Zero to Well-Read

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Vote for Zero to Well-Read: Signal Awards 2026

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-Re

Sep 30
1 min

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

#37 trending · Arts

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 bibli

Sep 29
1 h 53 min

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

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 an

Sep 22
1 h 41 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 an

Sep 15
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. Then, they dip into the mailbag to answer

Sep 8
59 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.

Sep 1
2 h 22 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. On the oc

Aug 25
1 h 17 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. They discuss the us

Aug 18
1 h 16 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 thril

Aug 12
51 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. Th

Aug 11
1 h 36 min

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Jeff and Rebecca buckle up for a breathtaking ride with Gillian Flynn's paradigm-shifting thriller, Gone Girl. They talk about how Flynn redefined the domestic suspense g

Aug 4
1 h 36 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

Jul 28
1 h 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. T

Jul 21
1 h 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? Jeff and Rebecca sit down with Book Riot's managing editor Vanessa Di

Jul 20
1 h 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 dur

Jul 14
1 h 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. They

Jul 7
1 h 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. Cons

Jun 30
1 h 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 Confidentia

Jun 23
1 h 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 t

Jun 16
1 h 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? Jeff and Rebecca sit d

Jun 9
50 min

Chart trend

Position in the Books chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#13#25JulAugSepOct

all-time peak

days in the top 3 since Aug 2025

Chart positions

Where Zero to Well-Read ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 1, 2026).

#33 ▲ 15 Arts US

#11 ▲ 3 Books US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I really enjoy this show! It’s actually the reason I decided to reread The Great Gatsby for the first time since high school. I love that the conversations give you so much more than just a discussion of the book. They bring in background insights that make me appreciate what I’m reading even more. The Secret History by Donna Tartt was another big one for me. That book took my reading preferences in a whole new direction and made me want to explore books I probably wouldn’t have picked up before. I’ve only been consistently reading for a little over a year, and while I love discovering newer novels, I’ve also wanted some help figuring out which classics and older books to read. I’m really glad I found this podcast because it’s become such a great reference for finding my next read and getting more out of the books along the way.

Chivasa81 · Sep 2026

Love this show! Great if you read the book and want more and great if you want the cliff notes to be in the know but don’t want to read that specific book!

Dottie456 · Sep 2026

At last! A place to share in the excitement about books that have knocked you off your feet, or are about to! LOVE the curation and format. Keep it up!!

Ready McBookworm · Aug 2026

I have followed Schinsky for several years and always enjoy her clear-eyed reviews of books. This podcast homes in on her expertise in literature and is a delight to listen to.

kmvandergrift · Aug 2026

The purpose of this podcast is supposedly to persuade you to read books you haven’t gotten to, so I don’t know why they thought it would help to spoil literally everything about The Great Gatsby. There are ways to talk about the cultural impact of a book without revealing the entire plot. I’m not sure I’ll listen to this podcast again, but if I do it’ll only be for books I’ve already read. (For anyone wondering, I’ve already read Gatsby—twice—but I feel bad for people who haven’t and just had it spoiled by this ill-conceived podcast.)

PaigeRain · Sep 2025

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.