Reading Glasses

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.

  1. 3 days ago

    Ep 484 - Most Anticipated Books for October!

    Brea and Mallory name their most anticipated books for October 2026! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com! Reading Glasses Merch Recommendations Store The Reading Glasses Book!  Links - Reading Glasses Facebook Group Reading Glasses Goodreads Group Newsletter To join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership! Join us here!  Books Mentioned -  Decomposition Book by Sara Van Os   Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann   OCTOBER   Partita by Barbara KingsolverHistorical fiction, art, music, love   Victorious by V.E. SchwabFantasy, Villains #3The Witch by Freida McFaddenThriller, witchcraft, haunted house, MassachusettsA Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. MaasACOTAR #6Reap & Sow by Charlotte B. PlumbGothic romantasy, demon bargain, slow burn, magic   Peck & Peck by Bonnie GarmusHistorical fiction, books about books, poetry publishingAs You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky ChambersSci fi, queer, found family, romance, what it means to be humanThe Museum of Modern Love by Mariko TurkYA, rom com, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art   Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason RekulakSupernatural thriller, woman petsitting a cat with a mysterious secret, illustrated   To Dream in Darkness by Ann LiangRomantasy, historical, China, two gods striking a bargainBroken Rival by Tessa BaileyRomance, sci fi, YA, time travelOne of My Patients is a Vampire by Abigail MoyerGothic thriller, romance, vampires, horrorOff the Reservation by Stephen Graham JonesSequel to Only Good Indians   Once, Again, Always by Amanda GayleRomance, second chance, memory loss, rivals to loversUndone by Peyton CorinneRomance, second chance, hockey, angsty, coach’s daughterLife Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger Sci fi, time travel, romance, time traveling as a diseaseMortal Things by Marie LuYA romantasy, immortals, rivalries, mythologyScorpion Deep by C.G. DrewsQueer horror, gothic romance, gay, eldritch godsThe Sixth Faction by Veronica RothYA dystopian romantasy, new Divergent seriesThe Keeper by Ana HuangSports romance, soccer, grumpy sunshineSolace House by Will MacleanHorror, historical, dark academia, gothic, mystery, weird Victorian mansionDive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley ArmstrongHorror, sci fi, mystery, Final Destination meets Cabin at the End of the World   Bad Words by Rioghnach RobinsonRomance, books about books, author and critic who ruined his careerPublic Access Afterworld by Jane SchoenbrunQueer horror, mysterious TV realm, conspiracy, thriller   It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally CarterHoliday romance, mystery, Christmas, murder, slow burn, forced proximityThe Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-SpiresHistorical mystery, funny, murder of a moonshiner in a small townThe Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher BuehlmanBlacktongue #2  Trust No One by Mary BurtonThriller, woman’s return to creepy family estate, murdererPlease Enjoy Your Stay by Tara GoedjenThriller, true crime, glamorous European castle-turned hotel, family secrets, murdered family memberThe House Built on Alligator Bones by Sophia HuneycuttHorror, Southern Gothic, sudden death of her mother causes woman to learn of long lost rich relatives in a weird Florida mansion/alligator farm   Mothsblood by Lynn D. JungRomantasy, gothic, dark academia, queer, sapphic, alchemy   Rottenheart by Kat DunnQueer horror, sapphic, historical, retelling of Hamlet, gothic   The Tarot Trials by Katee RobertRomantasy, queer, tarot, magic, a deadly competitionQueen of Lombard Street by Lisa KleypasHistorical fiction, love, mystery, Victorian England, financial corruptionMissing Molly by Natalie BarelliThriller, journalist trying to hide her secrets, cold case murder of young girlWhale Harbor by Mary Beth KeaneHistorical fiction, Ireland, family drama, 1960s, huge family, family sagaThe Lost Guardian by Natalia HernandezRomantasy, mythology, New Adult, Peru, archaeology, lost tomb, mysterious mapHallowed Bones by Lucy SmokeRomantasy, witches, dark romance, why choose, secret societiesRoyal Witch by Philippa GregoryHistorical fantasy, Britain, witches, court intrigue, historical reimaginingThe Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg AndersonFantasy, books about books, librarian who discovers a hidden room of unfinished memoriesThis Shattered Tempest by Thea GuanzonThe Hurricane Wars #3It Ends Here by Heidi PerksThriller, crime, killer in a small seaside townA Married Little Christmas by Abby JimenezRomance, Christmas, three novellas, illustrated, recipes   Succubus: A Love Story by Kate FoxParanormal romance, succubus death doula falls for doctor   Mystery Play by Elizabeth KostovaHistorical horror, dark academia, mystery, Dracula   Monster in the Mirror by Janasha PrabhuHorror, thriller, serial killer legacy, small townThe Throwaways by Greta KellyThriller, multiple generations of women, spies, creepy dollsAnother Name for Red by Amber Blaeser-WardzalaHorror, mystery, woman searching for her missing sister on reservationThe Haunted Librarian by Auralee WallaceCozy romantasy, paranormal, lonely librarian finding love, ghostsHear the Dead by Ann Davila CardinalHorror, thriller, music, woman who can hear the voices of murder victims   Miss Wolcott’s Ghost by Louise PennyChief Inspector Armand Gamache #21Find Me Where It Ends by Cassandra KhawQueer horror novella, fantasy, black hound of deathThe Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories by Alix E. HarrowFantasy short storiesDark Reading Matter by Jasper FfordeThursday Next #8Killing the Boogeyman by Richard ChizmarThe Boogeyman #3What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-BonneYA dystopian horror, sci fi, teen tour guides for the VoidLove You to Death by Jenna LevineParanormal romance, woman and jaded sexy grim reaperDeath Devours All by Kieran DimitriQueer thriller, gay, dark academia, mystery, historical, 1990s AppalachiaUntil the Last Light Goes Out by Courtney GouldYA queer thriller, sapphic, Miami, gothic, abandoned summer resortWhen the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine DanielHorror, Appalachia, mystery, monsters, estranged siblings trapped in a convenience storeThe Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches by Katie OrtizHistorical fantasy, witches, Southern Gothic, post civil war Alabama, queerEntities to Lovers by Mallory MarloweParanormal romance, rival ghost guides, rom comIn the Shadow of Eight: Surviving the Reality of My Childhood by Collin GosselinNonfiction, memoir, reality TVThe Haunting of Lavender House by Natalie KikicHistorical horror, Croatian folklore, gothic, Adriatic Sea, multigenerational sagaThis B Just Won’t Die! by Tanya PellHorror, feminist slasher, funny, former scream queen pursued by serial killer impersonating the villain from her filmsMy Violet Muse by Rosie SycamoreQueer historical horror, sapphic, art, murder, revengeCamera Stays On by Tylor PaigeHorromance, slasher, dark romance, filmmaking  Portrait of a Haunting by Madison Tyler NelsonHorror, witches, mystery, woman who can see ghosts, murder linked to her pastYour Beloved Remains by Quinn ConnorQueer horror, sapphic, dark academia, obsession, forgery, murderThe Scarlet Ball by Nghi VoQueer gothic fantasy, horror, historical, ballrooms and bloodshedUnder the Orchard’s Spell by Ann AdamsContemporary romantasy, woman reunites with first love to solve mystery of strange occurrences in her family’s pear orchard, magicLuna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie OrringerQueer literary fiction, infidelity, power of storytelling, identityThe Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo JohnsonThriller, murder, racism, Atlanta, police corruption, conspiracyTruth to Power: A Luke Cage Marvel Crime Novel by S.A. CosbyMystery, superheroes, does what it says on the tinIt Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda ZellerIndigenous horror, folklore, monsters, Arctic  Venus, Vanishing by Rebecca BirrellQueer historical fiction, sapphic, Berlin, 1920s, art   The Tulip Poplars by Silas HouseQueer historical fiction, gay, 1900s, race, class, small Kentucky town   The Chain House by J.H. MarkertHorror, thriller, cults, books about books, mass murderer reveals before execution reveals that he is a bestselling authorLethal Kiss by Taylor GrotheHorror, sapphic, Jennifer’s Body meets Ninth House, dark academiaThe Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern world by Nathaniel PhilbrickNonfiction, historyTrigger Happy by Meredith TrappRomance, romcom, small town, two rival contract killers hired for the same jobSavage Lake by Nick MedinaIndigenous horror, mother and son travel to a dilapidated cabin in the words from her pastThe Finalist by Faith GladwinQueer gothic thriller, horror, Black Swan meets The Haunting of Hill HouseNever Been Tamed by Corinne MichaelsContemporary romance, cowboy romance, fake dating, sexy doctorWhere There’s Smoke by Rachel Louise AdamsColdren Country #2, horrorEvery Story is a Love Story by Imbolo MbueLiterary fiction, love, healing from grief   Crash Course by Piper LawsonContemporary romance, F1, slow burn, family secretsKnight of the God King by Lauren BlackwoodYA romantasy, lady knight and her handsome squire, court intrigue, evil kingThe Dues and Don’ts of Magic by Delemhach Cozy romantasy, The Spellshop meets Legends and LattesThe Pools by E. LockhartYA contemporary romantasy, small New England town, shocking transformationQuaint Folk by Bitter KarellaQueer horror, folk horror, island town, Wicker Man meets The Twisted OnesNeedlemouth by K-Ming ChangHorror, vampires, gothic, three cousins forced to complete impossible task set by a demonTrunk No. 3 by Allie MillingtonMiddle grade fantasy, magic, correspondence, magical libraryGhost Me, Maybe by Manda CollinsContemporary romance, Halloween, forced proximity, librarian moves to small historic island library with a grumpy tenantFriends and Family by Natalie BaszileLiterary fiction, friendship, two best friends at odds over their beliefs on

  2. 10 Sept

    Ep 479 - September Most Anticipated Books! + Mike Chen!!

    Brea and Mallory name their most anticipated books of September! Plus, they interview Mike Chen about his debut YA novel! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com! Reading Glasses Merch Recommendations Store The Reading Glasses Book! Sponsor - ZocDocwww.zocdoc.com/GLASSESLinks - 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! Join us here!Mike ChenOf Sorcery and ScienceBooks Mentioned -The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. HackwithMurder Bimbo by Rebecca NovakHow the Story Always Ends by Wendy HeardSomeone Else’s Daughter by Andrea Stewart  SEPTEMBERThe Knave and the Moon by Rachel GilligRomantasy, sequel to The Knight and the MothExit Party by Emily St. John MandelLiterary sci fi, dystopian, time travelTrust Fall by Lynn PainterYA romance, contemporary, autumn, rom com, enemies to loversThe Witches of Cambridge by Alice HoffmanHistorical fantasy, witches, dark academia, 1950s BostonThe Wretched Divine by Adalyn GraceRomantasy, lady knight, demons, high fantasyTempest by Victoria AveyardHistorical romantasy, pirates, adventures, pirate queenMurder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy FoleyMystery in the Agatha Christie universe, cozy, Swiss AlpsGrim Tidings by B.K. BorisonParanormal romance, angel and reaper, enemies to lovers, grumpy/grumpyDead Beat by Leigh BardugoThird in Ninth House trilogyThreshing Day by Rebecca YarrosShort stories in the Empyrean universeTaipei Story by R.F. KuangLiterary fantasy, coming of age, summer, romance, TaipeiMorfran, Dark Lord Reformed by S.B. WestHigh fantasy, funny, romantasy, rebellion, found familyThe Pirate Queen by Ariel LawhonHistorical fiction, pirates, fantasy, Ireland, 16th centuryWe Chase Shadows by Richard OsmanMystery, sequel to We Solve MurdersBodies of Magic by Freya MarskeFantasy, dark academia, Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education, queerSometimes I Scare Myself by Jeneva RoseHorror short storiesThe True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha PhilyawLiterary, wife of a megachurch pastor’s secret comes to lightFree Falling by Lyla SageParanormal romance, haunted small town, fake relationshipHawk and Sparrow by Ayana GrayYA romantasy, mystery, magic, Gilded Age, historicalScion by James IslingtonSci fi thriller, cyberpunk, John Wick meets Blade RunnerIt’s Not What You Think by Clare MackintoshThriller, woman attempting to catch cheating husband finds him deadKiss Slay Replay by Rachel HarrisonHorror, time loop, serial killer, romanceUnder Story by Chloe BenjaminSci fi, romance, time travel, Antarctica, near futureA Time of Witches by Madeline MartinHistorical fantasy, witches, parallel timelinesAmerican Hagwon by Min Jin LeeHistorical fiction, family epic, Seoul, Sydney, CaliforniaReign by Bethan CroomeRomantasy, found family, forbidden love, magic, adventureMazywood by Tananarive DueHistorical horror, female rage, Black Hollywood, filmmaking, California mountainsThe Black Orchid by Loreth Anne WhiteThriller, murder on a cruise through Aegean SeaSophie, Standing There by Meg MasonLiterary fiction, mental health, books about books, lonelinessCursed City by Kate GoldenHarker Academy #2, romantasy, dark academiaBig Bad Wolf by Laurie GilmoreParanormal romance, small town, Little Red Riding Hood retellingBuried in the Woods Below by Daniel G. MillerThriller, psychological suspense, isolated setting, secrets, MinnesotaNightjars by Michael WehuntHorror, Memento meets Dracula, man caught for crimes he doesn’t rememberThe Commons by Rebecca IhimNew Adult romantasy, dystopian dark academiaSwitzy by Emma ClineLiterary fiction, aging man’s last pilgrimagePaper Ghosts by Sarah Addison AllenMagical realism, romance, ghosts, parallel timelines, 1970s, North CarolinaThe Sweetest Fiend by Raven KennedyDark romance, fae, enemies to lovers, Pied Piper retellingMidnight Curfew by Penelope DouglasQueer dark romance, MLM, enemies to lovers, rivals from opposing familiesProtocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body by Andrew D. HubermanNonfiction, science, self helpThe Pumpkin Bride by Fiona ButtercupCozy romantasy, autumnal, second chance romance, Shrek meets Princess Bride with pumpkinsPly by Hernan DiazSci fi, dystopia, far future, humans reinventing societyBlightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci PattersonYA sci fi, space, dystopia, intergalactic mission to an alien worldTrad Wife by Sarah LanganHorror, trad wife influencers, social media, journalist’s descent into evil world of influencingI Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie ReedHorromance, office worker accidentally witnesses her hot boss performing an exorcismThe Three Graces of Pearl Street by Elizabeth Wellington RollinsHistorical fiction, Italy, family saga, three Italian American generations of womenHarbinger by Geneva LeeNew Adult romantasy, magic, mythology, magicBones by K.L. SpeerDark romantasy, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, magicThe Disappearers by Marlon JamesHistorical fiction, 1980s Jamaica, murder of a gay manThe Siren by Tomi AdeyemiYA fantasy, dark academia, rage, yearning, woman’s darknessUngrateful Immigrant Daughter: A Memoir from the Child of a Mail-Order Bride by Katya SuvorovaNonfictionCrown of Crimson and Crows by Tessa HaleRomantasy, why choose, witches, vampires, enemies to loversLove Felt Like This by Julie OliviaRomance, small town, grumpy rock star + sunshine children’s show creature working togetherEspiritu by Aiden ThomasSequel to Cemetery Boys!!!Kneel Before Me by Lindsay StraubeKiss of the Basilisk book #3The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate WestburyHistorical romance, mystery, post WWII Oxford University, undercover operativesEmpire by Sabaa TahirHeir Duology #2Doomsdate by Laura Piper LeeHorromance, rom com, zombie apocalypseI Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily ZinnikasHorror, invisible entity under a bed, return to small townFallow by Sarah AndersonSci fi, funny, young woman signs up to be the world’s first in-house corporate surrogateOur Cut of Salt by Deena HelmHorror, haunted house, three generations of Palestinian women deal with haunting in ancestral homeWe Already Dug the Grave by Emma C. WellsThriller, Southern Gothic, Sharp Objects with a dash of Practical MagicKiss of the Black Flame by Helene ScheuererRomantasy, books about books, magic, found family, forced proximityBlacktail by Scott HawkinsDark fantasy, a wolf sets out on a journey of revengeThe Paradox Club by Charlie LovettSci fi mystery, secret society, woman uncovers truth about her father’s death that could alter course of historyThe Velvet Knife by Maureen JohnsonTruly Devious #6The Lost Spectacular by Zoe DuhaimeFantasy, romance, Night Circus meets Midnight LibraryLive Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made by Kristin Kobes Du MezNonfictionThe Dark Lord’s Guide to Honeymooning (and Other Acts of Tyranny) by Tiffany HuntGuides to Villainy and Love #2, romantasyWildwood by Ashley WooMystery, horror, gothic, family estate with secrets, creepy forestThe Birthing Tree by Amanda PetersHistorical fiction, family, legacy, small Nova Scotia town, Indigenous traditionsBeyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea by Kathleen KaufmanHorror, fantasy, gothic, mystery, microbial biology, witchcraftSo It Grows by Andie BurkeRomance, cozy, small town, business rivals to lovers, plant shopYou’re the One That I Haunt by Katie JungParanormal romance, woman teams up with hot ghost to save her childhood crush from a curseThe Strangers by Naomi AldermanSci fi, grief, weird new animal spreading across AmericaA Snake Among Swans by Hannah KanerQueer romantasy, sapphic, epic fantasy, magic, warring kingdoms, female rageIf Not You by Ellen O’CloverRomance, rival copywriters, forced proximityThe Thief and the Traitor Bride by V.L. BovalinoRomantasy set in the world of The Second Death of LockeThe Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickleMystery, reluctant psychic, tarot, cold caseBaldur’s Gate 3: Astarion by T. KingfisherHorror fantasy, vampiresIn the Dark by Shain RoseDark romance, secret society, enemies to lovers, ultra-private billionaire enclave   The Sisters of Crimson House by Melissa Anderson SweazyHorror, gothic, mystery, ghosts, psychic, haunted house, evil entityIn the Woods They Wait by Carrie Lee SouthHorror, thriller, park ranger obsesses with case of missing child that mirrors disappearance of her brother  Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latine Horror edited by Cynthia PelayoHorror short storiesWitch Daughter by Tanaz BhathenaHistorical fantasy, retelling of Tahmineh, Persian mythology, witchesAnger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth AcevedoYA, novel in verse, mental health EVEN MORE BOOKS HERE!!  Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinglasses

About

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.

More From Maximum Fun

You Might Also Like