Currently Reading

Season 8, Episode 27: We Control Our Reading + Boss My TBR

February 9, 2026

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  • Meredith shared a realization that readers must assert control over their reading pace, even when participating in structured reads like her *Wolf Hall* slow read, emphasizing that personal reading principles should not dictate rigid adherence over life's demands. 
  • Kaytee successfully revisited *The Dutch House* by Ann Patchett, demonstrating that rereading a previously disliked book with a changed perspective can lead to a completely different, positive experience. 
  • The hosts retired the 'Fountain' segment in favor of a new 'Before We Go' segment, which incorporates highlighting bookish friend posts from their community and a 'TBR Triage' feature to keep the episode endings fresh. 

Segments

Episode Introduction and Segment Preview
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(00:00:11)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode features a ‘Boss My TBR’ deep dive and debuts a new concluding segment called ‘Before We Go’ to replace the retired ‘Fountain’ segment.
  • Summary: The hosts introduce themselves and confirm the episode structure, which includes current reads, a deep dive, and a new closing segment. They mention creating commemorative sweatshirts related to the retired ‘Fountain’ segment. The ‘Boss My TBR’ segment is returning after a long hiatus.
Bookish Moments of the Week
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(00:02:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Kaytee visited City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, noted for being the nation’s first all-paperback bookstore and a historical literary hub, while Meredith is enjoying a slow read of Wolf Hall guided by the Footnotes and Tangents podcast.
  • Summary: Kaytee recounted her trip to City Lights, highlighting its history with Beat poets and its focus on poetry on the top floor. Meredith detailed her structured, slow read of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall using Simon Hazlow’s companion podcast, which breaks the reading into manageable weekly chunks.
Current Reads Discussion
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(00:07:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Kaytee highly recommended History Lessons by Zoe B. Walbrook for its ‘voicey’ protagonist navigating academia and systemic issues, while Meredith praised Michael Crichton’s Sphere for its classic isolated-scientist thriller structure, despite dated writing regarding female characters.
  • Summary: Kaytee rated History Lessons four stars, appreciating the complex, voicey main character, a history professor facing a murder mystery. Meredith enjoyed Sphere for its high tension, intellectual concepts, and satisfying ending, though she cautioned about the 1987 publication’s portrayal of women. Kaytee also gave Eager by Ben Goldfarb five stars, becoming a ‘beaver believer’ after learning about beavers’ keystone species role in environmental restoration.
Current Reads: Thriller and Reread
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(00:22:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Meredith found The Sleeper Lies by Andrea Mara to be ‘mid’ due to pacing issues in the past timeline, contrasting sharply with her high praise for Snap by Belinda Bauer, a five-star thriller with excellent pacing and shifting reader allegiances.
  • Summary: Meredith rated The Sleeper Lies as ‘mid,’ noting that while the premise was chilling, the pacing faltered when exploring the past timeline concerning the protagonist’s mother. Conversely, Snap by Belinda Bauer earned five stars for its masterful pacing across three narrative threads involving a missing mother and a young caretaker, drawing comparisons to authors like Lisa Jewell. Kaytee shared her successful five-star reread of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, noting that her change in life perspective allowed her to appreciate the character-driven narrative she disliked years prior.
Boss My TBR Segment
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(00:37:33)
  • Key Takeaway: For Gretchen, the hosts prioritized Monk and Robot (Becky Chambers) as a palette cleanser, followed by the fast-paced For Whom the Bell Tolls (JC Lynn), and the spicy paranormal romance Bride (Ali Hazelwood).
  • Summary: The ‘Boss My TBR’ segment involved prioritizing five books for Gretchen and Lauren. For Gretchen, the recommended order was Monk and Robot for comfort, For Whom the Bell Tolls for momentum, and Bride to explore the Omegaverse subgenre. For Lauren, the order was Meet the Newmans (Jennifer Niven), the historical non-fiction Fear and Fury (Heather Ann Thompson), and the fantasy Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman).
New ‘Before We Go’ Segment Debut
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(00:48:28)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Fountain’ segment was retired due to listener feedback, replaced by ‘Before We Go,’ which features highlights from the Bookish Friends Facebook group and a ‘TBR Triage’ decision by the episode’s driver.
  • Summary: Meredith highlighted community engagement by sharing how a listener organized a buddy read for Democracy Awakening and another gathered recommendations for ‘sleepy’ books. Kaytee then used the new ‘TBR Triage’ option to remove two Garth Nix books from her shelf, offering them to Meredith, who accepted them for an annotated read.