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.
Listeners of Well-Read that love the show mention: bookish podcast, great recommendations, book recommendations, titles, library, thanks for sharing, books, yay, hold, local, delightful, reading, favorites, add, discussions, enjoyed, love this podcast, wish, different, hosts.
The Well-Read podcast is a must-listen for any book lover. Hosted by Ann and Halle, two librarians with a passion for reading, this podcast offers insightful and engaging discussions about books, both new releases and old favorites. The hosts have a delightful banter and bring a depth of knowledge to their discussions that is truly impressive. They offer thoughtful recommendations and provide just the right amount of details without spoiling the plot. As someone who enjoys listening to book podcasts during my daily walks, I have found that each episode leaves me with a handful of new additions to my ever-growing to-read list.
One of the best aspects of The Well-Read podcast is the mix of books discussed. The hosts cover a wide range of genres and themes, ensuring that there is something for everyone. Whether you're interested in literary fiction, mystery, romance, or non-fiction, you'll find recommendations that cater to your tastes. Additionally, Ann and Halle's enthusiasm for reading shines through in each episode, making it clear that they genuinely love what they do. Their passion is infectious and makes me excited to dive into the books they recommend.
However, one downside of the podcast is its bi-weekly release schedule. As a listener who eagerly anticipates each new episode, I often find myself wishing there was more content to consume on a weekly basis. The hosts' insightful discussions make for such an enjoyable listen that I can't help but wish there were more episodes available. Nonetheless, the quality of the podcast makes up for this drawback.
In conclusion, The Well-Read podcast is an absolute gem for book lovers looking for great recommendations and engaging discussions. Ann and Halle's charming personalities and extensive knowledge make this podcast stand out from others in its genre. Although it would be fantastic if it were released weekly instead of bi-weekly, the overall quality of the show more than makes up for it. If you're in search of a bookish podcast that will leave you with a long list of books to read, this is the one to listen to.
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
Do you need something to help you smile right now? We sure do, so here are some of the books that have made us laugh out loud. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe Love and Hot Chicken by Mary Liza Hartong Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto Ann's picks: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan – Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes – Dead Tired by Kat Ailes Halle's picks: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano – Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich The Do-Over by Lynn Painter What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix – Rachel Harrison books Halle: Count My Lies by Sophie Stava – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop
September puts us in the mood for back-to-school books, but why not add a mysterious twist? We're talking dark academia titles this week! Books and other media mentioned in this episode: The Secret History by Donna Tartt (buy from Bookshop) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (buy from Bookshop) The Likeness by Tana French (buy from Bookshop) The Magicians by Lev Grossman (buy from Bookshop) Dead Poets Society (film) Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling Joanna Gaines Ann's picks: The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton (buy from Bookshop) Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (buy from Bookshop) – Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson Babel by R.F. Kuang (buy from Bookshop) – The Secret History by Donna Tartt (buy from Bookshop) – Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (buy from Bookshop) – Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (buy from Bookshop) Halle's picks: The Cartographers by Peng Shephard (buy from Bookshop) Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian (buy from Bookshop) – Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay – Dexter (TV) Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (buy from Bookshop) – The Secret Place by Tana French (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: The Cloisters by Katy Hays (buy from Bookshop) – The Met Cloisters Halle: The Lost Husband by Katherine Center (buy from Bookshop) – Halle's Instagram – Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center (buy from Bookshop) – Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (buy from Bookshop) – Katherine Center books – The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
It's that time again…the books we're looking forward to the most publishing September through February! Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann's picks: Reykjavík by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdottír (releases September 5) (buy from Bookshop) – Arnaldur Indriðason books – Parnassus Books – Ann Patchett books – Independent People by Halldór Laxness (buy from Bookshop) Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison (releases September 19) (buy from Bookshop) – Cackle by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop) – The Return by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop) Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot (releases September 19) (buy from Bookshop) – The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones (buy from Bookshop) Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (buy from Bookshop) Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (releases November 7) (buy from Bookshop) – Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (buy from Bookshop) The Excitements by C.J. Wray (releases January 30) (buy from Bookshop) – The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (buy from Bookshop) – Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (buy from Bookshop) The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (releases February 13) (buy from Bookshop) – The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (buy from Bookshop) The Kamowaga Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (releases February 13) (buy from Bookshop) – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (buy from Bookshop) Halle's picks: The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman (releases September 26) (buy from Bookshop) – Bad on Paper (podcast) The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab (releases September 26) (buy from Bookshop) – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (buy from Bookshop) – Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab Family Meal by Bryan Washington (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – Memorial by Bryan Washington (buy from Bookshop) – Lot by Bryan Washington (buy from Bookshop) – Bryan Washington at New York Times Cooking The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (buy from Bookshop) – Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (buy from Bookshop) Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (releases November 7) (buy from Bookshop) – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (buy from Bookshop) – A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas – The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins The Bride Bet by Tessa Dare (releases January 15) (buy from Bookshop) – Girl Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (releases January 9) (buy from Bookshop) Bride by Ali Hazelwood (releases February 6) (buy from Bookshop) – Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Ascension by Nicholas Binge (buy from Bookshop) – Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (buy from Bookshop) – The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (buy from Bookshop) Halle: Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (buy from Bookshop) – The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (buy from Bookshop) – With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop
If you're missing your weekly dose of the Roy family like us, here are some books that we think will help fill the void after the finale of Succession. As always, we'll end with what we're reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Succession (TV) Gossip Girl (TV) Veep (TV) Taylor Swift Eras Tour Ann's picks: The Heiresses by Sara Shepard (buy from Bookshop) - Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie (buy from Bookshop) The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur (buy from Bookshop) - Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop) Halle's picks: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (buy from Bookshop) - The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (buy from Bookshop) A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (buy from Bookshop) - King Lear by William Shakespeare (buy from Bookshop) Trust by Hernan Diaz (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Going Zero by Anthony McCarten (buy from Bookshop) - Michael Chrichton books - John Grisham books - Robin Cook books Halle: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (buy from Bookshop) - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
It's one of the best feelings a reader can have: that feeling of finding a book that you just can't put down. We're discussing some of our favorites and we'll end with what we're reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (buy from Bookshop) Ann's picks: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (buy from Bookshop) – The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (buy from Bookshop) Monster by Walter Dean Myers (buy from Bookshop) – Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature – Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (buy from Bookshop) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (buy from Bookshop) – Clue (film) – And Then There Were None (TV) – And Then There Were None (film) Halle's picks: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (buy from Bookshop) Until You by Judith McNaught (buy from Bookshop) – A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux (buy from Bookshop) – Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught (buy from Bookshop) River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (buy from Bookshop) – @maryreadsandsips (Instagram) Halle: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal (buy from Bookshop) – Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal (buy from Bookshop) – The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
Halle thought it wasn't possible to love a Taylor Swift-themed episode any more, until her sister Heather joined in as a special guest! (Ann was there too, as a casual fan.) Listen in for book pairings for some of our favorite T.Swift songs, along with general Swifty gushing and the books we're reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Taylor Jenkins Reid books Red (Taylor Swift album) Fearless (Taylor Swift album) 1989 (Taylor Swift album) “Blank Space” Reputation (Taylor Swift album) “…Ready For It?” “The Man” Ann's picks: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (buy from Bookshop) and “exile (feat. Bon Iver)” – Justin Vernon/Bon Iver – “Death By a Thousand Cuts” Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (buy from Bookshop) and “Bejeweled” – Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich Halle's picks: The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (buy from Bookshop) and “Enchanted” and “Dress” Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli (buy from Bookshop) and “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” – Midnights (Taylor Swift album) – Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop) Heather's picks: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop) and “august” – “This Love” – “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed (buy from Bookshop) and “Dear Reader” – Dear Sugar column on The Rumpus – Dear Sugars (podcast) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths (buy from Bookshop) – Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths – The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (buy from Bookshop) Halle: Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (buy from Bookshop) – Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (buy from Bookshop) – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (buy from Bookshop) Heather: Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop) – Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop) – Daisy Jones & The Six (TV) – “Anti-Hero” – Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
It's back…..our occasional episode where we pick books for each other from our massive “to be read” shelves! Listen to what we liked – and what we didn't! – and find out what we're reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann's picks: The Maid by Nita Prose (buy from Bookshop) – Good Morning America Book Club – The Maid (film) – Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (buy from Bookshop) – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (buy from Bookshop) – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop) – Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (buy from Bookshop) – Goodreads Choice Awards – Book of the Month Club – The Verifiers by Jane Pek (buy from Bookshop) The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (buy from Bookshop) – The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (buy from Bookshop) Halle's picks: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (buy from Bookshop) – You've Got Mail (film) The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson (buy from Bookshop) – The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson (buy from Bookshop) Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun (buy from Bookshop) – The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (buy from Bookshop) Halle: The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
With Valentine's Day around the corner, we have some ideas for romance novels, even if you're not a romance reader. As always, we'll end with what we're reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: James Patterson books Elin Hilderbrand books Danielle Steel books Colleen Hoover books David Mitchell books Ann's picks: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop) – Emily Henry books – Book Lovers by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop) – ALA RUSA CODES The Reading List – the committee we reference all the time – Beth O'Leary books The Bodyguard by Katherine Center (buy from Bookshop) – Victoria Christopher Murray books – Tracie Peterson books – Shelley Shephard Gray books – A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli (buy from Bookshop) Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (buy from Bookshop) – Love By Numbers series by Sarah MacLean Halle's picks: The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (buy from Bookshop) – Bridgerton (TV) – Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn – Beauty and the Beast – Eloisa James books – Pop Culture Happy Hour (podcast) – The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (buy from Bookshop) – Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught (buy from Bookshop) Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop) – Abby Jimenez books – The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop) Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (buy from Bookshop) – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (buy from Bookshop) – Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (buy from Bookshop) – The Guest List by Lucy Foley (buy from Bookshop) – Rear Window (film) Halle: Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (buy from Bookshop) – Bright Falls series by Ashley Herring Blake Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
Our favorite episode of the year, full of our favorite books of the year. Happy New Year from your friends at Well-Read! Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann's picks: The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings (buy from Bookshop) - N.K. Jemisen books - Marlon James books Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang (buy from Bookshop) Book Lovers by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop) The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (buy from Bookshop) - Anthony Horowitz books Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean (buy from Bookshop) Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (buy from Bookshop) Small Angels by Lauren Owen (buy from Bookshop) The It Girl by Ruth Ware (buy from Bookshop) - Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (buy from Bookshop) The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood (buy from Bookshop) Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith (buy from Bookshop) Halle's picks: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monahan (buy from Bookshop) The Verifiers by Jane Pek (buy from Bookshop) Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop) - Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop) - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop) - Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop) We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman (buy from Bookshop) Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (buy from Bookshop) - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (buy from Bookshop) The Crane Wife: A Memoir in Essays by C.J. Hauser (buy from Bookshop) - "The Crane Wife" by C.J. Hauser (essay from The Paris Review) All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (buy from Bookshop) Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop) Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (buy from Bookshop) - Julia (TV) - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (TV) Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (buy from Bookshop) - The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towels (buy from Bookshop) - The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann: Look Closer by David Ellis (buy from Bookshop) Halle: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Bookshop Well-Read on Instagram
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
