
Advertise on podcast: Zero to Well-Read
Rating
4.7from
This podcast has
68 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Book RiotExplicit
No
Date created
2025/08/20
Latest episode
2026/11/03
Average duration
76 min.
Release period
6 days
Description
Part book club, part English class, Zero to Well-Read is a fun and irreverent guide to the books everyone talks about, from classics you should have read in high school to the modern hits everyone's buzzing about. In each episode, hosts Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky tell you everything you need to know about a must-read book, including its plot, what it feels like to read, why it’s important, and the key takeaways you can use at your next dinner party.
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Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from Zero to Well-Read podcast
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
2026/11/03
Jeff and Rebecca discuss Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play—the first by a Black woman to be performed on Broadway—and trace her continuing impact on American theater.
Join us on Patreon for access to guided read-alongs, bonus content, and ad-free listening.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 25% off your first order plus free shipping and extended returns at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Shining by Stephen King, with Gilbert Cruz
2026/10/27
New York Times canon editor and lifelong Stephen King fan Gilbert Cruz joins Jeff and Rebecca to discuss the king of horror's 1977 tale about a troubled family trying to outrun their demons at a haunted hotel. They explore the book's enduring appeal nearly 50 years later, King's impact and influence on generations of writers, and the personal experiences with addiction that informed this chilling story.
Join us on Patreon for access to guided read-alongs, bonus content, and ad-free listening.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.
Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Voting is Open for Our First Listeners' Choice Episode
2026/10/22
Thanks to you all, we have hit 1000 ratings on Apple Podcast. And as promised, that means voting is open for our first Listeners' Choice episode. You can vote right here.
Also, Zero to Well-Read just won a couple of Signal Awards, so that is cool as well.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to Break a Reading Slump, with Anne Bogel
2026/10/20
Rebecca and Jeff put their heads together with Anne Bogel of What Should I Read Next? to offer tools, tips, and book recommendations to help you break a reading slump and get your groove back.
Find Anne's work at Modern Mrs. Darcy, and search for What Should I Read Next? wherever you listen to podcasts.
Join us on Patreon for access to guided read-alongs, bonus content, and ad-free listening.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
2026/10/13
Jeff and Rebecca get existential as they ponder Franz Kafka's legendary surreal short story about a man who wakes up one day to discover that he has been transformed into a giant insect. They discuss the way Kafka blended realism, fantasy, and horror to explore family, identity, and the drive to self-expression, and they stop along the way to wonder: is this the best short story of all time?
Vote for Zero to Well-Read in The Signal Awards, in both Best New Podcast and best Arts & Culture Podcast!
Join us on Patreon for access to read-alongs, ad-free listening, and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.
Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
2026/10/06
Rebecca and Jeff pit reason against romance as they consider Jane Austen's beloved tale of sisters trying to find love and preserve their family's legacy.
Join us on Patreon for access to read-alongs, ad-free listening, and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.
Thanks to our sponsor Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Vote for Zero to Well-Read: Signal Awards 2026
2026/09/30
Vote for Zero to Well-Read in the Signal Awards for Best Arts & Culture Podcast and Best New Podcast!
Thanks to ThriftBooks for sponsoring this season of Zero to Well-Read.
Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
2026/09/29
Jeff and Rebecca dive into John Steinbeck's epic, magisterial novel about fathers and sons, family legacies, and the question of free will. They discuss the story's biblical roots, Steinbeck's wide-ranging philosophy, the controversy that surrounded his Nobel win, and much more.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
This episode is sponsored by Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code WELLREAD. Exclusions Apply.
Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com/wellread. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2026/09/22
Twenty years after it was published, Cormac McCarthy's The Road remains a landmark work of post-apocalyptic fiction. This week, Jeff and Rebecca explore what the bleak and beautiful story has to say about hope, humanity, masculinity, and the power of storytelling.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com/wellread. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
This episode is sponsored by Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code WELLREAD. Exclusions Apply.
Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 Books to Better Understand America, with Sharon McMahon
2026/09/15
Rebecca and Jeff sit down with history and civics educator Sharon McMahon to recommend books—both fiction and nonfiction—to help you better understand American history and politics.
Sharon's book, The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement, is available in paperback now. You can find more of her work at The Preamble and on the socials @sharonsaysso.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com/wellread. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ask Us Anything: Anniversary Mailbag Edition
2026/09/08
Jeff and Rebecca celebrate Zero to Well-Read's first anniversary with a brief look at some of the show's most popular episodes. Then, they dip into the mailbag to answer listener questions about Book Riot's origin story, tips for staying focused while reading, how they manage their reading lives, spoiler etiquette, and more.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, with Rob Harvilla
2026/09/01
Jeff and Rebecca are joined by Rob Harvilla, host of 60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s, for a conversation about Jonathan Franzen's award-winning breakout novel. They discuss Franzen's singular blend of Midwestern sensibility and postmodern satire, the Oprah controversy that made him a household name, why he continues to be a lightning rod in literary circles, and how The Corrections became one of the most underrated Great American Novels of the 21st Century.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
2026/08/25
Minor characters get main character syndrome in Tom Stoppard's Hamlet send-up filled with wordplay, philosophical puzzles, silliness, and existential questions. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, Rebecca and Jeff discuss what made Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead such a breakout hit and why it continues to delight scholars and language nerds alike.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.
Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
2026/08/18
Jeff and Rebecca take on one of the most transgressive and unsettling novels of the 21st century so far, Nobel Prize winner Han Kang's The Vegetarian. They discuss the use of art to explore questions about freedom, self-determination, sex, violence, and the limits of autonomy; the surprising public response to such a challenging literary work; and what Western readers might not understand about the story that has its roots in Korean history.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Today's episode is sponsored by Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep everything you earn.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Curating the Canon, with Gilbert Cruz
2026/08/12
Rebecca and Jeff talk with New York Times canon editor Gilbert Cruz about the project of curating the best books of the 21st century, the recent list of the 50 best thrillers of the century, and the value and meaning of expertise and curation in the modern reading landscape.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!
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.
Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.
Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Podcast reviews
Read Zero to Well-Read podcast reviews
Michele3g 2026/11/01
Capital G - Great!
I cannot express how much I am enjoying this Podcast.
I love that they are both voracious readers and their conversations w/ one another flow so nice...
TheMostObjectiveBeing 2026/11/01
The book club of my dreams
Listening to this podcast is like joining a book club with friends who are way smarter than you and having a little bit of that rub off on you
ELM/ 2026/10/31
A Must Listen for Book Lovers
A perfect reading companion podcast! Makes you want to read all the books - and a great place to go to think more about them after!
Jotterstream 2026/10/30
Love Zero to Well-Read
Just found a new favorite podcast! Started with Fahrenheit 451
Intelligent, 5982 2026/10/29
love it
this is the podcast I didn’t know I needed but now I listen to every episode
Erin-22 2026/10/23
5 Stars
This is currently my favorite podcast.
AnniePie120 2026/10/21
Start listening!
I never miss a week! Thank you! Great show!
Closely Listening 2026/10/18
Just started
Admittedly, I am just listening to the first episode. Nearly 20 minute pass before a discussion about the text begins. Do I just skip the first twenty...
Faith - Backlist Reader 2026/10/16
Favorite Podcast
I love Book Riot and have listened to the main pod since 2016. Zero to Well-Read is amazing! Every week I am adding books to my TBR. Jeff and Rebecca ...
ashley7836481936492 2026/10/16
Best podcast for book lovers!
I started listening at the end of 2025 and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love the setup of how the show is and all the content is makes you really t...
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