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 266: Ask Anne Anything: Re-reads, reviews, and recommendation regrets
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Ep 257: Let’s build your holiday book list
Ep 256: The perks and pitfalls of omnivorous reading
Ep 255: Spine-tingling reads for a confirmed scaredy-cat
Ep 254: A plethora of political(ish) book recs
Ep 253: A whole bunch of book recs, from our team of readers to you
Ep 252: Books that send you racing to Google
Ep 251: I love books and books love me back
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