Currently Reading – Season 8, Episode 4

"Bookish Bling + Using AI to Improve Your Reading Life"
August 25, 2025
Hosts: Kaytee Cobb & Roxanna Kasankara

Episode Overview

In this dynamic episode, Kaytee and Roxanna reunite to share their latest bookish adventures—from delightful book club mishaps and book-themed jewelry to hands-on tips for using AI as a reading sidekick. As always, they recommend a thoughtful mix of books, discuss the nuances of reading habits and tools, and then deep dive into practical ways AI can enrich your book life. The show is spiked with laughter, inside jokes, and their trademark thoughtful commentary.

Bookish Moments of the Week

[01:17–06:18]

Roxanna's Moment: Real Book Club Connections

• Roxanna shares a powerful book club experience, discussing Margo’s Got Money Troubles and the group’s deep conversations about noble professions, societal judgments on women, and the gap between values and rewards.
• The book club fun segued into exploring the wild world of “niche romance,” inspired by the "Love and Chili Peppers" episode. Roxanna introduced her group to offbeat titles like the cutlery romance series ("Intimate with the Inanimate"), prompting delighted disbelief:

  “They were like, this is not a real thing. You just had AI make this up. No, I did not.” — Roxanna [03:42]

Kaytee's Moment: Bookish Bling

• Kaytee attended Bookstore Romance Day at Changing Hands in Tempe, where she embraced “bookish bling”: making a bracelet with her favorite trope, “Enemy to Lover,” and receiving custom clay “Once Upon a Time” book earrings from a friend.

  “My ears are precious and sensitive and they don’t like anything adorable or heavy or ostentatious.” — Kaytee [05:28]

• Her friend Toni credited the podcast for rekindling her love of reading, commemorated by this thoughtful gift.

Current Reads

[07:27–50:35]

Roxanna's Picks

• The Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean [07:47–13:07]

  • “Succession meets Emily Henry on a private island.”
  • A frothy, pacey summer read with family inheritance games and a slow-burn romance.
  • Audio narration by Julia Whelan enhances the soapy, drama-filled atmosphere.
  • Tone: Light, dramatic, satisfying for summer escapes.

• Detective Auntie: Auntie Khan Investigates #1 by Uzma Jalaluddin [18:36–27:30]

  • Cozy mystery in vibrant Scarborough strip-mall community, starring a widowed, sharp auntie sleuth.
  • Great on social texture; not deeply literary but warmly original.
  • Notable moment: Dive into the nostalgic world of Canadian Peak Freans cookies.

  “It’s a cozy whodunit, but with suburban grit; auntie sleuthing, mother-daughter mess, and a plaza full of secrets.” — Roxanna [18:45]

• The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller [35:56–42:21]

  • Perfect for early fall: Gilded Age, haunted house, witty banter, and a feminist protagonist.
  • “Flint and velvet at her core”—the prickly Alva contrasts with a “cinnamon roll inventor” love interest.
  • Gothic atmosphere, real haunting, warm ensemble cast.

  “If you’re a fan of Veronica Speedwell...or gentle, ghostly atmosphere with romance at the core, I’d definitely pick this up.” — Roxanna [39:36]

Kaytee's Picks

• The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters [13:07–18:28]

  • Multi-decade story of a Mi’kmaq family and the long shadow of a missing child in 1962 Maine.
  • Heartfelt, transporting, and explores indigenous life and place.

  “The COVID is just gorgeous blueberries that you look like you could pluck right off…” — Kaytee [16:45]

  • 4.5 stars, emotionally resonant without being devastating.

• Ghost Music by An Yu [28:02–34:38]

  • Surreal, literary fiction blending a former pianist’s dreamscape with mysterious mushroom packages in Beijing.
  • Memorable, odd, atmospheric; 3.75–4 stars for sheer intrigue even if not for everyone.

  “You have to just be like, ‘Okay, this is the story this author wanted to tell.’ I don’t need all the answers.” — Kaytee [33:08]

• Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sardar [42:21–50:35]

  • Hidden gem: photojournalist visits her boyfriend’s Kurdish homeland (1979), uncovering family, nationhood, and danger.
  • Hugely emotional, immersive; Kaytee’s only-book-with-tears this week.
  • Highly recommended, under-known, five stars.

  “I have goosebumps all over my body just thinking about the way this book transported me...and turned me into a different person.” — Kaytee [45:13]

Deep Dive: Using AI to Improve Your Reading Life

[50:35–65:55]

Why this topic?
Roxanna explains how AI—particularly Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude—has become her “reading sidekick,” solving frictions and engaging with her reading data in creative ways. The goal: easily actionable, low-lift ways to make your reading life richer.

Core Tips:

1. Pick the Right Version & Platform

   • Make sure you’re using a “thinking” version of your AI (e.g., ChatGPT-4 or 5, not the basic/quick response model) for deeper, personalized results.
   • [53:23]

     “What that means: these LLMs are optimized to give you the quick answer…but it’s not good enough for us. It’s like sitting there with a Commodore 64 with no mouse.” — Roxanna

2. Start and Maintain a Single Conversation

   • Keep all book-related prompts in a single thread to help the AI “remember” you and your library. [54:29–56:28]

3. Feed Context About Yourself

   • Upload your tracker data if possible (from Goodreads, StoryGraph, or your own CSV), or simply “rant” about your reading tastes and habits, including dislikes and favorites.

   “Just rant for a while. It doesn’t have to be in any kind of fancy formula or prompt or whatever. Just talk to it about you.” — Roxanna [54:09]

4. Power Uses:

   • Personalized TBR Suggestions: Use mood, reading tastes, or even ask for surprising recs from your massive TBR.

     “Give me something quick to get into that’s absorbing but not fluffy…” — Roxanna [57:37]

   • Log and Summarize Book Notes: Record a voice memo, tag it (“Booknote”), and have the AI summarize your feelings, spice level, and key points for later reference.

     “When I gave it that prompt, it said: ‘Tag it with booknote. Whenever you say booknote, I’m going to know this is a booknote.’” — Roxanna [61:29]

   • Analyze and Visualize Reading Patterns: Ask comparative questions month-to-month or year-to-year; ask for charts or trends within your reading log data.
   • Interactive Reader Advice: Let AI surface gems from your neglected TBR, or help solve friction points in your reading workflow.

     “Just imagine the fun you can have with this!” — Roxanna [63:49]

5. If Stuck, Ask AI What to Try!

   • “If you’re not sure, ask it; there were things I didn't know…and it just told me and I did them.” — Roxanna [68:01]

The Fountain: Bookish Wishes

[67:39–73:55]

Roxanna's Wish

[67:47–70:50]

• Identify unnoticed “friction points” in your reading routines and ask how to fix them, whether with AI or simple process changes.

  “Think about some frictions…what are some small tips and tricks you could use to just smooth it out a bit? That’ll make your reading life better.” — Roxanna [68:15]

Kaytee's Wish

[70:50–73:55]

• Kindle should allow books to start at the cover (and end after the author’s note), not just at the first content page—so readers don’t miss dedications, author’s notes, or other “front matter” gems.

  “A lot of times you hit the last page and it’ll pop up: Bing! You’re all done...No, I want to read the author's note. Please get out of my way.” — Kaytee [71:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re light on the chit chat, heavy on the book talk, and our descriptions will always be spoiler free.” — Roxanna [00:23]
• “I’m a mom, a marketer, and a mood reader living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. And I love using AI as my reading sidekick.” — Roxanna [00:44]
• “This is a story I will not soon forget. Maybe never.” — Kaytee on Take What You Can Carry [46:12]
• “If all those things are just...too heavy...I go in and I ask it just a ton of stuff about my reading.” — Roxanna [62:49]
• “Are we even using it [AI] if we’re not making our reading lives richer?” — Kaytee [65:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bookish Moments of the Week: 01:17–06:18
• Current Reads: 07:27–50:35
• AI Deep Dive: 50:35–65:55
• The Fountain (Bookish Wishes): 67:39–73:55

Episode Tone:
Warm, practical, inclusive, and often laugh-out-loud funny, with both hosts sharing candid confessions and encouraging listeners to experiment and enjoy their reading lives—even (or especially) with a little help from their AI friends.

For more bookish fun, recommendations, and show notes with time-stamped links, visit currentlyreadingpodcast.com or @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram.

Happy Reading!