

Currently Reading
Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb
Currently Reading is a podcast dedicated to the love of books and reading. Meredith and Kaytee are two bookish friends who discuss their most recent reads - and please know, they are going to be honest about how they felt about them! All conversations are spoiler-free, pinkie promise.
In addition, they'll talk about books they've loved forever, and a variety of other bookish topics - all to help you develop the reading life you've always wanted. Looking for your next great read? You'll find tons of book recommendations every week.
Named one of the New York Times' "Best Podcasts for Book Lovers".
In addition, they'll talk about books they've loved forever, and a variety of other bookish topics - all to help you develop the reading life you've always wanted. Looking for your next great read? You'll find tons of book recommendations every week.
Named one of the New York Times' "Best Podcasts for Book Lovers".
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 20, 2020 • 56min
Season 2, Episode 24: Reading Recs from Others + Kids' Book Clubs
Kaytee and Mindy are chatting this week while Meredith hosts a leadership retreat in Waco, TX. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: stealing a book out of the hands of a reader, and helping another rediscover her love of "fun" reading. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We've got YA and WWII and memoir and coming-of-age novels to chat about and we cannot wait to share those opinions with you! For our deep dive this week, we are chatting about the kids' book club that Mindy started for her 11 year old son. We're talking about logistics and book picks and what the kiddos talk about, and it's a great discussion that's sure to inspire a reader in your life. Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: one from a new "author crush" and one that has been referenced so many times on the podcast that it has finally earned its place on the Press list. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Bookish Moments: 4:04 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman Current Reads: 5:19 - Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid 13:10 - One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus 15:29 - One of Us is Next by Karen McManus 16:05 - The Shanghai Free Taxi: Journeys with the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China by Frank Langfitt 16:31 - @montanaonlineteacher on Instagram 20:14 - From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein 23:18 - The Gatekeepers: How White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple 23:20 - Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonoco 24:11 - The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel 27:27 - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal 28:03 - The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery 31:03 - How to Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery Deep Dive into Kids' Book Clubs: 36:42 - Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 36:44 - Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 37:55 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 40:59 - The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff 43:30 - Book Club discussion questions 46:16 - Other books the boys have discussed: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, Holes by Louis Sachar Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands: 47:08 - Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds 47:26 - Dataclysm by Christian Rudder 48:09 - @cheesehead.reader on Instagram 48:10 - @katieproctorwritesandreads on Instagram 48:32 - Scribd membership - try it for 60 days free! 51:39 - Ghost by Jason Reynolds 52:45 - Season 1, Episode 3 52:47 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 54:31 - The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Jan 13, 2020 • 48min
Season 2, Episode 23: Our Best Books of 2019
Meredith and Kaytee are back with the episode you've been waiting for. Our favorite books of 2019! Rather than spending time on all our regular segments, we are diving right into the good stuff. No Bookish Moments, no Current Reads, no Deep Dive, no Pressed books, just a reflection on our 2019 reading year and then the top 10 lists you've been waiting for! We are each sharing 10 books we LOVED this year (plus a couple bonus picks that we slide in under the radar). We do a lot of gushing, we have a lot of words, and we think this episode contains the real gems for us and readers like us. If you have books you think we'll love based on these lists, put them in the comments! If you agree or disagree with a pick, put that in the comments as well! We love hearing from you! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Let's Talk About Stats, Baby: 3:22 - Kaytee on Goodreads 3:23 - Kaytee's spreadsheet (with excessive stats) comes from the BookRiot spreadsheet with some special modifications. You can grab a copy directly from BookRiot though! Patrons get my copy with all the bonus challenges and stats already included. 3:26 - 2020 Reading Journal Top 10 Lists: (Titles in Italics and parentheses are books we mentioned that are not part of the official top 10 list) 13:40 - Sweep by Jonathan Auxier 14:11 - (Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier) 15:02 - Winterhouse by Ben Guterson 15:41 - (Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson - book 2) 15:46 - (The Winterhouse Mysteries by Ben Guterson - book 3) 16:14 - Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski 16:28 - (Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski) 17:08 - A Better Man by Louise Penny 18:50 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow 19:56 - The Whisper Man by Alex North 20:00 - (Book of the Month subscription) 20:59 - The Passengers by John Marrs 21:11 - (The One by John Marrs) 22:02 - The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye 22:11 - Episode when listeners press books into OUR hands 23:23 - Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts 25:08 - The Current by Tim Johnston 25:15 - (Shelf Subscription from Bookshelf Thomasville) 27:31 - White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 29:28 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 31:28 - (Sarah's Bookshelves Life interview with Garrett) 32:00 - We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter 33:20 - American Royals by Katherine McGee 35:13 - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal 37:06 - (Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry) 37:40 - (The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides) 37:44 - The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth 39:41 - The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead 39:57 - (Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead) 40:54 - The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich 42:39 - The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall 44:47 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Jan 6, 2020 • 54min
Season 2, Episode 22: A Record Number of Five-Star Books + "Goodreads, You're Fired"
Kaytee and Meredith are excited for a new year and some new bookish recommendations! As always, we start out with a "bookish moment of the week" from each host. Some fame-treatment and bonus reading time. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We've got five-star books and strong opinions and all the things you love in this segment this week, so it's a fun one! We are skipping our Slow But Steady check-in this week, but be sure to chime in with your picks on Instagram or Facebook for this challenge! For our deep dive, we are throwing some serious side-eye at the Goodreads Best Books of 2019 lists and the ways these collections are put together. We have STRONG opinions about the winners for a number of these categories, but it's not all negative. We'll also share our picks for "best lists that actually reflect good 2019 reading" with you. Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: we're trying something a little different with a "guest press" this week, and including a category of book that has never shown up on the press list before. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Current Reads: 6:52 - Bookshelf Thomasville Shelf Subscriptions 7:01 - The Last by Hannah Jameson 9:37 - Stephen King's books 9:38 - Agatha Christie's books 9:56 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 11:10 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 11:20 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 11:21 - Run by Ann Patchett 11:22 - State of Wonder by Ann Patchett 11:23 - This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett 11:27 - The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett 11:32 - Commonwealth by Ann Patchett 18:18 - The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Carlson 18:30 - Read Aloud Revival 20:05 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 21:19 - Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness 21:22 - Naturally Tan by Tan France 24:57 - @girlaboutlibrary on Instagram 25:04 - The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich 26:46 - Furious Hours by Casey Cep 30:05 - Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat 30:13 - Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines Deep Dive: 34:35 - Goodreads Best of 2019 List: 35:18 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 36:10 - Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 36:18 - Audible's Best of 2019 List 37:08 - Recursion by Blake Crouch 37:31 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 37:49 - The Testaments by Margaret Atwood 38:40 - The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan 39:43 - Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis 40:07 - Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 40:20 - Book of the Month (DJ&TS is their Book of the Year) 40:38 - The Five by Hallie Rubenhold 40:45 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 41:11 - Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis 41:13 - American Royals by Katherine McGee 41:25 - Over the Top by Jonathan Van Ness 43:14 - New York Times Best of 2019 List 43:16 - NPR's Best of 2019 List 43:24 - Libraryreads.org Best of 2019 List 44:03 - Lithub.com best of best of lists 44:33 - Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout 44:34 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 44:36 - Normal People by Sally Rooney 45:00 - Amy Allen Clark at Momadvice.com best of 2019 List Presses: 47:37 - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 50:14 - El Deafo by CeCe Bell

Dec 23, 2019 • 1h 1min
Season 2, Episode 21: All the Hosts Together + TV/Book Pairings
Meredith and Kaytee are joined by Mindy today in a three-host show full of bookish delights. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host. A book club win for kids, a book train with friends, and strong opinions about a bookish movie. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. There's some serious gushing over books in this week's titles, plus a couple "I didn't like this" strong opinions. Hold onto your earbuds. We are doing a brief Slow But Steady check-in this week to let you know what we're choosing for our next reads for this challenge. For our deep dive this week, we are playing around with book pairings for TV shows that we've enjoyed in the past. We each chose two shows to dive deep into and then find ways to replicate some of those same feelings in our reading. What fun! Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: we've got a "very favorite" read-aloud book, one that will work, even if you're down to the wire on a challenge category, and a book that is perfect for gift-giving. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Announcements: 1:19 - Episode 32 of Season 1 1:45 - 2020 Reading Challenge Printable 2:38 - 2020 Reading Journal for purchase (free for Patrons!) Bookish Moments: 4:57 - Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 6:38 - Eye of the Elephant by Delia and Mark Owens 6:42 - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 7:43 - A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer 8:13 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Current Reads: 10:34 - Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Patillo Beales 13:55 - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 14:42 - Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson 18:17 - Wild Robot by Peter Brown 21:41 - Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen 22:00 - Episode 38 of Season 1 22:16 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 23:04 - Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul 26:42 - The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates 28:10 - Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 31:24 - City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert 31:57 - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Slow But Steady: 36:22 - The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates 36:40 - Gone with The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 37:10 - The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile 37:29 - The Art of Typing by Ginger Lapig-Bogda 38:18 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling 38:20 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling 38:24 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 38:30 - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 38:40 - Persuasion by Jane Austen 38:48 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Deep Dive: Pairings with Grey's Anatomy: 40:22 - Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult 40:49 - The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory 41:19 - The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin Pairings with Parenthood: 42:09 - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal 42:24 - The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown Pairings with West Wing: 43:43 - Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonico 44:28 - The Gatekeepers by Chris Whipple 45:03 - Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin 45:19 - The Brethren by John Grisham 45:22 - Term Limits by Vince Flynn Pairings with Dr. Quinn or When Calls the Heart: 46:37 - Christy by Catherine Marshall 47:15 - Tisha: The Wonderful True Love Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness by Robert Specht Pairings with Elementary: 49:06 - Sherlock Holmes canon by Arthur Conan Doyle 49:37 - The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz 49:54 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 50:11 - A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 50:38 - A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George Pairings with Dexter: 51:17 - Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsey 51:25 - You by Caroline Kepnes 51:45 - My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing 52:11 - The One by John Marrs Presses: 52:58 - Episode 32 of Season 1 53:07 - I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borden de Trevino 54:18 - Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson 56:03 - The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini 56:11 - Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini

Dec 16, 2019 • 52min
Season 2, Episode 20: Post-surgery Silliness + What Makes Us Skip or DNF a Book
Kaytee and Meredith are back and chatting about all the books this week. We've got surgery updates and silliness and everything in between. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host. We're virtually joining in on a trip to a local booklover's heaven, and sitting on the couch binging books together. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. Romance, and mystery, non-fiction, and YA. We're chatting about all that we've been reading lately, even if it doesn't jive with previous opinions on the show! Our Slow But Steady check in is going to move to every once in a while instead of every week. You can still check in on Instagram or Facebook, but this is an "off" week for this segment. For our deep dive this week, we are excited to talk about what makes us skip or DNF (do not finish) a book. Some of these might be obvious to long-time listeners of the show, but some surprised us as well as each other, so let us know what you think and what you discover about your OWN reading tendencies here. We are SO interested to hear it! Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: first, a small "bonus press" to add some hilarity to your December, and then a tribute to a recently deceased author, and something to press into the young adults' hands in your life. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . Bookish Moments: 2:03 - BookPeople in Austin, TX Current Reads: 8:54 - A Knife at the Opera by Susannah Stacey 10:15 - Agatha Christie books 11:01 - Dorothy Simpson books 11:32 - Episode 8 of Season 2 with Anne Bogel 11:34 - The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams 15:34 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare 15:58 - Do You Mind if I Cancel? by Gary Janetti 17:45 - David Sedaris books 17:27 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 19:12 - Fair Play by Eve Rodsky 19:20 - Episode 14 of Season 2 with Lori Lynn Tucker 23:12 - American Royals by Katherine McGee 29:08 - Underground Airlines by Ben Winters 29:43 - Dear Martin by Nic Stone 30:49 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Deep Dive: 35:24 - Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow 35:29 - Doris Kearns Goodwin books 42:52 - Episode 7 of Season 1 with Jessica Turner 42:57 - I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown Presses: 45:20 - Santaland Diaries Audio from NPR 46:24 - Lunch Money by Andrew Clements 48:15 - Frindle by Andrew Clements 48:16 - Troublemaker by Andrew Clements 48:58 - I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Dec 9, 2019 • 51min
Season 2, Episode 19: Some Good News + How To Raise Readers
Meredith is recording with a special guest this week and has a big announcement, so be sure you tune in right at the top! You'll hear again from our friend Mindy Brouse, best friend of the show and reader extraordinaire. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host. These bookish moments have a common thread in that they involve real life pressing books into the hands of friends and the reactions of those friends. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We've got books spanning genres and time periods and continents. We've got ones that will spark discussion, we've got books that'll leave your heart aflutter. It's a great week of book talk! Our Slow But Steady check in is going to move to every once in a while instead of every week. You can still check in on Instagram on the regular, but we're not going to keep banging the "I've got very little to report" drum. Thanks to the listener survey and all your great feedback! For our deep dive this week, Meredith and Mindy are chatting about raising readers of all ages. There are some really fantastic tips and some great encouragement in this episode, friends. Even if you don't have kids (or don't like kids), I'm guessing you know a reader in your life who would love to hear this chunk, so pass it along! Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: we've got one that has been mentioned many times on the podcast but never "pressed" and one that should be in your box of Christmas books that you haul out every December. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . 1:22 - Episode 32 of Season 1 with Mindy Brouse 4:33 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 6:56 - The "Press" List 7:03 - The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar 9:50 - 2020 Reading Challenge 10:10 - A Warning by Anonymous 13:37 - The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar 16:50 - Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia 19:02 - Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 20:35 - The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali 24:25 - The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry 25:07 - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 25:13 - David Copperfield by Charles Dickens 28:47 - Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde 36:24 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 36:27 - Redwall by Brian Jacques 36:30 - Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 36:31 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 36:33 - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling 38:42 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Kaytee's note here: check out this episode of Read Aloud Revival for the benefits of kids re-reading a graphic novel every freaking day) 40:31 - Wings of Fire by Tui T. Stevenson 41:09 - Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan 41:10 - Eragon series by Christopher Paolini 43:46 - Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 43:52 - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 45:21 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 46:45 - Books We've Pressed List 47:27 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 47:46 - Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry Connect with Mindy: @gratefulforgrace on Instagram

Dec 2, 2019 • 49min
Season 2, Episode 18: Bibliotherapy + Reading Challenge and Reading Journal for 2020
Kaytee and Meredith are ready to chat about all the books again this week. Hang on to your hats! You'll hear our combined "bookish moment of the week": the Patron discussion with Diane Chamberlain about her book, and then a bit of getting vulnerable about the technological snafu that resulted. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. These are six books that are all VERY different in content and tone and all the ways that books can be different. It's a great ride. Our Slow But Steady check in is short and sweet, just like you like it! For our deep dive this week, we are tackling the final category in the 2019 Reading Challenge: a book that is scary for some reason and we're examining what makes us scared as readers. It might not be what you expect! Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: a wonderful book that will make a favorite movie shine even more brightly and a beloved curmudgeon book with a young woman protagonist! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . 1:10 - 2019 Currently Reading Challenge 1:32 - 2020 Currently Reading Challenge 4:26 - Patreon 4:29 - The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain 7:32 - The Castle in the Mist by Amy Ephron 10:26 - The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson 11:40 - A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson 15:10 - Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines 18:05 - Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand 21:01 - Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 21:22 - The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand 21:57 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 22:42 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 22:49 - Episode 16 with Sarah Dickinson (and) Sarah's Interview with Garrett Graff 28:01 - Red at the Bone by Jaqueline Woodson 30:47 - The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile and Ian Morgan Cron 31:05 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 31:25 - The Water Dancer by Ta-Nahesi Coates 31:49 - A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson 32:13 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff 32:37 - Beloved by Toni Morrison 33:28 - 2019 Currently Reading Challenge 34:52 - The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule 35:48 - Six Stories by Matt Weselowski 35:57- Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware 35:58 - Lock Every Door by Riley Sager 36:00 - The One by John Marrs 36:01 - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay 37:32 - Bird Box by Josh Malerman 37:43 - The Whisper Man by Alex North 39:00 - White Fragility by Robin D'Angelo 39:02 - So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown (I squashed these together reading too fast from my notes when I mentioned them!) 39:04 - Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson 39:33 - Evicted by Matthew Desmond 39:47 - I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening by Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland 40:52 - The Snowman by Jo Nesbo 41:40 - 2020 Currently Reading Challenge 41:35 - 2020 llustrated Reading Journal (free for Patrons) 44:21 - As You Wish by Cary Elwes 45:50 - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 46:44 - A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman 46:45 - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Nov 25, 2019 • 53min
Season 2, Episode 17: The "Recovery Book" Strategy + A Deep Dive into True Crime
Meredith and Kaytee are back, chatting books and strong opinions with you! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: leaning into the DNF (did not finish), and a recovery book as reading "Advil." Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We've got three books each to discuss, including some revisits of titles that have already been discussed. Our Slow But Steady check in is short and sweet, just like you like it! For our deep dive this week, we are talking True Crime. This is an unknown world for Kaytee so we're hearing from Meredith about what she loves about True Crime and her favorites in the genre. Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands: a cry-fest book that not everyone will love, and a book for middle graders that one of us still needs to pick up! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . 5:20 - Sarah's Bookshelves Alcohol & Advil pairings! 6:42 - The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman 6:49 - The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman 9:41 - Be Fearless by Jean Case 12:53 - The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon 16:00 - The Need by Helen Phillips 16:05 - She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey 16:11 - Episode 11 of Season 2 with Sara Hildreth 20:00 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix Harrow 24:26 - The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman 24:39 - Book of the Month Subscription 24:56 - Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 29:10 - The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile and Ian Morgan Cron 29:38 - The Water Dancer by Ta-Nahesi Coates 29:53 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 30:38 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 33:28 - The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 35:46 - The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule 37:38 - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson 38:56 - The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse 39:27 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 39:52 - Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi 40:04 - Outrage: The Five Reasons Why O.J. Simpson Got Away With Murder by Vincent Bugliosi 40:24 - Mindhunter by John Douglas 41:24 - I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara 43:02 - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann 43:12 - Columbine by Dave Cullen 44:03 - Sadie by Courtney Summers 44:11 - Six Stories by Matt Weselowski 45:31 - The Light Between Oceans by ML Steadman 47:52 - All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood 49:09 - The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Nov 18, 2019 • 1h 6min
Season 2, Episode 16: Reading Ahead of the Crowd + Guest Host Sarah Dickinson of Sarah's Bookshelves
Kaytee and Meredith are sharing a special guest with you this week, our dear friend and podcast pal, Sarah Dickinson of Sarah's Bookshelves and Sarah's Bookshelves Live. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a sanity saver behind the scenes, meeting a (kid's) favorite author, and new reading acronyms. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We're each sharing two reads this week and we're all over the place with sequels and weird books, and amazing books, and STRONG opinions! We're skipping slow but steady so we have more time to chat with Sarah. Stay tuned for an update on that next week. For our deep dive this week, we are picking Sarah's brain about what it's like to almost always be reading ahead of the charts. How she tracks her reading and whether she has goals for her yearly reading. It's a great conversation with lots of food for thought. Finally, this week, we are Pressing Books into Your Hands. We've got a non-fiction pick that will tear your heart out, an oldie but a goodie, and a WWII fiction book one of us believes is "best in class." As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . 4:06 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 4:15 - Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney 8:03 - Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey 8:27 - Big Nate by Lincoln Pearce 8:29 - Dog Man by Dav Pilkey 11:30 - After the Flood by Kassandra Montag 13:40 - The Innocents by Michael Crummy 15:25 - Wanderers by Chuck Wendig 15:50 - The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 16:18 - The Book of M by Peng Shepherd 16:37 - Bird Box by Josh Malerman 16:50 - Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton 17:41 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 18:13 - A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer 19:36 - Minisode with Brigid Kemmerer 25:36 - Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman I managed to talk about this entire book without mentioning the title? How?? The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 26:50 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 26:51 - Winterhouse by Ben Guterson 26:59 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas 27:01 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas 27:30 - Our companion episode with Sara Hildreth 27:32 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live episode with Sara Hildreth 27:45 - The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore 33:20 - The Need by Helen Phillips 33:45 - Ten Things To Tell You episode about books 38:39 - The Grace Year by Kim Liggett 38:50 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 39:00 - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 40:18 - Lord of the Flies by William Golding 55:14 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne 55:29 - The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M Graff 55:50 - Sarah's interview with Garrett M. Graff 1:00:09 - Episode 9 with Meg Tietz 1:00:22 - The Home Maker by Dorothy Canfield 1:02:54 - Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave 1:03:11 - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 1:03:13 - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 1:04:32 - Kaytee's old (written) interview with Chris Cleave 1:05:20 - Connect with Sarah: @sarahsbookshelves on Instagram or her website sarahsbookshelves.com

Nov 11, 2019 • 57min
Season 2, Episode 15: A Time-Travel Novel We Both Love + Reading (and Recommending) Outside Our Comfort Zones
Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds this week for another new episode of Currently Reading and we have lots of fun stuff to share with you! First, a quick announcement about our Patron-only book club: we will be discussing The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain, and the author will be joining us to chat about her book on November 17th! So, if you've been on the fence about reading or joining our Patreon, now may be the time to do it! Second, we have a Currently Reading Listener Survey for you this week. Please click through to the survey and tell us your thoughts about all things Currently Reading! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a local author event and pre-reading a book for a friend. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. We're each sharing two reads this week since Belly Up episodes end up running long. Strong opinions abound in our novels this week! We'll move on to a short Slow But Steady update from each of us, including a "completed!" update. For our deep dive this week, we are discussing the Currently Reading 2019 Challenge category 11: Books Pressed by an IRL or Online Book Club. We already shared a lot of Book Club thoughts in episode 4 of season 2, so this ends up being an ode to finding your bookish tribe. Finally, this week, we are Bellying Up to the Book Bar with DeeAnn Haworth. This was a bit of a challenge for one of us, but we're excited to talk about some new to you and to us titles! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* . . . . . 1:15 - The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain 1:40 - Patreon 1:53 - Currently Reading Listener Survey 2:51 - Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe, NM 3:23 - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal 3:33 - Minisode with J. Ryan Stradal 5:22 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 5:45 - The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley 7:14 - The Dearly Beloved by Cara Walls 7:20 - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner 7:40 - Knox McCoy on The Popcast 7:43 - Shelf Subscription on Bookshelf Thomasville 14:06 - An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green 19:50 - The Swallows by Lisa Lutz 20:05 - Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey 20:07 - The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker 25:29 - Currently Reading on Patreon 25:46 - The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain 31:59 - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry 33:15 - The Road Back to You by Suzanne Stabile and Ian Morgan Cron 33:56 - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 34:50 - Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 36:30 - Currently Reading 2019 Reading Challenge 36:47 - Episode 4 of Season 2 38:00 - Meredith on Episode 85 (I said 89, but that was a mistake!) of Sorta Awesome Podcast 42:13 - bookish.com 43:43 - Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series 43:46 - JA Jance's Joanna Brady and JP Beaumont series 43:54 - Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall 43:57 - Saving Ceecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman 44:00 - Richard Paul Evans' The Walk series and The Broken Road series 44:05 - An Eldery Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten 44:10 - The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 44:12 - Elevation by Stephen King 44:15 - Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy 44:19 - When by Victoria Laurie 45:55 - Sue Grafton's Alphabet Series 46:42 - Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly 46:56 - When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman 47:22 - Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series 47:59 - In Her Bones by Kate Moretti 48:37 - Joshilyn Jackson's The Almost Sisters and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty 48:50 - Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney 49:21 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman 49:46 - Rabbit, the Autobiography of Ms. Pat by Patricia Williams 50:20 - Aunti Poldi series by Mario Giordano 50:45 - Celine by Peter Heller 50:49 - The River by Peter Heller 51:39 - Setting Free the Kites by Alex George 51:42 - Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen 51:56 - Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connelly 52:40 - The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth 53:12 - Thinner by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman 54:16 - The Grown-Up by Gillian Flynn 54:45 - McNally's Secret by Lawrence Sanders 56:20 - Listener Survey - one more time!


