Currently Reading

Season 8, Episode 23: Slow Reads + How And Why We Rate Our Books

January 12, 2026

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  • The hosts are embracing 'slow reads' and large, challenging books in 2026, exemplified by their plans to read Flannery O'Connor's complete stories and Hilary Mantel's *Wolf Hall* with community support. 
  • The central deep dive addresses the subjective nature of book rating systems, emphasizing that a successful rating rubric is one that is personally meaningful and serves the reader's goal (e.g., identifying top reads). 
  • The hosts are launching a new, bi-weekly newsletter as an experiment for 2026 aimed at helping listeners know themselves better as readers to increase their reading satisfaction. 

Segments

Episode Introduction and Structure
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(00:00:11)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode structure includes current reads, a deep dive on book ratings, and a visit to the fountain for reading wishes.
  • Summary: The hosts, Meredith and Kaytee, welcome listeners to the Currently Reading podcast, noting this is the first regular episode of 2026. They outline the show’s segments: Bookish Moments, Current Reads, Deep Dive on star ratings, and The Fountain. The hosts confirm their conversations remain spoiler-free while maintaining strong opinions.
Upcoming Guest Episode Preview
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(00:01:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Next week’s episode will feature guest hosts Roxanna and Mary revealing their top 10 books of 2025.
  • Summary: The hosts announce that the following week will be a special episode featuring guest hosts Roxanna and Mary. These guests will present their personal top 10 books of 2025. Meredith notes that these annual top-ten episodes always significantly impact her own ’to be read’ (TBR) list.
Bookish Moments: Slow Reads
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(00:02:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Both hosts are planning organized, slow reads of large books for 2026, including Stephen King’s The Stand and Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall.
  • Summary: Kaytee is planning a slow read of The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor alongside a reading partner, inspired by a similar series from The Bookshelf Thomasville podcast. Meredith is joining a year-long read-along called ‘The Wolf Crawl’ for Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series, which involves reading only about 30 pages per week. Both hosts are also experimenting with tracking their TBR using a new system.
Current Reads: Dystopian and Fantasy
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(00:08:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Matched by Ally Condie offers a near-future dystopia focused on societal control over life choices, comparable to The Giver and The Selection.
  • Summary: Kaytee read Matched by Ally Condie, a 2010 YA novel where a society dictates partners, jobs, and life paths, which she found to be a good level of dystopia for her current reading mood. Meredith read Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop, a fantasy novel featuring a detective investigating crimes involving supernatural beings called the Arcana, praising its world-building and fair magic structure.
Current Reads: Nonfiction and Thriller
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(00:18:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Cultish by Amanda Montel analyzes how language is used by various groups, from extreme cults to fitness communities, to encourage fanaticism and influence behavior.
  • Summary: Kaytee reviewed Cultish by Amanda Montel, which examines the linguistic techniques used by cults to gain and maintain followers, applying the analysis to diverse groups like QAnon and Soul Cycle. Meredith highly rated The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark, a five-star thriller praised for its emotional depth regarding family dynamics and its complex, dual-timeline mystery structure.
Deep Dive: Star Rating Rubrics
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(00:36:52)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts define their star rating systems using quarter stars for nuance, where 3.0 is ‘fine,’ 4.0 is ’liked,’ and 5.0 is ’loved’ and potentially a top-ten book.
  • Summary: Meredith uses quarter stars to differentiate between ’liked’ (4.0) and ’loved’ (5.0), noting her average rating has increased over time, suggesting generosity is acceptable. Kaytee’s system uses whole stars: 1 is hated, 3 is fine, 4 is ‘really liked,’ and 5 is ’loved’ and unforgettable. They advise listeners struggling with harsh ratings to use the detailed CAWPILE system temporarily to establish a baseline.
Fountain Wishes for Reading Life
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(00:51:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Kaytee wishes for listeners to select one small, measurable reading challenge for 2026, while Meredith wishes for listeners to sign up for the new, bi-weekly Currently Reading newsletter.
  • Summary: Kaytee encourages listeners to pick one small way to challenge their reading in 2026, such as trying a new genre or setting a reading timer, emphasizing that failure to stick with it is low-stakes. Meredith promotes the new, short, bi-weekly newsletter available on the website, designed to offer actionable insights to improve reading satisfaction.