And the thing I say is, first of all, I enjoy his writing no matter what you say.

You can't talk bad to me about saying things.

Hey readers, I'm Ann Bogall, and this is What Should I Read Next Episode 238.

Welcome to the show that's dedicated to answering the question that plagues every reader.

What should I read next? We don't get bossy on this show.

What we will do here is give you the information you need to choose your next read.

Every week we'll talk all things books and reading and do a little literary matchmaking with one guest.

Readers, I've been a life-long book lover and was lucky enough to always have been encouraged

in that pursuit. Today's guest Lamar Giles credits his love of reading to his mom,

who was always willing to buy him a book. But there was a time when reading just wasn't cool

among his friends and he nearly lost that love. Luckily, it stuck, and today we get to talk about

two of his favorite reading interests, children's books and horror novelist Stephen King,

as well as transiting stereotypes, why it matters for a book to act both as a mirror of your own

life and a window into someone else's, and great novels where the setting is a character in its own right.

This episode was recorded and aired last year as episode 186, finding the book that feels like

it was written just for you. If you haven't heard it before, you are in for a treat. Lamar is an

absolute delight to talk books with, and this is a great episode to listen to in early summer

when you might have young readers at home looking for something to keep them busy.

But it's also a great time to revisit this one, even if you've listened before, as we also have

a deep conversation about the series business of reading, what it means to have characters that

reflect your experience, and what has worked with the nonprofit he's a founding member of We Need

Diverse Books, as well as the work that's still to be done. Lamar is a busy guy as you'll hear.

...