In this episode of The Friday Conversation, Steve is joined once again by Jose, and briefly by Jarrod, for an open-floor discussion that turns into something much bigger.

From rediscovering the joy of reading to the harsh realities of publishing, the conversation dives deep into what it really means to be a reader in a world flooded with books.

Jose shares exciting news about his upcoming PhD and writing journey, while the group reflects on reading habits, burnout, and the books that remind us why we fell in love with reading in the first place.

Along the way, they tackle:

• The overwhelming number of books being published (and why many never sell)
• Indie authors, expectations, and the reality of getting noticed
• Why some books feel like a chore—and others reignite your passion
• The struggle of long fantasy series and unfinished sagas
• Comics, manga, and balancing different reading formats
• Why “disposable” books still have value
• And the hard truth: you can’t read everything… so how do you choose?

This is a raw, honest, and wide-ranging conversation about reading, writing, and the ever-growing noise of the modern book world.

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Co-Hosts:

Jarrod

Varsha 

Chris

Jose

Carl D. Albert (author)

Thomas J. Devens (author)

Alex French (author)

Intro and Outro Music by Michael R. Fletcher (2024-Current)