What Should I Read Next?

Ep 518: Striking a feel-good balance in your reading life

March 17, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Indie bookstore owner Nikkya is struggling to balance required professional reading with reading for pleasure, leading to friction when trying to explore unfamiliar genres like historical fiction, romance, and thrillers. 
  • Nikkya's reading preferences heavily lean toward nonfiction due to a long-standing curiosity about understanding people, which was solidified during her undergraduate studies. 
  • Successful branching out into new genres may involve starting with a familiar author in a new genre (like Sadiqa Johnson's new book) or choosing historical fiction that incorporates elements of mystery or romance, as these proved successful entry points for both Nikkya and her customers. 

Segments

Podcast Introduction and Patreon Plug
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(00:00:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The What Should I Read Next? Patreon community offers themed bonus episodes, including Industry Insights and Starter Guides, supporting the show’s production.
  • Summary: The show aims to provide information for readers to choose their next read through literary matchmaking. Patreon membership supports the team and funds weekly show creation. Bonus content includes themed episodes like ‘Industry Insights’ and ‘Starter Guide series’ for exploring new genres.
Guest Introduction and Background
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(00:05:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Guest Nikkya owns Obodo Serendipity Books in Stratford, Connecticut, and balances this with roles as newspaper editor-in-chief and nonprofit executive director.
  • Summary: Nikkya’s bookstore name, Obodo Serendipity Books, incorporates ‘Obodo’ (community in Igbo) and ‘Serendip’ (old name for Sri Lanka), reflecting both her Nigerian heritage and her Sri Lankan wife. She juggles multiple demanding roles, all rooted in community benefit. The store offers various community events like book clubs and yoga, centered around books and social-emotional development.
Reading Life Conflict
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(00:09:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Owning a bookstore shifted Nikkya’s reading focus from pleasure to work, requiring her to read author books for monthly events, creating a delicate balance that is currently failing.
  • Summary: Prior to opening the store, Nikkya read about one book per month for pleasure. Now, reading for work, especially preparing for author visits, consumes much of her time. She recently reduced pressure by recruiting community members to host some book clubs, freeing up time she often spends reading business-oriented books, which she surprisingly enjoys.
Seeking Reading Structure
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(00:13:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Nikkya’s primary concern is implementing structure to carve out dedicated time for pleasure reading amidst professional and self-development reading demands.
  • Summary: Nikkya seeks advice on how to structure her reading time to prioritize pleasure reading over professional development or technical books. She specifically wonders if dedicating weekends solely to personal reading would be an effective strategy. She notes that reading at night is ineffective as she falls asleep quickly.
Observing Reader Habits
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(00:16:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Silent book clubs reveal that some readers consistently stick to their preferred genres (history, romance, sci-fi), while others are willing to push past comfort zones, often influenced by community choice or bestseller lists.
  • Summary: The silent book club format allows Nikkya to observe what books pique curiosity, potentially leading customers to try new genres. She notes that some customers gravitate only to their ‘big three’ genres, while others trust the New York Times bestseller list for guidance. Nikkya herself found success branching out when a book club pick, The Women by Kristen Hannah, turned her into a historical fiction fan.
Comfort Zone Analogy and Preferences
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(00:20:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Adventurous readers are likened to adventurous eaters, and Nikkya prefers sticking to known enjoyable genres (like nonfiction) unless a specific author’s style is familiar enough to warrant trying a new topic.
  • Summary: Nikkya views trying new genres like trying new food; some enjoy experimentation while others prefer the comfort of the known. She strongly dislikes fantasy but is open to psychological thrillers and suspense, having enjoyed the thriller TV genre. She is willing to try new topics within authors whose writing style she already appreciates.
Favorite Books Analysis
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(00:29:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Nikkya’s favorite books—Communion, The Glass Castle, and Just Mercy—all center on deeply exploring the human experience, self-love, mental health, and systemic justice.
  • Summary: Communion by Bell Hooks provided Nikkya with affirmation that she is ’enough’ and she considers it required reading for her daughters. The Glass Castle is loved because it ends hopefully despite depicting severe hardship and loneliness. Just Mercy resonated due to her college thesis on incarceration and Stevenson’s humanization of the incarcerated and their families.
Book That Didn’t Work
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(00:34:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers failed for Nikkya because it was too far outside her comfort zone, being both sci-fi and lacking the grounded, tactile scenes she needs to immerse herself.
  • Summary: Nikkya could not get past the second page of the sci-fi novel, finding the genre and the unfamiliar setting names disorienting. She felt unable to place herself into the scenes, which is a key requirement for her engagement, unlike her preferred grounded nonfiction. This experience confirmed that a large genre leap is currently inaccessible for her pleasure reading.
Current Reading Rotation
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(00:38:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Nikkya is currently reading a mix of nonfiction (White Fragility), fiction (The Poet Empress), and a thriller (One Last Scream), demonstrating an active, albeit pressured, attempt to diversify.
  • Summary: She is pushing through The Poet Empress audiobook, viewing it as progress outside her comfort zone, while simultaneously listening to the thriller One Last Scream. She is also revisiting Black Genius by Trey Johnson for an upcoming book club.
Genre Recommendations Provided
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(00:42:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Recommendations for Nikkya included the contemporary fiction Coyote Land (which references White Fragility), the nonfiction essay collection Still True by Regan Jackson, and the historical romance/mystery An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole.
  • Summary: The historical fiction recommendation, People of Means by Nancy Johnson, features a dual timeline exploring activism and family secrets, appealing to her interest in human experience. For suspense, Missing White Woman by Kelly Garrett was suggested as a contemporary thriller with social commentary on the true crime industry. Still True offers grounded, tactile essays on community and identity, aligning with her nonfiction interests.
Post-Recording Follow-up Advice
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(00:53:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The host advised Nikkya to implement a single, small piece of reading structure, such as a 15-20 minute timer paired with an activity like a coffee break, to build reading habits.
  • Summary: The host suggested choosing one specific structure to test, like reading for 15-20 minutes at a consistent time daily or during a routine activity. Nikkya decided to try implementing reading during her coffee break. A linked blog post offers further ideas on how to read more effectively.