Reading Glasses Ep 436 - Most Anticipated for November & December + THE LIBRARIANS!

Release Date: November 6, 2025

Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara
Special Guest: Kim A. Snyder (Director of The Librarians documentary)

Episode Overview

The hosts dive into their most anticipated releases for November and December 2025, covering standout picks across genres. They discuss how to organize and maximize one’s reading life, weigh in on bookish listener questions, and share notable reader feedback. The episode's highlight is a deep, moving interview with documentary filmmaker Kim A. Snyder, whose new film The Librarians chronicles the fight against book bans and celebrates librarians as everyday heroes. Snyder discusses the urgent stakes of censorship, avenues for action, and the evolving role of libraries in communities.

Reading Lately: Hosts' Current Reads

00:52 - 04:12

• Brea Grant:

  • Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
    • An epic novel told across three timelines: 1500s Santo Domingo, 1800s London, and 2019 Boston.
    • "It's beautifully written... I'm excited to see what happens in these three different timelines."
      — Brea (02:30)
    • Unsure if it involves vampires, but praises Schwab's storytelling and reveals this is her first V.E. Schwab experience.

• Mallory O’Meara:

  • Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez (narrated by Annette Amelia Oliveira)
    • A memoir/travelogue about falling in love with graveyards; part history, part art, a little spicy.
    • Begins with the author’s cemetery escapade in Italy: “This is the gothiest goth girl thing… it's so good. It's so compelling.”
      — Mallory (03:40)
    • A perfect October pick, highly recommended for fans of the macabre and the historical.

Listener Feedback & Bookish Questions

04:16 - 07:48

• On Aging Up Reading Tastes:

  • Lexi recommends starting with pre-curated lists (book clubs, Indie Next) when graduating from YA to adult reads.
    • “This helped me narrow the pool of books...rather than jumping in the deep end.” — Lexi (04:33)

• Libby and Accessibility:

  • Kathleen shares how discovering Libby (the library e-reading/audiobook app) has been valuable for her family, especially those with visual impairments or dyslexia.

• When to DNF (“Did Not Finish”) Books:

  • Taylor dumps books if they "don’t spark joy or curiosity," even at 500 pages in.
    • "Reading should always be something I look forward to. So I dnf any book that doesn't spark joy or curiosity, no matter if I'm 5 pages in or 500." — Taylor (07:09)
    • Hosts celebrate the pro-DNF attitude.

Most Anticipated Books: November 2025

13:26 - 22:45

Shared Pick

• Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite (My Sister the Serial Killer)
  • A funny, magical novel about a woman breaking a family curse and battling beliefs about reincarnation.
  • “We love a family curse. And she's just such a great author… we’ve been waiting.” — Mallory (14:37)

Brea’s Picks

• Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto

  • A familial, multi-generational literary fiction tale centering on a queer granddaughter and her glamorous grandmother.

• The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry

  • Haunted house/architectural horror in Chicago, perfect for fans of Last House on Needless Street and Tell Me I’m Worthless.

• The Merge by Grace Walker

  • Debut sci-fi: Two people merge consciousness in a future of dwindling resources.

Mallory’s Picks

• The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers

  • Romantasy about a bookseller restoring a magical bookshop, featuring ink magic and secret societies.

• The Burning Library by Gilly McMillan

  • Dark academia thriller in Scotland: rival secret societies of women hunt a medieval manuscript.

• Beasts of the Sea by Ida Terpene (translated from Finnish)

  • Historical fiction in three timelines, focused on a mysterious skeleton and human ambition.

• Black Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore by Char Adams

  • Nonfiction on the role of Black-owned bookstores in political movements.

Additional Notables

• A Hundred Rules for Living to 100: An Optimistic Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke
  • Autobiography and musings from the legendary performer; Brea hopes he narrates the audiobook.

Most Anticipated Books: December 2025

25:54 - 35:53

Shared Pick

• Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher
  • Contemporary horror-fantasy: a woman moves into her late aunt's house and confronts an ancient god demanding fulfillment of a broken promise.
  • “You can tell I love T. Kingfisher because I'm willing to read a book with a snake on the cover.” — Mallory (26:25)

Brea’s Picks

• House of Day, House of Night by Olga Tokarczuk

  • Classic Polish novel newly translated into English, exploring a small town's gossipy, intertwined lives.

• We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope (ed. Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, Malka Older)

  • Anthology (stories, essays, interviews) on progressive social change.

• Anthology of Real Stories by Writers of Color 2025 (ed. Deesha Philyaw)

  • New collection following up last year's acclaimed edition.

• The Happiness Collector by Crystal King

  • Contemporary fantasy: a historian in Italy discovers her employers are gods, and finds herself caught in their machinations.

Mallory’s Picks

• Cape Fever by Nadia Davids

  • Gothic horror set in a decaying manor; maid and mysterious older woman deepen into haunted intrigue.

• Secrets of the First School (Edinburgh Nights #4) by T.L. Huchu

  • Finale of the beloved Edinburgh Nights series, featuring Ropa facing her toughest challenge in the world of the dead.
  • “I'm devastated to see the series come to an end...Ropa Moyo is one of my favorite main characters.” — Mallory (31:27)

• Galapagos by Fatima Vellus (translated by Hannah Cowders)

  • Queer, surreal fiction set around artists dying of AIDS who embark on a final voyage in the Galapagos.

• The Jaguar’s Roar by Michelinie Varenschick (trans. Juliana Barbas)

  • Dual timeline: 19th-century children from the Amazon taken to Europe; present-day journalist uncovers their fate.

Interview Segment: Kim A. Snyder, Director of The Librarians

36:07 - 58:02

About the Film

• Origins & Scope

  • The film began four years ago in Texas, tracking attempts to remove books (notably via the “Kraus List” targeting LGBTQ and Black authors) and the growing attacks on librarians defending First Amendment rights.
    • “It chronicles the siege or attack on librarians around the country who are courageously standing up for our First Amendment rights and freedom to read.” — Kim A. Snyder (36:27)

• Why It Matters

  • Snyder draws parallels between the normalization of mass shootings and censorship in the U.S.
    • “There is a normalization that is very concerning...the normalization of censorship is happening at such a rapid, unprecedented rate...” — Kim A. Snyder (41:23)
  • PEN America reports over 20,000 books have been challenged or banned since 2021.

• Censorship as a Civil Rights Issue

  • The targeting of librarians and the removal of books is called “the major civil rights issue of our time” by those on the front lines.
    • “The broader attack on our freedom of expression in this country has gone so beyond the school books...to museums, institutions of higher learning, late night television...” — Kim A. Snyder (37:02)

Impact Campaign & Ways to Take Action

• Distribution & Screenings

  • Film is airing on PBS Independent Lens in February; wide screenings in art house cinemas, with over 85 U.S. cities committed.
  • "The idea is to encourage the return to civic engagement...to show up at their school board elections.” — Kim A. Snyder (44:16)
  • Partnering with Pen America: libraries, communities, and fundraising in support of small/rural libraries.
  • Global outreach: “Librarians Without Borders,” supporting global librarian advocacy.

• Get Involved

  • Visit thelibrariansfilm.com to see screenings or host the film locally.
  • Form on the website for libraries, citizens, or institutions to request screenings or panels.

• On the Library’s Role

  • "A lot of people, getting your first library card, your relationship to the first time you could read and access books was freedom." — Kim A. Snyder (49:39)
  • Libraries are community hubs, essential especially in rural areas for voting, programs, and as a safe space for exploration.

• Book Recommendations & Wheelhouse

  • Enjoys diverse voices, classics, and especially banned/contested books like Out of Darkness and All Boys Aren’t Blue.
  • Has found new appreciation for graphic novels: "the graphic novel is sophisticated… it’s like jazz." (54:11)

• Aspirations

  • Snyder expresses a desire to adapt the film’s themes into a graphic novel, inspired by the new generation’s communication styles and needs.

Notable Quotes

• “This is the gothiest goth girl thing… it's so good. It's so compelling. If you're a weird goth person and you love cemeteries… this book is so great.”
  – Mallory, on Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave (03:40)

• “We love a family curse. And she's just such a great author… we’ve been waiting.”
  – Mallory, on Oyinkan Braithwaite (14:37)

• “Reading should always be something I look forward to. So I dnf any book that doesn't spark joy or curiosity, no matter if I'm 5 pages in or 500.”
  – Listener Taylor on DNFing (07:09)

• “A lot of people, getting your first library card, your relationship to the first time you could read and access books was freedom.”
  – Kim A. Snyder (49:39)

• "The normalization of censorship is happening at such a rapid, unprecedented rate that doesn't parallel any other time in our history...over 20,000 books have been challenged or banned since I think since 21."
  – Kim A. Snyder (41:23)

Key Timestamps

• 00:52–04:12 – Hosts' current reading highlights
• 04:16–07:48 – Listener emails & advice
• 13:26–22:45 – Most Anticipated Books: November
• 25:54–35:53 – Most Anticipated Books: December
• 36:07–58:02 – In-depth interview w/ Kim A. Snyder
• 49:39 – Snyder’s reflections on libraries as freedom & community

Tone & Style

Breezy, passionate, and often irreverent, Mallory and Brea blend practical reader advice with deep literary enthusiasm. The episode’s interview segment is thoughtful and urgent, with Kim A. Snyder expressing both the emotional resonance and political stakes of the book-banning crisis. Mutual excitement, humor, and a strong advocacy for libraries and diverse voices permeate the episode.

Summary for the Uninitiated

This episode is perfect for readers wanting to expand their TBR (to-be-read) list with buzzy, diverse new releases and for anyone passionate about fighting censorship. The discussion blends literary trends, personal reading habits, and collective action. The interview with Kim A. Snyder is essential listening for those alarmed by the rise in book bans and interested in practical ways to support libraries, librarians, and the fundamental right to read.