Currently Reading Podcast

Season 8, Episode 19: Reading Short Books + Deep Dive w/ Megan P. Evans
Air Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Kaytee Cobb & Megan P. Evans (guest host & show producer)

Episode Overview

This week on Currently Reading, regular host Kaytee Cobb is joined by editor and producer Megan P. Evans for an intimate, bookish conversation. With Thanksgiving weekend making schedules tricky, Megan steps out from behind the scenes, sharing her reading life, the joy (and necessity) of short books, and what it's like to handle all things production for the podcast. Expect cozy recommendations, a celebration of small reading wins, and a revealing deep dive into Megan’s journey from librarian to podcast producer. As always, they round out with heartfelt wishes for readers everywhere.

Bookish Moments of the Week

Megan’s Bookish Moment [02:05]

• Conquering a Big Book: Despite a hectic year with a new baby, Megan completed the classic Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.
  • "I have read one large book this year and I am proud of it… I ended up finishing it in October on track, like I was supposed to, and I was very proud of myself, and I loved it. I can understand why it's such a classic." [02:05]
• Looking Ahead: Already set for next year’s challenge — tackling The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor.
  • "If that's the only big book I get in in 2026, it will be fine. I have two toddlers, but it's my one big book that I'm like, I did it." [03:43]

Kaytee’s Bookish Moment [04:21]

• Bookish Crafting: Combined a Wicked movie rewatch with building LEGO Wicked bookends gifted by her mom.
  • "I immersed myself fully into the experience... and I found myself finishing the last few pieces of the final bag right as those final notes of Defying Gravity played on screen. It was magical." [04:22]
• Joy in Nerdiness: Details of the bookends — pink and green, filled with minifigs of beloved characters — highlighted the deep connection to bookish geekery.

Current Reads

Megan’s Picks: The Power of Short Books

1. The Book of I by David Greig [06:46]

• Short and Powerful: 160 pages; 825 CE setting; tale of survival and found family after a Viking raid.
• Enthusiastic Recommendation:
  • "This tiny little book is in the running to be the top book for my entire year. I'm not kidding. From end paper to end paper, I was totally engrossed..." [07:39]
• Hidden Gem: Recent release, flying under the radar; Megan’s mission is to get more readers to pick it up.

2. The Deep End by Julie Mulhern [15:18]

• Cozy Mystery Series Launch: First in a 20-book series set in 1970s Kansas City.
• Standout Protagonist: Ellison, a successful artist and mom, finds her husband's mistress’s body and must clear her name.
• Relatable Family Dynamics: Compared the protagonist’s mother-daughter relationship to Gilmore Girls’ Emily and Lorelai.
  • "What I love most about this particular series is that this is not a young woman... Ellison is not a young woman. She's an established adult. She doesn't need her husband's money... I loved that." [16:21]
• For Cozy Fans: Underappreciated series perfect for seasoned cozy mystery readers.

3. Above the Fire by Michael O'Donnell [25:09]

• Winter, Wilderness, and Survival: Father and son retreat into the New Hampshire mountains amid global collapse.
• Short, Atmospheric, Emotional: 230 pages, reminiscent of The Road — but with a father-son focus and a strong sense of place.
  • "I really loved the parent child bond we get in this novel... The sense of place really felt like a character." [25:19]

Kaytee’s Picks: Literary Adventures

1. Blackwood's Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey [10:03]

• Magical Realism in Alaska: From the author of The Snow Child, this story of Birdie and her daughter embracing wilderness and uncertainty.
• Seasonal Reading: Worked better for Kaytee in cool weather—proving mood and setting matter.
  • "As readers, we really want to protect her [Emmaline]... Birdie makes decisions the rest of us are shaking our heads at. We might not be rooting for her, but it does feel within the realm of possibility." [12:21]

2. House Love by Patrick Richardson [21:00]

• Joyful Nonfiction: From the “laundry evangelist,” this book offers gentle, practical tips for keeping house while embracing lived-in comfort.
• Organized, Realistic Advice: Offers room-by-room cleaning checklists and music playlists for 5–10 minute cleaning spurts.
  • "Patrick uses this book to remind us that our homes, like our clothes, are not meant to sit unused... They're meant to be enjoyed. They're meant to get dirty and need regular cleaning." [21:33]

3. Sky Full of Elephants by Sibo Campbell [29:11]

• Inventive Dystopia: Post-cataclysmic America after a (literal) white mass exodus event. Black protagonist Charlie and his half-white daughter Sydney trek across a transformed nation.
• Explorations of Race and Belonging: Bold thought experiment, balancing hope and darkness.
  • "On a single day, every white person in America stops what they're doing... and starts walking toward the nearest body of water where they drown themselves." [30:01]
  • "It's surprising and reflective and thoughtful... I still think about it every single day." [32:44]

Deep Dive: Megan’s Journey From Listener to Producer [35:01–49:41]

How Megan Found Currently Reading

• Started as a librarian creating a “bookish podcasts” article in 2019; became a regular listener and then superfan.

Becoming Part of the Team

• Began by voluntarily maintaining the Press List spreadsheet [37:38].
  • "I emailed you and said, hey, I finished this for myself. Here you go, so now you don't have to do it over again." [38:05]
• Gradually took on more responsibilities: show notes, editing, producing.
  • "It's the natural progression that I seem to be doing with my life in every profession I have." [38:50]

Life and Reading as an Editor

• 80% of the books Megan reads come from the podcast’s recommendations and materials.
  • "When you're editing three episodes a week, sometimes it gets very hard for me to control that. But at least it's not drugs." [42:41]
• Never has to look for a book—always plenty from the show.
• Family & flexibility: The podcast allows her stay-at-home introvert lifestyle, quality time with kids, and a sense of accomplishment and validation.

Editor’s Insight: Impact on Reading

• No longer listens to the podcast as a regular listener, but deeply engaged through editing.
• Still uses the library for most reading but supplements with purchases inspired by the show.
• Values the show’s diversity—her tastes overlap with both Kaytee and Meredith in different areas.
  • "It really does change the way I talk to people in public... It really has infiltrated every facet of my being." [44:53]

Kaytee’s Reflections

• Megan’s deep reader sensibility and knowledge of the podcast’s tone allow her to make confident editorial decisions.
  • "We couldn't have grown you in a lab and made a better person to do this with us." [44:38]
• Having Megan on the team has been "life-saving and life-giving."
  • "We just frankly would not have made it to season eight without you." [49:41]

Fountain Wishes

Megan [50:06]

• Wish: For readers to embrace short books without guilt.
  • "If you do not read short books because you don't think that they count as reading, I wish that you would read short books. I have found some amazing short books... and they have made as much of an impact on my reading life as any other book." [50:06]

Kaytee [51:02]

• Wish: For a national “Book Parade” to herald bestsellers, classics, and exciting new releases, offering readers a celebratory, televised way to discover what’s next.
  • "Let's celebrate bookishness like this on the national stage. Let's block the streets and do it big and then show it on every station." [51:24]

Notable Quotes & Soundbites

• "Small books still count." — Megan [06:53]
• "I did end up bringing small books. That was kind of my theme for this episode because it's what's working for me right now." — Megan [06:46]
• "You find a job you love and you don't work a day in your life, is what they say." — Megan [44:53]
• "At least it's not drugs." — Megan [42:45] (on collecting books as a job hazard)
• "We couldn't have grown you in a lab and made a better person to do this with us." — Kaytee [44:38]
• "We just frankly would not have made it to season eight without you." — Kaytee [49:41]

Key Timestamps

• [02:05] Bookish Moments of the Week
• [06:46] Current Reads begin (Megan: The Book of I)
• [10:03] Kaytee’s First Current Read (Blackwood’s Blue Sky)
• [15:18] Megan’s Second Book (The Deep End)
• [21:00] Kaytee’s Second Book (House Love)
• [25:09] Megan’s Third Book (Above the Fire)
• [29:11] Kaytee’s Third Book (Sky Full of Elephants)
• [35:01] Deep Dive: Megan’s Journey with Currently Reading
• [50:06] Fountain Wishes

Tone & Style

• Warm, supportive, book-obsessed.
• Encouraging to all kinds of readers, especially those needing permission to read "just" short books.
• Plenty of laughter, self-deprecation, and cozy references—even real talk about what it’s like balancing work, home, and a nonstop bookish world.

For Listeners

Whether you want razor-sharp book recs, encouragement to embrace your reading season, or a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite podcast, this episode is a heartening, reader-centric delight with a spark of fangirl energy. Perfect for anyone needing validation—and new short books to love.