Today’s guest's love of reading was reignited in late 2022 when she found a path into the bookish zeitgeist by reading a super-popular series. Around the same time, Julie Van Huizen found herself surrounded by her friends' end-of-year reading wrap-ups, which left her feeling inspired, intimidated, challenged, and curious. That curiosity led Julie to declare 2023 her year of intentional reading, and it ended up being an exceptional experience that she and Anne talk about today. Julie and Anne explore the monthly reading formula that works for Julie, and what makes for a satisfying reading "diet". They also talk about the power of getting plugged into what Julie calls “the book people network” and why she’s so excited about being part of the literary and pop culture conversations. Anne's recommendations today are full of all of the ingredients Julie loves on her shelf. If you have ideas for Julie, we'd love to hear your recommendations: please leave a comment on our show notes page, where you'll also find the list of all the titles we discussed in today's show. That's at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/421. If you’d like more book talk without having to join BookTok, you'll love our Patreon community! Patrons enjoy a whole range of bonus episodes and special events, while also playing a huge part in bringing this show to your listening ears each week. If you’re already a patron, THANK YOU so much. If you’re not, it might be just the book community you’re looking for. Find out more at our Patreon site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices