Currently Reading

Season 8, Episode 30: Weekly Buddy Reading + Organizing Our Bookshelves

March 2, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The hosts emphasize that their podcast remains commercial-free thanks to Patreon support, which is their only form of advertising. 
  • The deep dive segment provided extensive, personalized advice on organizing bookshelves, highlighting methods like organizing by favorites, genre, or color, and stressing that the system must serve the individual reader. 
  • The 'Before We Go' segment introduced a bookish friend's specific historical fiction request that generated numerous community recommendations, and a host's sleeper hit recommendation for the 'Looking At Picture Books' newsletter by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. 
  • Mary's sleeper hit recommendation in the "Before We Go" segment is the entire backlist catalog of "Looking At Picture Books," which features fascinating deep dives on classics like "Goodnight Moon." 
  • The hosts provided specific social media handles for Kaytee (@NotesOnBookmarks), Meredith (@MeredithMondaySchwartz), and Mary (@MaryReadsAndMakes), as well as the producer, Megan Phouthavong Evans (@mostofmegansreads). 
  • Listeners are encouraged to support the show by becoming patrons for commercial-free content and community access, or by rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts and shouting them out on social media. 

Segments

Podcast Self-Promotion and Patreon
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(00:01:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Currently Reading Podcast maintains a commercial-free listening experience exclusively through listener support via Patreon.
  • Summary: The hosts use the first segment of the month to advertise their Patreon, which costs $5 monthly. This funding ensures the show remains completely free of outside advertisers. Supporting the Patreon also grants access to extra community content.
Bookish Moments of the Week
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(00:02:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Mary highly recommends reading Margaret Renkl’s ‘A Comfort of Crows’ slowly, week-by-week, starting on the winter solstice for maximum grounding effect.
  • Summary: Mary shared that reading ‘A Comfort of Crows’ weekly with a friend has been a grounding experience connecting her to the natural world. Kaytee confirmed the book’s stunning physical presentation, including seasonal color inserts. While Mary suggests a slow, year-long pace, Kaytee noted that binge-reading it was also enjoyable.
Kaytee’s E-Reader Upgrade
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(00:06:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Custom Kindle lock screens, created by bookish friend Alex Cox, can significantly enhance the aesthetic joy of using an e-reader.
  • Summary: Kaytee received a custom Kindle lock screen reflecting her favorite romance tropes from a listener named Alex Cox. This feature requires an ad-free Kindle device, which can be enabled by paying a one-time fee to Amazon. Kaytee intentionally switches to the custom screen even when not actively reading to enjoy the visual.
Current Reads: Mary’s Picks
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(00:09:24)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Agnes Aubert’s Magical Cat Shelter’ by Heather Fawcett maintains the cozy yet complex world-building tone of the Emily Wilde series, though its resolution might feel incomplete.
  • Summary: Mary enjoyed ‘Agnes Aubert’s Magical Cat Shelter,’ noting its vivid 1920s Montreal setting and the way the cats’ personalities were integrated without being anthropomorphized. The book is compared favorably to Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series in tone. A potential drawback noted was that the standalone story might lack a fully resolved ending.
Current Reads: Kaytee’s Picks
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(00:13:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Kaytee rated ‘Mate’ by Ali Hazelwood slightly lower than ‘Bride’ (4.25 stars) and noted that while the forced proximity romance is strong, the external political maneuvering was less exciting.
  • Summary: Kaytee’s review of ‘Mate’ by Ali Hazelwood, a companion novel to ‘Bride,’ requires a spoiler warning for the first book’s ending regarding Serena’s hybrid status. The book features forced proximity and paranormal romance elements, rated around a four chili pepper spice level according to romance.io. Kaytee found the protagonists easy to root for despite the external political plot points.
Mary’s Second and Third Reads
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(00:17:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Tory Henwood Hoen’s ‘Before I Forget’ functions more as a coming-of-quarter-age story about redemption than a deep father-loss narrative, despite the Alzheimer’s diagnosis premise.
  • Summary: Mary found ‘Before I Forget’ by Tory Henwood Hoen to be a unique and compelling story focusing on Cricket Campbell’s personal redemption rather than solely on her father’s illness. Readers should adjust expectations if anticipating a heavy grief narrative, as the father’s illness serves as a backdrop. The author is praised for crafting original plot lines.
Kaytee’s Second Read: Nonfiction
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(00:21:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Omar El Akkad’s five-star nonfiction book, ‘One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This,’ uses incisive writing to connect personal history with broad political landscapes, offering necessary clarity on complex issues.
  • Summary: This book draws its title from an El Akkad tweet regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict and chronicles his family history alongside reporting on global conflicts. The writing is described as razor-sharp, providing crisp depictions of scenes often only seen dramatized in media. The hosts stress that reading is inherently political, shaping empathy and knowledge regardless of the subject matter.
Mary’s Final Read: Literary Fantasy
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(00:25:58)
  • Key Takeaway: Amal El-Mohtar’s ‘The River Has Roots’ is a lyrical, genre-defying literary gem focusing on a sister story, best consumed via tandem reading (audio and print) to savor its cadence.
  • Summary: Mary rated ‘The River Has Roots’ as her favorite book of 2026 so far, noting it is a short, impactful read that defies easy categorization. The book features stunning linotype illustrations and an exquisite audiobook performance that enhances the experience of its unusual world. A tandem read is strongly recommended to slow down and appreciate the story’s flow.
Kaytee’s Final Read: Academic Thriller
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(00:29:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Imani Thompson’s debut, ‘Honey,’ is a deliciously sticky academic thriller where the protagonist, Ursa, enjoys being on the antagonist’s side of feminist rage and revenge.
  • Summary: Ursa, a PhD student, accidentally kills an abusive professor and then begins imagining killing other sexist men, making her dissertation on racial violence suddenly relevant. Kaytee noted some pacing issues in the galley version, but the book remains a solid four-star thriller. The appeal lies in experiencing the narrative from the perspective of the avenging antagonist.
Deep Dive: Bookshelf Organization
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(00:34:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Effective bookshelf organization hinges on identifying whether the reader is a mood reader or a planned reader, ensuring the system serves their method of book selection.
  • Summary: The hosts advise listeners like Emily to determine how they choose their next book—by mood or by plan—to guide their shelving system. Kaytee organizes her TBR by color for visual recall, while Mary prefers organizing by genre, mixing read and unread books. The ultimate goal is functionality; a complex system that leads to books being shelved two deep is not working.
Before We Go: Friend Post
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(00:53:49)
  • Key Takeaway: The Bookish Friends Facebook Group provides highly specific, crowd-sourced recommendations that often surpass what a general search can offer, as demonstrated by Charlotte’s historical fiction query.
  • Summary: Kaytee highlighted a post from bookish friend Charlotte seeking non-WWII/WWI historical fiction written by women that sparks good discussion. The post immediately garnered 34 comments offering tailored suggestions, including ‘The Stationery Shop’ by Marjan Kamali. This illustrates the value of the community for niche reading advice.
Before We Go: Sleeper Hit
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(00:56:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Mary highly recommends the ‘Looking At Picture Books’ newsletter by Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett as a sleeper hit for its brilliant, hysterical deep dives into children’s literature complexity.
  • Summary: Mary broke the segment rule to highlight the newsletter, which features authors Mac Barnett (former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature) and Jon Klassen. They provide complex analysis of children’s books, including classics like ‘Goodnight Moon.’ The newsletter offers fascinating insights into picture book structure and authorial intent.
Sleeper Hit Recommendation
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(00:58:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Mary’s sleeper hit for the episode is the entire backlist catalog of “Looking At Picture Books,” which offers smart, funny analysis of children’s literature.
  • Summary: The hosts conclude the segment by highlighting Mary’s sleeper hit, the backlist catalog of “Looking At Picture Books.” This recommendation focuses on how the creators analyze classics like “Goodnight Moon” in a fascinating way. The analysis covers why the author and illustrator made specific choices, appealing even to those who might not typically pick up such books.
Host Contact Information
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(00:59:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Kaytee is reachable at @NotesOnBookmarks, Meredith at @MeredithMondaySchwartz, and Mary at @MaryReadsAndMakes on Instagram.
  • Summary: The hosts reiterate their individual Instagram handles for listeners to connect with them directly. The show’s producer, Megan Phouthavong Evans, can be found on Instagram at @mostofmegansreads. Full show notes, including all mentioned book titles and time stamps, are available on the website at currentlyreadingpodcast.com.
Support and Closing Remarks
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(01:00:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Patron support helps keep the show commercial-free and provides access to great content and community benefits.
  • Summary: Listeners are encouraged to support the podcast by becoming a patron to receive amazing community access and keep the show commercial-free. Additional ways to help include rating and reviewing on Apple Podcasts or shouting out the show on social media. The episode concludes with the hosts wishing listeners happy reading until the next week.