Well-Read

By Ann Cox and Halle Eisenman

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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210210 ratings

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FAQs about Well-Read:

How many episodes does Well-Read have?

The podcast currently has 168 episodes available.

Well-Read episodes:

July 31, 2022Well-Read Episode 106 - Summer Hiatus Recap
We’re finally back! After travel, work, and a wedding (!!!!), we have lots of books to fill you in on. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Bull Durham (film)
Eurovision Song Contest
RUSA Reading List
New York Times Crossword
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
Pride & Prejudice (TV)
Hallmark Channel
The It Girl by Ruth Ware (buy from Bookshop)
Halle’s Instagram @halle770
Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore (buy from Bookshop)
Meg Mitchell Moore books
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop)
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (buy from Bookshop)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop)
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman (buy from Bookshop)
Chris Evans filmography
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (buy from Bookshop)
Julia (TV)
Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim (buy from Bookshop)
The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks (buy from Bookshop)
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (buy from Bookshop)
Game of Thrones (TV)
The Maid by Nita Prose (buy from Bookshop)
The Beach Trap by Ali Brady (buy from Bookshop)
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close (buy from Bookshop)
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop)
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa (buy from Bookshop)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (buy from Bookshop)
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor (buy from Bookshop)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (buy from Bookshop)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean (buy from Bookshop)
– Fleabag (TV)
– Good Morning American Book Club
Halle: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas (buy from Bookshop)
– The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas (buy from Bookshop)
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Bookshop
Well-Read on Instagram
...more
55min
May 06, 2022 Well-Read Episode 105 - Weddings
...more
38min
April 24, 2022 Well-Read Episode 104 - Bridgerton
...more
59min
April 08, 2022 Well-Read Episode 103 - On Re-reading
...more
59min
March 26, 2022Well-Read Episode 102 - Immigrant and Refugee Stories
We’re exploring fiction that depicts the immigrant and refugee experience, and we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Ann’s picks:
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez (buy from Bookshop)
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (buy from Bookshop)
– Titanic (film)
– Ruta Sepetys books
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
– The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (buy from Bookshop)
– Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (buy from Bookshop)
Halle’s picks:
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (buy from Bookshop)
– Exit West (film)
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami (buy from Bookshop)
– Liz Moore books
– Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (buy from Bookshop)
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez (buy from Bookshop)
– Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (buy from Bookshop)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Intensely Good Flavors by Mandy Lee (buy from Bookshop)
– Mandy Lee’s Flattening the Bird
– Lady and Pups (blog)
– @ladyandpups
Halle: The Verifiers by Jane Pek (buy from Bookshop)
– Book of the Month
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Bookshop
Well-Read on Instagram
...more
41min
March 12, 2022Well-Read Episode 101- 2022 Spring/Summer Book Preview
Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Ann’s picks:
Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama by Bob Odenkirk (releases March 1) (buy from Bookshop)
– Mr. Show with Bob and David (TV)
– David Cross filmography
– Saturday Night Live (TV)
– Breaking Bad (TV)
Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum (releases April 5) (buy from Bookshop)
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas (releases May 5) (buy from Bookshop)
– Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (buy from Bookshop)
– Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (buy from Bookshop)
Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito (releases May 31) (buy from Bookshop)
– The Grinder (TV)
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (releases June 7) (buy from Bookshop)
– Sulari Gentill books
The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (releases July 12) (buy from Bookshop)
– “The Crane Wife” (essay by CJ Hauser)
– From the Front Porch (podcast)
– Family of Origin by CJ Hauser (buy from Bookshop)
Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (releases August 16) (buy from Bookshop)
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (releases August 23) (buy from Bookshop)
– The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (buy from Bookshop)
Halle’s picks:
Memphis by Tara Stringfellow (releases April 5) (buy from Bookshop)
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa (releases April 5) (buy from Bookshop)
– The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (buy from Bookshop)
– Mia Sosa books
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (releases April 12) (buy from Bookshop)
– The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (buy from Bookshop)
– Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (buy from Bookshop)
– Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain (buy from Bookshop)
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (releases May 5) (buy from Bookshop)
– Emily Henry books
– As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr (buy from Bookshop)
– Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (buy from Bookshop)
– The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia (buy from Bookshop)
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (releases May 17) (buy from Bookshop)
– Emma Straub books
Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore (releases July 5) (buy from Bookshop)
– Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (buy from Bookshop)
Upgrade by Blake Crouch (releases July 12) (buy from Bookshop)
– Blake Crouch books
Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier (releases July 19)
– Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (buy from Bookshop)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Love and Saffron by Kim Fay (buy from Bookshop)
– Julia Child
– Sunset Magazine
Halle: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (buy from Bookshop)
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Instagram
Well-Read on Bookshop
...more
49min
February 25, 2022 Well-Read Episode 100 - Ask Us Anything
...more
1h 3min
February 11, 2022Well-Read Episode 99 - The 2022 Reading List
After a year of hard work, we’re happy to share the results of the 2022 Reading List! We’ll share the winners and the shortlist, along with our thoughts. As always, we end with what we’re reading this week.
Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Adrenaline
Winner
Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka (buy from Bookshop)
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian (buy from Bookshop)
The Push by Ashley Audrain (buy from Bookshop)
Red Widow by Alma Katsu (buy from Bookshop)
Fantasy
Winner
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (buy from Bookshop)
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (buy from Bookshop)
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (buy from Bookshop)
Historical fiction
Winner
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood (buy from Bookshop)
– A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (buy from Bookshop)
Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter (buy from Bookshop)
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (buy from Bookshop)
A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein (buy from Bookshop)
Horror
Winner
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (buy from Bookshop)
– The Ring (film)
– The Grudge (film)
Short List
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (buy from Bookshop)
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (buy from Bookshop)
Near the Bone by Christina Henry (buy from Bookshop)
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (buy from Bookshop)
Mystery
Winner
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (buy from Bookshop)
– A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (buy from Bookshop)
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (buy from Bookshop)
Sleep Well, My Lady by Kwei Quartey (buy from Bookshop)
Under Color of Law by Aaron Philip Clark (buy from Bookshop)
– Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
– Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
– Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (buy from Bookshop)
– Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (buy from Bookshop)
Relationship fiction
Winner
The Guncle by Steven Rowley (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (buy from Bookshop)
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (buy from Bookshop)
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
– Arrested Development (TV)
The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan (buy from Bookshop)
Romance
Winner
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (buy from Bookshop)
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod (buy from Bookshop)
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (buy from Bookshop)
Science fiction
Winner
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (buy from Bookshop)
Short List
Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill (buy from Bookshop)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (buy from Bookshop)
One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Unity by Elly Bangs (buy from Bookshop)
– The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (buy from Bookshop)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Going There by Katie Couric (buy from Bookshop)
– The Today Show (TV)
– The Morning Show (TV)
– Jennifer Aniston filmography
– Reese Witherspoon filmography
Halle: First Comes Like by Alisha Rai (buy from Bookshop)
– Modern Love series by Alisha Rai
– A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli (buy from Bookshop)
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Bookshop
Well-Read on Instagram
...more
1h 7min
January 29, 2022Well-Read Episode 98 - 2021 Superlatives
We're back with one of our favorite Well-Read traditions: book superlatives! Listen in for the books that stood out to us this year. We’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:
Episode 87 – 2021 Resolutions and Year in Review
Beloved by Toni Morrison (buy from Bookshop)
Halle’s Instagram
Episode 86 – 2020 Superlatives
Most Timely
Ann: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin (buy from Bookshop) and The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton (buy from Bookshop)
Most Disappointing
Ann: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse (buy from Bookshop) and Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan (buy from Bookshop)
– Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle
Halle: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (buy from Bookshop)
– The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (buy from Bookshop)
Favorite Reread
Ann: Evelina by Francis Burney (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: The Likeness by Tana French (buy from Bookshop)
– Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French
Biggest Surprise
Ann: Stealing Home by Sheryl Wood (buy from Bookshop) and Mordew by Alex Pheby (buy from Bookshop)
– Sweet Magnolias (TV)
– Charles Dickens novels
Halle: Red Widow by Alma Katsu (buy from Bookshop) and Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (buy from Bookshop)
Least Favorite
Ann: For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (buy from Bookshop)
– Agatha Christie books
Best Distraction
Ann: Cackle by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop)
– Hocus Pocus (film)
Halle: Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop)
The Book That Ended a Mini Reading Slump
Ann: Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes by Alexa Martin (buy from Bookshop)
– Alexa Martin books
Halle: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (buy from Bookshop)
Better Late Than Never
Ann: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (buy from Bookshop)
Book That Has Stayed With Me
Ann: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop) and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (buy from Bookshop)
– National Book Award
– Printz Award
Halle: Take It Back by Kia Abdullah (buy from Bookshop)
Book That We Didn’t Think We’d Like, But Then We Did!
Ann: Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill (buy from Bookshop) and Red Widow by Alma Katsu (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (buy from Bookshop)
Author(s) we discovered in 2021 that we’re most excited to read more from in 2022
Ann: Emily Henry, Nghi Vo, Camilla Sten, Gus Moreno
– People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
– The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
– When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
– The Lost Village by Camilla Sten (buy from Bookshop)
– This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (buy from Bookshop)
– Beach Read by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Kate Clayborn, Nathan Harris, and Meg Mason
– Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (buy from Bookshop)
– Love at First by Kate Clayborn (buy from Bookshop)
– The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (buy from Bookshop)
– Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
Our Favorite Non-Book Media Property of the Year
Ann: Taco Chronicles (TV) and The White Lotus (TV)
Halle: The White Lotus (TV) and Only Murders in the Building (TV)
The Book We Recommended the Most This Year
Ann: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: The Guncle by Steven Rowley (buy from Bookshop)
– The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (buy from Bookshop)
What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: A Promised Land by Barack Obama (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: The Ensemble by Aja Gabel (buy from Bookshop)
– From the Front Porch (podcast)
– From the Front Porch episode 350 – Literary Therapy Vol. 12
Well-Read on Facebook
Well-Read on Twitter
Well-Read on Bookshop
Well-Read on Instagram
...more
1h 7min
December 11, 2021Well-Read Episode 97 - Our Favorite Books of 2021
Our favorite episode of the year, full of our favorite books of the year. Happy Holidays from your friends at Well-Read!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:
The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia (buy from Bookshop)
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod (buy from Bookshop)
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (buy from Bookshop)
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (buy from Bookshop)
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (buy from Bookshop)
Horseman by Christina Henry (buy from Bookshop)
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (buy from Bookshop)
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (buy from Bookshop)
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
- Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
Mrs. March by Virginia Feito (buy from Bookshop)
- Patricia Highsmith books
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop)
- Reese's Book Club

Halle’s picks:
The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (buy from Bookshop)
Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny (buy from Bookshop)
Arsenic & Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (buy from Bookshop)
- Tana French books
- Louise Penny books
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall (buy from Bookshop)
- The Great British Baking Show (TV)
- The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (buy from Bookshop)
- Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (buy from Bookshop)
- One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (buy from Bookshop)
The Push by Ashley Audrain (buy from Bookshop)
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (buy from Bookshop)
- Take It Back by Kia Abdullah (buy from Bookshop)
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (buy from Bookshop)
- Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon (buy from Bookshop)
The Guncle by Steven Rowley (buy from Bookshop)
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (buy from Bookshop)
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (buy from Bookshop)
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
- Fleabag (TV)
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (buy from Bookshop)
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:
Ann: Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews (buy from Bookshop)
- Elena Ferrante books
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (buy from Bookshop)
...more
1h 19min

FAQs about Well-Read:

How many episodes does Well-Read have?

The podcast currently has 168 episodes available.

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