Today’s guest is Susan Meissner, a historical fiction author based in the Pacific Northwest. You might know Susan from books like Only the Beautiful and The Nature of Fragile Things: Susan is also a reader and listener and today she's here to talk with Anne about her readerly dilemma.
Susan writes character-driven, historical fiction: sometimes books like hers are described as “quiet” and she’s okay with that. Susan knows what she loves to write and what she loves to read. But lately, there have been whispers in the industry that this kind of “quieter” historical fiction is not what readers want right now. Instead, today’s readers are seeking out short, snappy, and plotty books. At least, that’s the conventional industry wisdom these days. So what does that mean for Susan and everyone else loves to read and write "quiet" books?
As a lover of these types of books herself, Anne's been mulling over Susan's query, and in today's conversation, they unpack the quiet novel and discuss its place in today’s literary landscape. They dive into questions like what it even means to call a book “quiet” and whether readers have indeed lost their appetite for them, before sharing titles that are highly character-driven while also offering incredibly compelling plots. Whether you know you like quiet books or aren't quite sure, today's show is sure to pique your curiosity.
Find the full list of titles discussed today and share your thoughts (and book recommendations) with Susan on our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/423.
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Ep 193: Rolling the dice on your next read
Ep 192: Wherever you read, I will follow
Ep 191: When a great book wrecks your reading life
Ep 190: There's nothing like a little bookish momentum
Ep 189: Our favorite genre is chapter books
Ep 188: Books, plants, and literal bibliotherapy
Ep 187: Traveling the world without leaving your hometown
Ep 186: Finding the book that feels like it was written just for you
Ep 185: What should you read this summer?
Ep 184: You’ll never conquer your TBR—and that’s a good thing
Ep 183: Baking, books, and other everyday magic
Ep 182: Matching the right (audio)book to the right listener
Ep 181: Taking your reading life from good to great
Ep 180: Rearranging your life to read 600 books a year
Ep 179: Life is short & my TBR is way too long
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Ep 178: The Next Right Thing for your reading life
Ep 177: When your reading life is a roller coaster
Ep 176: Books in the freezer, & other horror stories
Ep 175: Your library called and they want their books back
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