Jeff and Rebecca revisit Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a story so familiar it’s often mistaken for simple. They consider its moral stakes, its enduring influence on readers and society, and why Scrooge's redemption still resonates.

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Jeff and Rebecca get into Maggie O'Farrell's best-selling, critically-acclaimed, and now feature film, Hamnet. How does a book loosely based on the life of William Shakespeare not even use the name once? It's a deft, moving, and complicated novel--and makes for terrific discussion.

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Jeff and Rebecca discuss the award-winning books, pop culture phenomena, book club picks, and crossover hits of 2025 and attempt to identify the ones that might someday join the canon.

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Hello Zero to Well-Read listeners! We've got a recommendation for you today: Origin Stories is a fantastic new podcast for anyone curious about the workings of the creative mind. It's hosted by veteran journalist Matthew Shaer, and explores the behind-the-scenes of your favorite book, magazine article, TV show, podcast, or movie — from the initial spark of curiosity to the long sessions in front of a white board.

We thought you'd enjoy this episode where Matthew Shaer interviews Stephanie Foo, a veteran radio producer and longtime staffer at shows like Snap Judgment and This American Life. She talks about the creation of her NYT best-selling memoir, WHAT MY BONES KNOW, which explores her early childhood trauma and her more recent diagnosis of complex PTSD.

Take a listen by searching for Origin Stories wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Jeff and Rebecca tackle a titan of modern fiction, discussing the breakout book that made a literary icon, Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. They talk about what made Rushdie famous and what keeps him relevant, how to approach this challenging read, and why it's worth the effort.

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This season of Zero to Well-Read is sponsored by Thriftbooks.

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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.

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This season of Zero to Well-Read is sponsored by Thriftbooks.

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Jeff and Rebecca revisit Donna Tartt's cult classic, the OG of dark academia, The Secret History.

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Jeff and Rebecca throw it way back to the GOAT of ancient Greek tragedies, Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and are delighted to report that, 2500 years later, it still hits. They discuss the invention of drama, the ways that ancient philosophy continue to influence art, and why some really old stories never lose their staying power.

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This season of Zero to Well-Read is sponsored by Thriftbooks.

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

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Jeff and Rebecca revisit To Kill a Mockingbird and attempt to separate the book from the discourse in order to understand what one of America's most beloved—and most banned—novels means today.

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This season of Zero to Well-Read is sponsored by Thriftbooks.

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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.

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Jeff and Rebecca explore the greatest tragedy and arguably the best-known work by the man, the myth, the legend: William Shakespeare.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to help you get the most out of your reading life.

This season of Zero to Well-Read is sponsored by Thriftbooks.

Email us: [email protected]

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

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