Ep 397 - How To Write a Book Review

Summary

Reading Glasses Podcast Summary
Episode 397: How To Write a Book Review
Release Date: February 6, 2025

Hosts: Brea Grant and Mallory O'Meara

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Introduction

In this episode of Reading Glasses, hosts Brea Grant and Mallory O'Meara delve into the art of writing effective book reviews. They explore the challenges reviewers face, share actionable tips, and engage with listener feedback. Additionally, they review a futuristic ebook projector and offer tailored book recommendations that align with unique reader preferences.

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Current Reads

Bria Grant and Mallory O'Meara kick off the episode by discussing their current book selections, providing listeners with a glimpse into their literary interests.

• Bria's Pick: Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (00:35):

  Bria shares her enthusiasm for Death of the Author, highlighting its epistolary style and the intertwining narratives of the protagonist and her family. She notes, “…the protagonist is disabled and Nigerian, and her family is judgmental…she goes and writes this book. And it's interesting to see what happens because…her whole family's being interviewed about it” (02:00).

• Mallory's Pick: The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig (02:05):

  Mallory recommends Chuck Wendig’s latest work, drawing parallels to House of Leaves with its dual timelines and haunting mysteries. She emphasizes its compelling nature, admitting, “I almost missed a goal in my hockey game last night because I was reading” (02:32).

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Listener Feedback

The hosts take time to acknowledge and appreciate listener interactions, showcasing the community aspect of the podcast.

• BDL’s Book Nook Initiative (04:19):

  A listener named BDL shares their workplace's creation of a "book nook" — a collaborative space akin to a mini-library. Mallory expresses admiration, saying, “It is truly a brilliant idea… a magical place to spend time” (05:11).

• Sweet Jean’s Inquiry About Harmful Content (05:11):

  Sweet Jean raises concerns about a book containing a harmful baby formula recipe. Bria, leveraging her librarian expertise, explains the "musty method" for weeding out such content, ensuring listeners understand the importance of accuracy and relevance in library collections (05:27).

• Finley’s Enthusiasm for the "Honker" Concept (06:20):

  Finley expresses joy over the podcast’s use of the term "honker," highlighting how it has inspired her reading habits. Mallory remarks, “It cracks me up” (06:43).

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Main Discussion: How To Write a Book Review

The core of the episode centers on providing strategies for crafting meaningful book reviews, inspired by a listener named Julia who struggles with balancing personal impressions and critical analysis.

Julia's Conundrum (12:44)

Julia, a librarian with a degree in English, admits difficulty in writing balanced reviews, especially for books she feels neutral about. She often rants when disliking a book but is blank when trying to articulate positive or indifferent feelings. She seeks advice on transforming her intuitive reactions into coherent, critical evaluations.

Tips for Writing Private Reviews (14:05)

Bria and Mallory discuss approaches for those writing reviews for personal use, such as journals or reading logs.

• Focus on Personal Impressions (15:04):

  Mallory advises, “Think about the things that did occur to you while you were reading… I love the surprise, or I love the twist” (15:04). Emphasizing that personal experiences are valid foundations for a review.

• Utilize External Resources:

  Bria suggests reading interviews or author discussions to recall why a book resonated, helping solidify thoughts that might have faded. She shares, “I was thinking about, like, why did I like that book?… It reminds me of all the reasons that I actually really enjoyed” (15:56).

• Record Emotional Responses (16:48):

  Mallory recommends noting how a book made you feel post-reading, such as feeling hopeful or happy. This method captures immediate emotional reactions without overcomplicating the review process.

Tips for Writing Public Reviews (17:34)

When crafting reviews intended for a broader audience, considering the reader's perspective becomes paramount.

• Content Warnings and Specific Details (17:35):

  Bria emphasizes the importance of informing potential readers about content that might affect their decision, such as themes of violence or slow pacing.

• Cawpile System (20:27):

  Introduced by Bria, the Cawpile system breaks down reviews into categories: Characters, Atmosphere, Writing, Plot, Intrigue, Logic, and Enjoyment. This structured approach helps reviewers articulate specific elements that stood out, enhancing the clarity and usefulness of the review.

• Cultural Relevance and Audience Targeting (19:06):

  Mallory highlights the significance of situating the book within current cultural contexts, helping potential readers understand its relevance. She notes, “It's like, why would someone like this… where it falls into the cultural zeitgeist” (19:19).

Encouraging Authenticity in Reviews (21:06)

Both hosts stress the importance of staying true to one's reading experience without forcing analytical frameworks that don't resonate personally. "Don't make it so hard on yourself," Mallory advises, encouraging reviewers to focus on what genuinely engages them about a book (21:07).

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Book Tech Review: Akio A KIYO WiFi Mini LED Projector

Transitioning from reviews, the hosts examine a futuristic gadget designed to enhance the reading experience.

• Product Overview (23:20):

  The Akio A KIYO WiFi Mini LED Projector is introduced as a compact device priced at $56 on Amazon. Bria showcases its ease of use, highlighting features like wireless connectivity and simple focus adjustments.

• User Experience (23:32 – 27:00):

  Both hosts share their attempts to set up and use the projector. Bria praises its functionality, stating, “You could literally do this in your bed, project it on your wall” (24:05). Mallory, however, encounters some setup challenges, humorously attributing the difficulties to her own tech-savviness rather than the device itself.

• Practical Applications:

  The projector is lauded for its versatility, suitable for reading, watching movies, and even projecting onto unconventional surfaces like ceilings. Mallory muses, “If you’re a person who… you don't have a pig TV, this might be a really good solution” (26:59).

• Final Verdict:

  Despite minor frustrations, both hosts agree that the projector is a valuable tool for enhancing the reading and viewing experience, awarding it a “five out of five pages” (25:36).

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Book Recommendations

Addressing a listener named Mary’s request, the hosts provide tailored book suggestions that align with her specific interests in protagonists belonging to unconventional subcultures.

• Bria's Recommendation: Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz (29:26):

  Bria recommends this sci-fi novel about time-traveling groups aiming to alter a dystopian future. She highlights its exploration of hidden subcultures, stating, “It has two subcultures that are hidden” (29:51).

• Mallory's Recommendation: Whip Smart by Melissa Febos (30:12):

  Mallory suggests this non-fiction memoir detailing her experiences as a dominatrix, providing an intimate look into a clandestine subculture. She praises Febos’ writing, mentioning, “It is wicked smart, wicked entertaining, wicked compelling” (30:20).

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Closing Remarks

Before wrapping up, the hosts remind listeners to support the podcast by subscribing and leaving reviews. They also promote their merchandise and upcoming events, fostering a sense of community and continued engagement.

• Support and Engagement (31:17):

  Mallory and Bria encourage listeners to rate and review the podcast, emphasizing its impact on reaching more readers and sustaining the show’s operations.

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Notable Quotes

• Bria Grant at [05:11]:
  “I pray that is never taken away.”

• Mallory O'Meara at [17:34]:
  “Did this book make me feel hopeful? Did this book like, was this book depressing as fuck?”

• Bria Grant at [15:56]:
  “If I was going to write notes about this to myself, I'd write unnamed narrator… sci-fi, romance.”

• Mallory O'Meara at [16:48]:
  “Did this book make me feel hopeful? Did this book like, was this book depressing as fuck?”

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Conclusion

Episode 397 of Reading Glasses offers a comprehensive exploration of writing book reviews, blending practical advice with personal anecdotes and interactive listener engagement. Bria and Mallory's insightful discussion equips listeners with the tools to articulate their reading experiences more effectively, whether for personal reflection or public sharing. The episode's blend of literary analysis, technology review, and community interaction underscores the hosts' commitment to enriching their audience's reading lives.

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Connect with Reading Glasses Podcast:

• Email: [e-mail]
• Instagram: @ReadingGlassesPodcast
• Merchandise: Available at the Void Merch store [link in show notes]

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Thank you for reading!
Maximum Fun – A worker-owned network of artist-owned shows supported directly by listeners.

Transcript

[Bria Grant]

Foreign.

[Mallory O'Meara]

You're listening to Reading Glasses, a show about book culture and literary life designed to help you read better. I'm author and book devourer Mallory O'Meara.

[Bria Grant]

And I'm Bria Grant, filmmaker and e reader. This episode, we're talking about how to write a good book review. Sometimes it's easier to write a bad one. We're telling you how to write a good one. Plus, we review a projector for ebooks. That's right. And we're in the future. And recommend books where the protagonist is part of a weird, unhurt, heard of random subculture.

[Mallory O'Meara]

But first, Bria, what are you reading?

[Bria Grant]

I am reading a book. We just literally talked about that. I said, I really want to read this book, and now I'm reading it. Here's the thing. You do an episode. Yep. You're like, these are the books I want to read and sometimes read them. And it's.

[Mallory O'Meara]

This is the hot follow up people are excited about.

[Bria Grant]

I'm reading Death of the Author by Nnedi, which I pre ordered. So I was very excited to get this. It just came out. It is. Wow. It's sort of epistolary. I'm only maybe like 15% of the way through it, but it's sort of epistolary. It's about this author who has been fired from her work. Her latest novel is rejected. She has to move back in with her family. Everything's not going well. And then she's like, I'm gonna start writing. I'm just, like, really into writing about robots. And I have, like, this robot idea. And then the other chapters where it's not about her are all about. All from the point of view of her family members and people who know her. And they're like, oh, I remember when she started doing this. Or she's always been like this. Or they tell a story about their lives or something. So it's a little bit epistolary. And then also, it's a book within a book because you get to read what she's writing.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Ooh.

[Bria Grant]

It's really fantastic. And it's just super well written. It is, yeah. The book within a book surprised me. That part I didn't expect.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I didn't know.

[Bria Grant]

We get to see.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We should put that on the reading glasses challenge next year. Book within a book.

[Bria Grant]

Yes, book within a book. And the protagonist is disabled and Nigerian, and her family is judgmental. It means no one wants to hire her. And so she. She goes and writes this book. And it's interesting to see what Happens because obviously it becomes a big deal because her whole family's being interviewed about it. What are you reading, Bri?

[Mallory O'Meara]

I'm reading such a good book.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, what are you reading?

[Mallory O'Meara]

It is the Staircase in the woods by Chuck Wendig, friend of the show.

[Bria Grant]

Good title.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. This is my book that I'm reading because of the title.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, nice.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I literally found out because I love Chuck. He's wonderful. I love his books. And I saw this, and I was like, all right, I don't need to know anything else. There's a staircase in the woods. I'm in.

[Bria Grant]

Great.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's so good. It is out in April. It's like, a little bit House of Leaves, a little bit it All Chuck Wendig.

[Bria Grant]

Nice.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's about. It's like a Getting the band back together book. So it's like, two timelines of what happened to this group of friends when they were teenagers and what happened when they got back together as adults. So when they were teenagers, they were all partying in the woods. There's four guys, one girl, and they find a staircase in the woods. And I won't tell you what happens, but something happens to one of them, and he's not around anymore. And then, like, 20 years later, they all get back together because there's another staircase in the woods, and the staircase has reappeared. And they all decide to. Some of them get tricked. Some of them decide to go back and see if they can find their friend. And it is, again, it's like, a little bit haunted house. Like, they end up getting into this weird place where, like, it's just room after room of strange things happening, and they're trying to figure out what happened in these rooms, trying to find their friend. But it's so. It's like, again, a little House of Leaves. But it's also, like, it feels like it because it's all these characters getting back together to, like, fix something that happened that they. That they think that they did. They're very ashamed that, like, they never went to look for him. They were too afraid of the staircase. And this is one of the. It's been a while since I've had a book where I'm like, should I cancel this meeting so I can keep reading? Like, I almost missed a goal in my hockey game last night because I was reading.

[Bria Grant]

Reading. Oh, nice.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's just. It's so compelling, and I. I just love it's. It's like scratching so many itches of, like, haunted house. Getting people back together. A mystery. You don't know what happened twin timeline. So you're super like as soon as things get a little bit, you know, interesting in one timeline, you switch to another. So you're so desperate to keep reading. Chuck is just one of the best horror authors. He's so good. And this is out in April. You should pre order it. It's going to be one of the big buzzy books. So that's the Staircase in the woods by Chuck Wendig.

[Bria Grant]

And mine is Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor Foreign.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So we want to take a moment to share some listener feedback. BDL writes in to say Dear Reading Glasses, I just want to let you know about a cool bookish thing happening at my work. A few months ago my work created a book nook for employees to share books. It is basically a little free library. Give a book, take a book and all, but a whole room with tables and comfy chairs. Wow. It's like a little medium sized library.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I work in a hospital a little.

[Bria Grant]

It's just like a little library. Yeah, little.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I work a hospital in West Virginia and my job is stressful. In this room is a safe space for me and all hospital staff to sit down and relax. I have even had meaningful conversations with other staff members that I most likely never would have met otherwise about books and reading. It is truly a brilliant idea that our hospital leaders had and truly a magical place to spend time. I pray that is never taken away.

[Bria Grant]

That is cool as it's very nice. I love that Sweet Jean wrote in and said hi Bria and Mallory. For the glasser who was concerned about a book with a harmful recipe. I have insider knowledge. I'm a librarian. This is from the glasser wrote in and said in the public library there.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Was a book with a baby formula recipe that had raw milk and we got a bunch of feedback about this, but I had to include this because I have never heard of this method that this librarian uses.

[Bria Grant]

When librarians weed their collections, many use the musty method that's M u s t I e which means misleading or factually inaccurate, ugly, worn or beyond repair, superseded by newer or better edition, trivial with little literary or scientific benefit, irrelevant to the community's needs or e can be obtained elsewhere like electronically or something. So this book would fall into the misleading or factually inaccurate category and be reason enough for librarians to withdraw it. And there's probably a good chance that the book has a new edition with that raw milk recipe taken out. I would definitely bring my concerns to a staff member. Remember that librarians love providing people with helpful information. I think most librarians would simply withdraw the book. Thank you for all you do for the reading community. That's great.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I love this method. I'm going to use it when I date.

[Bria Grant]

Oh nice. So if they have a they're misleading.

[Mallory O'Meara]

If they're ugly, if they're superseded by addition, irrelevant to my needs.

[Bria Grant]

Great. Great, great, great.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I love this. I had never heard of this, but I think this is really cool. The old musty method is that book musty again.

[Bria Grant]

Sometimes they are. Sometimes they're musty.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Finley writes in to say Brie and Mallory. I cannot even express the electric joy that courses through every molecule of my body every time either one of you says the word honker. I wrote 2024 being the year of the Honker and hearing it regularly throughout episodes and even including it in your 2025 reading glasses challenge has made me hysterically happy. It cracks me up. Last year I ended up reading four honkers. I didn't read as many as I expected to, but what I learned about myself is that reading big books slows me down to appreciate quality over quantity. I also learned that I need shorter books in between the big ones. And that's okay. Your podcast is solely responsible for improving my reading life, giving me the courage to dip into books outside of my regular wheelhouse and the permission to judge a book by its cover. Just not all the time. Bri, you want to read Finley's Wheelhouse?

[Bria Grant]

Yes. Non binary or gender fluid characters who oscillate between pronouns. None's gone bad. Demonic possession, sex or violence. Stories deeply connect to Judaism and Jewish culture. Unlikable characters who are so unapologetically themselves you can't help but respect them. Slow stories. They feel like they're being told in real time. Stories where things happen but nothing really actually happens. And cannibalism. Not purposefully. But I picked up and read and thusly deeply enjoyed so many books where people eat their enemies.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Wow.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That's a fun little surprise wheelhouse item.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Nice to know that about yourself.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. So you can email us at reading glasses podcastmail.com if you want a list of all the books we talk about on the show deliver to your inbox every month. You can sign up for our newsletter. This link in the show notes Couple of bookmarks folks. We were recording this before this happens, but for the future. Our book came out this week. No pressure.

[Bria Grant]

Book Journal and our future selves are.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Very happy and we're very happy to all the glasses who came out for our event at Skylight Books, we assume.

[Bria Grant]

You will be there.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We assume you're gonna be there. We assume you're awesome. That. Which is a pretty safe assumption. And we assume it's gonna be a lot of fun. So thanks in advance from the. From the past to the future for all the glasses who came out to support us. It really meant the world to us, even when it hasn't happened yet.

[Bria Grant]

That's right.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Also, speaking of book launches, I wanna remind folks that my book is out soon. It is out on February 18. Daughter of daring and me and Bria are doing another event in Los Angeles with Skylight Books. It's gonna be at the Los Feliz 3 Theater on the 23rd, which is a Sunday at 1pm Bria and I are introducing a movie that Helen Gibson was in called Hollywood Story. I'm really excited to talk about this movie and talk about Helen and talk about this period of time. So if you are into old Hollywood, you're into women doing cool shit, female, awesome feminist history. You should read this book. I'm real proud of it.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, you should read the book. Definitely should read the book. Also, while you're listening to us, take out your phone and go look at reading smut.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

And do a little subscribe because we launch next week and we would love for you to hear our first episode.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah, me, Me. I know this has been such a while.

[Bria Grant]

Next month we're not releasing anything, but.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Next month is maximum fun.

[Bria Grant]

Drive.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Me. Bria and Chelsea DeVontes talk about would we fuck a door? And if so, what kind? Very important smut talk. But it's a blast. We. It's a, it's, it's reading glasses. So we've. We oscillate between what kind of door we would and then, you know, some pretty insightful conversations about why. Why this type of book would be appealing to somebody. It's a ton of fun. We're excited for it to come out. And you can get it the second it drops if you go and subscribe on the podcast listening app of your choice. So before we talk about writing book reviews, we're going to take a quick break. Reading Glasses is sponsored in part this week by Green Chef. Green Chef, which is now owned by HelloFresh, which means a wider array of meal plans to choose from. Something for everyone. But, Bria, what the heck is Green Chef?

[Bria Grant]

Green Chef is a CCOF certified meal kit company. Green Chef makes eating well easy with plans to fit every lifestyle, whether keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or just looking to eat more balanced meals, Green Chef offers a wide range of recipes that suit all of your preferences.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And with pre made sauces and pre portioned ingredients, there's less prep and less mess and more time to savor delicious restaurant quality meals. Folks, I really hate cooking. Everything about food stresses me out. If food could just be delivered to my house and I didn't have to think about it, it would be amazing. And you know what? That's what Green Chef is. You get these lovely little paper bags full of everything you need for that exact meal that they don't take too long to make. Even me, the person who wishes I could plug myself into the wall instead of eating, really likes Green Chef.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. And even on your busiest days, don't forget you can get salads that are ready in five minutes or less. You can get ready to blend smoothies. That's amazing. And grab and go protein packed breakfasts.

[Mallory O'Meara]

You can thrive all year with clean easy meals from Green Chef. Go to green chef.com glassesfree and use code glassesfree to get started with free salads for two months plus 50% off your first box. That's greenchef.com code glasses free glasses.

[Bria Grant]

Glasses.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Foreign.

[C]

Hey, is this Jesse?

[D]

This is Jesse.

[C]

Hey, this is Stuart Wellington, host of the Flophouse podcast on Max Fun. I'm calling because you've been named Maximum Fun's member of the month for February.

[D]

Nice.

[C]

If you don't mind me asking, what prompted you to start supporting the network? Become a Max Fun member.

[D]

I was trying to think of when I started listening to the Thought House, but I think think it was something like 2014, 2015.

[C]

Oh wow.

[D]

And then actually having a real job in 2021 was what allowed me to actually start supporting.

[C]

Congratulations for having a real job and supporting my not real job. So as member of the month, you're going to be getting a $25 gift card to the Max Fund Store, a special a special member of the month bumper sticker, and a special priority parking spot at Max Fun HQ in Los Angeles.

[D]

It's awesome to support you guys. To support Max Fun, I get endless joy and entertainment.

[C]

If you're a Max Fun member, you can become the next Max Fun Member of the month.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Support [e-mail] Join this Week we're talking about book reviews. How do you write one for a book you loved or a book you hated? How do you write one for yourself or for the public? We have got you covered. Today's episode was inspired by Julia, who wrote in to say. Hi, Brian, Mallory. I have a conundrum I was hoping you could help me with. For as long as I have been reading books, I have been bad at reviewing them. I can usually write a long rant about why I hated a book, but when it comes to ones I feel neutral about, like, or love, my mind goes blank. Despite literally having a degree in English and working in a library, things like plot, character development, and theme never occur to me as I'm reading, and so I can't remember them when I go to review. I'd like to get better at writing reviews so I can actually turn vibes into critical thinking. Do you have any tips for getting better at writing reviews, Bria? You want to read Julia's wheelhouse?

[Bria Grant]

Yes. Books with problematic sad emo boys, gay hockey romances, stories framed as interviews, and books with intense, devastating, emotional arguments between characters.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Fun. All right, so, Bria, we've kind of touched on this before, but it was a while ago, and the literary community changes so quickly, so we figured we'd do a deeper, updated episode on writing reviews. So what's the first important thing to.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, there's two different things we're gonna talk about. Is, are you writing this for yourself? Like, at home in your journal, in your reading glasses? No pressure. Book journal. Are you writing it in your spreadsheet or so you can remember the book and things about the book? Or are you writing this publicly for someone who is considering or has already read the book?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. So for. If it's for yourself, or this is our first. This is. Choose your own adventure here. If it. Like, if you're writing a book review just for yourself, think about the things you want to remember. Is, I think, our first piece of advice here. Like, what stuck with you? Was there something that you really love, something that you want to find in future books? Like, Julia says, things like plot, character development, and theme never occur to her while she's reading, and that's fine, but that seems like that's not something you should be including in a review. Think. Think about the things that did occur to you while you were reading. Even if it was as simple as, I got really sucked in, this was really compelling. Or I liked these different wheelhouse items, or I love the surprise, or I love the twist, or it made me laugh. Like, there's no right way to review a book. It's all what matters to you.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. So I'm going off script here because I happened to Mallory. It's not in the. It's not in the outline, so don't panic. I was listening to the Stacks this morning, recent guest of the show, and Tracy was interviewing the author of Ministry of Time. And I loved that book. And I was thinking about, like, why did I like that book? And I. I read it, you know, a year ago or something. And I actually would encourage you, when you like a book, to go read an interview with the author or listen to an interview or listen to someone talk about the book because they started touching on things that I kind of forgot that I really liked about the book. For example, the narrator is. It's an unnamed narrator, which I thought I totally blanked on. And I do like that where it's just like, you never know, you never learn her name. It has to do with exploration. There's like a romance element. It just kind of reminded me of all the reasons that I actually really enjoyed.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That's a hot.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, I'm getting a slide whistle. That's a hot book.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Debris.

[Bria Grant]

So, like, the writer themselves is going to. I mean, first of all, Tracy was doing a really great interview, but also the writer themselves is going to bring up why they included certain things or things that they wanted to include. And those might be the things that stood out to you. And it'll kind of help you to solidify those things that you want to be reminded of for yourself or for the public, either kind of review. But I think especially for yourself. So, you know, you're listening to it. And I listened to this and I was like, right, if I was going to write notes about this to myself, I'd write unnamed narrator. I'd write, you know, arctic exploration. I'd write, you know, sci fi, romance, you know, a person out of time, like, all the things that they talked about. So I think listening to something or just following up, looking into what other people thought about it can help you solidify what was standing out to you but that you can't quite remember.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I think that's, yeah, super hot book tip. Another thing I like to do and think about is. And that's wicked simple. Wicked easy is record how it made you feel when you were finished reading it. Like, you won't have to think too hard. You won't have. It doesn't put pressure on you to remember certain things. But it's just like, did this book made me feel hopeful? Did this book like, was this book depressing as fuck? Did this make me really happy? Did I feel delighted by the end of this? Whatever it is, it's very valuable information because you, you can record all the wheelhouse things and look back a year later and be like, yeah, but I don't remember anything about this book. But especially if you're trying to consider if you want to read this author again, if you were like, this book made me feel really happy, I really enjoyed the feeling of reading this book. That's really valuable information to have. And again, you don't have to think too hard to remember it.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

What else, Bria?

[Bria Grant]

Well, let's move on to the public. So if you're writing something like, what would your friend want to know? Are there any content warnings? How spicy is it? And all the things we talk around, the show, the wheelhouse, the door, things like that were like, this is a slow paced book. This is a book where like, oh, it has a map in it. And I know y'all like that. So things like that. Thinking about that when you're writing these reviews, also think about why people might want to read this right now. Like, where does it fall into current culture? And this is sort of. There's certain reviewers that I like because they're really good at doing this. Like, they don't necessarily say, like, this was great or this was bad. It's not about that. It's more about, like, why would someone like this, someone you and I both know, but movie wise, Amy Nicholson, I feel like, does this really.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Well, I've never read her reviews.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, I just think she's really smart and like, her stuff is like, it's less about this is a good or bad movie and it's more like, like, where it sort of falls into culture.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And like, how relevant is it?

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, exactly. And so, like, for example, could you say this book was cozy enough to take your mind off current politics or is it political in a way that makes it feel timely? Like finding like, is, is this a romance book doing something new or is this a romance book doing exactly what romance books should be doing and make me happy? So knowing that kind of thing, I think can really help, like, where it falls into the cultural zeitgeist for people and people who are like, I want a romance book who just does exactly whatever. I want it to be the most formulaic romance book of all time. And you can say, this was that, this was that, and I loved it. And like, that's something that someone might be looking for.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. I mean, that's really the big difference between reviewing publicly and reviewing privately is like, like reviewing privately, you're trying to kind of remember, you're like, it's for your own stuff. You're trying to remember it in some way, but reviewing it publicly. You're basically pitching the book to people.

[Bria Grant]

Right.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And we don't review books on this show. That is something that people don't realize. We recommend them. And there's a big difference between those two things. And that's part of why we only talk about books we like. Because we are not a book review show. Listeners do not come to us for in depth reviews. They come for the recommendations. And so for me, during the rare times where we do review publicly, which you can get on our sister show, Readings Mud.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Subscribe right now, please. Go.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Subscribe, please, please, please. I like to focus on who the book would be for because again, this is kind of like a pitch. Like, what kind of reader would like this? It's like, it's a great way to talk about a book regardless if you loved or hated it, because it doesn't make you feel like you're making a judgment call. It's like, okay, well, I don't like slow books, but if you love a slow burn romance, this is going to be perfect for you. If, like, I don't like books that are bleak. But like, if you're craving something, like, think about who this person would be for. And that, like, I don't know, that really helps me because it makes me. Again, it's less of like, oh, here I am, Cat, like casting it, like a letter grade or a star rating. It's like, well, who would I pitch this to? Like, who? Like, what kind of person in my life would like this?

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

What else?

[Bria Grant]

Well, you're going to laugh, but I think also look at the compile system.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Like, think about what stuck you, sucked you in. Is it the characters there were. They are like, these characters were great, but the writing was only okay, like that kind of thing. Like, go through those. Those are some major things you can think about. Like, if you were intrigued by this book and it kept you going. For those who don't know, Cawpile is just a rating system. Characters, atmosphere, writing, plot, intrigue, logic. Logic and enjoyment. Enjoyment. So, like, those kind of things can really help you to divide and, and think about how you want to talk about the book. Like, if you're like, look, the writing in this is what I want to talk about. That may be clearer to you than, you know, the intrigue.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. What else?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Well, I think, like, again, I'm going back to Julia's problem. Like, I don't think you should feel the need to write a review in a way that wouldn't appeal to you yourself. Don't be like, oh, well, I wasn't paying attention to the type of characters, but I got to do it because I'm doing a review. No, like, think about what makes you want to read a book.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Is it just the wheelhouse items? Is it the appeal factors, like types of characters? Is it just moods and vibes? Because some people are reading reviews to find out the moods and the vibes. Like, especially you and I the past year. Like, if someone's like, oh yeah, this book is grim. As I'm like, nope, not for me right now. So just think about making. Thinking about what you'd want to read in a review and what would make you want to pick up a book makes it a lot easier to write because it doesn't. You're not like, stretching yourself to pay attention to things that don't. You don't care about or don't occur to you.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Like don't make it so hard on yourself, I think is what it's saying. Like, it's okay to just write about the things that you think about and notice in a book. Like pitch the book to yourself so you can send your thoughts on writing reviews for good and bad books to reading glasses. Podcastmail.com and before we test out some very fancy book tech, we're going to take a quick break. Most of the plants humans eat are technically grass. Most of the asphalt we drive on is almost a liquid. The formula of WD40 is San Diego's greatest secret. Zippers were invented by a Swedish immigrant. Love story on the podcast Secretly Incredibly Fascinating. We expect explore this type of amazing stuff. Stuff about ordinary topics like cabbage and batteries and socks. Topics you'd never expect to be. The title of the podcast Secretly Incredibly Fascinating. Find us by searching for the word secretly in your podcast app [e-mail] foreign technology. This week's book tech was sent to us by Amanda. Amanda, thank you so much. This made us feel so fancy and futuristic. It is a small projector that connects to your computer or phone.

[Bria Grant]

It is the Akio A K I Y O WI FI mini LED projector. Enjoy your movie time with the Akio projectors. What it says on the box.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So this is the mini projector and it is 56 bucks on Amazon.

[Bria Grant]

Wow. Thank you, Amanda.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Thank you, Amanda. A little pricey, but this, this is definitely something that you can get a lot of different use out of. So yeah. So what do you think of this?

[Bria Grant]

I thought it was awesome. Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Well, you already have a projector in your. Like, that's how you already watch stuff.

[Bria Grant]

So I watch stuff on a projector in my home. But this is a mini projector. You don't need a screen. I mean, I just projected it directly onto the wall. You do have to connect it to WI Fi. It is a WI fi projector. And I didn't have batteries in the remote, which is my fault. I should have put batteries in the mode. Would have made that a lot easier. But I did connect it to my WI Fi. And then you screen mirror from your laptop or phone. And it was great. I pulled up a book from Libby and started looking at the book. So you could literally do this in your bed, project it on your wall. You could do it anywhere. And you could just read things on your wall instead of reading it on your phone or on your computer. And I also played some. Because of some. There's some sort of like, DRM streaming thing. So, like, I couldn't stream Netflix.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, interesting.

[Bria Grant]

But I could stream some other stuff. Like, like movies I had canopy. I didn't try Canopy, but I just tried, like, movies I had on my computer.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Interesting.

[Bria Grant]

But it was really. And I think probably if you have, like, a vpn, you probably can bypass that. But yeah, this works really well. It looks good. I mean, if you're using for books, it looks amazing. Especially if. Usually for movies, like, obviously, it's a very small. I mean, the thing is about the size of a lunchbox. Yeah. Not even, like smaller than a lunchbox. It's tiny and. But it doesn't have great sound for that reason.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So if you're doing the size of a small box of cookies.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, there you go. So if you're doing like. Yeah, like a Girl Scout cookies situation. But so if you're. If you're doing it for movie watching, it's okay. I think if you're traveling and you want to take this with you to watch movies, or even project a movie.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Onto the wall of a. A bathroom while you're in the tub.

[Bria Grant]

There you go. Or. Or. Or your book. Yeah, you could do your book too. I think that would be really fun. It's also it just like, instead of watching your movie on your laptop, which is what I always do, I think that could be really nice. I thought this thing's great. This is five out of five pages for me. I loved it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Okay.

[Bria Grant]

I thought it was great. I mean, yeah, it's not like the best sound, but if you're using it for Reading. It's perfect for projecting stuff onto your wall. Oh.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So I struggled with this.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Because as you have witnessed all morning. Yes. And our entire working relationship. I have. I'm really bad with technology. I really struggled to say, what's the problem? I just. Like, I. I was really struggling putting the WI FI password in.

[Bria Grant]

It was hard without the room, like, because we did. You didn't put batteries in the remote either? I assume so.

[Mallory O'Meara]

No.

[Bria Grant]

Yes. It was really hard to do, and I was just too lazy to go try to find batteries. I don't think I had the batteries I needed for this. But if you had the remote, I think it would be fine.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I just. I had a hard time with it, but I am just. I'm bad. I'm just one of those people that is bad. Like, my ex, Jeremy, always used to say that, like, I was cursed.

[Bria Grant]

No, it was hard to put the. You. It was hard to put the WI FI password.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. And I found that pretty frustrating. But then I got it set up, and I will say I knocked it over. I. And it tipped backwards, and it started projecting on my ceiling, and I was like, wait just a minute.

[Bria Grant]

That's nice.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And I was like, hold the phone here. And I just lied back on my little chaise lounge, and I read off of the ceiling, and I was like, wow, am I Dionysus? Like, is someone gonna start fanning me with a palm?

[Bria Grant]

It does feel very fancy.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It feels so luxurious. Like, I think this is really great. One depends on your house setup, because I don't have a lot of free wall space in my house.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So I was already kind of struggling, and then I was like, oh, my ceiling.

[Bria Grant]

This is so nice.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So if you don't have a lot of free wall space, it probably would be better to stick to, like, screen mirroring with your tv. But if you are a person who. Like, this is another great solution for, like, people with neck problems. If you. If lying and reading on your back sounds really appealing or you don't have a pig tv, this might be a really good solution. And I do like that it's so small that you can move it around your house. You could travel with it if you wanted to.

[Bria Grant]

It's really easy to set up. Like, the legs are really easy to put on, and you also. It's really easy. The one thing my personal projector that I use, it's not. It's, like, actually kind of hard to, like, get the focus and everything correct.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And this one's really easy.

[Bria Grant]

The focus is so Easy. It's right there on it. You can really adjust it easily. And then once you have your book or whatever on there, you would control that from your phone. So you don't even have to touch the thing again once you have it ready for you.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I will say again. I was like, oh, I'm gonna have to buy myself, like, some wine and grapes. Yeah, it felt really great. So I'm going to Doc us page because I had a hard time setting it up. And it is like, I don't think.

[Bria Grant]

That'S the projector's fault.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I just want to say that's a me.

[Bria Grant]

It's just a typing in for those at home. You just have to type in your WI FI password.

[Mallory O'Meara]

But I. It took me like, it was counterintuitive.

[Bria Grant]

In some ways, but once. But that was all there was.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I think it was because, like, the button that you would think for down was the button that took me back.

[Bria Grant]

It's up. Up takes you back to the first screen. Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So I kept pressing that and having.

[Bria Grant]

No, no, you couldn't press the up button, which was. We. I think you have to get the remote working.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bria Grant]

But it needed.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I am docking a page. Okay, but. So four out of five pages. Amanda, thank you. We're gonna keep this.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. We're gonna argue over who gets to keep it, because it's pretty rad.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So if you have book tech ideas for us, you can send them to reading glasses podcast gmail.com or you can check out our wish list in the. Now let's answer a recommendation request from Mary, who says, bria and Mallory help. This is one of my wheelhouses that is impossible for me to search for, and I often find myself just stumbling upon these books. This is why AI will never replace Bri and I. By the by, I'm looking for book recs where the main character is part of a weird subculture or group looking for something where this group either disagrees with the mainstream population or a separated slash hiding from the mainstream population. I will list the books that I like that have aspects of this. Just give an idea of what I mean. Then Mary has a big list of different books and also requests no teen YA suggestions, please. New adult is okay. Also, please no jail or prison stories where prison life is the main focus. Anything with prisoners makes me cry. Bria, what do you think for Mary?

[Bria Grant]

I'm going with a book I haven't recommended in a while, which is the Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. It might be a little more sci Fi than what you normally do because the books that Mary listed are a little bit more based on like, like historical fiction or just nonfiction. But I think you'll like this one. It's about a group of who lived sometime in the future and they go back in time to correct things when current day starts to become a little too right wing, which feels lovely right now.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Why aren't they here? Why aren't they here now?

[Bria Grant]

And it has two subcultures that are hidden. This is a hidden group correcting the path of the future. And it also goes into the subculture of Riot girl in the 90s because there's a girl at the center of the book who is involved in something that starts to affect the future. So you get to explore Riot Girl a little bit and then also you get to explore this like hidden group of women who are going back and correcting.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, so it's twofer.

[Bria Grant]

Twofer. What do you have?

[Mallory O'Meara]

I'm going to recommend a non fiction book by one of my favorite authors, Whip Smart by Melissa Febos.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, I read that. Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, I love this book.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So it's her memoir of working as a dominatrix at a professional sex dungeon in Manhattan. And it really delves into that subculture and how hidden her clients keep it from the mainstream because a lot of her clients are like really like successful high power people, really religious people, and they keep it hidden and it's so magnificent. Like this book is wicked smart, wicked entertaining, wicked compelling. I just think that Melissa Febos is a genius. Like I love all of her books and her writing will like knock the wind out of you. Like I literally have quotes from this book written on post. Its around my house.

[Bria Grant]

Wow.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Like I love her so much, but it is like, it's very interesting to kind of see this double life that a lot of her clients lead, that a lot of her co workers lead, and like how this part of her life, like she kind of tries to keep it secret, but it bleeds into like a regular life. So it's very hidden but also a little sexy.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So I am recommending Whip Smart by.

[Bria Grant]

Melissa Febos and I'm recommending Future of Another Timeline by Analy N.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So if you want us to answer your recommendation request, you can send it to reading glasses podcast gmail.com. as always, we want to thank the wonderful mods who run our Facebook group. And remember, you can buy Reading Glasses. Totes shirts, stickers. Folks. It's been cold as in la and man, it is nice to have a sweatshirt if you want a library user sweatshirt, you can go to our Void Merch store. There's a link in the show notes and if you like the show, want to do something nice for us that's completely free and we would really appreciate it? You can rate and review us on the podcast listening app of your choice. It is so great for us. It helps us reach more readers, warms our hearts. It's just. It's what this. There's no wrong here. It takes you 30 seconds. Open up the podcast app on your phone. You can email us at reading glasses podcast gmail.com find us on Instagram at Reading Glasses Podcast. Thanks for listening and thanks for reading. Maximum Fun. A worker owned network of artist owned shows supported directly by.