The Currently Reading Podcast

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.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

1:24 - Setup

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

3:42 - Previews

Release date. Sales info and awards.

Released in 1999

NYT #1 Bestseller

ALA's Best Book for Reluctant Readers in 2000

"Cult classic"

Movie name and release date. Box office and awards.

Released September 2012

20 Wins, 51 Nominations

Budget of 13M, Earned 33M

"Cult classic"

6:59 - The Cutting Room

Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen

The tunnel

Charlie being high

Charlie's revelation at the end

Changes from Book to Movie

Change from love story as secondary plot to main plot

Friendships with Charlie seemed disingenuous in the movie

Song in the tunnel is changed from Fleetwood Mac to David Bowie

Mary Elizabeth's college acceptance

Bill's girlfriend is now his wife in the movie

Bill and Charlie's relationship in the movie

Left out of the adaptation

Charlie doesn't cry in the movie

Masturbation scene

Developed relationship between Charlie and his sister

Abortion

Lack of importance of Rocky Horror

The scene where Sam tells Charlie not to think of her that way

Added to the movie

Charlie's siblings have names

Charlie is a "normie"

Casting and alternates

Charlie: LoganLerman → Freddie Highmore, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Nicholas Hoult, Asa Butterfield

Sam: Emma Watson → Jennifer Lawrence, Sarah Hyland, Emma Roberts, Brie Larson

Patrick: Ezra Miller → Timothee Chalamet,

Mary Elizabeth: Mae Whitman → Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, Rose McIver

Problematic elements

Lack of POC

Queer representation

Excessive drug and alcohol usage

32:41 - Award Season

Worst and best parts of the adaptation.

Film quality

Unbelievable characters due to casting/age

Casting - outside main characters

20 years later letter was omitted from the movie (a best part)

Paul Rudd

Derek's ponytail

Charlie's hot brother

Worst and best actors.

Emma Watson - Sam

Paul Rudd - Bill

Ezra Miller - Patrick

Worst and best book characters.

Mary Elizabeth

Sam

Patrick

44:26 - Book/Flick Energy

Book scored on a 5 star scale.

Book on Goodreads

Movie scored on a 10 point scale.

Movie on Rotten Tomatoes

Movie on IMDB

50:20 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel

If they made an after school special about our time in high school, what do you think would be the most after school special plot point? (Kaytee)

If you could do high school all over again, would you? (Shad)

What's your most significant or best memory from high school? (Shad)

56:30 - End Credits

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The movie is available to stream on HBO Max for a limited time but is available to rent on other streaming services

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

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

• Bookish Moments: reading slumps and how to replant your reading life

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

• Deep Dive: how to talk about books "in the wild"

• 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)

.

.

.

.

1:21 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week

7:18 - Our Current Reads

7:37 - Murder in the Dollhouse: The Jennifer Dulos Story by Rich Cohen (Meredith)

14:11 - My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (Kaytee)

14:22 - CR Season 3: Episode 1

18:34 - My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

19:49 - The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (Meredith)

24:49 - She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson (Kaytee)

28:02 - Lexicon by Max Barry (Meredith)

31:26 - The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

31:35 - Babel by R.F. Kuang

33:52 - The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl (Kaytee)

35:01 - The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

35:03 - World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

35:08 - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

35:09 - The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

35:12 - An Immense World by Ed Yong

37:14 - How To Talk About Books In The Wild

39:27 - Shawnathemom on Instagram

43:56 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

45:56 - Lexicon by Max Barry

47:24 - Babel by R.F. Kuang

52:10 - Meet Us At The Fountain

52:19 - I wish the next book I talked about was a book I liked, rather than a book that I did not. (Meredith)

52:36 - A Small Porch by Wendell Berry

54:47 - I wish to always have the right book for the person in front of me. (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. May's IPL is a new indie to the rotation - Dog Eared Books in Ames, Iowa.

• 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!

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

• Bookish Moments: poolside reading and friends who know your reading tastes

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

• Deep Dive: it's finally time to let you know the bookish friends' best books of 2024!

• 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)

.

.

.

.

2:30 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week

6:42 - Our Current Reads

6:47 - Tempest by Beverly Jenkins (Kaytee)

10:31 - Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Meredith)

19:41 - The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb (Kaytee)

19:56 - The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

21:40 - Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb

24:19 - Campfires & Corpses by Nikki Weber (Meredith)

28:10 - Woodworking by Emily St. James (Kaytee)

28:45 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

31:59 - This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead (Meredith)

37:33 - Bookish Friends' Best Books of 2024

40:11 - The Women by Kristen Hannah (#4)

40:13 - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (#4)

40:17 - Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being In Love by isthisselfcare (#4)

40:40 - The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (#3)

40:45 - Margot's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (#1)

40:47 - All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (#1)

43:36 - James by Percival Everett

43:37 - Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

43:38 - The Wedding People by Alison Espach

44:35 - In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn

44:57 - The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

45:13 - All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

45:30 - You Are Here by David Nicholls

45:31 - The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

45:47 - Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentner

46:23 - The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (#1 disliked)

46:26 - The Fury by Alex Michalides (#2 disliked)

46:30 - Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (#3 disliked)

46:33 - The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (#3 disliked)

46:47 - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

46:48 - Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

46:56 - I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

47:05 - Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

47:13 - The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

47:15 - All This and More by Peng Shepherd

47:30 - The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

49:18 - What Happened to Nina by Dervla McTiernan

50:13 - Meet Us At The Fountain

50:17 - I wish to press This Is Not A Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan. (Kaytee)

50:19 - This Is Not A Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan

52:38 - Shawnathemom on Instagram

54:31 - I wish book slumps weren't a thing. (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. May's IPL is a new indie to the rotation - Dog Eared Books in Ames, Iowa.

• 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!

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

• Bookish Moments: shifting our perspectives and bookish friends stepping up

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

• Deep Dive: we are bossing some more 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)

.

.

.

.

1:23 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week

5:36 - Our Current Reads

5:47 - My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Kaytee)

8:16 - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

8:21 - Beartown by Fredrik Backman

10:16 - Night Film by Marisha Pessl (Meredith)

15:23 - The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (Kaytee)

20:29 - The Big Four by Agatha Christie (Meredith)

22:38 - Poirot by Mark Aldridge

24:28 - The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

26:00 - Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa (Kaytee)

26:38 - Pride by Ibi Zoboi

31:05 - The Beast and the Bookseller by Eva Devon (Meredith)

35:15 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

36:42 - Boss My TBR

From DactylJD

38:19 - Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall

39:42 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

39:45 - Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

39:48 - Real Americans by Rachel Khong

39:51 - Belle Green by Alexandra Lapierre

39:55 - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

From Terri Melton

44:42 - Hyde by Craig Russell

44:43 - The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

44:49 - Falling by T.J. Newman

45:02 - Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London

45:04 - Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie

45:07 - To Shape A Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

45:11 - A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher

49:05 - Meet Us At The Fountain

49:12 - I wish for us to try new things. (Kaytee)

51:32 - I wish to press Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore. (Meredith)

51:38 - Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

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. May's IPL is a new indie to the rotation - Dog Eared Books in Ames, Iowa.

• 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!

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

• Bookish Moments: shifts in our reading and brain farts

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

• Deep Dive: reading Canadian elbows up style

• 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)

.

.

.

.

1:55 - Ad For Ourselves

2:01 - Currently Reading Patreon

7:03 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week

7:25 - CR Season 7: Episode 24

12:21 - CR Season 7: Episode 36

12:26 - Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri

12:51 - Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

14:18 - Our Current Reads

14:24 - Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (Roxanna)

18:57 - Coven by Soman Chainani (Kaytee)

19:10 - The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

23:32 - The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe (Roxanna)

28:55 - The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight (Kaytee)

29:17 - Fabled Bookshop

33:28 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

34:03 - The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain (Roxanna)

38:26 - Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell (Kayee)

38:40 - Schuler Books

44:56 - Reading Canadian

48:48 - Canada Reads

48:51 - The Giller Prize

49:21 - The Push by Ashley Audrain

50:06 - Room by Emma Donoghue

50:18 - The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue

50:29 - The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue

52:01 - The Fabulous Zed Watson! by Basil Sylvester

53:18 - Women Talking by Miriam Toews

55:00 - Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley

55:08 - Finding Me by Viola Davis

55:57 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

56:49 - Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

56:53 - Three Holidays and A Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley

57:02 - Much Ado About Nada Uzma Jalaluddin

57:32 - Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

1:02:20 - The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan

1:03:40 - Lucky by Marissa Stapley

1:06:24 - Meet Us At The Fountain

1:07:05 - I wish there was an easier way to export and download kindle notes and highlights. (Roxanna)

1:08:57 - I wish to press Happy Place by Emily Henry. (Kaytee)

1:09:00 - Happy Place by Emily Henry

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. May's IPL is a new indie to the rotation - Dog Eared Books in Ames, Iowa.

• 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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!