{"podcast":{"title":"What to Read Next — Book Recommendations for Romance, Thrillers & Escape Reads","slug":"what-to-read-next-book-recommendations-for-romance-thrillers-escape-reads-9873","podcast_index_feed_id":9873,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/whattoreadnext/","website_url":"http://www.whattoreadnextblog.com","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/f7acd6df-7bd5-4b9f-bdcd-cc1c6c790629/4osSDj37v6rAcBIBBysi07ET.png","author":"Laura R Yamin","episode_count":928,"summary":"You know you want to read. You just don't know what. What to Read Next is the podcast for readers who love romance, thrillers, and women's fiction — and spend more time staring at their TBR than actually reading it. I'm Laura, and twice a week I bring you book recommendations built around one thing: how you actually feel right now. Not what's new. Not what's trending. The right book for this exact mood, this exact moment, this exact week of your life. Some weeks that means asking an author what they read for joy — not what they wrote, but what they reach for when they need to escape. Their answer is always your next discovery. Some weeks it means me telling you exactly what I read, what stayed with me, what I DNF'd at 40% and why, and which one I'd press into your hands right now if we were having coffee. Romance across every subgenre. Psychological thrillers. Beach reads with actual substance. Women's fiction that makes you feel seen. The books that give you the escape you came for — and a few that'll quietly change how you see things too. New episodes every Monday and Wednesday. The Reading Receipt — my weekly reading log — drops every Thursday on Substack. Start anywhere. The r…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T20:17:08.396085+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-to-read-next-book-recommendations-for-romance-thrillers-escape-reads-9873"},"episode":{"title":"Buffy Meets Dark Academia: Inside Half City with Kate Golden","slug":"buffy-meets-dark-academia-inside-half-city-with-kate-golden","published_at":"2026-02-16T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-to-read-next-book-recommendations-for-romance-thrillers-escape-reads-9873/buffy-meets-dark-academia-inside-half-city-with-kate-golden","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-to-read-next-book-recommendations-for-romance-thrillers-escape-reads-9873","url":"http://www.whattoreadnextblog.com","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/74844114-071f-4bd2-b245-6d978d6be835.mp3","summary":"This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a pandemic side project turns into a full-time creative career? In this episode, I’m joined by fantasy romance author Kate Golden to talk about writing through uncertainty, leaving a stable career, and why urban fantasy is having a moment. We get into Kate’s journey from working as a studio executive in Hollywood to indie publishing A Dawn of Onyx , landing a traditional book deal with Berkley, and finally quitting her day job to write full-time. We also dive deep into Half City , her dark academia–meets–urban fantasy trilogy set in a reimagined New York City — complete with demon hunters, secret colleges, forbidden romance, and Buffy-level vibes. This conversation is for readers who love grounded fantasy, creative career pivots, and honest talk about monetizing passion projects without losing your mind. Join the Conversation Subscribe 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!","meta_description":"This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. What happens when a pandemic side project turns int…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1610,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-to-read-next-book-recommendations-for-romance-thrillers-escape-reads-9873/episodes/buffy-meets-dark-academia-inside-half-city-with-kate-golden/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-to-read-next-book-recommendations-for-romance-thrillers-escape-reads-9873/buffy-meets-dark-academia-inside-half-city-with-kate-golden.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}