conversation between two people who love books. That in itself makes me happy, because I could also talk about books all day long and find it totally exhilarating. 

I've implemented a new routine in my effort to find a better work/life balance (see my booklist for living well here), and that is to draw a line between the work that I bring home (generally, my school work for my grad course) and the work that I do planning lessons at school. To draw that line, I've been taking a walk each day when I get home, and I'm finding that simple choice the equivalent to hitting the reset button on my attitude each day. As I walk, I pick a podcast to listen to, and because I love any and all things books, both Overdue and What Should I Read Next? have become my go-to's for listening.

I'm still on the lookout for more though, so if you have a favorite literary-minded podcast, please send me a recommendation!

(I'm also open to recommendations for audiobooks, for those who know which ones are good!)