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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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27 episodes
weekly
Avg 1 hr 23 min
English

Episodes 27

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Tuesday · 59 min
17 Books to Better Understand America, with Sharon McMahon
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.
September 8 · 59 min
Ask Us Anything: Anniversary Mailbag Edition
Jeff and Rebecca celebrate Zero to Well-Read's first anniversary with a brief look at some of the show's most popular episodes.
September 1 · 2 hr 22 min
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, with Rob Harvilla
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.
August 25 · 1 hr 17 min
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Minor characters get main character syndrome in Tom Stoppard's Hamlet send-up filled with wordplay, philosophical puzzles, silliness, and existential questions.
August 18 · 1 hr 16 min
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
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.
August 12 · 51 min
Curating the Canon, with Gilbert Cruz
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.
August 11 · 1 hr 36 min
The Sci-Fi Novel That Predicted 2026
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.
August 4 · 1 hr 36 min
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Jeff and Rebecca buckle up for a thrilling ride with Gillian Flynn's paradigm-shifting thriller, ⁠Gone Girl⁠.
July 28 · 1 hr 39 min
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.
July 21 · 1 hr 37 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 20 · 1 hr 29 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 14 · 1 hr 15 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 7 · 1 hr 31 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.
June 30 · 1 hr 58 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 23 · 1 hr 32 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 16 · 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 9 · 50 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 2 · 1 hr 35 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.
May 26 · 1 hr 18 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 21 · 53 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.

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