Reading Glasses Podcast Summary: Episode 422 - Books for Every Mood!

Release Date: July 31, 2025

In Episode 422 of the Reading Glasses podcast, hosts Mallory O’Meara and Brie Grant delve into the intricate world of mood reading, offering curated book recommendations tailored to various emotional states. This episode, titled "Books for Every Mood!", provides listeners with insightful suggestions to enhance their reading experiences, regardless of their current feelings or circumstances.

Introduction and Current Reads

The episode kicks off with Mallory and Brie discussing the challenge of creating a comprehensive list of books to match every possible mood.

Mallory O’Meara (00:19): "This episode was so hard."

Brie Grant (00:22): "This episode took me no less than 30 years to do it."

Despite the difficulty, the hosts express their enthusiasm for helping their audience navigate their reading lives. They briefly share the books they are currently engrossed in:

• Brie is reading "When the Wolf Comes Home" by Nat Cassidy, a novel blending elements of surrealism, fantasy, and horror centered around a girl’s encounter with a wolfman monster.

  Brie Grant (01:19): "It's called when the Wolf Comes Home. It's about this girl who is kind of a failed actress living in Los Angeles..."

• Mallory is listening to the audiobook "The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman" by Nico Stratus, a memoir intertwined with dad rock songs, exploring her journey as a trans woman and her relationship with music.

  Mallory O’Meara (03:12): "It's a memoir in song. So every chapter is a different, like, dad Rock song... If you like music, if you are a person who music really means a lot to you, you have to read this book."

Listener Feedback

The hosts take a heartfelt moment to share and respond to listener feedback, highlighting the profound impact the podcast has had on their audience.

Sarah (07:00): "Reading glasses has shaped my life in wonderful and profound ways too... I knocked away that book slump and have read more every year since, getting all the way up to 74 books last year."

Mallory expresses deep gratitude for Sarah’s journey, noting how the podcast not only rekindled her love for reading but also inspired her to engage with local bookstores and libraries.

Brie Grant (07:25): "What a wonderful... This is why we do the show."

Book Club and Community Announcements

Mallory and Brie announce the selection of "The Bewitching" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia as the Glasser Voted Book Club Pick for October, aligning perfectly with the upcoming spooky season. They encourage listeners to join their book club through Maximum Fun to engage in virtual discussions and events.

Main Content: Book Recommendations for Every Mood

The core of the episode revolves around selecting books that cater to different emotional states. The hosts define mood reading as choosing books not by genre but by the reader’s current mood, allowing for a more personalized and fulfilling reading experience.

1. Joyful

• Brie recommends "Catfishing on Catnip" by Naomi Kritzer, a blend of humor and dark themes that ultimately maintains a happy tone.

  Brie Grant (14:45): "It is a happy overall book... I promise it ends well."

• Mallory suggests "I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself" by Glynis McNichol, a memoir celebrating female pleasure and personal joy set against the backdrop of summer in Paris.

  Mallory O’Meara (15:15): "It's a very happy book... About how rare it is for women to just go off and do stuff like that and how especially mothers."

2. Angry/Upset

• Mallory picks "Which Side Are You On" by Ryan Lee Wong, a literary fiction novel addressing contemporary anger through the lens of activism and generational dialogue.

  Mallory O’Meara (17:00): "It’s amazing activist generational dialogue... It feels like helping you make that anger productive."

• Brie recommends "The Eyes Are the Best Part" by Monica Kim, a gripping story about a young woman who channels her anger into becoming a serial killer.

  Brie Grant (19:43): "This is what I would do when I was angry, upset. I don’t want to work through it. I want to be angry."

3. Silly/Funny

• Brie suggests "A Villain" by John Scalzi, a humorous tale about a substitute teacher who inherits a supervillain business.

  Brie Grant (21:09): "He has to become a supervillain. And it's funny. It's silly."

• Mallory recommends "The Newtown Librarian" by Kathy Anderson, a funny and queer-centric story about a disgruntled librarian navigating life in a small town with quirky characters.

  Mallory O’Meara (22:02): "It’s laugh out loud funny and just so much fun and very, very queer."

4. Romantic

• Brie picks "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry, a romantic novel about an editor seeking love in a small town, sparking her deep appreciation for Henry’s work.

  Brie Grant (23:41): "It sparks my love for Emily Henry in like a real way."

• Mallory recommends "Angelica Frankenstein Makes Her Match" by Sally Thorne, a historical rom-com exploring love and ethics through the lens of the Frankenstein family.

  Mallory O’Meara (24:47): "It's the romantic ideal of a romance novel for me... What love is."

5. Despairing/Gloomy

• Mallory selects "Our Wives Under the Sea" by Julia, a surreal exploration of grief and loss, reminiscent of Jeff VanderMeer’s "Annihilation."

  Mallory O’Meara (26:48): "It's all about grief... What grief does to your life."

• Brie recommends "Dark Shore" by Charlotte McConaughey, a dark tale set on a remote island dealing with family strife and mysterious occurrences.

  Brie Grant (28:07): "It's real cold... It's a very dark book."

6. Weird

• Mallory recommends "You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine" by Alexander Kleeman, a bizarre and introspective novel exploring identity and societal norms.

  Mallory O’Meara (29:43): "I cannot say enough good things about it. It’s so strange but I loved it so fucking much."

• Brie suggests "Diary of a Void" by Imi Yagi, a surreal feminist narrative about a woman in Tokyo grappling with unexpected changes.

  Brie Grant (31:49): "It's a really fun, strange, feminist book that goes really bizarre."

7. Cozy

• Mallory picks "Phoebe's Diary" by Phoe Wall, a YA book enriched with illustrations, depicting the everyday adventures and self-discoveries of a teenage girl.

  Mallory O’Meara (45:26): "It's the perfect book when you’re just kind of feeling cozy and content and you want to sit on the couch."

• Brie recommends "Welcome to the Hanyeon Dong Bookshop", a cozy story about a woman relocating from Seoul to a small town to open a bookshop, finding contentment and community.

  Brie Grant (46:42): "She starts hosting author events and meeting people from the neighborhood. It just becomes about like... a warm, cozy life."

8. Bored/Restless

• Brie selects "The Husbands" by Holly Grazio, a meta-narrative about a woman encountering different husbands each time she visits the attic, reflecting her own restlessness.

  Brie Grant (48:15): "A different husband comes down each time. So it's about being restless."

• Mallory recommends "We Ride Upon Sticks" by Quan Berry, a dynamic novel set in 1989 Massachusetts, following a female field hockey team discovering a potentially magical book that influences their performance.

  Mallory O’Meara (49:40): "It's so goddamn good. Just a top-tier Restless Book."

Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with Mallory and Brie reflecting on the rewarding yet challenging process of selecting books for every mood. They encourage listeners to reach out with additional mood categories and share their favorite reads.

Mallory O’Meara (47:55): "If you have a type of mood that you really want us to do a book recommendation for, email us and we will do a second one."

Brie Grant emphasizes the importance of community support, thanking their Discord moderators and urging listeners to leave reviews to help the podcast grow.

Brie Grant (51:53): "If you like the show and want to do something nice for us, please rate and review us on the podcast listening app of your choice."

Notable Quotes:

• Mallory (00:19): "This episode was so hard."
• Brie (14:45): "It is a happy overall book... I promise it ends well."
• Sarah (07:00): "Reading glasses has shaped my life in wonderful and profound ways too."
• Brie (19:43): "This is what I would do when I was angry, upset."
• Mallory (24:47): "It's the romantic ideal of a romance novel for me... What love is."
• Mallory (29:43): "I loved it so fucking much."
• Brie (48:15): "So it's about being restless."

Conclusion

Episode 422 of Reading Glasses offers a thoughtfully curated selection of books tailored to various moods, providing listeners with tailored reading paths to enhance their literary journeys. Whether seeking joy, grappling with anger, craving humor, yearning for romance, navigating gloom, embracing the weird, finding coziness, or battling restlessness, Mallory and Brie present compelling choices to meet every emotional need.