What Should I Read Next? Ep 518: Striking a feel-good balance in your reading life
Nakia (Nikkya), owner of Abodo/Obodo Serendipity Books and community organizer, reads widely for work and runs local book clubs. She talks about balancing professional reading with pleasure reading. They explore gentle ways to branch into historical fiction, romance, and thrillers. Specific approachable title recommendations and strategies for fitting personal reading into a busy life are discussed.
52:59
Bookstore Ownership Rewires Reading Priorities
- Owning a bookstore shifted Nakia’s reading from pleasure to professional obligations, reducing leisure reading time.
- She now juggles review copies, book-club reads, bag books, nightstand books, and audiobooks, creating reading-role friction.
Delegate Book Clubs To Reclaim Pleasure Reading
- Delegate book-club hosting to community members to reduce the expectation you must read every selection.
- Nakia recruited local hosts so she no longer needs to finish four books monthly for events she runs.
Silent Book Club Sparks Genre Experimentation
- Silent book club sessions reveal how readers experiment across genres and return to favorites.
- Nakia watches participants bring diverse titles, read for 45 minutes, then decide to try new genres afterward.
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Intro
00:00 • 6min
Nakia’s background and bookstore mission
05:57 • 4min
How opening the bookstore changed reading
09:47 • 3min
The six-month 'aha' about balance
12:41 • 2min
Struggling to schedule pleasure reading
14:55 • 1min
What the bookstore reveals about readers’ habits
15:58 • 2min
Dabbling beyond nonfiction
18:23 • 1min
Why readers stick or stray from comfort genres
19:36 • 3min
Which new genres Nakia wants to try
22:20 • 7min
Nakia’s three favorite books explained
28:58 • 6min
A sci‑fi miss: Psalm for the Wild‑Built
34:48 • 4min
What Nakia is reading now
38:53 • 3min
Anne’s initial recommendation: Coyote Land mention
42:08 • 1min
Essay collection suggestion: Still True
43:12 • 2min
Historical romance bridge: An Extraordinary Union
44:53 • 3min
Accessible thriller pick: Missing White Woman
47:55 • 2min
Historical family saga: People of Means
49:49 • 3min
Which books Nakia will pick up next
52:47 • 1min
Outro
54:00 • 3min
#99206
One Last Scream
Kevin O'Brien
Kevin O'Brien's One Last Scream is a suspenseful novel that centers on a shocking crime and the unraveling circumstances surrounding it, delivered with high narrative drive and audio-friendly pacing.
The book blends elements of domestic suspense and procedural unraveling as characters confront secrets and danger.
O'Brien is known for crafting tense atmospheres and compelling twists that keep listeners and readers engaged.
The audio format often enhances the immediacy of the plot through strong narration.
Fans of crime-centered thrillers appreciate the book's momentum and psychological stakes.
#59750
People of Means
Nancy Johnson
Nancy Johnson's People of Means is a dual-timeline novel that juxtaposes a young woman's activism in 1959 Nashville with her daughter's professional and personal crises in 1992 Chicago.
The narrative explores the costs and complexities of political engagement, familial expectations, and hidden pasts as secrets from the earlier timeline reverberate decades later.
Johnson examines class, race, and social mobility through intimate character studies, linking personal decisions to broader historical moments including the Rodney King verdict's social fallout.
The book balances vivid period detail with emotional stakes, revealing how private histories shape public identities across generations.
Readers who enjoy character-driven historical family sagas with social context will likely find it compelling.
#54534
The Keeper of Lost Children
Sadeqa Johnson
Sadeqa Johnson's The Keeper of Lost Children continues her interest in historical narratives that center Black women's experiences, family dynamics, and societal pressures.
Johnson combines meticulous research with emotionally driven storytelling to reveal secrets and injustices that span generations.
The novel likely continues themes of memory, motherhood, and resilience, connecting intimate family drama to broader cultural histories.
Her prose and plotting often produce compelling audio editions praised for their narration and pacing.
Readers of contemporary historical fiction that interrogates lineage and social change are the book's natural audience.
#4065
• Mentioned in 12 episodes
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Becky Chambers
A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first book in the Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers.
The story takes place in a utopian future after the end of the Factory Age, where robots have gained consciousness and chosen to live in the wilderness.
The novella follows Sibling Dex, a tea monk, and Mosscap, a sentient robot, as they journey to an abandoned hermitage.
Along the way, they engage in philosophical discussions about human needs, purpose, and fulfillment.
The book is characterized by its hopeful and optimistic tone, exploring themes of human nature, spirituality, and the importance of understanding and respecting each other's choices and agency.
#21717
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The House of Eve
Sadiqa Johnson
#41536
Missing White Woman
Kelly Garrett
Kelly Garrett's Missing White Woman is a contemporary suspense novel that combines a whodunit premise with sharp commentary on race, media, and influencer culture.
The story follows a Black woman who wakes to find a missing woman from the headlines dead in the Airbnb where she is staying, prompting suspicion, investigation, and personal danger.
Garrett uses the plot to examine how narratives around missing white women dominate media attention and how race and perception influence suspicion and justice.
The novel moves quickly, driven by the protagonist's urgency to prove her innocence and uncover the truth.
Its blend of social critique and high-stakes mystery has made it a recommended audio and paperback pick for thriller readers.
#65996
Black Genius
Trey Anthony Johnson
#1075
• Mentioned in 35 episodes
Communion
Whitley Strieber
In 'Communion', Whitley Strieber recounts his 1985 close encounter experiences at a secluded cabin in upstate New York.
The book is divided into segments where Strieber describes the events that led him to believe he was being taken by 'visitors', his attempts to understand these experiences through hypnotherapy and medical evaluations, and the gathering of witness accounts from other self-proclaimed abductees.
The book remains timely, exploring the idea that something unknown is happening to people, which has not been fully studied or understood.
Strieber's account is both riveting and thought-provoking, making it a significant work in the realm of UFO and alien abduction literature.
#72681
Still True
The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist
Regan Jackson
Regan Jackson's Still True: The Evolution of an Unexpected Journalist is a collection of essays that trace her development as a writer and observer of community, identity, and social change.
Through specific, grounded scenes—ranging from Seattle neighborhoods to international experiences—she interrogates belonging, race, and the ethics of storytelling.
The essays combine reporting instincts with personal insight, offering both memoiristic moments and cultural critique.
Jackson's voice balances curiosity and vulnerability as she reflects on how place and identity shape perception and responsibility.
The book appeals to readers interested in contemporary essays that seat personal narrative within larger social conversations.
#616
• Mentioned in 53 episodes
White Fragility
Why It's so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Michael Eric Dyson
Robin DiAngelo
María Enguix Tercero
#57725
An extraordinary union
Alyssa cole
#9600
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls
The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls that details her nomadic and often impoverished childhood with her dysfunctional family.
The book recounts her experiences growing up with an alcoholic father, who was charismatic and imaginative but also dishonest and destructive, and a mother who was a free-spirited artist but neglectful of her children's needs.
Despite the challenges, the memoir highlights the resilience and resourcefulness of the Walls children and the unique perspective on life they developed.
The title refers to her father's unfulfilled promise to build a dream home, a 'glass castle,' for the family.
#2286
• Mentioned in 20 episodes
Just Mercy
A Story of Justice and Redemption
Bryan Stevenson
Just Mercy is a personal narrative by Bryan Stevenson that delves into his decades-long work with the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit law office dedicated to defending marginalized Americans.
The book centers around the case of Walter McMillan, a black man falsely accused and sentenced to death for the murder of a white woman in Alabama.
Stevenson recounts the systemic injustices, racial biases, and legal battles involved in McMillan's case, as well as other cases of clients he has represented.
The book highlights the flaws in the U.S.
criminal justice system, particularly its treatment of people of color and the poor, and advocates for compassion and mercy in the pursuit of true justice.
Indie bookstore owner Nikkya joins Anne today to talk about the pain points in her reading life.
Nikkya reads widely for her work as owner of Obodo Serendipity Books in Stratford, Connecticut. She is most at home as a reader in her go-to nonfiction spaces, where she knows what she likes and is able to find it.
After having a real aha moment six months ago, Nikkya has been trying to strike a delicate balance between her professional reading and reading for pleasure. And it's only going okay. She's especially feeling the friction of seeking to push into genres she's less familiar with, like historical fiction, romance, and mysteries and thrillers.
Today she and Anne explore what successful branching out might look like, with specific title recommendations that may feel like doable, pleasurable steps in a new direction.
Find the list of titles mentioned and leave a comment sharing your suggestions for Nikkya at our show notes page at whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/518.
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