<svg fill="none" height="25" viewBox="0 0 24 25" width="24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<circle cx="11.6406" cy="12.3918" fill="#C60808" opacity="0.05" r="11.6406">
<path d="M16.6445 10.2899H6.63672V9.04663H16.6445V10.2899Z" fill-rule="evenodd">
<path d="M16.6445 13.3421H6.63672V12.0989H16.6445V13.3421Z" fill-rule="evenodd">
<path d="M12.7025 16.395H6.63672V15.1518H12.7025V16.395Z" fill-rule="evenodd">
</svg>

Transcript

<svg height="12" viewBox="0 0 16 12" width="16" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<path d="M14.5 0H1.5C0.65625 0 0 0.6875 0 1.5V10.5C0 11.3438 0.65625 12 1.5 12H14.5C15.3125 12 16 11.3438 16 10.5V1.5C16 0.6875 15.3125 0 14.5 0ZM14.5 1.5V2.78125C13.7812 3.375 12.6562 4.25 10.2812 6.125C9.75 6.53125 8.71875 7.53125 8 7.5C7.25 7.53125 6.21875 6.53125 5.6875 6.125C3.3125 4.25 2.1875 3.375 1.5 2.78125V1.5H14.5ZM1.5 10.5V4.71875C2.1875 5.28125 3.21875 6.09375 4.75 7.3125C5.4375 7.84375 6.65625 9.03125 8 9C9.3125 9.03125 10.5 7.84375 11.2188 7.3125C12.75 6.09375 13.7812 5.28125 14.5 4.71875V10.5H1.5Z">
</svg>

Email


<svg height="16" viewBox="0 0 18 16" width="18" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<path d="M16.5 9H13.5938L15.0625 7.5625C16 6.625 15.3125 5 14 5H12V1.5C12 0.6875 11.3125 0 10.5 0H7.5C6.65625 0 6 0.6875 6 1.5V5H4C2.65625 5 1.96875 6.625 2.9375 7.5625L4.375 9H1.5C0.65625 9 0 9.6875 0 10.5V14.5C0 15.3438 0.65625 16 1.5 16H16.5C17.3125 16 18 15.3438 18 14.5V10.5C18 9.6875 17.3125 9 16.5 9ZM4 6.5H7.5V1.5H10.5V6.5H14L9 11.5L4 6.5ZM16.5 14.5H1.5V10.5H5.875L7.9375 12.5625C8.5 13.1562 9.46875 13.1562 10.0312 12.5625L12.0938 10.5H16.5V14.5ZM13.75 12.5C13.75 12.9375 14.0625 13.25 14.5 13.25C14.9062 13.25 15.25 12.9375 15.25 12.5C15.25 12.0938 14.9062 11.75 14.5 11.75C14.0625 11.75 13.75 12.0938 13.75 12.5Z">
</svg>

Download


<svg height="14" viewBox="0 0 14 14" width="14" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
<path d="M12.5 0H1.5C0.65625 0 0 0.6875 0 1.5V12.5C0 13.3438 0.65625 14 1.5 14H12.5C13.3125 14 14 13.3438 14 12.5V1.5C14 0.6875 13.3125 0 12.5 0ZM12.3125 12.5H1.6875C1.5625 12.5 1.5 12.4375 1.5 12.3125V1.6875C1.5 1.59375 1.5625 1.5 1.6875 1.5H12.3125C12.4062 1.5 12.5 1.59375 12.5 1.6875V12.3125C12.5 12.4375 12.4062 12.5 12.3125 12.5ZM10.625 3L6.375 3.03125C6.15625 3.03125 6 3.1875 6 3.40625V4.25C6 4.46875 6.15625 4.65625 6.375 4.625L8.1875 4.5625L3.09375 9.65625C2.9375 9.8125 2.9375 10.0312 3.09375 10.1875L3.8125 10.9062C3.96875 11.0625 4.1875 11.0625 4.34375 10.9062L9.4375 5.8125L9.375 7.625C9.34375 7.84375 9.53125 8 9.75 8H10.5938C10.8125 8 10.9688 7.84375 10.9688 7.625L11 3.375C11 3.1875 10.8125 3 10.625 3Z">
</svg>

New Tab

[00:00:00 ] SARAH KELLOGG: I think she's my reading twin.

ANNE BOGEL: I think she might be too.

Hey readers, I'm Anne Bogel, 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 will do here is give you the information you need to choose your next read. Every week we'll talk all things books and reading and do a little literary matchmaking with one guest.

[00:00:40 ] Readers, if September means you're building your fall reading list, well, we are too. That's why I'm so excited to tell you that our Fall Book Preview is available starting this Thursday. We always kick off our fall reading with our live unboxing event. And when I say always, I mean this is our seventh year running. But the Fall Book Preview is here to help gently guide your reading all season long.

In this seasonal preview, I share my top recommendations for books releasing from September through the end of the year. And in our unboxing event, and we record it for those who can't come live, I dive deeper and discuss more about each title, plus where each fits in the literary landscape, and what style of reader each may appeal to most.

Like all of our seasonal previews and guides, this is a thoughtfully created resource, hand-culled, made by me and the humans on our team here at What Should I Read Next? It's designed to help you cut through the marketing copy and algorithm noise so you can know which books are right for you to explore right now. Grab yours anytime this season by visiting ModernMrsDarcy.com/FBP. That's for Fall Book Preview. ModernMrsDarcy.com/FBP.

[00:01:48 ] Readers, I'm so excited to dive into what feels like a particularly nerdy niche of the reading life in today's episode. And I've got an expert reader here to join me.

Today, I'm talking books about creativity and grace, balancing old and new reads, and book cover design with Sarah Kellogg. As a cover designer at a big five publisher, Sarah is uniquely qualified to have this conversation. She is here to answer all my and all your burning questions, and also discuss aspects of her work I didn't even know to ask about.

We also discuss the intersection of her creative work with her reading life, and what that has meant and means for her now as a person and as a reader. And because Sarah would also love my suggestions for her next non-work read, we'll explore what's happening in her personal reading life these days, and I will recommend both old and new titles that she may enjoy reading when she's not working on her latest work project. Let's get to it.

Sarah, welcome to the show.

SARAH: Thank you for having me.

[00:02:48 ] ANNE: Oh my gosh, the pleasure's mine. I'm so excited to talk today. And thanks for volunteering. We were really excited to get your submission at What Should I Read Next HQ.

Sarah, would you start by telling us a little about yourself? We love to give our readers a glimpse of who they're hearing from each week.

SARAH: Sure. I work in the publishing field as a book cover designer. It is my dream job. I feel so lucky to get to do this. While in my early 20s, I moved to New York City, and that was quite an adventure. I did not know what I was in for. I did not know how the subway system worked. I had just packed two big suitcases and moved out there, and just was diving right into it.

[00:03:39 ] A few years ago, I actually accepted a remote position, so now I'm back in Dallas, Texas, and I live with my husband and our two cats. When I'm not working on book covers or reading manuscripts or reading for pleasure, usually I'm just trying to get out of my head and more into my body. And for me, that looks like going on walks, being out in nature, going on runs, that sort of thing.