In our twenty-eighth episode, we celebrate one full year of our podcast. This month, we explore the question at the heart of it all: Why do we read? We share thoughtful comments from our listeners on what draws them to stories, what obstacles keep them from picking up a book, and how reading fits into their lives. We also reflect on what our podcast has become or what we hope for it to be—a space for connection, curiosity, and community through the written word.

In this episode we reference the following:

• Dana's business, Brain Builders Science, helps support homeschool parents boost their kid's brains through hands-on science: https://brainbuilderscience.com/ and on instagram @brainbuilder_science
• Coffee with Keats' substack "Re-enchanting the World": https://coffeewithkeats.substack.com/p/re-enchanting-the-world-2e3

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).