We’re making reading resolutions for 2026 and giving out our 2025 book superlatives!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Lauren Bacall filmography
Jane Austen books
Emma by Jane Austen
Libba Bray books
Book of the Month Club
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Emily Henry books
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Next Chapter Society Book Club
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Romanceopoly 2026
Under the Covers (blog)
@booksandlala on Instagram
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

Most Timely
Ann: Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin
Halle: The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

Most Disappointing
Ann: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez; Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See; Knife by Salman Rushdie
Halle: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese; Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry; Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
– Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Favorite Reread
Ann: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
– Persuasion by Jane Austen
– Kristin Atherton filmography
Halle: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry; Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Biggest Surprise
Ann: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
– Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
– Terry Pratchett books
– Neil Gaiman books
Halle: The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith; Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman

Least Favorite
Ann: The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen; Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
Halle: The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Book That Lived Up to the Hype:
Ann: The Favorites by Layne Fargo; Long Bright River by Liz Moore; A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Halle: Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino; The Will of the Many by James Islington

Best Distraction
Ann: The Goldens by Lauren Wilson
Halle: If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia; Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz

The Book That Ended a Mini Reading Slump
Ann: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
– Broadchurch (TV)
Halle: Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry

Most Unputdownable
Ann: Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter; A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Halle: Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino; Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer; Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
– Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros

Better Late Than Never
Ann: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara; The Housemaid by Freida McFadden; A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Halle: The Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman; Kindred by Octavia Butler

Book That Has Stayed With Me
Ann: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali; The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Halle: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett; Audition by Katie Kitamura

Book That We Didn’t Think We’d Like, But Then We Did!
Ann: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty; The Lack of Light by Nino Haratischwili
Halle: Wreck by Catherine Newman

Author(s) we discovered in 2024 that we’re most excited to read more from in 2025
Ann: Kylie Lee Baker; Michiko Aoyama
– Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
– What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
– Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
– Hot Chocolate on Thursdays by Michiko Aoyama
Halle: Elizabeth O’Roark; Rachel Gillig; Ashley Manley
– The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
– One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
– Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
– The Holiday Club by Ashley Manley

Hidden Gem:
Ann: The Bad Seed by William March
– The Bad Seed (film)
Halle: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Best Audiobook Experience of the Year:
Ann: Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto; Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild
Halle: The Favorites by Layne Fargo; The River Has Roots by Amal el-Mohtar

Our Favorite Non-Book Media Property of the Year
Ann: Becoming Led Zeppelin; Friendship; Art for Everybody; Toshiro Mifune everything
– Tim Robinson filmography
– Paul Rudd filmography
– Akira Kurosawa filmography
– Toshiro Mifune filmography
Halle: The Pitt; Man on the Inside; puppies!

The Book We Recommended the Most This Year
Ann: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi
Halle: Heart the Lover by Lily King

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Prize for the Fire by Rilla Askew
• Halle: Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
  – When in Rome series by Sarah Adams

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The year is almost over, and it’s time to reveal our favorite books of 2025! Happy Holidays from your friends at Well-Read!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Jane Austen books
Agatha Christie books
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
What You’re Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Alchemised by SenLinYu

Ann’s picks:

• Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
  – Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
• The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
• Long Bright River by Liz Moore
  – Long Bright River (TV)
• The Bad Seed by William March
• The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
  – My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
• Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
  – Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano
• Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes by Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn
  – @ahnestkitchen on Instagram
  – America’s Test Kitchen
  – Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim
• The Crane Wife: A Memoir in Essays by CJ Hauser
  – “The Crane Wife” by CJ Hauser (essay)
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
• A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
  – “The Goose Girl”

Halle’s picks:

• Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – And How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
• The Will of the Many by James Islington
  – Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  – Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
  – Divergent series by Veronica Roth
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
• The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
  – Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
  – The Wedding People by Alison Espach
• Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
• One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
• The Names by Florence Knapp
• Heart the Lover by Lily King
  – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  – Writers & Lovers by Lily King

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: The Lack of Light by Nino Haratischwili
  – Persuasion by Jane Austen
  – The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischwili
  – The International Booker Prize
• Halle: The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

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As temperatures drop, we like nothing more than getting cozy with a book. Find out our suggestions for cozy reads this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

• Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
  – Susan Ryland series by Anthony Horowitz
  – Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
• What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
  – The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
  – Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
• Cackle by Rachel Harrison

Halle’s picks:

• A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
  – The Very Secret Society for Irregular Witches by Sanga Mandanna
• With Love from London by Sarah Jio
• Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman
  – While You Were Sleeping (film)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
• Halle: Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young

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We’ve been away for a bit, thanks to our travels this fall, but that just means we have a lot of books to talk about!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

Ann’s picks:

• Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
  – Matt Bomer filmography
  – The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
  – Outlander (TV)

Halle’s picks:

• Wreck by Catherine Newman
  – We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
  – Sandwich by Catherine Newman
• Dire Bound by Sable Sorenson
  – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
  – Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
  – Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
• Halle: Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris

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We’re looking back at the formative books that made us the readers we are today, and we’ll end with what we’re reading this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Andrew Lang books
Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Beauty by Robin McKinley
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Ann Rinaldi books
A Break with Charity by Ann Rinaldi
In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz
Fear Street series by R.L. Stine
Christopher Pike books
Cam Jansen series by David A. Adler
Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol
Masterpiece Mystery! (TV)
The Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin
Sleepover Friends series by Susan Saunders
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal
Sweet Valley Twins series by Francine Pascal
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Dollanganger series by V.C. Andrews
Goosebumps series by R.L. Stein
Richie Tankersley Cusick books
Nora Roberts books
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Jane Austen books
Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Mary Higgins Clark books
John Jakes books
North and South series by John Jakes
North and South (TV)
A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux
Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Frances Burney books
Diane Mott Davidson books
Anne Perry books
The Eight by Katherine Neville
Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher
Sarah Dessen books
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Mary Kay Andrews books

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn
• Halle: The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill
  – Read with Jenna
  – Thousand Voices Books

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Autumn is just around the corner, and it’s time to get our fall TBRs in order!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann Patchett books
Taylor Jenkins Reid books
Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
Broadchurch (TV)
Jane Austen books
The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh
Succession (TV)
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

Ann’s picks:

•  Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat (releases September 16)
  – Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
  – Salt Fat Acid Heat (TV)
•  The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller (releases October 7)
  – The Change by Kirsten Miller
  – Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller
•  All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles (releases October 7)
  – Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
• Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer (releases October 7)
  – Grady Hendrix books
  – Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
• Happy People Don’t Live Here by Amber Sparks (releases October 14)
  – Only Murders in the Building (TV)
  – Angela Carter books
• The Unveiling by Quan Barry (releases October 14)
  – We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
• Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (releases November 11)
  – Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
•  Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino (releases November 25)

Halle’s picks:

• Amity by Nathan Harris (releases September 2)
  – The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
  – Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
  – Doc by Mary Doria Russell
  – Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
  – William W. Johnstone books
•  Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (releases September 2)
  – Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
  – Our Town by Thornton Wilder
  – Wallace Stegner books
•  The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (releases September 16)
•  The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover (releases September 23)
•  Heart the Lover by Lily King (releases September 30)
  – Writers & Lovers by Lily King
• An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (releases November 11)
• Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (releases November 18)
• I, Medusa by Ayana Gray (releases November 18)
  – Circe by Madeline Miller
  – Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  – Rick Riordan books
  – Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian
• Halle: When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

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We’re halfway through the year, and it’s time to check in on our bookish goals and reading lives of 2025!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

2025 ALA Annual Conference
Jane Austen books
Book of the Month Club
Women’s Prize for Fiction
Libba Bray books
Agatha Christie books
Emily Henry books
Abby Jimenez books
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Strange Houses by Uketsu
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Inkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Left of Forever by Tara DeWitt
Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang
Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Women in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
The Names by Florence Knapp
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Heart the Lover by Lily King
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
Alchemised by SenLinYu
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Manacled by SenLinYu
Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer
Grady Hendrix books

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
• Halle: The Will of the Many by James Islington
  – Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas

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It’s already summer – how!? But we’re very ready for summer reading with our lists of the books we’re most excited about. As always, we’ll end with what we’re reading this week!

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray
Mutual Interest by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Sleepless in Seattle (film)
When Harry Met Sally… (film)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
Passion Project by London Sperry
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
Ali Hazelwood
Annabel Monaghan

Ann’s picks:

• The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King (releases June 3)
• The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater (releases June 3)
  – The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater
  – The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall (releases June 10)
  – Broadchurch (TV)
• Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild (releases July 8)
• How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold (releases July 8)
  – And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
  – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
• Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher (releases August 19)
  – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
  – Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
  – A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
• Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill (releases August 19)
  – Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  – The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
  – With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
• Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (releases August 26)
  – Babel by R.F. Kuang

Halle’s picks:

• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (releases June 3)
  – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  – Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  – Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  – Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  – Top Gun (film)
• The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (releases June 3)
• Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh (releases June 3)
  – Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
  – Succession (TV)
  – Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
  – Gossip Girl (TV)
• Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (releases June 10)
• When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa (releases June 24)
• Rose in Chains by Julie Soto (releases July 3)
  – The Thrashers by Julie Soto
  – The Auction by LovesBitca8 (fanfiction)
• The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley (releases June 24)
  – Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
  – The Mothers by Brit Bennett
• These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (releases July 8)

What We’re Reading This Week:

• Ann: Kate & Frida by Kim Fay
  – Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
• Halle: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
  – Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
  – A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
  – The Guncle by Steven Rowley
  – Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
  – Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

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