Currently Reading

• Season 7, Episode 38: Crying Over Books + A Book That Surprised Us

  On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: silencing notifications and crying over books Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we’ve been reading lately Deep Dive: a book that surprised us and how we can replicate that experience 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) .  .  .  .  1:27 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 6:01 - Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B. B. Alston 8:21 - Our Current Reads 8:49 - Death on Ocean Boulevard by Caitlin Rother (Meredith) 13:12 - Death at the Mansion: Rebecca Zahau on Apple TV 14:38 - Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson (Kaytee) 14:43 - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson 18:04 - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett 18:05 - A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett 18:32 - From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks (Meredith) 24:14 - She Came to Slay by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (Kaytee) 24:32 - Libro.fm 27:39 - Wives Like Us by Plum Sykes (Meredith) 34:38 - A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales (Kaytee) 34:53 - CR Season 6: Episode 7 35:00 - Schuler Books 35:07 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 38:09 - A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales (pre-order, releases June 24, 2025) 39:08 - A Book That Surprised Us 39:39 - In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden (Meredith’s book) 41:55 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 43:49 - Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin (Kaytee’s book) 45:55 - A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales  51:12 - Meet Us At The Fountain 52:33 - I wish for you to let us know what you want us to deep dive about. Send us an email to [email protected] (Meredith) 54:00 - I wish to circle back to my wish about reading repair manuals and let you know about some books that fulfill that wish. (Kaytee) 54:21 - The Novel Cure by Ella Berthoud 55:49 - Bibliotherapy by Molly Masters   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. April’s IPL is brought to you by Warwick’s in La Jolla, California! 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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• A Journey to Three Pines - Episode 9: How the Light Gets In

  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. 1:43 - Putting the Book Into Context How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny Published Aug 27, 2013 by Minotaur Books 4.48 rating on Goodreads Seasonal setting - Winter Book Awards: Edgar Award nomination for best novel, Publisher’s Weekly Best Mystery/Thriller book of 2013, one of Washington Post’s top 10 books of the year, one of NPR’s best books of 2013. Critic Reviews Meredith’s and Roxanna’s encounters with the book 9:24 - The Setup 11:21 - A Deeper Exploration First paragraph The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny The pacing of the novel Dual plots that compliment each other perfectly Themes: how the light gets in, community and resistance,  Subtle light vs dark - Surete vs Three Pines Dogs Ruth’s addiction not a problem to solve in the series Canadian aspects Article about corruption in Quebec Dionne quintuplets wiki The ending 1:21:52 - Superlatives Character MVP Biggest loser Best food description Is this book skippable? No spoilers this episode!  The next book will be The Long Way Home 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. April’s IPL is brought to you by Warwick’s in La Jolla, California! 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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• Season 7, Episode 37: Dumb Phones + Using AI To Enhance Our Reading Lives

  On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: dumb phones and live shows Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we’ve been reading lately Deep Dive: how you can use AI to know yourself better as a reader 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 2:10 - @fictionmatters on Instagram 3:34 - Brick LLC 4:04 - Block It App 7:31 - Airpod Max Headphones 8:51 - Fabled Bookshop 9:12 - Currently Reading Patreon 13:34 - Our Current Reads 13:53 - Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera (Kaytee) 14:03 - The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera 18:27 - The Other Side of the Wall by Andrea Mara (Meredith, Blackwell’s link) 19:45 - All Her Fault by Andrea Mara 19:46 - Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara 21:58 - Kindred by Octavia Butler (Kaytee) 25:01 - CR Season 2: Episode 7 25:05 - CR Season 2: Episode 46 26:01 - Song of Spider-Man by Glen Berger (Meredith) 31:27 - Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor(Katee) 37:45 - One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig (Meredith) 41:57 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer  42:06 - Using AI To Enhance Our Reading 42:35 - ChatGPT 42:36 - Claude.ai 44:30 - Currently Reading Patreon to access the reading tracker 45:46 - Question 1: What patterns do you see in my reading across formats and what might that reveal about my reading habits or preferences? 46:25 - The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World by Matt Kracht 46:32 - The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown 49:45 - Question 2: What does my star rating distribution reveal about me as a reader and reviewer? 53:04 - Question 3: What types of books appear to be expanding my reading horizons versus providing comfort and what might that suggest about my reading values? 58:15 - Meet Us At The Fountain 58:26 - I wish for an app that would get rid of other apps. (Kaytee) 1:01:24 - One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig 1:02:12 - readyourcolor.com 1:03:55 - I wish for you to take your reading color quiz if that sounds like fun to you and let us know what color you are. (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. April’s IPL is brought to you by Warwick’s in La Jolla, California! 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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• Season 7, Episode 36: Heart Pounding Reads + The Downsides to Book Podcasting

  On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: heart pounding reads and bookish goodies Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we’ve been reading lately Deep Dive: the stuff we don’t love about book podcasting 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) .  .  .  .  1:27 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 1:45 - How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny 5:41 - The Bookish Shop 5:50 - The Bookish Box subscription 7:15 - Our Current Reads 7:28 - Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Meredith) 10:18 - @hollyslitmagic on Instagram 10:49 - Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant 14:24 - Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire 15:47 - Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri (Kaytee) - RETRACTION: This is not the title and author of the book that Kaytee was describing. It is, in fact, Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope. The plot and setup are completely that book, even though the title and character names come from the book I said. So, please excuse the error! 17:41 - Changing Hands Bookstore 18:04 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 20:16 - The Situation Room by George Stephanopoulos (Meredith) 21:50 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Live 24:47 - Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux (Katee) 27:31 - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 27:45 - Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto 27:59 - Glory Daze by Danielle Arceneaux  29:39 - Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Meredith, pre-order releases May 13, 2025) 29:55 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 29:56 - Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz 34:27 - A Dead and Stormy Night by Steffnie Holmes 35:25 - This Changes Everything by Tyler Merritt (Kaytee) 35:44 - I Take My Coffee Black by Tyler Merritt 36:59 - The Trees by Percival Everett 39:36 - The Downsides of Book Podcasting 53:42 - Meet Us At The Fountain 54:00 - I wish Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito was turned into a graphic novel. (Meredith) 54:02 - Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito 54:48 - I wish for an easy way to find niche book things. (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. April’s IPL is brought to you by Warwick’s in La Jolla, California! 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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• Minisode: An Interview with "I Thought It Would Be Better Than This" Author Jessica N. Turner

  Today’s spoiler-free minisode (the first one in years!) includes a conversation between Kaytee and author Jessica N Turner. Jessica is the author of multiple books. Her newest is I Thought it Would Be Better Than This, a memoir wrapped into self-help about dealing with disappointment in our lives. Tune in to hear about: The process of writing a book that intricately details someone else’s story. What it was like to pivot from more traditional productivity and self-help into memoir. Finding love again. The “soft” places we land when we are hurting. Ways to be a witness and be with someone in their grief and disappointment. Jessica’s own Current Reads. Minisode show notes are not timestamped, but linked titles are below for you to peruse. These are affiliate links, which kick back a small percentage of your purchase to the podcast, which helps support the show! Season 1, Episode 7: First time Jessica was on the show. I Thought it Would Be Better Than This by Jessica N. Turner Jessica’s website The Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner Stretched Too Thin by Jessica N. Turner The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (Just want to point out here that just like our no-prep episodes, Jessica does this Current Reads section all off the cuff and I am suitably impressed!) Moloka’i by Alan Brennert Daughter of Moloka’i by Alan Brenert Connect With Us: Jessica can be found on Instagram at @jessicanturner or at her website 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 dot org unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

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