Zero to Well-Read
Book Riot
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Part book club, part English class, Zero to Well-Read is a fun and informative guide to the books people talk about like everyone has read them. Each week, hosts Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky take on a new title—from classics you should have read in high school to prize winners, cult favorites to modern hits—and tell you everything you need to know: the plot, what it feels like to read, why it matters, and the key takeaways.
Епизоди
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17 Books to Better Understand America, with Sharon McMahon 15.09.2026 59минRebecca and Jeff sit down with history and civics educator Sharon McMahon to recommend books—both fiction and nonfiction—to help you better understand American history and politics. Sharon's book, The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement, is available in paperback now. You can find more of her work at The Preamble and on the socials @sharonsaysso. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com/wellread. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Ask Us Anything: Anniversary Mailbag Edition 08.09.2026 59минJeff and Rebecca celebrate Zero to Well-Read's first anniversary with a brief look at some of the show's most popular episodes. Then, they dip into the mailbag to answer listener questions about Book Riot's origin story, tips for staying focused while reading, how they manage their reading lives, spoiler etiquette, and more. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, with Rob Harvilla 01.09.2026 2ч 22минJeff and Rebecca are joined by Rob Harvilla, host of 60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s, for a conversation about Jonathan Franzen's award-winning breakout novel. They discuss Franzen's singular blend of Midwestern sensibility and postmodern satire, the Oprah controversy that made him a household name, why he continues to be a lightning rod in literary circles, and how The Corrections became one of the most underrated Great American Novels of the 21st Century. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard 25.08.2026 1ч 17минMinor characters get main character syndrome in Tom Stoppard's Hamlet send-up filled with wordplay, philosophical puzzles, silliness, and existential questions. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, Rebecca and Jeff discuss what made Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead such a breakout hit and why it continues to delight scholars and language nerds alike. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Vegetarian by Han Kang 18.08.2026 1ч 16минJeff and Rebecca take on one of the most transgressive and unsettling novels of the 21st century so far, Nobel Prize winner Han Kang's The Vegetarian. They discuss the use of art to explore questions about freedom, self-determination, sex, violence, and the limits of autonomy; the surprising public response to such a challenging literary work; and what Western readers might not understand about the story that has its roots in Korean history. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Curating the Canon, with Gilbert Cruz 12.08.2026 51минRebecca and Jeff talk with New York Times canon editor Gilbert Cruz about the project of curating the best books of the 21st century, the recent list of the 50 best thrillers of the century, and the value and meaning of expertise and curation in the modern reading landscape. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Sci-Fi Novel That Predicted 2026 11.08.2026 1ч 36минJeff and Rebecca explore Octavia Butler's eerily prescient 1993 novel, The Parable of the Sower, and discuss Butler's legacy and enduring impact on science fiction. This episode, one of our most popular to date, originally ran in November, 2025. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 04.08.2026 1ч 36минJeff and Rebecca buckle up for a breathtaking ride with Gillian Flynn's paradigm-shifting thriller, Gone Girl. They talk about how Flynn redefined the domestic suspense genre with a singular blend of mystery and gender criticism and why, though it is often imitated, Gone Girl is impossible to replicate. They also discuss the continued impact of the famous "Cool Girl" speech and how Flynn's Amy Dunne ushered in a new era of female antiheroes. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 28.07.2026 1ч 39минIn 1951, Ray Bradbury imagined a 21st century in which books were banned, huge screens playing mindless slop dominated home living rooms, and people preferred to zone out with drugs and entertainment rather than deal with the world around them. This week, Rebecca and Jeff explore what made Fahrenheit 451 an instant hit, why it still feels fresh today, and how a society's attitudes about books can be a symptom of deeper problems. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too! For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 21.07.2026 1ч 37минOn the occasion of its 10th anniversary, Jeff and Rebecca turn to Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer- and National Book Award-winning fabulist reimagining of American history. They discuss the blend of speculative fiction and literary writing that made The Underground Railroad one of only 8 novels to win both the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, explore the ways that magic realism to highlights the horrific reality of slavery, and make the case for Colson Whitehead as the best living American novelist. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too! For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Book vs. Movie: The Odyssey 20.07.2026 1ч 29минChristopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's Odyssey is THE book-to-screen event of 2026, so how is it? Jeff and Rebecca sit down with Book Riot's managing editor Vanessa Diaz for a conversation about how Nolan's Odyssey compares to the epic poem that inspired it. They discuss how faithful the adaptation is to the classic text, standout performances, key differences in character and structure, and what this ancient story has to say about modern life. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too! For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
How to Get More Out of Your Reading, and More From the Mailbag 14.07.2026 1ч 15минJeff and Rebecca answer listener questions about how to get more out of your reading, find the ideal reading position, and maintain reading as a part of your identity during major life changes. They also share how they track their own reading, the process for inviting guests to the show, and some of the books listeners request for future episodes. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too! For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Odyssey of Homer 07.07.2026 1ч 31минHot Greek Summer has arrived! Jeff and Rebecca set sail on the wine-dark sea to discover how and why The Odyssey became one of the most enduring stories of all time. They discuss the oral traditions that made the epic poem famous, compare the most popular modern translations, and highlight the themes that still resonate today as foundations of Western literature. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too! For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The United States Constitution, with Amanda Nelson 30.06.2026 1ч 58минIn honor of America's 250th birthday, Jeff and Rebecca sit down with historical content creator and political commentator Amanda Nelson for a deep dive into the U.S. Constitution. They talk about what the framers were reacting to when they outlined the foundation of a new government, what the Constitution does and doesn't say about individual rights, and how a concept that is never specifically named in the document has shaped the country ever since. Find Amanda's Mild Takes on Substack or follow @amandasmildtakes on the socials. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain 23.06.2026 1ч 32минAnthony Bourdain wasn't trying to change restaurant culture when he wrote the viral essay that would become the basis for his bestselling debut memoir Kitchen Confidential, but change it he did. This week, on the occasion of what would have been Bourdain's 70th birthday, Rebecca and Jeff roll up their sleeves to revisit the book that revolutionized food writing and reshaped how we think about eating and travel. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante 16.06.2026 1ч 32минElena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet sparked a global phenomenon, and in 2024, the New York Times named My Brilliant Friend—the first book in the series—the best book of the century so far. This week, Jeff and Rebecca dive into the book that ignited "Ferrante Fever" and the mysterious author readers praise for capturing girlhood and female friendship like no one else. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
How to Tackle Intimidating Books, with Emily Wilson 09.06.2026 50минIt's a dilemma every reader has faced: what do you do when you really want to read a big, intimidating book, but you don't know how to get started? Jeff and Rebecca sit down with Emily Wilson—classics professor, MacArthur Fellow, and the first woman to publish a full English translation of The Odyssey—for a conversation about how to conquer bookish imposter syndrome, what to look for when you're choosing between multiple editions of translations of a classic work, and why it's worth it to work through challenging reads. Come for the pro tips, stay for Dr. Wilson reading in Greek. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 02.06.2026 1ч 35минMaya Angelou's debut autobiography was an instant hit when it was published in 1969, and it has never gone out of print in the nearly 60 years since it was released. This week, Jeff and Rebecca explore what made I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings so groundbreaking, how Angelou subverted expectations at every turn, and why it continues to be widely celebrated and influential today. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 26.05.2026 1ч 18минGrab your towel, pour yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, and whatever you do: Don't Panic. This week, Jeff and Rebecca journey to the weirdest and most whimsical corners of the galaxy with Douglas Adams's genre-defining work of comedic science fiction. They talk about The Hitchhiker's Guide's surprising origins and wide-ranging influence, what made Adams one of the funniest writers to ever do it, and why the book's overt silliness belies its stealthy insights into human nature. Of course, they also explore the answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Merit Beauty. Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag with your first order at meritbeauty.com. Head to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
How to Read Toni Morrison and Where to Start, with Namwali Serpell 21.05.2026 53минJeff and Rebecca sit down with literary critic and Harvard University professor Namwali Serpell, author of On Morrison, for a conversation about how to approach her famously difficult body of work. They discuss Morrison's modernist experiments with form, the recurring themes of her work, and why feeling confused and unsettled by her books can be a sign that you're on the right track. Then, Dr. Serpell offers suggestions for which books to start with and how to progress through Morrison's novels. Listen to Passages: On Morrison on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcatcher of choice. Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content. Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Email us: [email protected] Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read! Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks to our sponsor, Merit Beauty. Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag with your first order at meritbeauty.com. Head to quince.com/bookriot for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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