What Should I Read Next?

Ep 517: Seeking contemporary novels to complement Jane Austen classics

March 10, 2026

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  • Guest Tzipi Turner is seeking a 'book-flight' approach to complete her Jane Austen collection by pairing each classic novel with a contemporary read to maintain motivation against the distraction of new releases. 
  • Tzipi enjoys historical fiction, books with rich characterization that avoids being one-dimensional, and stories centered on strong female protagonists, often involving family dynamics or found family. 
  • The host suggests contemporary pairings for Tzipi's remaining Austen works (Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey) that offer thematic resonance, historical context, or stylistic contrast, such as Ann Leary's *The Foundling* or Ann Tyler's *The Beginner's Goodbye*. 

Segments

Podcast Introduction and Book Anniversary
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(00:00:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Anne Bogle’s book, Don’t Overthink It, released in 2020, is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a discount sale.
  • Summary: The podcast What Should I Read Next? is dedicated to literary matchmaking without being prescriptive. Host Anne Bogle’s book, Don’t Overthink It, which was released in March 2020, is being celebrated with a sale in the show’s shop. Readers are invited to add the book to their 2026 reading list.
Sponsor Segment: Quince Clothing
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(00:01:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Quince offers well-made, affordable clothing from premium fabrics like European linen and organic cotton, featuring free shipping and 365-day returns.
  • Summary: Quince clothing is highlighted for its quality fabrics and high customer ratings. Specific items mentioned include linen, cotton poplin, silk blouses, and cotton cashmere tees. The promotion includes free shipping and a 365-day return policy.
Sponsor Segment: Wayfair Home Goods
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(00:03:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Wayfair provides abundant indoor and outdoor home decor and furniture options, utilizing effective search filters for easy shopping.
  • Summary: Wayfair is presented as a source for seasonal home updates, including patio furniture for warmer weather. The platform’s search tools allow filtering by material, price, and reviews, ensuring customers can quickly find items that fit their style and budget. Fast shipping is also noted as a benefit.
Guest Introduction and Austen Project
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(00:04:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Guest Tzipi Turner aims to become a Jane Austen completist by marking the author’s 250th birthday, planning to pair Austen classics with contemporary novels to sustain interest.
  • Summary: Tzipi Turner, Director of Special Education in Phoenix, is an aspiring Jane Austen completist who has read all but two of the works. She struggles with distraction from new releases, inspiring her ‘book-flight’ idea to pair Austen with modern books. This project is also intended to push her reading outside her comfort zone.
Tzipi’s Reading Habits and Motivation
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(00:07:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi reads about one novel per week alongside a nonfiction ’leadership’ book, preferring physical books and often sampling multiple titles before committing.
  • Summary: Tzipi has been reading since childhood, preferring physical books for their sensory experience, and typically reads two books concurrently. Her nonfiction choices focus on leadership or education, which she reads slowly for application. She admits to adding many recommended books to her TBR and sometimes abandoning books after a few chapters if they don’t immediately appeal.
The Austen Completist Challenge
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(00:11:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi’s final two unread Jane Austen novels are Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey, and she seeks pairings to overcome the opportunity cost of reading classics instead of new releases.
  • Summary: Tzipi’s desire to be a completist stems from appreciating Jane Austen’s witty, charming style and strong female protagonists who navigate societal rules. She finds motivation wanes because Austen’s works will always be available, unlike timely new releases. She specifically wants to pair contemporary novels with the last two Austen works she needs to read.
Sponsor Segment: The Pet’s Table
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(00:15:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The Pet’s Table, from the HelloFresh team, offers human-grade fresh or air-dried dog food customized by a veterinary nutritionist, backed by a money-back guarantee.
  • Summary: The Pet’s Table provides minimally processed, nutrient-preserving food options for dogs, formulated by a board-certified vet nutritionist based on the dog’s specific needs. They offer a two-week trial with a 100% money-back guarantee. A limited-time offer provides 55% off the first box using code READNEXT55.
Sponsor Segment: Mint Mobile Wireless
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(00:17:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Mint Mobile offers premium wireless coverage at a reduced price, allowing customers to bring their own phone and switch easily without long-term contracts.
  • Summary: Mint Mobile aims to save customers money on wireless service by offering the same premium coverage without the inflated cost. New customers can get unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month for an introductory period. The service is easy to activate via e-SIM and includes a seven-day money-back guarantee.
Tzipi’s Favorite Books Analysis
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(00:18:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi’s favorite books reveal a preference for historical fiction that illuminates lesser-known history (The Teacher of Lost Orphans) and novels featuring complex family mysteries and character depth (The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox).
  • Summary: Tzipi’s first loved book, The Teacher of Lost Orphans, is historical fiction set in a 1946 British internment camp in Cyprus, which she enjoyed for its historical learning aspect. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox appeals due to its mystery, dual timelines, and exploration of unfair treatment within family dynamics. Her nonfiction favorite, 10 to 25, is used for professional development via book studies, highlighting the communal aspect of reading.
Book Not to Tzipi’s Taste
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(00:27:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi disliked The Sideways Life of Denny Voss because, despite appreciating the neurodivergent representation, the characters felt too one-dimensional and caricatured.
  • Summary: Tzipi rated The Sideways Life of Denny Voss four stars but felt it fell flat due to superficial characterization. She prefers characters with depth, contrasting with the book’s portrayal of characters as simple caricatures. This reinforces her general preference for nuanced characterization in fiction.
Tzipi’s Recent Reads
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(00:30:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi is currently rereading The Midnight Library in anticipation of Matt Haig’s new book and enjoyed Confessions of a Grammar Queen for its depiction of female community in the publishing industry.
  • Summary: Tzipi recently read Wild Dark Shore, appreciating its complex characters and vivid setting description. She is rereading The Midnight Library to prepare for a related upcoming release. Confessions of a Grammar Queen was enjoyed as a ‘book about books’ featuring workplace discrimination and female camaraderie in publishing.
Pairing Strategy for Austen
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(00:31:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi seeks contemporary pairings to enrich her Jane Austen experience, hoping to find modern relevance and maintain motivation while focusing on Austen’s strong, outspoken female protagonists.
  • Summary: The goal of pairing is to make reading the Austen classics more motivating and to explore the contemporary applicability of Austen’s themes. Tzipi is drawn to Austen’s portrayal of women who challenge societal rules to achieve their desires. She is open to pairings that offer a modern spin, depth, or nuance.
Recommendation 1: Historical Context
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(00:37:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Ann Leary’s The Foundling is recommended as a companion to The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox due to its similar historical backdrop concerning the institutionalization of women based on eugenics principles.
  • Summary: The Foundling is set in 1927 at a fictional institution for ‘feeble-minded women of childbearing age,’ mirroring themes in Esme Lennox. The story follows an 18-year-old narrator who becomes disillusioned with the institution’s mission, which was inspired by the author’s grandmother’s experience. This book offers the nuanced characterization Tzipi seeks while illuminating a dark chapter in history.
Recommendation 2: Stylistic Contrast
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(00:40:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Eleanor Catton’s Burnham Wood is suggested as a contrast, as the author immersed herself in Austen’s prose while adapting Emma, leading to a unique narrative style in her eco-thriller.
  • Summary: Eleanor Catton, who wrote the screenplay for the 2020 Emma adaptation, brought lessons from Austen’s prose style—specifically how she advances plot through internal observation—into Burnham Wood. The book itself is an eco-thriller involving an activist group and a sinister billionaire, modeled loosely on Macbeth. Reading it might change how Tzipi perceives Austen’s writing techniques.
Recommendation 3: Mansfield Park Pairing
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(00:46:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Nikki Mae’s This Motherless Land is suggested as a Mansfield Park reimagining focusing on a platonic, lifelong cousin friendship set between the late 1970s and 1990s in London and Lagos.
  • Summary: This novel uses the Mansfield Park framework to tell a contemporary story about two cousins raised as sisters, which Mae views as a platonic love story. The book features scathing social commentary and humor, beginning with a tragedy that orphans the protagonist. It moves between Lagos and the UK, offering a fresh perspective on Austen’s structure.
Recommendation 4: Northanger Abbey Pairing
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(00:50:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Ann Tyler’s The Beginner’s Goodbye is recommended for Northanger Abbey due to its quirky, wistful tone and focus on a man re-examining his marriage after his wife’s death, featuring a protagonist who runs a small vanity press.
  • Summary: As a huge Ann Tyler fan, Tzipi is intrigued by this novel where a man’s late wife reappears, forcing him to confront the reality of their relationship. The book is shorter, like Northanger Abbey, and possesses a quirky, upbeat feel despite its sad premise. The protagonist’s job at a vanity press also appeals to Tzipi’s love for books about books.
Finalizing Next Steps
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(00:54:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Tzipi plans to start her reading journey with Ann Tyler’s The Beginner’s Goodbye, intending to pair it with Northanger Abbey, while viewing Burnham Wood and This Motherless Land as exciting steps outside her comfort zone.
  • Summary: Tzipi identified The Beginner’s Goodbye as her immediate starting point, hoping to pair it with Northanger Abbey. She acknowledged that Burnham Wood and This Motherless Land represent the desired expansion outside her usual reading preferences. The host expressed excitement for Tzipi to indulge both her classic reading goal and her inclination toward new releases.