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.

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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.

This episode, one of our most popular to date, originally ran in November, 2025.

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Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

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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 genre with a singular blend of mystery and gender criticism and why, though it is often imitated, Gone Girl is impossible to replicate. They also discuss the continued impact of the famous "Cool Girl" speech and how Flynn's Amy Dunne ushered in a new era of female antiheroes.

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This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/wellread with code wellread. Exclusions apply.

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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. This week, Rebecca and Jeff explore what made Fahrenheit 451 an instant hit, why it still feels fresh today, and how a society's attitudes about books can be a symptom of deeper problems.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

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This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too!

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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. They discuss the blend of speculative fiction and literary writing that made The Underground Railroad one of only 8 novels to win both the Pulitzer and the National Book Award, explore the ways that magic realism to highlights the horrific reality of slavery, and make the case for Colson Whitehead as the best living American novelist.

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This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

 Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too!

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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 Diaz for a conversation about how Nolan's Odyssey compares to the epic poem that inspired it. They discuss how faithful the adaptation is to the classic text, standout performances, key differences in character and structure, and what this ancient story has to say about modern life.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

 Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too!

 For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD.

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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. They also share how they track their own reading, the process for inviting guests to the show, and some of the books listeners request for future episodes.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

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This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

 Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too!

 For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD.

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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 discuss the oral traditions that made the epic poem famous, compare the most popular modern translations, and highlight the themes that still resonate today as foundations of Western literature.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

 Go to quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. It's now available for our friends in Canada too!

 For a limited time, you can get 20% off sitewide at bollandbranch.com/wellread with the code WELLREAD.

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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. They talk about what the framers were reacting to when they outlined the foundation of a new government, what the Constitution does and doesn't say about individual rights, and how a concept that is never specifically named in the document has shaped the country ever since.

Find Amanda's Mild Takes on Substack or follow @amandasmildtakes on the socials.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

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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. This week, on the occasion of what would have been Bourdain's 70th birthday, Rebecca and Jeff roll up their sleeves to revisit the book that revolutionized food writing and reshaped how we think about eating and travel.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

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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. This week, Jeff and Rebecca dive into the book that ignited "Ferrante Fever" and the mysterious author readers praise for capturing girlhood and female friendship like no one else.

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Thank you to ThriftBooks for being the presenting sponsor of this season of Zero to Well-Read!

Zero to Well-Read is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor, Quince! Go to Quince.com/wellread for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices