Currently Reading Podcast

Season 8, Episode 3: Let There Be Light + Avoiding Book Amnesia
Release Date: August 18, 2025
Hosts: Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Meredith and Kaytee delve into their recent book picks, memorable bookish moments, and tackle a listener’s pressing question: how do avid readers hold on to the details of what they've read and avoid “book amnesia”? With lively back-and-forth and heartfelt book chat, they deliver a mix of recommendations, practical tips, and personal philosophy for a life rich in books.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bookish Moments of the Week

[02:00] Kaytee's Moment: Bookstore Romance Day & Indie Bookshop Adventures

• Kaytee shares her excitement about Bookstore Romance Day (“sadly, by the time this episode airs, it will have already occurred”).
• She recounts plans with friends to visit Changing Hands bookstore, make “spicy friendship bracelets,” and possibly snag a “tattoo trope tote.”
• Upcoming: Attending a grown-up book fair hosted by her favorite indie shop at a wine bar—pairing book tastings and wine tastings.
• Quote: “You may think after this epic road trip summer that I would be burnt out on indie bookstores. In fact. Nope, I am not. You would be mistaken.” [03:47 – Kaytee]

[06:06] Meredith's Moment: Perfect Reading Light

• Relates her “mundane” but impactful discovery that a floor lamp perfectly over her reading chair made her fall in love again with print at night.
• Praises her teenage son Jackson for suggesting, assembling, and setting up the lamp—including matching the light bulb to her specifications.
• Quote: “Small things can make a big impact. And sometimes it takes a while for you to figure out what that small thing is that’ll really solve a problem for you.” [08:28 – Meredith]

2. Current Reads & Book Discussions

Each host discusses three books, providing mini-reviews, personal connections, and content notes.

Kaytee’s Picks

• Louder Than Hunger by John Schu ([09:23])

  • A novel in verse about a middle school boy’s battle with disordered eating and his experience in treatment.
  • Explores handling sensitive topics with teens; advocating for engaged conversations rather than restriction or censorship.
  • Quote: “It’s sad, but also hopeful. And we know that John Schu, the author, made it through to adulthood.” [11:14 – Kaytee]

• Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory ([22:05])

  • A cheerful, opposites-attract sapphic romance about stepping out of routine and finding confidence.
  • Praises its lightheartedness, variety of refreshing “non-date” activities, and realistic characters.
  • Quote: “Trying new things as a newly single woman. Hello. Welcome to Katie’s newly single life.” [24:12 – Kaytee]

• Wayward by Emilia Hart ([31:36])

  • Multi-generational, feminist, witchy novel about three women in different eras connected by a mysterious cottage.
  • Lauded for vivid settings, short chapters, tight plotting, and atmospheric writing.
  • Quote: “Not only is the cover gorgeous… but the story inside is feminist and witchy and beautiful.” [32:33 – Kaytee]

Meredith’s Picks

• Culpability by Bruce Holsinger ([17:17])

  • Near-future literary drama involving a family’s involvement in a self-driving car accident and nuanced explorations of responsibility, AI ethics, and family secrets.
  • Praises Holsinger’s pacing and character development, acknowledges some readers might find the AI discourse heavy.
  • Quote: “I just wanted something that was going to be both quick and propulsive, but also was going to make me think.” [19:49 – Meredith]

• The Six Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni ([25:44])

  • A “business fable” that explains why certain work energizes us and other tasks drain us, with practical applications for teams.
  • Meredith raves about the readability and usefulness, recommends skipping the paid assessment.
  • Quote: “If you work in a team of any sort, you might grab this book and give it a go. It’s an enormously fast read…but the benefits, like all of his books, can last a career.” [29:42 – Meredith]

• The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig ([34:18])

  • Atmospheric fantasy about a diviner at a gothic cathedral and a skeptical, brooding knight, with slow-burn romance and deep character work.
  • High praise for the world-building, prose, and emotional arc, but notes the cover might not appeal to all.
  • Quote: “Sybil’s entire character arc centers around struggling to reconcile being the perfect version of herself versus being the real one.” [36:50 – Meredith]

3. Deep Dive: Avoiding Book Amnesia

[40:20] Listener Question from Elise Devlin:

“So often I finish a book, and with days, sometimes even less, I can’t remember a thing about it. Do you have any thoughts on how to retain what the story was about other than a book journal?”

Discussion Highlights

• Normalize Forgetting:
  • Both hosts affirm that forgetting is normal and not a cause for shame.
  • Kaytee: “You might read 10 books a year or a thousand…there’s a lot of information going into your brain.” [42:14]
  • Meredith: “Or you should be able to remember it just off the top of your head. Absolutely. Brain science tells us our brains simply...shouldn’t [retain everything].” [42:14]
• Clarifying Your Goal:
  • Meredith recommends identifying the result you want from your reading memory—whether it’s for conversation, recommendations, learning, or personal reflection.
  • Personal strategies can then be tailored to those goals (for example, voice memos to self, journaling, or summary notes).
• Practical Retention Tools:
  • Writing things down by hand (even as simple as jotting names on scratch paper) can make a difference.
  • Pausing to reflect (even in silence) after finishing instead of jumping right into another book.
  • Using tools like ChatGPT or Claude to prompt yourself about forgotten details.
  • Using voice-to-text tools, e.g. Whisper Flow: “I highly recommend Whisper Flow if you like the idea of grabbing...that can be an additional tool.” [47:24 – Meredith]
  • Discussing with a buddy (or even an AI chatbot) can lead to better recall.
• Buddy Reading/Conversation Enhances Recall:
  • “The fact that we are, as mentioned, 350 episodes in and that you and I both recognize books that the other person talked about...is because we sat and listened to five minutes of conversation and then asked questions afterward…” [48:01 – Kaytee]
• Permission to Use Memory Aids:
  • “You don’t have to remember everything off the top of your head. It’s probably never going to be possible for you. So lean into using [tools]…” [44:26 – Meredith]

4. The Fountain: Wishes, Presses, and Bookish Tools

[49:20] Fountain Wish – Kaytee

Pressing: Go As a River by Shelley Read

• A lush, literary tale of love, survival, and the changing Colorado landscape; compared to Where the Crawdads Sing for its sense of place and nature writing.

[51:21] Fountain Wish – Meredith

Bookish Tool: Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pens

• Recommends these as a “cheater fountain pen” for the joy of writing without the fuss.
• Quote: “It is so much fun to write with this because if you look at it, it’s the fountain pen nib...but then it’s just like a regular pen in the way that you don’t have to mess with ink.” [52:07 – Meredith]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We are light on the chit chat, heavy on the book talk, and our conversations will always be spoiler free.” [00:24 – Meredith]
• “Reading is my favorite.” [01:16 – Kaytee]
• On book bans and parenting:
  Meredith: “Instead of shying away from this book and this topic, let’s read it together and really talk it through…which I think is so much more of an impactful way to parent, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum.” [16:45]
• On cover trends:
  Kaytee: “There’s something happening with fantasy covers…I think if I had seen this cover in a store, I would be like, no, thank you. Not a book for me.” [38:52]
• On the impact of a good lamp on reading life:
  Meredith: “All week this week, I have read so much more in my chair at night…that gosh darn floor lamp is above my head.” [08:38]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:00 — Kaytee’s Bookish Moment: Indie bookstore joy
• 06:06 — Meredith’s Bookish Moment: Finding the right lamp
• 09:23 — Kaytee’s First Book: Louder Than Hunger
• 17:17 — Meredith’s First Book: Culpability
• 22:05 — Kaytee’s Second Book: Flirting Lessons
• 25:44 — Meredith’s Second Book: Six Types of Working Genius
• 31:36 — Kaytee’s Third Book: Wayward
• 34:18 — Meredith’s Third Book: The Knight and the Moth
• 40:20 — Deep Dive: Avoiding Book Amnesia
• 49:20 — Fountain Wishes and Book Presses

Tone & Style

Meredith and Kaytee’s friendly, chatty, and no-nonsense book discussion style invites listeners to both feel seen as readers and to challenge themselves as book lovers and thinkers. Their conversational, opinionated, and sometimes gently humorous tone keeps the episode lively and deeply relatable.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode brims with practical tips for passionate readers, thoughtful ruminations on reading habits, and a feast of book recommendations ranging from heavy-hitting literary fiction and fast business reads to bright contemporary romances and magical tales. The hosts explore how to savor and remember what you read—and why it’s okay if you don’t recall every detail. Whether you're looking for your next great read or strategies to get more out of your reading life, this episode delivers.

End of Summary