Podcast Summary: What Should I Read Next? - Episode 512: “I'm looking for 5-star stunners”

Host: Anne Bogel
Guest: Meredith Wiggins
Date: February 3, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode centers on reader and library professional Meredith Wiggins, who seeks out “5-star stunner” books—those rare reads so beautifully written and emotionally resonant they move her to tears by the final page. Anne and Meredith dig deep into the art of finding these books, analyze what makes a “stunner,” and share recommendations that might help lift Meredith from a long period of good-but-not-great books.

Key Episode Sections & Timestamps

• Meredith’s Background, Reading Life & Dilemma: 06:17–16:36
• Discussion of Favorite Reads: 21:49–38:31
• The Book That Didn’t Work: 41:29–45:34
• Recent & Ongoing Reads: 45:39–50:42
• Anne’s Recommendations for Meredith: 55:04–70:36

Detailed Breakdown

1. Meredith's Reading Life & 5-Star Dilemma

06:17–16:36

• Background: Meredith works with law students on professional development and serves part-time at her public library in Lawrence, Kansas. She’s an avid reader, queer elder millennial, and book recommender for others.
• Genres & Habits:
  • Prefers romance (especially historical), contemporary fiction, and popular nonfiction.
  • Has grown more okay with not finishing books: “This was the book that single-handedly ended my policy...of finishing every book that I read.” (Meredith, 00:00)
  • Involved in two book clubs, which broaden her reading horizons.
• The Dilemma: For the past 18 months, Meredith has been stuck in a rut of 3 to 3.5-star reads—books she enjoys but don’t wow her. She's looking for “stunners,” i.e., books she “clutches to her chest” and sometimes cries over at the end (12:19–13:59).
• Favorite Attributes in Books:
  • “Strong writing. Characters that I find compelling. I don’t need to find them likable, but I do need to find them compelling… probably more a setting that interests me than a plot.” (Meredith, 16:36)
  • “A five-star read would take all of that and combine it with some sort of emotional punch that just really hits me…and I don’t really think there’s anything in the book that could have been done better than it was.” (16:36)

2. Favorite Books – Deep Dives

21:49–38:31

A. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

21:51–26:09

• Art theft and lush, immersive prose draw Meredith in.
• Loves dynamic, believable narration and layered settings.
• “I just found myself sort of lavishing in it…I wanted to just sort of roll around in the language and the characters.” (Meredith, 21:51)
• Became a “stunner” in the last 6-7 pages: “I started to get that five star feeling where I was like…I started to feel like, oh, she's going to stick the landing.” (24:43)

B. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles

26:16–31:17

• Queer historical romance; she’s read nearly all of K.J. Charles.
• Praises “interesting pairings,” strong characterization, and “just beautiful connection between characters.”
• Highlights subtle wit: “She’ll have a character say something that's a little absurd. And the narrator will be like, oh yes, he said, comma, inaccurately, period. Which is about the amount of sort of external weight I find really charming…” (28:28)
• Audiobook praised for performance value.

C. A Poor Collector’s Guide to Buying Great Art by Erling Kagge

31:21–38:31

• Surprised and delighted by Kagge’s witty, singular voice: “He has a really interesting tone…he’s not telling jokes, but he’s being very funny throughout.”
• Enjoyed immersion in a world of high art inaccessible to most.
• Anne expands on themes of collecting/art and parallels to reading: “He talks endlessly about how having the money to buy anything available means you don’t end up with a very good collection.” (39:36)
• Both agree: voice, perspective, and immersion trump accessibility.

3. A Book That Didn’t Work – The Nix by Nathan Hill

41:29–45:34

• Intergenerational family saga, experimental fiction, and satire—disconnected from Meredith’s taste.
• “I felt like the writing was very impressed with itself…look what I can make language do, in a way that didn’t serve the characters or the story and just felt…I kept thinking, like, self-indulgent.” (Meredith, 41:51)
• This book made her comfortable with not finishing books: “I remember where I was when I finished it and was like, never again.” (41:51)

4. Recent/Ongoing Reads & Bonus Favorites

45:39–50:42

• Recent focus: nonfiction (Jon Krakauer, essays on collecting/hoarding), contemporary fiction.
• The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt: A recent “delight” and five-star read. Enjoyed clever gaps, clues, and narrative playfulness.
  • “Got to the end of the book, I was so delighted. I just flipped back to the first page and started again…” (49:40)
• Enjoys “books that are smart but not necessarily sharp”—seeking depth and wit without meanness or brutality.
• Fondness for surprise and replay value.

5. Anne’s Recommendations

55:04–70:38

Parameters:

• Smart, well-written, immersive, playful rather than biting.
• Books with art/crime/collection themes, atmospheric settings, or emotional punch.
• Open to a range of genres, especially books that “drop you into a moment in time” or provide a strong, unique perspective.

A. The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (59:18–61:30)

• Thriller/mystery in the Scottish art world involving a reclusive artist, art foundation, and a found human bone hidden in a piece.
• Tightly wound plot, island setting, high art intrigue.
• “I’m not always huge into mystery and thriller, but everything that you’re describing sounds up my alley. When you said there’s a human bone found in one of her pieces, I felt my eyebrows fly up.” (Meredith, 61:11)

B. The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck (62:19–66:24)

• Short story collection, “novel in stories” style, stories paired and interlinked.
• Historical and artistic resonance, with emotional depth and narrative layering.
• “I love when I feel like a book or a movie trusts you to figure things out a little bit as you’re going along, that sort of drop in and out...” (Meredith, 65:57)

C. The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz (66:34–69:54)

• Brooklyn family drama involving IVF-conceived triplets, a “latecomer” sibling, and a father who is an avid modern art collector (with “hoarding” subplot).
• Deep dives into art, family, and secrets—art collecting details woven through the narrative.
• “The way you’ve described this one makes it sound, I don’t know, like it could really be up my alley.” (Meredith, 68:59)

Honorable Mentions & Related Reads:

• The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (already read and loved by Meredith)
• Get the Picture by Bianca Bosker (also a hit)
• Boyfriend Material series by Alexis Hall (known and liked by Meredith)
• All Fours by Miranda July (interesting paired with Bosker’s work)

6. Memorable Quotes

• “This was the book that single-handedly ended my policy...of finishing every book that I read.”
  —Meredith Wiggins (00:00)

• “I just found myself sort of lavishing in it…I wanted to just sort of roll around in the language and the characters.”
  —Meredith, on The Goldfinch (21:51)

• “A five-star read would take all of that and combine it with some sort of emotional punch that just really hits me…”
  —Meredith (16:36)

• “Books that are smart, but maybe not necessarily sharp.”
  —Anne, paraphrasing Meredith’s taste (50:25)

• “I felt like the writing was very impressed with itself…in a way that didn’t serve the characters or the story…”
  —Meredith, on The Nix (41:51)

7. Recommendations Recap

• The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins: art, intrigue, isolated setting.
• The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck: interlinked stories with atmosphere, emotional resonance.
• The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz: family saga + art collecting.

Meredith is most intrigued by The Latecomer, planning to take it on her upcoming trip.

Takeaways

• For readers in a rut, consider exploring books with immersive narration, emotionally rich endings, or “smart but not sharp” writing.
• Don’t force yourself to finish books that don’t work for you.
• Pairing books on similar themes (art, collecting) or tones can offer rewarding, serendipitous reading experiences.
• Recommendations targeting both personal taste and a desire for surprise can help re-ignite a spark for 5-star reading.

“I have not had as many of those types of reads as I would like to be finding over the last couple of years.” —Meredith

“Gosh, I’d love to see you find some books that you love for 2026.” —Anne

For a full list of titles mentioned, visit What Should I Read Next? Ep 512 Show Notes.