Our Bookish Confessions

Ann’s picks: Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea by Emily Wilson (releases September 1) Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo (releases September 15) Bread on Uncle Milad’s Table by Mohammed Husayn Alnaas (releases October 6) Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova (releases October 13) Solace House by Will Maclean (releases October 13) Odette Rising by Julianne Edwards (releases October 13) Rottenheart by Kat Dunn (releases October 13) The Bookkeeper by Mary McGarry Morris (releases November 17) Halle’s picks: Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason (releases September 29) The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw (releases September 29) Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson (releases October 6) Once Again, Always by Amanda Gayle (releases October 6) Hollywood, Ending by John Green (releases October 6) Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li (releases October 13) Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane (releases November 3) Rabbit Rabbit by Jennifer E. Smith (releases December 15) What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage Halle: The Land and Its People by David Sedaris Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop

Like many readers, we’re eager to talk about the recent list of the 50 best thrillers of the 21st century, according to the New York Times. But we have a lot of questions… Books and other media mentioned in this episode: The New York Times: The 50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century The New York Times: The 100 Best Books of 21st Century Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The New York Times: Readers Pick Their 100 Best Books of 21st Century The New York Times: Let’s Talk About the 50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century People Magazine The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty Stieg Larsson books Jo Nesbø books Jussi Adler-Olsen books Ruth Ware books Harlem Trilogy series by Colson Whitehead Don Winslow books Freida McFadden books Carl Hiaasen books Sarah Pinborough books Ruth Rendell books The Window in the Window by A.J. Finn The Housemaid by Freida McFadden Verity by Collen Hoover Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell John Marrs books The One by John Marrs The Marriage Act by John Marrs James Patterson books The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Along Came a Spider by James Patterson Daniel Silva books Ann’s picks: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane – Mystic River by Dennis Lehane – Shutter Island (film) All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby The Witch Elm by Tana French Halle’s picks: The Push by Ashley Audrain – The Whispers by Ashley Audrain – The Things You’ll Never Know by Ashley Audrain Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush – @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram Halle: Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty – Read with Jenna – Jaclyn Moriarty books – Nicola Moriarty books Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop

We love a TBR episode, and even better is a TBR episode when we pick books for each other! Listen in for our selections, and we’ll end with what we’re reading this week. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann’s picks: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore – Long Bright River by Liz Moore The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill – The Woman in the Library in Sulari Gentill – Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill Enlightenment by Sarah Perry – Charles Dickens books – Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi – The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton Halle’s picks: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn – The Empress of Rome series by Kate Quinn – Kate Quinn books Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni – Our Ex’s Wedding by Taleen Voskuni Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: Strange Houses by Uketsu – Strange Buildings by Uketsu Halle: Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti – Tessa Dare books – Swipe Bite by Alexandra Vasti – Judith McNaught books – Loretta Chase books Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop

Somehow this year is already halfway over (!!!!!), so it’s time to check in on our reading goals and parts of our book lives.   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Litsy Next Chapter Society Book Club Libba Bray books @mysterymanon on Instagram @mother.horror on Instagram @ash.reads.horror on Instagram Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Wuthering Heights (film) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Romanceopoly 2026 @booksandlala on Instagram Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy Sarah J. Maas books New York Times Bestsellers list J.D. Robb books C.J. Box books Into the Blue by Emma Brodie Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane This Land Is Your Land by Beverly Gage A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman Land by Maggie O’Farrell Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Strangers by Belle Burden Famesick by Lena Dunham Whistler by Ann Patchett Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen books Naked in Death by J.D. Robb Sue Grafton books Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino A Good Person by Kirsten King Alan Opts Out by Courtney Maum Sky Daddy by Kate Folk The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason Partita by Barbara Kingsolver Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus Let’s Kiss and Tell by Joss Richard It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton Halle: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett – The Help by Kathryn Stockett Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop

If you’re anything like us, you often read a book you love, add the author’s books to your TBR…and there they sit, unread. Thanks to a listener suggestion, we’re making goals this week to rectify that!   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Meg Mitchell Moore books Ann’s picks: All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore – Runner by Ashton Lattimore – Ariel Lawhon books – The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – The Maidens by Alex Michaelides – The Help by Kathryn Stockett – The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – The Woman in Black (film) – The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill – Simon Serrallier series by Susan Hill – Ruth Rendell books – Inspector Wexford series by Ruth Rendell Halle’s picks: The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue – Sentimental Garbage (podcast) – Sex and the City (TV) – The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins – The Gifts series by Caroline O’Donoghue – Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue – Katabasis by R.F. Kuang – Yellowface by R.F. Kuang – Sarah MacLean books Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa – Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa – Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa – Mutual Discord by Liana De la Rosa Three Junes by Julia Glass – The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne – The Whole World Over by Julia Glass – The Women’s Prize for Fiction – The Correspondent by Virginia Evans What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown – The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Halle: Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy – Heated Rivalry (TV) – Off Campus (TV) – The Sweet Magnolias series by Sheryl Woods Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop

Summer is here, and so is a new crop of books! Relax by the pool, go on vacation, or just hang out in air conditioning with our picks. Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman Ann Patchett books Catherine Newman books Katherine Center books The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder Kin by Tayari Jones A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman Whidbey by T. Kira Madden Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Unbound by Peyton Corinne The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monahan Whistler by Ann Patchett Ann’s picks: A Perfect Hand by Ayelet Waldman (releases May 19) - Upstairs, Downstairs (TV) - Downton Abbey (TV) The Children by Melissa Albert (releases June 2) - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - Starling House by Alix E. Harrow The Pinnacle by Abir Mukherjee (releases June 16) - The White Lotus (TV) - Only Murders in the Building (TV) Tillinghast by Clare Cavenagh (releases June 23) - Marion by Leah Rowan - Psycho (film) The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders (releases July 7) - The Wedding People by Alison Espach Hide and Seek by Søren Sveistrup (releases July 7) - The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup - The Chestnut Man (TV) Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd (releases August 4) - The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LaCour (releases August 4) Halle’s picks: Five by Ilona Bannister (releases May 5) - Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister - The Passengers by John Marrs The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff (releases May 19) - The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh (releases June 2) - As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh Tropesick by Lauren Okie (releases June 16) - How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang - Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine Romantic Hero by Kirsty Greenwood (releases June 16) - The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi (releases June 16) The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (releases June 30) Die for Me by Shirlene Obuobi (releases July 14) What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: Greedy by Callie Kazumi - The Menu (film) Halle: Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray - Book of the Month - Presumed Innocent (TV) - Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow - Presumed Innocent (film) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Instagram

Thanks to a listener suggestion, we’re finding adult-audience readalikes for the books we loved as kids!   Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker Ann’s picks: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen – The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright and You’ll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron – Fear Street series by R.L. Stine – Christopher Pike books – The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell Halle’s picks: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin and Anxious People by Fredrik Backman – Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia – Janice Hallett books Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal and Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings – Gossip Girl (TV) The Babysitters’ Club series by Ann L. Martin and Lovelight series by B.K. Borison – Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore What We’re Reading This Week: Ann: L.A. Women by Ella Berman – Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Neapolitan series by Elena Ferrante Halle: Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla – Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop