Zero to Well-Read

Book Riot

Part book club, part English class, Zero to Well-Read is a fun and informative guide to the books people talk about like everyone has read them. Each week, hosts Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky take on a new title—from classics you should have read in high school to prize winners, cult favorites to modern hits—and tell you everything you need to know: the plot, what it feels like to read, why it matters, and the key takeaways.

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51 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes51

Newest first

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
In 1951, Ray Bradbury imagined a 21st century in which books were banned, huge screens playing mindless slop dominated home living rooms, and people preferred to zone out with drugs and entertainment rather than deal with the world around them.
Tuesday · 1 hr 39 min
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, Jeff and Rebecca turn to Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer- and National Book Award-winning fabulist reimagining of American history.
July 21 · 1 hr 37 min
Book vs. Movie: The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's Odyssey is THE book-to-screen event of 2026, so how is it?
July 20 · 1 hr 29 min
How to Get More Out of Your Reading, and More From the Mailbag
Jeff and Rebecca answer listener questions about how to get more out of your reading, find the ideal reading position, and maintain reading as a part of your identity during major life changes
July 14 · 1 hr 15 min
The Odyssey of Homer
Hot Greek Summer has arrived! Jeff and Rebecca set sail on the wine-dark sea to discover how and why The Odyssey became one of the most enduring stories of all time.
July 7 · 1 hr 31 min
The United States Constitution, with Amanda Nelson
In honor of America's 250th birthday, Jeff and Rebecca sit down with historical content creator and political commentator Amanda Nelson for a deep dive into the U.S. Constitution.
June 30 · 1 hr 58 min
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain wasn't trying to change restaurant culture when he wrote the viral essay that would become the basis for his bestselling debut memoir Kitchen Confidential, but change it he did.
June 23 · 1 hr 32 min
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet sparked a global phenomenon, and in 2024, the New York Times named My Brilliant Friend—the first book in the series—the best book of the century so far.
June 16 · 1 hr 32 min
How to Tackle Intimidating Books, with Emily Wilson
It's a dilemma every reader has faced: what do you do when you really want to read a big, intimidating book, but you don't know how to get started?
June 9 · 50 min
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's debut autobiography was an instant hit when it was published in 1969, and it has never gone out of print in the nearly 60 years since it was released.
June 2 · 1 hr 35 min
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Grab your towel, pour yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, and whatever you do: Don't Panic.
May 26 · 1 hr 18 min
How to Read Toni Morrison and Where to Start, with Namwali Serpell
Jeff and Rebecca sit down with literary critic and Harvard University professor Namwali Serpell, author of ⁠On Morrison⁠, for a conversation about how to approach her famously difficult body of work.
May 21 · 53 min
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
No one is more surprised than Robin Wall Kimmerer that the book of essays she sent unsolicited to a small nonprofit publisher became one of the biggest word-of-mouth sensations of the 21st century so far.
May 19 · 1 hr 20 min
A Classic Summer Read
This week, we’re popping the champagne and revisiting F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ⁠The Great Gatsby⁠.
May 12 · 1 hr 17 min
Start Here: Welcome to Zero to Well-Read!
Part book club, part English class, Zero to Well-Read is a podcast about everything you need to know about the books you wish you’d read. Each week, hosts Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky take on a new title, from classics you should have read in high school to major prize winners and cult favorites to modern hits. We believe being well-read is about more than just the classics, so we've dissected The Great Gatsby and One Hundred Years of Solitude, sure, but we've also explored The Secret History and Hamnet. Our syllabus has included Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Judy Blume, Salman Rushdie, James Baldwin, and, of course, some Shakespeare. And did you know the hit film One Battle After Another was based on a book? We did, and we made an episode about it, too (that's Vineland by Thomas Pynchon). In each episode, we'll give you everything you need to know about a must-read book, including: What it's about: The basics of the plot and characters. Vibe-check: What it feels like to read this book and whether it’s for you. The Discourse: Diving into the commentary and controversies surrounding the book. Hot takes: Our honest, unfiltered opinions. Cocktail Party Crib Sheet: Three key takeaways to make you sound well-read at your next dinner party. Follow the show to receive a new episode every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 7 · 2 min
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Do you remember what it was like to feel infinite?
May 5 · 1 hr 33 min
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
How did a debut short story collection by an unknown writer become one of the most significant publishing successes of the twentieth century?
April 28 · 1 hr 53 min
James by Percival Everett
Percival Everett won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his novel James, a modern masterpiece that retells The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who accompanies Huck on his journey down the Mississippi River.
April 21 · 1 hr 41 min
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
It's a very special week on Zero to Well-Read as Jeff and Rebecca pick up one of their shared favorite novels, Marilynne Robinson's magisterial meditation on life, death, family, and faith.
April 14 · 1 hr 43 min
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Jeff and Rebecca dig into Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, the book that won him both the Pulitzer and the Nobel, and that he called the best writing he would ever do.
April 7 · 1 hr 24 min

Zero to Well-Read

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Book vs. Movie: The Odyssey

How to Get More Out of Your Reading, and More From the Mailbag

The Odyssey of Homer

The United States Constitution, with Amanda Nelson

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

How to Tackle Intimidating Books, with Emily Wilson

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

How to Read Toni Morrison and Where to Start, with Namwali Serpell

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

A Classic Summer Read

Start Here: Welcome to Zero to Well-Read!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

James by Percival Everett

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway