Currently Reading — Season 8, Episode 6: Octogenarians in the Spotlight + Diving into Reading Deeply
Release Date: September 8, 2025 | Hosts: Meredith Monday Schwartz & Kaytee Cobb
Overview
This episode shines a light on books featuring octogenarian protagonists and explores the joys and benefits of "reading deeply." As always, Meredith and Kaytee share recent reads—many with older main characters—discuss which books are knocking their socks off, and then do a detailed, practical dive into deep and annotated reading: what it is, why they do it, and how you might start. The episode wraps up with an uplifting "Fountain" segment, where the hosts share personal wishes and community bookish ideas.
Bookish Moments of the Week
1. Scheduling Reading Serendipity [01:37]
Meredith explains how she put a reminder in her calendar a year ago to read The September House in September, and praises her own past self for the foresight:
"Even on a Saturday...I had a reminder from Meredith back in 2023, and Past Meredith said: Future Meredith, you need to read The September House this year. ...It just feels like the kind of book you need to bring in September. So read it now." [01:37]
2. Companionship of the Kindle [03:13]
Kaytee celebrates the comfort her Kindle brings during insomnia:
"Books don’t side-eye me for tossing and turning. ... My Kindle never judges me for reading in the middle of the night. My audiobook never suggests that I get a life and go talk to real people. Never. It’s never like, 'Kaytee, are you doing okay?' It just stands by me when I need it. My faithful companions, steadfast books, they’re just always there for me." [04:13]
Current Reads
1. The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi (Meredith) [05:33]
- Features Rose Dubois, an 80-year-old "final girl" in a retirement home.
- Not cozy: "There is an early scene... where a woman gets her neck snapped under the killer’s boot; this is not cozy mystery territory, friends." [09:16]
- Blends dark comedy, horror, and a fresh twist on the "older protagonists" trend.
- Meredith found it ~25% too long and not fully settled in its tone, but still "a solid four stars" and a "fresh" addition to the genre.
2. Here We Go Again by Allison Cochran (Kaytee) [10:33]
- Two estranged friends (Rosemary & Logan) are roped into a cross-country road trip by their beloved, terminally ill former teacher, Joe.
- Themes: Last rites/adventure, reconciliation, queerness in community, celebration of life.
- "Enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, end-of-life celebration in our hands and ears." [12:59]
- Kaytee: "It pulled on my heartstrings in a big way. ... I got a little weepy by the end. ... I gave it five stars." [13:52]
3. We Spread by Iain Reid (Meredith) [15:05]
- Elderly artist Penny moves into a peculiar, almost-too-idyllic retirement home; is reality slipping, or is something sinister happening?
- Masterful use of structure to create unease and ambiguity:
"The man is a master at keeping the reader slightly off balance, making you question everything you think you know about what’s happening on the page." [16:25]
- Caution: Could be triggering for those sensitive to depictions of dementia.
- Not for readers wanting concrete answers; "He doesn’t hand you easy solutions, and that is not going to work for every reader—but it absolutely works for this reader." [18:50]
4. The Stardust Grail by Yumi Kitase (Kaytee) [20:34]
- Sci-fi, intergalactic art thief on a galaxy-saving artifact quest, with anti-colonization and existential themes.
- Eye-catching cover, fun tentacle art, but pacing was too subdued for Kaytee. Compared (less favorably) with Station Eternity and Amina Al-Sarafi.
- "By the end, I was just ready for it to be over... while reader roulette has mostly been going great for me, this one ended up being just mid." [23:58]
5. Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (Meredith) [24:39]
- Middle-aged wildlife conservationist burns out, seeks retreat in a secluded Australian convent; unnamed narrator.
- Literary, atmospheric, and propulsive: heavy on landscape as character, and striking depictions of a biblical mouse plague.
- Heads-up: "If rodents are a hard no for you, this is not your book." [29:05]
- Powerful, subtle emotional beats:
"If you can get past the mice, it delivers these gut punches without ever being histrionic or emotionally big. … It is masterful, really, how she builds this emotional architecture without you realizing the walls are going up around you." [29:13]
6. This is Happiness by Niall Williams (Kaytee) [31:25]
- Quiet, luminous literary fiction set in a rural Irish village awaiting electricity, narrated by “Noe” reflecting on his youth from old age (78).
- Minimal plot, gentle humor and tenderness; a book about "nothing and everything."
- "If I could turn this book into a blanket, I would wrap myself in it when I needed comfort." [35:20]
- Will be on Kaytee’s top 10 of the year.
Deep Dive: Reading Deeply [37:23–53:53]
Why Read Deeply?
- To extract more meaning, remember books longer, and allow a book to “settle into your DNA.”
- "If you want to immerse yourself in a book and to have it hold you in it, deep reading is the best way I’ve found to do it." — Meredith [48:50]
How to Read Deeply: Tools and Methods
Meredith’s approach (especially for Journey to Three Pines):
- Annotate: Highlight, color-code (e.g., blue for superlatives, pink for themes, orange for personal notes).
- Use iPad for color flexibility and easy export of notes.
- Download highlights and annotations, organize for show prep.
- Sometimes buys a second paper copy just to annotate physically.
Kaytee’s approach:
- Aspires to annotate but mostly makes mental notes, occasional margin notes.
- Has swapped annotated books in buddy reads; enjoys seeing others' margin notes.
Practical Tips
- Don’t feel pressure: Take what resonates. You can highlight, flag, write margin notes, or keep a "commonplace book."
- Annotating can be immersive, slow, and intentional—it’s about building a relationship with the book.
- Can be adapted for fictional and genre books, even mysteries (e.g., "circle clues or guess the killer").
- Deep reading isn't just for literary fiction; it enhances memory and joy.
Notable Quotes
- "When you read deeply, you are making yourself more vulnerable because you are giving yourself more to the book. ...You’re also taking more from the book." — Meredith [52:14]
- "I want to make like a lust versus in-love comparison. ...When you read deeply, you’re doing more than just meeting a guy at the bar and going home with him." — Meredith [52:33]
- "We have talked about one-night stand books and you do not annotate a one-night stand book." — Kaytee [52:42]
Reader Q&A & Practical Advice [39:29–45:32]
- Listener Nikki asks about annotation details (color-coding, marginalia, deep read vs. annotation, iPad vs. Kindle).
- Meredith breaks down her system and why iPad is her tool of choice (more colors, easier exporting).
The Fountain: Bookish Wishes & Ideas
1. Tech Wish — Merlin's "Email this to Me" [58:12]
- Meredith wants a one-tap option on iPhone to email herself screenshots of book covers instantly.
- "I want this very particular thing from that Share button screen… I want to click one button and not have to do anything else..." [59:58]
2. Slam Dunk Recommendations — Bookish Business Cards [62:24]
- Kaytee proposes readers create and carry a list of “slam dunk” book recommendations to hand out (credit to listener Sarah Kilpatrick).
- “We should come up with a list of five to ten books that we think are slam dunks and carry them around like business cards or bookmarks.” [63:42]
- Includes genres and a note about Currently Reading for bonus recs.
Sarah’s Heartwarming Bookish Gift
- Sarah sent Kaytee a box with gifts for each sense after reading The Five Senses together — a model for community spirit and readerly friendship. [65:32]
Memorable Moments & Running Themes
- Strong focus on octogenarians and older protagonists ("Octogenarians in the Spotlight") as a refreshing trend.
- Literary fiction that’s propulsive, not ponderous — Stonyard Devotional and This is Happiness both awaken unexpected passions.
- Annotating as vulnerability and the power of deep, intentional engagement with a text.
- Playful bookworm banter: “You do not annotate a one-night stand book.” [52:42]
- The joy of bookish community: buddy reads, passing annotated books, book clubs, and thoughtful gifts.
Important Timestamps
- [01:37] — Bookish Moments
- [05:33] — First round of current reads
- [24:39] — Meredith’s top fiction pick
- [31:25] — Kaytee’s sleeper literary fiction hit
- [37:23] — Deep Dive: Reading Deeply
- [62:24] — "The Fountain" (Bookish Wishes)
Final Thoughts
This episode is rich with warmth, encouragement, and practical tips for deepening your reading life—whether through exploring stories of elders in fiction or considering annotating and more immersive reads. The hosts' dynamic is, as ever, relatable and inviting, filled with memorable lines and heartfelt enthusiasm for all things bookish.
“Until next week, may your coffee be hot and your book the unputdownable.” [67:52]