Currently Reading

Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb
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Feb 22, 2025 • 1h 1min

Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 10: Erasure by Percival Everett

Welcome, readers. We are thrilled to continue this new content from the creators of Currently Reading Podcast! This spin-off podcast series will tackle book to screen adaptations in a spoiler-FILLED format. Be sure you've read the book and watched the film version before listening to the episode, because we don't shy away from strong opinions OR from all the spoilers, unlike our regular episodes. Show notes for this series will not be time-stamped, but will still include links to Bookshop dot org or Amazon for any books or resources referenced in the episode. These are affiliate links, so they kick back a small percentage to us if you buy through them, and help support the work we do on Currently Reading. Erasure by Percival Everett 1:44 - Setup Erasure by Percival Everett 3:44 - Previews Release date. Sales info and awards. 2025 Audie Awards Movie name and release date. Box office and awards. American Fiction released Dec 2023 Won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2024 7:18 - The Cutting Room Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen The book within the book Lisa's death Changes from Book to Movie Name changes Moving the setting from DC to Boston Timeline issues Van Go in the book within a book is arrested but in the movie adaptation he dies Left out of the adaptation Gretchen storyline Woodworking and fishing scenes Game show section My Pafology being explored Added to the movie Sintara added to a book panel at the end The ending Publisher Make Stagg a fugitive so he cannot go on tv Casting and alternates Monk: Jeffrey Wright → Geoffrey Owens, Andre Braugher Lisa: Tracee Ellis Ross → Regina King, Niecy Nash Agnes: Leslie Uggams → Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Cecily Tyson Clifford: Sterling K. Brown → Idris Elba Coraline: Erika Alexander → Kim Fields, Kim Coles Sintara: Issa Rae → Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson Problematic elements Because of all the satire, it may focus too much on the white experience and actually less on the Black 40:11 - Award Season Worst and best parts of the adaptation. Bill vs Cliff "airtime" Less tension around mother going to the assisted living home The moving of books from African American to Mythology Was very funny - zippy dialogue, continuing to move story forward Worst and best actors. Leslie Uggams - Agnes (mother) Erika Alexander - Coraline Adam Brody - Wiley Jeffrey Wright - Monk Worst and best book characters. Linda Mallory Van Go Jenkins Monk Yul 48:35 - Book/Flick Energy Book scored on a 5 star scale. Book on Goodreads Series scored on a 10 point scale. Movie on Rotten Tomatoes Movie on IMDB 53:23 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel Do you have any irrational fears? If you were on a Jerry Springer type show what is something weird that they may find out about you or your family? 59:30 - End Credits 59:55 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky The Perks of Being A Wallflower is available to stream for free on some sites, but is available with an Amazon Prime membership Connect With Us: Currently Reading Podcast | Kaytee | Meredith Shad is in the Bookish Friends FB Group (for our Patreon supporters) Our Website | Email Us Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Buy Some Merch
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Feb 21, 2025 • 1h 22min

A Journey to Three Pines - Episode 8: The Beautiful Mystery

We are so excited to journey with you to Three Pines, the fictional French-Canadian village created by Louise Penny for her Three Pines series, featuring Armand Gamache. This spin-off podcast series will tackle each of the books in the series in turn, in a spoiler-FILLED format. Be sure you've read the book before listening to the episode. As you've come to expect with all Currently Reading content, Meredith and Roxanna will follow a regular episode format, with regular segments, so you know what to expect each and every time. We love staying focused on the book, rather than conversational rabbit holes. Show notes for this series will not be time-stamped except for broad sections, but will include links to Bookshop dot org or Amazon for any books or resources referenced in the episode. 2:00 - Putting the Book Into Context The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny Published Aug 28, 2012 by Minotaur Books 4.2 rating on Goodreads Seasonal setting - Autumn Book Awards: Agatha Award for best novel 2012, The Anthony Award for best novel 2013, The Macavity Award for Best Novel 2013, The Audie Award for Best Mystery Novel 201 Critic Reviews A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny Meredith's and Roxanna's encounters with the book 8:30 - The Setup 9:40 - A Deeper Exploration Setup and first paragraph The pacing of the novel Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny Jean-Guy and Annie Themes: addiction, "descent" evil - through the lens of Francouer The ending The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins Canadian aspects Abbey of Saint Benoit Du Lac 1:10:23 - Superlatives Favorite Scene Character MVP Biggest loser Best food description Is this book skippable? Favorite Quote No spoilers this episode! The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny The next book will be How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. February's IPL comes to you from Fables and Fairy Tales in Martinsville, Indiana! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Feb 17, 2025 • 57min

Season 7, Episode 28: Books As Equalizers + Losing Momentum In Our Reading

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: books as equalizers and kiddos who love books as much as we do Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: what we do to keep momentum in our reading lives The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 1:33 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 6:35 - Grassrootz Bookstore 8:08 - Our Current Reads 8:21 - Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh (Meredith) 10:26 - The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly 11:44 - Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh 11:55 - Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle (Kaytee) 12:21 - Pounded by the Pound by Chuck Tingle (amazon link) 12:31 - Taken by the Gay Unicorn by Chuck Tingle (amazon link) 12:41 - Aardvark Book Club 16:30 - The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (Meredith) 17:41 - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan 22:13 - Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (Kaytee) 22:35 - The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 26:16 - Come Closer by Sara Gran (Meredith) 27:42 - 101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann 31:08 - It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell (Kaytee) 35:19 - Deep Dive: Losing Momentum In Our Reading 49:21 - Meet Us At The Fountain 49:27 - I wish to ask if you can find actual smutty books on the shelves in bookstores (like monster romance etc with the wild covers). (Meredith) 50:01 - The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert 50:32 - Neon Gods by Katee Robert 51:07 - Open Door Romance via Novel Neighbor 51:08 - The Novel Neighbor 51:15 - The Ripped Bodice Bookstore 52:04 - Still Life by Louise Penny (special edition w/sprayed edges, releases Sep. 30, 2025) 52:27 - I wish it was easier to get pretty versions of our favorite books. (Kaytee) 52:35 - The Hunger Games box set by Suzanne Collins (special edition with sprayed edges) 53:23 - Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 53:53 - Quicksilver by Callie Hart (special edition, pre order, releases Aug 19, 2025) 55:11 - The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. February's IPL comes to you from Fables and Fairy Tales in Marinsville, Indiana! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Feb 10, 2025 • 52min

Season 7, Episode 27: Booktube + Finishing A Book Well

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: booktube and libraries enabling our hobbies Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: how to finish a book well The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 1:35 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 4:08 - Megwithbooks on Youtube 6:29 - Blackwell's UK 6:35 - Our Current Reads 6:43 - All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols (Kaytee) 9:04 - Oscar Wars by Michael Schulman (Meredith) 13:13 - Whalefall by Daniel Kraus (Kaytee) 15:25 - Orbital by Samantha Harvey 16:00 - Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant 17:08 - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett 17:27 - A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett (Meredith, releases April 1, 2025) 21:57 - Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang (Kaytee) 24:28 - American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 25:23 - The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (Meredith) 26:26 - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 28:37 - Deep Dive: How To Finish A Book Well 38:12 - StoryGraph 39:45 - Currently Reading Patreon (to get the tracker Kaytee mentions) 46:52 - Meet Us At The Fountain 46:56 - I wish it was more socially acceptable to be nosy in people's reading lives. (Kaytee) 48:49 - I wish everyone would schedule a reading retreat this year. (Meredith) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. February's IPL comes to you from Fables and Fairy Tales in Marinsville, Indiana! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Feb 3, 2025 • 57min

Season 7, Episode 26: Bookish Geese + Boss My TBR

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: audiobook listening and keeping track of book recs Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we boss some TBRs The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . :10 - Ad For Ourselves 1:16 - Currently Reading Patreon 5:11 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 12:48 - Our Current Reads 13:25 - True Crime by Samantha Kolesnik (Meredith) 14:38 - 100 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann 18:48 - Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy (Kaytee) 19:05 - CR Season 6: Episode 40 22:08 - Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni (Meredith) 22:50 - The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni 26:54 - The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song (Kaytee) 26:58 - Bright Side Bookshop 29:18 - The Dragon Wakes with Thunder by K.X. Song (pre-order, releases Aug 29, 2025) 29:44 - The Hike by Drew Magary (Meredith) 32:21 - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins 32:57 - Fairy Tale by Stephen King 34:42 - The White Girl by Tony Birch (Kaytee) 34:53 - Garcia Street Books 36:29 - The Dry by Jane Harper 37:47 - Deep Dive: Boss My TBF From Mari M. 38:38 - Life after Life by Kate Atkinson (pick #1) 38:41 - Life of Pi by Yann Martel (pick #2) 38:44 - Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab (pick #3) 38:48 - The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld (pick #4) 38:51 - The Wildest Sun by Asha Lemmie (pick #5) 38:57 - Cold People by Tom Rob Smith 39:00 - Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty From Judith 44:44 - Still Life by Sarah Winman 44:46 - Eve Green by Susan Fletcher 45:14 - The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah (pick #1) 45:17 - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawking (pick #2) 45:21 - A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (pick #3) 45:26 - The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown (pick #4) 45:29 - Forever Home by Graham Norton (pick #5) 46:03 - Orbital by Samantha Harvey 48:07 - A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos 48:40 - All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 48:55 - Zorrie by Laird Hunt 49:08 - Meet Us At The Fountain 49:21 - I wish to let everyone know that A Journey To Three Pines will be coming in February and Wicked will be discussed on February 22nd. 49:49 - The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny 50:08 - Wicked by Gregory MaGuire 50:12 - Currently Reading Patreon 54:22 - I wish that somehow Louise Penny would see Inspector Goosemache. (Kaytee) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. February's IPL comes to you from Fables and Fairy Tales in Marinsville, Indiana! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Jan 27, 2025 • 1h 5min

Season 7, Episode 25: Reading Resolutions + The Art Of The DNF

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: reading resolutions and reading while being tattooed Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: all things DNF: how we define it, how we do it, etc. The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 1:59 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 2:43 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon 2:59 - Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri 11:17 - Our Current Reads 11:23 - Letters From Cuba by Ruth Behar (Kaytee) 17:33 - Murder Road by Simone St. James (Meredith) 22:41 - The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James 22:44 - The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James 22:47 - The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James 23:12 - The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley (Kaytee) 27:32 - A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush (Meredith) 27:58 - @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram 36:37 - Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Kaytee) 37:14 - @lizisreading_ on Instagram 38:01 - Packing for Mars by Mary Roach 39:41 - The Safekeep by Yael Van der Wouden 40:21 - Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (Meredith) 45:04 - His & Hers by Alice Feeney 45:06 - Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney 45:34 - Deep Dive: The Art Of The DNF 59:59 - Meet Us At The Fountain 1:00:10 - I wish to hang out with you all at the Tucson Festival of Books in March. (Kaytee) 1:00:13 - Tucson Festival of Books *Send Kaytee and email at currentlyreadingpodcast @ gmail.com or directly message her person instagram @notesonbookmarks 1:01:39 - I wish to let you know about an app I found to track my Agatha Christie reading journey. (Meredith) 1:01:47 - Agatha Christie Reading List app Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is a special episode in partnership with All Things Murderful and a total mystery and thriller stack from Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Jan 20, 2025 • 1h 16min

Season 7, Episode 24: Mary and Roxanna's Top Reads of 2024!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Mary and Roxanna are sharing their favorite reads of 2024. We are excited to give them the reins for a full episode, and they bring some awesome reads for you to add to your TBR! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 1:24 - Mary and Roxanna's Reading Year In review 2:06 - Mary read 84 books in 2024, 59% print, 24% digital, 17% audio 2:54 - Mary read 71% adult, 16% middle grade, 7% young adult and 6% new adult 4:29 - Currently Reading Patreon 7:45 - Roxanna read 70 books in 2024, 19 were 5-star reads. 8:18 - Roxanna read 81% fiction, 19% nonfiction 9:09 - Both Mary and Roxanna want to increase their POC/Diverse reads im 2025. 10:48 - Mary and Roxanna's Top Reads of 2024 10:57 - The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (Roxanna #10) 12:15 - The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews 13:23 - The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon (Mary #10) 14:39 - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett 15:22 - Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah (Roxanna #9) 16:51 - How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz 17:45 - Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan (Mary #9) 17:51 - A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan 20:33 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (Roxanna #8) 21:13 - The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar by Indra Das 23:52 - Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison (Mary #8) 26:27 - It's Easier than you Think by Sylvia Boorstein (Roxanna #7) 30:18 - A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush (Mary #7) 30:56 - @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram 31:19 - Winter Hours by Mary Oliver 32:03 - Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark (Roxanna #6) 34:58 - The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (Mary #6) 35:09 - The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer 37:24 - Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (Roxanna #5) 40:05 - The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman 41:52 - Heir by Sabaa Tahir (Mary #5) 43:47 - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 46:44 - Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski (Roxanna #4) 50:12 - The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Mary #4) 53:38 - In the Shadow of the Mountain by Sylvia Vasquez-Lovado (Roxanna #3) 54:02 - Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer 54:04 - Finding Me by Viola Davis 57:00 - The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night by Steven Banbury (Mary #3) 58:59 - Be Ready when the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (Roxanna #2) 1:02:08 - The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop 1:02:25 - The Baddest Bitch in the Room by Sophia Chang 1:04:36 - A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (Mary #2) 1:08:22 - Matrix by Lauren Groff (Roxanna #1) 1:08:39 - Search by Michelle Huneven 1:11:15 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Mary #1) Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is a special episode in partnership with All Things Murderful and a total mystery and thriller stack from Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Jan 13, 2025 • 59min

Season 7, Episode 23: Virtual Reading Retreats + Enjoying Hobbies while Reading

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Mary are discussing: Bookish Moments: virtual reading retreats and tattoos that lead to bookish convos Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: how we integrate our hobbies into our reading lives The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 2:17 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 5:12 - @meg.al.reads on Instagram (Check her highlight called "Virtual R&R") 8:18 - Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes 9:01 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 10:09 - Our Current Reads 10:20 - Blood at the Root by Ladarrion Williams (Mary) 12:49 - The Marvellers by Dhonnielle Clayton 12:52 - Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston 13:41 - The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton (Kaytee) 13:48 - CR Season 1: Episode 1 13:56 - Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton 17:53 - The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon (Mary) 22:20 - Peter Darling by Austin Chant (Kaytee) 26:17 - Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison (Mary) 27:54 - Downton Shabby by Hopwood DePree 29:09 - The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Kaytee) 29:17 - CR Season 7: Episode 14 31:14 - Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterley 31:18 - Shoot the Moon by Isa Arsen 32:12 - @maryrobinettekowal on instagram 32:44 - Starter Villain by John Scalzi 33:27 - Deep Dive: Enjoying Hobbies While Reading 33:55 - The Princess Bride by William Goldman 34:05 - Long Dog Yarn 37:12 - Woobles 42:08 - BookBone 44:32 - @maryreadsandmakes on Instagram 48:44 - Fidget stones 50:18 - The Plan by Kendra Adachi 52:43 - Meet Us At The Fountain 52:52 - I wish we were at the stage in our home reno that I had my bookshelf back. (Mary) 54:42 - I wish for a better way to read one handed. (Kaytee) 54:54 - BookBone 56:18 - Ring kindle remote page turner Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is a special episode in partnership with All Things Murderful and a total mystery and thriller stack from Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Jan 6, 2025 • 1h 22min

Season 7, Episode 22: Our Top Ten Reads of 2024!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are sharing their favorite reads of 2024. This year, we have two lists: favorite reading experiences and favorite books. With so many great reading experiences of… not so great books, we had to differentiate. We had some very surprising mentions, and no overlaps this year! *Reading experiences are interspersed throughout the episode this year, and those are labeled with "RE" Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 3:20 - Our Yearly Reading Overview 3:36 - Meredith Read 137 books total, 11% were 5 star reads 6:15 - Kaytee read 230 books total, 10% were 5 star reads 6:52 - 25% non fiction for Kaytee, 14% non fiction for Meredith 10:30 - Both read 60% backlist for the year 14:10 - Kaytee's biggest recommendation source was Katie Proctor 15:05 - Meredith's number one recommendation source was Elizabeth Barnhill 15:17 - @mother.horror on Instagram 16:25 - Kaytee's top publishing houses were Berkely and W.W. Norton 16:38 - Meredith's top publishing house was Minortaur, followed by Tor and Atria 19:05 - Currently Reading Patreon 20:00 - Our Top Reads of 2024 21:02 - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Meredith RE) 21:13 - Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness 23:07 - Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner (Kaytee RE) 23:33 - Currently Reading Patreon 24:36 - I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (Meredith #10) 25:35 - River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer (Kaytee #10) 25:30 - CR Season 7: Episode 10 26:35 - The Safekeep by Yael Van der Wouden (Meredith #9) 26:52 - The Booker Prize 28:10 - High Tide in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver (Kaytee #9) 28:22 - CR Season 6: Episode 44 29:34 - Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (Meredith RE) 29:36 - The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan 31:47 - The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Kaytee RE) 32:46 - The Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland (Meredith #8) 34:14 - Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Kaytee) 34:17 - CR Season 7: Episode 14 35:02 - The Mars House by Natasha Pulley (Meredith #7) 36:39 - Charter Books 36:44 - A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams (Kaytee #7) 36:48 - CR Season 6: Episode 36 40:31 - Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (Kaytee's Favorite protagonist) 41:11 - The Odyssey by Homer (Kaytee's Least Favorite protagonist) 42:42 - The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller (Merdith's Least Favorite protagonist) 44:10 - Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (Meredith's favorite protagonists) 44:27 - The Stand by Stephen King 46:19 - The Examiner by Janice Hallett (Meredith #6) 48:21 - The Appeal by Janice Hallett 48:34 - Family Family by Laurie Frankel (Kaytee #6) 48:50 - CR Season 6: Episode 34 49:48 - The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (Meredith #5) 51:24 - The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (Kaytee #5) 53:41 - The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (Meredith RE) 55:22 - "In person bookish delight" (Kaytee RE) 55:32 - Roscoe Books 55:40 - Boswell Books 55:48 - The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher 55:50 - The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley 56:38 - Confessions by Kanae Minato (Meredith #4) 58:38 - James by Percival Everett (Kaytee #4) 58:40 - CR Season 6: Episode 39 58:43 - National Book Award 58:50 - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 1:00:03 - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Meredith #3) 1:02:58 - An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Kaytee #3 - The whole series) 1:02:58 - A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir 1:02:58 - A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir 1:02:58 - A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir 1:03:06 - CR Season 7: Episode 5 1:05:42 - The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (Meredith RE) 1:06:25 - "Letting myself get swept away by series: (Kaytee RE) 1:06:36 - Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage 1:06:38 - Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage 1:06:39 - Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage 1:07:25 - The Stand by Stephen King (Meredith #2) 1:09:35 - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel 1:10:12 - Wolfsong by T.J. Klune (Kaytee #2) 1:10:15 - CR Season 6: Episode 35 1:12:34 - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Meredith #1) 1:14:44 - All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (Kaytee #1) 1:18:31 - Currently Reading Patreon Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. January's IPL is a special episode in partnership with All Things Murderful and a total mystery and thriller stack from Fabled Bookshop in Waco, Texas! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!
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Dec 30, 2024 • 51min

Season 7, Episode 21: A Look Back - Our Top Reads of 2020!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are taking a look back at their favorite reads of 2020. This year we read the most we had ever read up. to that point, and we had a hard time narrowing down our favorites! Most of these books should be available for you to grab if any interest you after hearing us rave about them four years ago! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) . . . . 10:10 - El Deafo by CeCe Bell (Meredith) 11:20 - Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel West (Kaytee) 11:27 - Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 12:23 - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (Meredith) 15:07 - With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (Kaytee) 16:11 - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Meredith) 17:27 - Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi (Kaytee) 17:54 - Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi 19:12 - Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Meredith) 21:04 - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (Kaytee) 22:50 - Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Meredith) 23:05 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 24:21 - Know My Name by Chanel Miller (Kaytee) 26:15 - The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi (Meredith) 27:55 - The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare (Kaytee) 28:29 - Kaytee's minisode interview with Abi Dare 28:57 - All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny (Meredith) 30:55 - Lobizona by Romina Russell Garber (Kaytee) 32:42 - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Meredith) 34:39 - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson (Kaytee) 36:27 - Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Meredith) 39:45 - Here for It by R. Eric Thomas (Kaytee) 40:52 - Greenwood by Michael Christie (Meredith) 43:33 - Pride by Ibi Zoboi (Kaytee) 43:36 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. December's IPL is a recap of the 2024 year! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

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