The Read Well Podcast

I sat down with J.D. Barker to talk about how he walked away from a career in corporate compliance and built a life as a full-time thriller writer. We cover his novels Dracul and Something I Keep Upstairs, the stories behind them, and how they connect to the wider tradition of suspense writing. J.D. also shares his own approach to reading so that every book—whether fiction or nonfiction—becomes a masterclass in storytelling.

Visit J.D. Barker’s website at: https://jdbarker.com

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

Philosophy isn’t written like a story or a textbook—it unfolds in a completely different way. In this episode, I’ll walk you through how I approach reading philosophy without going insane. I’ll share practical tips that have helped me stay grounded, even in the densest chapters. I’ll also recommend a short book that every creative person should read (Art & Fear), and I’ll point you to a channel I think you’ll enjoy: Prose & Petticoats.

📺 Visit Emmelie at Prose & Petticoats: https://www.youtube.com/@ProseAndPetticoats

📺 Watch my favorite video by Prose & Petticoats: https://youtu.be/At5uNTO1Ggg?si=gb7sXdwsTSUlIFj1

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I used to read a book and forget it days later. Then I realized the problem wasn’t my memory—it was how I was approaching the text. In this episode, I’ll explain why remembering is a choice, not a talent. I’ll show you how treating ideas like people you want to know will make them stick.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

In this episode of The Read Well Podcast, I’m cutting through the excuses lifelong learners love to tell themselves—“I don’t have time,” “I’m not smart enough,” “I just need the perfect system.” Nope. What you really need is discipline, focus, and a willingness to get uncomfortable.

I’m sharing 20 blunt tips that will kick you in the pants and help you finally take your learning seriously. If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, endlessly collecting books you’ll never read, and scrolling instead of studying—this one’s for you.

This isn’t about making you feel good. It’s about getting honest.

Hit play if you’re ready for a reality check.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

In this week's episode, I’m sharing why The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy is one of the most powerful things I’ve ever read. It’s only 53 pages, but it forced me to rethink how I’m living, what I’m chasing, and whether I’m being honest with myself.

We’ll break down what this book is really about (spoiler: it’s not just death), how it gets under your skin, and why it might be the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed.

💡 In this video, you'll learn:

• What makes The Death of Ivan Ilych a manual for living authentically
• How Tolstoy captures the lies we tell ourselves
• Why I bought 100 copies of this book and created a course around it

📚 Want to read this with me?

This November, I’m teaching a 30-day live course on The Death of Ivan Ilych.

🎉🔗 Link to reserve your seat: https://pages.thereadwellpodcast.com/products/30-day-deep-reading-course

We’ll read slowly together, take deep notes, and build a personal system for lifelong learning. It’s part reading group, part note-taking workshop, and part life reset.

📦 What’s Included in the Course:

• A physical copy of the book
• A custom Edgewater reading journal
• A handcrafted bookmark
• 14 live reading sessions + 4 instructional workshops
• Full access to recordings for 1 year
• And a chance to support the launch of Edgewater Bookstore

Only 500 seats available.

🎉🔗 Link to reserve your seat: https://pages.thereadwellpodcast.com/products/30-day-deep-reading-course

Let’s read slowly, take notes, and apply the ideas -- together.

-Eddy

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

As a kid, I used to read by flashlight under my covers—completely absorbed, completely amazed. Somewhere along the way, I traded that sense of wonder for utility. In this episode, I talk about what happened and how to get it back. I’ll share one book that lit the fire again and offer a few tips for reclaiming a deeper, more joyful experience of reading.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I didn’t pick these books expecting them to shake up my perspective. But they did. In this episode, I walk through Working Days by John Steinbeck, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, and Cultish by Amanda Montell—three very different books that ended up revealing something essential about how we live, what we believe, and what we hide from ourselves. If you’re looking for thoughtful, honest reads that might nudge you toward new ways of seeing, this one’s for you.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

In this episode, I talk about why so many people forget what they read—and how I’ve changed my habits to remember the books that matter. It’s not a trick or a hack. It’s just a way of treating books like relationships. You can’t know someone after one dinner, and you can’t know a book after one reading.

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👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

This is episode 100 of The Read Well Podcast, and to mark the moment, I’m sharing the 11 books we’ll be reading together from June 2025 to June 2026 in season 3 of the Book Club. If you’re someone who wants to read more deeply, especially when it comes to philosophy and big ideas, I think you’ll want to see what’s on the list. I’ll also explain how to join us for book club—whether you want to talk, listen, or just read alongside a community.

Join the Book Club Here: https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

Get Your Books Here: https://edgewaterbookstore.com/collections/book-club-season-3-reads

Send Me a Text Message with Your Questions

👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/

I read to spend time with people—fictional or not—that make me think, make me laugh, or just feel like good company. In this episode, I talk about why Less by Andrew Sean Greer worked for me, why Artemis by Andy Weir didn’t, and why I give every novel exactly 50 pages to win me over. This isn’t about snobbery—it’s about using your time wisely.

Send Me a Text Message with Your Questions

👋📚Take Your Reading Deeper (Try my Book Club for FREE Here): https://thereadwellpodcast.com/book-club/