Ep 409 - Most Anticipated Books for May and June + Cures for Book Hangovers!

Summary

Reading Glasses Podcast Episode 409 Summary

Release Date: May 1, 2025

In Episode 409 of Reading Glasses, hosts Brea Grant and Mallory O'Meara dive deep into their most anticipated book releases for May and June, while also addressing the ever-relatable phenomenon of book hangovers. This episode is a treasure trove for book enthusiasts looking to expand their TBR (To-Be-Read) lists and seeking advice on rekindling their reading passion after finishing a beloved series.

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Current Reads & Recommendations

Bria's Pick: The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. McKinnon

Bria shares her enthusiasm for The Day the World Stops Shopping, a thought-provoking exploration of consumerism's impact on the environment. She describes the book as a "you book" that delves into the implications of ceasing consumer activities and how it would affect global economies and personal lifestyles.

Bria Grant [00:54]: "It's basically about consumerism, but also the author posits this idea of, what if there was one day we all just stopped shopping."

Mallory's Pick: Why I Love Horror Edited by Becky Spratford

Mallory discusses her excitement for Why I Love Horror, an anthology curated by her friend Becky Spratford. The collection features essays from prominent horror authors, offering insights into their passion for the genre.

Mallory O'Meara [05:43]: "It's essentially an Avengers team of love letters to horror, wonderfully edited by Becky."

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Listener Feedback & Community Highlights

Emma’s Library Passport Initiative

Listener Emma shares her excitement about her local library system's new "library passport" program, encouraging others to explore all 41 libraries in her county.

Emma [07:32]: "My local library system started a library passport. You can pick up a passport at any branch and visit every library in the county to get it."

Mackenzie’s TBR Overload

Mackenzie humorously reports that the podcast has significantly expanded her TBR pile, adding an astonishing 10,900 books.

Mackenzie Ronan [07:42]: "I just started listening to your podcast and have single-handedly added 10,900 books to my TBR already."

Krista’s Reading Smut in Public

Krista shares her experience of reading Ice Planet Barbarians publicly and facing playful teasing from coworkers, reinforcing the podcast's stance on embracing one's reading choices.

Krista [09:34]: "Alien smut is the only thing giving me the tiniest bit sane in these unprecedented times."

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Upcoming Events

Stack the Shelves Event

The hosts announce their participation in "Stack the Shelves," a benefit event organized by Tracy Thomas at the Stacks in LA. The event aims to support families affected by the recent Los Angeles fires by repopulating their book collections.

Mallory O'Meara [10:28]: "We’re doing Stack the Shelves on May 4th from 10 am to 4 pm. It's a great cause supporting families who lost their books in the LA fires."

May Readathon Announcement

Brea and Mallory introduce their first seasonal readathon scheduled for May 18th. Participants will join an Instagram Live session from 10 am to 5 pm PT, dedicating seven hours to reading spring-themed books.

Mallory O'Meara [27:14]: "Our May Readathon is happening on May 18th. Join us on Instagram Live from 10 am to 5 pm PT for a seven-hour reading marathon."

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Most Anticipated Books for May and June

May Picks

1. Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling

   A medieval horror novel centered around three women—a nun-turned-sorceress, a formidable lady knight, and a serving girl—trapped in a besieged castle descending into madness.

   Mallory O'Meara [18:06]: "There's a castle that's been under siege and it's descending into madness as they're running out of food. It’s a blend of cannibalism, horniness, and surrealness."

2. Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

   A literary fiction piece about Madeline, whose mundane life in Tennessee is disrupted when a man claiming her half-sibling drags her into a quest to find their estranged father and other siblings.

   Bria Grant [19:20]: "It's a literary fiction book about a road trip where a man thinks Madeline is his half-sister and convinces her to join him on an adventurous quest."

3. Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan

   This novel follows a 30-year-old trans woman who adopts a traditional lifestyle after a fall prompts her to reassess her life, only to discover her partner harbors dark secrets.

   Mallory O'Meara [20:21]: "A trans woman falls in love with a corporate man's son, trying to live a trad wife life, but discovers he has his own secrets."

4. Titan of The Stars by E.K. Johnson

   A YA horror-sci-fi hybrid about two individuals trapped on a spaceship after sabotage, leading to thrilling and terrifying circumstances.

   Bria Grant [22:00]: "It's about two people on a spaceship facing sabotage and being trapped, combining horror and space elements."

5. Summertime by Yajit K. Amir

   A speculative mystery where a technology allows people to relive moments from their past, leading to unforeseen consequences when users get stuck in time.

   Bria Grant [24:11]: "Strangers use a technology to time travel back to pivotal moments, but accidentally get stranded while uncovering company secrets."

June Picks

1. Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie [An Author's Last Name]

   A queer romantic sci-fi novel where two women from parallel worlds separated by five months fall in love through a magical hair salon that serves as a nexus between their timelines.

   Bria Grant [32:30]: "It's a sapphic romance about two women from different but similar worlds connected by a hair salon, trying to find the right timeline to be together."

2. Strange Houses by Uketsu

   A Japanese mystery horror where a writer discovers unsettling anomalies in a Tokyo house, leading him and an architect friend to uncover dark secrets tied to the former owners.

   Bria Grant [33:05]: "It feels like House of Leaves, with a haunted house that has hidden dead spaces and mysterious disappearances."

3. Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings

   A portal fantasy novel following twin black Midwestern teens navigating seven mysterious doors appearing in their town, each leading to different worlds with varied consequences.

   Bria Grant [34:32]: "Two twin teens explore seven doors that lead to other worlds, each with its own challenges and paradises."

4. A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeline Rue

   A horror-fantasy tale of a young woman chosen to marry a count, embarking on a journey through a supernatural forest filled with monsters, ultimately battling for her empowerment.

   Mallory O'Meara [35:44]: "It's a horror fairy tale about a girl navigating a dangerous forest to reach a count, blending female empowerment with classic horror elements."

5. Wearing the Lion by John Maxwell

   A sweet and humanizing retelling of the Hercules myth, offering a fresh perspective on the legendary hero's story with a focus on emotional depth and character development.

   Bria Grant [37:16]: "A Hercules retelling that's sweet and humanizes the legendary hero, focusing on his personal struggles and growth."

6. Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

   A young adult novel where a family becomes stranded inside a dome-covered cabin, forcing them to navigate mysteries and interpersonal dynamics over three years.

   Bria Grant [38:07]: "A YA thriller about a family trapped inside a dome cabin, uncovering secrets and striving to escape after three years."

7. The Poppy Fields by Nikki Ehrlich

   A speculative fiction novel set in a California desert treatment center offering an experimental cure for heartache through prolonged slumber, with potential dark side effects.

   Bria Grant [40:20]: "It's about a controversial center that helps people sleep through their pain, but comes with mysterious and possibly sinister consequences."

8. El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott

   A female-centric thriller set in Detroit, focusing on wealthy housewives embroiled in a pyramid scheme that tests their friendships amidst rising crimes.

   Mallory O'Meara [41:00]: "A Megan Abbott thriller where housewives in Detroit get caught up in a pyramid scheme, leading to intense interpersonal conflicts and crimes."

9. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

   Set against the 1980s space shuttle program, this novel explores profound human connections and love set within the high-stakes environment of space exploration.

   Bria Grant [42:20]: "It's a novel about relationships and love within the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program, capturing the spirit of exploration and human emotion."

10. The Dry Season by Melissa Fabos

    A memoir detailing Fabos' year of celibacy following a painful breakup, exploring self-discovery, historical figures who embraced celibacy, and finding joy beyond romantic pursuits.

    Mallory O'Meara [42:35]: "It's a memoir about a year of celibacy that transforms her life, intertwined with historical insights on women who embraced solitude and self-discovery."

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Tackling the Book Hangover: "Book Ache"

Listener Trisha reaches out with a heartfelt struggle of feeling detached after finishing a sprawling seven-book series, termed as a "book hangover." She describes it as a sense of literary loss, akin to homesickness for the world of the series.

Trisha [00:00]: "Since I finished the series, I've been sad to be away from my book friends and have struggled to read any other book."

Brea and Mallory brainstorm alternative terms, suggesting playful and fitting options like "bookache," "book gust," and "book sick." They conclude with "bookache" as the most fitting term to describe the emotional void left by ending a beloved series.

Brea Grant [45:24]: "Bookache's the best one."

They offer practical advice for overcoming this literary void:

1. Dive into a New Series: Engage with a different series that offers its own immersive world.
2. Find a Community: Connect with other readers through book clubs, social media, or the podcast's Slack channel to share experiences and recommendations.
3. Start a Creative Project: Channel the longing into writing, drawing, or other creative outlets related to the favorite series.

Mallory O'Meara [48:46]: "Find something that's buzzy so you can connect with a community and get wrapped up in the excitement of a new series."

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Conclusion

Episode 409 of Reading Glasses is a comprehensive guide for readers looking to navigate their TBR lists and regain their reading mojo after a series conclusion. With a robust selection of anticipated books across genres and thoughtful community engagement, Brea and Mallory provide both inspiration and practical solutions for every book lover.

Listeners are encouraged to share their reading experiences and join upcoming events, fostering a vibrant and supportive literary community.

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For more details on the discussed books and upcoming events, visit the Reading Glasses Podcast website and follow them on Instagram @ReadingGlassesPodcast.

Transcript

[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 our most anticipated books for May and June.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's back, baby.

[Bria Grant]

Y'all like these episodes. The reason we're doing these, because during our fun drive, this was one of our goals. If we got a certain number of people. I don't remember how many people that was now 700. Was it to upgrade or join? And we got it. You did. So here we are. We're doing. It's a lot of work for Mari.

[Mallory O'Meara]

For you or by you? For you.

[Bria Grant]

It's a lot of work for Mallory. Mallory does a lot of research on this, and we're gonna talk about the books we're looking forward to in May and June. Plus, we give out some book hangover advice.

[Mallory O'Meara]

There's no raw eggs in this. But first, Bria, what are you reading?

[Bria Grant]

I just finished a book that's a very me book that I think you recommended. It's called the Day the World Stops Shopping.

[Mallory O'Meara]

No.

[Bria Grant]

How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and ourselves is by J.B. mcKinnon.

[Mallory O'Meara]

This is definitely a you book, though. I know.

[Bria Grant]

And I've recommended it to so many people now. It's a very. It's a book. I. Wow. I just really liked this. It's basically about consumerism, but also the author posits this idea of, what if there was one day we all just stopped shopping? So basically, obviously, we know we consume a lot, but do you know we like certain things we consume, like clothes and things.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, yeah.

[Bria Grant]

We consume, like, almost twice as much as we did just 10 years ago.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Like, it's things that you did know. It's. It's.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's things that, like, really in or shine or whatever it is. Like.

[Bria Grant]

And what's interesting is that, first of all, the author posits this idea that, like, what if there's a day we stop shopping? And what would happen to the world? And obviously, economies would collapse, like, what would happen? So it's about that idea mixed with consumerism and why we consume things the way we do and how our consumption has changed in the last 100 years versus last 10 years, and how that has been such a super huge change.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, yeah.

[Bria Grant]

And then we also got to see, during 2020, during the pandemic, sort of how that shaped the way we consumed, because suddenly it was like, oh, this is a case study for, like, what if people actually quit going to stores and restaurants and stuff? Because we all did for a little while. And, like. And we were suddenly making bread at home, you know, like, interesting. But he has each chapter sort of about a. Everything from clothes to online media to air conditioning to, like, how, you know, we've. We've acclimated to all of these things. And it's just a really great book. I will warn you. You read it and you're like, I will never buy anything new ever again.

[Mallory O'Meara]

But also, it's funny because you and I both are trying to not buy new clothes. We were just. We're at a. Both at a clothes swap this past weekend, and I think a lot of people we know are trying to, like. Like, I have a rule this year where I'm trying not to buy anything new unless it's like. Like Big Bud Press. Like, everything's made, you know, by people who are paid well and, like, sourced ethically and all that shit.

[Bria Grant]

Like, yeah. A few years ago, I started trying to only buy ethically made clothes or used clothes or clothes swap, which is free. I got some of the best pants at that clothes swap.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I showed up at this clothes swap. People, this is such a tangent, but we're both tired. And Bria had already had a gigantic.

[Bria Grant]

Box full of stuff, but the box came full.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

So I take a lot of stuff, but then I bring a lot back and. And. Cause it's free. And a lot of times, at the end of the clothes swap, there's so many, and I host them as well. So I end up with a ton of clothes just left at my house. And I'll take, like, the best that I'm like, someone's gonna want this. It just, like, hasn't found this right home. So I just end up with a box going at all. I have a box going at all times. And if you haven't done a clothes swap, get your friends together, call, like, four or five people and bring clothes that you don't want anymore.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Remember when I did that goth clothes swap?

[Bria Grant]

That was great.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So fun.

[Bria Grant]

I. I still have some stuff from.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That because I was actually. When you graduated from your Magic Castle training, I saw that you were we. That black velvet dress.

[Bria Grant]

I could not remember where I got that dress.

[Mallory O'Meara]

You look so good in that dress.

[Bria Grant]

Is that yours?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, yeah. It was great dress. It has a hole in the back of it, which I didn't know until I was at the Magic Castle. I didn't know it had a Hole that was. I'm sure it's just that I've never worn it. So I'm sure it just happened over the course of the last. Because that was years ago. But I'm taking it to get mended today. That's the other thing is I like to get mended. Stuff mended.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. I have been getting stuff tailored.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Anyway, close. Swap aside. This book is great. It will. And what it's nice about is it's not shaming. It's like, hey, here's a Japanese island that everyone there, like, basically people have started to move away. They don't have like an industry anymore. And like, what does that look like? Like, when industry is like, left a place, like, and it's not always positive and. But then, like, how do the people react and how. What kind of people are drawn to that? So it's not. It won't make you feel bad about your consumption habits. Like, you shouldn't read it if you're scared of that. But it will make you think about the way you consume and why you consume. Because it is true that I own way more stuff than I did 10 years ago. And I don't know why. I mean, I have some reasons why. I mean, I have a bigger space now, but it's just, it is interesting that, like, I don't need all that stuff.

[Mallory O'Meara]

No.

[Bria Grant]

And, like, I don't need really to own a drill. You know, I'm going to use a drill. If I could just go borrow a drill from someone from the library or something. I don't need that. But like twice a year, you know, like, things like that. But anyway, what are you reading?

[Mallory O'Meara]

I am reading a book that I've been super excited about by a friend of the show, Becky Spratford. It is why I love horror essays on horror literature. So friend of the show and also very popular guest on Reading Glasses, Becky Spratford. She is, I mean, just, she is the horror librarian. She's been a tastemaker in the horror world for a really long time and really championing the horror genre. She's just so important, so influential, and so she really incredibly assembled an Avengers team of horror authors. I mean, it's basically, I'm adding to.

[Bria Grant]

Smiles right now why I read horror.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. Oh, it's amazing. And it's, it's basically all of our, all of our friends, all of our, all of our favorite horror authors. It's Grady, it's Paul, it's, it's. It's Stephen Graham Jones, it's Josh Malerman. It's Rachel Harrison, it's Almakatsu, it's Tananari Do. Like it is all of your favorite horror authors all writing about why they love horror and like what horror means to them. Clay has this incredible essay in there. Like, there's just, it's really amazing to read all these essays that are so lovingly written about what brought these authors to this genre, how they found themselves in this genre, what they get out of it. Like, it's such a beautiful. It's. It's like it's not just one love letter. It is an Avengers team of love letters.

[Bria Grant]

Great.

[Mallory O'Meara]

But it's a bunch of love letters that form one Optimus prime love letter for horror. It's so wonderful. Like, I mean there's nobody who could have edited this collection better than Becky. So get this. It is. It is coming out in September. Please pre order this. It's going to be so perfect for Spooky season and I love it. So it's why I love horror.

[Bria Grant]

Edited by Becky Spratford and mine is the Day the World Stops Shopping How Ending Consumer Saves the Environment and ourselves by J.B. mcKinnon.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So we want to take a moment to share some listener feedback. Emma wrote in to say hi. Brian Mallory. Not really specific feedback, but I wanted to share something generally cool that my local library is doing. My local library system started a library passport. You can pick up a passport at any branch and visit every library in the county to get it. I picked mine up yesterday and I'm so excited to visit all the libraries in my area that I've never had a reason to go to before since I usually stick with the one closest to me. There are 41 libraries to get stamped so I have my work cut out. This is so cool.

[Bria Grant]

That is so cool. I kind of want to know where Emma is from.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah, Emma, let us know where you're from because this like that's cool. It's so cool.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, we could definitely do this in la.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh man, that's so fun.

[Bria Grant]

Mackenzie Ronan said. Hi Brian Mallory. I just started listening to your podcast and have single you've single handedly added 10900 books to my TBR already.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I can't tell if this is like an exaggeration.

[Bria Grant]

I think it must be. It must be an exaggeration. I thought that was real for a second and it I was like that's a lot of. I don't think we've got that many books.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I don't know. We have been doing this show for a long ass time. If you added every single book we've ever talked about. It might be that's true, but I.

[Bria Grant]

Think it's I MacKenzie. I hope we haven't. That's too many books. I wanted to share a hot reading tip for any of your listeners who live in Pennsylvania.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We need a Pennsylvania specific noise. Yeah, it's just gritty. The. The noise of Gritty's eyeballs going round and round.

[Bria Grant]

The Liberty Bell. Isn't that in Pennsylvania?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Dong.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Is it in Pennsylvania?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. O Philadelphia.

[Bria Grant]

Anyone who lives in Pennsylvania can get a free library card to the Free Library of Pennsylvania and check out ebooks and audiobooks through Libby. They often have more copies and they have a more generous borrow time than my local library does. Too bad it took 10 years of living here to find out about it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That's what a good literary citizen does. As soon as they find out. A hot tip.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, let us know.

[Mallory O'Meara]

They share it. I love it.

[Bria Grant]

Thank you, Mackenzie.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And then Krista wrote in to say. Hi, Brian, Mallory, Love you both and love the podcast. I was listening to the last episode and the email about reading smut or graphic novel public. Last week I grabbed my book and headed outside of my office for some reading in the sunshine. At lunch, two of my co workers walked up and they were both smiling when they saw that I was reading a physical copy of Ice Planet Barbarians. These co workers are both in their twenties and I'm old enough to be their mom at the exact same time. One said, not in public. And the other one said, do you love it? I did. I told them I was too old and too tired to worry about it. And that alien smut is the only thing giving me the tiniest bit sane in these unprecedented times. My advice is to read the smut and read the graphic novel. If your plain neighbor doesn't like it, that's what they get for being nosy.

[Bria Grant]

This was a response to someone who was concerned about reading something.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Graphic.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

On a plane.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. There was really fun to watch the discussions in the reading glasses, discord and slack for people that were like, yeah, fudge those nosy people.

[Bria Grant]

I love your own business.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Listen, I agree with Krista. Life is so too shitty right now to give it to give a shit about this stuff.

[Bria Grant]

Is Ice Planet Barbarians on our reading smut? Tbr.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It is. Yes.

[Bria Grant]

I do want to read and.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And Bull Moon Rising. There's two. There's two different series.

[Bria Grant]

Wonderful.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I've read Ice Planet Barbarians. I haven't read the Bull one yet.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Do you want to read Krista's wheelhouse.

[Bria Grant]

I do haunted houses. Dumb partners who won't listen when you try to tell them the house is haunted. Okay, that could be the same one, but I like that they're two different categories. I do normal human woman who sees mystical creature and says smash. That's very funny.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I mean, Ruby Dixon's the author for you.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

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 delivered to your inbox every month, you can sign up for our newsletter. There's a link in the show notes and quick bookmark. We are very excited to say that our friend Tracy Thomas over at the Stacks is doing a really cool event in LA called Stack the Shelves. It is happening on May 4th and it is a benefit for families who have lost things in the Los Angeles fires. And Bri and I are going to be there.

[Bria Grant]

We're going to be there.

[Mallory O'Meara]

My publisher donated some books. Bria and I are going to be there. We haven't figured out exactly what we're doing, but we are going to be there. So if you want to donate money, if you want to help out, we're going to put a link in the show notes. Or if you are a person who was affected by the LA fires and you want to repopulate your shelves, you lost things. Tracy has got your back. Tracy's fantastic. We're big fans of her and we're excited to do this. We'll put a link in the show notes again. It's called Stack the Shelves and it is going to be on May 4th during the day. It's from 10 in the morning to 4. And yeah, we hope to see you there. Or if you, if you have a dollar to spare for families who have lost stuff in the fires, Tracy would love if you sent it her way.

[Bria Grant]

Can I just do a quick shout out? Tracy was on other friend of the show's podcast, Chelsea Devonte's show to talk about the Facebook memoir that came out Careless People. That's what they were talking about and that is a great listen. It's a great.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah, the two of them together. I know they're both all bookish podcasters and LA friends with each other.

[Bria Grant]

They're really funny. And then they both like disagreed about the book and that made it. There was another person on there too, but it made it really interesting. It was just a. I don't know if I want to read that book. And it was a really great recap of the book. And all about that, the Facebook culture and it was great. They're both there. It was, it's on. Glamorous trash.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Which is really good.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Fantastic.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So, folks, quick bookmark from us. We are so excited. Happy May. This episode is coming out on May 1st and we are here to announce our first seasonal readathon. Our May Readathon is happening this month, May 18. It is a Sunday. We are going to start by kicking off on Instagram Live at 10am Pacific Time. We're going to read all, all day until 5pm Pacific time. It's going to be a seven hour readathon. We're really, really excited about it. I'm going to pick out a stack of spring books and we want to thank you, our wonderful Max Fund members, for unlocking this for all the folks who joined and upgraded and boosted this year. You unlocked this. We love a readathon. You love a readathon. And so we're going to do them seasonally. So this is our first one for spring. May 18th. Join us and pick out your stack of books and tag us in it. Let us know what you're reading. So before we talk about our most anticipated books for May and June, we're going to take a quick break this week. Reading Glasses is sponsored in part by Steamy in Seattle, which is a very exciting and special event benefiting Clarion West. It's the third year it's happening. And what is Clarion West? Clarion west is a very legendary iconic writing organization that does writing workshops with sliding scale tuition. Has they have scholarship programs.

[Bria Grant]

These are the people you want to support?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. They work with over 1200 writers from around the world annually. They bring together an international community and support writers who are working, working on your next favorite read. They've been around for over 40 years. They have a very well known six week workshop where a lot of successful authors have come out of a lot of authors that you love. Authors like Kelly Link, Stephen Graham, Jones, N.K. jemisin, Cadwell Turnbull. Folks, writers that you love are coming out of Clarion west and Bria, tell them about this event that people can buy tickets to to support it.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. So this year's theme is the Alien Romance Tea Party. It's a fundraiser. We love this. It's a fundraiser for the Clarion West Writers Workshop where a lot of those writers we just talked about came out of. And a celebration of early career and underrepresented writers, particularly women who write speculative fiction or science fiction and fantasy. They're going to broadcast this free Online and it's held in person in Seattle. So if you are In Seattle on May 10, you should go because it's going to be there. Their mission is to support developing and underrepresented writers through low cost and accessible classes and workshops and free public events for writers and readers online and in person. So if this is something you want to support. Well, first of all, if you aren't in Seattle, you can just stream it, which sounds so much fun. Like, so much fun. But if you are in Seattle May 10, you can go to this Alien Romance tea party.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes, folks, if you are a smut fan who is living in Seattle, why would you not want to go to the Alien Romance tea party? It's for a great cause. You can meet some fellow. We haven't come up with a name for smut lovers yet. We're working on it. We're workshopping it. Maybe we should go to Clarion west and workshop it there. But folks, this is a great event for a great cause. And tickets for Steamy in Seattle are going fast. So you should grab yours now and support early career writers. On the Clarion west website, go to clarionwest.org and you'll also find links to their classes and workshops and other programs to sign up for. Folks, if you are someone who loves books, is interested in writing, you can't miss this clarion west.org classes.

[Bria Grant]

Classes.

[C]

All right, we're over 70 episodes into our show. Let's learn everything. So let's do a quick progress check. Have we learned about quantum physics?

[Bria Grant]

Yes, episode 59.

[C]

We haven't learned about the history of gossip yet, have we? Yes, we have. Same episode, actually. Have we talked to Tom Scott about his love of roller coasters?

[Bria Grant]

Episode 64.

[C]

So how close are we to learning everything? Bad news. We still haven't learned everything yet.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, we're ruined.

[C]

No, no, no. It's good news as well. There is still a lot to learn. I'm Dr. Ella Hubba.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I'm regular Tom Lum.

[C]

I'm Caroline Roper. And on let's learn everything we learned about science and a bit of everything else, too. And although we haven't learned everything yet, I've got a pretty good feeling about this next episode.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Join us every other Thursday on Maximum Fun. This week, we are talking about our most anticipated books for May and June. We have picked books that we think the Glassers will get excited about from across all genres. Let's get into them. But first, Bria, we gotta. We gotta thank the people who made this possible. I Feel like we are PBS right now.

[Bria Grant]

Thank you members. We got a lot of new members and upgrading members and boosting members this year. You too can still be a member. You can still support us every month if you want. You can join at any [e-mail] join and you get a lot of benefits for that. But one of the benefits you get is that you sponsored this episode. We are doing this. I just scrolled down and saw there were 18 pages. So Mallory and tell people about what you do here because blood. Yeah, we're going to go through our top picks. And then Mallory also includes tons and tons of other books in the show notes. You can go check them out along with wheelhouse items.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. That's why, folks, a normal reading classes episode takes me one hour. To do this particular type of episode takes me two days.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, it's a lot.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That's why we needed to unlock it every year because it takes so much work. So we really appreciate the folks that love the show enough and are able to support us every month for even five bucks a month at maximumfund.org join helps us make these episodes. And so there's a huge list. It's books from across all genres. But again, I write out a little description of every single book. I do not copy paste from the publisher's website. I personally write them out hand picked for things that I think the glasses will be into. Takes me forever. But it is fun and it is worth it. And then we get to know all the fun books that are coming out. And so first we're gonna do May and we do have a shared pick to start off. Yes, I'm wicked excited about this one.

[Bria Grant]

We do have a shared pick. Well, Mallory thought it was gonna be a different shared pick and then I said, no, no, I want this one. Do you want to talk about it?

[Mallory O'Meara]

It is the Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling, which is a author that we both love. You love the luminous dead.

[Bria Grant]

I love luminous dead. And then also she wrote the Death of Jane Lawrence, which is another book that I've recommended to quite a few people because it's sort of a historical horror.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And this one is another historical horror. This is medieval horror. This is horny sapphic medieval horror, which I, I can, I can feel the alarms going off with, with the glasses right now. But this is. There's a castle that's been under siege and it's a group. It's like, I think it's like three different people. There's a nun turned sorceress, a Hot lady knight and a serving girl, and they're all like, trapped together in this castle that has been under siege. The castle is descending into madness as they're running out of food. And things are getting a little weird in that castle and maybe horny too. So there's like a little bit of cannibalism, a little bit of. Of horniness, a little bit of surrealness. I am super pumped about this. I like it just sound. Another great historical horror from an author who we know is really fucking good at this.

[Bria Grant]

Yep.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So what's your first individual pick?

[Bria Grant]

Well, this one may surprise you, except, you know, I really like Kevin Wilson, the writer.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I knew you were gonna pick this one. Oh, you didn't.

[Bria Grant]

I didn't surprise you?

[Mallory O'Meara]

You loved his last book?

[Bria Grant]

I. I love Nothing to See Her. And this one is called Run for the Hills. It's out in May. May 13th. It's about. This is not a normal book I would pick up, I don't think, but it is sort of a literary fiction book about a road trip. It's about a woman named Madeline and her mom who live in Tennessee. And maybe she's not living such an exciting life, but then one day this guy pulls up on a peachy cruiser and he's like, I think you're my half sister. And he's hired a detective to track down their father and a string of a bunch of other siblings. And he wants her to come with him to join them for a road trip to find all these people. And it's sort of just like a little lot of hijinks and madcap adventure. And I just think Kevin Wilson's a really fantastic. The last one that Kevin Wilson wrote was Now Is not the Time to Panic, which I thought was also fantastic.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I knew you were gonna pick this.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Yeah. So I love that one. I'm really looking forward to that one. That's. That's a. That's a must order for me. What's your first one?

[Mallory O'Meara]

My first solo pick is a literary fiction because I feel like I haven't been reading as much like straight up literary fiction lately.

[Bria Grant]

And this one looks too much smut.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So much smut. This one looks incredible. It's called Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan. And it's about this trans woman. She's 30 years old, and she kind of. She's really unhappy with her life, and she takes a fall downstairs and it kind of like makes her like, start to assess her life, and she's like, what am I doing? What do I Want the quote is fell down the stairs and woke up a trad wife. Like, she's just kind of like sick of struggling and decides to like, take a stab at heteronormativity.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And she falls in love with this man who, like, works a corporate job. He has very traditional friends. His parents are Chinese, so they like expect him to be like a very high achiever. And the two of them fall in love and she's like, trying to like, live this kind of trad wife life.

[Bria Grant]

But.

[Mallory O'Meara]

But turns out this guy has some baggage of his own. He is like kind of carrying a secret. And of course that secret surfaces because that's what happens in books. And this woman has to sort of figure out, can she forgive him? What is their relationship gonna look like? Can you be. Can you kind of overcome your past? So it just seems like a really fun, cool literary fiction that explores relationships. One of the quotes is the allure of bougie domesticity.

[Bria Grant]

Ooh.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Which I think is really interesting to explore right now because even though we're all pushing against trad wife Stu, because there's so much struggle, I can. A lot of us are like, damn, maybe it would be nice to not have to have someone else pay all my bills.

[Bria Grant]

Well, obviously it's tempting to some people for sure. So it's. I mean, I think this is a. That sounds like a very interesting book.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. I'm really excited. What's your next one?

[Bria Grant]

My next one I picked this was off of your list. It's Titan of The Stars by E.K. johnson.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, yeah.

[Bria Grant]

I picked it because it had horror and space in the same. In the. Which are two things I love.

[Mallory O'Meara]

This is trapped on a spaceship. Horror.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. And I love space. Space. When there's horror. Love story horror when there's space. I like them both. I like when. When there's a combo. This is ya and I normally wouldn't go for a YA space book, but it looks quite good. It is about two people on a spaceship. They're there. It's a brand new ship. And this son, he arrives and it's his dad's ship. And he feels very trapped inside this ship and the life that he's having to lead on this ship. And then there is like some sabotage. There's some things that happen. And you said they're trapped on there, which I'm very excited about that. So this looks really fun. Really cool cover.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. You love things go wrong on a spaceship.

[Bria Grant]

I love also trapped on a spaceship.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Like when people can't leave. I Like trapped anywhere.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Like, I.

[Bria Grant]

That is a fun. Trapped. Like I. I also, like, you may know there's a lot of. When I'm writing movies, I'm always like, and they can't get out. Like, that's like. It was something I really like, I guess.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah, you like a. Like a capsule idea. Like a locked room.

[Bria Grant]

Locked room. I love a locked room Mystery history. But this sounds fantastic. What is your next one?

[Mallory O'Meara]

This is another. I guess it's more literary, but this is sort of a thriller. This is a translated book. It's Summertime by Yajit Keramet. Translated by Nicholas Glastonbury.

[Bria Grant]

Language.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Turkish.

[Bria Grant]

Turkish. Wow. Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And the blurb for this is if the Birdcage was written by Patricia Highsmith. And I was like, excuse me. It's this gay couple in Turkey. They've been together for 40 years, so they're kind of like settled into their life. And then this hot young man moves next door and one of the husbands kind of gets a crush. And this crush kind of explodes their relationship. And it's a love triangle book, which I normally hate, but it says not everyone will be getting out of this love triangle alive. And I was like, oh, maybe I like love triangles. If somebody gets murdered, that's the one exception. And one of the blurbs is you should support gay rights, but also gay wrongs and shockingly lovable pair of anti heroes. So this sounds awesome. This sounds like a fucking blast. I'm so excited. What is your next pick?

[Bria Grant]

Well, you know, I get anything that has the word memory in it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes, the memory collection. That's what I figured you were also gonna pick.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. By. I don't know if you say it debt or dete D, D E T E D. I don't know. Meserve. I'll learn it when I read the book. And it is about. It's. And it's also a technology that involves memory. You know, I love this. I'll just read what it says at the top, which is that for strangers time travel to the past and find themselves stuck on the day all of their lives were changed in the stunning speculative mystery. So it's about a technology which allows you to go into the past and relive a day of your life. And like, one woman chooses this hour to spend with her son on a day he died or who ended up dying in an accident. This one guy, he. He wants to find this woman that he thought he could have loved forever, but he couldn't. He lost her. So, like, they all go back in time, basically, and they accidentally get stuck there. So they only stay an hour, but then they find themselves stranded and there's a bunch of secrets happening with the company and with this beach. This just sounds like they're all. They're in Ventura, California, which, you know, I like a book that's set around somewhere I live.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I missed that it was set around here.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Ventura. This just. It's compared to before the coffee gets cold, but it seems like darker than that. I'm stoked about this. This seems like a total me book.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

What is your next one for May?

[Mallory O'Meara]

My next one is a YA horror called When Devils Sing by Zan Cow and Cower Corps. I could not find pronunciation for this, but maybe, maybe when the book comes out I will have an easier time. And I'm. This is. This is. I'm super pumped about this. This is a Southern Gothic YHA horror. There's a small town and a local teen disappears and four unlikely allies get together. It's like four teens get together to try to solve this disappearance and they discover an ancient evil based on an ancient urban legend about three devils. And you know, I love a small town horror. So. Oh yeah, there's three. It's three teens. One's a TR crime podcaster. One's the son of the like the richest family in the region. One is a daughter of the local hitman. So they're like kind of in this like messy group trying to find this teen and like. And dredging up these small town secrets. Sounds amazing. You know, I love this.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Small town secret. Small town with a secret.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Fantastic. What's your last one? For me, this is my last one.

[Bria Grant]

For me it is Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan. Can I just say there's been quite a few flights. Flooded city books.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I have noticed that there's a lot of. That's like a new thing in Clifi. It's all floods.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. I have one that I quit and then I have one that is on my is. Is in my TBR right now. And this is gonna be another one. This is Awakened Floating City by Susanna Kwan. And this is about. It's a debut novel. It's about a flooded San Francisco where it won't quit raining. I do love a place where it doesn't quit raining.

[Mallory O'Meara]

You do? Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Cause you can't leave.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Rhea loves trapping people inside.

[Bria Grant]

I love trapping people inside. And this one is about an artist who cares for a woman who's 130 years old. And they're the last two people living in San Francisco when it floods as it's flooded, and it just sounds, like, fantastic. I mean, it's dystopia slash literary fiction, which is something I really can. I really can go for. Really sink my teeth into. Mallory texted me. She said, wow, there's a lot of Bria cat.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So many Bria.

[Bria Grant]

Wait till you get y'all. Wait till after the break.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Dude, June is like. I was. I literally was like, oh, this is just Bria book after Bria.

[Bria Grant]

It really truly is. I need to try to pre order some of these because I haven't done any of them. What is your last one for May?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, my God. Get ready for this.

[Bria Grant]

I literally made title. This should have been the title you chose the one you did based on the title.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I mean, it might be.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I started awooga ing like the. Like that cartoon dog. This is the Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher association by Caitlin Rosakis. This is a cozy, fantasy, magical school book that takes place in New England about a half a werewolf. Girl. Girl. I was like, excuse me.

[Bria Grant]

This is very cute. So it's such a good title.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, my God, I am so pumped about this. So this cozy fantasy. So this is not dark. Or this. It's all cozy. It's about the. This. These parents and their kindergartener gets bitten by a werewolf. So they're like, oh, no. Now we have to take her to a magic school. And it's about all of the. The trials and tribulations and, like, things of this magical school. Like, they have to. They join the pta and there's all these politics, but instead of annoying Karen moms, it's sirens and nymphs and, like, people whose hair constantly on fire. And there's towns running in the school corridors, and they realize that maybe there's a prophecy about their daughter who is a half werewolf now. And so she's, like, trying to run around and, like, be a good mom and deal with these monsters and things and make sure that she's keeping up with the pta. It just sounds so fun and so exciting. And it takes place in New England. I'm so pumped. Great group for May. All right, Bria, we do have some June picks, but before we get into them, we're going to take a quick break. Reading Glasses is sponsored in part this week by Ancient Nutrition. Folks, people have been looking for a Fountain of Youth for thousands, thousands of years, and it was never found, unfortunately. But there are supplements from ancient nutrition that are designed to do kind of the same thing without the gigantic Journey to a mystical place.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And the journey.

[Bria Grant]

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[Mallory O'Meara]

So, Bria, we both are supplement people.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. I use collagen. I use collagen and I do think it has made my hair grow faster.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, wow.

[Bria Grant]

Because I, this is a true story. I went to my, you know, I get my roots done and the woman who does my hair, hair is like, your roots are longer than normal.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Wow, isn't that interesting?

[Bria Grant]

And so I, and it's, I go the same amount, I take the same amount in between. Anyway, long story to say that I think collagen does work. It works for me. It makes my roots, makes my hair grow faster.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I also take a bunch of vitamins. I take supplements every day. I also take hair and nail supplements. And as a power lifter, you know, I love a powdered supplement. Nothing power, you know, a, you know, a big jar of powder. Hates to see a power lifter coming, but it really helps. Especially you know, we, we're, we're not in our 20s anymore. We need a little assistance. From the moment I turned 30, my body was like, hey, I need some help here. And Ancient Nutrition, their high quality supplements can, can really help you out with just, even if you're not a power lifter, even if you're just trying to stay alive, this stuff really helps. So right now Ancient Nutrition is offering 25% off your first order when you go to ancientnutrition.com glasses that's ancientnutrition.com glasses for 25% off your first order, that's ancientnutrition.com glasses glasses.

[D]

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[Mallory O'Meara]

I go to the beach and I steal people's towels.

[D]

Remember armor?

[C]

Do you remember the trend of everyone.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Whacking themselves on the head with hammers.

[Bria Grant]

And mallets when they wanted to lose weight?

[D]

And Eltie Jom's Lobby songs. I'm here today with Kiki D. Hello.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Kiki D. Hello Elton.

[D]

There's dozens of episodes to catch up on and brand new episodes going out right now. So if you want far, far, far too many podcasts, then look for sound heap on maximum fun. Boop boop.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Okay, Bria, let us name our picks for June. June is stacked.

[Bria Grant]

Okay. You picked two that were shares, which sometimes I think you do because you want more on your list.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes. But I also like both of these.

[Bria Grant]

These were really good, but I kind of want you to pitch them to me and tell me why they. Because I don't know them. And I was like, these do look good.

[Mallory O'Meara]

But the first one, it just seems like a Bria book to me.

[Bria Grant]

Okay, go ahead.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So the first. These are two shared. The first one is Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie. Right.

[Bria Grant]

I do. That does sound like something I want.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So this is queer, romantic sci fi.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

This sapphic romance. It's about these two women, and they're in different worlds. But the problem is the worlds are the same, but one world is five months ahead of the other world.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, I do love this.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, that's great. You're right.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And so they're falling in love with each other, and there's this hair salon that's kind of like the nexus of these. Of all. All of these worlds. And they're trying to find a world that they're trying to basically find the right timeline where they could both be together.

[Bria Grant]

Cute.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And I was like, you're right. I think it's great.

[Bria Grant]

I do love it. I do love it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And then. All right, you want to talk about the second one, because I don't know what it is.

[Bria Grant]

Strange Houses, which is another one you picked. Picked for both of us, but it does it. You describe it as Japanese mystery horror, which does sound good to me.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And when I looked at it, it says it's. It's the. The Japanese sensation. So I think this is one of those books that's like a mega bestseller.

[Bria Grant]

In Japan because they kind of have to be in order, except for these, like, new cozy ones. But, like, for them to be trans translated over here, it takes a long time for a lot of them to come over here.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Well, they need to get translated, so. So this is. It's called Strange Houses by Uketsu. It's translated by Jim Ryan. And it is. It kind of feels House of Leavesy. It's about this. This writer, he is, like, trying to buy this house in Tokyo, and he. At first he's like, oh, this house is amazing. But as he spends more time there he realized that the floor plan is, like, wrong.

[Bria Grant]

I do love that.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah. There's, like, a dead space hidden between the walls. And he, like, he reaches out to a friend of his who's an architect, and the architect finds more and more weird things about this house. And, like, they. They together, the two of them are trying to figure out, like, why is the house designed this way. They find out that the former owners have disappeared. A body suddenly appears in the house, and it's like. It's like haunted floor plans. I guess it just sounds like something that you and I both. This is like the perfect mashup of me loving a haunted You. Loving.

[Bria Grant]

This does sound good.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Japanese mystery, horror.

[Bria Grant]

So true.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's so true.

[Bria Grant]

Okay. I'm very excited. Those are great. You're right. You're right. You know me well. All right, so now let's get into the ones that Mallory also said I would like this month.

[Mallory O'Meara]

After eight years, I know what you like.

[Bria Grant]

I will say the first one. I was giddy when I read about it. Megan Giddings is doing a.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Is that what a pun?

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, I was getting. For gettings for Giddings. Megan Giddings is doing a portal. A door book. Yeah, a door book, if you will. It's called Meet Me at the Crossroads, which, unfortunately, if I read it, I will be singing that song constantly.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yep.

[Bria Grant]

I. Very important part of my seventh grade years. Seventh grade year. This is basically one summer morning. The world has changed by the appearance of seven mysterious doors that seemingly led to an lead to another world. And then people are like, wow, this is amazing. But sometimes they learn that this. It opens into, like, a place that feels like a paradise. But sometimes they learn the paradise is not great. It follows two black Midwestern teens who are twins, and they have different ideas about what lies in the world beyond. Meagan Giddings wrote Lakewood and the Women Could Fly, which are two books that I just really enjoyed.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I know she has not had a.

[Bria Grant]

Miss for you, and she does. It's sort of. The books are all sort of weird literary fiction mixed with sci fi, and they're just. Just very beautifully written. I just love her writing style. Very, very stoked for this one. What is your first pick for June? That comes out on June. June 3rd. So what's your first pick for June?

[Mallory O'Meara]

My first pick for June is by friend of mine, friend of the show, and she's gonna be coming on the show for this book, so I'm super pumped. It's A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeline Rue. And this is a horror fantasy mashup. It's like a horror fairy tale. And Madeline has turned a very popular trope on its head. It's about this young girl. She lives in this small village. She's very beautiful. And there's a count who kind of looks over the village and she gets chosen to be his bride because she's so beaut. She's like, amazing. I'm gonna finally get out of this village. But the only problem is in order to. She has to travel through this like, like supernatural scary forest to get to the count. And there's. There's lots of monsters in this forest. So if you. I know a lot of glassers love a spooky forest book. So this is going to be for you. And on her journey, she gets attacked and her face gets torn to shreds. And so she finally makes it to the count's castle. And she's like, I made it. And he's like, oh, but now you're not hot anymore. Anymore. And she's like the. And so. And then it like the real battle begins with him. And it's all about like, female empowerment. So it's like this like really amazing fairy tale about female empowerment that is also like imbued with horror, which Madeline is so, so good at. I am so excited. I love a fair. I love a fairy tale. A scary tale, if you will. I'm. I'm so pumped for this. And the COVID is amazing. We just got galleys of this, so I cannot wait to dive in. What is your next.

[Bria Grant]

My next one is. You know, John was. Well, one of my favorite books last year.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I was wondering what you were going to think about this one.

[Bria Grant]

He wrote someone you can build in Neston. And this is his second book and it is called Wearing the Lion, which is.

[Mallory O'Meara]

It's a Hercules retelling.

[Bria Grant]

Is a Hercules retelling, which we haven't seen.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We've seen a lot of female Greek retellings, but I don't think. I mean, I know they exist except, well, I guess Song of Achilles. Never mind. But we haven't seen one in a while. Like a big one in a while. I feel like.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. And it's described as sweet and humanizing to the Hercules story. So I'm excited about that because I find. Look, John Maxwell wrote a book about that. Humanized a shape shifting, like monster. So I truly believe that he can write anything. So I'm very excited, very excited to read this. It sounds fantastic. I'm not a big retelling person. But I am gonna give this one a shot. What's your next one?

[Mallory O'Meara]

This one might also be one that you're excited about.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. What did I read by Kenneth. Kenneth Oppel.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I think he wrote the.

[Bria Grant]

The Nest.

[Mallory O'Meara]

The Nest, which is.

[Bria Grant]

Which actually, haven't read. Seems too scary.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I have bought this. I have bought the Nest for so many people. I bought it for Paul Tremblay, and after we did our story fest event. I'm obsessed with Kenneth Oppel, but this is his new young. This is young adult, not middle grade. It's called the Best of All Worlds, and it's about this young teenage boy. His parents are divorced. He and his father and his. His father's new wife, who's pregnant, want him to go away with them for the weekend to the. To a cabin. And he's like, oh, fine. He fine. Really doesn't want to go. And they get there, and they wake up one day, and the house is not where it was before. It is inside of a dome. And they are trapped there.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, you know, I. Trapped. You know, I love it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And they live there for three years.

[Bria Grant]

O. Wow. I love this.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And then. And one day, another family shows up.

[Bria Grant]

Oh.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And then they try to, like, they're trying to figure out how to escape. Why are they there? All different people have different answers. I. Everything I keep seeing about this book. Is this one of those books where you read and you have to talk to somebody about it?

[Bria Grant]

Okay. I'm so excited. Yes, that is on my list.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I am very, very pumped about this. What is your next one?

[Bria Grant]

Oh, the next one is such a Bria book.

[Mallory O'Meara]

This one. I knew you were gonna pick too.

[Bria Grant]

So Nikki are, like, has a new book. Nikki. Or like, wrote the Measure, which was, like, a book I could not stop talking about. The new one's called the Poppy Fields. It comes out on June 17, and I'll just read what it's about because you were like, nikki Ehrlich has a book. And I was like, oh, my God. And, you know, I get excited, but I don't get like. Like, oh, my God.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, my God.

[Bria Grant]

Like. But I am kind of feeling like.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That this one seems.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Incredible. This one. I'm not a sci Fi person, but this book. I was like, oh, this sounds good.

[Bria Grant]

What if there was a cure for the brokenhearted? Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there's hope for even the most battered hearts to heal. Here in a remote stretch of California desert lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain. So you get to sleep through your pain, basically, and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from a prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed, but only if they're willing to accept potential shadowy sight side effects. That just sounds fantastic. Great concept. Fantastic. I love it. I'm in. Nikki, you've got me. You got me, you. I mean, anything with Nikki is probably a mustry. Calling her by her. We're pals, we're friends. We're not really friends, but I call her by her first name now. Old Nikki.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I mean, you were obsessed with the measure.

[Bria Grant]

I literally talk about it all the time. I still bring it up. It's so good. What's your next one?

[Mallory O'Meara]

This was another big awooga for me. It's a new Megan Abbott and I literally saw this was coming out and yelled out loud, new Megan Abbott. Like the Wii U's were happening in my mind. It's called El Dorado Drive. Megan Abbott is an auto buy author for me. I literally own all of her books. She writes these like very female centric thrillers. She's, as far as I'm concerned, has never written a bad book. And this one is about a pyramid scheme. And so it takes place in Detroit and it's all these like wealthy housewives who are bored and they start getting involved in this like all female pyramid scheme.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, I'm interested. You know, I love a pyramid scheme. Not really. I like reading. I don't want to get involved in it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Nope, we do not. But then some of the women are and their friendship gets tested because some crimes happen. And Megan Abbott is so incredible at writing these like high octane, high pressure. Really?

[Bria Grant]

I'm gonna read this too.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We don't.

[Bria Grant]

We. This is. We're just reading May and June books for the rest of the year.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I know. Basically I couldn't believe it. I was like, oh my God, this is stacked. But it's. She writes these books that are like these. These women in these really intense situations. She's written about ballet, about professional cheerleading. So it's like these super high stakes like. Like these women who are in a. And all of these women in this pyramid scheme are vying for power again. Some crimes happen. I was like, sign me the fuck up. I pre ordered this. I cannot fucking wait. All right, what is your last one?

[Bria Grant]

My last one is. Look, Taylor Jenkins Reid does not need me to shout her out, but I'm going to because I just love all of her books. It's atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid Coming out at the end. Oh, no. Beginning of June. And it is a. It's. It's a novel set on the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary links we will go to live and love beyond our limits. It just sounds great. I love all of her books. If you haven't read these books, I mean, it's, it's, you know, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones. Weirdly, I haven't read that one. I don't know why.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Oh, interesting.

[Bria Grant]

But I love all of her books. I recommend them constantly on the show, so this will be an immediate buy for me because not only that, it's about space. Space. The space shuttle program. So I'm excited about that. What's your last one?

[Mallory O'Meara]

This is a book. Maybe the book I have been most excited about this entire year.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

This might be my number one most anticipated pick by one of my favorite nonfiction authors. It's called the Dry Se Season by Melissa Fabos. And it's her memoir about her year of celibacy. And so she, she went through this like, awful breakup after like this two year relationship, and she gets out of it and decides I'm gonna be celibate for a full year. And she is really surprised to learn that it like completely transforms her entire life because now that she has like, taken this time to not pursue anything romantic, she like, really finds joy in like, being by herself, living on her own. And if she can't find pleas sex, she starts to really enjoy other parts of her life. I mean, whether it's like, it's food, it's nice bed sheets. She like, really learns how to find pleasure in other places. And she also like really dives into like, other women in history who have like, gone through celibacy or have like, written about pleasure. Like everyone from Hildegard von Bingen, Virginia Woolf, Octavia Butler, Sappho. And I. I just am so excited. Excited. Like, nobody writes a memoir like hers. She might. She's definitely my favorite memoirist. And I can't wait to read about this, especially because, like, you know, I went through this big breakup last year and I was single for almost, almost a full year. And like, I kind of went through something similar last year, except I was also grieving. So it was not as much of like a lovely pleasure journey, like, as much as like finding myself again. So, like, I'm just so excited to read this by her. And I got it pre ordered. I cannot wait.

[Bria Grant]

Fantastic.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So you can send your ideas and what books you're excited about for May and June to reading glass glassespodcastmail.com now let's solve a bookish problem for one of our listeners. Trisha writes in to say hey Brian Mallory, loving the RG Podcast and Slack Channel as always filled with gratitude for this amazing community that you two created. This was a small discussion that I sparked in the Slack Channel and hope to bring to YouTube for additional thoughts. This past summer I spent between two to three months reading through a seven book series. It was basically 5,000 or so pages of me hanging out with amazing characters in a fun setting while experiencing page turning action adventures adventure. Since I finished the series, I've been sad to be away from my book friends and have struggled to read any other book in the Slack Channel. We tried to identify a term for this phenomenon. I do not think that it's a book hangover as described in episode 253 because that was about wanting to cleanse the palette after a bad book in an otherwise awesome series. To me, this feels more like homesickness, but missing the world of a book series instead of a physical place. What term do you think would capture this experience? What thoughts might you have to help me get past the sense of literary loss and into a new book? So first off, we have some ideas for the. For a word for this.

[Bria Grant]

Okay. Yeah. You ready?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Here's my pitches. Bookache instead of heartache. I do like bookache or Nara Grief. Okay. Narrative grief. No. Okay. Or Cara Grief Character grief.

[Mallory O'Meara]

I like book ache better.

[Bria Grant]

Okay. Book ache's the best one. Okay. All right. Book ache was is my pitch then.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Also, I kind of assume. I always say hangover when something is good. I don't use hangover when something is bad.

[Bria Grant]

Well, a hangover is bad, but the.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Thing that you got it from is good.

[Bria Grant]

Well, maybe that depends on what your night was like. I don't know. But I think it's bitter. I think we're using it in like a bittersweet way where it's like you like them so much and you cherish the time you had with them, but now you're sad that they're gone. So I think we are using it in like a bittersweet sort of way.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah, I see the term hangover. Book hangover still works. But I think. I think what we need to do is maybe come up for a term for a book that makes you need a palette cleanser. And here's my pitches.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Book yuck.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Book gust instead of disgust.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, book gust is good. I got some book gust from that I like that one.

[Mallory O'Meara]

That's good.

[Bria Grant]

It's fun.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Cuz like I say book hangover after I read something amazing and it's hard to pick a new thing. Like I like book sickness. Like homesickness or like I'm book sick over this. Book.

[Bria Grant]

Book sick. Like you miss it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Okay. For some reason, book sick makes me feel like you also didn't like it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Okay.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, because. Because it has words.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We'll workshop this.

[Bria Grant]

Okay, we're gonna workshop it.

[Mallory O'Meara]

All right. While we're workshopping this term, Bria, what do you think Trisha should do?

[Bria Grant]

I mean, I think we have a similar. It's hard to replace these things, right?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

You're not gonna find something similar. Also you, you know these characters so well, so I do think you should just do something different but start like a new series. Like start a comic book series. Start something that you can get involved in, kind of dive into. I mean it's gonna take you a while and it probably isn't going to hit that same note for you for a bit. But if this is what you like, you like diving into a world like know that about yourself and know that there are many worlds to dive into. Like Mallory is a big fan of what's the. Of the Juno Black series. You know, I love the Seanan McGuire series.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

So like, and there's a lot of those. There's like 10 of them. So like if you are looking, they're short though. They're not 5,000 pages. I'm sorry. But if you. There are other series and I think trying to start a couple of of those. I normally wouldn't say that, but you seem like a person who wants 5, 000 pages. So like like that's who you are. You're a person who likes big world building. You like deep series. So like go for it. Find a new one that people like.

[Mallory O'Meara]

And I do feel like people do get. What was your first one?

[Bria Grant]

Book ache.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Bookcake. Yeah, I think people get a book ache from. From big series.

[Bria Grant]

It's like it reminds me of toothache. That was the problem that it's like, it's like too sweet.

[Mallory O'Meara]

Book sickness. I think people get book sickness from. From like we like a really long series. I think that happens to people.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, I agree, I agree. And what do you think they should do about that?

[Mallory O'Meara]

Like we get asked this a lot.

[Bria Grant]

I know it's a really.

[Mallory O'Meara]

We've already talked about this a little bit. But I did this again because we people. So many write. So many people write in about this. My thing is they say the only way to get over someone is to get under someone. And for me it's the same way with books. You gotta. A book. No, I think I agree with you, Bri. I think you gotta dive into something. But something that like looks amazing, something maybe that you've been saving, you've been like really excited about. And the way I'm gonna piggyback on what you said is like maybe find something that's buzzy because then you can find a community of people you can connect to and you can kind of like wrapped up in the buzz, like watch tiktoks about it and most importantly, find other people who are talking about it. Because like, getting wrapped up in that excitement and like finding a community to connect to can kind of help you get out of that world of that other book.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O'Meara]

You know, so find a new series. I think you're right. Find something that has like a lot of books. Like don't maybe don't dive into a trilogy. Dive into a book that's got like or series that has like five other books in it at minimum. And find something that's like kind of buzzy. So you can, you can find, find new book friends, get really pumped about it, get so excited you'll forget about that other series.

[Bria Grant]

That's right.

[Mallory O'Meara]

So if you want to solve your reader problem, you can send it to Reading glasses [e-mail]. as always want to thank the wonderful mods who run our Discord server and our Facebook group. And remember folks, it's springtime. If you're needing some new tank tops or some new tote bags to take on a book picnic, check out our Void merch store. There's all kinds of fun stuff over there. There's a link in the show notes and if you like the show, please rate and review us on the podcast listening app of your choice. Great for us and helps us reach more readers. 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.