What should I read next? Ask Penguin is the podcast where your quirkiest, trickiest, and most urgent book questions get answered. Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, we bring bestselling authors and Penguin insiders to explore some of your favourite books and discover new ones that you are yet to read. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest episodes

How do you adapt East of Eden for screen?

September 30, 2026 · 20 min

How do you begin breaking down a 600-page American epic to bring it to the screen? How did Florence Pugh capture the essence of the central character Cathy? How did John Steinbeck’s secret writing journals help the screenwriters? And what…
How can I help someone fall in love with reading? with Nadia Shireen and Jonathan Douglas

July 15, 2026 · 47 min

Can you read a cookbook cover-to-cover like a thriller? Does your reading level predict a longer life? Why is a punk chef’s memoir the ultimate weapon for reluctant readers? And how do we inspire children to read if we don’t have the time…
Which books help us reconnect with nature? with Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris

July 1, 2026 · 57 min

Why do baby puffins prefer to be alone? Why don’t Cuckoo birds raise their own children? Has the decline of birds taken away the music of our landscapes? And what is the simplest way back if we feel disconnected from nature? In this…
What's wrong with reading to look smart? with Abir Mukherjee

June 17, 2026 · 59 min

Has modern forensics taken away the power of the murder mystery genre? How does a career in corporate finance prepare you to write about a killer? Is narrative voice more important than plot? And is there really such a thing as a reliable…
Which debut novels should you be reading in 2026?

June 3, 2026 · 52 min

What are the best books get you out of a reading slump? How did Snakes on a Plane inspire a literary sensation? What did James Joyce and Pakistani rap teach one of our debut novelists? And does a writer need to be completely delusional to…
Which books emotionally wrecked you? With Dawn French

May 20, 2026 · 59 min

How does artist Kae Tempest inspire Dawn French? Do editors always know best? What is the impact of grief on those we love most? And what really happened when Dawn French came face to face with a hippo while filming Harry Potter? In this…
What are the best novels about infidelity? With Sophie Mackintosh

May 6, 2026 · 41 min

What’s the difference between flash fiction and the short story? Why are we drawn to literature’s most flawed characters? And what would be the ideal fictional world for adulterers? Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, on this…
What is a must-read book to make me laugh? With Bryony Gordon

April 22, 2026 · 47 min

How did Marian Keyes inspire Bryony Gordon’s writing? How do you write about family without falling into stereotypes? Which books capture the messy reality of life? And what is your favourite habit to fit reading into your life? The Ask…