Currently Reading

Written by: Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb
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  • Summary

  • 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.
    © Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb
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Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 10: Erasure by Percival Everett

    Popcorn in the Pages - Episode 10: Erasure by Percival Everett
    Feb 22 2025
    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. Erasure by Percival Everett 1:44 - Setup Erasure by Percival Everett 3:44 - Previews Release date. Sales info and awards. 2025 Audie Awards Movie name and release date. Box office and awards. American Fiction released Dec 2023 Won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2024 7:18 - The Cutting Room Pivotal Book scenes and how they translated to the screen The book within the book Lisa’s death Changes from Book to Movie Name changes Moving the setting from DC to Boston Timeline issues Van Go in the book within a book is arrested but in the movie adaptation he dies Left out of the adaptation Gretchen storyline Woodworking and fishing scenes Game show section My Pafology being explored Added to the movie Sintara added to a book panel at the end The ending Publisher Make Stagg a fugitive so he cannot go on tv Casting and alternates Monk: Jeffrey Wright → Geoffrey Owens, Andre Braugher Lisa: Tracee Ellis Ross → Regina King, Niecy Nash Agnes: Leslie Uggams → Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad, Cecily Tyson Clifford: Sterling K. Brown → Idris Elba Coraline: Erika Alexander → Kim Fields, Kim Coles Sintara: Issa Rae → Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson Problematic elements Because of all the satire, it may focus too much on the white experience and actually less on the Black 40:11 - Award Season Worst and best parts of the adaptation. Bill vs Cliff “airtime” Less tension around mother going to the assisted living home The moving of books from African American to Mythology Was very funny - zippy dialogue, continuing to move story forward Worst and best actors. Leslie Uggams - Agnes (mother) Erika Alexander - Coraline Adam Brody - Wiley Jeffrey Wright - Monk Worst and best book characters. Linda Mallory Van Go Jenkins Monk Yul 48:35 - 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 53:23 - A Leftover Popcorn Kernel Do you have any irrational fears? If you were on a Jerry Springer type show what is something weird that they may find out about you or your family? 59:30 - End Credits 59:55 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky The Perks of Being A Wallflower is available to stream for free on some sites, but is available with an Amazon Prime membership 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
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • A Journey to Three Pines - Episode 8: The Beautiful Mystery

    A Journey to Three Pines - Episode 8: The Beautiful Mystery
    Feb 21 2025
    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!
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Season 7, Episode 28: Books As Equalizers + Losing Momentum In Our Reading

    Season 7, Episode 28: Books As Equalizers + Losing Momentum In Our Reading
    Feb 17 2025
    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!
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    57 mins

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My Favourite Bookish Podcast!

Kaytee and Meredith are a wonderful duo to listen to. They are smart readers, who read great books, and discuss them well on the show. I love that they share a wide range of books, describe them enough without spoiling anything, and continue to put out great episodes every week. They have delightful guest hosts in Mary and Mindy, who also are well read, smart women. I love this show so much I also support them on Patreon. There is something for every reader on the Currently Reading Podcast!

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