Ep 526: Anne unboxes the 2026 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide

What Should I Read Next?

Anne Bogel

Arts, Books, Leisure

4.8 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, Anne is sharing an excerpt from our 2026 Summer Reading Guide Live Unboxing. To mark our 15th Guide, we’re inviting you to listen in as she tells you all about this year's Minimalist Picks. During our Summer Reading Guide Unboxing, Anne goes through every book and tells you why out of the hundreds of books she considered for the Guide that year, these are the ones she landed on. What makes them interesting, what is each story like, what kinds of readers might they appeal to? In today’s excerpt, we're sharing what Anne had to say about the six titles in this year’s Minimalist Guide. We hope this gives you an exciting preview of our 15th Summer Reading Guide. For the list of titles mentioned today and more, visit our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/526. This year's complete Guide includes 35 new-for-2026 releases, our popular “For fans of” backlist recommendations, Awesome on Audio picks, reading retreat best practices from our team, and a splashy anniversary feature looking back on 15 years of the SRG. If you’ve not yet gotten your Guide, you can do that now or anytime with instant digital delivery. Your a la carte purchase or membership also grants you access to our video Unboxing of the entire Guide. We’re also offering a professionally printed guide, delivered straight to your mailbox in the U.S. These are shipping now: visit our shop at modernmrsdarcy.com/shop to order yours. That's where you'll also find retreat-worthy merch, like our cozy new sorority sweatshirt, a brand new hat that I hope brings a smile to your face, restocked book darts, stickers, totes, and more more. Chapters 03:05 What’s in the 2026 Summer Reading Guide? 04:52 The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh 07:23 Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan 9:48 Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy 12:10 Land by Maggie O’Farrell 13:54 The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders 15:38 Whistler by Ann Patchett 17:58 How to get the complete 2026 Summer Reading Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey readers, I'm Ann Bogle, and this is What Should I Read Next?
0:14.3	Welcome to the show that's dedicated to answering the question that plagues every reader.
0:19.5	What should I read next? We don't get bossy on the show.
0:23.4	What we will do here is give you the information you need to choose your next read.
0:35.1	Readers, you'll usually find me listening to audiobooks while I'm doing my makeup, but that doesn't mean it's something I want to linger over. I like to keep it simple so I can move on with my day, and Merritt Beauty makes that easy while still delivering the fresh, polished look I prefer. Merritt features a collection of clean, thoughtfully curated essentials designed to help you look put together in minutes.
0:54.9	Their products do more with less, and are designs you can easily swipe on and blend with your
0:59.0	fingers, no fancy tools or multi-step process needed. I especially love their lipsticks and
1:03.9	shade-slick tinted lip oils, and their minimalist complexion stick does double duty as both
1:08.3	foundation and concealer when I want a bit more coverage.
1:11.5	Plus, anytime I'm putting products on my face, it's great to know that they're vegan,
1:15.1	cruelly free, and made with nourishing skincare ingredients. Right now, Merit Beauty is offering
1:20.0	our listeners their signature makeup bag with your first order at Meritbeautcom. That's M-E-R-I-T-Beautcom to get your free signature makeup bag with your first order.
1:31.8	Meritbeautcom.
1:37.1	This week, I'm sharing an excerpt from our 2026 summer reading guide live unboxing.
1:43.2	Our 15th guide and its corresponding unboxing are out in the world
1:47.9	and available now to readers everywhere. If you don't have yours yet, visit modern mrs. Darcy.com
1:54.7	slash SRG, that's for Summer Reading Guide, to get in on our summer reading action. To mark this,
2:02.4	our 15th guide, today I'm inviting you to listen in as I tell you all about the minimalist
2:07.5	picks from this year's guide. We've been talking about Summer Reading Guide unboxing around here
2:12.6	since 2018 when we held our first one. During unboxing, I go through every book in the summer reading guide
2:19.6	and tell you why, out of the hundreds of books I considered including in the guide that year,
2:24.6	these are the ones I landed on. What makes them interesting? What is each story like? What kinds of readers
	...

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