Reading Glasses – Episode 457

Episode Title: Introduction to the Show + Retired Book Hall of Fame!
Date: April 9, 2026
Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara

Episode Overview

This episode serves as the ultimate starting point for new and old listeners alike—a guided tour to the Reading Glasses podcast. Brea and Mallory break down the show’s mission, explain their long-standing inside jokes, introduce their bookish philosophies and podcast structure, and update the prestigious "Retired Book Hall of Fame." The episode is a celebration of community, inclusiveness, and book joy, geared at all types of readers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Reading Glasses?

• Purpose: A "reading show" (not a book review show) designed to help listeners enhance their reading lives—more joy, less pressure, no guilt or shame about what or how much you read.
• Tagline: "Our mission is to help you read better. Not more. Not faster. Just better." (13:32)
• Format:
  • Listener feedback segment
  • Main segment (reading tips, deep dives, discussions on reading problems, etc.)
  • Rotating segments (book recommendations, reader problems, book tech tests)
• Inclusivity: Open to all readers—whether you read one book a year or a hundred.
• Genres: Hosts lean sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, but the show is inclusive of all genres and encourages discovery.

2. Meet Your Hosts

Brea Grant

• Filmmaker, director, writer, former actress (notable for "Heroes" and "Dexter")
• Dog and cat lover, based in LA, obsessed with chocolate (with a hilarious anecdote about melting chocolate at SXSW—20:04)
• Writes in genres, comics, and short fiction

Mallory O’Meara

• Full-time author of nonfiction (focus on women’s history & horror)
• Lives in LA, collector of books, records, bourbon, and fountain pens
• Lover of powerlifting, hockey, monster movies, heavy metal
• Notoriously bad at keeping food in her fridge (the “Shrek’s fridge” joke—23:04)
• Swears frequently (explicit podcast!)

Quotable Moment:

"Bria's the snack one. I am the drink one. I'm a big bourbon and beer person. I hate food. I eat like a divorced dad." – Mallory (23:22)

3. Signature Podcast Concepts

A. Core Philosophies & Terms

• Wheelhouse:
  Subjects or tropes that always attract you to a book

  • Example (Brea): “Science books about the brain, sci-fi about weird technology, apocalyptic journeys.” (28:34)
  • Example (Mallory): “Haunted houses, werewolves, memoirs about grief.” (28:59)

• Doghouse:
  Subjects or tropes you actively avoid (but might come back to!)

  • Mallory’s classic: "I hate a love triangle. ...If there’s a second love interest, I’m gonna run them over with my car. Just pick one." (29:33)

• Read Doorways (from librarian Nancy Pearl):
  The element that draws you into a book: Plot, Character, Setting, or Language

  • Hosts discuss how, for example, two vampire books could have the same wheelhouse but different primary doorways (plot vs. character driven, etc.) (32:15)

• Book Dumping / Sunken Page Fallacy:
  Strong encouragement to put down books you aren’t enjoying—at any point, no matter how far in (“You’re gonna die someday. Dump it!” – Mallory, 33:27)

• Bria vs. Mallory Readers:

  • Bria: e-reader, spoilers-okay, color-organized shelves, can fall asleep reading
  • Mallory: print book collector, avoids spoilers, genre-organized, reads straight through the night

B. Long-Running In-Jokes

• “Sarahs”: Many listeners genuinely named Sarah; became shorthand for glasser community members
• Hot Book Tip & Slide Whistle: A talk-show parody leading to receiving (and using) real slide whistles
• Honkers: Books over 500 pages (“That’s a real honker”—35:54)
• Trash Babies: Jerks and bigots in the bookish world (“it’s someone acting like a baby who belongs in a trash can”—36:24)

C. Community & Membership

• Discord Server: For supporters; “the hip, happening place” (15:47)
• Yearly Reading Glasses Challenge: Five book types + five activities, designed to improve and expand one’s reading life (16:57)
• Retired Book Hall of Fame: Frequently recommended books are ‘retired’ to make way for new favorites (see below)

4. Listener Feedback Spotlights

• Audiobooks & Hobbies Hack:
  Megan shares that audiobooks finally clicked for her when combined with tactile hobbies (knitting, puzzles), letting her complete more projects and books (05:44)

• Library Holds Management:
  Amanda reframes her approach by letting holds “wash over her” and only buying books after they’ve truly been favorites (08:09)

• Library Conferences & Wheelhouse:
  Jean encourages non-members to attend library association conferences, and shares a wheelhouse matching hosts’ tastes: “Haunted houses, cults, Edinburgh, strong female friendships, dark academia.” (09:08)

5. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Mallory on Diversity:

  “If you have a problem with us talking about a book by a trans author, I really think maybe you should go walk into the sea and not come back out again.” (24:27)

• Explaining the Podcast Structure:

  “This is not a book review show… our mission is to help you read better. Not more, not faster, but better.” (13:16–13:32)

• Retiring Recurring Jokes:
  Discussion about the evolution of the “Reading Glasses Glasses Challenge” name, with escalating use of the word “glasses” until common sense prevailed (17:44)

6. Retired Book Hall of Fame – 2026 Update (37:36)

Old List Highlights:

• Priest Daddy
• Wayward Children Series (esp. Every Heart a Doorway)
• A Head Full of Ghosts
• Magic for Liars
• Samantha Irby books
• Cersei
• Exit West
• My Best Friend’s Exorcism
• Many more

Newly Retired Books:

• Shady Hollow
• The Adventures of Mina Al-Sarafi
• Mexican Gothic
• Psalm for the Wild-Built
• Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies
• Light from Uncommon Stars
• A Letter to the Luminous Deep
• Legends and Lattes

"If you’re looking to see if this show is for you, maybe go look at this retired list. If you like them, you might be a Glasser." – Mallory (38:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:07 – 01:22: Opening; what Bria & Mallory are reading
• 05:36 – 09:16: Listener feedback and tips
• 12:05 – 18:26: Intro to Reading Glasses: history, mission, show structure
• 18:26 – 24:35: Host bios, signature traits, and fun bad food/accidental chocolate stories
• 25:10 – 36:35: Explanations of core terms ("wheelhouse", "doghouse", "read doorways", etc.), recurring jokes
• 36:35 – 39:11: The Retired Book Hall of Fame; advice for joining the community
• 39:11 – End: Community thanks and wrap-up

Final Thoughts

This episode is the definitive explainer for Reading Glasses—what it is, who it’s for, and why the show has built such a strong, welcoming bookish community. Whether you’re a Sarah, a Bria, or a Mallory, you’ll find valuable tips, learn the show’s foundational terminology, and get the inside jokes and culture that make Reading Glasses so beloved.

"We are not trying to set huge number goals every year. We're trying to help you fall back in love—or fall in love for the first time—with books." – Mallory (13:32)

"For us, it doesn't matter if you read a hundred books a year, or one book a year. You are welcome here, no matter what genre you read or how you read it." – Bria (24:38)

For More

• Join the Discord or newsletter via links in the show notes
• Submit your own feedback and reading stories: readingglassespodcast@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!