Currently Reading — S8E5: The 4th C: Relaxing Your Chestal Region + Boss My TBR

Hosts: Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb
Date: September 1, 2025

Overview

In this lively episode, Meredith and Kaytee banter about overflowing bookshelves, the joy (and agony) of organizing books, and their shared obsession with reading streaks and book counters. The episode features their signature "Boss My TBR" segment, where they help two bookish friends prioritize their to-be-read stacks based on their needs and preferences. Plus, each host shares three recent reads across varied genres—from comedic Regency romance to dark horror and heartfelt essays—and closes with whimsical "fountain wishes" about bookish correspondence and the magic of scent-based book memory.

Key Discussion Points

1. Bookish Moments of the Week

Timestamps: 06:45–13:28

Kaytee:

• Overflowing Bookshelves: Despite careful culling, her bookshelves and her "outgoing" (books to sell or give away) shelf are stuffed. She jokes about wanting “a robber to come in and just take my free books”—if only more people would come grab them!
  • "I need more people to come over to my house and take books from me. It's an all-you-can-grab sample sale." (08:15, Kaytee)
• Book Sale Struggles: The work of listing/selling/shipping books feels overwhelming, and she fantasizes about needing a personal assistant for it.
• Letting Go: Finds some relief admitting the overwhelm—“a little bit of relief in the chestal region to say it out loud.” (08:56, Kaytee)

Meredith:

• Satisfying Book Counter: She delights in a physical block counter that tracks the number of books read, giving her a tactile, joyful sense of progress:
  • “Every time I finish a book... then it's just like, ooh, I get to add to it.” (11:20, Meredith)
• Streaks & Tracking: Both hosts admit to loving reading, Duolingo, and Kindle streaks, discussing the sometimes-irrational drive to keep numbers up; “The things I would do to keep my Duolingo streak.” (11:41, Kaytee)
• Amazon’s Missed Opportunity: Chide Amazon for not displaying Kindle streaks more prominently:
  • “If you ever gave two beeps about readers, you would replace your dumb screen...with the streak screen.” (12:43, Meredith)

2. Current Reads: Six Book Discussions

Timestamps: 13:28–38:34

Kaytee’s Picks:

• A Duke Never Tells by Suzanne Enoch

  • Hilarious Regency romance with mistaken identities, a crumbling manor, and forced proximity.
  • “Ridiculous is the only word...I laughed out loud so many times listening to this book.” (15:31, Kaytee)
  • She and Meredith roast the hot-pink, awkward cover: “Love Island Regency.” (13:36, Kaytee)

• Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones

  • Gentle essay collection about finding meaning in staying put and cherishing one's community.
  • “This is a balm of a collection. It is comfort. It is lip gloss on chapped lips. It is reader gloss on your chapped heart.” (22:23, Kaytee)
  • Personal reflection: Reading it made her “teary with gratitude...for Annie and her words and the way she loves her friends and her community.”

• Shudder by Ramona Emerson

  • Gritty supernatural mystery featuring a Navajo crime scene photographer who can see ghosts.
  • “What I'm saying here is if you can make it through the first chapter, you’re going to be okay for the rest of the story...It's similar, but it never gets worse than that first description.” (33:23, Kaytee)
  • Kaytee loves the evocative New Mexico setting and unique photographer POV; provides honest content warnings.

Meredith’s Picks:

• The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

  • Serial killer thriller featuring a haunted criminal profiler and a narrative that blurs reality and the supernatural.
  • “It’s a page-turning serial killer story with a trope that is catnip to me… The killer is known as the Pied Piper.” (17:39, Meredith)
  • Found it a compelling, atmospheric read but critiques the book’s crowded cast and some overused narrative devices.

• The Dark One by Nikki St. Crowe (Vicious Lost Boys #2)

  • “Dark, dark reimagining of Peter Pan and Wendy and the Lost Boys...we are not in Disney territory here.” (25:24, Meredith)
  • Reverse harem, high-spice fantasy romance—morally gray characters and intense supernatural action.
  • “Yes, there are these steamy scenes that are integral to the character development and plot. I can't believe I actually wrote that in my notes.” (27:46, Meredith)
  • Stresses reading what you love without shame.

• Withered Hill by David Barnett

  • Folk horror novel with a fractured timeline (London/isolated pagan village), atmospheric dread, and satisfying twists.
  • “Five stars, no notes. Totally devoured it.” (35:34, Meredith)
  • Praises the book’s structure and sense of disorientation: “That fractured narrative gives us that sense of disorientation and confusion. And then the way that everything eventually clicks into place is perfection.” (36:34, Meredith)
  • Issues a fair warning for gore and sexiness; recommends it as an early fall read.

3. Boss My TBR: Bookish Friends Edition

Timestamps: 38:34–48:59

The hosts help two bookish friends prioritize five books each from their TBRs—including insights on recent DNFs and favorite snacks.

Katherine Bridgewater

• TBR Picks: Blood Sisters, North Woods, After the Crash, What Alice Forgot, The Shell Seekers.
• Context: Teacher, “reading has to work with the brain capacity I have available.”
• Kaytee’s Order: What Alice Forgot → After the Crash → North Woods. (Shell Seekers recommended for a break week.)
• Meredith’s Order: The Shell Seekers → After the Crash → North Woods.
• Agreement: Both chose After the Crash and North Woods; order differs mainly for current seasonal vibes and brain availability.

Lisa Stone

• TBR Picks: Broken Country, My Friends, Run for the Hills, Wild Dark Shore, The Unseen World.

• Recent DNFs: Books with unengaging writing/characters.

• Snack: Tropical gummy bears!

• Meredith’s Order: The Unseen World → Run for the Hills → Wild Dark Shore.

• Kaytee’s Order: Run for the Hills → Wild Dark Shore → My Friends (chose based on Lisa’s snacking style and penchant for the slightly offbeat).

• Analysis: Both agree the list is strong; various options work depending on Lisa’s mood and taste for literary variety.

• Community Plug: The “Boss My TBR” Facebook thread sparks great buddy-reads and conversation: “You might find your book twin on that thread.” (48:59, Meredith)

4. The Fountain: Wishes and Whimsical Bookish Dreams

Timestamps: 49:39–55:48

Kaytee: The Correspondent Wish

• Inspired by The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Kaytee wishes she had built a lifetime correspondence—and plans to start one with her mom:
  • “It’s just this beautiful legacy to leave behind a large stack of letters.” (51:14, Kaytee)

Meredith: Book Perfume & Apothecary Dream

• Wishes every book came with a unique scent—so smelling it would transport you back to the book’s world and memory:
  • “If we smelled that smell together, we would both be transported back to that book.” (53:22, Meredith)
• Daydreams about building a witchy apothecary cottage as part of her fantasy house:
  • “That’s what middle age is—embracing our inner witchiness.” (54:59, Kaytee)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Content, community, commercial free. It’s the three Cs. It’s the three Cs of podcasting.” (05:48, Meredith)
• “Your shoulders will relax. You'll feel lighter in the chestal area. It's nice.” (06:05, Meredith)
• “Chestal region is usually how I refer to it.” (06:22, Kaytee)
• “[Amazon’s] such dumb dumbs.” (12:58, Meredith)
• “It's a solid genre to play around in.” (30:02, Kaytee, about reverse harem fantasy romance)
• “There's always going to be somebody that goes down and starts chiming in on people's [TBRs]… There’s so much fun stuff that happens in those threads.” (49:16, Kaytee)
• “That's what middle age is. Embracing our inner witchiness.” (54:59, Kaytee)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:10 | Welcome and show overview | | 06:45 | Bookish moments of the week | | 13:28 | Current reads (book discussions begin) | | 38:34 | Boss My TBR segment | | 49:39 | The Fountain: Bookish wishes | | 55:48 | End matter and playful banter |

Tone & Language

• Warm, witty, deeply reader-focused, insider-y and welcoming to new listeners.
• Clear affection for the reading community, mutual encouragement, and a touch of irreverent humor.

Final Takeaway

This episode encapsulates everything Currently Reading fans love: laughter over overflowing bookshelves and silly reading compulsions, honest rave and nuanced reviews across genres, thoughtful help with TBR overwhelm, and the celebration of all the quirky joy books bring into readers’ real lives. Whether you have a chestal region in need of relaxing, or you’re looking for your next unputdownable read, this episode delivers the content, community, commercial-free magic—plus a fourth C: chestal comfort.