Podcast Summary: Reading Glasses - Ep 416: "Fooled by Blondes - Best and Worst Tropes"

Release Date: June 19, 2025

Hosts: Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara

Introduction

In Episode 416 of Reading Glasses, hosts Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara delve into the fascinating world of literary tropes, discussing their favorites, pet peeves, and the tropes they wish to see more of. The episode also touches upon the origins of the term "paperback" and concludes with personalized book recommendations for mothers. Throughout the discussion, Brea and Mallory engage listeners with insightful commentary, relatable anecdotes, and a touch of humor.

Current Readings

Bria Grant: Brea is currently engrossed in Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly. She highlights the book's critical examination of Spotify's origins and its impact on how we consume music. A standout revelation for her is Spotify's use of fake artists to populate mood-based playlists, a strategy aimed at reducing costs and manipulating listener choices. At [01:19], Brea reflects,

"This book is really opening my eyes to the way I am consuming music and making me think more about artists when I'm choosing what I'm listening to."

Mallory O'Meara: Mallory is reading Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mayer, a fantasy romance that intertwines sci-fi elements. She describes the plot as a blend of romance and thriller, where the protagonist communicates with someone from a different timeline, leading to both humorous and poignant moments. At [05:40], Mallory enthuses,

"It is so fun. Like it's Bill's romantasy because romantic is the big thing right now, but it is romantici, like it is sci-fi and it is so sweet and so queer."

Listener Feedback

The hosts share heartfelt messages from listeners, expressing appreciation for the podcast's role in overcoming reading slumps and providing valuable recommendations. Notably, Christine apologizes for an awkward experience at a signing event but fondly recalls the event overall. Another listener, Lynn, shares how the podcast helped her escape a reading slump during the pandemic, praising the hosts' enthusiasm and recommendations.

At [08:00], Mallory responds to Lynn:

"I give you all of my love and thanks, Bria."

Main Discussion: Best and Worst Tropes

Favorites:

1. Fish Out of Water ([14:46] Brea Grant): Brea appreciates characters placed in unfamiliar or confusing situations, such as aliens or robots navigating human society. She cites Skydaddy as an example where a character's unique perspective offers fresh world-building insights.

2. Haunted House Trope ([16:11] Mallory O’Meara): Mallory's top favorite is the classic scenario where a grieving family moves into a haunted house. She loves the combination of spooky elements with deep backstories, enhancing character development and plot complexity.

3. Journey with a Lesson: Both hosts admire the trope where characters embark on significant journeys only to realize that what they truly need was within them all along. Brea references The Wizard of Oz as a quintessential example.

4. Enemies to Lovers ([18:25] Mallory O’Meara): Mallory enjoys narratives where antagonistic relationships evolve into romantic ones, appreciating the tension and character growth involved.

Least Favorites:

1. Animal Violence as Character Shorthand ([23:35] Brea Grant): Brea dislikes using animal violence to quickly establish a character's morality, feeling it oversimplifies complex emotions and relationships.

2. Love Triangles, Especially the Blonde vs. Dark Hair Dynamic ([24:14] Mallory O’Meara): Both hosts express frustration with stereotypical love triangles where the "bad boy" is morally superior to the "good boy," finding it predictable and uninspired.

3. Villain Monologues ([26:25] Mallory O’Meara): Mallory finds villain monologues irritating, as they often serve as convenient plot devices to reveal critical information, disrupting the story's flow.

4. Characters Making Unjustified Bad Choices ([27:35] Bria Grant): Brea criticizes scenarios where characters make poor decisions without sufficient reasoning, particularly in high-stakes situations like apocalypses.

5. Miscommunication Leading to Conflict ([27:55] Mallory O’Meara): Both hosts are frustrated with plotlines that rely on characters misunderstanding each other, especially when simple communication could resolve conflicts.

6. Isolated Tough Women ([29:20] Bria Grant): Brea feels tired of portraying strong female characters as completely isolated, lacking a supportive community and relying solely on a single romantic interest.

7. Smarter Female Best Friends Not Being Protagonists ([30:09] Mallory O’Meara): Mallory voices her annoyance at stories where intelligent female characters, like Hermione in Harry Potter, are relegated to supporting roles instead of leading the narrative.

Wished-for Tropes:

1. Returning to a Small Hometown ([31:09] Mallory O’Meara): Both hosts express a desire for more stories featuring characters returning to their roots, exploring personal growth and community dynamics.

2. Found Family Situations: Brea advocates for more narratives centered around friendships and community, highlighting the importance of supportive relationships beyond biological family ties.

Bookish Question: Origins of "Paperback"

A listener named Ariel inquires about the terminology behind "hardcover" and "paperback" books. Brea and Mallory explain that both terms are widely used, with variations like "hardback" and "softcover" also existing. They speculate that the difference might be regional or generational. At [34:10], Mallory responds,

"Paperback is actually the older word by almost a hundred years."

They encourage listeners to reach out with more questions via email:

"If you want us to answer your bookish question, you can send it to readingglassespodcast@gmail.com."

Recommendations: Books for Moms

A listener, Alex, requests book recommendations for his mother, who enjoys reading but has limited time due to her responsibilities. She appreciates fiction with BIPOC characters, real-world settings, and non-fiction with fun facts.

Brea's Recommendation: Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green

"It's about a disease and ways to improve disease prevention worldwide. It just came out, so it's a little bit buzzy and very interesting."

Mallory's Recommendation: The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

"It's a literary fiction book about a house in Detroit and the family who has lived in it for generations. It's very family-centric and centers around the matriarch, making it perfect for moms."

Conclusion

Brea and Mallory wrap up the episode by inviting listeners to engage with their content, share their favorite and least favorite tropes, and explore additional resources like their Discord server and merch store. They emphasize the importance of community and reader feedback in shaping the podcast's direction.

"Remember folks, it's summertime. You need a tank top, you need a cute sticker to put on your pool, your above ground pool... Go to our merch store, all kinds of cute stuff over there that is bookish and helps support us."

Notable Quotes

• Bria Grant ([01:19]):

  "They're doing... it's mind-blowing. I guess it shouldn't be because of the sort of dystopian world we're living in, but this book is really opening my eyes to the way I am consuming music."

• Mallory O’Meara ([18:25]):

  "I want something that has some kind of backstory as to why they don't like each other or why they are diametrically opposed, but they're so sexy that they can't help banging."

• Bria Grant ([24:16]):

  "I'm surprised every time. Every time I'm like, wow, I don't know why, but I'm fooled. I'm fooled every time."

• Mallory O’Meara ([30:18]):

  "I want her. I don't want this."

Stay Connected:

• Email: readingglassespodcast@gmail.com
• Instagram: @ReadingGlassesPodcast
• Merch Store: [Link in Show Notes]

Reading Glasses is part of Maximum Fun, a network of artist-owned shows supported directly by listeners.