Reading Glasses — Episode 449 Summary

Episode Title: A Better Metric for Book Tracking?
Hosts: Brea Grant & Mallory O’Meara
Release Date: February 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brea and Mallory tackle the idea of tracking reading not by number of books, but instead by time spent reading. The hosts discuss the pros and cons of this metric, take on listener dilemmas about library e-books, and debate the ethics of leaving spicy romance novels in Little Free Libraries. The episode features a warm, bookish tone and plenty of tangents about reading habits, book technology, and community.

What Are Brea and Mallory Reading? (00:44–04:18)

• Brea:

  • Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman (Not yet published; horror romance)
    • “Man falls in love with a girl. Turns out the girl is a demon inside someone else's body.” (01:27)
    • “It walks that fine line where it is a horror book … but also, it is a romance. Like, it is a true romance.” (01:39)
    • Brea loved it, could not put it down, and recommends it for horror romance fans.
  • Brea will join Chapman for an Instagram Live event (“Date Night with the Devil”) on Feb 18, 5pm ET, discussing horror romance.

• Mallory:

  • The Body by Bethany C. Morrow (upcoming; horror/anti-romance)
    • Open: Woman gets into a car accident; husband starts acting weird. Unreliable narration, surreal, “You're not sure quite sure what is happening. It is great.” (03:18)
    • Mallory enjoys the “creepy, weird, surreal” marriage examination.

Listener Feedback (04:26–08:32)

• Jessica's TBR/Library Hack (05:01):

  • “Get that book you own and want to read out from the library. The deadline still works for me even when I own my own copy … even the same format works.”
  • Both hosts have done this to motivate themselves to read owned books.

• Format Switching (05:30):

  • Mallory enjoys getting nonfiction audiobooks from the library even when she has or buys the print version: “I wish I was reading this on a walk, and I'll get the audiobook from the library.” (05:30)

• Lizzie’s Fan Letter (05:48):

  • Lizzie, an English professor, shares how the show brought her back to reading for pleasure and writing fiction:
    • “Reading has been such a joy and comfort. Your pod has also got me back into another long abandoned hobby, writing fiction.” (06:33, 06:55)
    • Used the show’s “wheelhouse” model to figure out what kind of book she wants to write.

• Lizzie’s Wheelhouse:

  • “Spooky, cozy feminist horror in witch lit. Glitches in the matrix, liminal spaces, communes/cults, writing against dominant narratives, mixed media, middle-aged women redefining success, critiques of capitalism, dark academia from faculty POV.” (07:41)

Main Topic: Time Spent Reading vs. Books Read (13:32–23:30)

Topic Introduction & Listener Letter (Cass) (14:11)

• Cass suggests tracking reading by time invested, inspired by video game metrics, and asks the hosts’ thoughts:
  • “My current method is Kindle page count in Goodreads… Curious if you have better methods and what you think of tracking time versus finished book count.” (14:54)

Brea & Mallory’s Thoughts

• Historical Perspective (15:03):

  • People used to track reading time more often; Goodreads can log start/finish dates.
  • Audiobook listeners can track hours, but it can get complicated if speeding up playback. (15:36)

• For/Against Tracking Time:

  • Mallory:
    • Tracking time is “reading nirvana,” letting go of the numbers race:
      • “You can't cheat it. You can't inhale 10 graphic novels on the last day of the month ... it forces you to focus on reading itself instead of what you're reading.” (16:47)
  • Brea:
    • Agrees it could reduce stress of number-based goals:
      • “Instead of like, oh, this feels like a thing to check off ... reading just for a few hours, you can read whatever you want.” (17:21)

• Benefits for Reading Life:

  • “No sunken page fallacy with this, right?” (17:48)
  • Good for those returning to reading or struggling with perfectionist goals (19:08)

• Habit Tracking & Apps (18:00):

  • Both use the Focus Friend app: Set a timer (“bean”) to track focused activities, including reading. The act of “habit tracking” gets highlighted as helpful.
  • E-readers often display estimated reading time.

• How to Track Time? (20:11):

  • Mallory: Prefers a habit tracker over logging in a book journal:
    • “I get like a little every day, different color dot ... if I read even for two minutes.” (21:02)
    • Suggests setting a goal (e.g., 30 min/day or 5 hrs/week) for a “purple dot.”
  • Tracking hours can help reframe reading as a fun habit, not a performance metric.

• Who Should Try It?

  • People who feel stressed by book count or want to rebuild a fun reading routine.

Notable Quote

“If that is stressing you out and it feels like it's affecting your reading life, try switching over to this. I really like this idea.” (22:56, Mallory)

Book Tech Dilemma: Library Ebooks & DNFing (24:24–28:59)

• Kimberly asks: Is it ethical to check out lots of e-audiobooks/ebooks from the library just to try them, since e-formats might be “used up” by non-readers (unlike physical books)?

• Brea & Mallory’s Advice:

  • “You’re not sure about any book … You're using the book in the way it’s intended.” (25:53, Brea)
  • “Those numbers still count towards circulation numbers for libraries.” (26:18, Mallory)
  • Sampling via library apps or publishers is encouraged (27:24; “pretend you’re at the bookish Costco”).
  • Audiobooks especially benefit from ‘try before you borrow,’ due to narrator fit.

• Bottom Line:

  • Don’t fret; using library books—even if you DNF them—is normal, helps library stats, and supports diverse reading needs.

Listener Dilemma: Spicy Books in Little Free Libraries (30:10–35:18)

Mallory’s Quandary

She wonders if it’s ok to put “very spicy open door romance books”—sometimes “just straight-up smut”—in neighborhood Little Free Libraries, given that the covers can look innocuous but the contents are extremely adult.

The Great Debate

• Brea:
  • Advises against leaving explicit material:
    • “Maybe putting what is essentially porn in a little free library is not the greatest idea. Like, would you put a Playboy in there?” (31:56)
• Mallory:
  • Sees a difference between visual porn and explicit romance but ultimately agrees:
    • “I do feel weird about some 12 year old grabbing icebreaker because it looks like a YA book.” (34:17)

Consensus & Community

• Best to donate “tamer” romance novels or those with clearly adult covers to Little Free Libraries, and bring explicit books to bookstores or other channels that can appropriately label or shelve them.
• The visual ambiguity of cartoonish romance covers raises concerns for children and parents.
• Mallory jokes about the classic “porn in a bush” stolen moment and the evolution of secret discoveries.

Memorable Exchange

“What’s a knot?” (33:12, Mallory, joking about a child discovering explicit terms)
“Now it’s porn in the Little Free Library.” (35:29, Brea)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On tracking time instead of number of books:
  • “This is when you break past the shackles of your number goals and you reach the pure bliss of reading just to read.” (16:47 — Mallory)
• On library book ethics:
  • “If I check out a book and I want to use it to do a f***ing headstand on, I’m using the book … You are using the book the way it is intended for you.” (26:18–26:52 — Brea)
• On spicy books in Little Free Libraries:
  • “There’s a difference between a centerfold Playboy spread and Icebreaker.” (32:05 — Mallory)
  • “Now it’s porn in the little free library.” (35:29 — Brea)

Useful Resources & Recommendations

• Apps Discussed:
  • Focus Friend (productivity & habit timer)
• Book Titles Recommended:
  • Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman
  • The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

Community & Housekeeping

• MaxFun: Bonus content, Discord community, and merch available through Maximum Fun memberships.
• Newsletter: Get book lists from the show delivered monthly.
• Write In: readingglassespodcast@gmail.com

Final Thoughts

This episode invites listeners to rethink reading metrics, prioritize joy and habit over competition, use library resources guilt-free, and be considerate with what they donate to community lending spaces. The hosts’ signature blend of humor, empathy, and practical advice shines throughout.

Thanks for reading!