Currently Reading
Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Currently Reading is a podcast dedicated to the love of books and reading. Two bookish friends discuss what’s on their nightstands, in their earbuds, and on their Kindles right now, in addition to books they’ve loved forever, and a variety of other readerly topics. Looking for your next great book? You'll find tons of book recommendations every week.
Season 7, Episode 30: New Indie Bookstores + Our Six Star Reads
03 March 2025
Season 7, Episode 30: New Indie Bookstores + Our Six Star Reads

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing:

    Bookish Moments: Kindle samples and getting new indie bookstores

    Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we’ve been reading lately

    Deep Dive: six star books to which we will take no criticism from anyone

    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)

1:01 - Ad For Ourselves

1:18 - Currently Reading Patreon

1:34 - An Unlikely Story

2:35 - @anunlikelystory on Instagram

3:37 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week

6:48 - Literally, A Bookshop

7:54 - @Literallybookshop on Instagram

8:52 - Our Current Reads

9:23 - The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley (Meredith)

16:32 - All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim (Kaytee)

16:40 - Tucson Festival of Books 2025

19:52 - Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala

20:13 - This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Meredith)

21:47 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

23:20 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

23:49 - They Came for the Schools by Mike Hixenbaugh (Kaytee)

24:11 - Southlake Podcast

27:46 - Past Crimes by Jason Pinter (Meredith)

29:44 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

31:06 - Recursion by Blake Crouch

31:40 - The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues by Beth Lincoln (Kaytee)

31:49 - The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln

35:11 - Our Six Star Reads

36:08 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

37:29 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

37:33 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

40:17 - Happy Place by Emily Henry

42:32 - The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

42:37 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

42:38 - In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden

42:41 - The Stand by Stephen King

42:43 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

42:44 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

44:44 - All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

45:00 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

45:09 - Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

45:13 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

45:14 - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

45:17 - Babel by R.F. Kuang

45:38 - Lobizona by Romina Garber Russell

45:43 - Cazadora by Romina Garber Russell

49:14 - The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

49:49 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

51:22 - Meet Us At The Fountain

51:43 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Live

51:53 - I want everyone to listen to episode 188 of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live if you enjoy fantasy reading. (Meredith)

51:54 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Live episode 188

53:09 - I wish for a book aggregator that would house all book covers of all books so we could compare easily and find the ones we want to purchase quickly without having to browse multiple sites. (Kaytee)

54:09 - Greenwood by Michael Christie

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. March’s IPL comes to you from our tried and true partner, An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA.

    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!

Season 7, Episode 29: Series Completist + Non Tragic Bookish Tragedies
24 February 2025
Season 7, Episode 29: Series Completist + Non Tragic Bookish Tragedies

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing:

    Bookish Moments: book sets and learning new things

    Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we’ve been reading lately

    Deep Dive: things we find tragic in our reading lives that may not actually be tragedies

    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)

1:18 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week

1:33 - Ember in the Ashes complete set (purchase at your own risk!) 

5:38 - A Year of Living Curiously by Elizabeth Foley

7:39 - Mug Warmer

7:39 - Our Current Reads

8:28 - Earth by John Boyne (Kaytee, Blackwell’s link)

8:35 - Water by John Boyne (Blackwell’s link)

8:37 - CR Season 7: Episode 2

13:02 - Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli (Meredith)

15:16 - The Collective by Alison Gaylin

15:22 - The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

16:45 - Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage (Kaytee)

17:28 - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

21:19 - Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage (pre-order releases April 15)

22:13 - The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory by Tim Alberta (Meredith)

22:56 - The Popcast

26:08 - The Many Assassinations of Samir by Daniel Nayeri (Kaytee)

26:16 - Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

29:20 - A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos (Meredith)

31:11 - Book, Talk, Etc

35:32 - Non-Tragic Bookish Tragedies

37:10 - A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

37:47 - Still Life by Louise Penny (special edition w/sprayed edges, releases Sep. 30, 2025)

49:12 - Meet Us At The Fountain

49:22 - I wish to always speak to indie bookstore owners. (Kaytee)

52:08 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Live

52:14 - I wish to know if it seems like we are getting more reissued pretty versions of books from publishers today. (Meredith)

53:07 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

53:35 - The Hunger Games box set by Suzanne Collins (Special edition)

53:37 - 37:47 - Still Life by Louise Penny (special edition w/sprayed edges, releases Sep. 30, 2025)

53:50 - Wicked by Gregory Maguire (special edition)

54:03 - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (special annotated edition)

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!

Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 10: Erasure by Percival Everett
22 February 2025
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

A Journey to Three Pines - Episode 8: The Beautiful Mystery
21 February 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 28: Books As Equalizers + Losing Momentum In Our Reading
17 February 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 27: Booktube + Finishing A Book Well
10 February 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 26: Bookish Geese + Boss My TBR
03 February 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 25: Reading Resolutions + The Art Of The DNF
27 January 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 24: Mary and Roxanna's Top Reads of 2024!
20 January 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 23: Virtual Reading Retreats + Enjoying Hobbies while Reading
13 January 2025
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!