Well-Read

By Ann Cox and Halle Carlson

As librarians, books are kind of our thing. Listen in as we talk about what we're reading, make book recommendations, and all sorts of book-related fun.... more

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FAQs about Well-Read:

How many episodes does Well-Read have?

The podcast currently has 176 episodes available.

Well-Read episodes:

December 20, 2025Episode 164 - Our Favorite Books of 2025
The year is almost over, and it’s time to reveal our favorite books of 2025! Happy Holidays from your friends at Well-Read!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Jane Austen books
Agatha Christie books
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
What You’re Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Alchemised by SenLinYu
Ann’s picks:
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
– Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
– Long Bright River (TV)
The Bad Seed by William March
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
– My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
– Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano
Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes by Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn
– @ahnestkitchen on Instagram
– America’s Test Kitchen
– Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim
The Crane Wife: A Memoir in Essays by CJ Hauser
– “The Crane Wife” by CJ Hauser (essay)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
– “The Goose Girl”
Halle’s picks:
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
The Will of the Many by James Islington
– Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
– Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
– Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
– Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
– The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
The Names by Florence Knapp
Heart the Lover by Lily King
– The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
– Writers & Lovers by Lily King
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: The Lack of Light by Nino Haratischwili
– Persuasion by Jane Austen
– The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischwili
– The International Booker Prize
Halle: The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
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1h 24min
December 06, 2025Episode 163 - Cozy Reads
As temperatures drop, we like nothing more than getting cozy with a book. Find out our suggestions for cozy reads this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Ann’s picks:
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
– Susan Ryland series by Anthony Horowitz
– Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
– The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
– Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
Halle’s picks:
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
– The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches by Sanga Mandanna
With Love from London by Sarah Jio
Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
– While You Were Sleeping (film)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Halle: Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young
Well-Read on Facebook
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...more
47min
November 23, 2025Episode 162 - What We Read On Our Fall Vacations
We’ve been away for a bit, thanks to our travels this fall, but that just means we have a lot of books to talk about!
Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Ann’s picks:
Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
– Matt Bomer filmography
– The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
– Outlander (TV)
Halle’s picks:
Wreck by Catherine Newman
– We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
– Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Dire Bound by Sable Sorenson
– Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
– Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
– Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Halle: Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris
Well-Read on Facebook
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...more
49min
October 05, 2025Episode 161 - The Books that Made Us the Readers We Are
We’re looking back at the formative books that made us the readers we are today, and we’ll end with what we’re reading this week!
Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Andrew Lang books
Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Ann Rinaldi books
A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi
In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz
Fear Street series by R.L. Stine
Christopher Pike books
Cam Jansen series by David A. Adler
Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol
Masterpiece Mystery! (TV)
The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin
Sleepover Friends series by Susan Saunders
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal
Sweet Valley Twins series by Francine Pascal
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Dollanganger series by V.C. Andrews
Goosebumps series by R.L. Stein
Richie Tankersley Cusick books
Nora Roberts books
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Jane Austen books
Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Mary Higgins Clark books
John Jakes books
North and South series by John Jakes
North and South (TV)
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux
Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Frances Burney books
Diane Mott Davidson books
Anne Perry books
The Eight by Katherine Neville
Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher
Sarah Dessen books
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Mary Kay Andrews books
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn
Halle: The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill
– Read with Jenna
– Thousand Voices Books
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Instagram
Well-Read on Bookshop
...more
1h 7min
August 31, 2025Episode 160 - Fall 2025 Preview
Autumn is just around the corner, and it’s time to get our fall TBRs in order!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Ann Patchett books
Taylor Jenkins Reid books
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
Broadchurch (TV)
Jane Austen books
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh
Succession (TV)
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
Ann’s picks:
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat (releases September 16)
– Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
– Salt Fat Acid Heat (TV)
The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller (releases October 7)
– The Change by Kirsten Miller
– Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles (releases October 7)
– Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer (releases October 7)
– Grady Hendrix books
– Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
Happy People Don’t Live Here by Amber Sparks (releases October 14)
– Only Murders in the Building (TV)
– Angela Carter books
The Unveiling by Quan Barry (releases October 14)
– We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (releases November 11)
– Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino (releases November 25)
Halle’s picks:
Amity by Nathan Harris (releases September 2)
– The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
– Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
– Doc by Mary Doria Russell
– Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
– William W. Johnstone books
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (releases September 2)
– Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
– Our Town by Thornton Wilder
– Wallace Stegner books
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (releases September 16)
The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover (releases September 23)
Heart the Lover by Lily King (releases September 30)
– Writers & Lovers by Lily King
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (releases November 11)
Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (releases November 18)
I, Medusa by Ayana Gray (releases November 18)
– Circe by Madeline Miller
– Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
– Rick Riordan books
– Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian
Halle: When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
Well-Read on Facebook
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Well-Read on Instagram
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...more
58min
August 17, 2025 Reading the Oldest Books on our TBRs
...more
46min
July 19, 2025Episode 158 - 2025 Mid-Year Check-in
We’re halfway through the year, and it’s time to check in on our bookish goals and reading lives of 2025!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
2025 ALA Annual Conference
Jane Austen books
Book of the Month Club
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Libba Bray books
Agatha Christie books
Emily Henry books
Abby Jimenez books
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Strange Houses by Uketsu
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Inkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Women in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
The Names by Florence Knapp
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Heart the Lover by Lily King
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
Alchemised by SenLinYu
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Manacled by SenLinYu
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer
Grady Hendrix books
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
Halle: The Will of the Many by James Islington
– Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
Well-Read on Facebook
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Well-Read on Instagram
Well-Read on Bookshop
...more
1h 1min
June 29, 2025 Vacations Gone Wrong
...more
48min
June 05, 2025Episode 156 - Summer 2025 Preview
It’s already summer – how!? But we’re very ready for summer reading with our lists of the books we’re most excited about. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Sleepless in Seattle (film)
When Harry Met Sally… (film)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
Passion Project by London Sperry
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Ali Hazelwood
Annabel Monaghan
Ann’s picks:
The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King (releases June 3)
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (releases June 3)
– The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater
– The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall (releases June 10)
– Broadchurch (TV)
Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild (releases July 8)
How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold (releases July 8)
– And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
– The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher (releases August 19)
– Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
– Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
– A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill (releases August 19)
– Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
– The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
– With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (releases August 26)
– Babel by R.F. Kuang
Halle’s picks:
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (releases June 3)
– The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
– Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
– Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
– Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
– Top Gun (film)
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (releases June 3)
Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh (releases June 3)
– Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
– Succession (TV)
– Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
– Gossip Girl (TV)
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (releases June 10)
When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa (releases June 24)
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto (releases July 3)
– The Thrashers by Julie Soto
– The Auction by LovesBitca8 (fanfiction)
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley (releases June 24)
– Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
– The Mothers by Brit Bennett
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (releases July 8)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Kate & Frida by Kim Fay
– Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
Halle: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
– Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
– A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
– The Guncle by Steven Rowley
– Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
– Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Instagram
Well-Read on Bookshop
...more
1h 8min
May 18, 2025 Big Authors We Haven't Read Yet
...more
1h 7min

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How many episodes does Well-Read have?

The podcast currently has 176 episodes available.

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