Zero to Well-Read

Jeff and Rebecca discuss Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play—the first by a Black woman to be performed on Broadway—and trace her continuing impact on American theater.

Join us on Patreon for access to guided read-alongs, bonus content, and ad-free listening.

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Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 Boll & Branch. Get 25% off your first order plus free shipping and extended returns at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

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New York Times canon editor and lifelong Stephen King fan Gilbert Cruz joins Jeff and Rebecca to discuss the king of horror's 1977 tale about a troubled family trying to outrun their demons at a haunted hotel. They explore the book's enduring appeal nearly 50 years later, King's impact and influence on generations of writers, and the personal experiences with addiction that informed this chilling story.

Join us on Patreon for access to guided read-alongs, bonus content, and ad-free listening.

Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thanks to you all, we have hit 1000 ratings on Apple Podcast. And as promised, that means voting is open for our first Listeners' Choice episode. You can vote right here.

Also, Zero to Well-Read just won a couple of Signal Awards, so that is cool as well.

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Rebecca and Jeff put their heads together with Anne Bogel of What Should I Read Next? to offer tools, tips, and book recommendations to help you break a reading slump and get your groove back.

Find Anne's work at Modern Mrs. Darcy, and search for What Should I Read Next? wherever you listen to podcasts.

Join us on Patreon for access to guided read-alongs, bonus content, and ad-free listening.

Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca get existential as they ponder Franz Kafka's legendary surreal short story about a man who wakes up one day to discover that he has been transformed into a giant insect. They discuss the way Kafka blended realism, fantasy, and horror to explore family, identity, and the drive to self-expression, and they stop along the way to wonder: is this the best short story of all time?

Vote for Zero to Well-Read in The Signal Awards, in both Best New Podcast and best Arts & Culture Podcast!

Join us on Patreon for access to read-alongs, ad-free listening, and bonus content.

Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca and Jeff pit reason against romance as they consider Jane Austen's beloved tale of sisters trying to find love and preserve their family's legacy.

Join us on Patreon for access to read-alongs, ad-free listening, and bonus content.

Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Email us: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vote for Zero to Well-Read in the Signal Awards for Best Arts & Culture Podcast and Best New Podcast!

Thanks to ThriftBooks for sponsoring this season of Zero to Well-Read.

Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca dive into John Steinbeck's epic, magisterial novel about fathers and sons, family legacies, and the question of free will. They discuss the story's biblical roots, Steinbeck's wide-ranging philosophy, the controversy that surrounded his Nobel win, and much 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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.

This episode is sponsored by Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code WELLREAD. Exclusions Apply.

Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://quince.com/wellread. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twenty years after it was published, Cormac McCarthy's The Road remains a landmark work of post-apocalyptic fiction. This week, Jeff and Rebecca explore what the bleak and beautiful story has to say about hope, humanity, masculinity, and the power of storytelling.

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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://quince.com/wellread. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

This episode is sponsored by Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code WELLREAD. Exclusions Apply.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at https://WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Minor 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Go to https://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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Go to https://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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Go to https://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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

Go to https://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 https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://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 https://bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

On 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://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 https://bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher 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: zerotowellread@bookriot.com

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 https://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 https://bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices