What to Read Next Podcast l Book Recommendation Show

Laura R Yamin
  • 4.0 (62)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED DAILY

What to Read Next Podcast is a book recommendation podcast for mood readers who are always looking to add new books to their TBR. In each episode, Laura Yamin shares quick book recommendations so you can topple your TBR. This podcast is perfect for Romance and Mystery readers with the occasional romantasy episode.

  1. STEM Romance and the Chaos of Academia | Love and Other Brain Experiments byHannah Brohm

    MAR 13

    STEM Romance and the Chaos of Academia | Love and Other Brain Experiments byHannah Brohm

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a neuroscientist writes a romance set in academia? In this episode, I’m chatting with debut author Hannah Brohm about Love and Other Brain Experiments—a workplace romance inspired by the chaotic world of research labs, anonymous peer reviews, and the surprising ways love can show up when you least expect it. We talk about Hannah’s journey from cognitive neuroscience to romance writing, how academia shaped the story, and why romance became a comforting escape during grad school and the pandemic. Plus, we dive into her reading life—from workplace romcoms to cozy mysteries—and she shares a few book recommendations that belong on your TBR. If you love smart romcoms, STEM heroines, and enemies-to-lovers tension, this conversation is for you. 📚 Books MentionedLove and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm — Contemporary Romance | STEM Romance All in Your Head by Sabina Norquist — Contemporary Romance | Fake Dating | Disability Rep And Then There Was the One by Martha Waters — Cozy Mystery Rom-Com | Historical The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone — Romantic Comedy | Friends to Lovers | London The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon — Workplace Romance | Media The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas — Fake Dating Romance Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins — YA Romance The Hating Game by Sally Thorne — Enemies to Lovers | Workplace Romance ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Introduction to Hannah Brohm and her debut romance [01:00] What cognitive neuroscience is and how it inspired the book [03:00] The realities of working in academia and postdoc life [05:00] The premise of Love and Other Brain Experiments [06:00] Hannah’s romance reading journey and early influences [07:00] Discovering adult romance during grad school and COVID [09:00] How peer review inspired the book’s enemies-to-lovers setup [10:00] Balancing academia, writing, and reading [12:00] Why writing romance can be cathartic [14:00] Hannah’s reading tastes and current reads [15:00] Fake dating romance recommendation: All in Your Head [16:00] Cozy mystery rom-com recommendation [17:00] Romcom set in London recommendation [20:00] Writing New York as a setting and personal connections to the city [21:00] Where to find Hannah online Join the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!

    22 min
  2. Spy Romance Meets Cozy Mystery: The Gabby Green Series by Sam Tschida

    MAR 11

    Spy Romance Meets Cozy Mystery: The Gabby Green Series by Sam Tschida

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you love mystery-romance heroines who are juggling work, family, and the occasional international investigation, you’re going to love today’s episode. I’m joined by author Sam Tschida to talk about the latest installment in the Gabby Green series and the chaos that comes with writing spy-adjacent romantic mysteries. In this conversation, Sam shares how she built the second Gabby Green adventure—from tropical settings and Hollywood wellness culture to espionage twists and unexpected romance. We also talk about writing messy but lovable heroines, the reality of balancing motherhood with high-stakes careers, and why cozy mystery fans love returning to the same sleuth again and again. We also chat about writing inspiration, the real-life research behind spy stories, and the books we’ve been loving lately. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps[00:00] Welcome & catching up with Sam Tschida [00:01] Writing the second Gabby Green mystery [00:03] The tropical investigation setting and spy elements [00:05] Researching espionage and consulting real sources [00:06] Why the book’s setting changed from Hawaii to the Azores [00:07] Plot twists, mystery pacing, and balancing romance [00:08] Delegation, chaos, and Gabby learning she can’t do everything [00:09] Possible movie adaptation news for Errands and Espionage [00:10] Why readers love returning to the same sleuth in mystery series [00:11] Cozy mysteries, baking mysteries, and comfort reads [00:12] Laura’s dream Puerto Rican cozy mystery series [00:16] Book recommendations from Sam [00:18] Where to find Sam online 📚 Books MentionedGabby Green Who Knows Whodunit by Sam Tschida — Mystery Romance | Amateur Sleuth | Series Errands and Espionage by Sam Tschida — Mystery Romance | Travel Mystery | Amateur Sleuth Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida — Paranormal Romance | Vampire Comedy | Audio ✅ Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell — Dark Comedy Thriller | Mystery | Audio ✅ Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell — Thriller | Dark Romance | Audio ✅ The ReDo List by Denise Williams — Contemporary Romance | Cinnamon Roll Hero | Audio ✅ Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne — Romantic Comedy | Classic Retelling | Audio ✅ Join the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!

    20 min
  3. A Slasher Rom-Com? Inside How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates by Shailee Thompson

    MAR 9

    A Slasher Rom-Com? Inside How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates by Shailee Thompson

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a rom-com meets a slasher movie? In this episode, I’m joined by debut author Shaylee Thompson to talk about her wildly fun genre-bending novel How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates — a slasher rom-com set during a speed-dating event gone horribly wrong. We chat about how Shaylee blended two formula-driven genres, her journey from English teacher to full-time writer, and why sometimes the book that becomes your debut isn’t the first book you wrote. If you love horror movies, rom-coms, and stories that break the rules, this conversation is packed with behind-the-scenes insights. Plus, Shaylee shares a few book recommendations for readers who love horror comedy, meta storytelling, and genre-bending fiction. 📚 Books Mentioned How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates by Shailee Thompson — Slasher Rom-Com | Horror Comedy Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver — Dark Romantic Comedy | Serial Killer Romance | KU ✅ | Audio ✅ The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix — Horror | Slasher Film Tribute | Thriller | Audio ✅ Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan — Fantasy | Villain Story | Meta Fantasy | Audio ✅ Your Favorite Scary Movie by Ashley Cullins — Nonfiction | Horror Film Analysis | Pop Culture Persuasion by Jane Austen — Classic Romance | Literary Fiction | Audio ✅ ⏱️ Time Stamps[00:00] Introduction to Shaylee Thompson and her debut novel [01:00] The premise of How to Kill a Guy in 10 Dates [02:00] Combining rom-com and slasher genres [04:00] Why the book released around Valentine’s Day [05:00] Shaylee’s writing journey and early books [07:00] Signing with an agent and finding the right debut [08:00] Writing discipline and finishing a draft in four months [09:00] Becoming a full-time writer [11:00] Shaylee’s reading tastes and favorite genres [12:00] Book recommendations for horror and rom-com fans [14:00] Where to find Shaylee online Join the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!

    16 min
  4. The Slow Burn Celebrity Romance You Need | Star Shipped Cat Sebastian

    MAR 6

    The Slow Burn Celebrity Romance You Need | Star Shipped Cat Sebastian

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you’ve ever masked your anxiety while looking wildly “high-functioning,” this episode is going to hit. Today I’m chatting with returning guest Cat Sebastian about her new contemporary romance Star Shipped — a slow-burn, forced-proximity love story between two actors on a long-running sci-fi show who “hate” each other in the most domestic way possible. We talk about why Cat took a risk moving from historical to contemporary romance, how fandom and sci-fi shaped this book, and why she wanted to write a character with anxiety, OCD, and migraines who doesn’t magically “heal” by the final chapter. This is a conversation about radical acceptance, surviving in a noisy world, and finding love without fixing yourself first. If you loved the emotional intensity of hockey romances but want celebrity PR chaos instead, this one’s for you. ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Welcoming Cat back + what she’s been up to [00:01] Inside Star Shipped — enemies-to-lovers on a sci-fi set [00:02] The Gene Roddenberry letter that inspired the book [00:04] Taking the risk from historical to contemporary [00:06] Researching fandom vs. TV industry details [00:08] Writing invisible disability & high-functioning anxiety [00:12] No “pink cloud” healing — why incremental growth matters [00:16] Radical acceptance in romance [00:18] Romance recommendations with buttoned-up/chaos pairings [00:23] Where to find Cat + newsletter over social media 📚 Books Mentioned Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian — Contemporary Romance | Celebrity | Enemies-to-Lovers | Anxiety Rep | Audio ✅ Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly — LGBTQ+ Romance | Outdoors Setting | Neurodivergent Rep | Audio ✅ With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson — Workplace Romance | Opposites Attract | Slow Burn | Audio ✅ Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander — Workplace Romance | Queer Romance | Polyamory Rep | Audio ✅ A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander — Historical Romance | Queer Romance | Tender Slow Burn | Audio ✅

    24 min
  5. Book Bans in 1915? The Story Behind It | The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble

    MAR 4

    Book Bans in 1915? The Story Behind It | The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble

    This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when book bans aren’t just headlines — but federal law? In this episode, I’m chatting with historical fiction author Shelley Noble about The Sisters of Book Row, a novel set in 1915 New York during the height of the Comstock censorship laws. We talk about rare bookstores, banned poetry, Margaret Sanger, and why 100-year-old history feels… uncomfortably familiar today. If you care about protecting books, women’s voices, and literary legacy — this one will stay with you. We also dive into Shelley’s unexpected path to publishing (spoiler: it started with a dare), why she left mysteries for historical women’s fiction, and her favorite historical mystery comfort reads. ⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] Shelley’s journey from dancer to published mystery author [03:00] Writing historical mysteries vs. women’s fiction [06:30] Discovering the Tiffany Girls & shifting genres [07:45] The Comstock Laws explained [09:30] Margaret Sanger and censorship in 1915 [11:00] The Sisters of Book Row premise [14:30] Book banning today vs. 1915 [18:30] Research process & using primary sources [22:00] Historical mystery & romantic suspense recommendations 📚 Books Mentioned The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble — Historical Women’s Fiction | Bookstore Drama | Women’s Rights This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart — Romantic Suspense | Classic Mystery The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley — Time Slip Romance | Historical Fiction Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters — Historical Mystery | Victorian Egypt | Humor Join the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!

    27 min
  6. Megachurch Drama Meets MomTok Energy | Too Blessed to Stress by Alli Hoff Kosik

    MAR 2

    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 by Alli Hoff Kosik — Book Club Fiction | Influencer Culture | Literary Fiction Little One by Olivia Muenter — Cult Fiction | Dual Timeline | Psychological Drama Paper Cut by Rachel Taff — Literary Fiction | Power & Family Dynamics Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour — Satire | Reality TV Culture | Pandemic Fiction Glossy by Marisa Meltzer — Nonfiction | Business Biography | Millennial CEO Workhorse by Caroline Palmer — Literary Fiction | Publishing Industry | Ambitious Female Lead Join the ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!

    39 min
  7. A Love Letter to Sapphic Romance and Live Theater with Amy Spalding | Celebrity RomCom

    FEB 25

    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 MentionedIn Her Spotlight by Amy Spalding — Sapphic Romance | Celebrity Romance | Second Chance | Theater Setting Rooting Interest by Cat Dibasato — Sapphic Romance | Sports Romance | Career-Driven Characters Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory — Sapphic Romance | Contemporary Romance | Wine Country Setting Writers & Lovers by Lily King— Literary Fiction | Women’s Fiction | Writing & Ambition Alice Rue Evades the Truth by Emily Zips — 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 ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next 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

    21 min
  8. The Sex Lessons Trope — Done Right | A Little Buzzed by Alys Murray

    FEB 23

    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 MentionedA Little Buzzed by Alys Murray — Contemporary Romance | Workplace | Sex Lessons Trope | High Heat The Seduction of Mr. Alfred Saintsbury by Lydia Lloyd — Regency Historical Romance | Power Dynamics | High Spice Dom Com by Adriana Anders — Workplace Romance | High Heat | Sex-Positive Romance The ReDo List by Denise Williams — Contemporary Romance | Second Chance at Life | Emotional Growth Love Most Fatal by Kath Richards — 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 ConversationSubscribe to our Substack for exclusive recommendations. (wtrnblog.substack.com) Follow & Subscribe: What to Read Next Blog | YouTube: What to Read Next Subscribe & leave a review!

    21 min
See All (892)

4
out of 5
62 Ratings

About

What to Read Next Podcast is a book recommendation podcast for mood readers who are always looking to add new books to their TBR. In each episode, Laura Yamin shares quick book recommendations so you can topple your TBR. This podcast is perfect for Romance and Mystery readers with the occasional romantasy episode.

Information

You Might Also Like