Season 7, Episode 37: Dumb Phones + Using AI To Enhance Our Reading Lives

Release Date: April 21, 2025

Hosts: Meredith Mundy Schwartz and Katie Cobb

Introduction

In Season 7, Episode 37 of Currently Reading, hosts Meredith Mundy Schwartz and Katie Cobb delve into the intersection of technology and reading, focusing on managing phone addiction and leveraging artificial intelligence to enrich their reading experiences. The episode also features in-depth discussions of their current reads, personal bookish moments, and a creative wish for a new app tailored to readers.

Bookish Moments of the Week

Timestamp: 02:00 - 07:13

Meredith opens the episode by sharing her recent experience at the inaugural Book Lovers Weekend in Waco. Nervous about hosting a live podcast recording with fellow author Elizabeth Barnhill, Meredith describes a panic attack she had en route to the event. Thanks to her friend Betsy's support, Meredith overcame her anxiety and successfully participated in the live recording. She reflects:

“I was super panicky... but Betsy immediately did things that helped calm me down” (07:13).

The event itself was a success, featuring author dinners, publisher talks, and interactions with readers, leaving Meredith grateful for her supportive bookish community.

Managing Phone Addiction: Transition to Dumb Phones

Timestamp: 02:00 - 08:20

Katie Cobb shares her struggle with phone addiction and her journey towards reducing digital distractions to foster a more focused reading life. She discusses various techniques and tools she’ve tried, including the device "Brick IO," which disables certain phone functions, though it wasn’t compatible with her Android phone. She ultimately settled on using the "Block It" app, which helps her limit distractions by restricting notifications and access to specific apps during designated focus periods.

“...I want to completely disengage from the online world, making me more focused...” (05:07).

Meredith adds her strategies for minimizing distractions, such as turning off notifications for news apps, which often disrupt her concentration with trivial updates.

Current Reads and Reviews

Timestamp: 13:33 - 37:35

The hosts take turns reviewing their current reads, offering insights and recommendations across various genres:

1. "Alebrijes" by Donna Barba Iera
   Katie's Review
   A middle-grade dystopian novel set 400 years after Earth's devastation, focusing on 13-year-old Leandro's banishment and his transformation into an alebrije drone. Katie praises the book's imaginative world-building and character-driven narrative.

   “It's a totally out of character novel about robots and AI in a post-human world...” (15:09).

2. "The Other Side of the Wall" by Andrea Mara
   Meredith's Review
   An Irish crime fiction novel centered around Sylvia, a sleep-deprived new mom who suspects foul play in her neighborhood. Meredith highlights Mara’s adept use of multiple perspectives and suspenseful plotting.

   “Andrea Mara creates characters that you think you know, but then maybe not fully...” (17:15).

3. "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
   Katie's Review (Reread)
   A classic speculative fiction piece where Dana is inexplicably transported back to antebellum Maryland, exploring themes of ancestry and survival. Katie lauds its timeless relevance and gripping narrative.

   “It’s now rapidly approaching 50 years old and still holds up...” (22:33).

4. "The Song of the Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History" by Glenn Berger
   Meredith's Review
   A nonfiction account of the tumultuous production of "Spider-Man. Turn Off the Dark," detailing behind-the-scenes chaos and the challenges of Broadway production. Meredith appreciates the candid look into the complexities of collaborative creativity.

   “It was just so much that you learn about how all of this stuff happens, comes together...” (29:53).

5. "Death of the Author" by Nnedi Okorafor
   Katie's Review
   A dual-narrative novel exploring the concept of authorial influence in storytelling. While Katie gives it a glowing review for its depth and innovation, Meredith shares her contrasting experience, finding it less engaging but acknowledging its value as a book club discussion piece.

   “She is teaching a writing seminar about how the author has to die to their work...” (35:06).

6. "One Dark Window" by Rachel Gillig
   Meredith's Review
   A romantasy featuring Elspeth Spindle, a young woman with a shared mindspace with an ancient spirit, navigating a kingdom under magical mist. Meredith praises the book’s intricate magic system and compelling romantic elements.

   “I loved the enemies to lovers romance that's in the book...” (41:30).

Using AI to Enhance Reading Life

Timestamp: 37:35 - 55:24

Meredith and Katie explore how artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Claude can be utilized to analyze reading habits and preferences. Meredith explains her process of uploading her reading tracker as a PDF to these AI models to uncover patterns in her reading choices and rating distributions. This analysis helps her understand her preferences for different formats—print, digital, and audiobooks—and how she balances comfort reads with horizon-expanding ones.

Notable Insights from AI Analysis:

• Reading Formats:
  Print books are often acquired thoughtfully from indie bookstores, digital reads cater to immediate gratification and staying ahead of trends, and audiobooks make lengthy titles more approachable.

  “Audiobooks tend to be longer titles or series continuations, making daunting books more approachable” (47:28).

• Rating Distribution:
  A positive skew in ratings suggests Meredith is a discerning yet generous reader, preferring to highlight a book’s strengths and celebrating successes over maintaining strict criticism.

  “You are a discerning but generous reader who prefers to celebrate book successes rather than maintaining high critical standards” (51:16).

• Comfort vs. Expansion Reads:
  Meredith maintains a balance between comfort reads—like romance and cozy fantasy—and horizon-expanding reads that include diverse authors and challenging content.

  “Comfort reads are romance, cozy fantasy, repeat authors, ... and horizon expanding reads include diversity in author demographics...” (52:52).

These insights enable Meredith and Katie to curate their reading lists more effectively, ensuring a mix of enjoyment and growth.

Wish: Currently Reading App

Timestamp: 55:24 - 62:00

Katie shares her creative wish for an app named Currently Reading, envisioned as a social media platform designed to minimize digital distractions and foster real-world connections among readers. The app would aggregate data from various reading platforms, help users connect with like-minded readers, and integrate seamlessly with local book events.

“It will be a social media app, but with the goal of getting you off your phone to actually read your book or meet up with other readers” (58:17).

Key Features Desired:

• Integration with Existing Tools: Connects with StoryGraph, Goodreads, Audible, and library cards.
• Social Connections: Finds reader twins, matches based on reading profiles, and links to book-related events.
• Focus on Real-World Interaction: Encourages users to attend book clubs and author meetups rather than endless scrolling.

Meredith adds that such an app would also allow listeners to access podcast segments related to specific books directly, enhancing the community experience.

Reader Personality Quiz: ReadyYourColor.com

Timestamp: 62:00 - 63:48

The hosts briefly discuss the Ready Your Color reader personality quiz available at www.readyyourcolor.com. Meredith highlights how the quiz provides fun insights into one's reading preferences, categorizing readers into different colors based on their habits.

“It's a readerly personality quiz that I think actually does a pretty good job of categorizing us in a new way” (63:00).

Katie mentions the potential to combine such quizzes with other personality frameworks for a more comprehensive reader profile.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Timestamp: 64:03 - 65:15

Meredith and Katie wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to connect with them on Instagram, join their Patreon for exclusive content, and engage with their community. They emphasize the importance of understanding oneself as a reader to enhance the overall reading experience.

“May your coffee be hot and your book be unputdownable” (65:11).

Notable Quotes

• Meredith: “I had a massive panic attack on the way to the thing...” (07:13)
• Katie: “I want to completely disengage from the online world, making me more focused...” (05:07)
• Katie: “It reflects a reader who has multiple reading goals—pleasure, education, connection, and escapism.” (52:52)
• Meredith: “It's a readerly personality quiz that I think actually does a pretty good job of categorizing us in a new way” (63:00)

Connect with Currently Reading

• Meredith: @meredithmondayschwartz on Instagram
• Katie: @notesonbookmarks on Instagram
• Website & Show Notes: currentlyreadingpodcast.com
• Patreon: Join as a bookish friend

Whether you're seeking strategies to manage digital distractions, looking for your next great read, or intrigued by the potential of AI in personalizing your reading journey, this episode of Currently Reading offers valuable insights and engaging discussions to enhance your literary life.