Season 6, Episode 26: Patreon Free Trials + Bookish Friends’ Best and Worst Books of 2023

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing:

• Bookish Moments: bookish pre-orders and picking the right books for ourselves

• Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we’ve been reading lately

• Deep Dive: Bookish Friends’ best and worst books of 2023, with interesting overlaps!

• The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives

Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site)

. 

. 

. 

. 

. 

2:19 - Currently Reading Patreon (sign up for a 7 day free trial and check out all the goodness!)

7:42 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week

10:57 - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (pre-order, releases June 11, 2024)

11:01 - Long Bright River by Liz Moore

12:51 - Fabled Bookshop

14:29  - Our Current Reads

14:42 - The Elephants of Thula Thula by Francoise Malby-Anthony (Kaytee)

15:09 - The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence

18:04 - The Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (Meredith)

20:32 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

20:35 - Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

24:12 - Erasure by Percival Everett (Kaytee)

29:48 - The Trees by Percival Everett

30:42 - What the Dead Know by Barbara Butcher (Meredith)

35:28 - The Trauma Cleaner by Sarah Krasnostein

36:51 - Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (Kaytee)

36:56 - The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

40:38 - The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (Meredith)

45:31 - This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

46:11 - Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger 

46:20 - Ordinary Grace by Willam Kent Krueger

46:42 - Deep Dive: Bookish Friends’ Best and Worst Reads of 2023

46:51 - Currently Reading Patreon

50:35 - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (#1 best AND worst read)

51:25 - Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (#5 favorite)

51:28 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (#4 favorite)

51:32 - Hello Beautiful by Anne Napolitano (#3 favorite)

51:36 - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (#2 favorite)

51:49 - The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (#5 least favorite) 

51:54 - Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (tied #3 least favorite)

51:56 - Happy Place by Emily Henry (tied #3 least favorite)

51:59 - I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai (#2 least favorite)

52:23 - Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

52:46 - Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

53:46 - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

53:47 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

54:39 - Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

54:46 - Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

57:58 - The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

59:05 - The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

59:17 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Interview with Lara Love Hardin

1:01:37 - Meet Us At The Fountain

1:01:45 - I wish for  more duologies in the bookish universe. (Kaytee)

1:02:12 - The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

1:02:45 - I want those who love mysteries, thriller and horror to follow @mother.horror on Instagram (Meredith)

1:03:34 - Mother Horror Patreon

1:03:51 - Near the Bone by Christina Henry

1:04:09 - The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Support Us:

Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch

Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon

Bookish Friends Receive:

• The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. February’s IPL is brought to you by Booktenders in Huntington, West Virginia.

• Trope Thursday with Kaytee and Bunmi - a behind the scenes peek into the publishing industry

• All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller

• The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts

Connect With Us:

The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads

The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna

Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!