Welcome and Introductions!

[[deleted user]]

Hi! I'm Cathy and I'm from north Alabama. I'm a visual artist, been married a really long time 😉and have two grown children. My youngest is in her senior year of undergrad school. My oldest works in Nashville at a school for special needs children, he's worked there for three years.

I paint a variety of images, mostly florals, landscapes and abstracts in acrylics or watercolor. I've been painting for about ten years and you can see a lot of my work on my Instagram account.

My father always told me that the first thing he and my mom ever had to get onto me about, was reading in my crib (age 1 1/2 to 2), after my parents had put me to bed. They'd check on me about an hour after putting me in bed and would find that I'd reached through the crib rails to get the cloth baby books on the table beside the bed. I'd be sitting on the end of the mattress closest to the nightlight, reading my picture books.

Not much has changed since then. Ha.

I read mostly fiction. I like to read nonfiction about social justice (or social injustice, might be a better term) issues, but usually have to space out those books because they fill me with so much outrage.

I read multiple books at a time. And I read at least two books a week, sometimes more. I have an insane number of ebooks on my Kindle, physical books that haven't been read yet, and three separate TBR wish lists that I'm trying to kind of separate from each other, so I don't have a bunch of duplicates on each list .... still working on that.

I ❤️❤️❤️ the Reading Glasses podcast and feel like I learn something new fro Brea and Mallory every episode. I'm looking forward to getting to know the other members of this group.

[Erica ☘️]

Hi all, my name is Erica and I live in Katy, TX. I read whenever and wherever I can! With four children and a hubby that's how I have to roll! :) I love the fiction genre but have been thinking of dipping into non-fiction very soon. I have read a couple here and there. I love paranormal and historical fiction novels the most. I'm new to the podcast, but glad to have found the group.

[Elizabeth☮]

Erica,

I am in Houston. I hope your family stayed safe through Harvey.

[Nick]

Hi all, I'm Nick, from Seattle, WA.
I mostly enjoy sci fi, fantasy, and mystery books although historical fiction has been growing on me steadily for a number of years now.
I unfortunately don't have a whole lot of reading time, but I try to steal a half hour here or there when I can.

[Stephen]

Hi - I'm Stephen from Birmingham, UK. I tend to mostly read sf and fantasy. I review books for Interzone and Black Static, and run my own quarterly zine TQF. Thanks for setting up the group - I've been enjoying the podcast a lot. They're talking about the kind of things I spend a lot of my time thinking about.

[Caitlin]

Hi I'm Caitlin! I'm a college student studying Biomedical Engineering and Spanish. I mostly read sci-fi and non-fiction (although I'm a sucker for magical realism) but I'm always game to try something new. Like a lot of people, I was one of those kids who never went anywhere without a book, but I've since stopped reading as much as I would like to.

[Eve]

Hello, I'm Eve. I'm just getting caught up on the podcast but really enjoying it; and I've been on Goodreads for several years. I'll read nearly any genre, but I tend to read a lot of these:

*sociology about race/racism, feminism, anti-oppression in general (just finished reading The Will to Change by bell hooks)
*popular history especially about historical diseases and/or disasters (recent favorites: The Indifferent Stars Above - about the Donner Party, and The Speckled Monster - about the introduction of inoculation for smallpox)
*historical fiction especially if it involves cross-dressing/gender-bending/queer people (probably all-time favorite in this genre is Fingersmith by Sarah Waters)
*feminist science fiction and fantasy generally (lots. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin as example)
*YA of just about any stripe but especially about queer and/or poc (recent favorite: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas)

My goal this year is to read 150 books, and also this year I'm trying to read at least half by authors of color, which I'm on track for so far, but behind in the 150 books goal. I'll make it though; I just need to read some more graphic novels. :)

[Katy]

Hi all -- I started a thread, and figured I'd better introduce myself.

I'm Katy, and I live in Western NY. I started my adult life as a computer programmer, moved on to mom/housewife, and am currently employed as a part-time aide in the children's room at my town library.

My wheelhouse is hard sci-fi, space opera, fairy-tale-like fantasy, female protagonists, school stories, victorian/steampunk, historical fiction, heist stories and humor. (Also anything with words in a row that's in front of me.)

I read about a book a week, and have really been enjoying the podcast.

[Ellie]

Hi, I'm Ellie! I'm from the US, Virginia! I used to read nonstop (literally my parents had to pry books away from me at mealtime and I would carry two books at all times in case I finished the one I was reading). Like a lot of people, that changed when I hit college. Picked up when I worked at a public library and drastically dropped off when I worked at an academic library. I started listening to the podcast and it got me inspired to read again!

I like to read:
-Any books about queer and trans people of any genre at all, fiction or nonfiction, including YA.
-Literary fiction by diverse authors
-Sci-fi
-Weird fiction
-Graphic novels
-Miscellaneous other stuff. Always up for a recommendation!

[Marissa]

Beatrice wrote: "Hello, everyone! ^^ I'm Beatrice, I'm from the Metro Detroit area. I am an obsessive tracker of ebook deals and discounts, voracious reader and general nerd. The vast majority of what I read is fan..."

Hi, fellow Detroiter!

[Marissa]

Hello, all! I'm Marissa and I live in Detroit, Michigan. I just discovered the podcast, and I am a book-devourer, hoarding paper copies of just about any book I can get my hands on. My favorites are Literary Fiction, essays, short fiction, and memoirs, although I love a good true crime or mystery book, and I am obsessed with all things Sherlockian.

[Danielle]

Hello, I'm Danielle! I live with my cat Sven in the Greater Toronto Area. I found this podcast earlier this week and have been binge listening! I will read a little bit of everything, but long fantasy series, horror novels, and fact books told like stories about animals are my favourites. I love the exposure through this podcast to such a variety of books. It's a great resource for my TBR pile! I like to have a variety of options to pick through, instead of an ordered list.

[Aleasha]

Hello! I'm Aleasha, I live in the San Fran/North Bay Area (wine country!) . I enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, true crime, and mystery.

I used to listen to a ton of audio books because of my old commute. Sometimes I had to just settle for whatever the library had at the time. This forced me to try genres I might have never tried before. Historical Fiction is a genre I never had interest in until I picked up Conspirata by Robert Harris from the library. So good and I am so happy I have a whole new genre to dive into.

[Dana]

Hello, I'm Dana! I'm from the Midwest of the US - grew up in Kansas City but I go to school in southern Wisconsin.

My favorite genre of books is scifi/fantasy, but I really just love anything that's character driven. I also like nonfiction that's about social issues. My wheelhouse is
*queer literature
*female characters - this is niche but my fave type of female character is one who's physically strong but has trouble expressing emotions (see Vin from Mistborn, Katsa from Graceling, Jessica Jones from the Marvel comics)
*space!
*deep platonic bond/found family
*like I said, scifi/fantasy - used to be OBSESSED with dragon books when I was a kid so I still have a bit of a soft spot for them

My fave books at the moment are Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Oh and Harry Potter (I just reread them for the thousandth time and they're on my mind right now) (I say, as if they aren't always on my mind). In the near future I'm hoping to get into detective noir, poetry, and horror, because I've barely touched those genres!

[Melissa]

Hey everyone!

My name is is Melissa. I live in the Midwest of the US - from Naperville, IL --> Milwaukee, WI. I kinda sort of work with/for the show. Who knows?

My favorite genres are mysteries, thriller, horror, syfy, fantasy and some chick lit and ya.

I'm just now getting into comic books and e-reads. Currently reading: Slade House, Motherless Brooklyn, Helter Skelter (after two years) and a bunch of books I just found that I never finished!

Fave books are definitely The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Racing in the Rain, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Great Gatsby, Fahrenheit 451, The Sun is Also a Star, Fight Club and more that I can't think of.

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction or period pieces, so if anyone has any recommendation then hit a girl up.

So glad to be apart of the group!

[Amy]

Hey everyone! It's so nice to meet you all :)

I'm Amy, and I'm from Long Island, NY, USA. My favorite book is Made You Up by Francesca Zappia.

I like almost anything as long as I am intrigued by the plot, except religious books or most non-fiction. I do favor YA, Sci-fi and Fantasy, and Romance mostly. I'm currently reading a bunch of things that include The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua, Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha, What the Puck by Robert Lee Beers (audiobook), and Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines.

[Adam]

Hi Everyone! My name is Adam and I was on the RG episode about libraries! I work at OverDrive, also host a podcast (professional Book Nerds) and read just about everything but I tend to binge certain genres at a time.

Currently all about YA fantasy and comedic memoirs. Shout with any questions... Oh and support your local library ;-)

[Kathryn]

Hi everyone! My name is Katie and I’m in Stirling in the UK! Love listening to the podcast as it makes more interested in reading which is something I love to do but find it hard to give my time too! Love anything spooky with a mystery thrown in too 😊 it’s great to meet you all !

[Roland]

Brendan wrote: "Hello All

I have only just discovered Reading Glasses and this group. I am a social worker from BC, Canada, and I love genre fiction for the most part, but I'm a pretty flexible reader and love me..."

Hello fellow BC'er and welcome!

[Jennifer]

Hello! My name is Jenn, and I'm a grad student in Florida who somehow still manages to find time to read for fun. My favourite genres are fantasy (particularly urban), weird fiction, and romance, though I am trying to also extend my literary self and read non-fiction for fun and not just journal articles for my research. I finally started listening to Reading Glasses after seeing that Amanda Palmer came on, and have been making my way through the back archives since early April.

[Nonni]

Hey! I'm Nonni, and I was a creative writing major, turned technical writer/editor (though I still sneak in some time for more creative stuff). I lean mostly towards fantasy fiction with light romance. These days I'm expanding myself a lot, especially into non-fiction graphic novels. I was listening to Maximum Fun shows for a while before Reading Glasses turned up on the scene, and was really excited about a podcast for book enthusiasts! I've been lurking here for a while (I've been too shy to introduce myself).

[Douglas]

Hi all! I have been a lurker on here for a bit, but I just read, "The Beauty" and oh... I NEED TO DISCUSS IT WITH OTHERS!

[Abbie]

Hello! I’ve been listening to the pod for awhile now and completely forgot about this group!

I’m Abbie and I live in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. Reading in a bath and playing video games are my favorite ways to unwind.

My favorite authors include, but are not limited to: Neil Gaiman, Gillian Flynn, Haruki Murakami, Dan Simmons, Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury, and Octavia Butler.

Nice to meet you all!

[Sophie]

Hi everyone,
I'm Sophie, I'm 24 years old and I live in not-so-sunny Glasgow, but intend to move out to Australia soon (Y)
Been a fan of the podcast for a while, joined the group a wee while back, but totally forgot to introduce myself.
I adore reading, and can't think how else I'd rather spend my time.... however I am struggling with anorexia, which means my concentration often isn't good enough to get stuck into a book. Even when it is, I tend to fall asleep when reading! So I'm really glad that this podcast exists, as it helps me keep up with one of my greatest passions, where I otherwise might not be able to.
Anyway, lovely to meet you all :)

[Eric]

Ahoy mates, I'm 28 and have listened to the podcast over the past month or more. Since I was little, the only two things that'd keep me quiet were Lego's and books. I'm not as keen on Lego's because they hurt your feet when they get stepped on, but I still very much enjoy a book you can't put down or even the ones that take awhile to digest.
My wheelhouse is generally assassin's, hackers, general female badassery (hope I'm not violating any rules in the group... doubt it), sci-fi and traveler's journeys (like pendragon). Also pretty much say magic and I'll read it.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen for reading and sharing.

[Victoria]

Hello everyone! I'm 25, and I live down near the beach communities in southern Rhode Island (the beach is my favorite place to read).

When I'm not working or teaching, I try to get lost in historical fiction or some sci-fi/fantasy works (especially by Karen Miller). I am trying to expand the genres I read in so any and all suggestions are welcome, and that's another reason I love this podcast.

Hope to connect with people soon!

[Jessie Drew]

Hi everyone! Is this still an active group? Or maybe I’m missing something? I don’t see a bookclub choice or any recent posts. Just wondering. Love the podcast, I listen every week!
-Jessie from Dobbs Ferry, NY

[Lee]

Jessie wrote: "Hi everyone! Is this still an active group? Or maybe I’m missing something? I don’t see a bookclub choice or any recent posts. Just wondering. Love the podcast, I listen every week!
-Jessie from Do..."

I would say the Facebook group is the place to be, kinda dead here.

[Adam]

Hi all, I'm in New York City, I wish I could read more and this last year I did manage to pack in The Stranger and Death in Venice before my work picked. I actually spend a lot of time reading technical books on Math and Science for work, which makes it hard to find time for fiction. Looking forward to reading some classic Sci-Fi maybe over the winter break, or possibly Moby Dick. Anyway, I also just enjoy hearing about interesting books, so I look forward to the podcast and group!

Best wishes,
Adam

[Lisa]

Hi! Lisa here from the Seattle area. just found the pod cast and I now think my "to be read" list is going to explode. I'll read pretty much anything, any time, and I really looking forward to chatting with other readers!

[Ginny]

Hi! I've been listening to The Reading Glasses podcast for a few months now. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with my husband, dog, and various aquatic creatures. I got out of reading fiction for a few years and just got back into it in late 2016. Goodreads has been a godsend for keeping me on track and finding new stuff to read!

I mostly read sci fi, fantasy, and magical realism, along with early & pre-20th century female authors.

[Elijah]

Hey! My name is Maisie I am a genderqueer individual who reads widely but is a big fan of sci fi and deliciously horrifying novels... also poetry!
I am a veterinary nursing student with less than a year to go. I hope to discuss some good books

[Jenny]

Hello. Jenny from Dallas here. I recently discovered Reading Glasses and it's rapidly becoming one of my favorite podcasts. Love finding one that is more in my wheelhouse - I am an eclectic reader but I've loved fantasy since I was a child reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (almost 40 years ago). Thanks Brea & Mallory!

[Aria]

Hey all! I'm Aria, a nonbinary person from Washington. I try to read a little bit of everything but have a soft spot for anything that has a good plot twist, unreliable narrators, protagonists that question the status quo, and found family. Excited to be a part of the group!

[Emily]

Hello! I'm Emily from State College. I'm just getting back into Reading Glasses and....reading in general. I read sci fi and fantasy pretty broadly, and I'm currently trying to make myself sit down and finish The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. :)

I'm also an archivist so lots of what I read is #critlib and pedagogy.

[Lacemaking]

Kelsie here! I started listening to the podcast on Friday and fell in love with it.
my wheelhouses are Victorian era romance novels and self-help/self-improvement and etiquette books. I love writing dirty stories and am trying to get better at it, hopefully to grow into a romance author at some point.
Because I'm using my authorial pseudonym, I have my ball jointed doll as my profile photo, hopefully I'll get better at doing her faceups in the future but this was one of the few photos I've taken of her with books. Time to remedy that!

I have 55 unread books on my kindle so I'm getting cracking at that- I hope to clean that up by the end of 2020 and then I'll work on my modest amount of physical books. I'm not letting myself buy anymore books unless it's for classes until 2021!
I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone!

[Sarah]

Hail and well met, my name is Sarah I am from Washington State.

I read just about anything, except romance novels, but my favorites are adventure fantasies. Especially ones with fully created worlds.

[Trina]

Hello! I'm Trina, born and raised in California. I am a library assistant looking for a library to assist at, so most of my time not spent job hunting is spent reading.

I found Reading Glasses when someone I follow on Tumblr suggested a month dedicated to cleaning -- work on your domicile every day for the length of one podcast. I started with "LeVar Burton Reads" and found "Reading Glasses" under a related-podcasts section. Talk about dumb luck; I couldn't be happier that I found RG three months ago.

My wheelhouses include gender disguse (think Tamora Pierce's Alanna or Shakespeare's Viola), historical fantasy (like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell), and historical fiction (including Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell books).

2020 reading goals include averaging one book a week, whether it's a reread or new to me. I'm doing the RG Challenge this year. I also own a lot of books I haven't read, so I want to tackle at least one a month. There's a lot of potential for overlap.

[Kara]

Hey everyone! I'm Kara, based in Chicago. Ex-writer/editor and most recently ex-tech, and now applying to grad schools for a masters in social work (gulp!). I started listening to Reading Glasses only last fall, so I'm still catching up on episodes, but I'm loving it.

My wheelhouse includes pre- and apocalypse (especially if there are strong female characters), time travel (why don't people talk about Connie Willis more?), magic used in everyday life, why-did-it mysteries, and weirdo magical realism a la Kelly Link.

[OurBookishNotes]

Hi all! I'm Caterina. I'm a bibliophile, art lover, and filmmaker from New Orleans. I like to read pretty much anything I can get my hands on, but I do tend to stay more within the "literary" genre or science fiction.

This year I am hoping to diversify my reading and get out of my wheelhouse a bit more.

[Alexis]

Hello! I just found this podcast and it makes me really happy, haha.

My name is Alexis and I'm from Minot, ND. I like reading a lot of fantasy and LGBTQ fiction.

I'm a big fan of graphic novels and Manga as well. I prefer physical printed books personally.

[Taylor]

Hi Everyone! My name is Taylor and I've been in this group for a few years but never posted until now! I love the podcast and the good vibes Brea and Mallory always put into the world.

I love all genres but find myself particularly drawn to sci-fi/fantasy and mystery/thrillers.

I read in all forms - kindle, audio, and physical copies!

[Marah]

Hi, Taylor!

Thanks for introducing yourself! I just joined a few days ago and wasn't sure if this group were still active.

I just finished reading Piranesi based upon Mallory's suggestion, and I ABOLUTELY LOVED IT. Have you read it?! I have TONS TO SAY. No one else I know has read it. :(

Looking for similar books too if you have any recommendations. I guess puzzle books are a thing? I'm really into escape rooms so I shouldn't be so surprised that I like puzzle books too.

[Laura]

Hello,

I am also glad to see this group is active. Always happy to connect with others who share my reading interests.

I would say that I am more of a Brea than a Mallory in my reading interests haha! I love scifi/fantasy and historical fiction the most but Reading Glasses challenges have helped me bridge into genres and authors I would normally miss out on!

Marah, Piranesis was excellent! I enjoyed it and devoured it in a weekend!

[Marah]

Laura!

LOVE the comment. Let's get this group kickin'!

Re: Piranesi - I'm trying to find other reads like Piranesi: I thoroughly enjoy unreliable narrators and epistolary novels. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Also, who is the little girl skeleton?! Any ideas?

[Alice]

Yay, people here at last! I’ve been waiting for a long time to post, as the group seemed inactive. Piranesi is on my library wishlist too—wishlist rather than holds list, since I’ve moved and been afraid to get a library card in my new state, where the state-issued ID the library requires involves visiting a county office with no mask mandate in place—aargh. Anyway, I can’t read it yet, but hope to eventually when I’m fully vaccinated! In the meantime I’m reading volume I of the Library of America edition of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Hainish novels & stories, mentioned on the space opera episode a couple of weeks ago. This is a deep love, along with everything else I’ve read by Ursula K. Le Guin. I’m also trying to read Dune, because of that same episode (both Brea & Mallory have read it, so there must be something to it—?) So far, it’s a bit more of a slog though.

Happy to meet you all!

[Laura]

Marah, I don't have any recommendations similar to Piranesi. I have not read other books that come to mind with unreliable narrators but would love to read more.

Alice I have never read Ursula K Le Guin. which novel of hers do you recommend I start off with?

Dune was good but it is a bit of a slog. I ended up stopping part way through the second book!

[Alice]

Laura, I haven’t read that much Ursula K. Le Guin yet, although I hope to read everything eventually. I started with her short story collection The Unreal and the Real which includes work from different stages of her life and gives a good overview, so if you enjoy short stories I would definitely recommend that! It’s divided into two sections with the second leaning more into speculative fiction. If you enjoy sci fi etc. you might want to read part two of the collection first. Her last novel, Always Coming Home, is so gorgeous but maybe not a great starting point as it has almost no plot. In the Hainish collection I’ve read Rocannon’s World & Planet of Exile so far. They’re both good, both novella-length, but I feel like they’re better as part of the whole saga than as standalones. I am really looking forward to Left Hand of Darkness, later in this collection, but can’t recommend it without reading it first . . . So I guess I can’t answer your question very well yet!

[Laura]

Thanks Alice, I appreciate the info. I have been meaning to pick up one of her books so maybe the Unreal and the Real is a good place to start!

[Alice]

Well it is if you like short stories, but there are so many novels too . . . Definitely try to ask other people besides me who might have actually read them! I hated short stories for a really long time, until one day I became obsessed with them, so I know story collections aren’t always 100% appealing. In regards to The Unreal and the Real, the two volumes in it have also been published separately so you might find Where on Earth (volume one) and/or Outer Space, Inner Lands (volume two) on their own when/if you go looking for the book. Enjoy U.K.LG.!