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Brea Grant and Mallory O'Meara

Want to learn how to make the most of your reading life? Join Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara every week as they discuss tips and tricks for reading better! Listeners will learn how to vanquish their To-Be-Read piles, get pointers on organizing their bookshelves and hear reviews on the newest reading gadgets. Brea and Mallory also offer advice on bookish problems. How do you climb out of a reading slump? How do you support authors while still getting books on the cheap? Where do you hide the bodies of the people who won’t stop talking while you’re trying to read? Mallory and Brea engage in a weekly discussion geared towards all kinds of book lovers -- no matter what you read or how you read it.

Reading Glasses

Brea and Mallory wrap up their year in reading. Plus, they reveal the 2026 Reading Glasses (Glasses) Challenge! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

Aura Frames
www.auraframes.com
CODE: GLASSES

Storyworth
www.storyworth.com/GLASSES

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

2026 Reading Glasses Challenge

BOOKS

Currently banned book by an author that’s still alive

A book in a genre/subgenre you’ve never tried
Queernorm book
Give an author a second chance
Book that takes place in a hotel/motel

 

ACTIVITIES

Themed snack/drink with the book you’re reading

Try a reading app/gadget
Update your wheelhouse

Participate in a read-a-thon

Thank a librarian

Books Mentioned - 

Dwelling by Emily Hunt Kivel

The Unveiling by Quan Barry

Ep 442 - Yearly Reading Wrap Up + 2026 Challenge Reveal!

Brea and Mallory pick their best books of the year! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

ZocDoc
www.zocdoc.com/GLASSES

GreenChef
www.greenchef.com/GLASSESGRAZA
CODE: GLASSESGRAZA

 

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

 

Books Mentioned - 

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Will There Ever Be Another You by Patricia Lockwood

Fiend by Alma Katsu

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Harnett

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Daughter of Daring by Mallory O’Meara

Old Soul by Susan Barker

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman 

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus

The Dry Season by Melissa Febos

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab 

Actress of a Certain Age by Jeff Hiller

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd

 

Clean by Alia Trabucco Zeran, translated by Sophie Hughes

Strange Houses by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion

The Brain at Rest by Joseph Jebelli

 

Somebody is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell, performed by Annette Amelia Oliveira

 

It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei

El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott

Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

Vantage Point by Sara Sligar

This is My Body by Lindsey King-Miller

The Original by Nell Stevens

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto

The Salvage by Anbara Salam

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Here’s Your Hat What’s Your Hurry by Elizabeth McCracken

Ep 441 - Best Books of the Year 2025!

Brea and Mallory pick their favorite book covers of 2025. Plus they interview Alonso Duralde about his new Christmas movie book, and give ideas for gifts for ereaders. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

Women’s Prison Book Project

Daughter of Daring!

Sponsors

Aura Frames
www.auraframes.com
CODE: GLASSES

GreenChef
www.greenchef.com/50GLASSES
CODE: 50GLASSES

Alonso Duralde
A Movie Little Christmas

Books Mentioned -

The Midnight Shift by Seon-Ran Cheon, translated by Gene Png

Willing Prey by Allie Oleander

Best Covers!

Best Series:

Brea: Adrift in Currents Clear and Clean by Seanan McGuire

Mallory: Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black

Best Horror:

Brea: Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

Mallory: Fiend by Alma Katsu

Best Nonfiction:

Brea: Sister Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson by Claire Hoffman

Mallory: Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul

Cutest:

Brea: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

Mallory: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare

Best SFF:

Brea: The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker

Mallory: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Best Literary:

Brea: Blob by Maggie Su

Mallory: Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One by Kristin Arnett

Best Smut/Romance:

Brea: Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

Mallory: A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

Oh, Christmas Tree! by Brian Herald, Brandon Gray, Daniel Thompson

Christmas: A Biography by Judith Flanders

Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson

Roan Parrish

Ep 440 - Best Book COVERS of the Year + Alonso Duralde!

Brea and Mallory discuss what goes into making a best-of book list. Plus, they interview Meredith Borders from Fangoria about their new book, and recommend immersive books. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

Aura Frames
www.auraframes.com
CODE: GLASSES

Storyworth
www.storyworth.com/GLASSES

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

Fangoria Kickstarter

Meredith Borders

Books Mentioned -

A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

King Sorrow by Joe Hill

Weaveworld by Clive Barker

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Enlightenment by Sarah Perry

Ep 439 - How to Make a Best of List + Meredith from Fangoria!

Brea and Mallory debate whether or not your wheelhouse can be too big. Plus, they list libraries that give out of country cards, and recommend books that will metaphorically punch you in the stomach. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

Apron
www.apronnotebooks.com
CODE: GLASSES

GreenChef
www.greenchef.com/50GLASSES
CODE: 50GLASSES

 

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

Libraries with Out of Country Cards:

Chappel Hill public library, Broward county library in Florida, The new york society, The mercantile, Redwood Library, Austin public library

Queens Borough Library, NY has an annual membership for non residents - $50

Many of the London borough libraries - free international membership that you can sign up for online - Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea libraries

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in Charlotte, North Carolina

Queer Liberation Library - free

Orange County Public Library System in Florida - $150/year

Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley- $10 for six months

Books Mentioned -

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Ep 438 - What’s the Ideal Wheelhouse Size?

Brea and Mallory discuss their favorite establishments in books! Plus, they review StoryTerra and solve a reader problem about which library to use. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

ZocDoc
www.zocdoc.com/GLASSES

Factor
www.factormeals.com/GLASSES50OFF
CODE: GLASSES50OFF

 

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

StoryTerra

Book Riot Article

 

Books Mentioned -

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kishiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller

Ep 437 - So Many Magical Cafes - Our Favorite Establishments in Books!

Brea and Mallory name their most anticipated books for November and December! Plus, they interview the filmmaker behind the new documentary The Librarians, Kim A. Snyder. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

IngramSpark
www.ingramspark.com/learnmore

GreenChef
www.greenchef.com/50GLASSES
CODE: 50GLASSES

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

The Librarians

 

Books Mentioned - 

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

Somebody is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez, translated by Megan McDowell

November

Bitter Honey by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
Literary fiction, mother-daughter relationship, Swedish pop star whose mother is trying to protect her from the past

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Literary fiction, family curse, a woman whose family believes she is another family member reincarnated

Lucky Seed by Justinian Huang

Literary fiction, matriarch of a wealthy family is pushing her gay nephew to produce an heir for the family

Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Literary fiction, woman learning the truth of her glamorous grandmother’s star crossed queer love story

That’s Not How It Happened by Craig Thomas
Literary fiction, family whose lives get adapted into a movie and chaos ensues, creator of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Literary fiction, bad-mom trope, generational trauma, Siddhartha reimagining

Queen Esther by John Irving
Return to the world of The Cider House Rules

 

The Amberglow Candy Store by Hiyoko Kurisu, translated by Matt Treyvaud
Magical realism, a fox spirit who sells magic healing treats to humans

Deeper than the Ocean by Mirta Ojito
Literary fiction, multigenerational, immigration, family ties

The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie
Short stories, magical realism

Palaver by Bryan Washington
Literary fiction, family, healing

The Pelican Child by Joy Williams
Short stories, the struggle of living

Days at the Torunka Cafe by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa
Literary fiction, set in Tokyo, three people find literal and emotional nourishment

The Botanist’s Assistant by Peggy Townsend

Mystery, cozy, research assistant to a botanist must solve a murder

The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum
Historical mystery, Jazz Age Harlem, woman and her orphaned charge must solve a murder

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf
Thriller, someone dies at a “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party, secrets

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino
Thriller, satire, competitive real estate market, woman who has lost out on 11 houses will do anything to get her dream home

With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee
Thriller, group of college friends who have been playing a killing game known as The Circus for 20 years

The Burning Library by Gilly Macmillan
Thriller, dark academia, Scotland, rivalling secret orders of women battling to find a medieval manuscript, murder

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop
Fantasy, contemporary, paranormal detective, start of series

The Nameless Land by Kate Elliot
Fantasy, epic, sequel to The Witch Roads

The Merge by Grace Walker
Sci fi, dystopian, a world where the separate consciousnesses of two people can be put in one body

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree
Third book of Legends and Lattes

I, Media by Ayana Gray
Historical fiction, retelling, Greek mythology, villain origin story

Aphrodite by Phoenicia Rogerson
Historical fiction, retelling, Greek mythology

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen, translated by David Hackston
Historical fiction, Finland, triple timeline, 1700s naturalist, 1850s Alaskan governor finds mysterious skeleton, 1950s museum curator

Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton
Historical fiction, historian investigating story of first female celebrity bartender

The Mad Wife by Meagan Church
Historical fiction, 1950s housewife, motherhood, identity

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
Horror, child disappearance, scary house, woman returning home to confront childhood mystery

The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo
Horror, gothic, Philippines, diaspora, intergenerational trauma, demons

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade
Contemporary romance, small town, plus size heroine, second chance, grumpy/grumpy

Blackthorn by J.T. Geissinger
Dark romance, gothic, paranormal, forbidden, grumpy/grumpy, enemies to lover, dark magic, touch her and die

The Marriage Narrative by Claire Kann
Contemporary romance, reality TV, marriage of convenience

Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi
Romantasy, spicy, set in the Black South, queer, magic

Ember Eternal by Chlore Neill
Romantasy, thief with secret magic, court intrigue/imperial politics

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Kremphotlz
Romantasy, plant witch and grumpy alchemist must save their small town from a magical plague

The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers
Romantasy, disgraced bookseller restores a magical bookshop and enters dark underworld of dark ink magic and shady collectors

Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood
Memoir

Cher: The Memoir, Part Two

The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation by Jim Clyburn
Memoir

Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore by Ashley D. Farmer
Biography of woman who helped found modern Black nationalism and who led the fight for reparations

We Did OK, Kid by Anthony Hopkins
Memoir

Star of the Show: My Life on Stage by Dolly Parton
Memoir

Bread of Angels by Patti Smith
Memoir

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke
Autobiography

Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams
History, the role of Black-owned bookstores in Black political movements throughout U.S. history

Thirst Trap by Gráinne O'Hare
Literary fiction, queer, friendship, moving from late 20s to early 30s

Where There's Room for Us by Hayley Kiyoko
Queer YA romance in reimagined queernorm Victorian England

The Dramatic Life of Jonah Penrose by Robyn Green
Queer romance, Red White and Royal Blue but in the London theater scene

As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel
Queer romantasy, sapphic, witch and demon caught in game across multiple lifetimes

Petty Lies by Sulmi Bak, translated by Sarah Lyo
Horror, epistolary, four characters locked in a cycle of vengeance

December

The Snake-Eater by T Kingfisher
Fantasy, contemporary, horror, woman leaves the city to live in her late aunt’s house, an ancient god comes to collect on aunt’s unfulfilled promise

The Birdwater by Jacquelyn Mitchard
Literary fiction, journalist investigates a former classmate who is accused of murder

The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick
Magical realism, magical coffee which grants you a wish, protagonist wishes to revisit her past so she can change the present

House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
Reprint of early novel - series of interconnected short stories

The Jaguar’s Roar by Micheliny Verunschk, translated by Juliana Barbassa
Historical fiction, parallel timelines - one is an Indigenous girl in the 1800s who is kidnapped, and another that is a modern woman’s search for her

Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy, short stories

Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana
Fantasy, woman must secretly join enemy’s magical school after her clan is killed, djinn, vengeance

We Will Rise Again edited by Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older
Spec fic, short stories, essays, protest, resistance, hope, interviews

The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson
Paranormal romance, wolf shifter, Christmas, contemporary

Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert
Dark romance, Hera/Zeus, Greek retelling, spicy

The Dark is Descending by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Third in romantasy trilogy

The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World by Tilar J. Mazzeo
History, Gold Rush–era, maritime adventure, Mary Ann Patten - first woman captain of a merchant ship

Galapagos by Fátima Vélez, translated by Hannah Kauders
Weird fiction, queer, group of artists who are dying of AIDS embark on a surreal final voyage through the Galapagos Islands

Song of Ancient Lovers by Laura Restrepo, translated by Caro de Robertis
Fantasy, retelling, mythical love story, Queen of Sheba and King Solomon

Cape Fever by Nadia Davids
Horror, gothic, psychological, historical, 1920s, maid finds herself entangled with the spirits of a decaying manor, secrets

An Anthology of Rural Stories by Writers of Color edited by Deesha Philyaw
Short stories

Winter Stories by Ingvild Rishøi
Short stories

Secrets of the First School by TL Huchu
Final Edinburgh Nights book

Better in Black: Ten Stories of Shadowhunter Romance by Cassandra Clare
Short stories

The Happiness Collector by Crystal King
Spec fic, a historian’s dream job in Italy takes a dark turn when she discovers her employers aren’t human

The Last Vampire by Romina Garber
YA dark fantasy, boarding school, Pride and Prejudice meets Crave

The Library of Fates by Margot Harrison
Romantasy, two former classmates race to find a rare book that can foretell your future if you confess a secret from your past

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Cheating Death by Maxie Dara
Cozy fantasy mystery, when a killer targets her brother, a grim reaper risks everything to save him

Romantasy Cocktails by Jassy Davis
Cooking

A Steep and Savage Path by JJA Harwood
Romantasy, vampires, dark romance, enemies to lovers, journey to the underworld

We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark
Romantasy, Ancient Rome, Rome-antasy, vampires, slow burn, magic creatures, gods

An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole
Fantasy, dark academia, magic university, secret society

Murder in Manhattan by Julie Mulhern
Mystery, historical, female reporter solving crimes in the glamorous world of the rich and famous in 1920s Manhattan

Her Time Traveling Duke by Bryn Donovan
Romantasy, time travel, grumpy-sunshine, love spells brings a Regency duke to modern times

Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Paranormal romance, two people literally haunted by their exes

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L.M. Chilton
Mystery, funny, 90s serial killer, TikTok true crime investigator

Twin Tides by Hien Nguyen
YA horror, long-lost twin sisters unravel the mystery behind their mother's disappearance

Ep 436 - Most Anticipated for November & December + THE LIBRARIANS!

Brea and Mallory recommend horror novels with human monsters for Halloween! Plus they interview Glasser favorite Alma Katsu about her new book FIEND. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

GreenChef
www.greenchef.com/50GLASSES
CODE: 50GLASSES

IngramSpark
www.ingramspark.com/learnmore

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

Alma Katsu
Fiend

Books Mentioned -

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li

Strange Houses by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion

The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia

Lakewood by Megan Giddings

Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

A Better World by Sarah Langan

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

Gather the Daughters by Jeannie Melamed

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, translated by John E. Woods

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White

The Taker by Alma Katsu

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman

Ep 435 - Human Monsters + Alma Katsu!

Brea and Mallory discuss how specific writing styles can make or break a book. Plus, they solve a reader problem about reading in public, and recommend novels about banned books. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsors -

Factor Meals
www.factormeals.com
CODE: GLASSES50OFF

IngramSpark
www.ingramspark.com/learnmore

 

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

Books Mentioned -

Sister, Sinner by Claire Hoffman

Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

Ep 434 - How to Find the Perfect Writing Style for Your Brain

Brea and Mallory tick off another box on the 2025 Reading Glasses Challenge: read an epistolary book! Plus, they discuss the change in Libby’s suspend hold system that has Glassers in a tizzy, and solve a reader problem about wrist pain. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!

Reading Glasses Merch

Recommendations Store

The Reading Glasses Book!

Sponsor -

GreenChef
www.greenchef.com/50GLASSES
CODE: 50GLASSES

Links -

Reading Glasses Facebook Group

Reading Glasses Goodreads Group

Wish List

Newsletter

Libro.fm

To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!
www.maximumfun.org/join

Books Mentioned - 

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Death of an Author by Nnedi Okorafor

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker
 

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall

Ep 442 - Yearly Reading Wrap Up + 2026 Challenge Reveal!

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