Reading Glasses Ep 443 – 2026 New Year’s Reader Resolutions!

January 1, 2026 | Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara

Episode Overview

In this energetic and relatable episode, Brea and Mallory toast the arrival of 2026 by reviewing last year’s reader resolutions, candidly reflecting on their reading lives in 2025, and setting fresh reading goals for the year ahead. The duo also tackles a listener question about falling asleep while reading (a common book nerd struggle!) and offers both encouragement and practical advice. The tone is friendly, honest, and filled with signature “Reading Glasses” humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are You Reading? [01:02–04:22]

• Brea’s Current Read:

  • Pet by Catherine Chidgey ("chidgy, not chai chi") – A mystery/thriller set in New Zealand that explores competitive schoolgirl dynamics and teacher obsession, compared to Picnic at Hanging Rock.
  • Quote [02:06]:
    “Right now it's about a young girl in New Zealand who is really drawn to her teacher … If you get to be her, like, teacher's pet, all the girls are jealous of you. … It's compared to Picnic at Hanging Rock.”

• Mallory’s Current Read:

  • The Wolf King by Lauren Paltryman – A “werewolf romantasy” with court intrigue and forbidden attraction between a kidnapped human princess and her hunky captor.
  • Quote [03:37]:
    "I want to read some werewolves. Smut. ... There’s like a little bit of, like, court intrigue... it’s just what my end of the year brain needs.”

2. Listener Feedback & Reading Tips [04:30–07:46]

• Immersive Reading Mishaps:

  • Dana’s story about her cat water-damaging Nothing but the Rain, oddly deepening her immersion in the book’s watery themes.
    • Mallory [04:53]: “Reading my water-damaged copy made me feel like I was holding the main character’s actual journal… living in this bleak, wet world.”
    • Brea: “Incredible!”

• Successful Book Recommendations:

  • Paris’s delight with The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty: “I was shook. This was the very best book I read in a long time… validating and uplifting for me, a mother and a woman approaching her 40s…” [05:49]
    • Mallory: “Oh wow.”

• Quitting Books Rule:

  • Listener Jessica shares the “100 minus your age” pages rule for DNFing books.
    • Brea: “So 66 for me and 65—no, wait… 56 for me.”
    • Mallory: “We’re book podcasters, not mathematicians.”

3. 2025 Reading Resolution Recap [09:33–16:57]

• Mallory & Brea Report Card:
  • Brea:
    • Tracked reading using her CAW spreadsheet [10:03]
    • Almost finished “3 professional books” goal [10:29]
    • Completed Reading Glasses Challenge
    • Dropped the failed “graphic novel club” resolution [13:39]
  • Mallory:
    • Hit the goal of “10 books a month” (“I basically hit it. ... That’s a lot of books, and I’m really happy about it.” [10:15])
    • Dramatically increased audiobook listening ("I did like 20 plus really" [11:04])
    • Read outside the house more, mostly at parks and bars, not her original goal of reading on the patio (thanks to “the horror movie dog” next door!). [12:41]
    • Dropped “go to more author events” due to her own busy book tour schedule. [14:36]

4. Reflecting on 2025’s Reading Life [15:09–17:14]

• Brea: “I’ve had a lot of trouble concentrating over the last few months… but what I’ve been trying to do is get as far as I can in a book, switch it to audio, and finish it that way while I’m hiking.” [15:19]
• Mallory: “Honestly? Fudging great. … Because I’m comparing it to 2024, which I was grieving one of my best friends … my reading life was in the toilet all of 2024. So this year, comparatively, it was feeling great.” [16:57]

5. Setting 2026 Reader Resolutions [19:00–24:33]

Hosts’ 2026 Reading Goals:

Brea:

• Complete the Reading Glasses Challenge [19:05]
• Read three books related to her profession (“Every time I read a book that's like, ‘here's how to direct a movie’ … I always learn something.” [21:43])
• Read one graphic novel per month ("I'm gonna do 12 graphic novels next year. ... I was not excited about the new year, now I am." [23:43])

Mallory:

• 10 books per month ("I'm re-upping my 10 books a month thing." [20:06])
• More audiobook walks ("I got more audiobooks into my reading life in 2025, and this year I want to do more audiobook walks." [21:47])
• Read more from her physical TBR pile (“…It was so fun going through it last year for the challenge… I want to get my way through it a little more and make space.” [23:50])

Resolution-Setting Wisdom

• “We do work really hard to set goals for the people that we are, not the people that we wish we would be. … It can give you that just little boost.” – Mallory [19:34]
• “If you are the kind of person that this stuff stresses you out, just don’t do it.” – Mallory [21:09]

6. Non-Bookish Resolutions [24:34–26:31]

• Brea: Wants to do a pull-up (“I have not achieved [it], but I’m so much closer than I was… This year I learned magic, as you know.” [24:42]), and usually picks one self-improvement project per year.
• Mallory: As a newly single Angeleno, aims to explore LA’s museums, bars, and theaters solo or with friends to rekindle her love for the city: “I really want to wring every last drop out of it.” [26:16]
• [Lighthearted moment] “Werewolves of Los Angeles—are you listening?” – Brea [25:54]

7. Solving a Bookish Problem: Reading Makes Me Sleepy! [27:47–32:01]

Listener Hannah: Develops a “Pavlovian response” to start nodding off within 10 minutes of reading—regardless of time or format.

Advice from the Hosts:

• Brea (“The sleepiest woman who’s ever lived”):

  • Don’t get cozy: No lying down, no blankets [28:10]
  • Read in public spaces (coffee shops, parks) or under bright light [28:10]
  • Snack on sour candy or “hot tamales” to stay alert [28:21]
  • See naps as a feature, not a bug: “Maybe you need a little nap. … Maybe you’re a sleepy person!” [28:38]

• Mallory (noted insomniac):

  • Try reading different genres at different times (“Maybe save nonfiction for bed… and thrillers for the couch” to retrain your Pavlovian response) [31:11]
  • Both agree: “Don’t make reading comfortable” [31:52]

• Quote:
  “I am a sleepy person. I don’t care what time of day. If I sit somewhere for too long, I’m asleep.” – Brea [27:47]

Final Encouragement:
Mallory: “Give yourself some grace… It is okay to read a little bit, fall asleep for a bit, get back up, read a bit more.” [30:13]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “We take about…what is it on the Statue of Liberty? Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled readers.” – Mallory [00:32]
• “We're book podcasters. We are not mathematicians.” – Brea [06:24]
• “Honestly? Fudging great.” – Mallory on her 2025 reading life [16:57]
• “If you are the kind of person that this stuff stresses you out, just don’t do it.” – Mallory [21:09]
• “Werewolves of Los Angeles—are you listening?” – Brea [25:54]

Timestamps Breakdown

• [01:02] – Brea is reading Pet
• [03:33] – Mallory is reading The Wolf King
• [04:30] – Listener feedback (water-damaged books, book recs for moms)
• [06:14] – The “100 minus your age” rule
• [09:33] – Reviewing 2025 resolutions
• [15:09] – How did your reading life feel?
• [19:00] – Setting 2026 resolutions
• [23:43] – Adding a graphic novel goal
• [24:34] – Non-bookish resolutions: learning magic, getting stronger, dating in LA
• [27:47] – Solving the “reading makes me sleepy” problem

Conclusion

This episode is a celebration of progress, self-forgiveness, and practical optimism. Mallory and Brea urge listeners to set fun, achievable reading goals tailored to their real lives and habits. They commiserate about occasional reading slumps, offer gentle suggestions for sleepy readers, and share personal quirks and victories—from learning magic tricks to taking themselves on “friend dates” in LA. Listeners are encouraged to share their own 2026 reading resolutions and trust that, no matter what, they’re in good bookish company.