Reading Glasses – Ep 430: The Easiest Type of Book Club + Wet Books

Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara
Date: September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brea and Mallory tackle another challenge from the 2025 Reading Glasses Challenge: participating in a two-person book club. They break down why this is the simplest kind of book club, how to make it work, and why it can be a rewarding reading experience. The hosts also solve a listener’s problem about donating damaged books to Little Free Libraries, and offer recommendations for books set in Scotland outside of Edinburgh. As always, the show features lively banter, practical tips, and honest, entertaining answers to bookish dilemmas.

What Are You Reading? [00:14–04:26]

Brea’s Current Read

• Title: We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us by Matthew Rosenberg, art by Stefano Landini
• Format: Comic mini-series (Image Comics)
• Hook:
  • Centers on a 13-year-old girl living on an island with her mad scientist father.
  • After her father is killed in a raid, she flees with a quirky robot bodyguard.
  • Features “poignant but funny” writing, inventive tech, great action, and a grounded tone.
• Quote:
  • Brea: “Wow, I’m addicted to this book. I’m so into it. … It’s so well written. It’s like poignant but funny and, and really good like fun action stuff.” [01:00]

Mallory’s Current Listen

• Title: Actress of a Certain Age by Jeff Hiller
• Format: Audiobook memoir
• Highlights:
  • Memoir of actor Jeff Hiller’s decades in the NY theatre scene and late-in-life success.
  • Deals with “coming out of church and coming out as gay.”
  • Lively, laugh-out-loud narration by Jeff Hiller.
  • Offers a behind-the-scenes look at life as a working (not famous) actor.
• Quote:
  • Mallory: “It is one of those audiobooks that is like, laugh out loud. … It is so funny, but it’s also… that look behind the scenes of a person who is an actor who’s not a star.” [03:01]
  • “Should I go run some more errands so I can drive around more and listen to this book more? I absolutely love it.” [04:05]

Listener Feedback [04:37–07:27]

Books with Moms on a Journey

• Recommendation: Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
  • Sapphic, deals with motherhood, return-to-work after a newborn, set at a mysterious party.
• Quote from Jen:
  • “It’s sapphic, really fun and deals with a lot of the pressures of raising a newborn... Highly recommend and the audiobook is fantastic.” [05:02]

“Honker” Book Challenge Inspires Listeners

• Candace: Tackling The Iliad (Wilson translation); enjoying audiobook + text combo.
• Lou: Rediscovering reading joy via chunky fantasy books after a bout of depression and a reading slump.
• Hosts’ Reflection:
  • Mallory: “The most important advice we give out is knowing yourself as a reader.” [06:47]

The 2025 Reading Glasses Challenge – Two-Person Book Club [13:19–21:26]

Why This Challenge? [13:19–15:26]

• Purpose:
  • Organizing a traditional (large) book club is hard: scheduling, consensus, logistics.
  • A club with just two people is “the easiest version” – low pressure, high reward.
  • Small scale = more conversation, deeper discussion.

“Rules” of the Two-Person Book Club [13:50–14:29]

• Technically, it can be two (preferred), but OK if 3–4.
• Both should read the book at the same time; not just a recommendation exchange.
• Any genre, any age bracket, mutual decision.

Benefits [15:26–16:24]

• Fun to talk about books with someone else.
• Deepens your enjoyment and gives you new perspectives.
• Easier to “dig in”; less risk of one dominant person taking over.
• Easier scheduling and flexibility.

Brea’s Experience

• Doing the challenge with her mom; reading Sister Aimee: The Miraculous Life and Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson by Claire Hoffman.
• Shared personal touch: “When it’s just you and another person, it’s actually just a conversation.” [16:19]
• Minor challenge: both needed to coordinate library holds.

Mallory’s Experience

• Doing two-person book clubs in multiple ways:
  • With friend Chelsea: 3:81 by Aliya Whiteley (sci-fi, outside Mallory’s usual taste).
  • With her boyfriend: reading aloud novels together (next up: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury).
  • With online movie club friends (just two people now).
• “I’m hooked… this was like my sleeper hit of the reading glasses challenge.” [19:48, 21:26]
• Favorite past memory: reading Game of Thrones books in sync and calling to discuss.

Key Quotes

• Mallory: “It is so easy to organize. And it is really fun to get into the weeds of a book with someone.” [20:41]
• Brea: “When it’s just you and another person, it’s actually just a conversation. … Which is nice.” [16:19, 16:24]

Solving Listener Bookish Problems: Donating Damaged Books [22:38–27:30]

The Dilemma

• MacKenzie writes: Should I put a chewed (but readable) book in a Little Free Library? How damaged is too damaged?

Hosts’ Advice

• Brea: “Sure. Put it in there. … you never know, someone may be looking for that particular book and they can look past imperfections.” [23:17]
• Mallory:
  • If the book “looks like trash,” recycle it.
  • “If it’s missing the cover… if you pull it out and it disintegrates, recycle it.” [25:05]
• Both agree that if it's readable and not disgusting, it's fine to try; the volunteer can toss it if not acceptable.
• Humorous banter about wet books, rabies, and snack analogies.

Book Recommendation Request: Scotland (But Not Edinburgh) [27:30–31:21]

Listener’s Context: Visiting sister in Scotland; wants literary, historical fiction, small-town mystery, enemies-to-lovers, etc.

Brea’s Pick

• The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel
  • Takes place on a Scottish island post-WWII.
  • Folk legend about mysterious birds; a boy goes missing; combines mystery with slight supernatural/witchy vibes.
  • Focus on grief, community, and eerie postwar atmosphere.

Mallory’s Pick

• The Bass Rock by Evie Wylde

  • Three generations of women in a remote Scottish house (not Edinburgh); timelines: 1700s witchcraft, post-WWII family, modern-day woman.
  • Literary, dark, “not a feel-good book but so goddamn good.”
  • Touch of the supernatural, beautifully written, strong women and triple timeline.

• Mallory: “Beautifully written, strong female characters, triple timeline—so you get a bonus timeline!… I love this book.” [30:00]

Notable Quotes

• Brea (on mini book clubs): “One other person, it is actually just a conversation. … Which is nice.” [16:19]
• Mallory: “Honestly, even if it’s readable, I think if you put it in a little free library, if someone is going to assume it’s trash and toss it… just recycle it.” [25:18]
• Mallory: “It is so fun to talk about a book with someone else. … truly one of the great joys in life.” [15:30]
• Bria (book club storytelling): “There’s definitely things that are… you try to be a little bit more diplomatic [in a group].” [16:06]

Key Segments (Timestamps)

• [00:14–04:26] – What Are You Reading?
• [04:37–07:27] – Listener Feedback & Honker Book Challenge
• [13:19–21:26] – Two-Person Book Club Discussion & Experiences
• [22:38–27:30] – Book Problem: Damaged Books in Little Free Libraries
• [27:30–31:21] – Book Recommendations: Non-Edinburgh Scotland

Summary

This episode explores the joys and simplicity of the two-person book club—why it's a low-barrier way to share books, deepen connection, and reinvigorate your reading life. The hosts share their own intimate book club experiences, showing how easily it can slot into your schedule, even across distance.

Additionally, they tackle what to do with a beloved-but-damaged book (hint: it’s fine to try the Little Free Library), and offer lush Scottish-set book recommendations for travelers wanting to soak up the literary atmosphere before a trip. The episode is marked by relatable humor and practical, encouraging advice.

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