The Currently Reading Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 27: Left Turns, Challenge Wins + Bookish Pet Peeves Feb 25, 2019

Show notes

Kaytee and Meredith are so excited to get back into our discussion this week that we have a hard time keeping our bookish opinions to ourselves.

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of the hosts: meeting a book resolution and a happy abundance of book mail.

Next, we discuss our current reads. We have some very seriously large opinions about our books this week. If you've ever wondered what it's like for Meredith to get spicy, you're in luck!

This episode was recorded on Valentine's Day, so… since we had love on the brain, we took a left turn and went with a deep dive on things we "hate" about books!

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) - but this week is a couple of great series - that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: these books have been mentioned over and over again on the podcast, but due to some heinous oversight, we haven't ever pressed them into your hands!

As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

2:33 - Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

3:24 - Sourdough by Robin Sloan

5:32 - The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

5:33 - Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

6:48 - Still Life by Louise Penny

10:05 - Currently Reading Challenge

10:18 - Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

13:35 - I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

14:05 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

18:36 - Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

21:59 - Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

22:02 - Circe by Madeline Miller

22:08 - He Read She Read episode 20

25:53 - Iliad by Homer

26:23 - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

26:29 - Episode 24 with Mary Heim

28:59 - The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

43:28 - The Impossible Crime (Mac B., Kid Spy #2) by Mac Barnett

50:36 - Harry Potter series

50:56 - Louise Penny series

52:02 - The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

*Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*

Minisode: An Interview with Author Anissa Gray Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

This is a departure from our regular day and format! We wanted to get this interview into your ears as soon as possible, so welcome to our first minisode!

Today, I'm chatting with debut novelist, Anissa Gray, who just released The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls this week on February 19th.

Anissa has been a news journalist for 20 years now, and this is her first foray into fiction. Our conversation centers on that transition, the pressures put onto authors of color, and the ways that reading makes you a better person. You won't want to miss it!

At the end, Anissa presses a book into your hands, because… it's what we do. Hope you enjoy!

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray

Written on a Body by Jeannette Winterson

Anissa's website

Anissa on Instagram @anissagrayauthor

Anissa on Facebook

Episode 26: Stroooong Bookish Opinions + Classics That Go Down Easy Feb 18, 2019

Show notes

Kaytee and Meredith are so excited to get back into our discussion this week that we have a hard time keeping our bookish opinions to ourselves.

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of the hosts: getting sucked in by a book to the detriment of…. the rest of your life, and fun book mail deliveries.

Next, we discuss our current reads. We have some very seriously large opinions about our books this week. If you've ever wondered what it's like for Meredith to get spicy, you're in luck!

Our deep dive this week centers on the Currently Reading Challenge! If you've been wondering about some of our favorite classics for that second category on your challenge sheet, you are in luck! We've got 20 titles for you for this category alone!

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: two more classics are on our lists this week. They're both lovely and SO vital to the reading cannon.

As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

4:18 - Episode 7 with Jessica Turner

4:32 - When I Pray for You by Matthew Paul Turner (one day left for that awesome pre-order bonus!) Get that here: http://matthewpaulturner.com/books/when-i-pray-for-you/

6:18 - The Au Pair by Emma Rous

6:30 - The Book Drop subscription

10:08 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

10:10 - Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

10:11 - The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

10:41 - The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

10:47 - The Witch Elm by Tana French

11:25 - The Lost Man by Jane Harper

11:46 - The Dry by Jane Harper

11:47 - Force of Nature by Jane Harper

13:53 - The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

16:05 - Mac Undercover (Mac B., Kid Spy #1) by Mac Barnett

16:17 - The Impossible Crime (Mac B., Kid Spy #2) by Mac Barnett

21:51 - Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin Manuel Miranda

21:58 - Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

24:54 - PBS Hamilton Documentary

25:48 - Class Mom by Lori Gelman

26:04 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

28:24 - Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

29:42 - We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

32:37 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live Podcast

33:48 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

35:50 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

37:05 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck

38:53 - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

39:34 - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

41:05 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

42:43 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

42:45 - The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

43:18 - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

43:46 - 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44:21 - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

44:57 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

45:46 - Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

45:55 - Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

46:04 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

46:15 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

46:16 - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

46:35 - 1984 by George Orwell

46:46 - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

46:56 - Lord of the Flies by William Golding

47:32 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

47:57 - Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

50:31 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

51:16 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

51:46 - Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

52:46 - Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

52:48 - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Steve Hockensmith

Episode 25: When Your Books Tell You You're Wrong (But You're Listening) - A Special Interview with Beth and Sarah from Pantsuit Politics Feb 11, 2019

Show notes

Meredith and Kaytee have to try to keep themselves under control this week as we have a bit of a longer deep dive segment. It's hard, listeners, to reign in the book talk, especially after a week away!

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of the hosts: ditching a time-suck that was preventing reading, and a new bookish website.

Next, we discuss our current reads. Since we had to limit ourselves, these four titles are all AMAZING. We dare you to not get excited about at least half of them, no matter what your wheelhouse is!

Our deep dive this week includes and extra special interview with the ladies from Pantsuit Politics, Beth and Sarah. Whether you're already a fan, or these are new voices in your ears, you're guaranteed to learn something. I (Kaytee) did, and have been a raving fangirl for more than two years. It's unbelievable to me that I even got to talk to them!

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a non-fiction pick from Sarah if you want to broaden your political reading, a poetic choice from Beth for sanity in turbulent times, and one from each of your regular hosts (a sweet picture book and a creepy true crime novel). That's a lot of pressed books!

As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

4:00 -myTBR.co - Tailored Book Recommendations from Book Riot

7:10 - Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

10:24 - The Hunger by Alma Katsu

10:46 - The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown

13:54 - Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce

17:48 - Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

18:00 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

20:08 - The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

20:12 - A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

22:40 - I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening) by Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland

45:59 - The Righteous Mind: Why People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

47:05 - Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott

48:30 - The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

49:00 - Pantsuit Politics Podcast and Website

Pantsuit Politics on Twitter

Pantsuit Politics on Instagram

50:28 - Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon

52:31 - The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule (set in Washington state)

53:07 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Episode 24: Books That Make You Run to the Library + Special Guest Co-Host Mary Heim Feb 04, 2019

Show notes

While Kaytee vacations this week, Meredith holds down the podcast fort with a special guest co-host. Mary Heim is an online bookish friend of both of us (and I can freely admit that I am SO jealous she got to record with Mary and I didn't).

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of the hosts: a sweet pregnancy reading moment, and bonding over husbands who read.

Next, the ladies discuss what they are currently reading, and this week includes a thousand books that you'll want to reach for ASAP. I had a hard time restraining myself.

In Mary's deep dive, we get to learn about her reading life. Childhood reads to the way her adult reading life developed. It's a walk down memory lane for your childhood reading memories. I can almost guarantee you'll love it.

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands:

As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

2:53 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

2:49 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

5:01 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

6:55 - Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

7:51 - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

10:08 - Side Hustle by Chris Gillebeau

10:20 - The $100 Start Up by Chris Gillebeau

12:26 - Side Hustle School podcast

12:54 - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

17:14 - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

17:16 - Bellweather Rhapsody by Kate Racculia

18:58 - The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

19:45 - A Spanish Lover by Joanna Trollope

23:16 - A Village Affair by Joanne Trollope

23:33 - Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

24:16 - One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

24:21 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

28:58 - The Family Gene by Joselin Linder

34:34 - Harry Potter by JK Rowling

36:23 - Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

36:26 - The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

36:31 - The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Hayes

36:34 - American Girl Samantha Books by Maxine Rose Schur

36:38 - The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne

37:11 - Babysitter's Club series by Ann M. Martin

37:34 - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

37:37 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

38:09 - Sweet Dreams Romance books by Jocelyn Saal

38:58 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

45:03 - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

48:49 - Boy's Life by Robert McKammon

50:51 - The Body by Stephen King

51:59 - It by Stephen King

52:01 - Needful Things by Stephen King

53:05 - Mary's Goodreads

53:10 - @maryreadsandsips on Instagram

Episode 23: The Fun Side of Reading + What Is A Penelope? Jan 28, 2019

Show notes

Meredith and Kaytee are back together this week and they are chatting books and Penelopes!

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a Harry Potter deep dive conversation and Little Free Library progress.

Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week includes quite a few thrillers, a book that makes Kaytee blush, and a new title from a favorite author.

This week for our deep dive, we introduce a new section of the website for your first reading challenge category (A Book That Currently Reading Pressed Into Your Hands) and then have a conversation about a term we've mentioned in passing but never explained: Penelope. Who is this Penelope, and why do we care about her notebooks?

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a book that MUST be consumed on audio and a happiness-boosting favorite.

As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

3:24 - The Ultimate Harry Potter sorting test

5:59 - Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski

9:25 - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Reyborn

11:46 - Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels by Anne Perry (First is The Cater Street Hangman)

12:35 - Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham

13:09 - A Ladder To The Sky by John Boyne

13:12 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

16:58 - The Child by Fiona Barton

19:25 - The Widow by Fiona Barton

19:50 - How to Be A Happier Parent by KJ Dell'antonia

20:10 - Sorta Awesome episode 163: Ten Mantras for Happier Parents with KJ Dell'antonia

21:35 - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

23:49 - My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

27:23 - New website of all the books we've pressed into your hands!

29:12 - Sorta Awesome episode 85: Awesomely and Unapologetically Organized with Meredith Schwartz of Penelope Loves Lists

38:50 - Episode 7 with Jessica Turner

41:10 - Penelope Blue: River Blue from Benjamin Moore

42:12 - Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

44:23 - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

44:30 - Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

Episode 22: The Joy of the Re-Read + Guest Co-Host Morgan Tallman Jan 21, 2019

Show notes

Meredith is on a leadership retreat this week, so Kaytee is joined by her friend Morgan Tallman to chat books this week.

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: busting out of a reading slump (and some tips), and a bookish resolution from a young family member.

Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week includes some fantasy, a funny thriller (is that a thing?), and a few non-fiction picks.

This week's deep dive is a conversation with Morgan about re-reading. Since Meredith and Kaytee rarely re-read, we are chatting with someone who really loves to re-read books about what she gets from those re-reads. Morgan talks about the books she loves re-reading as well as the frequency of her re-reads.

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a book to add depth to your Harry Potter love, and a sweeping historical novel with trigger warnings.

As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

3:04 - Endling: The Last by Katherine Applegate

3:09 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

3:49 - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

3:58 - Uprooted by Naomi Novik

6:48 - My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

9:13 - Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

10:12 - Stardust by Neil Gaiman

10:13 - The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

10:29 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

10:31 - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

11:24 - The Eternal Current by Aaron Niequist

13:44 - Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

15:02 - By the Book Podcast

16:32 - Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

17:33 - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

20:43 - Harry Potter Series

22:26 - Morgan counted up last year's re-reads for me and found that she had had 55 re-reads of the 232 books she read in 2018 (including 3 re-reads of the Harry Potter series).

23:38 - Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

23:44 - Books by Brene Brown

23:51 - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

24:26 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

24:32 - Louise Penny Inspector Gamache Series

28:43 - Snape: A Definitive Reading by Lorrie Kim

34:48 - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

34:59 - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Episode 21: Reading Goals for 2019 + The Currently Reading Challenge Jan 14, 2019

Show notes

Meredith and Kaytee return to your feed this week to chat about what we've been reading and what we plan to read in the coming year.

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: a reading project for you, our listeners, and New Year's gift from the library.

Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week includes some new titles, some old ones, and one that (I'm sorry) will release at the end of the summer. Doesn't matter, you still want to hear about it.

This week's deep dive is a survey of our reading goals for the year. Some are very specific, some are more general, but both of us are excited about the Currently Reading Challenge!

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a brand new illustrated volume, and a short story fairy tale collection.

As always, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

3:00 - The Currently Reading 2019 Challenge!

6:28 - Book of the Month

6:32 - One Day in December by Josie Silver

9:44 - In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

12:55 - Things You Save in A Fire by Katherine Center

13:05 - How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

15:40 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

19:15 - The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LaBaron

19:23 - Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

19:46 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

19:47 - Educated by Tara Westover

22:12 - The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh

24:28 - The Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

24:30 - The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

28:43 - Shogun by James Clavell

30:48 - Books by Isabel Allende

30:56 - Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

31:38 - The Great American Read

33:18 - The Currently Reading 2019 Challenge! (Again… we're very excited)

37:31 - Bibliophile by Jane Mount

41:00 - The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

43:28 - Grimm's Fairy Tales by The Brother's Grimm (what a pretty collection!)

Episode 20: Our Best Books of 2018 Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

You've been asking for it, and now it's here: our best books of 2018 list! We are the type of people who cannot pick our books until ALL the books have been finished for the year, so this is the soonest we could record!

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: a Christmas gift that is perfect for an avid reader and the reason you all feel like your TBR lists explode whenever we release a new episode.

Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week has an incredible variety of titles that we discuss.

This week's deep dive is a recap of our top ten books of the year for each of us. We picked the cream of the crop to share with you, readers.

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a gripping mystery and a two-book series that are so unexpectedly wonderful.

As always, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

5:08 - Little Free Library!

9:33 – The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown

9:45 – The Best Land Under Heaven by Michael Wallis

12:25 – The Hunger by Alma Katsu

13:00 – Becoming by Michelle Obama

16:19 - The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien

16:34 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

16:36 - Room by Emma Donoghue

18:56 - Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

19:33 - Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel

19:41 - Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

21:51 - Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

22:59 - Sadie by Courtney Summers

25:13 - The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

29:10 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

30:39 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

32:32 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

33:15 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown

34:28 – The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie

35:03 – The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast

35:29 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones

36:39 - Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

37:41 - Educated by Tara Westover

40:42 - Circe by Madeline Miller

42:32 - Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle

43:37 - Calypso by David Sedaris

45:03 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

45:41 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

46:44 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

47:58 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

49:48 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

49:56 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend

52:41 - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

54:52 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

54:58 - The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

55:51 - Us Against You by Frederik Backman

55:55 - Beartown by Frederik Backman

56:01 - A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman

58:44 - Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman

58:45 - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Frederik Backman

Episode 19: Book Armadillos + Special Guest Host Scott Monday Dec 31, 2018

Show notes

Meredith is holding down the fort this week while Kaytee travels, so her brother, Scott Monday is serving as our special guest host!

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: a Christmas classic that brought the family together and an amazing 2018 reading realization.

Next, Meredith and Scott tackle what they are currently reading, and this week will make our non-fiction lovers' hearts just sing as it's chock-full of great non-fiction titles.

This week's deep dive is about Scott's reading life and his weird foibles and quirks. I have a feeling you all are going to have serious WORDS about this! We can't wait for you to chime in.

As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a data-nerd's dream book and a book that belongs on every family's shelves.

As always, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!

2:14 – The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

6:37 – The Best Land Under Heaven by Michael Wallis

7:28 – Bay Books in Coronado, CA

8:58 – The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown

9:53 – The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck

10:40 – The Hunger by Alma Katsu

11:19 – Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

11:35 – Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

11:37 – In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson

16:25 – The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman

17:18 – Harry Potter by JK Rowling

17:29 – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis