Currently Reading Podcast

Season 8, Episode 7: Small-Town Escapes + Reading—Why So Serious?

Release Date: September 15, 2025
Hosts: Meredith Monday Schwartz and Kaytee Cobb

Overview

In this episode, Meredith and Kaytee dive into how to keep reading joyful and avoid taking it “too seriously.” Alongside their signature deep book chat, they explore small-town settings in new releases, celebrate beautiful book editions, consider the impact of book bans, and challenge common “shoulds” in reading habits. The show balances thoughtful reflection and irreverent fun—plus plenty of specific recommendations for your TBR.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bookish Moments of the Week

• [02:19] Kaytee delights in receiving Katabasis by RF Kuang, admiring its beauty and weight, and describes sharing her curated shelves with an awestruck 12-year-old friend.
  • “If you start this hobby at 12 years old, you’re never going to be able to save for retirement ever.” — Kaytee [03:54]
• [04:11] Meredith shares her passion for book aesthetics and laments the rising cost of physical books, wondering why publishers make more beautiful editions while digital reading surges.
  • “I would love to have Bhumi or somebody in the publishing industry speak into this issue of why physical books seem to be getting more special treatment...” — Meredith [05:22]
• [06:19] Book Awards Spotlight: Meredith celebrates The Tainted Cup winning the Hugo Award, noting its genre mashup strengths—a blend of murder mystery, fantasy, and police procedural.
  • “It’s one of the best genre mashups I’ve ever read.” — Meredith [07:06]

2. Current Reads & Notable Recommendations

Kaytee’s Picks

• [07:56] Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

  • Small-town, pun-filled Florida setting with a haunted house vibe and “closed door” romance. (Perfect for fall!)
  • "If misogyny bothers you, it will bother you in this book..." — Kaytee [12:00]

• [20:41] Let Them Stare by Jonathan Van Ness & Julie Murphy

  • New Adult, small-town queer mystery. Nonbinary main character, found-family vibes, a ghost drag queen in a vintage bag, and fun/quirky narration.
  • “This small town queer NA mystery is just what the doctor ordered. I laughed. I gasped. I loved it.” — Kaytee [22:37]

• [28:31] Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

  • Satirical look at book bans in a small Southern town and the unexpected impact of a “wholesome” free library getting restocked with banned books.
  • “This is a feel good small town contemporary fiction story... about the power of books to open hearts and change minds.” — Kaytee [31:22]

Meredith’s Picks

• [13:29] Rites of Extinction by Matt Serafini

  • Noir horror novella: a mother’s grief-driven quest in a creepy small town turns into a descent into “hallucinatory, suffocating” horror.
  • “This is honestly one of the most upsetting books I’ve ever read… I did not enjoy the experience at all.” — Meredith [16:16]
  • Insight: Meredith emphasizes the value of knowing one’s own reading limits and listening to “visceral” responses as guidance.

• [23:52] Jobs to Be Done: A Roadmap for Customer Centered Innovation by Steven Wunker, Jessica Wattman & David Farber

  • Accessible business book applying practical innovation frameworks; famous for the “milkshake theory” and how it reframes understanding customer needs.
  • “You didn’t need a drill, you needed a hole.” — Meredith [28:27]

• [31:40] 20 Years Later by Charlie Donlea

  • Twisty mystery tied to 9/11. Multiple POVs, clever structure, fast pace.
  • “I was literally high-kicking as I read the very last sentence… Charlie Donlea stuck the landing.” — Meredith [35:11]

3. Bookish Deep Dive: Reading—Why So Serious?

[36:34]

Prompted by a listener question, Meredith and Kaytee dissect ways readers—intentionally or not—overcomplicate their reading lives:

How People (and We) Take Reading Too Seriously

• [37:54] Obsession with Numbers/Goals:
  • “You’re not beholden to a number… Lay that down.” — Kaytee [39:00]
• [40:06] Forcing Misfit Book Club Reads:
  • Choose clubs and projects that serve you, not vice versa. Consider “what result are you looking for?” — Meredith [40:08]
• [41:33] Rigid Recommendation Sources:
  • Over-reliance on bestseller lists or celebrity picks limits joy and serendipity.
• [42:46] The ‘Shoulds’ of Serious/Important Books:
  • “Feeling like all your books need to be serious…is one way I see people taking their reading too seriously.” — Meredith [42:58]
• [44:13] Judging Others’ Reading Choices:
  • “If you are taking your reading so seriously that you are bereft at somebody not having read Stone Yard Devotional, why so serious?” — Kaytee [44:13]
• [45:24] Ownership Over Public Services:
  • Library rules, fines—let people use services in the way that works for them (as long as it isn’t harming others).
• [46:08] The DNF (Did Not Finish) Hang-Up:
  • “Why are we so serious about every book that I start I have to finish?” — Meredith [46:08]
• [46:52] Audiobooks Don’t “Count”:
  • This tired gatekeeping persists beyond core bookish circles; currently reading listeners largely reject it.
• [47:20] Obsessive Tracking (or Not Tracking):
  • “Either one of those big extremes...” — Meredith [47:24]
• [48:23] Yucking Your Own (or Others’) Yum:
  • Where do we self-police joy out of our reading? Why are we “yucking” our own “yums”?
    • “Where are we yucking our own yums?” — Meredith [48:23]
• [50:12] Mantra:
  • That’s none of my business—even when applying that to your own reading rules.

Takeaway Challenge for Listeners

• [50:35] “Your job this week is to… listen for the places in your reading where you are saying ‘should’, and see if you can find one or two to remove and see what happens.” — Meredith [50:35]
• [50:59] “Figure out what’s none of your business.” — Kaytee [50:59]

The Fountain (Wishes Segment)

• [51:05] Kaytee’s Wish: GBBO for Readers

  • Envisions a cozy, non-competitive TV show where readers hang out, discuss books, and create “vibes,” akin to The Great British Bake Off but for book lovers.
    • “I want GBBO for readers. That's what I want.” — Kaytee [54:06]

• [54:46] Meredith’s Wish Update: Screenshot-to-Email Tech Hack

  • Thanks listener/editor Chrissy for solving last week’s wish about easily emailing phone screenshots using Apple Shortcuts—helping her streamline a task she does “20 times a day.”
    • Meredith and Kaytee agree to link Chrissy’s instructions as a PDF via the website show notes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On book aesthetics:

  • “It makes my aesthetically pleased reader heart very happy.” — Kaytee [01:05]

• On beautiful editions and FOMO:

  • “If you start this hobby at 12 years old, you’re never going to be able to save for retirement ever.” — Kaytee [03:54]

• On how reading “shoulds” can constrict joy:

  • “What are the shoulds you can take off?” — Meredith [41:35]
  • “Nobody is judging your reading in the same way… You don’t have to prove anything to us.” — Kaytee [44:06]

• On tracking and extremes:

  • “We can track too much or… decide not to track anything at all… both extremes…” — Meredith [47:20]

• On embracing joy and letting go:

  • “Let’s not take all these pieces so seriously.” — Meredith [49:14]
  • “That’s none of my business.” — Kaytee [50:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:10 – Intro & Episode Overview
• 02:19 – Bookish Moments of the Week
• 07:56 – Current Reads: “Haunted Ever After” by Jen DeLuca
• 13:29 – Current Reads: “Rites of Extinction” by Matt Serafini
• 20:41 – Current Reads: “Let Them Stare” by JVN & Julie Murphy
• 23:52 – Current Reads: “Jobs to Be Done” by Wunker et al.
• 28:31 – Current Reads: “Lula Dean’s Little Library…” by Kristen Miller
• 31:40 – Current Reads: “20 Years Later” by Charlie Donlea
• 36:34 – Deep Dive: Reading—Why So Serious?
• 51:05 – Fountain Wishes: GBBO for Readers & Tech Hack

Tone & Language

The hosts keep a tone that is approachable, bookish, irreverent, and warmly encouraging. Strong opinions are met with humor rather than rigidity. They value reflection on personal habits, but never lose sight of joy, experimentation, and pleasure in reading.

Conclusion

This episode is a thoughtful, wide-ranging blend of readerly wisdom, practical recommendations, and self-reflection. Meredith and Kaytee invite listeners to lay down “shoulds,” embrace fun and serendipity in reading, and prioritize joy—whether you’re chasing ghost stories in small towns, puzzling over business innovation, or just ogling the prettiest new edition on your shelf.

“May your coffee be hot and your book be unputdownable.”