The Currently Reading Podcast
Season 8, Episode 29 – A Website Refresh + Curating A Bookstagram
Air Date: February 23, 2026
Hosts: Meredith Monday Schwartz & Kaytee Cobb

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Meredith and Kaytee dive deep into the bookish life, sharing their recent reads, refreshing the Currently Reading podcast website, and offering a comprehensive deep dive on how to curate your Bookstagram experience—especially how to find your elusive "book twin" on Instagram. The conversation is candid, relatable, and packed with thoughtful reflections on how reading—the practice and the community—ebbs and flows alongside the rest of life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Website Refresh & Bookish Resources (:54 – 3:20)

• Kaytee describes her recent work on the podcast’s website, focusing especially on updating "Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands" and childhood favorites lists.
  • “I essentially went through every single title for five years worth of episodes...Going back and looking at it years later with fresh eyes—it's good. It is so good.” (1:47 – 2:32, Kaytee)
• These curated lists significantly grew Kaytee’s personal TBR, reminding her of old recommendations and books that have stood the test of time.
• Resources on books for babies and kids are being highlighted and will be available via show notes.

2. Bookish Moments of the Week (3:20 – 8:27)

• Meredith discusses being in a reading slump, feeling drawn to action-heavy mysteries and thrillers over her usual diverse genres.
  • “We read the seasons of our lives. We let the seasons unfold as they're going to.” (6:25 – 6:35, Meredith)
• She also recommends watching A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a “Game of Thrones” spinoff, and discusses how reading and TV can peacefully coexist in a book lover’s life.
• Kaytee admits TV has crept into her routines but finds it's energizing her reading in unexpected ways.

3. Current Reads

The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (8:40 – 12:44)

• Kaytee describes this middle-grade novel about Dalli, a girl discovering her family’s hidden secrets through a magical library.
  • “Each book opens up to a very specific moment in time...and therefore has the secret revealed to him or her.” (10:27 – 10:50, Kaytee)
• Themes include family legacy, identity, history, and the supernatural—recommended for middle-grade readers.

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (12:47 – 20:40)

• Meredith enthusiastically reviews this genre-blending, action-packed sci-fi novel where Carl (an ordinary guy) and a talking cat, Princess Donut, must survive an alien-created dungeon that’s the setting of an intergalactic reality TV show.
  • “Hunger Games mixed with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... There is something so genuinely dear about our lead character, Carl, and Princess Donut.” (15:13 – 16:39, Meredith)
• The book is very action-driven, funny, gory, and surprisingly touching—works best for “get in, get out” reading sessions; the audiobook is highly praised by listeners.

Six Feet Over by Mary Roach (23:57 – 28:19)

• Kaytee is disappointed with this Mary Roach title on afterlife investigations, finding it dry and lacking the author’s characteristic wit.
  • “It felt meandering and like she wanted to show us something or had a point that didn’t exist.” (26:20 – 27:30, Kaytee)
• She notes other readers seem to agree, with notably lower ratings for this book compared to Roach’s other works.

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (28:28 – 33:23)

• Meredith starts the Miss Marple series, noting major differences from Christie’s Poirot mysteries. She highlights the character’s stealth and the book’s cozy, village-mystery vibe.
  • “That underestimation is her superpower... She’s just that elderly spinster next door.” (29:47 – 30:20, Meredith)
• Notable for its subtle introduction of Marple, a fair-play mystery, and 1930s social context.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (34:10 – 38:33)

• Kaytee finally reads this atmospheric indie literary novel, set in rural 1960s Holland, featuring tense dynamics between isolated Isabel and her brother’s enigmatic girlfriend Eva.
  • “Paranoia and lust walk hand in hand in this novel, alternating faces like those Greek drama masks.” (36:14 – 36:28, Kaytee)
• Though initially off-putting, Kaytee found the novel rewarding by its end, especially praising its structure and resolution.

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (38:52 – 45:16)

• Meredith uncovers the pre-Dracula gothic vampire novella Carmilla, appreciating its foundational place in vampire lore and intense, Sapphic undertones.
  • “This is a classic that is very readable... The Sapphic romance, the grooming, maybe depending on how you read it, it's... very, very well done.” (42:55 – 44:35, Meredith)
• She recommends the Carmen Maria Machado edition with its valuable introduction and illustrations.

Deep Dive: Curating Bookstagram & Finding Your Book Twin (45:18 – 58:19)

Finding Your Book Twin: Step-by-Step

• Start with Self-Knowledge: Know your reading tastes, themes, and catnip genres.
  • “Before you can go out and find your book twin, you need to know yourself as a reader.” (46:03 – 47:08, Meredith)
• Feed the Algorithm: Engage intentionally—search, like, comment on bookish posts to saturate your feed with more of what you love.
  • “If you keep telling Instagram this is what I'm interested in... we're going to show her even more.” (47:43 – 49:02, Kaytee)
• Use Hashtags & Key Titles: Search hashtags not just like #books or #bookstagram, but genre-specific or title-specific ones (#domesticthriller, #cozymystery, #TheSecretHistory).
  • “Take those book titles and then do a hashtag search for them and see who comes up.” (49:02 – 50:23, Meredith)
• Broaden, Then Hone: Follow large, general book accounts (Hello Sunshine, Book Riot, NYT Books) to expose yourself to a wide variety of books before drilling down to niche interests.
• Test Potential Twins: Use “litmus test” books—see how potential book twins reviewed/liked your favorites or least favorites.
  • “If they absolutely loved it and you did too, give them a follow.” (50:23 – 51:24, Meredith)
  • “It is as useful to follow your anti-book twins as your book twins.” (54:23, Meredith)
• Track Your Sources: Keep notes/tags (e.g., StoryGraph, Goodreads, or the Currently Reading tracker) to remember which recs came from which account, including ‘anti-book twins’ for books you like when someone else disliked.
  • “You could keep track of anti-book twins... denote them separately in your recommendation sources column.” (57:24 – 58:19, Kaytee)

Memorable Quotes

• “Every good vampire story in my mind is sexy. Right?” (Carmilla segment, 43:50, Meredith)
• “We're trying to hear the signal from the noise.” (57:20, Meredith)
• “Bookish friends are the best friends.” (64:37, Kaytee)

Listener Highlight – Bookish Legacy (:58:45 – 1:01:08)

• A moving tribute from listener Anna about her grandmother Fritzi, who fostered her love of reading and whose legacy lives on through shared favorites and unfinished books.
  • “Finding that unfinished book by her bed was one of the saddest moments of my life... In that way, I feel we are connected in a way that transcends time.” (59:44 – 60:49, Anna, via Meredith)

DNF (Did Not Finish) Corner (1:01:12 – 1:03:09)

• Kaytee discusses her DNF of The Complete Stories of Flannery O’Connor due to offensive language and content that made it unreadable for her.
  • “I could not pick it up... It was the second full sentence. The second full sentence already had a new one for me.” (62:15 – 62:49, Kaytee)

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [01:47] – Kaytee on seasonal book pressing lists and website refresh
• [04:01] – Meredith on being in a reading/thriller-focused slump
• [08:40] – “The Secret Library” (Kaytee)
• [12:47] – “Dungeon Crawler Carl” (Meredith)
• [23:57] – “Six Feet Over” (Kaytee)
• [28:28] – “Murder at the Vicarage” (Meredith)
• [34:10] – “The Safekeep” (Kaytee)
• [38:52] – “Carmilla” (Meredith)
• [45:18] – Deep Dive: Finding a Book Twin & Curating Bookstagram
• [58:45] – Listener Legacy/Bookish Friends tribute
• [61:12] – DNF Segment

Tone and Style

The hosts balance warmth, honesty, and humor—they are candid about personal struggles (reading slumps, DNFing), nerd out enthusiastically over literary history and genre surprises, and treat their audience as fellow book-loving friends. Even tough critiques are framed gently and with context. Their approach to Bookstagram is practical, encouraging, and accessible to newcomers and “bookstagram veterans” alike.

Conclusion: Community & Bookish Growth

From updating resources to building community online, Meredith and Kaytee remind listeners that reading is as much about the journey—and the people you connect with on the way—as it is about the books themselves. Whether refreshing your TBR, fine-tuning your Bookstagram feed, or honoring the readers who shaped your life, this episode is a testament to the enduring joy of reading (and talking about it).

May your coffee be hot, and your book be unputdownable!