Ep. 545: Books that just WORK for me

What Should I Read Next?

Debbie Day, a recent retiree from Nashville, joins host Anne Bogle to explore what makes books truly resonate with her. After years of assuming food or travel

Key takeaways

• Debbie Day identifies 'interesting structure' as the unifying element in her top-rated books, moving beyond her previous assumption that food or travel themes were central.
• Anne Bogle recommends Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, noting its magical realism and chapter-opening recipes tied to emotional plot points.

Main topics

• Narrative structure and format in fiction
• Retirement and leisure reading habits

Notable quotes

I feel like I brought this half-baked theory and now I'm expecting you to do all the research and figure it out. So sorry.

Conclusion

The episode offers readers a fresh lens for evaluating books by focusing on

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) You don't have to Speaker 1 (0:00) be sad about it. Speaker 2 (0:03) I feel like I Speaker 1 (0:04) brought this half-baked theory and now I'm expecting you to do all the research and figure it out. So sorry. Speaker 2 (0:14) No, this is what we do here. Speaker 2 (0:19) Hey readers, I'm Anne Bogle, and this is What Should I Read Next? Welcome to the show that's dedicated to answering the question that plagues every reader, what should I read next? We don't get bossy on this show. What we do here is give you the information you need to choose your next read. Every week, we talk all things books and reading, and we do a little literary matchmaking with one guest. Speaker 2 (0:49) Readers, first about Fall Book Preview and our new for 2026, cute little useful lookbook. We have been thrilled to hear from so many of you that you are really loving our Fall Book Preview lookbook. It's smaller format this year. It's six by nine. It's inky, hand-stamped, kind of zine inspired. And it invites you to dig into my selections for this season's most anticipated books and some of our team picks too. But since it's analog, you get to mark it up. Take it anywhere, dog-ear it if you want, and refer to it all the time, like for months or years to come. Our 2026 lookbook stands alone more than it ever has before. You can use it independently of Unboxing Easy. So whether you've already experienced unboxing, are still making plans to do so, or don't plan to join in unboxing at all, This year's lookbook is for you. We also designed it from the jump as being really reasonably priced. You can get it delivered to you, including shipping for about 10 bucks. Find out more and get your copy. It is analog. We only have so many copies and we are going to sell them out. So get your copy while supplies last at modernmrsdarcy.com slash FBP. That's for fall book preview. modernmrsdarcy.com slash FBP. Readers, when it comes to makeup, I always reach for easy-to-use products that give an effortless glow. If I'm going to follow a morning makeup routine, it's got to be no fuss and flattering. So when I heard about Jones Road Beauty from friends who raved about their stuff, I couldn't wait to explore. You may know about Jones Road because of their Miracle Balm, which works as a highlighter, blush, bronzer, and more. Fans gush about how it delivers big results with minimal effort. Miracle Balm is easy to use with no brushes needed. Just use your fingers to apply and you're out the door. This light, reflecting balm gives you that healthy skin glow in under 60 seconds. And like all products from Jones Road, it's actually good for your skin, nourishing without clogging or caking. Jones Road also just launched their new Minimalist Defining Mascara. It's designed to give your lashes natural-looking length, fullness, and definition with a soft, feathery finish so you're not dealing with smudging or flaking. Modern-day makeup that's clean, strategic, and multifunctional for effortless routines. For a limited time, our listeners are getting a free full-size mascara on their first purchase when they use code READNEXT at checkout. Just head to jonesroadbeauty.com and use code READNEXT at checkout. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. Please Speaker 1 (3:12) support Speaker 2 (3:12) our show and tell them our show sent you. Readers, I wear glasses, and the process of finding a style I like that's comfortable, suits my prescription, and doesn't break the bank has always been a hassle. So when I ordered my most recent pair of prescription glasses from Warby Parker, I was impressed both at how easy the process was and how well these glasses have stood up to wear over the years. Unlike glasses I've had in the past, my styles from Warby Parker are still going strong after many years wear. I love the way they look even now. And my Warby Parker sunglasses, which I wear all of the time. Stand up to abuse and nearly anything I throw at them, including when I sometimes literally toss them into my bag without the case. They've been to the beach many times. They have held up great. Warby Parker has a new virtual try-on that makes finding your new frames easy. You can see exactly how the glasses will look on your face before you even place your order. Prescription glasses from Warby Parker start at just $95, so you can get stylish quality frames at an affordable price. If you're looking for other things your eyes need, like contacts, online eye exams, or sunglasses you'll love as much as I love mine, Warby Parker has what you need. Shop online or in one of their 300-plus retail stores in the U.S. Warby Parker is also covered by major eye insurance plans. Just enter your information online, and they'll tell you which benefits your plan carries and automatically apply any that you're eligible for to your order. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20 % off any additional pairs. at warbyparker.com slash readnext. That's 20 % off any additional pairs when you purchase one pair at warbyparker.com slash readnext. Speaker 2 (4:49) Readers, today's guest, Debbie Day, is joining me from the Nashville area, where she is enjoying settling into retirement and empty nesting. And she's loving having more time for travel, dancing, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and of course, reading, including with the new book club that she helped create. Debbie is grateful that now she's able to better and especially more leisurely explore what makes a book really click for her as a reader. She's joining me to share what she's learned so far, especially as she's learned things she didn't expect to discover, and she's looking for new titles that might deliver the reading experiences that she now knows she would like to have more often. This extra time to reflect on her reading life has led Debbie to discover an unexpected common thread among her favorite books, and that is an interesting structure. Now that she's homed in on this element, Debbie is on the hunt for more such books. but she's not sure where to go look for them. As a structured nerd myself, you know I have ideas for Debbie, and I can't wait to talk about all of it with her today. Readers, first a note, every once in a while, we get some audio gremlins during a recording, and today is one of those days. You'll hear a few small disruptions, especially in the first few minutes, but we think they won't detract too much from your listening enjoyment. Thanks for listening. Let's get to it. Debbie, welcome to the show. Speaker 1 (6:13) Hi, thank you so much for having me. Super excited. Speaker 2 (6:17) Thank you for being here. When I saw your submission, I thought, ooh. And when our team members saw your submission, they went, Anne, you got to look Speaker 1 (6:26) at what Debbie's looking for right now. So thanks for bringing it to the show. Absolutely. Speaker 2 (6:32) Debbie, we'd love to start by just giving our readers a glimpse of who you are. Could you tell us a little about yourself? Speaker 1 (6:39) Sure, yeah. I am calling in from just south of Nashville. I live in a new community. Actually, my husband and I moved here recently. We're pretty excited about it because it's kind of specifically designed for community. So lots of things to get involved with and people to meet and friends to make. So we're excited for that. Speaker 1 (7:06) I retired shortly ago. I was a preschool director for years and years. But as my children are flying, leaving the nest, just kind of decided to take this time to spend with my husband and travel and do fun things. Speaker 2 (7:29) Well, that sounds lovely. Speaker 1 (7:30) Debbie, would you tell Speaker 2 (7:32) us Speaker 1 (7:32) about your reading life? Sure. Obviously, you know, lifelong reader, just one of those people that just obsesses over books. I always remember just hankering to go to the library. I had a kind of a mail order, a book subscription that I just, I just remember just anxiously waiting for it to arrive every month. And then. enter high school and college and the reading for pleasure definitely dropped off. Like I've heard many listeners or many of your guests say. And then after college, you know, raising a family, all that good stuff, I got involved in a book club, got invited to a book club. And that really brought me back to reading again, which has been wonderful. I'm glad to have it back. It's a great hobby. Enjoy it and love to talk about books and was able to in the community that we moved into start a new book club. And so that's been really fun. Speaker 2 (8:42) I'm glad to hear it. Now, Debbie, you mentioned that you have listened to the show for a long time. I'm curious to hear what brings you to What Should I Read Next in this season, in this role in What Should I Read Next? Speaker 1 (8:54) Sure. As I have more time being retired, I have more time to not only to read, but to think about my reading life. I've really been trying to figure out what it is that makes a book just work for me. You know, for years and years, I've always, I love cooking. I love food and travel, love learning lots of nerdy things about all that. So I kind of always assumed that all my favorite books. somehow tied into food or wine or travel. And then kind of as I've just been exploring it more, I feel like that's a piece of it, but not necessarily the whole picture. I was reading one of my top three books. I was reading it recently and realized it had nothing to do with food or cooking. And it just... There was something about it that spoke to me and I kind of realized, I think it might be like an interesting structure or a interesting format for a book that draws me in. So I really would love some help, A, figuring out if that's accurate, like if that is truly what's drawing me to books. And then B, helping explore that more, like where do I find books like that? I'm open to exploring new genres that kind of maybe meet that criteria. So yeah, I need your help. Speaker 2 (10:29) Okay. That is an interesting shift between thinking you may be interested in books that are food, wine related to interesting structures. Yes. I love a book with an interesting structure. So this will be fun. Now, you mentioned that one of your favorites got you thinking about this new theory for what really works for you in your reading life. Is now a good time to talk about your books? Speaker 1 (10:59) Sure. Speaker 2 (11:00) Okay. Yes. All right. Debbie, you know how this works. You're going to tell me three books you love, one book you don't, and what you've been reading lately. And then we're going to poke at this theory a little bit and see what we discover. Speaker 2 (11:17) How did you choose these books that you brought to the show today? Speaker 1 (11:20) You know, I just kind of looked back at my, you know, five-star reads and tried to kind of focus, obviously, on ones that have really stuck with me, but that in looking back really maybe kind of match this theory. Yeah. So I'd say that that's kind of how I kind of chose these three, but definitely ones that have stuck with me for a long time. Speaker 2 (11:45) Well, let's jump in. Debbie, what's the first book you love? Okay. The Speaker 1 (11:49) first book I chose was Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Some folks may have seen the movie, but the book is pretty special. It is a magical, has a little magical realism story set at the turn of the century during the Mexican Revolution. And it is fun. It's quirky. I feel like that's something else that I have seen as I'm trying to flesh out what a good book is to me. I need a quirky character and someone that I can root for. And Life Water for Chocolate provides for sure. Tita is a young lady and she is the youngest daughter of a kind of tyrannical. mother. And just through to tradition, she is supposed to never marry, not leave home, take care of her mother for life. And that does not jive with the love Tita feels for Pedro. So basically, the mother says, nope, there will be no marriage for you. And Pedro instead ends up marrying Tita's sister just to stay close. And you can imagine all that ensues in this very complicated. complicated story, family drama. But what I loved and kind of the food aspect of it. So every chapter