Reading Glasses – Ep 448: Can You Be Too Critical of a Book?

Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara
Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of Reading Glasses, Brea and Mallory tackle the question: "Can you be too critical of a book?" They explore how readers' critical lenses affect their enjoyment, whether it's possible to love imperfect books, and discuss personal rating standards. The hosts also address dust jacket dilemmas, field listener questions, and cap off the episode with recommendations for mass market paperbacks featuring strong female leads.

What the Hosts Are Currently Reading (00:26–03:45)

• Brea: Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

  • Set in Silicon Valley, this moody, anti-capitalist literary fiction explores a young woman's struggles in a toxic corporate world. The protagonist is shadowed by a "black hole" that reflects her mood and becomes a meditation on disillusionment and work culture.
  • "It's exactly what I wanted. Something that's like, it's not cozy, but there’s… not a lot that happens. It’s just like, you know, she’s at this job, she has to write this thing and her boss is mean to her about it. And it’s just… a really easy but, like, tense book to read." — Brea (01:08)

• Mallory: If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust

  • Southern Gothic with a Native American perspective, the novel follows a family after a 6-year-old girl vanishes. The supernatural element is revealed right from the opening chapter.
  • “The opening chapter is from the point of view of whatever takes the little girl. And it is really good, really interesting and I’m really enjoying it so far.” — Mallory (03:31)

Listener Feedback & Tips (03:52–08:32)

• Grief and Reading:

  • Listener Kelsey writes in about how reading has helped them through grief.
  • “Sometimes your reading life will have ups and downs just like any other part of your life… You just gotta do whatever you need to do to keep going. Books are always going to be there.” — Mallory (04:27)
  • Kelsey’s tip for focus: Circuit training through different media and tasks to keep things fresh.

• Book Weeding & Little Free Libraries:

  • Listener Jackie (library science student) advises: “Toss it out” if a book is too chewed up for a Little Free Library.
  • “Library shelves are much more functional if everything on them is in good shape and useful. With a Little Free Library, you might not have someone monitoring the books so it could just languish.” — Jackie (07:08, read by Brea)
  • Mal & Brea reflect on learning to throw away books after handling thousands of ARCs and bookstore/library work.

Main Topic: Can You Be Too Critical of a Book? (12:39–22:58)

Origin of the Discussion

• Listener Bayla asks about loving books that have notable flaws, and whether loving “imperfect” books means having “an overly editorial eye”:
  “There are very few books that I don’t have some opinion on… Is this just me having an overly editorial eye or am I not reading books I truly love?” — Bayla (13:03)

Key Discussion Points

1. Can You Love a Book That Isn’t Perfect?

• Brea: Absolutely.
  • “Most books for me [aren’t perfect]… In the same way people aren’t perfect and you can love them anyway. Nothing has to be, like, 100 percent perfect.” (13:58)
• Mallory: Yes, as a “vibes reader,” the emotional response often matters more than technical perfection.
  • “I would rather read a book or watch a movie that takes a big, weird swing… over something more perfectly technically sound but isn’t as interesting. To me, it’s all about how a book makes me feel.” (14:20)

2. Is It Possible to Be Too Critical?

• Brea:
  • “If you are a big reader… you’re probably pretty critical. Because… you know what you like.” (15:18)
  • Familiarity can lead to comparison, sometimes inhibiting enjoyment.
  • “It can ruin an experience at times.” (15:52)
  • Filmmaking analogy: sometimes overanalyzing structure can harm enjoyment.
• Mallory:
  • “Is your critique infringing on your enjoyment of this activity?” (16:41)
  • Enjoys critiquing art with friends; fine if it’s part of the fun, but warns: “The point of art is not perfect. It’s conveying a feeling…” (17:17)
  • Suggests evaluating books for "success" in their own goals rather than flawlessness:
    “Was this haunted house book successful? Did it entertain me? Did it scare me?” (17:41)

3. Should You Lower Your Standards for Star Ratings?

• Brea:
  • “Don’t lower your standards for anyone. Not books, not men, not the FDA… This is 2026, not our year of lowering standards.” (18:08)
  • Your personal scale is yours: some people consider three stars great, others save five stars for “life changer” books.
• Mallory:
  • “If all the books you’re doing are one star and two star, then it’s time to assess the books you’re picking up. But your scale is for you.” (19:03)
  • Both hosts are liberal with five-star ratings if a book is enjoyable, even if flawed.
  • “If you are saving those five stars for those perfect once-a-year books, it’s okay… There’s so much of you in that rating.” (20:03)
  • On perfectionists: “If you’re so distracted by minor mistakes that you’re no longer enjoying the book… that’s when you have to have a little heart-to-heart.” (21:13)
• Brea:
  • “Art is made by humans and humans are imperfect… It’s sort of like looking into someone’s brain and being like ‘oh, wow, this thing that was so important to you, I get to see how it didn’t feel where I thought this was going, but it’s interesting to see where it went for this artist.’” (21:39)

Notable Quotes

• “There is no perfect human, but I have a lot of people that I love.” — Brea (13:58)
• “The point of art is not perfect. It’s conveying a feeling or telling a story.” — Mallory (17:17)
• “Don’t lower your standards for anyone. Not books, not men, not the FDA.” — Brea (18:08)

Bookish Problem: What to Do About Dust Jackets? (26:54–29:34)

Listener Christine: Loves books but hates dust jackets, especially for her child’s books. Is she a monster for wanting to throw out the pile?

Advice:

• Brea: “Just put the… take them right now and put them in… While you’re listening to this podcast, go put those in the recycling. You do not need the clutter.” (27:57)
• Mallory: “Once you buy a book, it’s yours. You do whatever you want with it… The book police are not coming for you.” (29:12)
• Both: Give your permission to recycle dust jackets—you are not a monster!

Recommendation Request: Mass Market Paperback SFF with Strong Female Leads (29:37–33:28)

Listener Laura: Wants sci-fi/fantasy in mass market paperback with strong female leads (not by “the popular male authors”).

Suggestions:

• Brea:
  • Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
    • “You got competitive school, training environment, you got sci-fi, you got fantasy, you got post apocalypse, like all the things and very strong female character.” (30:14)
• Mallory:
  • Angel’s Blood (Guild Hunter series) by Nalini Singh
    • Urban fantasy/paranormal romance about a vampire hunter hired to track down an archangel gone bad. “This is what [the Rip Bodice] put in my hands. And it’s a mass market paperback. And if you like this, Nalini Singh has a ton of books like this.” (33:09)
• Tips for Finding Mass Market Paperbacks:
  • Fewer books are being released in this format due to the ebook market. Check book-selling sites and filter by format (note: Amazon has this filter).
  • Urban fantasy and romance still regularly publish mass market editions.

Memorable Moments

• Repeated jokes about how much editing their sound wizard Brett has to do: “Brit, the real MVP of this show.” (12:18)
• Playful banter about “this week” as a running meta-gag for their intro. (11:38)
• “Call Bria and Mallory” — lawyer billboard joke in response to the book police. (29:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• What Are You Reading? — 00:26–03:45
• Listener Feedback — 03:52–08:32
• Main Topic: Criticism & Book Ratings — 12:39–22:58
• Dust Jackets Debate — 26:54–29:34
• Mass Market Paperback Recommendations — 29:37–33:28

Signature Sign-Off:
“Thanks for listening, and thanks for reading.” (34:03)

This episode is perfect for reflective readers who sometimes wonder if they're "too picky," as well as anyone who needs permission to let go of bookish clutter or wants new recommendations for strong women-led mass market reads. As always, the hosts bring warmth, practical advice, and their trademark cozy, witty banter.