Welcome to the
Currently Reading Podcast!

Currently Reading is a podcast dedicated to the love of books and reading. Bookish friends discuss what’s on their nightstands, in their earbuds, and on their Kindles right now, in addition to books they’ve loved forever, and a variety of other readerly topics.

The Hosts

Follow Meredith @meredithmondayschwartz

Follow Kaytee @notesonbookmarks

BOOKISH Q&A

What was the first novel you read?

Meredith: It was a Nancy Drew book, The Secret of the Old Clock. I remember it being the very first book in the series, because, even at 7 years old, I had to read a series in strict order.

Kaytee: I had a large set of Illustrated Classics (abridged) as a child, and spent a lot of time reading through each of those. They stoked my love of the classics. The first standalone full novel I remember reading was The Giver, but that was probably about 4th grade, so I'm sure I read others before that!

Mary: I wish it were something more highbrow, but I’m fairly certain it was The Boxcar Children and the Mystery of the Purple Pool. I spent the majority of our yearly family trip to Chicago after reading it inspecting the hotel pool daily, just hoping for a mystery of my own to solve. (No dice.) 

Roxanna: The first novel I remember reading is Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, and I spent a full year after that carrying around a red Hilroy notebook and taking copious notes on everything I saw. I tried to implement her daily cake and milk habit, too, but sadly, my parents weren’t on board for that.

Megan: Like Meredith, the first novel I remember reading was the Nancy Drew series. Going to my grandmother's house every summer, she always took us to the library (because she worked there!). I would snuggle in the indoor gazebo, crack open a Nancy Drew, and read until it was time to leave!

What’s your worst bookish habit?

Meredith: Buying a ton of books and never reading them because I’m always behind on my holds from the library. I’m 2 steps forward, 5 steps back in my reading life!

Kaytee: If it's over 500 pages, someone needs to convince me that I will LOVE it. And if too many people tell me to read something, it’s off the table.

Mary: I may or may not be a dog-earer. But I’ll deny it two ways from Tuesday if you ever ask me in person!

Roxanna: Turning the conversation to books whenever I can. I can’t help recommending my latest read or a book I think would be perfect for you – trust me!

Megan: Checking out books and never reading them. I am an avid checker of the "On Order" list with my library. I will put myself on the list for new books, then when they get to me, I'm no longer in the mood!

What’s your favorite book of all time?

Meredith: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

Kaytee: I hate this question. How dare you ask me to choose a favorite child. But if I had to pick a non-fiction book, it would be Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, and for fiction I’ll choose What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.

Mary: Listen, would I be a millennial if I didn’t say the entire Harry Potter series? But I’ll echo Kaytee. The audacity of making me choose! 

Roxanna: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. It’s been a touchstone through my life that I reach for time and again – and each time, I identify with a different character, and take away something different from it.

Megan: This isn't a nice question. A book I read most recently and cannot stop raving about is Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau and the book that is most meaningful to me is Harley: Like a Person by Cat Bauer.

How many books do you read/year on average?

Meredith: Somewhere between 50–80 would be average. 

Kaytee: I used to average around 50–60 books a year. A few years ago, I figured out that my brain could handle multiple books at once and it skyrocketed. That year I read 123 books. Last year I read right around 300, and that seems to be where I’ve settled. This year, who knows?!

Mary: In a good year, 100+. With a baby? 60- 80 is my newer average. 

Roxanna: I read somewhere between 50 – 80 books a year, depending on what has been going on that year.

Megan: For the past four years or so, I have read between 130-160 books a year, depending on what season of life I'm in!

Real books or e-books or audiobooks?

Meredith: Real books all the way. Sometimes audio, too.

Kaytee: I always have at least one of each: print, audio, and Kindle, plus usually a Slow But Steady or two. But the ones I finish the fastest are audio, followed by print. Audio because I need my hands free a lot. Print because I love them the most.

Mary: All books are real books! Okay, but truly, if I had to rank: paper books, audio books, and then ebooks. But my kindle saved my dang life with a newborn, so it’ll always have a soft spot in my heart. 

Roxanna: All three! I’ve always loved paper books, but Meredith turned my on to a Kindle Oasis a couple of years ago and it’s one of my favourite things ever (especially with our matching leather covers!) And audiobooks are a must for my long, rambling walks.

Megan: Pre-panini, I really loved sitting down with a physical book, but now I have trouble concentrating. Audiobooks have really saved my reading the last year and a half, and they're almost exclusively how I get through books!

What’s your bookish “wheelhouse”?

Meredith: I read a lot of different things, but my go-to genre is always mysteries with a few thrillers thrown in there.

Kaytee: I'd say it's probably that all-encompassing genre of “contemporary fiction”, but I'll read almost any book if the time is right!

Mary: I’ll dabble with pretty much anything, but YA, a touch of sci-fi mystery, buzzy books, or heroines described as “plucky”, and I’m all in. 

Roxanna: My bookish taste has been evolving – but I always love under-the-radar backlist gems. Lately, I’m drawn to stories set and narrated by characters in other parts of the world, because I love learning how others see the world. Mysteries with a lot of character development, chatty memoirs and literary fiction is what you will also find on my nightside table.

Megan: It is better to ask me what I DON'T read than what I do. My wheelhouse extends from near future sci-fi, to contemporary romance, and anywhere in between, including all age groups. I'm an avid reader of diverse books, and will attempt themed reading months throughout the year. Key word = attempt.

Favorite series of all time?

Meredith: The Three Pines series by Louise Penny.

Kaytee: This list keeps getting longer, but let’s go with A Court of Thorns and Roses, Cazadora, and Amari and the Night Brothers.

Mary: I was reared in real-time alongside Harry Potter, so it’s hard not to pick this again– but I think I’m actually going to say the Ember Quartet by Sabaa Tahir. 

Roxanna: The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith

Megan: Thanks to the Currently Reading bookish community, I got hooked on the Three Pines series and The Nevermoor series. Outside of CR, I really enjoy the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine and ANY series written by Denise Grover Swank.

Which three authors, living or dead, would you most like to interview?

Meredith: Louise Penny, Jen Hatmaker, and we’ll double-date with David Sedaris.

Kaytee: Jason Reynolds, David Sedaris, and Jane Austen. But I’m going to throw in a cheat and say I really want to interview Bahni Turpin, my favorite audiobook narrator, as well.

Mary: In my biggest dreams, Elizabeth Gilbert, Brene Brown, and Cheryl Strayed and I are all the kind of BFFs who go out for happy hour and talk about great cheese, vulnerability, and excellent fiction.

Roxanna: Amor Towles, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Julia Child. I would have a dinner party and let Julia cook - and I have a hunch that Amor would shake up a mean cocktail.

Megan: If I could have a round table discussion with Alexis Hall, TJ Klune, and Casey McQuiston I'd melt into the floor.

Describe your ideal reading spot?

Meredith: I just found it in Monterey, CA! It’s the Reading Room of Intercontinental Clement. It’s a huge room, kept very quiet, that has both a wall of windows facing the Pacific Ocean AND a fireplace. Oh, and they bring you whatever beverage you want. Snacks, too! Bliss.

Kaytee: in February of 2018, I bought my first *reading chair* for our master bedroom. My kids and husband know if they can't find me, I'm sitting there, wrapped up in a blanket, deep in a story, but I’ve also curated other spots inside and outside all around the house.

Mary: My family has a cozy little cabin up in the north woods of Wisconsin with a secluded deck that, once you step out of the patio door, is instantly surrounded by pine forest. If you need me, I’ll be there with a hot cup of coffee, good book and snuggly blanket before the rest of the world wakes up. 

Roxanna: We just moved into a new house, so I’m setting up a cozy reading nook right in front of the picture windows, with a big, deep chair, a chunky knitted blanket, and a side table to hold my steaming masala chai. Bliss.

Megan: I'm the outlier here. I don't need snacks, drinks, or specific lighting. As long as I am comfortable, it can be in bed, on the couch, in a chair, with a fox, in a box. Whatever!

Do you enjoy re-reading books or do you prefer all new titles?

Meredith: I very rarely re-read. I’ve got too much FOMO.

Kaytee: I almost never re-read, except some classics. I re-read 2 books total in 2021.

Mary: I used to be a voracious rereader, but in recent years, I’ve dropped that habit. There are too many great, new books to read and far too little time!

Roxanna: I love the occasional reread for comfort (I'm looking at you, Shell Seekers, Harriet the Spy and Anne of Green Gables) but with my ever-growing TBR, I tend toward all-new reads. There is just so much out there to explore!

Megan: I will definitely re-read certain books for certain seasons of my life. I re-read HP for comfort, and have a few other stand alones that I hold dear to my heart. Other than those, I probably will not read a book again. There's too much out there to explore!