Well-read & Unfiltered

A fantasy rebellion. A forbidden romance. A horror novel where the real monster is the system.

This week on Well-Read & Unfiltered, we’re exploring why reading is political. From power and propaganda to identity, empathy, and whose stories get told, we’re sharing books across genres that challenge us to think more critically about the world, even when we’re reading to escape it.

What book changed how you think about power, justice, or someone else’s experience? Tell us below, and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

1. Nuclear War: A Scenario - Annie Jacobsen
2. Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman

3. Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell
4. Babel - R. F. Kuang
5. Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang
6. The Hierarchy Series - James Islington
7. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
8. Red Rising - Pierce Brown
9. A Language of Limbs - Dylin Hardcastle
10. Atmosphere - Taylor Jenkins Reid
11. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
12. Wake Up and Open Your Eyes - Clay McLeod Chapman
13. The Constant Gardener - John le Carré
14. The God of the Woods - Liz Moore
15. The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
16. Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler
17. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
18. Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
19. Tender Is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica
20. Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
21. Artificial Wisdom - Thomas R. Weaver
22. Infinite Wisdom - Thomas R. Weaver
23. Recursion - Blake Crouch
24. Animal Farm - George Orwell
25. Where the Dead Go to Die - Aaron Dries and Mark Allan Gunnells
26. Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros

What scares you might not scare us—and that’s what makes horror so personal. 👻

This week on Well-Read & Unfiltered, we’re exploring why we read horror, what gets under our skin, and why the genre offers so much more than monsters and gore. From haunted houses and underwater nightmares to possession, folk horror, and the devastation of grief, we’re sharing our favorite subgenres, unforgettable reads, and the scenes we’re still thinking about.

Along the way, we debate Stephen King’s horror crown, revisit our R. L. Stine roots, and discover that surviving a horror novel might depend on your willingness to follow instructions.

Whether you’re horror-curious or a year-round spooky reader, come build your TBR—and tell us: What book actually scared you?

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• The Exorcist — William Peter Blatty
• Goosebumps series — R. L. Stine
• Fear Street series — R. L. Stine
• We Used to Live Here — Marcus Kliewer
• The Caretaker — Marcus Kliewer
• Blood Over Bright Haven — M. L. Wang
• House of Leaves — Mark Z. Danielewski
• “The Birds” — Daphne du Maurier (short story)
• The Ruins — Scott Smith
• The September House — Carissa Orlando
• From Below — Darcy Coates
• Whalefall — Daniel Kraus
• The Ritual — Adam Nevill
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon — Stephen King
• The Lamb — Lucy Rose
• Monstrilio — Gerardo Sámano Córdova
• Our Wives Under the Sea — Julia Armfield
• Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery — Brom
• Small Town Horror — Ronald Malfi
• It — Stephen King
• Bird Box — Josh Malerman
• Incidents Around the House — Josh Malerman
• Fear Street Cheerleaders series — R. L. Stine
• “The Cask of Amontillado” — Edgar Allan Poe (short story)
• “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” — Edgar Allan Poe (short story)
• Swan Song — Robert R. McCammon
• Boy’s Life — Robert R. McCammon
• Mine — Robert R. McCammon
• Misery — Stephen King
• The Dark Half — Stephen King
• Pet Sematary — Stephen King
• Victorian Psycho — Virginia Feito
• Model Home — Rivers Solomon
• The Flesh I Want — Todd S. Jordan. PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
• HEX — Thomas Olde Heuvelt
• Darker Days — Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Your next five-star read might be a book you’ve never heard of!

This week on Well-Read & Unfiltered, we’re taking books off the radar and putting them onto your TBRs. From forgotten favorites to unread shelf residents we bought with the best intentions, we’re pitching books we wish we saw more often on our feeds.

Expect Arthurian legends, emotional family stories, aliens on dating apps, and a cosmic entity trapped inside a cat. Our reading tastes cover a lot of ground. 😂

Some we’ve read and loved. Others we’re hoping you’ll help convince us to finally pick up. All are here to cause a little TBR chaos.

And be sure to tell us: what’s one book you wish more people were talking about?

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• The Knave and the Moon - Rachel Gillig
• Ruin - John Gwynne
• The Calamity Club - Kathryn Stockett
• We Burned So Bright - TJ Klune
• Dominion of Blades - Matt Dinniman
• Somewhere Beyond the Sea - TJ Klune
• A Time of Dread - John Gwynne
• Bright Monday - David Leavitt
• Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
• Winterset Hollow - Jonathan Edward Durham
• The Simple Wild - K.A. Tucker
• The Arthurian Tales - Giles Kristian
• Boy's Life - Robert R. McCammon
• The Body - Stephen King
• Same As It Ever Was - Claire Lombardo
• Brotherhood - Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
• Walking Practice - Dolki Min
• Someone You Can Build a Nest In - John Wiswell
• A Woman Is No Man - Etaf Rum
• The Wall - Marlen Haushofer
• The Reapers are the Angels - Alden Bell
• Monstrilio - Gerardo Sámano Córdova
• Death Valley - Karina Halle
• The Living Dead - Daniel Kraus and George A. Romero
• Hidden Pictures - Jason Rekulak
• The Last One at the Wedding - Jason Rekulak
• Look What the Cat Dragged In - Jason Rekulak
• This Close to Okay - Leesa Cross-Smith
• Mr. Whiskers: Lord of the Void - Joshua D. Koester
• The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives - Barbara Truelove
• Open, Heaven - Seán Hewitt

Who tells the history we learn, and whose voices get left out?

Today on Well-Read and Unfiltered, we’re honoring Indigenous Peoples’ Day with a conversation about colonialism, displacement, belonging, and how reading can challenge the stories we grew up believing.

We dive into The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, exploring generational trauma, revenge, and what happens when the real horror is rooted in history. Then we share reads and TBR picks spanning horror, literary fiction, YA, and romance.

We’re approaching this conversation as readers who are still learning, with a commitment to listening to and supporting Indigenous voices throughout the year.

🎧 The new episode is out today! Which Indigenous author should we read next? Leave your recommendations below.

📚 Books Mentioned

• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — Stephen Graham Jones
• The Only Good Indians — Stephen Graham Jones
• I Was a Teenage Slasher — Stephen Graham Jones
• Where Wolves Don’t Die — Anton Treuer
• Never Whistle at Night — edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
• There There — Tommy Orange
• Wandering Stars — Tommy Orange
• Moon of the Crusted Snow — Waubgeshig Rice
• Moon of the Turning Leaves — Waubgeshig Rice
• Station Eleven — Emily St. John Mandel
• Indian Burial Ground — Nick Medina
• Sisters of the Lost Nation — Nick Medina
• What Came West — Josh Weil
• The Revenant — Michael Punke
• Bad Cree — Jessica Johns
• Love Is a War Song — Danica Nava
• The Babysitter Lives — Stephen Graham Jones
• Off the Reservation — Stephen Graham Jones

We expected a four-course meal. Some books gave us soup (you'll need to listen to understand this joke). 😂

This week, we’re unpacking September’s biggest letdowns, surprise favorites, and full-blown reading obsessions with a passionate case for looking beyond Dungeon Crawler Carl.

What was your best (or most disappointing) read of the month? 📚

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Somewhere Beyond the Sea - TJ Klune

We Burned So Bright - TJ Klune

The Calamity Club - Kathryn Stockett

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

The Knave and the Moon - Rachel Gillig

The Knight and the Moth - Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig

Two Twisted Crowns - Rachel Gillig

Twenty Minutes of Silence - Hélène Bessette

Ruin - John Gwynne

Valour - John Gwynne

Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon - Matt Dinniman

Bright Monday - David Leavitt

The Most Fun We Ever Had - Claire Lombardo

Same As It Ever Was - Claire Lombardo

The Only Way Out Is Up - Django Wexler
A Time of Dread - John Gwynne

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol 1-6 - Beth Brower

Dominion of Blades - Matt Dinniman

Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman

The Hobgoblin Riot - Matt Dinniman

The Living Dead - Daniel Kraus and George A. Romero

Blood Sugar - Daniel Kraus

Coffin Moon - Keith Rosson

The Birds - Daphne du Maurier

The Sorrowstones - Felix Blackwell

Stolen Tongues - Felix Blackwell

ACCOUNTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 


@tonytakesonbooks

Who gets to decide what belongs on your bookshelf?

This week on Well Read and Unfiltered, we’re talking banned books, the freedom to read, and where parental guidance crosses into policing everyone else’s shelves. From "1984" and "The Handmaid’s Tale" to ACOTAR, we unpack the stories that spark controversy, the value of uncomfortable reads, and why representation matters.

Expect strong opinions, a few reading confessions, and a debate about whether banning a book just makes us want to read it more.

What banned or challenged book has left an impression on you? Tell us in the comments.

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Harry Potter series — J. K. Rowling
• 1984 — George Orwell
• Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury
• The Handmaid’s Tale — Margaret Atwood
• The Hunger Games — Suzanne Collins
• A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) — Sarah J. Maas
• Lolita — Vladimir Nabokov
• The Crucible — Arthur Miller (the film adaptation is mentioned)
• I Am Malala — Malala Yousafzai, with Christina Lamb (edition unspecified)
• Animal Farm — George Orwell
• The Outsiders — S. E. Hinton
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — Mark Haddon
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Stephen Chbosky
• To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee
• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — Stephen Graham Jones
• The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood
• Mein Kampf — Adolf Hitler
• The Giver — Lois Lowry
• Powerless — Lauren Roberts
• Beloved — Toni Morrison
• Billy Budd, Sailor — Herman Melville
• The Diary of a Young Girl — Anne Frank
• Looking for Alaska — John Green
• The Bluest Eye — Toni Morrison
• Desert Sons — Mark Kendrick
• Victorian Psycho — Virginia Feito
• Goosebumps series — R. L. Stine
• Model Home — Rivers Solomon
• Brave New World — Aldous Huxley
• The Color Purple — Alice Walker
• Slaughterhouse-Five — Kurt Vonnegut

This week on "Well Read and Unfiltered", we’re sharing our fantasy favorites, the books that hooked us on the genre, and the fictional worlds we can’t stop thinking about. From epic series and dark standalones to unforgettable characters and magic systems, we’re getting into what makes a fantasy worth the commitment, and whether a little romance helps or hurts.

Expect nostalgic favorites, unfiltered opinions, and more books for your already impossible TBR.

What fantasy book or series will you always recommend?

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Infernal Devices - Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare

Chain of Thorns - Cassandra Clare

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien

The Faithful and the Fallen - John Gwynne

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas

Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson

Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros

The Will of the Many - James Islington

The Strength of the Few - James Islington

The Bloodsworn Saga - John Gwynne

Of Blood and Bone - John Gwynne

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin

Villains Series - V. E. Schwab

Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman

The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

The Spellshop - Sarah Beth Durst

The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst

Sea of Charms - Sarah Beth Durst

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree

Assistant to the Villain - Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The Sword of Kaigen - M. L. Wang

Blood Over Bright Haven - M. L. Wang

The Grace of Kings - Ken Liu

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride - Roshani Chokshi

Shield of Sparrows - Devney Perry

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt

Between Two Fires - Christopher Buehlman

The Works of Vermin - Hiron Ennes

Of Blood and Fire - Ryan Cahill

Farseer trilogy - Robin Hobb

One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig

Shades of Magic - V. E. Schwab

Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher

Liveship Traders - Robin Hobb

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson

The Dandelion Dynasty - Ken Liu

Jade City - Fonda Lee

Valour - John Gwynne

The Blacktongue Thief - Christopher Buehlman

The Knave and the Moon - Rachel Gillig

The Poet Empress - Shen Tao

The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang

Babel - R. F. Kuang

Yellowface - R. F. Kuang

Katabasis - R. F. Kuang

We are looking ahead to the releases they’re most excited about for the rest of 2026, and your TBR is about to get longer!

From unsettling horror and sweeping historical fiction to spicy holiday romances and highly anticipated fantasy, there’s something for every kind of reader.

Along the way, we share our current reads, debate whether rereading can change your opinion of a book, and discuss the pressure on authors to deliver the next installment. Expect Shakespeare enthusiasm, romantasy FOMO, and a spirited disagreement about Christmas creeping into spooky season.

Which upcoming releases are on your radar?

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon — Matt Dinniman
• Dungeon Crawler Carl — Matt Dinniman
• Dominion of Blades — Matt Dinniman
• Trailer Park Fairy Tales — Matt Dinniman
• The Knight and the Moth — Rachel Gillig
• The Knave and the Moon — Rachel Gillig
• One Dark Window — Rachel Gillig
• Two Twisted Crowns — Rachel Gillig
• Bad Tourists — Caro Carver
• Mazywood — Tananarive Due
• The Reformatory — Tananarive Due
• Threshing Day — Rebecca Yarros
• Fourth Wing / Empyrean series — Rebecca Yarros
• A Court of Thorns and Roses / ACOTAR series — Sarah J. Maas
• The Disappearers — Marlon James
• Scorpion Deep — C. G. Drews
• Don’t Let the Forest In — C. G. Drews
• You Did Nothing Wrong — C. G. Drews
• It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder — Ally Carter
• The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year — Ally Carter
• Exit Party — Emily St. John Mandel
• Station Eleven — Emily St. John Mandel
• Sea of Tranquility — Emily St. John Mandel
• Pin Feathers — Christina Henry
• The Girl in Red — Christina Henry
• Bunny — Mona Awad
• Christmas Staycation — Meghan Quinn
• How My Neighbor Stole Christmas — Meghan Quinn
• Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal — Meghan Quinn
• The Nightmare Before Kissmas — Sara Raasch
• American Hagwon — Min Jin Lee
• Pachinko — Min Jin Lee
• Off the Reservation — Stephen Graham Jones
• The Only Good Indians — Stephen Graham Jones
• The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — Stephen Graham Jones
• Cardinal Rule — Liz Tomforde
• Windy City series — Liz Tomforde
• The Two Wills — Blair Fell
• A Court of Splintered Harmony — Sarah J. Maas
• The Last King of Faerie — Cassandra Clare
• Shadowhunters series — Cassandra Clare
• The Mortal Instruments series — Cassandra Clare
• The Infernal Devices series — Cassandra Clare
• The Dark Artifices series — Cassandra Clare
• The Wicked Powers series — Cassandra Clare
• The Wolves of War — John Gwynne
• The Shadow of the Gods — John Gwynne
• The Faithful and the Fallen series — John Gwynne
• Valor — John Gwynne

This week on "Well Read and Unfiltered", we debate the hits and misses of book-to-screen adaptations, from "Project Hail Mary" and "Off Campus" to "Jurassic Park" and "The Ruins".

We unpack casting choices, changed endings, and what it takes to capture a story’s heart, then wrap up with a lightning round of adaptations they’re excited to watch or happy to skip. And all of this begs this question: Is the book always better?

As always, please follow, like, share, and comment to help us find more avid readers and lovers of all things books! This truly helps us reach new people and improve our podcast! And be sure to follow us on Instagram at @wellreadandunfilteredpodcast for more!

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Sci-fi)

Off-Campus Series - Elle Kennedy (Romance)

Heated Rivalry - Rachel Reid (Romance)

The Ruins - Scott Smith (Horror)

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton (Sci-fi)

Every Summer After - Carley Fortune (Romance)

The Golden Summer - Carley Fortune (Romance)

Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell (Historical Fiction)

Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien (Fantasy)

The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien (Fantasy)

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (Fantasy)

The Mortal Instruments - Cassandra Clare (Romantasy)

Sword Catcher - Cassandra Clare (Fantasy)

Life of Pi - Yann Martel (Psychological Fiction)

Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt (Literary Fiction)

Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins (Dystopian Fiction)

Verity - Colleen Hoover (Thriller)

Odyssey - Homer (Epic Poem)

The Love Hypothesis (Ali Hazelwood)

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros (Romantasy)

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin (Literary Fiction)

The God of the Woods - Liz Moore (Thriller/Mystery)

The Correspondent - Virginia Evans (Literary Fiction)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (Historical Fiction/Romance)

Whalefall - Daniel Kraus (Survival Horror)

Incidents Around the House - Josh Malerman (Horror)

Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman (Sci-fi)

The Villains Series - V.E. Schwab (Sci-fi/Fantasy)

East of Eden - John Steinbeck (Classic)

August reading brought five-star surprises, major disappointments, and plenty of unfiltered opinions. We’re recapping the romances, fantasy epics, literary fiction, sci-fi, and horror that defined our month, then revealing the one book each of us recommends above all the rest.

Pour yourself a drink, prepare to add to your TBR, and join the conversation!

What was your best—or most disappointing—read of August?

BOOKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Blood Over Bright Haven — M. L. Wang
• The Sword of Kaigen — M. L. Wang
• Fourth Wing — Rebecca Yarros
• A Photo Finish — Elsie Silver
• Heartless — Elsie Silver
• Seed — Ania Ahlborn
• The Unseen — Ania Ahlborn
• The Shuddering — Ania Ahlborn
• Brother — Ania Ahlborn
• The Night We Met — Abby Jimenez
• Say You’ll Remember Me — Abby Jimenez
• Just for the Summer — Abby Jimenez
• I Leave It Up to You — Jinwoo Chong
• Them — W. H. Chizmar
• Scion — James Islington
• The Will of the Many — James Islington
• The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1 — Beth Brower
• The Renovation — Kenan Orhan
• Malice — John Gwynne
• Valor — John Gwynne
• Ruin — John Gwynne
• A Time of Dread — John Gwynne
• The Wolves of War — John Gwynne
• We Burn So Bright — T. J. Klune
• The House in the Cerulean Sea — T. J. Klune
• Somewhere Beyond the Sea — T. J. Klune
• The Bones Beneath My Skin — T. J. Klune
• The Knight and the Moth — Rachel Gillig
• The Knave and the Moon — Rachel Gillig
• One Dark Window — Rachel Gillig
• Two Twisted Crowns — Rachel Gillig
• The Calamity Club — Kathryn Stockett
• The Help — Kathryn Stockett
• The Murderbot Diaries — Martha Wells