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.
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!

Season 7, Episode 22: Our Top Ten Reads of 2024!
06 January 2025
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!

Season 7, Episode 21: A Look Back - Our Top Reads of 2020!
30 December 2024
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!

Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 9: I Remember You
20 December 2024
Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 9: I Remember You

Welcome, readers. We are so excited 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.

.

.

.

.

I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

 

1:29 - Previews

Book Name and release date. Sales info and awards.

I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Glass Key Awards

 

Movie name and release date. Box office and awards.

Edda Awards

 

7:34 - The Cutting Room

Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen

The building falling

The finding of the body underneath the crawlspace

 

Changes from Book to Movie

The Trio Bringing Benni to Hysteri

Timelines do not line up

Removal of plot points in movie, like an affair and accident for one character

Vandalized church in movie, primary school in book

Renovating vs redecorating

Outcome of Lif and Garðar  

Additional drama around pregnancies in the movie

 

Left out of the adaptation

Changes in Lif’s life

Explanations of the house or why it was purchased

Putti the dog

Dead brother

Lif’s entire life changes

The title itself is confusing

 

Added to the movie

Modernized the story - electricity, generators, etc.

 

Casting and alternates

Freyr: Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson → Carl Urban, Alan Ritchson, Tom Hardy

Dagny: Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir → Toni Collette, Judy Greer, Dakota Johnson

Katrin: Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir → Maya Hawke, Jenna Ortega, Aubrey Plaza

Lif: Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir →  Fanning sisters Dakota and Elle, Chloe Grace Moretz,Sydney Sweeney

Garðar: Thorvaldur Kristjansson → Jeremy Allen White, Glen Powell,

 

Problematic elements

Lack of diversity

Leaving Sarah to suffer in her own “crazy”

 

35:38 - Award Season

Worst and best parts of the adaptation.

Katrin’s fate

Should have been scarier

The soundtrack or lack thereof

The sense of place

 

Worst and best actors.

Lif

Freyr

 

Worst and best book characters.

Lif

Bernodus’s Dad

Putti the dog

Dagny

 

47:57 - 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

 

53:58 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel

Do you believe in ghosts and have you ever had anything supernatural happen to you?

 

What would make an Airbnb scary enough for you to leave in the middle of the night?

 

1:00:33 - End Credits

Erasure by Percival Everett

American Fiction is available on Amazon Prime

 

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