Ep 428 - Signed Copies and Protective Covers - How Precious Should You Be With Your Books?

Summary

Reading Glasses - Episode 428

"Signed Copies and Protective Covers – How Precious Should You Be With Your Books?"
With hosts Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara
September 11, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this philosophical and practical episode, Brea and Mallory dive deep into the emotional and logistical aspects of signed books and how to protect your precious reads. Listener questions spark discussions on whether to read, annotate, or preserve signed copies, how to verify author signatures, and the merits of protective book covers—specifically Book Beau sleeves. The hosts also share engaging book recommendations and listener stories before meticulously testing a range of book tech products. Readers who love their collections or obsess over "bookishness" will find plenty to ponder and laugh about.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Book Recommendations

(Starts ~00:44)

• Brea: Esperance by Adam Oyabanji
  A sci-fi/mystery hybrid with dual perspectives, historical mysteries, tech gadgets, and unexpected connections.

  "It has science fiction, it has a mystery, it has two perspectives...what the book ended up doing really surprised me. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down." (01:58 – Brea)

• Mallory: Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononowu Caishian
  A short, author-narrated audiobook exploring queer elements in nature and the natural world's challenge to heteronormative narratives.

  "When you look at the natural world, it's not that at all. It is actually very natural to have a more expansive view of gender and sexuality." (03:33 – Mallory)

• Both hosts express excitement for each other's picks and praise for the library as a resource.

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2. Listener Feedback and Reading Philosophies

(Begins ~04:05)

• Listener Bethany shares her mother's strict reading rules: 150 pages to get hooked or DNF, reading books in TBR order, and restricting new purchases, which the hosts marvel at.

  "Imagine reading books in the order that you get them." (05:40 – Mallory)

• Canadian librarians Michael and Michelle cite the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading program as a rich discovery resource for award-winning, especially BIPOC-authored, books.

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3. The Philosophy and Practice of Signed Books

(Main segment starts ~10:59)

• The episode's core questions:
  • Should you treat signed books as precious trophies or just read them?
  • Is it okay to annotate and personalize a signed copy?
  • Do you need both a “reading” and a “signed” copy?
  • How do you verify an author’s signature?

Philosophy of the Signed Book

• Personal vs. Trophy:
  • Brea and Mallory are not avid collectors but appreciate signed copies from friends or when paired with a meaningful event.

    "I'm not seeking it out ... but if it's right in front of me, I'll take it." (13:29 – Mallory)

  • Signed books connected to an experience are most cherished.

Reading and Annotating Signed Books

• Can You Write in Them?

  • Both say YES, especially if you’re not planning to sell them.

    "It makes it even more personalized. You're personalizing your personalized copy. This is the only book like this in the world..." (14:31 – Brea)

  • Only hold back if you intend to keep the book pristine for resale value. They poke fun at the notion of “spirited” annotation:

    "Unless you're doing something really chaotic, I think you can totally annotate a sign copy." (16:43 – Mallory)

• Alternatives to Annotating:

  • Use sticky notes, especially the see-through ones, for removable annotation (18:45 – Brea & Mallory).
  • No need to buy a “reader” and a “signed” copy ("In this economy? Good god, books are so expensive now." (19:16 – Mallory))
  • Creative options like having authors sign a tote bag or e-reader cover.

Validating Author Signatures

• Seek a “signed by the author” sticker from indie bookstores for authenticity.

  • If buying secondhand, compare online signature samples.

  • “Barnes and Noble cards you if you want to sign books because of this reason [forgery]... There's a little goblin out there signing people's books." (20:33 – Mallory)

• Rosemary’s book was signed by Mallory, who details her signature method (striking out the printed name and signing with matching ink color).

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4. Are Signed Books Worth It?

• Both agree: They’re great for gifting or as mementos from special events, but don’t require precious handling unless you’re a collector or reselling.

  "If you own an object, it should be something that you can use to its fullest extent." (24:22 – Mallory)

• Lighthearted banter about “trophy shelves” and the hypothetical idea of mounting signed books like hunting trophies.

  "Should we start a side gig of making trophy plaques of books?" (24:42 – Mallory)

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5. Book Tech Review: Book Beau Sleeves

(Begins ~26:06)

• Roxanne, a longtime listener, sent a range of Book Beau protective sleeves—from Kindle size to full laptop sleeves. The hosts each test all five sizes for various uses:

Book Beau Features:

• Now water-resistant, zippered, and padded (a major upgrade from older button-closure fabric versions).
• Offer sizes for everything from e-readers (Baby, Mini) to thick hardcovers or laptops (XL, Jumbo).
• Wide range of fun, distinctive designs.

Hands-on Reviews (by Size):

• Baby: Great for Kindle Paperwhite and similar e-readers, with extra space for pencils or accessories.

  "It was actually quite a bit of room and there's a lot of room at the top." (28:20 – Bria)

• Mini: Fits a wider e-reader (Kobo Libra) tightly; also suited for mass market paperbacks.

  “At this point I will say I do not travel with my Kobo unless it is in my Book Beau.” (29:49 – Mallory)

• Indie: Perfect for standard trade paperbacks or two smaller books.

• XL: Ideal for hardcovers, sci-fi “honkers,” or carrying multiple books together.

  “If you want to tote around A Court of Thorn and Roses, this is the size for you.” (31:25 – Mallory)

• Jumbo: Laptop-sized; praised for being water-resistant and helping protect expensive tech.

  “I actually think this is one I will be using a lot because...I just leave [my laptop] there, and this is how I damage all my laptops.” (32:13 – Bria)

Book Beau Evaluation:

• Hosts were near-unanimous in praise.

  "Cute, durable. I should be taking better care of my electronics. And this is something that has encouraged me to do this." (33:15 – Bria) "These are five out of five pages for me. This is honestly a tote bag essential. This is a reading essential for me." (36:43 – Mallory)

• For regular travelers, public transit readers, and anyone who “raw dogs” a book in their bag, these are invaluable.

Book Beau as Essential Book Tech?

• If you’re often carrying your books or devices in bags/totes, Book Beau or similar covers are “tote bag essential”—useful for organization as well as protection.

  “I don’t raw dog a book in my purse anymore...these are worth it.” (34:58 – Mallory)

• For at-home only readers, less necessary, but still handy for organizing or storing comics/single issues securely.

• Amusing asides on the mysterious "purse grit" and the hazards awaiting unprotected books.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Annotating Signed Books:

  "It makes it even more personalized. You're personalizing your personalized copy. This is the only book like this in the world..."
  (14:31 – Brea)

  "Authors always know when you're gonna sell a book, and we can tell when people are like, 'Oh, don't personalize it.' I'm like, oh, this is gonna be on eBay later."
  (15:03 – Mallory)

• On Book Protection:

  "This Book Beau saved my Kobo."
  (34:22 – Mallory)

• On Signed Book Collecting:

  "Should we start a side gig of making trophy plaques of books?"
  (24:42 – Mallory)

• Philosophical Take:

  "If you own an object, it should be something that you can use to its fullest extent."
  (24:22 – Mallory)

• Listener Story:

  "We both independently quoted your show in our wedding vows."
  (05:49 – Bria)

• Bookish Humor:

  "You are mostly melted chocolate with blonde hair."
  (33:38 – Mallory to Bria)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Book Recommendations: 00:44–03:55
• Listener Feedback: 04:05–09:53
• Signed Books Philosophy & Listener Questions: 10:59–25:11
  • Can you/should you write in signed books? (14:31–16:43)
  • Alternatives for annotation (18:45–19:43)
  • Verifying signatures (20:23–22:47)
• Book Tech: Book Beau Review: 26:06–40:37
  • Testing sizes and use cases (27:31–32:35)
  • Are protective covers essential? (36:43–39:16)
• Notable Tangents & Fun: Throughout, esp. 17:16–18:23 (angel couch anecdote) and 39:16–40:37 (comic book protection & partner shaming)

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Conclusion & Further Engagement

The hosts conclude that while signed books can be meaningful to keep pristine, it’s ultimately up to personal philosophy: use and mark up your books if it brings you joy! For those worried about damage, the latest Book Beau sleeves make an excellent “essential” for regular book carriers. The episode blends genuine guidance with characteristic Reading Glasses humor and warmth, leaving listeners both equipped and entertained.

Contact and Community Links:

• Send book tech recommendations or thoughts on signed books: [e-mail]
• Join the Reading Glasses community on Discord and Facebook
• Show support, buy totes, and check out the store via links in the episode show notes

End Note:
“Thanks for listening, and thanks for reading!”

Transcript

[Mallory O']

Foreign. 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'.

[Bria Grant]

Meara. And I'm Bria Grant, filmmaker and e reader. This episode, we're answering questions about signed books. How precious do you have to be with them? How do you verify that it's really signed by the author and are they worth seeking out? Plus, an extra long review about book bows. We were sent quite a few and we appreciate that. And how much protection do books really need?

[Mallory O']

Yeah, this is.

[Bria Grant]

This.

[Mallory O']

This whole episode is really kind of philosophical, like how. How do you treat books as an object?

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

But first, Bria, what are you reading?

[Bria Grant]

I just finished a book called Esperance by Adam Oyabanji. This book is written for me. It is wonderful. It is told from two perspectives. One is a detective looking into a very strange case. Basically, these. He goes into this apartment, I think. Yeah, an apartment. And there's people dead. And the apartment is just a regular apartment, but they drowned.

[Mallory O']

Whoa.

[Bria Grant]

There's no. It's wet horror, which is a term we're using on the show now. And there's also scratches on the ceiling. Ooh. And it's super weird. He doesn't know what's going on. And then it also shows the point of view of this young woman who starts in Bristol, makes a stop in Edinburgh. You know, we love an Edinburgh book on this. On this show.

[Mallory O']

Oh, I want to read this.

[Bria Grant]

And she kind of pairs up with this British woman and she's on a mission to find this very specific ship from history.

[Mallory O']

And information about ships are new.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. So it's. There's not. That sounds like two things that are unrelated, but then they come together and you have sort of like. I don't want to tell you too much. Let me just look at their description. All you know about this young woman is she has some pretty high tech gadgets, I'll tell you.

[Mallory O']

Wow. This really is a Bria book.

[Bria Grant]

So it's like, it has science fiction, it has a mystery, it has two perspectives. And then they also are traveling around. And it's sort of about family legacy. It's about history. There's a big historical element to it. And it's about. I don't want to give too much away because there was. What the book ended up doing really surprised me. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. And it came out this year. I never read from this author before and gotta say, I will be reading all of this author's books from now on. Hey. Yeah. What are you reading?

[Mallory O']

So I am reading a book that was designed for the glassers. I think it's called Forest Euphoria, the Abounding queerness of Nature.

[Bria Grant]

I just ordered this from the library.

[Mallory O']

It's amazing. It's read by the author, it's by Patricia Ononowu Caishian, and it is again, it's called Queer Nature. Like I I There should be a stampede of glasses going to the bookstore right now. The audiobook's amazing. We love a read by the author audiobook. And it's really just about how queer nature is, how mushrooms are non binary, how queer ravens are, how snails and slugs are very trans. But it's also mixed in with the author's story about her own queerness and coming to terms with that through observing nature. She's a mycologist. We know the glasses, love mushrooms, so this is a very mushroom heavy book. But it's all just about looking at nature and looking at forests and looking at forest creatures can expand your view of what humanity can be and what communities can be and what people can be and how we are fed this idea, this very, you know, CIS heteronormative cage that society is put in of like everyone should be a certain way. But then when you look at the natural world, it's not that at all. It's not natural to be like that. It is actually very natural to have a more expansive view of gender and sexuality. And I loved it. It's great. It's also short Love a short audiobook. So highly recommend. So that is Forest Euphoria by Patricia.

[Bria Grant]

Ononowu Catian, and mine is Esperance by Adam Oyubangi.

[Mallory O']

So we want to take a moment to share some listener feedback. Bethany wrote in to say good morning from Georgia, so I'm extremely lucky because growing up my mother always valued reading. My sibling and I were always encouraged to read, and we watched her devour a variety of books just for fun. She has recommended a ton of incredible books to me throughout the years, including the first romance book that I ever read in seventh grade, which is Nora Roberts, Dance upon the Air. My mother has some pretty strict rules for reading, and while I try to imitate some of them, I'm more loosey goosey with my TBR than she is. Her rules are 1. A book has 150 pages to grab her or she will dnf the book.

[Bria Grant]

That's very generous.

[Mallory O']

So many pages, she feels like 150 pages is plenty of time to give a book to get her attention. And if at that point she is uninterested, she will not finish it and feel zero guilt about it. She reads mostly on her Kindle now, so I wonder if she has updated this rule to a percentage. But overall, she taught me early on that books are supposed to add something to your life. If they aren't doing it for you personally, you shouldn't feel guilty about walking away. Wow. His mama rules. Second, she has the strictest TBR I have ever seen. She reads books in the order that she gets them.

[Bria Grant]

Wow.

[Mallory O']

Oh, my God. Wow.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

Books very rarely are allowed to jump the line. And if she has too many books on her tbr, she will not buy more.

[Bria Grant]

Wow. Oh, good for her.

[Mallory O']

But this couldn't be me. I really love that she does this because she doesn't end up wasting a bunch of money on books that she never reads. And she's very good about donating books she finishes. All of this is to say, I'm so thankful that I was raised by someone who values reading as much as she does. I get to imitate that behavior for my kids and I really hope they grow up enjoying reading as much as my mom and I do. I love this. Although. Oh my God, imagine getting ready reading books in the order that you get them.

[Bria Grant]

I mean, at least you know what comes next and then giving it 150 pages. You really are very disciplined about the books you buy.

[Mallory O']

This is amazing.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Michael and Michelle wrote in and said, hey, Brian, Mallory, long time, first time. My wife and I love your show. Both of us being Canadian librarians. She's in the public library, I'm in a high school library. And we both independently quoted your show in our wedding vows.

[Mallory O']

I texted you about this. I know. I'm dying to know what they said.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, let us know. We listen to your show on all of our road trips and we have to listen to each episode multiple times since we will always start talking about as. As the episode plays when something you said sparks great conversations.

[Mallory O']

Wow.

[Bria Grant]

This is so nice. I had a hot tip. Mallory, give a hot tip for anyone who's getting stumped finding new book recommendations or finding great award winning books. Library associations and their reading programs. Oh, I like that. The ola, which is the Ontario Library association, has a massive Canadian reading program called the Forest of Reading, which culminates into a big festival in Toronto called Festival of Trees. The Force of Reading has 10 different age categories ranging from preschool to adult with 10 books in each category. Each category starts with 10 books created by librarians and library professionals and then voted on by the intended audience for those books. With this list, you're looking at a hundred books each year that are outstanding in their own rights, the winner being a banger. I've used this award to find a lot of great books and if anyone is struggling to find award winning bipoc authored books, this is a wonderful resource. And. And it's all Canadian books, which is always great. P S. We constantly say bria holy and our best Mallory voice on a daily basis since the 2024 Maximum Fun Drive. You do say that a lot. You do. Go Bria holy, holy. As a way to start something. That's lovely. Do you want to read?

[Mallory O']

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

The question is, is this Michael or Michelle's?

[Mallory O']

I wonder if it's both of theirs.

[Bria Grant]

Okay. I think it's Michael's. I think it's Michael's because Michael is the one. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

[Mallory O']

Wheelhouse is cozy, spooky, which we love.

[Bria Grant]

Cozy, spooky.

[Mallory O']

Body switching with interesting power D dynamics. Oh, yeah, vampires. Different POVs of the same incident.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, it's fun.

[Mallory O']

Cosmic horror, traveling to hostile environments, both fiction and non fiction. Space, deep sea, north and south poles, mountain climbing, that kind of thing. Medical history, true hauntings, and anything related to bird watching.

[Bria Grant]

Very cute.

[Mallory O']

Definitely a glasser. Wheelhouse. I love this so much. Thank you to both of you for supporting the show. We really appreciate it. And please tell us what you said in your wedding vows because we're dying to know.

[Bria Grant]

You need to know so you can.

[Mallory O']

Email us at reading glasses podcast gmail.com if you want a list of all the books we talk about on the show delivered to your inbox every month. Can sign up for our newsletter. There's a link in the show. Notes, folks, last call. The readathon is happening in two days. If you were listening to this episode on the day it comes out, which is Thursday, September 11th. And in two days we are doing our seasonal readathon, which we're really excited about. So It's. It's Saturday, September 13th. We're starting with a kickoff on Instagram live at 10 o' clock in the morning Pacific time. We're checking in at 1 and then we're also checking in when we finish at 5pm we're so pumped. We love a readathon to tag us in your stacks of books that you're going to be reading. Tag us in your stack of snacks. Let us know. People in the discord and slack love to post what they're going to be reading and snacking on. Maybe you can post a photo of your little reading nook. We're really excited about it. So that's this Saturday, September 13th for the readathon. And also maybe a good thing to read during the readathon is the glasser voted book club pick.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Mallory O']

Which is this year. It's the Bewitching by Sylvia Moreno Garcia. Very buzzy Glasser book. Next month in October, we're going to be doing a members only event which we're really pumped about. If you want to join that that event, go to maximumfun.org join to sign up to support reading glasses and email us your proof of membership. But we're really pumped about this is going to be me and Bria and a bunch of glassers talking about this book virtually. Again, this is members only, so if you want to get in on this or if you know you can just read the book on your own people, people will be talking about it in the discord. But we're really excited about that. We will be announcing the date for that very soon. So a lot of fun Glasser events coming up. But before we talk about books, we're going to take a quick break.

[Dr. Ella Hubba]

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?

[Mallory O']

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Episode 59.

[Dr. Ella Hubba]

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?

[Mallory O']

Episode 64.

[Dr. Ella Hubba]

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

[Bria Grant]

Oh, we're ruined.

[Dr. Ella Hubba]

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

[Mallory O']

I'm regular Tom Lum.

[Dr. Ella Hubba]

I'm Caroline Roper. And on let's learn everything. We learn 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']

Join us every other Thursday on Maximum Fun. This week we're talking signed books. How can you tell they're really signed by the author? Are you still allowed to read them after they're signed? Are they worth the trouble?

[Bria Grant]

Read them. Okay. All right.

[Mallory O']

We're gonna. There's some controversial ideas about these. Really are. We're figuring out our sign books worth the trouble. We're gonna get into it. So today's episode was inspired by all the emails we've been getting about this. For some reason, we've been getting a lot of emails. So we picked a couple that seem to cover the most frequently asked questions. Of course, the first one is from Sarah. Do you want to read this? Yes.

[Bria Grant]

I've recently decided to get books I loved signed by the authors when I can. My husband also enjoys this, but to him, these books are precious. He doesn't even want to read that copy. Once it's signed, I see it becomes a bookshelf trophy. I'm not torn about the idea of reading these books once they're signed. I know I'll do that regardless, and it doesn't bother me. But I've started wanting to take notes when I read or. Or highlight areas I love or add stickies so I remember pages to go back to. It makes my books feel like an experience. But can I do that to a signed copy? Should I support the author more and have a reading slash notation copy and a signed copy in this economy? Yeah. Should I have a my well loved slash, signed slash and notated copy that has everything? I know it's a personal preference, but is there a third, better option I'm not thinking of? I lean towards wanting my signed copy to be just mine, especially if it's personalized. And part of me is notes and credits and chaos. But is this book blasphemy? As always, thank you for all you do. You've made me a better reader and I cannot tell you how much that means to me.

[Mallory O']

All right, so before we get into these deep philosophical questions, and I say this without a shred of facetiousness, I know this is. These are big questions for readers. Bria, are you a signed book person?

[Bria Grant]

First of all, this is a huge class or this question. Truly, this is why we made the show. I am not. Unless I'm like standing in front of the author and I'm like, oh, cool, could you sign it? Like, that's like about the extent you're.

[Mallory O']

Walking down the street.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

I'm like, N.K. jemisin is taking a stroll and you're like, oh, hello.

[Bria Grant]

Especially you know where I love a signed book from my friends. Because then I'm like, oh, I love that this person made this thing. I've been thinking a lot about this lately because I have no fear of telling people that I'm friends with that I love their art. Yeah. Which I think comes from being listening to like punk music and being the punk scene when I was younger. Because I think there's people who think of, like, separation between themselves and, like, an artist. Anyway, this is another philosophy I can get into another time. I. So I know I'm not buying signed books, but I like getting them as gifts. I'm not above signed books. I'm just, like, not collecting them. So when someone gives me one, I'm like, oh, this is signed by the author. That's rad. But otherwise, no. What about you?

[Mallory O']

I'm kind of the same way. I feel the same way about sign books as I do about, like, dessert and sweet stuff.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

Like, I'm not seeking it out. Oh, wow. But if. If it's right in front of me, I'll take it.

[Bria Grant]

Sure.

[Mallory O']

Like, I'm not really sure why, but, like, a signed thing has never really been a thing that I. I search out unless there's, like, an experience that goes along with it. Like, when I was on Go Fact Yourself, I and my best friend David Naughton gave me a signed American Werewolf in London poster. Like, I have such an incredible experience. Yeah, yeah, yeah. From that poster. Literally, it is framed in my living room now. But, like, intellectually, I really understand the excitement that comes with, like, having a copy of something that the author, like, personally handled. Especially if, like, it's from a signing and, like, the author writes something nice. You get to meet that author and you have a, like, really great experience. But it's. I think, because I don't like objects that I have to be precious with that. It's like, I don't seek them out.

[Bria Grant]

No. Yeah.

[Mallory O']

So with note. With that in mind, let's go through these questions. Bria, what are your opinions? Can you annotate a signed copy? Do you think you need a separate copy?

[Bria Grant]

I mean, I think, of course you can annotate a signed copy, because I think it makes it even more personalized. You're personalizing your personalized copy. This is the only book like this in the world, and I can't think of a reason for you not to do it if you're planning on keeping the book. Now, if you're going to. If you're a person who's like, I'm. This is a book I'm keeping for value, which is. Sounds like what Sarah's husband is. Is, like, this is a valuable book. I'm buying it, getting it signed for value, for monetary value and other reasons, probably, but specifically for that, and maybe you want to sell it later, then maybe don't write in that.

[Mallory O']

But I will say, authors always know when you're gonna sell a book, and we can tell when people are like, oh, don't personalize it.

[Bria Grant]

Don't personalize it. Yeah.

[Mallory O']

And I'm like, oh, this is gonna be on ebay later.

[Bria Grant]

Sign headshots a lot.

[Mallory O']

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

They're like, don't personalize them. I'm like, okay, so you're gonna sell this? Just so you know, you'll get $0 from a Bria Grant headshot. But, yeah. So I think, look, if you're planning on possibly selling it at a later date, then maybe don't annotate it. But otherwise, hell, yeah, it just makes it more your own book. Yeah. I mean, what a thrill to, like, for me, thinking about, like, borrowing a book from someone where they've annotated it and it's signed. It's just like, this is the most.

[Mallory O']

Magic book in the world. Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

So you agree?

[Mallory O']

Yes. 100. It's yours, baby. Like, I. As I said, I don't like owning things I have to be careful with. If you. You know me, you know, I'm very clumsy. I drop everything I own multiple times.

[Bria Grant]

A nice car. So I don't have a nice.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, Like, I just. I don't. There's something about it. Like, I like my objects well loved and worn, especially with my books. And I think it'll be extra special if an author signed a book and then it's like, it's got your thoughts in it. Like, you. It's got your coffee stains on it. Like, it really. Like you said, it feels like such a. It's infused with the author and you, like, what a special thing. I don't think you need a separate copy unless your version of annotation involves. You're folding things, you're ripping stuff out. Like, I don't know, like, really extreme annotation.

[Bria Grant]

With Justin X, you are literally, like, surfing and reading and annotating at the same time.

[Mallory O']

You're on a black diamond ski trail.

[Bria Grant]

There's, like. There's blood splatter on the annotation extreme. I annotated it in my own blood.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. Unless you're doing something really chaotic, I think you can totally annotate a sign copy again, like, unless you are someone who. You're gonna sell it, you're. Maybe you're gonna display it and you want it pristine. I don't know. But I just. I don't think either one of us are people who like having. Like, even all the stuff that I collect is like fountain pens, books, records. It's stuff that I want to use and handle. Like, I'm not putting stuff up on a shelf and never touching it again.

[Bria Grant]

That's my thing, too. But I'm such a practical person in that way where I just. Just don't have things that I own that you aren't allowed to use.

[Mallory O']

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

You know, like couches that people like.

[Mallory O']

Don't.

[Bria Grant]

Don't sit on the couch.

[Mallory O']

Like, what are you talking about? When I was a kid, tangent. But I know people have been talking about how much they love our tangent, so maybe, Maybe, maybe this is good. But my dad dated this woman who had a big house, and in her house, she had something she called the angel room.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

And it was like a living room, and it had a couch, but it, like, everything, every piece of furniture and art. Piece of art in the room was angels. And there was an angel couch that had, like. It was like. It was embroidered with, like, cherubs. And I. I remember one of the first things I was told is like, don't sit on the angel.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

That.

[Bria Grant]

First of all, that's horrifying.

[Mallory O']

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

The image of it in general is what it's going on there.

[Mallory O']

That's like, imagine having a couch. Imagine having so much space. You have a couch that people. That is purely for decoration. You're not allowed to sit on it.

[Bria Grant]

That's wild. And that I do feel like when I was a kid, that was a thing where you'd go to someone's house and they're like, we don't sit in that room. Which is really like kids. It's like having that room, I guess.

[Mallory O']

In your own house.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. I did have a friend that had a dollhouse that we weren't allowed to play with because her mom collected the dolls. And that was.

[Mallory O']

That's torture.

[Bria Grant]

It's torture.

[Mallory O']

Torture.

[Bria Grant]

Like, I think play with the dolls.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, we, like, play with your stuff.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

But I mean. And I. But again, I. I intellectually understand, like, the idea of getting a book signed and then you, like, keep it pristine and you have it on, like, a special shelf. I understand that, but I think you and I just have a different philosophy.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

So. But if. If you are a Bria and I. This is a rare. Bria and Mallory, we're on the same agreement. I think it's totally okay to have a signed copy. Bria, is there another option?

[Bria Grant]

I'm going to say stickies is not a bad idea.

[Mallory O']

Oh, yeah. Then you can remove the annotations if you want.

[Bria Grant]

I would. I would. Again, only for worrying about, like, plan selling it later. But yeah. Little sticky notes. If you Want to annotate. But you. We have those, like, little see through sticky notes tested out on the show. So if you wanted to make sure you could eventually take everything out of it, then I think that is a possibility. Or little note cards. But the note cards may, I don't know, may up the binding, But I think something like that's not a bad idea. What about you? Should they. Should she buy a third copy?

[Mallory O']

No.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

In this economy. Good God, Books are so expensive now. I just want to say there are other options. If you're looking for getting a signed thing, shout out. There's a glasser named Kyle that does something that I think is really cool. I got to meet Kyle on Joco Cruz. Kyle has a tote bag that he gets signed by authors, and so he has this, like, one, like, bookish tote bag that's, like, signed by a ton of authors. And I think that's, like, a great way to collect a signature that isn't in a book, so you don't have to worry about reading the book afterwards.

[Bria Grant]

That's fun.

[Mallory O']

Some people have authors sign their Kindle cases. Like, there's definitely fun options if you want to get an author signature, but you don't want it in a book. But I think we're both agreeing on this. Sarah, get that book signed and writing it.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, writing it. Writing the book.

[Mallory O']

All right, next question is from Rosemary. Rosemary says hi, Brian. Mallory writing in with a quick question from Mallory. I bought a copy of Daughter of Daring. Thank you. At my public library bookstore, and it looks like it was signed by you. I have attached a picture. Can you confirm if this is the case? I'm not sure if you two have got an episode on signed books already, but I'd be curious to know your thoughts on them. Do you know how you go about verifying the signatures, especially if the author isn't around anymore? Thank you both so much for making the podcast. It's one of my favorites. Same with reading smut. Bria, what do you. What do you think about verifying author signatures?

[Bria Grant]

First of all, I just love the idea of a psycho being like, I just. I'm gonna sign a bunch of names in books. Like, what a psycho who's like, hi. I fooled them. Like, what's the joy of that?

[Mallory O']

I mean, remember, I've told this story a bunch of times that Barnes and Noble cards you if you want to sign books because of this reason.

[Bria Grant]

I know, but, like, what. Who. What is the joy.

[Mallory O']

A little goblin out there signing people's books.

[Bria Grant]

Well, Was it Mallory? Was it your signature?

[Mallory O']

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Great.

[Mallory O']

Okay. But I will say so. I have a very particular way of signing books.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

That I saw. I. I forget which author. There's a few authors I know who do this. Kristen Arnett is one of them. Where I 1 I always sign in a fountain pen, so I match my ink to the COVID So most signed copies of Daughter of Daring are signed in orange. Go with the COVID But I strike out my printed name and I sign my name over it because it's like, oh, it like, feels like, oh, right now. This is not printed, Mallory. This is personal, Mallory.

[Bria Grant]

I like that. I like that.

[Mallory O']

So that if you see that, then you know, definitely me. So regarding the verification, it's usually possible to find a photo of an author's signature online. But buying it. The best way to get a verified signature is buying it from a bookstore or use it like Rosemary did, a library bookstore. Especially if it has assigned by the author sticker on it. A lot of bookstores will do that. If you buy a secondhand or on ebay or something, that is harder because there are people who it is signature. You'll have to try to find a photo and try to match them. But you know the best places to get it. I mean, as always, from an indie bookstore. And then there'll be a lovely sign by the author sticker.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, I think that sticker is going to be something you should definitely look out for because the sticker is going to be helpful. Was there a sticker on this book?

[Mallory O']

Rosemary only sent a photo signed page.

[Bria Grant]

Interesting. Yeah, because I feel like that's something people really advertise, but it also could.

[Mallory O']

Be because people collect signed books.

[Bria Grant]

So.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, because sometimes I'll go into a bookstore. Actually, I just went into a new bookstore that I had not been to in la, the Flintridge Bookstore. Shout out to Flintridge Bookstore. And I walked in and they had, like, a display of, like, signed by the author books.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, that's nice.

[Mallory O']

Because it's a big selling point for some people. So bookstores are definitely going to highlight that. They. Almost all of them have their own, like, version of a signed sticker. And that's why a lot of authors, like, when I go in a bookstore and if I sign a book, I will bring it, bring it up to the front desk and be like, hey, I signed these. And they'll be like, great, we'll sticker them. I know they do that at our local skylight. But for Rosemary, do we have any final thoughts about signed books?

[Bria Grant]

Look, if this is something you're looking for. I would make sure they are legit. I think that is important. So that signed by the author or going to an author event or buying it from the author directly. I mean, that kind of stuff I think is going to be really helpful if this is something you're looking for. I also think this is a really nice thing. I don't think you need to buy multiple copies. It's very nice. But I think like having, you know, I think this is a nice thing to have on your shelf, especially if you're really. If you're a big book head.

[Mallory O']

Big. Sarah Like I, I think I would not like having multiple. The only times I have multiple copies of a book is that I have a book that I've had for a really long time and read the absolute out of it and it's disintegrating. Like have multiple copies of the Exorcist because my original mass market paperback is like, it looks like something that was found in a tomb. Like, it is just disintegrating. But I don't want to get rid of it because I love it and I love the Exorcist. So I have a reading copy of that. But it's only a few books that are like that. I don't think I would. If I had a signed copy of something, I would get another copy. I think that these make great gifts. They're really fun to get. Like, I get really excited when someone gives me a signed book gift because it's like, like, oh, not only here's a book for you, but here I went through the extra trouble, especially if like, as, as an author who signs a lot of books, it's very sweet to be when people are like, this is a gift for my niece. This is a gift for my friend. Like, this is a gift for someone in my family. And I tried, I always try to personalize it and write something fun. So I think the act of sign, of signing and getting signed books is really great. But I think you and I personally just have the philosophy of like, if you own an object, it should be something that you can use to its fullest extent.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, I agree.

[Mallory O']

And I think I just don't have the space for like a trophy case. Although I like the idea of like a book about like, like a set of antlers like up on a plaque on a wall. Like, hey, this is my, my sign book. Like I have put it up on.

[Bria Grant]

The coffee shelf, antlers on the book.

[Mallory O']

Now I am.

[Bria Grant]

That sounds really good actually, that I'M interested in.

[Mallory O']

Oh, my God. Should we start a side gig of like making. Making trophy plaques of books?

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, that's a good idea. It's fun.

[Mallory O']

That's really fun. Like a big honker. Like a 700 page. Like, yeah, I'm kind of into this.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. All right.

[Mallory O']

So you can send your thoughts on signed books driven glasses podcast Gmail.com. before we test out some book bows, we're going to take a quick break.

[My Brother, My Brother Me Host]

You know, we've been doing My Brother, My brother me for 15 years. And maybe, maybe you stopped listening for a while. Maybe you never listened. And you're probably assuming three white guys talking for 15 years. I know where this has ended up, but no, no, you would be wrong. We're as shocked as you are that we have not fallen into some sort of horrific scandal or just turned into a big crypto thing. Yeah, you don't even really know how crypto works. The only NFTs I'm into are naughty.

[Mallory O']

Funny things, which is what we talk about on My Broad.

[My Brother, My Brother Me Host]

My brother and me, we serve it up every Monday for you if you're listening. And if not, we just leave it out back until goes rotten. So check it out on maximum fun or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mallory O']

Time to test out some book tech. Advances in bookish technology. This week's book tech was very generously provided by longtime glasser Roxanne. Thank you so much. Roxanne has sent us quite a few things. She's been a glasser for a really long time. We've both got to meet her, so we really appreciate this. So we are reviewing book bows. So what Roxanne did was sent us a gift card. So I got one of each of these sizes for us to test out. Book Bow is a company that sells protective book sleeves and bean shaped reading pillows. We've reviewed both. But the thing about Book Bow is we've been fans of them for years, but they've changed a lot. I mean, we, I think the first time we reviewed one was this early, early on, like for the first year or two. So when we first tried them, both were just padded fabric sleeves with a button closure. And now they've evolved.

[Bria Grant]

They've evolved. They've got with the times.

[Mallory O']

They really have. So now they are zippered, they are padded, they are water resistant. They're made out of like this nylony material. They come in five different sizes. I think initially they only came in one or two sizes.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, I think that's right.

[Mallory O']

So when Roxanne have one of the old ones. I do, too.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

Roxanne does a skiff guard. So I just got one of each size to test out. So we're gonna go through them all and it's. They do guide on their website, which is very helpful. But we have some pages on the ground reviews, so you can really tell which size you're going to need. All right, so the first one is the baby size. This is the smallest one. I gave this to Bria to test out. This is specifically for, like, Kindle, paper whites, Oasis, other small E readers. What did you think of this?

[Bria Grant]

I think this. It's very cute. It has, like, rabbits on it. Very, like, Watership down style rabbits. Like, they look like they're very concerned about things.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, they're concerned that. Why aren't you reading?

[Bria Grant]

I love it. It. I love it. Are there. I don't know if there's larger Kindles, but you could fit something slightly larger in this than a. Than the Kindle I have. You can almost fit an iPad, like a small mini. IPad.

[Mallory O']

IPad mini.

[Bria Grant]

Do they still make those?

[Mallory O']

I think so.

[Bria Grant]

I like it. It definitely fits my Kindle. It's very padded.

[Mallory O']

The padded is nice.

[Bria Grant]

The padded is nice because you really know it's not going to get damaged.

[Mallory O']

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Because you could, like, throw this thing across the room and probably be okay.

[Mallory O']

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

I mean, not recommending it.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. Don't. Please don't throw your three readers around.

[Bria Grant]

But I do think it is. Yeah, it was nice. Very easy. Very nice. Very cute. The Watership down rabbits. That's probably not where they're really from, but that's what they looked like.

[Mallory O']

When you put your Kindle in there, how much extra space was there? Was it a snug fit?

[Bria Grant]

No.

[Mallory O']

Extra. Extra space.

[Bria Grant]

Lots of extra space. Plenty of space. You could put some pencils. You could put.

[Mallory O']

I would maybe not rec.

[Bria Grant]

Well, but you probably put two candles.

[Mallory O']

Wow.

[Bria Grant]

I. I think, like, there was. It was actually quite a bit of room and there's a lot of room at the top.

[Mallory O']

So even at the smallest size with your Kindle in there, you could fit.

[Bria Grant]

Because I think the small size. Is that the smallest one?

[Mallory O']

No, this is the one that I have right here. This is. So next size up is the mini.

[Bria Grant]

Mini. Okay.

[Mallory O']

And I took this one because. So this is for the bigger E readers. This is for the. This is for. This will fit an iPad mini. This will fit a mass market paperback. I love this thing so much. I have another one that I use for my Kobo Libra. So my hobo Libra. Libra is a little bit wider because it has like the little like handle thing on the side. This is the perfect size for me.

[Bria Grant]

Like, but this one doesn't fit the Koa.

[Mallory O']

No, it does.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, it does fit. So it fits that in mass market paperbacks.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. So when I put, I, when I put my Kobo in there, there's. Oh, it's, it is a snug fit. It is like there's only a few millimeters on each side of wiggle room. I will say.

[Bria Grant]

See, check it out. There's so much room.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, your, your Kindle paper white is a lot narrower than mine. Like my Kobo is, I think another inch on each side.

[Bria Grant]

But I'm saying you could fit another one in here. Like stack it.

[Mallory O']

It.

[Bria Grant]

You could, you could fit like two or three Kindles if you stacked them.

[Mallory O']

Who's. Imagine people who have multiple E readers. You're just, you're reading like an octopus. Also, I also, I love that we both have the same book on our E readers right now.

[Bria Grant]

Really?

[Mallory O']

Yeah.

[Bria Grant]

Automatic noodle.

[Mallory O']

Automatic noodle. So good. So at this point I will say I do not travel with my Kobo unless it is in my book. Bow.

[Bria Grant]

That's probably smart. I should do hobo.

[Mallory O']

Be E A. Yeah, I like, I keep it in my purse. I really, I do not, I do not travel with a, with a loose Kobo. No, that's, I always keep it in my book. Bow. I really love these. And the next size up is the indie, which we have right here.

[Bria Grant]

Perfect for like an iPad.

[Mallory O']

Yes. So this is in the print size zone. So the first two sizes, the baby and the mini, those are for E readers. This, the indie is where it's finally sized for books. So this is for paperback. Small hardcovers. If you're a paperback person, this is the size for you.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

Like, if you read a lot of mass markets or trade paperbacks, get the indie.

[Bria Grant]

Even a thick paperback probably fit.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. If it's trade paperbacks, perfectly. But I also tried it with some slimmer hardcovers and it was great. Like, depending on how you could get two books in this if you, if you wanted to. Like, it's not going to fit an 800 page book.

[Bria Grant]

No.

[Mallory O']

But two 300 page trade paperbacks you could easily get in here. I love this size. This is I, this is also something that I travel with. We. I just went away for my birthday as you know, up to the, up to the mountains and I brought some books with me and I, I, I. So these are my Two favorite sizes. The, the indie and the mini.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, it's good.

[Mallory O']

So mini for my E readers, Indie for the, for paperbacks. And then they also have two sizes up. The next size up is the extra large, the xl. This is the last one that I, I tested out. It's the size for bigger iPads and most hardcovers. Like, if you are a person who usually buys hardcovers, you want the xl, which I have right here. You can see it's pretty big.

[Bria Grant]

This is very cute. It has like horror faces on it.

[Mallory O']

Yes, I love it. They have a lot of. And we haven't even started talking about beside, besides the, the rabbits. There's so many fun designs. They release new designs all the time, which is great. You can fit one honker hardcover in here. I put a. Almost 600 page hardcover in there. Fit perfectly. Like if you want to tote around a quarter thorn and roses, this is the size for you. But because it's bigger, you could fit multiple trade paperbacks, two small hardcovers. If you are like, you read a lot of Honkers, you read a lot of like Big World Building, Sci Fi or specific. Are you like carrying multiple books? Get the xl. But even this, all of these sizes fit perfectly in a tote bag or a purse. And then you took the really big one, Bria, the Jumbo Jumbo, where you.

[Bria Grant]

Can fit a laptop in that one.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. This is 10 inches by 13 inches.

[Bria Grant]

And Mallory wrote, this might not fit in a purse. It definitely won't fit in a purse. But my laptop won't fit in a purse. It is perfect. I invested in a heavy duty laptop because I kept breaking my ear laptops and this is perfect for that. I actually think this is one I will be using a lot because I love to just put my laptop down wherever I'm sitting and I just leave it there. And like this is how I damage all my laptops, is I just leave them somewhere and then I spill a whole bottle of tea on them because they're like sitting on some random shelf or something. So if I have a case for it, I'm hoping it will make me A, put it in A, a good place and B, it's waterproof. So then.

[Mallory O']

Or water resistant.

[Bria Grant]

Water resistant. So at least I will be. It'll have some sort of safety on it. So I'm very excited about having one for my laptop because I actually don't have a case for my laptop.

[Mallory O']

That is wild. You also didn't have a case for your Kindle either, right?

[Bria Grant]

No.

[Mallory O']

You're just Raw dogging.

[Bria Grant]

I like to take a lot of risks, Mallory. I take a lot of risks.

[Mallory O']

So overall, how do we feel about these? Do. And I have a secondary question that's more philosophical, but what do we think about book bows?

[Bria Grant]

I think cute, durable. I should be taking better care of my electronics. And this is something that has encouraged me to do this because if it's sitting right there, I'm like, I should put my electronic in this thing. And also when I'm traveling, which I obviously do a lot, I should be taking better care. Maybe I wouldn't have like melted chocolate on my laptop.

[Mallory O']

You are pretty notorious for getting melted chocolate on stuff.

[Bria Grant]

That's part of my personality at this point. I don't know.

[Mallory O']

You are mostly melted chocolate.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, that is. I'm melted chocolate with blonde hair.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, that's how you summon. It's like book recommendations, dog hair, melted chocolate and blonde.

[Bria Grant]

What about you? What do you think?

[Mallory O']

I love these. Like, I really do. I've been a big fan of them for a long time and it. I wanted to include this review in this episode specifically because, yes, I like using all my stuff, but I'm not a monster, you know, Like, I don't wanna. I don't want my book to be ripped or soaked in whatever. I will say I spilled an entire on the way home last night. Me and HWB were driving back to my house and build an entire Coke Zero in my purse. But you know what was safe? My coba.

[Bria Grant]

Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Thank you, Roxanne.

[Mallory O']

All the. The, the. The receipt graveyard at the bottom of my purse. Not so lucky.

[Bria Grant]

Time for it to go anyway.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. But the. This book bow saved my gobo. And I will say so these are between 20 and 30 something bucks. So that's how much these are. So they're not cheap. But. But I really think they're worth the money.

[Bria Grant]

But it's cheaper than replacing your laptop or.

[Mallory O']

Yeah. Or a book at this point.

[Bria Grant]

Sure.

[Mallory O']

Books are expensive. So if you're someone who brings your e reader or your book with you all the time, which I do. Even if it's in your purse, I think these are worth it. Like, I don't raw dog a book in my purse anymore.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

Because there's a lot of weird things that can happen to a book in a purse. Even if it's in a purse, you get. You can bend your pages, you can lose your bookmarks. You know that. Like bottom of the purse, grit it.

[Bria Grant]

Oh yeah. It's just like sand down there.

[Mallory O']

What is it cookies.

[Bria Grant]

Where does it. I don't know. I minus cookies. Mine's cookies and chocolate.

[Mallory O']

I don't keep food in my purse, but I don't know what is it.

[Bria Grant]

My purse is mostly for food.

[Mallory O']

I. It's just I've got a food sack that sometimes has an E reader in it. But you get that grit in your book butt.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah, that's right. You do.

[Mallory O']

And I don't. I don't want my book to get.

[Bria Grant]

No, I read it in my laptop up.

[Mallory O']

Oh, God.

[Bria Grant]

Disgusting. Yeah, I'm disgusting.

[Mallory O']

You're not.

[Bria Grant]

But you're right. This is something that would actually help me like, clean up my life. Like, of all the things we've reviewed, this is actually something that I should be using.

[Mallory O']

Yes. And I. Something that book bows increase. That is a very important part of putting a book in a purse is the shoveability. So Brie and I have the same exact type of purse, which is the big bud press sipper tote.

[Bria Grant]

Oh yeah.

[Mallory O']

But they have inside pocket. So. But sometimes if I'm trying to shove something in there quickly, it'll catch on the inner pocket it. And if you're shoving a book in there without any protection, it can get caught and it'll like it could I. One time I did that and I ripped the COVID I ripped the. The dust jacket. So. But with. When you keep. I just will just keep a book bow in my purse and because. And keep it open. Just shove it right in there. Very easy. And you don't have to because it's padded. You just don't have to worry about it. If you are a person who carries a water bottle and that can sometimes spill in your purse, AKA Me.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

I think like, these are perfect. These are five out of five pages for me. Like, this is honestly a tote bag essential. This is a. This is a reading essential for me.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah. Yeah. I think they're great. I agree. I think, well, I need to get on the train and use them more. But I do think they're fantastic.

[Mallory O']

So philosophical question. Do we think readers like. I mean, I. I said this was an essential for me. Do we think that cases for e readers and books are essentials for readers?

[Bria Grant]

I think it depends on what you're doing with it. Like if you are leaving it next to your bed all the time, you're.

[Mallory O']

Probably mostly in indoor reader.

[Bria Grant]

Indoor reader. But if you are traveling, I mean the same way, like I've started using those little packing cubes when I travel. Like, that kind of stuff is actually just helpful. Not Just to protect your ship, but also to organize and make sure you aren't forgetting things. So I think in the daily life, if you're just using your laptop at your, you know, your desk, if you're just reading your E reader, you know, in your bed, I think you're probably okay. But I do think if you are a person who is ringing their E reader a lot of places, which you and I both do, I think it's probably worth investing in something like this.

[Mallory O']

I completely agree. Again, I'm. I always have a book on me. I panic. Like, for me, it's literally like car keys, phone book, water bottle. Wow. Blip bomb. Like, can't I have to have those things. Like, I. I don't like being without a purse. What's. I think there's a word for. It's a bibliophobia.

[Bria Grant]

Being without a book.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, I. I really panic, like, because what if I have to think thoughts somewhere horrifying?

[Bria Grant]

That's what I play. The little New York Times puzzles.

[Mallory O']

Oh, I do those things first thing in the morning.

[Bria Grant]

You do them all?

[Mallory O']

Just the two. I do wordle and I do connections.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, I'm big on strands, too.

[Mallory O']

I don't know what that one is.

[Bria Grant]

Strands is just a crossword word search. Oh, and I do the crosswords. I do mini crosswords.

[Mallory O']

I know people have big opinions about the crosswords.

[Bria Grant]

I do many. I do. Yeah. And then. Yeah. And I do spelling bee too. I do. I basically do all of them every day. But I don't. I let them build up and then I go do a bunch of them when I'm just sitting somewhere waiting. Every spelling bee.

[Mallory O']

I don't want to. I don't want a single. I have anxiety. I don't want a single extra thought to be crossing my mind if I am waiting in line somewhere, if I am early somewhere, which I usually am, I have to have a book on me. And I. These. Some kind of case is an essential. And I don't really. For the money and for the design, I can't really think of anything better than a book bow. Something that else is really great. If you're traveling as someone who just got back from vacation, if you're bringing multiple books and you're packing them in a suitcase, we all know that you're going to put them in. In a stack and you're. Then you're going to open your suitcase later when you get there and they're going to be scattered all over the place. So getting a larger book bow to put Multiple books in is excellent.

[Bria Grant]

You know, this would also be good for if you're reading comic single issues, because that I. That will really tear something up. And.

[Mallory O']

Yep.

[Bria Grant]

Like, the. Which size is this?

[Mallory O']

That is xl.

[Bria Grant]

Xl. That would be perfect for, like, a comic single issue.

[Mallory O']

Yes.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

So I don't want to out anybody, but I will say HWB borrowed a comic for me recently and did not put it in a case. And it's just been carrying it around. And I gotta look at what that comic looks like now.

[Bria Grant]

And I was like, you said, you don't out anybody. And then you literally said who it was was.

[Mallory O']

I know.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

I don't wanna. I don't wanna. What I should have said is I don't wanna shame him. Okay. I see my beloved boyfriend.

[Bria Grant]

Well, hopefully he doesn't listen to the show.

[Mallory O']

He does not.

[Bria Grant]

Okay.

[Mallory O']

He's too busy. But it's fine. I don't listen to his show either.

[Bria Grant]

I didn't know he had a show.

[Mallory O']

He is a very popular show.

[Bria Grant]

Oh, yeah, I think you've told me that.

[Mallory O']

But he's on a different medium than.

[Bria Grant]

We are, so I'm not. I'm not watching a YouTube.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, he's a YouTuber. He's a very popular adult, which is nice because I'm like, oh, we were. Look at us, new media folks. But yeah, he's so. He's been carrying this. This comic around, and I gotta look at that. And I was like, like, don't say anything, Mallory. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. But look at this. I'm gonna be like, hey, look at this case that you could put that comic in.

[Bria Grant]

Yeah.

[Mallory O']

Because you. Again, sometimes you put something, even when you're just carrying it around in, like, a backpack, it's rough out there for a book.

[Bria Grant]

It is rough out there.

[Mallory O']

It's just a little me. They're just. They're made out of paper, guys. They're made out of paper.

[Bria Grant]

Listen, this is like. It's just. Mallory does, like, a. It's a Sarah McLaughlin song over a bunch of, like, sad books that have been, like, torn up and, like, ripped apart. And it's just. And then at the end, it's just an advertisement from Bookbo.

[Mallory O']

Yeah, we. Again, this. We're not sponsored by bupo. We. I really appreciate Roxanne for sending these in. I will be using all of these. I get a lot of use out of them, and I just highly recommend them. I think they're great. And if you are. If you're a purse Book person, you got to get a book bow. All right, so if you want us to test out some book tech, you can send your idea to reading glasses podcast gmail.com as always, want to thank the wonderful mods who run our Discord server in our Facebook group. We really appreciate you folks. We love our reading glasses communities and they would not be as comfortable and robust and safe without the work of the people who manage them. So we really, really appreciate that. And remember folks, if you want to get totes to put book bows in, you can get one out of the Reading glasses store. There's a link in the show notes. There's a lot of really cute totes in there. We love a tote. I mean that's, I think like once you start reading, a tote just spontaneously appears in your hand. And if so, if you're looking for a cute one, check out our store. There's all kinds of stuff in there that's link in the show notes Notes. And if you like the show, folks, remember we're doing a silly AMA episode that we will release when we hit 2000 reviews on Apple Podcasts. Silly AMA. Send questions for it to reading glasses podcastmail.com but take 30 seconds, open up your phone, give us a little five star rating, get write us a nice little review and we're going to release this episode. It's going to be really great. Again, email us your silly AMA questions 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 you.