0:07

You're listening to Reading Glasses, a show

0:09

about book culture and literary life designed

0:11

to help you read better. I'm author

0:13

and book devourer Mallory O'Mara. And I'm

0:15

Bria Grant, filmmaker and e-reader. This episode,

0:18

we're solving your bookish friend problems. We

0:20

got a few. Plus,

0:22

we test out a magnetic book ribbon and

0:24

recommend some gay cowboy books. But first Bria,

0:26

what are you reading? Okay,

0:29

we got a care package from Hello Comics, who

0:31

I don't know if they're a sponsor this week,

0:33

but they are a sponsor of the show. So

0:35

I'll just let you know. They're a sponsor of

0:37

the show. But they also picked out comics they

0:39

thought we would like and sent them to us,

0:41

which I was like, it was like, it felt

0:44

like a little angel floated down from the heavens

0:46

was like, here's some comics comics. I'm I love.

0:48

So I read the cutest comic called

0:50

things by Sarah Anderson. I it's so good. I

0:52

okay, I had never read this. It came out

0:54

in 2020. It's a short little comic. And

0:56

y'all can get through this in But

1:00

it's all written and drawn by her

1:02

by Sarah Anderson. And it's

1:04

about this vampire who meets her ultimate

1:06

love match, which is a werewolf. And

1:09

it's just like little things about them together

1:11

where like, you know, they're going on a

1:14

walk and like the vampire has to carry

1:16

an umbrella everywhere she goes. Or like they,

1:18

you know, the werewolf goes to kiss her,

1:21

but he accidentally ate garlic. And it's just

1:23

like how cute their little relationship is. It's

1:25

very just like a gothic little slice of

1:27

life. Yeah. Yeah, it's adorable. I

1:30

just was, it was the one they wrote me a little note

1:32

that said we really like Fangs. We think you would like that

1:34

one. Yeah. And I write it

1:36

up and they were right. And I loved it. And

1:38

it's adorable. Again, like a fun little afternoon read a

1:40

perfect gift for like your goth friend. Yes. This

1:43

is literally the perfect gift. What are you reading, Melly? Oh, yeah.

1:46

I stayed up late last night to finish this book. And

1:48

it was worth every second of it. That's the new

1:51

ton of French. Oh,

1:53

you've been looking forward to it. So looking forward to

1:55

it. Such a huge ton of French fan just came

1:57

out. It's called The Hunter. And I did

1:59

not know. Maybe. Also because I don't like

2:01

to read anything about books for I read them. This is a

2:03

sequel. Up to what to her last

2:05

book which is the center for. The thing is

2:07

it's one of those things where it is kind

2:09

of like a romance series where you can read

2:11

this one on your own if you want to.

2:13

but. It. Is enhanced if you

2:16

read the previous. However, it. But it takes

2:18

place where the last book left off. It's about

2:20

this very small Irish town. There's this man. he's

2:22

from Chicago, he's an ex cop, he moved there

2:24

he just randomly pick a town we could find

2:27

a cheap house. Retired there and like set of

2:29

ends of the first book are are are pretty

2:31

intense. but the end of it is that he's

2:33

settled in the town. There's this sort of fatherless.

2:36

Teenage hooligan that he's become really close within

2:39

like kind of taken under his wing, and,

2:41

you know, got her on the right track.

2:43

He's. Like he's been teaching her how to

2:45

repair furniture and she's doing well in school.

2:47

and he's dating this woman, the village and

2:50

everything is like rates and then all the

2:52

sudden her good for nothing crappy absent father

2:54

who's been gone for very many years comes

2:56

back to town. And he. Already is very

2:58

mad about that and so was the girl that

3:00

he's been taken care of. But of course the

3:02

father is not back because he wants to see

3:04

a family that he the bandits. He's back because

3:06

he has a get rich quick scheme. That he

3:08

wanted to get everybody and feel. But it's like

3:11

the way that on a friend who hates it's

3:13

like this book is like an intricate clock because

3:15

at first you think you're like mag of he's

3:17

playing the town and the you think the town

3:19

of playing him in the you they keep playing

3:22

the town of is all these layer our love

3:24

that and like the scheme has brought to light

3:26

all these like small town secrets and all like

3:28

everybody in it in the situation has a different

3:30

agenda and things that they want to do and

3:33

things that they're lying about. the no one will

3:35

know like the ultimate small town secret both know

3:37

this just like. You. Never know what's

3:39

gonna happen. I am other it is so fucking

3:41

good. So again if you are a small town

3:43

secrets person you gotta be reading this or that.

3:46

The Hunter by Ton of French and minus Things

3:48

by Sarah Anderson. We

3:54

wanted a moment fearsome listener feedback and thank

3:56

you. The Maximum Fun Drivers over reunited So

3:58

much stuff! We're so excited we got so

4:00

many new glasses. It really warmed our hearts

4:02

and we did get some feedback we wanted

4:05

to read Early Threat that new Maximum Fun

4:07

member said thank you to everybody who joined.

4:09

It really really means a lot less if

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you are listen to the sound you're like,

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oh I missed that. I miss those two

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episodes. I. Been. Swirling.

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Around and and tornado with a cow for the

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past couple weeks and I just landed in a

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field and I missed all of it. Ah, you

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can still join. You go to maximumfun.org First joined

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to sign Up You! It won't count towards our

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goals, but I will count for their hearts. Yeah,

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of of course the Ruby joined and said hybrid

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Mallory I'm so excited to have officially joined the

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Glass Years family. You guys have truly spark my

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love for reading again. I'm a veterinarian, so through

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school and shortly after I was barely reading a

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book or two a year, I can't wait to

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start connecting with fellow bookworms. Somehow, not a lot

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of readers in the veterinary field. Surprises

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me. Thank you Ruby! We appreciate so

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much. I'm elated. Joined and said primary

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Embry S at some point I will

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probably right and wonder email but I

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joined Maximum Fun because I started listen

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to your podcast last summer and it

5:00

was the final giant push I needed

5:02

to fully get out of a ninety

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year low graduate school and spy book

5:06

slump. Wow, air's at how strong we

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are. A lot of the zebra I

5:10

love. Bring up your darkest look at

5:12

La. This is Brian I holding a

5:14

book in an essay. ever Towards This

5:16

is another. Bug and well as well as

5:18

your muddle your huddled. Masses What is it

5:20

yet? Year. For your tired your.

5:23

Yet or slumps. music. And

5:25

we got to a leader Thank you so much and

5:28

Danny wrote into say i know arabia first I love

5:30

your podcast so much that I'll sometimes real isn't the

5:32

best episodes when I run out of new one. Member.

5:35

He gets. Seven. Years where the new one

5:37

the be sent over. Maximum fun. I want to

5:39

hear something I've tried recently. That turned out to

5:41

be a great experience. On a Friday evening I

5:43

made a reservation for one for a local hidden

5:45

Speak Easy. It was such a chill and sue

5:47

the experience I read my book for a couple

5:49

hours while listening to soft music, adding a couple

5:51

fancy drinks and with the lights slow I decided

5:53

I'm going to make this a regular thing to

5:56

take my book on a date to Speak Easy.

5:58

Definitely on my husband's poker In a real. Why

6:00

is Danny so house? They still working

6:02

on the will hasn't by. Some of

6:04

the items right now include narrative historical

6:07

nonfiction, Acetylene micro histories. Narrative.

6:09

Historical nonfiction, narrative nonfiction is what

6:12

leaving calling like a pet? Yeah,

6:14

and. I. Just said I yeah how

6:16

like everyone on the show knew what I'm

6:18

talking about. but the thing is they probably

6:20

do am at night I will arise. I'm

6:22

not like self insertion and on six and

6:24

or my groceries delay Like narrative nonfiction, whole

6:27

narrative nonfiction can just be a history that

6:29

kind of follows one person or tell me.

6:31

But I like it for. Like. A

6:33

self insert narrative. Nothing should be like ultra

6:36

narrative. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, Books about epidemiology and

6:38

history and disease Fiction were death is personified

6:40

Duckett? Yeah and cozy Fantasy and cozy horror.

6:42

It does exist. Love it. Beginning it was

6:44

a Reading Glasses podcast that email.com The want

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a list of all the books we talk

6:48

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every month you can sign up for our

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and again as a quick bookmark. We want

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to thank everyone who during during the Maxim

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Fun Drive some of the things we do

7:01

during Maximum Fun Drive or through Maximum Fun

7:03

like all the boko that you back from

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funds and that you the slack. Channel that

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through a So have you signed up and you're

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you have to email us at Reading Glasses Passage

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email.com Send us your maximum fun receipt and we

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Is incredible and is amazing. It has bump in

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in there and I have a quick bookmark our

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if you haven't been the New Orleans area I

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have a short film this playing at the Oval.

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It's on testable if you want to come. It

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is part of the Rise and Grind Sports programming.

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It is playing on Friday at Four thirty as

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part of the Shorts Programming meeting tomorrow and Sunday.

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so on the weekend at noon part of the

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Shorts Programming Rise and Grind. You can get tickets

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and leave online to buy it just for individual

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if you don't want to buy for the whole

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weekend although I know you said by for the

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whole weekend. How much a bunch of a

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pulls on or movies? But if not if you're in

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that area I would love to see. I will be

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there with many short sell them. Audio

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to. reveal bold vision for the

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future of actual play podcasting. It's

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um, it's called

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the adventure zone versus Dracula. Yeah,

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we're going to kill Dracula. Well,

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we're going to attend. We haven't recorded all of

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it yet. We will attend to kill Dracula's out

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the adventures of versus Dracula. Yes. A season. I

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will be running, uh, using the D and D

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fifth edition of rule set. And there's two episodes

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out for you to listen to right now. We

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hope you will join us. Same

10:28

bat time. Same bat channel. I

10:31

see what you did there. This

10:43

week, we all love having friends. We

10:45

all, we do, but we really love having

10:48

reader friends. Oh

10:52

yeah. Okay. Okay. How she can

10:54

talk about books with sometimes though,

10:56

having these friends means you get

10:58

very specific reader friend problems. Don't

11:01

worry. We got your back. We will save

11:03

your book as friendships. Today's episode was inspired by

11:05

the piles of emails we get about bookish friends.

11:07

We picked a few that felt relatable. All right,

11:09

Bria, this is by Abraham. You want to read

11:11

his email to us? I love your

11:13

show more than you can imagine. It got rid of

11:16

my book guilt and helped me grow as a fantasy

11:18

nerd, a fan fiction writer, and a general reader. That

11:20

said, I have a problem. My only other

11:22

friend is sadly a book snob, AKA a

11:24

trash baby. He grew up. Environment

11:27

where the only books considered real reading are

11:29

classics and maybe some literary fiction books. They

11:31

must be critically acclaimed with lots of awards.

11:34

He won't read YA or genre fiction, but he claims

11:36

he likes fantasy because of the D&D and wants

11:38

to broaden his reading horizons. What should

11:40

I do knowing that he's the only friend

11:42

I have who reads and I really like

11:45

to help him break the mental barriers put

11:47

in him by the allow the educational system.

11:49

Well, first off, I want to say I

11:51

have absolutely incredible follow up to this after

11:53

we solve this problem, but first off, so

11:55

Bria, what do we think? What is what

11:57

should he do to help his friend? Well,

11:59

I okay. You

12:02

actually I think we the example.

12:04

That. I've been having like like the books

12:06

the you might the books that he sees you

12:09

reading the sun, fancy bugs and then he wants

12:11

to read them as well. I think that that

12:13

is really important. I think there's a lot of

12:15

really did gateway fantasy out. I'm going on in

12:18

the fantasy for Dmv. Like pints of the has

12:20

you know Orcs and rogues and you know, wizards

12:22

and shit like that motlagh bruise of people going

12:24

out on a regular. Yes I'm And there's definitely

12:26

some literary fantasy. like I would think of a

12:29

literary fantasy that is going to like fit into

12:31

his wheelhouse. I was her say that Marlins Aims

12:33

book, Black Leopard read. Whoa. late. The finalists

12:35

for the National Book Award? Old yes and

12:37

yes. I think that's just sending a guy

12:40

thing. could be great. To. See you

12:42

know there is no need for him to

12:44

change. What is reinvested is happy doing things

12:46

generally for people are listening. But if

12:48

you days. I think like yeah, like

12:50

you can, you guys should finding that you

12:53

can read. Together. Of the

12:55

you might like maybe you tried something new together

12:57

the same time says not just you being like

12:59

years on my fantasy books, years on my way

13:01

bucks I find something you agree on and read

13:03

at the same time successes. Maybe like the bad

13:05

as he the guy created the in the i've

13:07

listened to like have that and we're back and

13:10

librarian and or sinister call Gary Gygax as his

13:12

name ramp he I was like I can deep

13:14

dive micro history about the indie that came out

13:16

air aim it's but something like that and I'm

13:18

like really like gothic style of my next but

13:20

I think of on the that shaming yeah this

13:22

is very kind of you to do. And I

13:24

think finding that book this and obese and of

13:27

the gateway bugs again aging also may be reading

13:29

it together could. Be here. Soon settled, it's

13:31

like you're throwing a bunch of books that have a

13:33

maybe a little less intimidating for him and it's like

13:35

hey, why don't we read this one together This is

13:37

getting. His got nominee for a national debate where.

13:39

I can show you the world energy. Yeah, there

13:42

you got. I've been riding on a book through them

13:44

as a I'm like this was a major national book

13:46

award but it does have a theory that are yeah

13:48

you know what's your, what's your advice Abrams I mean

13:50

this is hop I think this is very. Reliable. I

13:53

think a lot of people lot of readers have this.

13:55

Probably always. have that one friends and i think

13:57

it's very important to recognize that like a lot

13:59

of people some are just trashy,

14:01

trash babies, book snobs because

14:03

they want to be. But a lot of people, you know,

14:06

our educational system, like Abraham said, like tells us

14:08

that these books aren't worth, there's a lot of

14:10

teachers and librarians out there that have

14:12

been taught that graphic novels aren't real books and

14:14

genre books aren't real books. So like, instead of

14:17

being like, you're a piece of shit, turn around,

14:19

why are you saying that? Like, it's important to

14:21

be like, and I really think that he has

14:23

the right approach to this to be like, hey,

14:25

he grew up in this lousy educational system that

14:27

doesn't value the other books, knows it's

14:29

not a reflection on his friend, and it's,

14:31

you know, I think it's great that his friend

14:33

is like, oh, I want to, I want to

14:35

be where the people are. I want to see, I

14:37

want to read that fantasy. And we got, you know,

14:39

one thing that causes the most friction between bookish friends

14:41

is having different tastes and opinions and

14:43

thinking that your book is the best or that

14:46

your genre is the best. And so much of

14:48

these prejudices are so ingrained in us, especially if

14:50

we're taught, like, we just don't realize it until

14:52

they start coming out of our mouths and we're

14:54

like, that's me. My

14:57

fourth grade teacher, she was yelling at me

14:59

for reading a comic. So just try to

15:01

try to keep that in mind. I do

15:03

think there's hope. And like you said, you're

15:05

not forcing him onto this friend is interested.

15:07

So literary fantasy is a great

15:09

thing. I do think with some friends

15:11

and what I what do you think about this,

15:13

Bri? I think that with some friends, especially people

15:15

who are kind of unknowingly parroting things that they

15:17

grew up hearing. I think it's

15:19

okay to be a little point, maybe not pushy,

15:21

but like, ask people questions be like,

15:24

Oh, okay, well, what is the difference between books that

15:26

you think are worthy and not worthy? Like,

15:28

what makes that book worth reading? Like, I

15:31

think like, let's not push the friends that are already

15:33

open door, but I mean, people who are generally in

15:35

life. Yeah, I mean, friends who are saying stuff like

15:37

this, and maybe it's making you feel a little bit.

15:40

Listen, it's nobody's job to change anyone's mind. But I

15:42

think if you have, you want to have that conversation

15:44

with somebody, I mean, it's fine to

15:46

have that. This is more for like, imagine you're someone in

15:48

an office and you have a coworker who reads and

15:50

they're always like looking down their right. And the question

15:53

is, like, who decided that those were

15:55

the important books, you know, who decided

15:57

that and maybe like reflect on why

15:59

they're all all centered

16:01

around a very particular culture, a lot of particular

16:03

time period, like books that you

16:06

think are important, the classic. So

16:08

I think my recommendation is always, for friends

16:10

who are not like this listener's

16:12

friend and who are more of a trash baby,

16:14

I think it's always okay to very non-confrontationally

16:16

be like, oh, why is

16:19

that? Why do you think that? But I

16:21

agree with you, I think the best way to get a friend into

16:23

something is to be enthusiastic about it yourself. Because then

16:25

other people are like, well, they're having fun, I wanna have fun.

16:29

Just keep on doing it. Read by example. Yes,

16:31

read by example. Just keep on talking to him about

16:33

books that you're reading that you're loving. You can lead

16:36

a horse to water, but you can't make him read.

16:38

And the truth is, a lot of those books, I

16:40

mean, there is magical realism in a lot of those

16:42

books. I mean, Catcher in the Rye is a YA

16:44

book. Like, you know, you actually interrogate, like think about

16:46

the categorization of things. And look, not every book I

16:49

read is destined to be

16:51

classic. And I will totally admit that. That it

16:53

is just designed just for me and just

16:55

for right now. Just to have a fun. That's okay too.

16:58

Yeah. I

17:00

already wrote follow up. Yes. Wow. Or

17:03

we even, great, wonderful. Let's do it. Abraham doesn't know

17:05

that we're doing this episode. Okay, great. He emailed us

17:07

to say, dear Brian Mallory, this is an update, first

17:10

and foremost, I'm from Egypt where

17:12

the reading scene is not exactly thriving anyhow. I

17:14

told my friend that I wrote to you guys

17:16

about his book, Snobbery. He was so

17:18

excited that I cared enough that he kissed me

17:21

and I kissed him back and bam, reading glasses.

17:23

I got me a boyfriend that I never in

17:25

a hundred years would have thought to ask out.

17:29

Wow. We went on

17:31

our first date two days ago to a bookstore,

17:33

obviously. He bought B-Start Us by Neil Gaiman and

17:35

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and

17:37

I bought him The House of Seven Gables by

17:40

Nathaniel Hawthorne. Thank you again for making the podcast

17:42

and for being your awesome self. Wow. I

17:44

screamed when we got this email. Wow,

17:47

listen. You can turn a book snob into

17:49

a boyfriend. Into a boyfriend. The Moral

17:51

is write a podcast about your friend and

17:53

that friend may become your boyfriend. I was

17:56

like, this is the coolest thing I've ever

17:58

heard in my life. I Love that. Are

18:01

you know? Ah, he didn't need our

18:03

advice. I know clearly you agree. To

18:07

give it that way Anyway, we're so happy for

18:09

you. To put it, we want to still. So

18:12

I'd answer this because again, I think this is

18:14

something that a lot of. People through

18:16

night. Next one is from Cassie says

18:18

hello reading glasses Thanks for all your great

18:20

recommendations and ways to live my best reading

18:22

life! I recently got back into reading and

18:24

have found certain we'll houses doorways that I

18:26

can devour with ease. However, When

18:29

I mention my love of reading two friends

18:31

that also like to read, they tend to

18:33

recommend books say love Aura reading. Often they

18:35

land or give me these books to read.

18:37

Unfortunately, their taste is usually different from mine

18:39

and I end up dredging through book I'm

18:41

not excited about or Deanna thing now that

18:43

I know it's okay. You're. Welcome. What

18:45

else do I do? When they ask me

18:47

how I like the burger, offer me another

18:49

one, especially the sitting one sixth finished on

18:51

my bookshelf. I don't want to offend or

18:54

Illini other bookworm by also have a Tbr

18:56

lists I'd rather be working on Briere this

18:58

another very reliable later what we talked about

19:00

this before adding this happens quite a bit

19:02

against that and allay haven't so much these

19:05

and feel bad yeah because people masses discussion

19:07

light I need to say. Exactly

19:09

how you ended this. you have a key be are

19:11

less that you're working on the if you haven't goal

19:13

here If I was like hey can you give me

19:15

a ride to this list you like I'm going the

19:17

other direction I believe launching the right x You know

19:19

I mean it's is a different you're You're like I'm

19:21

already on this route You now I'm on the book

19:23

bus in another direction. Another direction to say oh man

19:25

my Tbr list. It. Is so long right now.

19:27

even those play along on the time But you can

19:29

say is so long I don't think I'm ever going to

19:31

get to this. You should affect us but back and

19:33

they will be like okay and you can say this

19:35

wasn't for me right now or whatever but. In.

19:38

The future. Nonfiction books on these people know.

19:40

don't think of books? Nope. Get karate. Chop

19:42

them right out of their health gets us

19:44

to take. His. Open them for those

19:46

ran yourself or put them dry. Million One little thing.

19:48

Like only a little free library but the winning ones

19:51

just like. Say. Look I have a self

19:53

full of bugs bite. I want to hear about this

19:55

book. Tell me about it. Like out you can have

19:57

a nice conversation about a books without. Reading.

19:59

it And you can probably bring up a book

20:01

you've read in response. Like there's probably a conversation to be

20:04

about that. Priya tells her husband every day all the books

20:06

that she's reading. He doesn't read any of them and they're

20:08

happy as hell. 100%! What do you want to say

20:10

to Cap? I

20:12

think it's important to remember that this comes from a

20:14

place of excitement and caring. I think that this is

20:16

a lot of, this is how people try

20:19

to connect with other people. Readers love to talk

20:21

about books, love to share their enthusiasm, but that

20:23

can often come across in the form of, I

20:25

read this now, you have to read this because I want you to

20:27

read it and talk to you. You need to talk to me about it. But

20:30

I agree with you. Stuff like that, you just got a karate

20:33

chop. No, no. Cut it off immediately.

20:35

You don't read it at all. I

20:37

think, Cass, you do not because it's

20:39

like it's like I use car sales or I guess I

20:41

use car salesman. Don't come to your house. Encyclopedia

20:43

salesperson. Okay. Like the second, if you let them in

20:45

your house, it's hard to get out. Yeah, yeah. Like

20:48

you don't read it at all. When someone brings you

20:50

a book, they want you to read. You turn it

20:52

down and say like, hey, my TBR is really packed

20:54

right now. I'm really, it

20:57

is a project that I'm trying to work on whittling

20:59

down my TBR. This reminds people that you are your

21:01

own person. You have your own reading life. You have

21:03

your own things that you're doing. I think people

21:06

just get so excited. They want to talk to you about books that

21:08

they like don't remember that you're also reading your

21:10

own books. You could be like, oh, how

21:12

about you read this one instead? And they'd be

21:14

like, sometimes people just forget like that you're not

21:16

an NPC in their world. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You

21:19

know, for a reader,

21:21

not a non-reader character. Same

21:25

thing if they just give it if they if they are trying to

21:27

force it on you. Like

21:30

if you feel compelled to take it just whenever

21:32

they ask be like, oh, no, I'm working on

21:34

my own TBR. Like that's their own problem. Like

21:36

you were it is not your responsibility. Yeah,

21:39

like they are trying to give you a responsibility. Don't take

21:42

it. No, you don't have to take that book.

21:44

No, and I again, even if they if someone

21:46

gives it to you, just give it away. Yeah.

21:49

And that's what I feel like. Listen, if someone is like just give giving

21:51

it to you or if they're like, you should take this book. I loved

21:53

it. You know, OK. And

21:55

then you can only take that and also give it away. I had a

21:57

friend recently lend me a book and he was like. This

22:00

is for reading or for giving away, I don't care. And I was

22:02

like, great. That's a really wonderful

22:04

way to give me a book. But I've also had friends,

22:06

like you can tell your friend, you could keep

22:08

it for a week, not read it, give it back to them and be

22:10

like, yeah, it's not my thing. I

22:13

had a friend who borrowed a book of mine and gave it back to

22:15

me like a month later. And I was like, oh, what'd you think? And

22:17

she's like, I didn't like it. And

22:19

I was like, oh, okay. So like, it didn't bother me.

22:21

I was not upset by it. I was just like, all

22:23

right, whatever. I think some people will get upset by that

22:25

though. Because I think if they're so excited and they're giving

22:27

you a book, they're like, you've got to read this, take

22:29

it. You know, I do think people get upset about it.

22:31

Well, then they need to check

22:34

themselves before, they are wrecking themselves right

22:36

now. Before they recommend themselves, then

22:38

this book. Take

22:41

yourself before you wreck yourself. Exactly.

22:45

I just think that's so, it's just very unfair.

22:47

Yeah. And again, I

22:49

don't think people are thinking that it's unfair, they're just

22:51

excited. And what they need to come down from

22:53

that excitement and be like, oh, other people have their

22:55

own lives and their own time. So

22:57

yeah, just chat that karate shot. Great job.

22:59

Bri, you wanna read the last one? Uh-huh.

23:02

From Erin, hello Bri and Mallory. I have a question

23:04

that I feel you and the other glasses can help

23:07

me with. A close friend that I've known since elementary

23:09

school is in the process of publishing her debut novel.

23:12

I have read a recent draft and think it is

23:14

stunning. However, while reading, sometimes her true voice comes through

23:16

so strongly that it catapults me out of the book.

23:18

There are phrases that would seem normal to the average

23:20

reader, but because I know her well, I can only

23:22

read it in her voice. Does this ever

23:25

happen with books of authors you know well

23:28

and do you have any ideas for how to move past it? Bri,

23:30

I think this is a feature, not a bug. This

23:32

is just us all the time. because

23:35

is this because it's hard to read because how

23:37

her friend talks or? She's like taking out of

23:39

the story because now she's not reading a book

23:41

anymore. She's reminded. She doesn't think her own friend

23:43

tell a story. So it's not like your friend

23:45

is emulating something where she's like, you would never

23:47

say that. It's more that she sounds exactly like

23:49

herself. Yes. Okay. It

23:52

would be if, I was gonna say, you read my books all the

23:54

time. That's true. But I write nonfiction so I guess it's different, but

23:57

it would be Like some

23:59

turn of phrase that is.. Though you were interest

24:01

baby and a script. And yeah is the

24:03

zebra Yeah Alyson, you're not watching the movie

24:05

anymore. You're like know I'm like your seat

24:07

behind the scenes that hence the fees. Are Not

24:09

About. Hypothetical. Time We have

24:12

a ton of other friends, One in particular

24:14

always uses his friends' names and his books

24:16

and and immediately reminds me of who is

24:18

writing a book while traveling of yeah. And

24:20

I love it. I lean into it. you know

24:22

I'm like oh my god yes I at my

24:24

friend Paul wrote this and he's angry and we

24:27

love him. Like use that moment of being bumped

24:29

out of the story to be like wow My

24:31

friend is great. I love them. And then to

24:33

eat lakes because of you try to fight it.

24:35

it's just gonna. It's gonna take you up more

24:37

to take a moment to be like wow. And.

24:40

Front of the other. That's. Cool yeah what

24:42

are you think that you? I have a

24:44

someone at some have them watching someone movie

24:46

and like can read acting an actor says.

24:48

Get. Something that I'm like, oh that's like something

24:50

they do not and his character dies. And.

24:52

I'm seeing them as a person, other actor but. Listen.

24:55

You. May not be the target audience also for this.

24:57

I mean you aren't and it's your friends. But.

24:59

I think just knowing that this your friends are a

25:01

the be a supportive run by. Showing. Up

25:04

going to signing. Rings. Are telling

25:06

them you like the book which is sounds like is

25:08

true That's wonderful. While you're already way ahead of a

25:10

lot of people who sunday every friends looks and you

25:12

don't like on on I think this way to be

25:14

a good friend. And that's the most

25:16

important thing. So like if the book you may

25:18

not be the I is because it may take

25:20

you out of the but that's okay. like that's

25:23

okay, I think the audience. but you know that

25:25

you like the book and you could be a

25:27

supportive friend which is the most important thing. Yeah

25:29

and we all love knowing cool people selling author

25:31

whose book you can support a hundred percent. And

25:33

you think the great. Yet. Or not

25:35

bomb into a like oh wow. I. Have

25:37

cool friends needing he! We would love

25:39

follow up on all of these but

25:41

if you have any thoughts on but

25:43

his friend problems are solutions and reading

25:45

glasses podcast the Jim Alber com Before

25:47

we review a Magnetic Ribbon bookmark, we're

25:49

going. To. Take a quick break. you

26:00

in part this week by Dipsy. Enemy

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stories.com/classes. Thanks

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to everyone who contributed during this year's Max

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27:41

do without you. With the

27:43

drive in the rear view, it's

27:45

time for another proud tradition, our

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purchase Max Fun Drive pin sales. Featuring cells

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charity sale. The sale is live

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now and it ends Friday, April

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Twelve. For more info, had to

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Maximum fun.org Flash Pin sale and

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thanks again for years of. He.

28:31

Time. To look at some book tech advances

28:34

and Books technology. Today we are reviewing a

28:36

magnetic bookmark made by Superior Essential, the same

28:38

brand of my book. Ways that you know

28:40

it's following. Dance lesson: Ten bucks. the consists

28:42

of a long we been attached to this

28:44

little magnetic clamp that's about as long as

28:46

your thumb. So. You slice the back cover

28:49

of your book into the clamp and then we'll

28:51

Are you ever ribbon bookmark that a sticking out

28:53

to use Bria What did you think of this?

28:55

As a person who does not use lot of

28:57

a deli? your bookmarks. I had it. On

29:00

a couch and was sitting there with it

29:02

and me tell you great cat toy I

29:04

think that have lost their mind this which

29:06

end do I want? it's gone I don't

29:08

I hope you didn't want it bad that

29:10

I don't know where it is the cats

29:12

tickets they love it. I'm. Was

29:15

Ten dollars? That Can I just say that lesson to dollars.

29:17

I think it's like Eight Ninety Nine Or Seven Ninety Nine.

29:19

Eat in. The case is just a magnet on the end

29:21

of a ribbon. I'm. Just saying I

29:23

wouldn't take the time to make. That okay, the

29:25

service job or I'd. The ten dollars

29:28

I assume it's a too much too much

29:30

eight dollars have a sign. I am I

29:32

going with the bookmark alien but I'm cute

29:34

and I think it could be very beneficial

29:36

getting don't ever use but once I rarely

29:38

but it can be beneficial especially for not

29:40

just like that like a long term thing.

29:42

What you're reading like a big heavy bugs

29:44

wix on the read with like a tome.

29:46

yeah you know like if you are wizard.

29:48

This. Is the live up bookmark for you in

29:50

that but I didn't is very cute again. It's.

29:53

Fun person has five five pages for said.

29:55

What about if I pause the I Listened

29:58

Bb loves it is a guy. A

30:00

man taken underneath the couch in one that we will

30:02

never see it again. That's what did you think of

30:04

it. I love this. I am a big bookmark person,

30:07

but I'm not a big ribbon. Bookmark are safe enough.

30:10

It's. Not. Hard enough night density

30:12

As bad as you know me

30:14

as as as as. I

30:18

just not. I'm not into ribbons. I don't know why.

30:20

What? About an do like ribbons and early

30:22

in life. I don't

30:24

get a President. I'd like to take this away as a

30:26

I don't have these are you know there's even the Olympics

30:28

you like. A lot of other. Stuff

30:31

like the. Plague

30:38

not dense. Yeah. It's

30:40

just. Getting

30:43

a get have a long self lifestyle like

30:45

and yeah as shelf life I think it

30:47

has that You know? It isn't

30:49

the fall apart, it's actually pretty hardy. it is.

30:51

it was. I like about it is that the

30:53

end of it is kept with rubber so they

30:55

have been can't for I. I think maybe I

30:58

just don't like it's sticking out the bottom. Maybe

31:00

that's why I don't like ribbon bookmarks. Alexander's place

31:02

instances know bottom. they'll know I know on it's

31:04

I don't want to. but with a tail yeah

31:06

that's that's what. I don't think about it but

31:09

did like this one for what it is. It's

31:11

very easy to set up. the magnet is pretty

31:13

strong as soon as I wouldn't worry about falling

31:15

off. And the thing is, I do like fiddling

31:17

with the ribbon while I. Read into a

31:19

like settling like all right ribbon Book

31:21

Month. Like you said biggest drawback is

31:23

how badly Lulu on Adidas oh she.

31:26

Wanted. Which is

31:28

funny clothes like news for Bria. And

31:30

then your guest stuff. But

31:32

if you do like having a ribbon bookmark, I

31:34

actually I would highly recommend this one. It's very

31:36

hardy, very easy to use. I got five

31:39

pages I we didn't talk about reader feedback someone

31:41

sent, and about washy taping a ribbon to the

31:43

back of your book if you are interested in

31:45

doing that, like having the same ribbon for each

31:48

one, this might be even better because you don't

31:50

have that tape it on tape anything As much

31:52

earlier this show the syrup. Million adding a

31:54

bunch. remember? Your

31:58

wish list and they had edges. The I think

32:00

that's what it is though I think I don't like

32:02

something hanging out of the the out of. The bottom

32:04

of the book. But

32:07

this one again. I really I did like

32:09

it and it's pretty long. so I did

32:11

test this out in a very big book.

32:14

So. You know, even if you're right of the

32:16

beginning of a very big book, you still don't have enough ribbon.

32:19

To work with here so put a link in

32:21

the zone or to this I got a five

32:23

pages for me anything his buddies between. The

32:27

Just but Nathan cats cats alone.

32:31

So if you have ideas for book tech that

32:33

you want us to test out Senator Reading Glasses

32:35

passage email.com or you can check out our Wishlist

32:37

in the Zone. Out. Now

32:43

with his or a recommendation requests from Will,

32:45

Will says hi both. After not reading anything

32:47

for a decade, I finally got back into

32:49

reading during Cove It a few months ago.

32:51

I found your podcast and is Stephanie helping

32:54

to keep the book enthusiasm high. In the

32:56

past couple months I powered through half year

32:58

old episodes and I'm not listening to the

33:00

new ones as they come out while he

33:02

get you the backlog, I just wanted to

33:04

share my two main we'll houses retro Alternative

33:06

now size I and Gay Cowboy novels that

33:08

aren't romance and B M M L M.

33:10

Nothing against the genre, I just want more

33:12

plot. That isn't focus on relationship. The latter

33:14

is incredibly hard to find, especially literary stuff,

33:17

so I'd love to get some recommendations if

33:19

you have any. I would be accepting the

33:21

romance novel if it was more heavily plot

33:23

driven and without the erotica kind like burrow

33:25

back mountains perhaps something I could ask a

33:27

librarian, but it's a little embarrassing. Briere, what

33:29

you think? Oh obliged. I am. Yeah.

33:31

This was this is a good rec. First, don't

33:33

be embarrassed to ask a librarian. Yes it is.

33:36

They know about this and I guarantee you they

33:38

get more embarrassing questions in this. I was gonna

33:40

say i feel like it's more embarrassing to be

33:42

like hey, kind of a day cowboy but that

33:44

will smite he. Either way less embarrassing to do

33:46

like. Can I have a good cowboy book where

33:48

their. Gently. touching his way listeners

33:50

and i wish you'd ask for retro alternative

33:52

now cipher because i wanted dive into back

33:55

home know that is i like an alligator

33:57

yes i mean i think i went I

34:00

can't remember how much MLM stuff there

34:03

is in this one, but

34:07

it's River of Teeth by Sarah Galen.

34:09

Most of the group in that is

34:11

queer. They're all, I think they're all

34:13

queer. One non-binary, there's one who had

34:16

like he-him. I'm pretty sure this is

34:18

she-her. I think so too. So it's

34:20

pretty, it's like a good group. It's definitely, it's

34:22

a queer group. I just can't remember, I can't

34:24

remember if there's any hand holding or any.

34:27

Oh, there's only one bed situation. Oh

34:29

yeah, there's. Thank you Sarah Galen.

34:33

But it is, it's like, it's exactly what

34:35

Will's looking for. It's much more plot focused.

34:37

It is alternative historical fiction with queer main

34:39

characters and everyone rides on hippos instead of

34:41

horses. And there's several of them or at

34:43

least two. And I know that is a

34:45

weird pitch, but it actually is like very

34:48

plot driven. Yeah, it's great. And the world

34:50

is kind of a fun sci-fi ish sort

34:52

of world. What do you have? So

34:54

my recommendation for this is Days Without End by

34:56

Sebastian Barry. It has romance in it, with

35:00

even less, actually, well, I don't know.

35:03

I guess it would, it's about the same amount

35:05

of focus on romance, but it's like mainly the

35:08

plot is like a big sweeping Western saga. It's

35:10

got these two soldiers. They're out on the plains

35:12

in the 1850s. And of

35:14

course they're both handsome. But

35:16

it's very much a Western. It's

35:19

not like it has a romance

35:21

subplot, but I would not call it a romance. And

35:23

I do want to again say, ask

35:25

your librarians anything. They have seen anything that

35:27

you can show them. Being a librarian is

35:29

like working in Las Vegas. Anything that you

35:32

can throw them, they've already seen something weirder. And

35:36

they can hook you up. I mean, there

35:38

are so, I understand Will's frustration with

35:40

this because there are so many gay

35:42

cowboy romance novels. But there are, there's

35:44

a bazillion of them. There's

35:46

like, if you want to see a shirtless

35:48

man with a cowboy hat, there's so many.

35:50

So I understand, but there are a lot

35:52

of great Westerns. So mine's

35:55

Days Without End by Sebastian Barry. And

35:57

Mine is River of Chief by Sarah Gannett.

36:00

You want to answer your recommendation requests and it

36:02

reading glasses Podcast that email.com has always we want

36:04

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36:07

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36:09

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36:11

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36:17

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36:28

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36:30

that email.com find us on Instagram at Reading

36:33

Glasses Potter thanks for listening and they including.

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Maximum Fun. A. Workaround:

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you.