What Should I Read Next?

Ep 493: Books that take you on an epic journey

Host: Anne Bogel
Guest: Candace Brown Murray
Date: September 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Anne talks with guest Candace Brown Murray, a dedicated reader and recent “open nester” from South Florida, about the enduring appeal of stories that take readers on epic journeys—whether across mythic landscapes, through deep personal transformation, or into richly imagined worlds. Candace shares her history with books, what has shaped her reading life over time, how she’s rediscovering reading as an empty nester, and how tying her identity to powerful stories is helping her reconnect with a beloved pastime. Together, they explore Candace’s favorite books, her reading roadblocks, and Anne recommends new titles (and strategies) to spark her next chapter.

Meet the Guest & Her Reading Life

[06:14 - 11:35]

• Candace is a Georgia native, now in South Florida, a mother in a blended family of five, PR professional, kayaker, traveler, historic home renovator, and lifelong reader.
• She credits her mother (a teacher with a doctorate in education) with fostering her early love of books:

  "I always had a book. I'd sneak off and fake camp, family vacations at the beach. I just sit in my chair until the tide came in and wanted to swallow me up." (Candace, 09:05)

• Her reading waned after motherhood and as her PR career grew:

  “When you aren't at work, you really don't want to read so much because your brain is just already full of words.” (Candace, 08:35)

• Lately, audiobooks and podcasts have substituted for physical books, but she yearns to reconnect with “paper,” the tactile experience of reading, and sharing beloved books with others.
• Joining a friend’s book club recently revived her motivation to read and share stories.

  "I love sharing a book, a good book. One of the books that I've listed for you and one of my favorites... I've purchased multiple copies because I keep giving it away." (Candace, 10:31)

Candace’s Favorite Books & What She Loves About Them

1. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

[15:53 - 21:23]

• Lifechanging required reading in college; compelled her to a deep-dive, formative analysis.
• She’s bought and given away multiple copies:

  "It's such a sad story... you just go along with her through her life, and you're there when she does realize her dream of having blue eyes in a horrible way." (Candace, 16:57)

• “The Bluest Eye” remains with her, influencing even mundane experiences:

  "Every single time I sit in the seat with my popcorn by myself, I think of this book." (Candace, 17:12)

• Expresses heartbreak at its presence on banned book lists, but admires Morrison’s rawness:

  “She writes real stories and things that you feel and obviously, you know, in my case, things that stay with you. She's a beautiful author. Her writing is just phenomenal. It's an art in itself.” (Candace, 19:46)

• Shares a little-known fact Morrison originally wrote it as a short story in college.

2. Lost Gods by Brom

[21:37 - 27:58]

• Candace discovered Brom (the mononymous, all-caps author/illustrator) unexpectedly via a friend's Facebook post about the book’s striking cover art.
• The book’s story:
  • Follows Chet Moran, who dies, enters purgatory, and must fight back to save his pregnant wife back on Earth.
  • Filled with mythological elements—accessible even for those who “aren’t into mythology.”

  “The world building is the biggest thing with Brom. He’s so phenomenal with world building. I would compare it to how I felt when I read Lord of the Rings. You just are on this epic journey… you feel like you are there.” (Candace, 25:11)

• Candace immediately shared it with her husband and son, who was moved to tears by the ending.
• Meeting Brom at Savannah Book Festival was a “hero” moment, encouraged by her friend Brigid.

3. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

[28:04 - 30:55]

• Read long ago, but resonated deeply—possibly due to her own middle name, Dolores, but primarily for the “liberation” and character transformation.

  “Sometimes, you know, we are our biggest critic, and certainly there is a world full of people who will do that for you. So positive self talk and the power of that, you know, it's something that I kind of learned from this, and you can always start over.” (Candace, 29:12)

• Drawn to “underdog stories” and personal journeys—epic struggles with deep emotional payoff.

Key Theme: The Draw of Epic Journeys

[30:55 - 31:49]

• Candace connects her favorite books through the “epic journey” theme—whether via mythic landscapes, personal growth, or internal struggles:

  “All of these books that I've listed as my favorites, they have an epic journey of some kind. Whether it's a character's personal triumphs that they're overcoming or whether it's literally, you know, like in the case of Chet and Purgatory, an epic journey.” (Candace, 30:55)

• Willing to “put in the work” as a reader, especially if there’s a worthwhile payoff.

A Book That Didn’t Work

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
[32:06 - 34:34]

• Promised another epic journey but fell flat: slow-paced, overly descriptive, bogged down by minutiae about dogs’ mannerisms.

  “I struggled with. It just was so long in places and that it didn't have to be long and so descriptive... it just was so tough for me to get through this.” (Candace, 32:19)

• Learning about the Hamlet inspiration mid-read made the parallels distracting.
• Despite almost abandoning, she pushed through out of sympathy for the main character, but regretted it:

  “It was a journey in Wisconsin, but…” (Candace, 34:29)

Reading Life Challenges & Goals

[35:46 - 46:08]

• Candace misses “paper”—wants to rebuild stamina and attention for reading physical books.
• Life (busy job, distractions, open nest, and possibly ADHD) makes it hard to carve out uninterrupted reading time:

  “My husband, Gosh, I love him, but it's like, as soon as I am, I have a book in my hand, he has a million things to ask me... probably there's some ADHD at work.” (Candace, 36:31)

• Anecdote: It took five years and countless vacations to finish the physical copy of “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?”—a family joke (“where are you going, Bernadette?”).
• Shares yearning for tangible connection as a relief from a digital, “ephemeral” work life—a theme Anne echoes:

  “At a certain point you realize you’re craving something you can hold in your hands.” (Anne, 39:35)

• Enjoys physical books with multimedia—e.g., Brom’s illustrations, Matthew McConaughey's "Greenlights" journal pages.
• Seeks strategies, not just book recs, for rekindling the habit.

Anne’s Strategies & Reflections for Returning to Physical Books

[42:30 - 46:08]

• Identify your resistance: does your mind crave a tangible object? Would specific times of day or formats (short, bite-sized readings) help?
• A “daily reader” format can anchor a tactile reading ritual.
• There’s research behind deeper engagement with physical books (underlining, annotating, etc.).
• All-or-nothing might work (deep dive into one epic), but "small steps" (short essays, stories) could help rebuild the stamina.
• Be patient and flexible—muscles rebuild over time.

Anne’s Personalized Book Recommendations for Candace

[48:19 - 59:14]

1. The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (Releases October 2025)

• [48:32 - 51:28]
• Sweeping, time-altering fantasy: a man obsessed with the mythic Oona Everlasting is sent back to different timelines to meet her, caught in a cosmic love story and an unseen sinister game.
• Gothic, romantic, historical, and mind-bending but “not tricky to read”; immersive.
• “Whoosh. I was in and I wanted to know what happened next... it’s got these huge fantasy elements, but also feels really grounded.” (Anne, 49:18)
• If you want an earlier fix: try Starling House (Harro’s recent release, dark and quest-driven).

2. The Toni Morrison Book Club

• [51:29 - 53:16]
• Four English professors, all friends, write and narrate personal essays connecting Morrison’s novels (including The Bluest Eye) to their lives and current events.
• Short, digestible, highly personal—potentially great for rebuilding physical reading habit.
• “With this essay collection, this could be one that's in smaller, more bite-sized pieces. I don't think you're going to lose the plot if you stand up and walk away and tend to things.” (Anne, 52:07)

3. Heft by Liz Moore

• [53:15 - 57:26]
• Interlocking stories of three lonely, struggling characters—an isolated English professor, his estranged pen-pal’s son (an aspiring baseball star), and a young cleaning woman—who find unexpected connections.
• Themes: found family, emotional and literal “heft,” healing and transformation in bleak circumstances.
• “When you talked about stories of underdog stories and struggles and people finding themselves... this is a story of three desperately lonely struggling people who seem to have absolutely nothing in common, but are brought together into each other's orbit by fate and circumstance.” (Anne, 54:32)
• Similar in tone and emotional impact to Wally Lamb.

Other Notable Moments & Quotes

• Candace on reading now as an “open nester”:

  “I want to get back to things that make me me, and reading and just zoning out, you know, somewhere with a book is a piece of me that I want to reconnect with.” (Candace, 11:15)

• On personal evolution:

  “What is today for my reading journey doesn’t have to be what’s there tomorrow. So I do feel positive about it and I’m going to keep working toward my goal. Maybe get a little closer to the person I used to be with books.” (Candace, 59:25)

Timestamps: Key Segments

• Guest introduction & Reading history: 05:31–11:35
• Candace’s favorite books discussion: 15:53–31:49
• Book that didn’t work: 32:06–34:34
• Reading struggles & seeking advice: 35:46–46:08
• Anne’s recommendations: 48:19–59:14
• Candace’s choices & reflections: 58:29–59:25

Final Thoughts

Candace chooses to tackle The Toni Morrison Book Club first—as a way to rekindle her physical reading habit in digestible portions—then plans to read The Everlasting and Heft.
Anne and Candace celebrate the idea that reading journeys are never static, and that “making the road as you walk it” is the essence of becoming the reader you want to be.

Episode’s Standout Quote:

“Make the road as you walk it.” (Anne, 60:01)

For more info & book list, visit:

whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com