Reading Glasses — Episode 450 Summary

Episode Title: Read a Genre You’ve Never Tried!
Hosts: Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara
Original Air Date: February 19, 2026

Main Theme

This week, Brea and Mallory tackle a new box on the 2026 Reading Glasses Challenge: Read a genre or subgenre you’ve never tried! They break down the value and logistics of stepping outside your reading comfort zone, swap strategies and recommendations, help listeners pick books, and answer a thought-provoking question about choosing which bookstores to support—especially when politics and local culture clash.

Episode Breakdown

1. What Are You Reading? (00:35–04:46)

Brea’s Pick: The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

• Genre: Literary speculative fiction
• Premise: A town surrounded by two other versions of itself, 20 years in the future and 20 years in the past. Residents can apply for permission to visit different timelines, but only as observers, not participants, leading to poignant, sometimes heartbreaking situations.
• Brea describes it as "really beautifully written prose… about this, like, kind of awkward girl who's trying to become one of these people who makes these approvals."
  (01:44)

Mallory’s Pick: Queenie and the Krakens by Alira Anaya Cirrus

• Genre: “Why Choose?” paranormal romance (smut)
• Premise: Main character gets swept into the tumultuous world of merman shifter motorcycle gangs after witnessing a supernatural crime.
• Notable quote:

  “It's this woman… she accidentally witnesses a murder between a gang of merman shifters and she gets swept into this paranormal underbelly…”
  (03:13)

• Upcoming: Jesse Thorne and Jordan Morris will join Reading Smut for their first ever “Why Choose?” episode.

2. Listener Feedback & Community Shoutouts (04:54–10:23)

• Mary (NYC) shares a project distributing ACLU ‘Know Your Rights’ zines and resources to immigrants via Little Free Libraries and local libraries. Both hosts praise the idea and invite listeners to share other ways book communities can make a difference.
  (04:54–06:21)
• Dylan (Massachusetts) describes a reading strategy: audiobooks reserved for library books, while saving “reading with my eyes” for books already owned to balance hot library releases and TBR piles.
  (06:21–07:16)
• Mirabai thanks the hosts for bonus content, mentions writing a novel, and shares a unique “wheelhouse” of reading interests.
• The hosts remind listeners how to join the Reading Glasses Discord community and access nine years of bonus material by signing up for Max Fun.
  (08:56–10:23)

3. Main Discussion: Read a Genre or Subgenre You've Never Tried!

Rules & Philosophy (13:21–15:39)

• Brea: To qualify, your pick can be any genre or subgenre you’re new to—including extremely niche categories.

  “If you can think of a genre you haven’t tried… get as specific as you need to to find something that you haven’t read: hard sci-fi, Amish romance, cozy fantasy, body horror…” (13:42)

  • You do not have to finish the book—just try it!

• Mallory: “Trying new things is always good… Just because you don’t like something once, doesn’t mean you never will. Your taste might change.”
  (14:18)

Host Challenge Picks and Recommendations (15:39–21:53)

Brea: Considering Sports Memoir

• Never read one!
• Mallory suggests hockey memoirs (e.g., by Nazem Kadri), “e-bug” (emergency backup goalie) stories, and “The Black Aces,” a new book on Black hockey players.

  “There’s some fun hockey books out there.” (17:18) "Do I have to know about hockey to understand?" (Brea, 16:12) "No!" (Mallory, 16:14)

Mallory: Choosing Hard Sci-Fi

• Hasn’t read “hard” science fiction (i.e., heavy on the technical, scientific accuracy)

• Considering recommendations such as Terraformers by Annalee Newitz and works by Andy Weir or Cameron Hurley.

  “As soon as you start explaining to me how a rocket works…the parents start going ‘wah wah wah wah.’ That’s what happens in my brain…” (17:56) “I think that's what I'm going to do. Because…I don't know if I've ever actually read one.” (20:16)

• The hosts reflect on how their experience as well-read book podcasters can sometimes trick them into thinking they've actually sampled more genres than they have.

Challenge Takeaways

• Pushing into unfamiliar genres can reveal new favorites and teach you about your own tastes as a reader.
• The hosts invite Glassers to send recommendations for both “sports biographies/memoirs” (for Brea) and “hard sci-fi” (for Mallory).
  (21:10–21:53)

4. Bookstore Ethics: Where (and When) Not to Shop (22:47–29:42)

Listener Daniel’s Question:
How do you decide which local bookstores to support—especially if a shop carries both inclusive and problematic (e.g., Trump, Confederate flag) materials?

• Brea: "Do the best we can. Vote with our dollars. If I saw a Confederate flag, I would not be buying anything at that store. Save those dollars for a store in your own community." (25:04)
• Mallory: "Just because someone runs a bookstore doesn't mean they're a good person... You don't have to buy from a bookstore just because it's a small business. If you see a big Trump display—go ‘P.U.’ and walk out." (26:07)
• Suggestions: Walk out politely, consider telling the owner why, and support other bookstores more in line with your values. Order online from aligned shops if needed.
• "But there are a lot of good bookstores... it's going to be pretty easy to find one that is aligned with your views." (29:11)

5. Recommendations: Literary Fiction for SFF Readers (29:42–32:36)

Listener Christina: Wants literary novels with good character development and prose, but feels lost after focusing on SFF.

• Brea’s Rec:
  Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
  • Literary with cli-fi/dystopian elements (birds dying, global warming in background, protagonist on a quest).
  • Blends genre taste with literary prose: “It's beautiful literary fiction. I think you'd really like it.”
• Mallory’s Rec:
  The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
  • Historical, literary with a slight fantasy mystery (possible sea serpent in a Victorian seaside English village).
  • “A beautiful character drama... with possibly supernatural mystery that you don't know if it's supernatural or not. And it's so great.” (31:33)
  • Show adaptation starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston is also praised.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On genre aversion:
  “Trying new things is always good... Just because you finally…got to just try it. Your taste might change.” (Mallory, 14:18)
• On book industry politics:
  “Just because someone runs a bookstore doesn’t mean they’re a good person…You don’t have to buy from a bookstore just because it’s a small business.” (Mallory, 26:07)
• On sliding into a new genre:
  “It's like a Lacroix, you know? Going from a juice or a soda to a LaCroix.” (Mallory about subtle magical realism, 31:09)
• On oddball book jobs:
  “There’s always an emergency backup goalie…They keep them in a cage.” (Mallory, 16:16–16:20, joking about e-bugs)
• On literary smut and fun guests:
  “I think Jesse’s response was: ‘I don’t understand anything in that sentence, but I’m in.’” (Brea, on Jesse Thorne’s reaction to being asked to read a smutty merfolk romance, 02:37)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:35 – “What Are You Reading?”
• 04:54 – Listener Feedback & Community
• 13:21 – Main Topic: Genre/ Subgenre Challenge
• 22:47 – Bookstore Ethics, Local Support
• 29:42 – Literary Fiction Recs for SFF Readers

Episode Tone

• Upbeat, irreverent, bookish camaraderie—balanced with sincere activism (community projects, opposing anti-immigrant policies).
• Emphasis on honesty, self-reflection, and not gatekeeping anyone’s reading journey.
• Playful banter (slide whistles for ICE, sports book confusion), and genuine warmth toward listeners.

Final Note

For recommendations, genre advice, or to join the ongoing challenge, email readingglassespodcast@gmail.com. Find them on Instagram @readingglassespodcast, or join the Max Fun Discord community!