What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show

Megachurch Drama Meets MomTok Energy | Too Blessed to Stress by Alli Hoff Kosik

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when influencer culture, megachurch ambition, and algorithm-driven community collide? This week, I’m joined by longtime friend and fellow early-podcaster Alli Hoff Kosik to talk about her debut novel, Too Blessed to Stress — a sharp, nuanced story about faith, friendship, ambition, and the very online world we’re all living in. We talk about how her MFA journey led her here, why religion in fiction felt like a “risky” topic just a few years ago, and how influencer culture (hello Mormon wives and MomTok 👀) makes this story more relevant than ever. If you love messy friend groups, big institutions, powerful men, and complicated women trying to build something meaningful — this one is for you. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Early podcast days & friendship origin story [02:00] Alli’s MFA journey and first abandoned manuscript [05:00] The Christian influencer rabbit hole [07:30] Influencer monetization & megachurch power [10:00] Religion, algorithms & modern politics [14:00] Community after the pandemic [21:30] Behind the Scenes podcast (BTS-TBTS) [24:00] Book recommendations: cults, ambition & satire [37:00] Where to find Alli & audiobook details 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Too Blessed to Stress [https://amzn.to/4r5d8mW] by Alli Hoff Kosik [https://amzn.to/4r5d8mW] — Book Club Fiction | Influencer Culture | Literary Fiction Little One [https://amzn.to/3ORBtPK] by Olivia Muenter [https://amzn.to/3ORBtPK] — Cult Fiction | Dual Timeline | Psychological Drama Paper Cut [https://amzn.to/4aGt6z6] by Rachel Taff [https://amzn.to/4aGt6z6] — Literary Fiction | Power & Family Dynamics Tehrangeles [https://amzn.to/47gjYyQ] by Porochista Khakpour [https://amzn.to/47gjYyQ]— Satire | Reality TV Culture | Pandemic Fiction Glossy [https://amzn.to/46z8d6w] by Marisa Meltzer [https://amzn.to/46z8d6w]— Nonfiction | Business Biography | Millennial CEO Workhorse [https://amzn.to/4cgkrVg] by Caroline Palmer [https://amzn.to/4cgkrVg]— Literary Fiction | Publishing Industry | Ambitious Female Lead JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review!

A Love Letter to Sapphic Romance and Live Theater with Amy Spalding | Celebrity RomCom

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Queer joy, Hollywood theater, and why romance doesn’t have to earn its happy ending. In this episode, I’m joined by returning guest Amy Spalding to talk about In Her Spotlight, her latest sapphic romance set at the intersection of celebrity culture, live theater, and second-chance love. We dig into why queer joy matters, how power dynamics shift when fame enters the room, and why it finally feels possible to tell coming-out stories without centering tragedy. We also chat about reading across genres, unexpected nonfiction rabbit holes, and Amy’s favorite sapphic and bisexual romances to add to your TBR—especially if you love stories about ambition, community, and women figuring it out together. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED In Her Spotlight [https://amzn.to/4ruLEru] by Amy Spalding [https://amzn.to/4ruLEru] — Sapphic Romance | Celebrity Romance | Second Chance | Theater Setting Rooting Interest [https://amzn.to/4avXqw7] by Cat Dibasato [https://amzn.to/4avXqw7] — Sapphic Romance | Sports Romance | Career-Driven Characters Flirting Lessons [https://amzn.to/3NU77M9] by Jasmine Guillory [https://amzn.to/3NU77M9] — Sapphic Romance | Contemporary Romance | Wine Country Setting Writers & Lovers [https://amzn.to/3ZdxEGH] by Lily King [https://amzn.to/3ZdxEGH]— Literary Fiction | Women’s Fiction | Writing & Ambition Alice Rue Evades the Truth [https://amzn.to/49W6DOa] by Emily Zips [https://amzn.to/49W6DOa] — Bisexual Romance | Contemporary Romance | While You Were Sleeping Retelling ⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome back + first impressions of In Her Spotlight [01:00] Writing queer joy during bleak times [02:00] Why sapphic romance has changed so much [04:00] Coming-out stories with nuance and community [05:00] In Her Spotlight elevator pitch [06:00] Power, consent, and the #MeToo context [08:00] Celebrity culture vs. theater life [11:00] Companion standalones & the Out in Hollywood series [12:00] Reading across genres as a writer [13:00] Nonfiction deep dives & pop culture obsessions [15:00] Sapphic and bisexual romance recommendations [19:00] Where to find Amy online JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: Advertise with Us Do you have a book or service that you want to share with our engaged audience? Check out our opportunities to sponsor with us. Advertise With Us [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/sponsorship]

The Sex Lessons Trope — Done Right | A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Quick Note Before You Press Play: The audio quality on this episode isn’t my usual standard (thank you for your grace 😅). If you want the best experience, I highly recommend watching the video version — it includes captions and the sound is much clearer. You can find it on Spotify and YouTube. Thank you for being here and for always supporting the show. 💛 -------------------------- What happens when a virgin sex toy engineer asks her coworker for sex lessons… and ends up getting way more than she bargained for? This week, I’m chatting with author Alys Murray about her steamy new romance A Little Buzzed, why sex scenes need emotional arcs, and how the sex toy industry has completely transformed over the last decade. We talk mutual pleasure, power dynamics, writing for Hallmark vs. high-heat romance, and why “horny jail” only lasts so long. If you love workplace romance, sex-positive stories, mafia rom-coms, and books that balance spice with heart — this episode is for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray [https://amzn.to/4aytjD5]— Contemporary Romance | Workplace | Sex Lessons Trope | High Heat The Seduction of Mr. Alfred Saintsbury by Lydia Lloyd [https://amzn.to/4amEgsJ]— Regency Historical Romance | Power Dynamics | High Spice Dom Com by Adriana Anders [https://amzn.to/4rSPLhe] — Workplace Romance | High Heat | Sex-Positive Romance The ReDo List by Denise Williams [https://amzn.to/3Mu3LPC] — Contemporary Romance | Second Chance at Life | Emotional Growth Love Most Fatal by Kath Richards [https://amzn.to/4aT2QkZ] — Mafia Rom-Com | Female Mob Boss | Cinnamon Roll Hero ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome + why Alys and I have similar book taste [02:00] The premise of A Little Buzzed [03:30] Mutual “sex lessons” + flipping the virgin trope [04:30] How the sex toy industry has evolved [07:00] Virginity, pleasure, and agency in 2026 [08:00] Why sex scenes need emotional arcs (Heated Rivalry reference 👀) [10:00] Screenwriting for Hallmark vs. writing spicy romance [14:00] Lydia Lloyd’s filthy Regency recommendation [16:00] Workplace spice: Dom Com [17:00] The Redo List by Denise Williams [17:30] Mafia rom-com obsession: Love Most Fatal JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review!

Can a Serial Killer Be “Cozy”? Dark Comedy Meets Cozy Mystery | Fergus Craig

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when you drop a retired serial killer into a luxury retirement home full of former investigators? You get chaos, secrets… and one very suspicious death. In this episode, I chat with British comedian-turned-mystery author Fergus Craig about his latest cozy crime novel, I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home. We talk about writing a likable serial killer, the art of “cracked cozy” mysteries, and how parody crime novels unexpectedly launched his fiction career. If you love cozy mysteries with a dark twist — and characters who blur the line between wrong and relatable — this one’s for you. We also dive into his favorite reads (including a book he calls the best he’s ever read), and why sometimes escape fiction is exactly what readers need right now. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4aIQ2g2] | Cozy Mystery | Dark Comedy | Serial Killer Protagonist The Bee Sting by Paul Murray — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4avt2Rm] | Literary Fiction | Family Drama East of Eden by John Steinbeck — Buy on Amazon [https://amzn.to/4c3LMKl] | Classic Literary Fiction ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Introduction to Fergus Craig [01:00] The premise behind I’m Not the Only Murderer in My Retirement Home [02:00] What is a “cracked cozy” mystery? [03:00] Writing a likable serial killer [05:00] Balancing flashbacks and present-day mystery [06:00] From comedian and actor to novelist [07:00] Parody crime novels and landing a book deal [08:00] Why readers want escape fiction right now [09:00] Fergus’s reading life and audiobook habits [10:00] The Bee Sting by Paul Murray recommendation [12:00] Literary fiction and reading widely JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: Advertise with Us Do you have a book or service that you want to share with our engaged audience? Check out our opportunities to sponsor with us. Advertise With Us [https://whattoreadnext.captivate.fm/sponsorship]

Writing Romance from Venezuela with Maria José Morillo | Celebrity RomCom

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a swoony rom-com set in Venezuela meets fake dating, music, and telenovela-level drama? I’m joined by debut author Maria José Morillo to talk about romance, bilingual reading, and writing against the odds. In this episode, I’m chatting with Maria José Morillo, a Venezuelan author making her Big Five debut with The Ex-Perimento. We talk about growing up bilingual, discovering romance through Harry Potter and Twilight, and what it means to write English-language romance from Venezuela. We also dive into celebrity rom-com tropes, Latin American pop culture (yes, Miss Universe matters), and how Maria José went from fanfiction to landing a traditional publishing deal. If you love high-concept rom-coms, global romance, or behind-the-scenes publishing journeys, this episode is for you. 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED The Ex-Perimento [https://amzn.to/49WZLi4] by Maria José Morillo [https://amzn.to/49WZLi4]— Contemporary Romance | Celebrity Romance You Deserve Each Other [https://amzn.to/45DhHx5] by Sarah Hogle [https://amzn.to/45DhHx5] — Rom-Com | Enemies-to-Lovers People We Meet on Vacation [https://amzn.to/4taH6Ip] by Emily Henry [https://amzn.to/4taH6Ip] — Friends-to-Lovers | Travel Romance Happy Place [https://amzn.to/46c0B9I] by Emily Henry [https://amzn.to/46c0B9I]— Second-Chance Romance | Emotional Romance The Sun and the Void [https://amzn.to/46o9EV0] by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz [https://amzn.to/46o9EV0]— Fantasy | Venezuelan Folklore Bochica [https://amzn.to/4a6DyhU] by Carolina Florez [https://amzn.to/4a6DyhU]-Cerchiaro — Gothic Horror | Latin American Folklore ⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome & why Venezuela pop culture feels familiar [02:00] Becoming a reader through Harry Potter [05:00] Switching from Spanish to English reading [07:00] E-reading vs physical books outside the U.S. [09:00] From fanfiction to writing original romance [12:00] Why writing in English opened publishing doors [15:00] The book that didn’t sell — and why that matters [17:00] The origin story of The Ex-Perimento [20:00] Miss Universe, telenovelas & Latin American fame [24:00] Romance recommendations & reading for joy JOIN THE CONVERSATION Subscribe to our Substack [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/] for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com [https://wtrnblog.substack.com/]) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog [https://www.whattoreadnext.com/] | YouTube: What to Read Next [https://www.youtube.com/@WhattoReadNextBlog] Subscribe & leave a review!