Well-Read

We love reading books but we also love getting books off our shelves, so that means we love our annual Reading From Our TBRs episode!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• Take It Back by Kia Abdullah
  – Kia Abdullah books
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
  – Audie Awards
  – Neil Gaiman books
  – Terry Pratchett books
  – Good Omens (TV)
  – The House of the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
• Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin
  – From the Front Porch (podcast)
  – Ann Patchett books

Halle’s picks:

• The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
  – My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
• The Truth and Other Hidden Things by Lea Geller
  – Lori Gelman books
  – Class Mom by Lori Gelman
• Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
  – Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
  – Booklist
  – Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Here In Avalon by Tara Isabella Burton
  – Tara Isabella Burton books
• Halle: When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff
  – Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, learn everything you need to know about the romance genre!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Webinar: Crash Course in Romance
Nicholas Sparks books
Colleen Hoover books
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
Sarah Adams books
Mindy Klasky Tropes List
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
The Hating Game (film)
Ali Hazelwood books
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare
Knockout by Sarah MacLean
The Singles Table by Sara Desai
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Role Playing by Cathy Yardley
Scandalized by Ivy Owens
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Bridgerton (TV)
How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole
The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
Jasmine Guillory books
Tia Williams books
Helen Hoang books
Susan Elizabeth Phillips books
Christina Lauren books
Mia Sosa books
Olivia Dade books
Natalie Caña books
Beverly Jenkins books
Adriana Herrera books
Evie Dunmore books
Courtney Milan books
Jane Austen books
Georgette Heyer books
Julia Quinn books
Cat Sebastian books
Tessa Dare books
Sarah MacLean books
Lisa Kleypas books
Judith McNaught books
Jude Deveraux books
Julie Garwood books
Mary Balogh books
Nora Roberts books
Amanda Quick books
Jayne Ann Krentz books
Romancing the Stone (film)
Carla Neggers books
Sarah J. Maas books
Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Freya Marske books
Olivia Atwater books
Kresley Cole books
J.R. Ward books
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Lana Harper books
April Asher books
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
Twisted series by Ana Huang
Elsie Silver books
Rebekah Weatherspoon books
Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
Devney Perry books
Jennifer Lohmann books
Mariana Zupata books
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Sarina Bowen books
Elle Kennedy books
Windy City series by Liz Tomforde
Twilight Saga series by Stephenie Meyer
Kimberly Lemming books
Ice Planet Barbarians series by Ruby Dixon
Diana Biller books
Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa
We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Surrender: Forty Songs, One Story by Bono
• Halle: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

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We’re back with our superlatives episode – one of our favorites of the year!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Halle’s Instagram
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
From the Front Porch (podcast)
Book of the Month Club

Most Timely
Ann: Spare by Prince Harry
Halle: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Most Disappointing
Ann: The Cloisters by Katy Hays and Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian
Halle: Happiness Falls by Angie Kim and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
– Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
– Saturday Night Live (TV)

Favorite Reread
Ann: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Halle: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Guncle by Steven Rowley
– Daisy Jones & the Six (TV)

Biggest Surprise
Ann: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
Halle: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
– The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

Least Favorite
Ann: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
Halle: Mean Baby by Selma Blair

Book That Lived Up to the Hype:
Ann: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Halle: Happy Place by Emily Henry

Best Distraction
Ann: The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Halle: Katherine Center books
– Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
– Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

The Book That Ended a Mini Reading Slump
Ann: Homecoming by Kate Morton
Halle: Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

Most Unputdownable
Ann: What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall and Look Closer by David Ellis
Halle: None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell and Drowning by T.J. Newman

Better Late Than Never
Ann: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Halle: The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline and My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Book That Has Stayed With Me
Ann: The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle
Halle: Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli

Book That We Didn’t Think We’d Like, But Then We Did!
Ann: The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei and Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker
– Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Halle: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Author(s) we discovered in 2023 that we’re most excited to read more from in 2024
Ann: Nilima Rao, T. Kingfisher, Heather Fawcett
– A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao
– Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
– Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
Halle: Sarah Adler and Jessica Joyce
– Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler
– You, With a View by Jessica Joyce

Hidden Gem:
Ann: A Death in Denmark by Amulya Malladi and Role Playing by Cathy Yardley and Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
Halle: Talking at Night by Claire Daverley and Chance of a Lifetime series by Kate Clayborn
– Normal People by Sally Rooney

Best Audiobook Experience of the Year:
Ann: Kala by Colin Walsh and Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
– Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Halle: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, narrated by Michelle Williams

Our Favorite Non-Book Media Property of the Year
Ann: “Planet of the Bass” by DJ Crazy Times (song)
   Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (film)
   Barbie (film)
   The Shop Around the Corner (film)
   Remember the Night (film)
   Bob’s Burgers (TV)
Halle: Lessons in Chemistry (TV)
   Daisy Jones & The Six (TV)
    The Bear (TV)
    The Great Canadian Baking Show (TV)
    First Draft (podcast)
    Sentimental Garbage (podcast)
    –The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
    – You’ve Got Mail (film)
    – Sleepless in Seattle (film)

The Book We Recommended the Most This Year
Ann:  Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling and Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Halle: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
  – Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• Halle: Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
  – A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

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Our favorite episode of the year, full of our favorite books of the year. Happy Holidays from your friends at Well-Read!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Ann’s picks:

• Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
  – Sleeping Beauty
• Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling
  – Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
• How Can I Help You by Laura Sims
  – Patricia Highsmith books
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
  – The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
• Homecoming by Kate Morton
• Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle
• Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
• Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood
• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
  – Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Halle’s picks:

• Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
• Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
  – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Exiles by Jane Harper
  – Tana French books
• Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour
• River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
• Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
  – Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
  – Happy Place by Emily Henry
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
  – Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao
• Halle: Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey

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This week, we’re talking about book trends! Whether you’re deep in romantasy or cozy everything, we’re covering some of the biggest trends in publishing right now.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
The Maid by Nita Prose
Anne McCaffrey books
Game of Thrones (TV)
A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin
The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R Tolkein
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Debbie Macomber books
Sweet Magnolias (TV)
Virgin River (TV)
The Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods
Virgin River series by Robin Carr
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson
Helen Mirren filmography
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas
Zodiac Academy series by Caroline Peckham
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
@beachreadsandbubbly on Instagram
Jennifer L. Armentrout books
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
Serial (podcast)
Role Playing by Cathy Yardley
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Get Out (film)
Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Victor LaValle books
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Morena-Garcia
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele
Circe by Madeline Miller
Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
• Halle: Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
  – Uzma Jalaluddin books
  – Maggie Knox books
  – Karma Brown books

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Depending on which co-host you ask, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween! We have plenty of books for all your spooky reading needs this season. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Episode 11 – Spooky Books for Halloween
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
ALA RUSA CODES Reading List
Hocus Pocus (film)
Bleeding Hart Yard by Elly Griffiths
Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths
The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

Ann’s picks:

• Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
• Overdue by Richie Tankersley Cusick
  – Christopher Pike books
  – Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine
  – Fear Street series by R.L. Stine
  – The Mall by Richie Tankersley Cusick
  – The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
  – Silent Stalker by Richie Tankersley Cusick
  – Inferno by Dante Alighieri
• Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

Halle’s picks:

• The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
• The Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
• Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
  – The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
  – The Push by Ashley Audrain

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
• Halle: Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno
  – Keeping Up with the Kardashians (TV)
  – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  – The Kardashians (TV)
  – Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

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It’s time to revisit books about books! We discuss some recent and evergreen favorites.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Ann’s picks:

• The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
  – Harbinder Kaur series by Elly Griffiths
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
  – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (film)
• The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Halle’s picks:

• The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
  – Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
  – The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
• The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
  – Booklist (magazine)
  – One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris
  – The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
• The Dictionary of Lost World by Pip Williams
  – The Bookbinder by Pip Williams

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Lone Women by Victor LaValle
  – Midsommar (film)
  – The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle
• Halle: The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
  – Weyward by Emilia Hart
  – Practical Magic (film)
  – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
  – Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman

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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)

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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)

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You know the feeling…you finish a book you adored and instantly wish you could read it again for the first time. These are the books we wish we could experience again, and boy was it hard to pare them down!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (buy from Bookshop)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (buy from Bookshop)
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
In the Woods by Tana French (buy from Bookshop)
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (buy from Bookshop)
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Ann’s picks:

• The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (buy from Bookshop)
  – Homecoming by Kate Morton (buy from Bookshop)
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
  – Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop)
  –YALLfest
• Passing by Nella Larsen (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (buy from Bookshop)
  – Oprah’s Book Club
• The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (buy from Bookshop)
• Atonement by Ian McEwan (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Booker Prize
  – Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir
  – All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (buy from Bookshop)

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Road trips are the perfect summer getaway! But if you can't hit the road right now, these books are full of long drives, snacks, singalongs, hijinks, and adventure.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (buy from Bookshop)

Ann’s picks:

• The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan (buy from Bookshop)
• Me (Moth) by Amber McBride (buy from Bookshop)
  - The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
• The Farewell Tour by Stephanie Clifford (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler (buy from Bookshop)
  - Christina Lauren books
• The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (buy from Bookshop)
  - Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (buy from Bookshop)
  - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (buy from Bookshop)
• The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang (buy from Bookshop)
  - Schitt's Creek (TV)
  - Episode 122: Books Like Succession
  - Succession (TV)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: The Daydreams by Laura Hankin (buy from Bookshop)
  - Saved by the Bell (TV)
  - The All New Mickey Mouse Club (TV)
  - Bad on Paper (podcast)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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)

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The holidays are here! We’ve got some books to get you in the festive spirit, and we’ll share what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Halle’s Instagram

Ann’s picks:

• The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D. James (buy from Bookshop)
  – Adam Dalgliesh series by P.D. James
  – Agatha Christie books
• Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (buy from Bookshop)
  – “The SantaLand Diaries” by David Sedaris on NPR
• A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• One Last Gift by Emily Stone (buy from Bookshop)
• Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh (buy from Bookshop)
  – People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
• The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Princess Switch (film)
  – The Holiday (film)
  – The Parent Trap (film)
  – All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: 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)
  – Charles Dickens books
  – The Poppy War series by R.F. Kuang
• Halle: All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (buy from Bookshop)

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This week, we’re responding to a listener request to talk about books with characters who live with chronic illnesses. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (buy at Bookshop)
  – Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy at Bookshop)
  – National Book Award
  – Neal Shusterman books
• The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (buy at Bookshop)
• Let’s Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry (buy at Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• Luster by Raven Leilani (buy at Bookshop)
  – Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (buy at Bookshop)
• Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (buy at Bookshop)
  – Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (buy at Bookshop)
• Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood (buy at Bookshop)
  – Pentecost and Parker series by Stephen Spotswood

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow (buy at Bookshop)
  – Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow (buy at Bookshop)
• Halle: Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (buy at Bookshop)
  – The Great British Bake Off (TV)
  – Junior Bake Off (TV)
  – Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall (buy at Bookshop)

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Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

•  The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore (releases September 20) (buy from Bookshop)
  – LibraryReads
•  Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson (releases September 27) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Kate Atkinson books
•  Jackal by Erin E. Adams (releases October 4) (buy from Bookshop)
•  Marmee by Sarah Miller (releases October 4) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (buy from Bookshop)
  – Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller (buy from Bookshop)
  – Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  – Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (buy from Bookshop)
• The Cloisters by Katy Hayes (releases November 1) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Secret History by Donna Tartt (buy from Bookshop)
  – Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (buy from Bookshop)
•  Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (releases January 10) (buy from Bookshop)
•  Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie (releases January 24)
•  Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown (releases February 28) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

•  Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese (releases October 4) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (buy from Bookshop)
•  Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen (releases October 18) (buy from Bookshop)
• The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch (releases November 1) (buy from Bookshop)
• Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning (releases November 1) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead (buy from Bookshop)
• Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin (releases November 8) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Playbook series by Alexa Martin
  – Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes by Alexa Martin (buy from Bookshop)
•  Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (releases November 15) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (buy from Bookshop)
• Maame by Jessica George (releases February 7)
  – Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
•  I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (releases February 21) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (buy from Bookshop)
  – The It Girl by Ruth Ware (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (buy from Bookshop)
  – Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (buy from Bookshop)
  – Pomander Walk
• Halle: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (buy from Bookshop)

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Thanks to a listener request (hi Ann!), we’re discussing the difficulty of adapting a well-loved book, and what makes a good transition from page to screen. We’ll end with what we’re reading this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Persuasion by Jane Austen (buy from Bookshop)
Persuasion (film)
Dickinson (TV)
Clueless (film)
The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein
Lord of the Rings (films)
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (buy from Bookshop)
Big Little Lies (TV)
Outlander (TV)
Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Sam Heughan filmography
The Great American Read (TV)
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games (film)
Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Twilight (film)
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (film)
Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Divergent (film)
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (film)
Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore
I Am Number Four (film)
Shadowhunters (TV)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (buy from Bookshop)
Gone Girl (film)
Ben Affleck filmography
Rosamund Pike filmography
Gillian Flynn books
The Sandman (TV)
The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman books
Downton Abbey (TV)
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop)
Daisy Jones & the Six (TV)
Elvis Presley filmography
Riley Keough filmography
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (buy from Bookshop)
Killers of the Flower Moon (TV)
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (buy from Bookshop)
Red, White & Royal Blue (film)
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (buy from Bookshop)
Lessons in Chemistry (TV)
Brie Larson filmography
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (buy from Bookshop)
The Idea of You (film)
Harry Styles discography
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka (buy from Bookshop)
Bullet Train (film)
Brad Pitt filmography
Coen Brothers filmography
Quentin Tarantino filmography
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (buy from Bookshop)
Where the Crawdads Sing (film)
Loot (TV)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith (buy from Bookshop)
  – Deep Water (film)
  – The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: The Measure by Nikki Erlick (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (buy from Bookshop)

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We’re finally back! After travel, work, and a wedding (!!!!), we have lots of books to fill you in on. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Bull Durham (film)
Eurovision Song Contest
RUSA Reading List
New York Times Crossword
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
Pride & Prejudice (TV)
Hallmark Channel
The It Girl by Ruth Ware (buy from Bookshop)
Halle’s Instagram @halle770
Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore (buy from Bookshop)
Meg Mitchell Moore books
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (buy from Bookshop)
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (buy from Bookshop)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (buy from Bookshop)
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman (buy from Bookshop)
Chris Evans filmography
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (buy from Bookshop)
Julia (TV)
Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim (buy from Bookshop)
The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks (buy from Bookshop)
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (buy from Bookshop)
Game of Thrones (TV)
The Maid by Nita Prose (buy from Bookshop)
The Beach Trap by Ali Brady (buy from Bookshop)
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close (buy from Bookshop)
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop)
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa (buy from Bookshop)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (buy from Bookshop)
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor (buy from Bookshop)
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean (buy from Bookshop)
  – Fleabag (TV)
  – Good Morning American Book Club
• Halle: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas (buy from Bookshop)

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We’re exploring fiction that depicts the immigrant and refugee experience, and we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez (buy from Bookshop)
• Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (buy from Bookshop)
  – Titanic (film)
  – Ruta Sepetys books
• The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (buy from Bookshop)
  – Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (buy from Bookshop)
  – Exit West (film)
• The Other Americans by Laila Lalami (buy from Bookshop)
  – Liz Moore books
  – Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (buy from Bookshop)
• The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez (buy from Bookshop)
  – Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: The Art of Escapism Cooking: A Survival Story, with Intensely Good Flavors by Mandy Lee (buy from Bookshop)
  – Mandy Lee’s Flattening the Bird
  – Lady and Pups (blog)
  – @ladyandpups
• Halle: The Verifiers by Jane Pek (buy from Bookshop)
  – Book of the Month

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Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama by Bob Odenkirk (releases March 1) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Mr. Show with Bob and David (TV)
  – David Cross filmography
  – Saturday Night Live (TV)
  – Breaking Bad (TV)
• Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum (releases April 5) (buy from Bookshop)
• The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas (releases May 5) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (buy from Bookshop)
  – Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (buy from Bookshop)
• Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito (releases May 31) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Grinder (TV)
• The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (releases June 7) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Sulari Gentill books
• The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser (releases July 12) (buy from Bookshop)
  – “The Crane Wife” (essay by CJ Hauser)
  – From the Front Porch (podcast)
  – Family of Origin by CJ Hauser (buy from Bookshop)
• Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson (releases August 16) (buy from Bookshop)
• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (releases August 23) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• Memphis by Tara Stringfellow (releases April 5) (buy from Bookshop)
• The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa (releases April 5) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (buy from Bookshop)
  – Mia Sosa books
• Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (releases April 12) (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (buy from Bookshop)
  – Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (buy from Bookshop)
  – Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain (buy from Bookshop)
• Book Lovers by Emily Henry (releases May 5) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Emily Henry books
  – As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr (buy from Bookshop)
  – Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’Antonia (buy from Bookshop)
• This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (releases May 17) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Emma Straub books
• Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore (releases July 5) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (buy from Bookshop)
• Upgrade by Blake Crouch (releases July 12) (buy from Bookshop)
  – Blake Crouch books
• Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier (releases July 19)
  – Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Love and Saffron by Kim Fay (buy from Bookshop)
  – Julia Child
  – Sunset Magazine
• Halle: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (buy from Bookshop)

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After a year of hard work, we’re happy to share the results of the 2022 Reading List! We’ll share the winners and the shortlist, along with our thoughts. As always, we end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Adrenaline

Winner
Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka (buy from Bookshop)
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian (buy from Bookshop)
The Push by Ashley Audrain (buy from Bookshop)
Red Widow by Alma Katsu (buy from Bookshop)

Fantasy

Winner
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (buy from Bookshop)
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (buy from Bookshop)
When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (buy from Bookshop)

Historical fiction

Winner
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood (buy from Bookshop)
– A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (buy from Bookshop)
Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter (buy from Bookshop)
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (buy from Bookshop)
A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein (buy from Bookshop)

Horror

Winner
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (buy from Bookshop)
– The Ring (film)
– The Grudge (film)

Short List
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (buy from Bookshop)
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones (buy from Bookshop)
Near the Bone by Christina Henry (buy from Bookshop)
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (buy from Bookshop)

Mystery

Winner
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (buy from Bookshop)
– A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (buy from Bookshop)
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (buy from Bookshop)
Sleep Well, My Lady by Kwei Quartey (buy from Bookshop)
Under Color of Law by Aaron Philip Clark (buy from Bookshop)
– Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
– Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
– Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (buy from Bookshop)
– Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (buy from Bookshop)

Relationship fiction

Winner
The Guncle by Steven Rowley (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (buy from Bookshop)
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (buy from Bookshop)
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
– Arrested Development (TV)
The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan (buy from Bookshop)

Romance

Winner
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (buy from Bookshop)
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod (buy from Bookshop)
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (buy from Bookshop)

Science fiction

Winner
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (buy from Bookshop)

Short List
Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill (buy from Bookshop)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (buy from Bookshop)
One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Unity by Elly Bangs (buy from Bookshop)
– The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Going There by Katie Couric (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Today Show (TV)
  – The Morning Show (TV)
  – Jennifer Aniston filmography
  – Reese Witherspoon filmography
• Halle: First Comes Like by Alisha Rai (buy from Bookshop)
  – Modern Love series by Alisha Rai
  – A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli (buy from Bookshop)

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Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Episode 87 – 2021 Resolutions and Year in Review
Beloved by Toni Morrison (buy from Bookshop)
Halle’s Instagram
Episode 86 – 2020 Superlatives

Most Timely
Ann:  The Night Swim by Megan Goldin (buy from Bookshop) and The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Ghosts by Dolly Alderton (buy from Bookshop)

Most Disappointing
Ann: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse (buy from Bookshop) and Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan (buy from Bookshop)
– Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle
Halle: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (buy from Bookshop)
– The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (buy from Bookshop)

Favorite Reread
Ann: Evelina by Francis Burney (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: The Likeness by Tana French (buy from Bookshop)
– Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French

Biggest Surprise
Ann: Stealing Home by Sheryl Wood (buy from Bookshop) and Mordew by Alex Pheby (buy from Bookshop)
– Sweet Magnolias (TV)
– Charles Dickens novels
Halle: Red Widow by Alma Katsu (buy from Bookshop) and Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (buy from Bookshop)

Least Favorite
Ann: For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day (buy from Bookshop)
– Agatha Christie books

Best Distraction
Ann: Cackle by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop)
– Hocus Pocus (film)
Halle: Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez (buy from Bookshop)

The Book That Ended a Mini Reading Slump
Ann: Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes by Alexa Martin (buy from Bookshop)
– Alexa Martin books
Halle: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (buy from Bookshop)

Better Late Than Never
Ann: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (buy from Bookshop)

Book That Has Stayed With Me
Ann: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop) and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (buy from Bookshop)
– National Book Award
– Printz Award
Halle: Take It Back by Kia Abdullah (buy from Bookshop)

Book That We Didn’t Think We’d Like, But Then We Did!
Ann: Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill (buy from Bookshop) and Red Widow by Alma Katsu (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (buy from Bookshop)

Author(s) we discovered in 2021 that we’re most excited to read more from in 2022
Ann: Emily Henry, Nghi Vo, Camilla Sten, Gus Moreno
– People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
– The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
– When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo (buy from Bookshop)
– The Lost Village by Camilla Sten (buy from Bookshop)
– This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (buy from Bookshop)
– Beach Read by Emily Henry (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: Kate Clayborn, Nathan Harris, and Meg Mason
– Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (buy from Bookshop)
– Love at First by Kate Clayborn (buy from Bookshop)
– The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (buy from Bookshop)
– Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)

Our Favorite Non-Book Media Property of the Year
Ann: Taco Chronicles (TV) and The White Lotus (TV)
Halle: The White Lotus (TV) and Only Murders in the Building (TV)

The Book We Recommended the Most This Year
Ann: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop)
Halle: The Guncle by Steven Rowley (buy from Bookshop)
– The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: A Promised Land by Barack Obama (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: The Ensemble by Aja Gabel (buy from Bookshop)
  – From the Front Porch (podcast)
  – From the Front Porch episode 350 – Literary Therapy Vol. 12

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Our favorite episode of the year, full of our favorite books of the year. Happy Holidays from your friends at Well-Read!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia (buy from Bookshop)
• The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod (buy from Bookshop)
• This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (buy from Bookshop)
• Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (buy from Bookshop)
• A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes (buy from Bookshop)
• Horseman by Christina Henry (buy from Bookshop)
  - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (buy from Bookshop)
• The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (buy from Bookshop)
• Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
  - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (buy from Bookshop)
• Mrs. March by Virginia Feito (buy from Bookshop)
  - Patricia Highsmith books
• Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (buy from Bookshop)
  - Reese's Book Club

Halle’s picks:

• The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (buy from Bookshop)
• Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny (buy from Bookshop)
• Arsenic & Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (buy from Bookshop)
  - Tana French books
  - Louise Penny books
• Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall (buy from Bookshop)
  - The Great British Baking Show (TV)
  - The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (buy from Bookshop)
  - Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (buy from Bookshop)
  - One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (buy from Bookshop)
• The Push by Ashley Audrain (buy from Bookshop)
  - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (buy from Bookshop)
  - Take It Back by Kia Abdullah (buy from Bookshop)
• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (buy from Bookshop)
  - Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon (buy from Bookshop)
• The Guncle by Steven Rowley (buy from Bookshop)
  - The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (buy from Bookshop)
• The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (buy from Bookshop)
• Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop)
  - Fleabag (TV)
  - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (buy from Bookshop)
• The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews (buy from Bookshop)
  - Elena Ferrante books
  - The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (buy from Bookshop)

We didn’t get a chance to do a publishing preview this season, but we wanted to share some books we’re excited to read soon. Ann picks three forthcoming titles and Halle went with books she didn’t have time for this year. And we end with 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)
  – Florence Pugh movies
  – Little Women (film)
• Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour (buy from Bookshop)
  – Nina LaCour books
• Body and Soul Food by Abby Collette (buy from Bookshop)
  – A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collete (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann (buy from Bookshop)
  – From the Front Porch (podcast)
  – Succession (TV)
• Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (buy from Bookshop)
• Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka (buy from Bookshop)
  – Brad Pitt movies

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Our annual Halloween episode is back – and so are we! We have some major life updates and books that show that people are much scarier than the paranormal. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Episode 77 – Cookbooks!

Ann’s picks:

• There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (buy from Bookshop)
  – Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (buy from Bookshop)
  – Scream (film)
  – There’s Someone Inside Your House (TV)
  – The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins (buy from Bookshop)
• Knife by Jø Nesbo (buy from Bookshop)
  – Harry Hole series by Jø Nesbo
• The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (buy from Bookshop)
  – Episode 1 – Beach Reads
  – The Talented Mr. Ripley (film)

Halle’s picks:

• Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger (buy from Bookshop)
  – Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (buy from Bookshop)
• The Silence of the White City by Eva García Sáenz (buy from Bookshop)
  – Tana French books
  – Jane Harper books
• The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: When Things Get Dark edited by Ellen Datlow (buy from Bookshop)
  – Shirley Jackson books
  – Ellen Datlow books
  – Joyce Carol Oates books
  – Josh Malerman books
  – Carmen Maria Machado books
  – Paul Tremblay books
  – Kelly Link books
  – Elizabeth Hand books
  – Cassandra Khaw books
  – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (buy from Bookshop)
  – “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (buy from Bookshop)

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Hi all  - Due to a death in Ann's family, we will be taking a brief break for the next month. Thanks and happy reading!

Thanks to a fabulous listener suggestion (hi Rikke!), we’re pairing books that inform each other or benefit from reading them back-to-back. What books would you pair up? As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (buy from Bookshop)
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding (buy from Bookshop)
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (buy from Bookshop)
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (buy from Bookshop)

Ann’s picks:

• The Seducer’s Diary by Søren Kierkegaard (buy from Bookshop) and Ehrengard by Isak Dinesen (buy from Bookshop) and BONUS City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (buy from Bookshop)
  – Either/Or by Søren Kierkegaard (buy from Bookshop)
  – Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (buy from Bookshop)
  – Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen (buy from Bookshop)
• Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (buy from Bookshop) and Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (buy from Bookshop)
• The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (buy from Bookshop) and Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (buy from Bookshop)
  – Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie
  – Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood
  – Miss Marple (TV)
  – Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (TV)

Halle’s picks:

• Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterley (buy from Bookshop) and The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (buy from Bookshop)
  – Lady Astronaut Universe series by Mary Robinette Kowal
• Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason (buy from Bookshop) and Chemistry by Weike Wang (buy from Bookshop)
• The Push by Ashley Audrain (buy from Bookshop) and Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips (buy from Bookshop)
  – Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (buy from Bookshop)
  – An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (buy from Bookshop)
  – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (buy from Bookshop)
  – Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Rib King by Ladee Hubbard (buy from Bookshop)
  – Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell (buy from Bookshop)

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This week, we’re responding to a listener request to delve into our favorite bookish media and how we balance it all with our reading. We have some tips and recommendations to help you get the most out of your reading life. As always, we end with what we’re reading this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

For Real (podcast)
Underground: A Human History of the World Beneath Our Feet by Will Hunt (buy from Bookshop)
Audie Awards
Get Booked (podcast)
From the Front Porch (podcast)
@shelfbyshelf (Instagram)
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (buy from Bookshop)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (buy from Bookshop)
All About Agatha (podcast)
Agatha Christie books
Litsy
Poirot (TV)
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (buy from Bookshop)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (buy from Bookshop)
What Should I Read Next? (podcast)
Modern Mrs. Darcy (blog)
When In Romance (podcast)
Book Riot: The Podcast (podcast)
Currently Reading (podcast)
Reading Glasses (podcast)
@thebookshopnashville (Instagram)
@melanatedreader (Instagram)
@james_travino (Instagram)
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
@wellreadblackgirl (Instagram)
@parnassusbooks (Instagram)
@booksaremagicbk (Instagram)
Emma Straub books
@ashleyspivey (Instagram)
The Bachelor (TV)
Go Fug Yourself (blog)
@spiveysbookclub (Instagram)
@hithapalepu (Instagram)
@graceatwood (Instagram)
Bad On Paper (podcast)
@beccamfreeman (Instagram)
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (buy from Bookshop)
Reese’s Book Club
Read With Jenna
Book of the Month
@halle770 (Instagram)
@ferskner (Instagram)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann:  The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia (buy from Bookshop)
  – Prince’s Hot Chicken
• Halle: The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan (buy from Bookshop)

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Our memories may be terrible but these memoirs aren’t. We’re revisiting memoirs this week, and end with what we’re currently reading.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael W. Twitty (buy from Bookshop)
  – Afroculinaria (blog)
  – BTS (band)
• Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (buy from Bookshop)
  – The New Yorker (magazine)
  – Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen by Mary Norris (buy from Bookshop)
  – Ann Patchett books
• Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark (buy from Bookshop)
  – My Favorite Murder (podcast)
  – Mr. Show with Bob and David (TV)
  – Georgia Hardstark on Cooking Channel

Halle’s picks:

• Open Book by Jessica Simpson (buy from Bookshop)
  – Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica (TV)
  – Nick Lachey (singer)
  – John Mayer (singer)
  – Dukes of Hazard (film)
  – Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick (buy from Bookshop)
• Becoming by Michelle Obama (buy from Bookshop)
  – A Promised Land by Barack Obama (buy from Bookshop)
• Here For It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays by R. Eric Thomas (buy from Bookshop)
  – Elle (magazine)
  – Bossypants by Tina Fey (buy from Bookshop)
  – Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham (buy from Bookshop)
  – Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (TV)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (buy from Bookshop)
• Halle: Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Women (film)

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Do you like sports? No? Do you like stories of drama surrounding sports? Then we have some books for you! As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ted Lasso (TV)
Friday Night Lights (TV)
Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger (buy on Bookshop)
Friday Night Lights (film)

Ann’s picks:

• The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (buy on Bookshop)
  – Newbery Medal
  – YALLfest
  – Booked by Kwame Alexander (buy on Bookshop)
• Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (buy on Bookshop)
  – Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
  – Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (buy on Bookshop)
  – Sarah MacLean books
• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (buy on Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• Beartown by Fredrik Backman (buy on Bookshop)
  – A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (buy on Bookshop)
  – Beartown (TV)
  – Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (buy on Bookshop)
  – Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (buy on Bookshop)
• Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu (buy on Bookshop)
  – From the Front Porch (podcast)
  – Check, Please! series by Ngozi Ukazu
• You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott (buy on Bookshop)
  – Megan Abbott books
  – Dare Me by Megan Abbott (buy on Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: First Comes Like by Alisha Rai (buy on Bookshop)
  – Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai (buy on Bookshop)
  – Modern Love series by Alisha Rai
• Halle: The Survivors by Jane Harper (buy on Bookshop)
  – Jane Harper books
  – The Likeness by Tana French (buy on Bookshop)

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Galentine’s Day is here! Gather your girlfriends together, or if you can’t thanks to a worldwide pandemic, pick up one of our suggestions for books about female friendships. We’ll end with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Parks and Recreation (TV)
My Korea: Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes by Hooni Kim (buy from Bookshop)
Episode 77 – Cookbooks
Bridgerton (TV)
Bridgertons series by Julia Quinn
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (buy from Bookshop)
The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante (buy from Bookshop)
My Brilliant Friend (TV)

Ann’s picks:

• The Milk Lady of Bangalore by Shoba Narayan (buy from Bookshop)
• Stealing Home by Sherryl Woods (buy from Bookshop)
  – Sweet Magnolias (TV)
  – The Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (buy from Bookshop)
  – Code Name Verity series by Elizabeth Wein
  – Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (buy from Bookshop)

Halle’s picks:

• The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe (buy from Bookshop)
• The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (buy from Bookshop)
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (buy from Bookshop)
  – The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (buy from Bookshop)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: My Lady’s Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris (buy from Bookshop)
  – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (buy from Bookshop)
  – Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (buy from Bookshop)
  –Lord Byron books
• Halle: The Push by Ashley Audrain (buy from Bookshop)
  – Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (buy from Bookshop)
  – We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (buy from Bookshop)

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We love goals and years in review, especially when they involve books! Find out how we did last year with our reading resolutions and what we’re planning for 2021. As always, we’ll finish with what we’re reading this week.

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

RUSA CODES Reading List
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (buy from Bookshop)
Julia Quinn books
Bridgerton (TV)
The Bachelor (TV)
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (buy from Bookshop)
Tana French books
Isak Dinesen books
Jane Austen books
Libba Bray books
The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge
2021 NoveList Book Challenge
The Bookshop (bookstore)
Book Riot Read Harder 2021
Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2021

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley (buy from Bookshop)
  – Malcolm X (film)
  – Boyz n the Hood (film)
• Halle: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins (buy from Bookshop)
  – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (buy from Bookshop)
  – Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (buy from Bookshop)

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