Why do some books with heavy topics leave you feeling uncomfortable, while other books tackling difficult subject matter make you feel understood and connected to humankind? Today, guest Mandy Lambert and host Anne Bogel pick apart the ingredients of Mandy's favorite and least favorite books to discover the subtle difference between a hard book that pays off in the end, and a hard book that’s just… hard.
Click over to the podcast website for the transcript and full list of books mentioned in this episode: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/229
You can hear more from Mandy on her blog: thisbrightlife.home.blog
Bonus episodes for you:
Readers, it is a difficult and confusing time. So this past week, we released two bonus episodes on Patreon to meet you where you are, plus some special events.
The first bonus episode is available to everyone. It's a book recommendation that has helped Anne during times of great loss and grief, and we think a lot of readers could use it in their life right now. Give it a listen at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext/posts, and feel free to share it with readers and other loved ones in your life.
Second, a patron-exlusive episode recommending 5 happy, hopeful reads, something many of you have written in to tell us you need right now. You can find this exclusive episode at patreon.com/whatshouldireadnext/posts, along with 31 other bonus episodes and livestream replays!
Finally, if you are looking for bookish community during an isolated time, now is a wonderful time to check out everything happening in our Patreon community. We are holding our quarterly Spring livestream on April 9th, which is a community get-together with Anne and Brenna to chat about what we've been reading off our home bookshelves, and share recommendations with other readers. We hope you can will join us!
Thanks to this week's sponsors:
Rothy’s is the company making stylish shoes and bags for women and girls out of recycled plastic water bottles. They’re stylish, sustainable, comfortable, and even washable—really! Get your own at Rothys.com/READNEXT.Ep 413: Literary trends and publishing predictions for 2024
Ep 412: Anne's best books of 2023
Ep 411: Super-seasonal reading, all year long
Ep 410: Building a TBR for a bucket list trip
Ep 409: Stories you can't stop thinking about
Ep 408: Reading around the world
Ep 407: Knitting unraveled my reading life
Ep 406: Holiday gift picks from our team
Ep 405: Books that pair with pumpkin spice
Ep 404: The art of discovering go-to authors
Ep 403: I feel lost when it comes to fiction
Ep 402: Reading for escape and adventure
Ep 401: Exploring spine-tingling and scary reads
Ep 400: A special episode to celebrate our 400th
Ep 399: The DNA of different book clubs
Ep 398: A reading life that shifts with the seasons
Ep 397: The ingredients for a favorite read
Ep 396: Dear Book Therapist + how bestseller lists are compiled (and why it matters)
Ep 395: A little touch of magic never hurts
Ep 394: Our team's best books of summer
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