Reading Glasses Ep 456 – Most Anticipated for March and April!

Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara
Date: April 2, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Mallory and Brea dive into their most anticipated book releases for March and April 2026. Each host shares thoughtful picks across genres, highlighting horror, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, and more, with particular attention to titles sure to appeal to bookish listeners ("the Glassers"). The episode also features practical bookish advice, notable listener feedback, memorable banter, and characteristic enthusiasm for the reading community.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

Current Reads ([00:27]–[04:30])

• Brea:
  • Coffin Moon by Keith Rossman
    • Pacific Northwest, 1970s setting
    • Vietnam vet protagonist raising his niece
    • "A vampire walks in and things go wild."
    • Stephen King vibes, character exploration
    • “It’s a great character exploration so far. And yeah, I’m really loving it.” – Brea [02:17]
• Mallory:
  • When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margaret Verbel
    • Cherokee horse diver, Nashville 1920s
    • Historical fiction with ghostly elements
    • “It’s very rich... just so much history and so much. So many facts and like, it really is just a rich book and I’m really, really enjoying it.” – Mallory [04:13]

Bookish Tips & Listener Feedback ([04:37]–[07:18])

• Libby Tips for Novellas:

  • Use audiobook length filters (less than 4 hours) to find novellas on Libby [06:17]
  • “That’s a really hot tip.” – Mallory [05:02]

• Bookstore Browsing for Small Books:

  • Try poetry, plays, and graphic novels for short reads
  • “If you want to grab a poetry collection, first of all, not many words on the page. You know it’s going to be short.” – Bria [06:00]

• Wheelhouse Example:

  • “Creepy families, bonus points if they live in a creepy house... Found family and queer joy.” – Laura via Brea [06:53]

Community & Maximum Fun Drive Info ([07:20]–[08:45])

• Brea’s Film Festival Announcements: Details on screenings for her film "Grind"
• Upcoming Maximum Fun Drive:
  • Encouragement to join, support, and send in ‘crazy’ challenge ideas for the annual event
  • “This is the time of the year we beg for your money and we do crazy shit.” – Bria [08:02]
  • Alluding to special livestreams and perks for supporters

Main Segment: Most Anticipated Books for March ([12:24]–[28:12])

Featuring curated picks, genre diversity, and parade of memorable book blurbs.

Shared Pick

• Wolfworm by T. Kingfisher
  • Historical horror, 1899 North Carolina
  • “She finds out he’s been doing some weird experiments. And all I know is that there’s monstrous maggots and I am so excited.” – Mallory [15:01]

Brea’s Picks

• Trace Elements by Joe Walton & Ada Palmer (Nonfiction Conversations on SFF) [15:51]
• Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich (Short stories, fantasy/indigenous themes) [18:10]
• I Love You, Don’t Die by Jade Song (Contemporary, magical realism, death-obsessed protagonist) [20:36]
• Wretch or the Unbecoming of Porcelain Caw by Eric LaRocca (Tech gothic, grief, support groups) [23:31]
• Westward Women by Alice Martin (Women drawn supernaturally to the Pacific Ocean) [25:38]

Mallory’s Picks

• Turn Off the Light by Jackie Walters (Haunted house + beach read, dual timeline) [16:46]
• The Keeper by Tana French (Small town Irish mystery, family feuds) [19:07]
• Ruby Falls by Jen Phillips (1920s Chattanooga, murder in underground waterfall caves) [21:54]
• Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran (Queer, 1920s boarding school, supernatural) [24:22]
• The Geomagician by Jennifer Mendula (Victorian fossil hunter + baby pterodactyl, romantasy) [26:45]

Most Anticipated Books for April ([29:05]–[43:34])

Shared Pick

• The Photonic Effect by Mike Chen
  • Space opera by fan-favorite, coming soon on the show [29:12]
  • “Mike Chen is one of the best ever authors when it comes to writing amazing characters in a sci fi space.” – Mallory [29:44]

Brea’s Picks

• The Radiant Dark by Alexandra Oliva (Arrival meets Wild Dark Shore, family/alien contact) [30:12]
• Ms. Mabel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Divorced housewife, cooking school, mystery) [32:55]
• Mocha by Monica Kim (Korean voyeurism crisis, horror/thriller) [35:50]
• Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (Dual timeline, haunted house, memory/ghosts) [38:11]
• Death Meets Cute (Fantasy, villain protagonist, reanimates orc baker, cozy romance) [40:28]

Mallory’s Picks

• Honor and Heresy by Max Francis (Gothic horror romance, rivals in a haunted library) [31:21]
• The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon (Sentient Roomba’s journey, cozy sci-fi) [34:05]
  • “This is just the Brave Little Toaster.” – Mallory [34:59]
• Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stevens (Romantasy/horror in New Orleans, vampires, werewolves) [37:09]
• Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh (Magical realism, sapphic romance, secret world for affairs) [39:12]
• Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen (Sports romance, plus-size heroine, small town return) [41:46]
  • “You know I love a sports romance. So this is a contemporary sports romance about football, has a plus size female main character and it has one of my favorite things, which is coming home to a small town.” – Mallory [41:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “A vampire walks into a bar and things go wild.” – Brea [02:02]
• “If you love a situation where someone gets hired and they’re like, what happened to my predecessor?” – Mallory [15:01]
• “You know, I love a woman who’s never felt more alive.” – Brea [22:47]
• “This sounds like a total Bria book. Also sounds like something you would pick up too, Mallory.” – Brea on Wretch [23:31]
• “[I’m] the queen of haunted houses.” – Mallory [17:46]
• “I love a little guy. We have a little guy.” – Mallory on The Geomagician [27:03]
• “There’s so many [books] we are scratching the surface here.” – Bria [26:36]

How to Find Recommendations/List

• Extensive show notes with Mallory’s “bespoke little descriptions” for all discussed and extra books:
  “For the love of all that is good in this world, look at the show notes. There is just a huge list.” – Mallory [13:33]

Episode Tone

• Warm, supportive, nerdy, high-energy, and playful with characteristic tangents and seamless partnership.
• The hosts display both deep literary knowledge and a knack for accessible, inclusive recommendations.

Useful Timestamps

• Listener Feedback and Tips: [04:37]–[08:45]
• March Books Segment: [12:24]–[28:12]
• April Books Segment: [29:05]–[43:34]

For More

• Contact: readingglassespodcastmail.com
• Instagram: @readingglassespodcast
• Full show notes and lists: Look up the episode page on maximumfun.org

“Thanks for listening and thanks for reading.”