The Currently Reading Podcast

We're back to regularly scheduled programming around here and happy to welcome so many new listeners! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a TV-show experience that only happened because of bookish friendships, and a win in the "raising readers" world, one of our favorite places to report about! Next, we discuss our current reads for the week: brand new titles, buzzed about books and ones we think need more play in the book world. For our deep dive this week, we are focusing on Brick books for the Currently Reading challenge. We qualify these as books over 700 (or maybe 650) pages, and we've got a lot of them for you to choose from. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. This week's picks include two more giant tomes: an unforgettable, series that defies genre categorization, and a non-fiction biography. 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! . . . . . 7:26 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan 9:40 - Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 10:44 - Heartland by Sarah Smarsh 10:48 - Episode 14 with Amy Allen Clark 11:01 - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 12:57 - He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly 17:48 - Lucy & Andy Neanderthal by Jeffrey Brown 18:00 - Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 20:15 - Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown 20:17 - Goodnight, Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown 20:55 - Inheritance by Dani Shapiro 24:15 - Interview with Dani Shapiro on the Happier Podcast 24:54 - The Current by Tim Johnston 29:27 - Bookshelf Thomasville Shelf Subscription 32:10 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 32:39 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling 32:55 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 33:02 - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet 33:33 - The Physician by Noah Gordon 34:48 - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 35:04 - The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 35:46 - Shogun by James Clavell 35:56 - Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 36:32 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 35:38 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry 37:02 - Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke 37:45 - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 38:00 - I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb 38:39 - The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy 38:58 - What Should I Read Next episode about big books 39:09 - Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 39:38 - The Passage (trilogy) by Justin Cronin 40:33 - It by Stephen King 40:35 - The Stand by Stephen King 40:35 - The Shining by Stephen King 40:36 - Needful Things by Stephen King 40:59 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 43:18 - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson 44:27 - Bad Blood by John Carreyrou 45:26 - Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow *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!*

Today's minisode give you the opportunity to "meet" Claire Handscombe, the author of newly-released "Unscripted". It's a perfect read for your beach vacation! In this "minisode", Claire and I discuss what fangirling to the max truly is, we talk a bit about the publishing industry, cast her book, and talk about what the process is like for an author to get published for the first time. And, as always, we'll end with a book she wants to press into your hands, readers! Minisode shownotes are not timestamped, but linked titles are below for you to peruse. Unscripted by Claire Handscombe Love, Factually (UK) or Love Understood (US) by Laura Mucha Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton Come To The Edge by Christina Haag The Editor by Steven Rowley Claire's website (with links to all her social media!)

Meredith and Kaytee are joined by a special guest co-host this week, Mindy Brouse, a Currently Reading listener and super-fan of the show. This one was fun, you guys! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a funny bookish conversation, a sweet picture book that made me feel ~seen~, and a spoiler-ific discussion of a previous book. Next, we discuss our current reads. Since there are three of us, we kept it to two titles each, but there's no shortage of great stories and big opinions. For our deep dive, we're talking to Mindy about reading aloud to kids of multiple ages, since she has been homeschooling for 20 years and has 7 kids with a large span. Our listeners asked for something exactly like this, and Mindy delivers! We also get to hear from her about something we've heard from a lot of you: how Currently Reading changed her reading life. It's a sweet conversation. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. This week's picks include a favorite read-aloud title, a YA sci-fi (Y-fi?) series, and a fairy tale retelling that has been a favorite for DECADES. 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! . . . . . 3:49 - Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 3:53 - Calico Bush by Rachel Field 3:57 - The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 4:02 - On The Edge of the Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson 5:31 - Bunny's Book Club by Annie Silvestro 6:43 - Lil' Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 6:59 - Lil' Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 7:06 -Lil' Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal 7:48 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 9:51 - The Gown by Jennifer Robson 13:07 - The Editor by Steven Rowley 13:14 - Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley 18:09 - The Lost Man by Jane Harper 18:39 - Force of Nature by Jane Harper 19:38 - Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 21:39 - Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe 23:40 - The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 26:49 - Sweep by Jonathan Auxier 26:54 - Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier 30:30 - Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin 33:27 - Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin 33:28 - The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin 33:43 - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin 44:15 - I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino 46:57 - Honey for A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt 51:36 - The Firm by John Grisham 55:44 - The Chosen by Chaim Potok 57:22 - Cinder by Marissa Meyer 1:00:11 - Beauty by Robin McKinley Deep dive. Here's the photo and corresponding list of books that Mindy's family has chosen as their very favorites over the past two decades. I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park By The Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert Dejong The Broken Blade by William Durbin The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konigsburg Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark The Eagle of the Ninth by Sutcliff On The Edge of the Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are joined by a special guest co-host this week, Laura Tremaine. Laura is well-known across social media, and we think you'll love hearing from her. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a great book club chat, a new reading experience, and an unexpected bookish connection with a group of kids. Next, we discuss our current reads. Since there are three of us, we kept it to two titles each, but they are two great book s from each host that are sure to have big opinions from the interwebs. For our deep dive, we're talking to Laura about her "social media journey" and her vision behind her newest podcast, 10 Things to Tell You. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. This week's picks include a non-fiction book about eating, a historical fiction family saga, and a thriller that will chill you. 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! . . . . . 5:52 - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 8:03 - Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 8:20 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 8:49 - Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid 15:17 - Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly 17:08 - Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips 18:00 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 21:01 - This Will Only Hurt A Little by Busy Philipps 21:15 - Rob Lowe's books 21:21 - Bossypants by Tina Fey 27:28 - The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai 28:35 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne 31:31 - Juliet's School of Possibilities by Laura Vanderkam 34:00 - 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam 34:08 -Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam 35:40 - The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann 42:17 - Bias Series on the Smartest Person in the Room podcast 51:48 - Intuitive Eating by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Trebole 56:22 - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese 59:02 - The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon Laura's Website and Laura's Instagram 10 Things To Tell You podcast and Instagram *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!*

Kaytee and Meredith are back in your earbuds with a whole cartload of book recommendations! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: bear with us this week as we gush at each other about getting to meet in person for the first time. Next, we discuss our current reads. We have some reads that surprised us this week, and we hope they surprise you, too, in all the best ways. Our deep dive this week centers on the Currently Reading Challenge for 2019 and we are discussing the books that our friends and family members have pressed into our hands. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. A children's classic and a funny romantic comedy. 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! . . . . . 4:38 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 8:30 - The Child by Fiona Barton 8:38 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 9:15 - Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Burton 12:33 - Winterhouse by Ben Guterson 12:40 - Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson 14:02 - 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich 17:58 - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik 18:02 - Uprooted by Naomi Novik 22:04 - Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillin Smith 26:52 - On the Come Up by Angie Thomas 26:57 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 30:01 - Currently Reading Challenge 2019! 31:33 - The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd 31:42 - Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley 31:55 - The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman 32:14 - Dreamland by Sam Quinones 32:23 - Dopesick by Beth Macy 33:18 - The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald 33:30 - Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley 33:54 - Soul of America by Jon Meacham 34:06 - Who We Are and How We Got Here by David Reich 34:18 - 100 Diagrams That Changed the World by Scott Christiansen 34:33 - Testable Asic Devices by Wayne Needham 34:56 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman 35:04 - White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 35:08 - The White Book by Han Kang 35:24 - For Every Solution, A Problem by Kristin Gier 36:05 - A Gift From the Sea by Ann Morrow Lindburgh 36:19 - West With The Night by Beryl Markham 37:20 - Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari 37:33 - Yes, Please by Amy Poelher 37:34 - Bossypants by Tina Fey 39:11 - House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 41:09 - The Ordinary Princess by MM Kay 44:49 - Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty McDonald 47:55 - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 49:22 - The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 49:28 - The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion 49:50 - The Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion 52:45 - 10 Things To Tell You Episode 1: When Do You Read?

Kaytee is recording with a special guest co-host this week, Anna Hithersay of The Post Party podcast. Anna is a homeschool mom and was a librarian in a former life, so I think you'll love our deep dive into choosing great books for your kids (and yourself) at the library. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of the us: a bookish tattoo and a raising readers moment. Next, we discuss our current reads. This week has some thriller, some fairy tale, some romance, some middle grade. Basically, we took quite a few left turns. Our deep dive this week is a conversation with Anna about choosing quality books from the library when the selection is so overwhelming. We also talk about "twaddle" and authors that are sure bets. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. A sweeping story of the South and a tiny classic that's sweet and lovely. 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! . . . . . 2:03 - Harry Potter series by JK Rowling 3:25 - My new Bookish Tattoo! 4:43 - 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne 4:50 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 8:37 - Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center 8:44 - Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center 11:15 - Wild by Cheryl Strayed 12:10 - A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson 12:29 - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 15:31 - The Winter Sister by Megan Collins 15:38 - Book Of the Month 18:56 - White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo 20:55 - OnRamp Podcast 25:04 - Lost Boy by Christina Henry 25:12 - Morgan Tallman episode 22 28:26 - Alice by Christina Henry 28:29 - Red Queen by Christina Henry 28:56 - Peter Pan by JM Barrie 31:57 - Barbara Cooney books 35:38 - Magic Treehouse books by Mary Pope Osborne 37:30 - Eric Carle books 37:36 - Sandra Boynton books 38:22 - Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton 38:51 - Richard Scarry books 39:48 - First Thousand Words in English by Heather Amery 39:49 - First Thousand Words in Spanish by Heather Amery 40:08 - Magic Treehouse books by Mary Pope Osborne 40:28 - The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Hayes 41:48 - In The Town All Year 'Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner 43:21 - The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton 43:24 - Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton 43:32 - Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey 43:34 - Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey 44:37 - Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry 45:49 - Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry 47:01 - Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley 48:00 - Parnassus Books 48:31 - 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Find Anna here: The Post Party podcast The Post Party on Instagram and Facebook *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!*

It's #middlegradeMarch and so, of course, Meredith is excited to be talking to Ben Guterson, the author of the Winterhouse Trilogy of middle-grade novels. These are some of our favorite books of the year. In this bonus mini episode, or "minisode", Ben talks about his inspiration for the novels, what's coming up in the third book, as well as a bit about his own life as a reader. And, he gives us a book he wants to "press" into every reader's hands, too. Here are the books we mention in this episode: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson The House with the Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro The Winterhouse Mysteries by Ben Guterson (no link yet! Coming in December!)

Meredith and Kaytee are so excited to finally bring you this very special episode, which we, and our kiddos, have been looking forward to for a long time! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of the hosts: preparing with our sons for the special deep dive in this week's episode (yep, that's one bookish moment for the two of us!). Next, we discuss our current reads. Since we wanted to leave time for the kids, we give you only two (and a half) titles each this week, and they are all over the map. Our deep dive this week is a super special interview with Jackson Schwartz, 7, and Micah Cobb, 8. These two boys have big opinions about the books they have read and loved. And the way they relate to each other is downright adorable. Anyone else think this needs to be a regular feature? We are totally smitten. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. There are four (or more) titles in this week's pressed books segment, so get those Amazon clickers ready! 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! . . . . . 3:41 - The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson 3:52 - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 6:57 - Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Latidan 7:11 - The Honest Toddler 7:20 - Toddlers Are A**holes by Bunmi Latidan 10:36 - The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 10:44 - The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 11:49 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 13:03 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 13:50 - The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray 14:10 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 14:28 - A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park 17:52 - The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks 19:46 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 21:02 - Inspector Flytrap: The Da Vinci Cold by Tom Angleberger 22:08 - The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey 22:34 - Dogman by Dav Pilkey 22:47 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 24:23 - Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl 24:36 - Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey 26:26 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 28:59 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 30:44 - Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott 31:50 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling 31:59 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling 33:28 - The Course of Love by Alain de Botton 36:10 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 37:48 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 38:17 - On The Come Up by Angie Thomas *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!*

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!*

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 *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!*

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 *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!*

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 *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!*

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 *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!*

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 *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!*

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 *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!*

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!) *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!*

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 *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!*

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 17:34 – Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 19:02 – It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson 19:06 – Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson 22:00 – Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari 22:25 – Dopesick by Beth Macy 22:57 – Becoming by Michelle Obama 26:32 – What Happened by Hillary Clinton 30:22 – The Black Stallion by Walter Farley 30:35 – The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley 30:36 – Son of the Black Stallion by Walter Farley 30:38 – Fire Stallion by Walter Farley? I think he meant Black Stallion and Satan :-) 30:43 – Island Stallion by Walter Farley 31:14 – The Edge by Dick Francis 31:34 – Longshot by Dick Francis 32:24 – Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 41:05 – Ulysses by James Joyce 42:26 – Dataclysm by Christian Rudder 45:15 – The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie 45:30 – The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast *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!*

Kaytee and Meredith are deep in the holiday season and we're ready to talk about all the books! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a bookish moment of connection with a new friend and a book ornament for the tree. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, with plenty of kid lit in this week's selections as well as some cozy reads and some creepy ones. This week's deep dive is about winter reads and the titles we like to cozy up with during the holidays. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a new (old) mystery series to sink your teeth into, and a travel memoir. 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! . . . . . 1:35 - Cowboy Pug by Laura James 2:31 - Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith 5:38 - my pretty bookstack ornament (no longer available for me to link to on the Anthropologie site!) 7:17 - City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab 7:49 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 10:28 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 11:35 - Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny 12:26 - The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib 16:07 - Mac Undercover (Mac B., Kid Spy #1) by Mac Barnett 16:17 - Reading Bug subscription box 17:51 - The Impossible Crime (Mac B., Kid Spy #2) by Mac Barnett 20:02 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 20:04 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 20:24 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 20:30 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman 22:32 - Toll by Neal Shusterman (not even on Amazon yet, so no link!) 24:26 - Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg 24:36 - The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg 27:27 - Shogun by James Clavell 28:02 - Pax by Sara Pennypacker 31:58 - The Snowman by Jo Nesbo 32:47 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson 33:59 - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 34:18 - Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva 34:26 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 34:48 - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 35:18 - Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling 35:24 - Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein 35:31 - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein 35:33 - Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 36:05 - The Shining by Stephen King 36:25 - It by Stephen King 36:26 - The Stand by Stephen King 36:38 - The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Auden 36:41 - The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Auden 37:10 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott 37:40 - Agatha Christie 37:41 - PD James 37:42 - Minette Walters 37:52 - Aunt Dimity Series 38:15 - Anne Perry Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels 38:31 - Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer 38:59 - Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer 40:23 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare 40:25 - All the Books podcast 41:46 - The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 43:09 - A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George 43:22 - Louise Penny Inspector Gamache series 45:12 - Robert Galbraith series (JK Rowling syndrome) 45:58 - At Home in the World by Tsh Oxenreider 47:59 - Simple: A Podcast by Tsh Oxenreider 48:35 - Interview with Tsh on Kaytee's blog *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds this week with a broad array of books to tell you about! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a personalized book gift FOR a friend, and a kidlit audiobook addiction. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, some quick reads to hit your year-end goals, and a few books we cannot WAIT to talk to you about! Our super special deep dive this week centers on an interview with Delia Owens, writer of Where the Crawdads Sing. This book has been chosen as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, as well as (just announced the day after recording) picked up by 20th Century Fox as a feature film production. Delia is so gracious, so well-spoken, and so lovely. We know you'll love hearing from her. As always, we ALL finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a nature collection from Delia, a cry-your-heart-out book, and a middle grade classic. 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! . . . . . 1:35 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 4:18 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 5:32 - Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson 6:31 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 7:43 - Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong 7:57 - Shogun by James Clavell 8:51 - Theft by Finding: Diaries by David Sedaris 10:51 - Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny 16:06 - The One by John Marrs 19:59 - Some Writer! by Melissa Sweet 20:06 - Stuart Little by E.B. White 20:08 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 22:55 - Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley 23:25 - Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug 24:11 - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 27:51 - The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams 30:15 - The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams 41:19 - The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold 43:45 - Instagram Giveaway! Go win one of two copies of Where The Crawdads Sing! 45:09 - When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 48:29 - Tuesdays At The Castle by Jessica Day George *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!*

This week we're talking brand new titles, some oldies but goodies and a few bookish surprises. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a brand new release finally in hand, and a bookish Christmas tradition. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, a few brand new releases as well as a bunch of goodness from the back list. This week we spend some time discussing how our reading habits change during the holidays, both in amount and substance. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a rich-family inheritance drama, and a time-travel-esque (no actual time travel involved) book that surprised me. 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! . . . . . 1:30 - Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny 3:53 - The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 4:10 - Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry 5:04 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 5:55 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 9:45 - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty 9:58 - Episode 14 with Amy Allen Clark 11:19 - Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty 12:18 - Who Thought This Was A Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco 15:09 - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Reybourne 15:19 - A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 15:21 - The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King 18:10 - Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman 20:42 - Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah 20:49 - Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 22:39 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 23:28 - The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah 25:27 - Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 26:13 - Jenny Colgan books 27:52 - Shogun by James Clavell 28:39 - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 28:43 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (again!) 30:21 - The Heirs by Susan Rieger 30:38 - The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney 33:58 - How to Stop Time by Matt Haig *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!*

Episode number 15. Does it seem to anyone else like it's getting crazy real? We are having such fun! Tune in this week to hear Meredith and Kaytee discuss three books each as well as something that we read that surprised us! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a family road trip listen and a perfect reading moment. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, a smorgasbord of titles ranging from YA to fantasy to literary fiction to thrillers. We've got a bit of everything! Our mini deep dive this week is about the books that most recently surprised us. And you might be surprised as well by one of these titles! As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands: a sci-fi thriller and a classic children's series. 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! . . . . . 3:03 - The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy 3:11 - Episode Nine with Meg Teitz 5:59 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 6:54 - South of Broad by Pat Conroy 8:52 - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 10:50 - The Price of Tides by Pat Conroy 12:08 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 12:22 - He Read She Read Podcast 14:30 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 15:05 - Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 16:15 - My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd 16:34 - Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson 20:05 - Ghost by Jason Reynolds 22:21 - The Crossover by Kwame Alexander 22:53 - Scythe by Neal Schusterman 23:35 - Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman 23:54 - They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera 26:43 - Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith 26:49 - Silkworm by Robert Galbraith 29:16 - Lethal White by Robert Galbraith 30:18 - Louise Penny's new book: Kingdom of the Blind 32:13 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 32:19 - Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne 35:08 - 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James 36:23 - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 38:35 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 40:04 - Pines by Blake Crouch 41:19 - I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes 41:55 - The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Hayes 42:11 - Boxcar Children Books 1-4 as Box Set 43:25 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley *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!*

You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a surprise book present, an accessory to make binge-reading the next big thing, and choosing books for a trip. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, just two titles from each of the three of us because that still gives you a whole stack to check out. Our deep-dive this week delves deep into the ins and outs of running a book club. And this episode is for you whether you have a group of friends that meet at a coffee shop each month or you are looking for a group of bookish friends on the internet so you can "book club" in your PJs! We even toss around some ideas for those of us (like Meredith and Kaytee) who are "book-club challenged" in that our inner rebel shows up whenever someone says we have to read a certain title. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. This week we have some classic dude-friendly literature, a lovely little fun romp, and a sweeping American and African family story. 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! . . . . . 0:45 - MomAdvice.com 0:58 - The MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook 2:59 - idealbookshelf.com 3:40 - Ideal Bookshelf on Instagram: @idealbookshelf 4:21 -LEVO G2 Tablet Clamp Stand 9:13 - Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss 9:31 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 12:46 - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 12:53 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 13:28 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 14:14 - Serial Reader App 14:35 - Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 15:39 - Heartland by Sarah Smarsh 15:49 - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 19:00 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 19:18 - The Selection (Series) by Kiera Cass 19:44 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 21:24 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 21:38 - Wundersmith (Second book in Nevermoor series) by Jessica Townsend 22:34 - Elevation by Stephen King 25:42 - River Of Stars by Vanessa Hua 28:39 - Ghosted by Rosie Walsh 31:29 - Liane Moriarty books (specifically: Nine Perfect Strangers and Truly Madly Guilty) 32:50 - Seven Tips for Hosting a Successful Book Club article on MomAdvice.com 37:07 - Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran 39:11 - meetup.com - LOL it still exists!! 40:14 - The Lazy Genius Podcast episode #72: The Lazy Genius Hosts a Book Swap 45:40 - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - and Amy's interview with Anthony 46:18 - MomAdvice Book Club on Facebook 48:00 - Shogun by James Clavell 50:54 - The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall 52:42 - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 55:13 - Amy on Instagram: @momadvice *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds to chat Non-Fiction and some other really wonderful titles! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a bookish candle and IRL friendships that are reading more. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, just two titles from each of us so we have time to talk about 50 thousand additional books! Our deep-dive this week centers on some of our favorite non-fiction genres! We throw a whole metric crap-ton of titles at you to get you started in the non-fiction world, if that seems to be a place that you're lacking. Every one of these titles have been vetted by one or both of us (along with many others that we've mentioned in past episodes), and we are all about you picking them up! As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. This week we have some beautiful fiction as well as a great and FUN contemporary mystery. 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! . . . . . 1:21 - Friday Reads candle from Main Line Candle Company 5:06 - Some Writer! The Story of E.B. White by Melissa Sweet 6:37 - Stuart Little by E.B. White 6:39 - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 6:56 - The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White 7:35 - A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 8:24 - Episode 10 of Currently Reading 9:23 - The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King 12:02 - Finding Holy in the Suburbs by Ashley Hales 12:55 - The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon 15:12 - The Turquoise Table by Kristin Schell 15:45 - Little Free Library! 17:16 - Hens Dancing by Raphaella Barker 17:47 - Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Felding 23:23 - Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner 23:35 - Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines 23:51 - Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan 24:28 - Yes, Please by Amy Poehler 24:31 - Monsoon Mansion by Cinelle Barnes 24:55 - Coming Clean by Seth Haines 25:18 - Educated by Tara Westover *Other memoirs mentioned in past episodes that I LOVE: As You Wish by Cary Elwes, Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, anything by David Sedaris 26:38 - Disney War by James B. Stewart 27:29 - Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean 27:34 - Conspiracy of Fools by Kurt Eichenwald 27:46 - The Pixar Touch by David Price 28:11 - Bad Blood by John Carreyrou 28:55 - So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 28:57 - I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown 29:08 - The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton 29:13 - Evicted by Matthew Desmond 29:41 - Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson 30:08 - Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle 30:10 - Barking to the Choir by Gregory Boyle 31:14 - Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore 32:11 - Start With Why by Simon Sinek 32:17 - Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek 32:24 - Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz 32:44 - Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh 32:58 - 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer and Diana Chapman 33:30 - Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris 35:07 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown 35:38 - Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin 35:39 - The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin 34:50 - The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown 35:05 - Daring Greatly by Brene Brown 35:07 - Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown 35:10 - Dare to Lead by Brene Brown 36:33 - Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner 37:15 - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey 37:28 - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Steven Covey 37:45 - Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner 38:20 - Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist 39:06 - Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff by Myquillin Smith *Other productivity books mentioned in past episodes: Stretched Too Thin by Jessica Turner 41:00 - This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 44:28 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 45:59 - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty 46:02 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moraiarty 46:54 - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty *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!*

Episode 12 comes to you this week. And we're here to talk TBR. The specifics of what drives us to choose the next book off the stack! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a group of online readers that saves the day and all about audiobook "stories." Next, we tackle what we are currently reading: some Capital W-Weird picks, some non-fiction, some YA. We've got a little taste of everything. We take a mini-deep dive this week into the topic of TBR lists. How do readers in general choose what is To Be Read next? How do we, specifically, choose what to slot into that coveted position? As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to press into every reader's hands. This week we have a perfect Christmas gift idea (and some wonderful accompaniments) as well as a beloved curmudgeon book for almost every reader on your list. 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! . . . . . 3:17 - Audiobook stories on Instagram: click on the Audiobooks Q&A highlight! 6:05 - The Book of Boy by Katherine Gilbert Murdock 8:52 - The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 9:50 - Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brian Sanderson 14:03 - Episode 9 with Meg Teitz 14:32 - Our favorite free Enneagram test: https://exploreyourtype.com/details 15:08 - The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stablile 15:25 - Typeology podcast 15:35 - The Sacred Enneagram by Christopher Heuertz 17:20 - From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon 17:25 - When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon 20:32 - The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell 20:47 - The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs 20:50 - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin 23:15 - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 29:37 - Vox by Christina Dalcher 32:46 - I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel 34:24 - You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero 36:55 - Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen 39:06 - A beautiful mug to pair it with 39:10 - The coziest of cozy wraps from Athleta 40:47 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman 42:50 - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 42:52 - The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg 42:57 - The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick 44:09 - A Man Called Ove movie 45:09 - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrick Backman *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds for Episode 11, in which we take a fun little trip down our "book-memory lanes". You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: A sweet book gift from a friend, and a childhood milestone finally broached. Then we dive into our currently reading lists with three (or more) books from each of us, lots of mysterious picks this week, and one title that we just can't stop talking about. Next, we take that memory trip and talk about the books that formed us as readers. The memories we have of our childhood reading, the ones that shaped us as teens, and how they turned us into the readers we are today. So many backlist gems in this list! As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands. This week's picks include a YA pick that's being made into a Netflix movie and a non-fiction classic that is perfect for everyone on your Christmas list. 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! . . . . . 2:37 - I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel 3:50 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 4:17 - Harry Potter Illustrated Editions by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay 7:52 - Louise Penny's Three Pines Series 8:19 - Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 11:34 - Just the Right Book Subscription 11:45 - Reading Bug Box Subscription 11:50 - Shelf Subscription from The Bookshelf Thomasville 11:54 - The Book Drop Subscription (Reminder: CURRENTLYREADING will get you 20% off until 12/15) 12:12 - Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke 16:07 - The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton 16:16 - @raelasbooks on Instagram 18:22 - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 20:20 - House at Riverton by Kate Morton 21:15 - Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman 21:28 - Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard 22:48 - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 23:52 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 25:52 - Episode 7 of Currently Reading with Jessica Turner 26:06 - An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green 28:12 - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 30:19 - The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini 34:24 - The Mitten by Jan Brett 34:26 - Do Not Open by Brinton Turkle 34:47 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 34:48 - A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett 34:58 - Choose Your Own Adventure books by R.A. Montgomery 36:13 - R.L. Stine's Goosebumps Series 36:15 - Intensity by Dean Koontz 36:29 - Stephen King novels 37:04 - 100 Secret Senses by Amy Tan 37:14 - Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 38:15 - Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell 39:15 - Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene 39:47 - The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis UNSOLICITED STRONG OPINION: Amazon is wrong. Read these in Publication Order, please! 40:56 - The Once and Future King by T.H. White 42:21 - The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 44:25 - Dumplin' by Julie Murphy 47:58 - Puddin' by Julie Murphy 48:20 - Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer *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!*

Bookish besties reunited for Episode number 10, where we take a foray into the scary books you'll want on your Halloween and Fall TBR! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: Meredith's slump is O.V.E.R. and Kaytee broke her resolutions in a big way. Then we dive into our currently reading lists with three books from each of us, some brand new titles, a big series for #pennypusher fans, and some mysterious picks. Our next segment will make you thankful for these show notes! We throw a LOT of titles at you that will perfectly fit into your fall mood-reading lists. Don't worry, they are all written down for you below. Because we love you. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands. This week's picks include a classic Greek myth re-imagined, as well as non-fiction pick for every boy mom reader. 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! . . . . . 3:20 - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend 4:11 - Literate Lizard bookstore in Sedona, AZ 5:10 - thriftbooks.com - 15% off your first order if you use this link! 6:58 - In Her Bones by Kate Moretti 7:13 - Book Drop Subscription - use code CURRENTLYREADING for 20% off a subscription of any length! Good through 12/15 8:25 - Scythe by Neal Shusterman 9:05 - What Should I Read Next podcast on iTunes, Episode 150 is the one referenced in this episode of our show 11:51 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 14:09 - My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren 14:29 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 14:39 - You've Got Mail 15:58 - Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand 17:49 - Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache Series 18:05 - Inspector Wexford Series by Ruth Rundell 18:14 - Dorothy Simpson's Inspector Thanet Series 19:02 - From Doon with Death by Ruth Rundell 22:38 - A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (2nd Book: A Conspiracy in Belgravia) 22:44 - Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle 25:10 - A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro 25:55 - Hoopla! Kaytee's beloved library service! 26:23 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 26:26 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 26:37 - The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz 27:24 - The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 27:31 - Shelf Subscription from Bookshelf Thomasville 31:11 - Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim 31:19 - @wellreadblackgirl on Instagram 34:11 - The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle 34:25 - A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket 34:54 - Coraline by Neil Gaiman (but now I really want the Graphic Novel version!) 35:15 - In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware 35:17 - The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware 35:36 - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 36:12 - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 36:25 - Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter 37:08 - Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase 37:15 - Kate Morton books 37:35 - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay 39:09 - Every Secret Thing by Susanna Kearsley 41:10 - Aunt Dimity Series by Nancy Atherton 42:20 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 42:42 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 42:43 - Pines (1st in series) by Blake Crouch, then Wayward, then The Last Town 43:08 - Fox Evil by Minette Walters 44:08 - Circe by Madeline Miller 47:25 - Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James and David Thomas *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!*

Meredith has a special guest go-host join her this week while Kaytee travels, Meg Tietz of the Sorta Awesome podcast! When Meredith introduces Meg, you'll get to hear a bit of our backstory about how we (Meredith and Kaytee) became friends THROUGH Meg's podcast, and how we pay tribute to her in every show! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each host: meeting a favorite author and new earbuds for audiobooks. Plenty of book recommendations coming your way this week as Meg and Meredith discuss two recent books each and then jump into a deep dive! Meg is a personality framework junkie, so she and Meredith take a foray into personality types and reading. Such an interesting discussion! Do you know your Enneagram type? Do you feel like it affects your reading life? Meg and Meredith finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands. This week's picks include a National Book Award winner and an older title that will make you think for YEARS. 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! . . . . . 1:15 - Sorta Awesome Podcast: Website, iTunes 2:36 - Sorta Awesome episode about anxiety and face shaving 4:17 - Meredith's guest episode on Sorta Awesome about Penelopes 4:45 - Rainbow Rowell 5:29 - Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell 8:32 - Apple airpods 9:14 - Kaytee's (similar but way less expensive) earbuds 11:41 - The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 14:36 - In Her Bones by Kate Meretti 16:05 - Book Drop Subscription - So excited to offer our listeners a GREAT coupon code for this service! Use code CURRENTLYREADING for 20% a new subscription of any length. This code is good through 12/15, so it would make a great holiday gift idea! 17:25 - The Popcast on iTunes 17:39 - The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy 21:23 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 32:50 - The Home Maker by Dorothy Canfield 35:41 - Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield 35:49 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 37:09 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle 37:41 - Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesamyn Ward 38:05 - Salvage the Bones by Jesamyn Ward 42:51 - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant 44:31 - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet How to find Meg: @sortaawesomemeg on Instagram @sortaawesomeshow on Instagram sortaawesomeshow.com *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds this week. Reunited!! We've got a bit of a longer episode for you full of readerly chat. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: a neighborly book relationship and bookish travels. Plenty of book recommendations coming your way this week as we discuss three recent books each and go down little rabbit trails of additional titles. Our deep dive this week is about reading slumps: why they suck so bad and some tips for avoiding them or overcoming them! We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands. Some hilarious short stories and a classic mystery. This week also includes a bonus pick by Meredith's nephew Collin for the younger readers in your life. 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! 7:45 - The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg 7:58 - Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin 10:22 - A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 10:30 - Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson 13:00 - Siblings without Rivalry by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish 13:25 - How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish 13:30 - How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish 15:51 - Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman 17:24 - Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips 20:12 - A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult 21:40 - Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult 25:36 - Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 27:13 - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin 28:00 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 28:42 - The Vanderbeeker's of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser 33:28 - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 34:11 - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 39:40 - Calypso by David Sedaris 40:39 - Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 41:13 - Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 by David Sedaris 43:47 -Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine. by Jennifer Li Shotz 43:53 - Hero by Jennifer Li Shotz 46:15 - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie *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!*

Meredith is on vacation, so Kaytee has a special guest co-host join her for this week's episode. She is so excited to share her conversation with Jessica Turner! You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: one that only a family of two authors will ever experience and a new discovery at the library that made for a quiet weekend at home. We dive in to discussing 2 books each. One of which we both cannot stop talking about. Next, we get to discuss Jessica's new book, Stretched Too Thin, as well as her previous work, The Fringe Hours. Both are books you need on your shelves! Who wants to win a copy of STT? I'll be giving away a copy on Instagram this week, so pop on over there to enter! We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands. Jessica does a great job pushing BOTH of our books into your hands this week, as I promise you'll want to pick up each of them for totally different reasons. They also kind of follow a theme (unintentionally, as 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! . . . . . 0:42 - Stretched Too Thin by Jessica Turner 1:51 - When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner 1:52 - When God Made Light by Matthew Paul Turner 1:55 - When I Pray For You by Matthew Paul Turner 3:28 - Playaways at the library 4:09 - How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell 4:11 - The Problim Children by Natalie Lloyd 6:22 - Modern Girls by Jennifer S. Brown 8:44 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne 8:46 - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly 8:53 - Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid 9:00 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid 9:18 - Sliding Doors (movie) 10:04 - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch 10:48 - How to Walk Away by Katherine Center 11:12 - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 11:38 - Lies by TM Logan 13:49 - I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown 15:15 - March: Book One by John Lewis 15:27 - Ghost by Jason Reynolds 15:51 - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 18:18 - The Fringe Hours by Jessica Turner 19:57 - Stretched Too Thin by Jessica Turner 31:51 - I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown (yep, again) 35:18 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 35:32 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle 36:11 - Documentary 13th by Ana DuVernay on Netflix 38:14 - Jessica's bookstagram account: booksnobbery 38:20 - TheMomCreative.com *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!*

Kaytee and Meredith return this week to chat about books with you! How do you feel about the backlist? We're going there. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: using books as a coping strategy and books that you've been meaning to read for more than decade… We dive in to discussing 3 books each. These mostly take a trip down backlist lane, because only one is brand new and the rest are back in the catalog. Next we get into every listener's most-asked question: a brief overview of how in the /world/ Kaytee reads SO much while homeschooling all those children. We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands. We've got a book that will make your life better and a series that you have to push through the first book to get to the way better second and third books. 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! . . . . . 8:35 - Inspector Thanet Series by Dorothy Simpson 9:32 - Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward 12:01 - Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff 13:00 - All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison 13:14 - Setting Free the Kites by Alex George 13:18 - All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda 16:47 - The Uninvited Guests by Said Jones 19:51 - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 20:25 - Middlemarch by George Eliot 20:46 - The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 23:08 - The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman 24:05 - Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff 27:34 - All Things Good and Wonderful, nope, just kidding, it's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood 29:22 - Florida by Lauren Groff 29:36 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 30:42 - What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell 36:52 - Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin 36:55 - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin 37:00 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 39:33 - Do Audiobooks Count?? For further reading: To Your Brain, Listening to a Book is Pretty Much the Same As Reading It 41:32 - Kindle Paperwhite love 44:47 - Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin 45:36 - The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin 48:39 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 49:04 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 49:08 - A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds for a show that required us to put up our dukes to fight with technology in more ways than one. Give us grace on the audio foibles this week, and blame Skype, m'kay? You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us: happy podcast vibes and bookish t-shirts. We dive in to discussing 3 books each. Two we really enjoyed and one… not so much. Watch out for those strong opinions in this segment this week! Then we spend a little time talking about Anne Bogel's new book, I'd Rather Be Reading, and the pieces that resonated with both of us! You'll also hear our first non-sponsor sponsor segment. Obviously we're a bit unclear what "sponsorship" means at this point! We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands, and this week's picks will either tear out your heart or scare the pee-waddle out of you (Meredith's phrasing. LOL). 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! . . . . . 2:38 - Meredith's Book Nerd t-shirt from outofprint.com, purveyors of so many fun, bookish tees 4:15 - Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart 4:42 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 7:47 - Mom Advice Book Club on Facebook 8:19 - Silkworm by Robert Galbraith 9:35 - Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith 11:30 - The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Sequel to The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 12:13 - Wonder by R.J. Palacio 13:53 - All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage 16:01 - The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield 18:56 - The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon 19:01 - Turquoise Table by Kristin Schell 19:06 - Just Open the Door by Jen Schmidt 21:05 - The Gatekeepers: How White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency by Chris Whipple 23:17 - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson 23:55 - I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel 27:59 - The Bookshelf, Thomasville, Georgia 28:43 - Shelf Subscription 29:35 - From the Front Porch podcast 29:54 - @bookshelftville bookstagram account 31:29 - Far From the Tree by Robin Benway 33:32 - Bird Box by Josh Malerman *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds for a show that ended up having heavier subject matter than we'd expected. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us (and a surprise vocal appearance by Meredith's Boston Terrier, Cooper - oops!) and we'll go over a few of the books we've finished reading lately. Then we'll chat about what's next up on the TBR pile. This episode includes an accidental foray into non-fiction books, because we have a lot of words about them this week! Next, we both discuss the ways we keep track of our reading: spreadsheets, journals, and apps. We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands: something that has consistently ranked on our favorites list or been well-beloved by the people in our lives that we've convinced to read it. Perhaps it will become one of your favorites as well. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! . . . . . 4:44 - Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems Raising Readers bookish moment 7:15 - Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris 8:05 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 8:07 - The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena 8:09 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 12:24 - Stretched Too Thin by Jessica Turner 12:58 - A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold 15:58 - Columbine by Dave Cullen 17:06 - Bad Blood by John Kerryrou 18:11 - DisneyWar by James B. Stewart 20:13 - So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 21:59 - Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge 23:09 - Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles 24:31 - The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni 25:22 - Every Note Played by Lisa Genova 25:35 - Still Alice by Lisa Genova 25:43 - Love Anthony by Lisa Genova 27:32 - Sophie Kinsella 28:20 - @anovelfamily on Instagram #readwhatyouown 28:33 - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 28:57 - The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst 29:11 - Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel 29:16 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 29:37 - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 30:22 - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 41:27 - I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes 44:40 - The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton 44:52 - Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson *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!*

Kaytee and Meredith are back in your earbuds for more bookish chat. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us – something readerly in our lives that we want to highlight, and a few of the books we've finished reading lately. Meredith's famous (infamous?) book metaphors make their first podcast appearance in this episode. Broccoli, anyone? Next, we do a mini-deep-dive into some of the best audiobooks to get you started if you're new to the medium, and then we move onto what's up next on the TBR pile. We finish up with two books that are real page-turners, perfect for end of summer beach reading. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! . . . 1:37 – The Reading Bug Box 4:11 – Rainbow shelf pictures 8:30 – The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 9:20 – Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 10:49 – Vox by Christina Dalcher 13:46 – The Book of Essie by Megan MacLean Weir 15:25 – Scribd membership 15:40 – Gretchen Rubin! 16:00 – Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis 18:49 – Rabbit, the Autobiography of Ms. Pat by Patricia Williams 20:04 – Look for Me by Lisa Gardner 21:10 – Meredith's awesome food book metaphor 22:35 – Thirteen Story Treehouse (series) by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton, read by Stig Wemyss 24:01 – Small Great Things by Jodi Piccoult, read by Audra McDonald, Cassandra Campbell, and Ari Fliakos 25:52 – Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, with a full cast 28:55 – Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, narrated by the author 30:50 – As You Wish by Cary Elwes, narrated by the author, and his Princess Bride friends! 32:32 – Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend 32:58 – The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart 33:00 – Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 33:38 – The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel 34:34 – An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen 34:42 - The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen 34:52 – Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart 34:56 – The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 35:23 – Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber 36:32 – Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 37:37 – Sphere by Michael Crichton 37:39 – The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton 38:38 – 11/22/63 by Stephen King *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds for more bookish chat. You'll hear a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us – something readerly in our lives that we want to highlight, and a few of the books we've finished reading lately. Then we'll chat about what's next up on the TBR pile. This episode we truly begin to show our love for middle-grade fiction. We hadn't planned it this way, but we recommend a plethora of fantastic titles for your kids - or for the lover of kit lit in you. Next, we both divulge our worst bookish habits, and chat a little bit about how we try to "combat" those habits. We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands: something that has consistently ranked on our favorites list or been well-beloved by the people in our lives that we've convinced to read it. Perhaps it will become one of your favorites as well. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! . . . . . 1:08 – Great Illustrated Classics, especially Robin Hood 2:30 – Robin Hood book giveaway on Instagram 3:00 – Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 3:09 – Lunch Money by Andrew Clements 3:30 – Audible subscription 3:53 – Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 3:57 – The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary 4:09 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 4:38 – Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume 5:10 – Otherwise Known As Sheila the Great by Judy Blume 5:59 – The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 8:45 – The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller 9:32 – The Late Bloomer's Club by Louise Miller 10:04 – The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 10:07 – How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry 10:51 – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 12:10 – Jane Austen 13:34 – Nevermoor: The Tales of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend 14:50 – Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling 14:53 – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis 15:18 – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 18:52 – These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner 20:25 – Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder 22:33 – Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist 24:13 – Jen Hatmaker 24:24 – The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown 24:30 – Daring Greatly by Brene Brown 24:57 – A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold 25:25 – The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 25:30 – So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 25:45 – Bahni Turpin narrator 26:16 – This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff 28:52 – Serial Reader App 30:04 – The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas 30:08 – The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 34:20 – Matilda by Roald Dahl 36:40 – Louise Penny Inspector Gamache Series 36:58 - Still Life – first in Inspector Gamache series 37:06 – Deborah Crombie series 37:49 – Inspector Thanet Series by Dorothy Simpson 39:03 – The Night She Died – first in Inspector Thanet series *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!*

Welcome to the Currently Reading podcast! In our inaugural episode, we try out our format for the first time. You get to hear us get over our microphone nerves and get comfortable chatting with each other. We share a "bookish moment of the week" from each of us – something readerly in our lives that we want to highlight, a few of the books we've finished reading lately, and what's up next on the TBR pile. We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we'd like to put into every reader's hands: something that has ranked on our favorites list or been well-beloved by the people in our lives that we've convinced to read it. Perhaps it will become one of your favorites as well. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down! . . . . 2:33 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling Illustrated edition 5:20 – Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive by Jessica N. Turner 7:22 – Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 9:38 – The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery 13:05 – You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld 14:28 – Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld 14:31 – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 15:52 – Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton 19:28 – The Book of M by Peng Shepherd 22:53 – The Walking Dead (TV Series) 26:41 – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 27:02 – Blindness by José Saramago 27:26 – These is my Words by Nancy Turner 30:33 – The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller 30:57 – The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir 32:46 – Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge 35:30 – The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 36:52 – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel *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!*

Meredith and Kaytee describe their vision for the perfect book podcast. Coming soon: Currently Reading - a podcast for book lovers.