Zero to Well-Read

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. This

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. This week, Jeff and Rebecca journey to the weirdest and most whimsical cor

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 famou

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 sens