Show Notes
We’re making reading resolutions for 2026 and giving out our 2025 book superlatives! Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Lauren Bacall filmographyJane Austen booksEmma by Jane AustenLibba Bray booksBook of the Month ClubAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James ClearEmily Henry booksPeople We Meet on Vacation by Emily HenryWomen’s Prize for FictionNext Chapter Society Book ClubThe Wedding People by Alison EspachWuthering Heights by Emily BrontëWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyRomanceopoly 2026Under the Covers (blog)@booksandlala on InstagramThrone of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas Most TimelyAnn: Jane Austen: A Life by Claire TomalinHalle: The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami Most DisappointingAnn: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez; Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See; Knife by Salman RushdieHalle: 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 RereadAnn: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Outlander by Diana Gabaldon– Persuasion by Jane Austen– Kristin Atherton filmographyHalle: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry; Beartown by Fredrik Backman Biggest SurpriseAnn: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis– Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome– Terry Pratchett books– Neil Gaiman booksHalle: The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith; Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman Least FavoriteAnn: The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen; Shelterwood by Lisa WingateHalle: 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 YanagiharaHalle: Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino; The Will of the Many by James IslingtonBest DistractionAnn: The Goldens by Lauren WilsonHalle: 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 SlumpAnn: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall– Broadchurch (TV)Halle: Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry Most UnputdownableAnn: Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter; A Killing Cold by Kate Alice MarshallHalle: 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 NeverAnn: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara; The Housemaid by Freida McFadden; A Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensHalle: The Beartown trilogy by Fredrik Backman; Kindred by Octavia Butler Book That Has Stayed With MeAnn: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali; The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham JonesHalle: 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 HaratischwiliHalle: Wreck by Catherine Newman Author(s) we discovered in 2024 that we’re most excited to read more from in 2025Ann: 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 AoyamaHalle: 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 WoudenBest Audiobook Experience of the Year:Ann: Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto; Finding Grace by Loretta RothschildHalle: The Favorites by Layne Fargo; The River Has Roots by Amal el-Mohtar Our Favorite Non-Book Media Property of the YearAnn: Becoming Led Zeppelin; Friendship; Art for Everybody; Toshiro Mifune everyth
More from Well-Read
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 CenturyThe New York Times: The 100 Best Books of 21st CenturyGone Girl by Gillian FlynnThe New York Times: Readers Pick Their 100 Best Books of 21st CenturyThe New York Times: Let’s Talk About the 50 Best Thrillers of the 21st CenturyPeople MagazineThe Goldfinch by Donna TarttMy Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan BraithwaiteBig Little Lies by Liane MoriartyStieg Larsson booksJo Nesbø booksJussi Adler-Olsen booksRuth Ware booksHarlem Trilogy series by Colson WhiteheadDon Winslow booksFreida McFadden booksCarl Hiaasen booksSarah Pinborough booksRuth Rendell booksThe Window in the Window by A.J. FinnThe Housemaid by Freida McFaddenVerity by Collen HooverWrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllisterNone of This Is True by Lisa JewellJohn Marrs booksThe One by John MarrsThe Marriage Act by John MarrsJames Patterson booksThe Da Vinci Code by Dan BrownAlong Came a Spider by James PattersonDaniel Silva books Ann’s picks:
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:
Somehow this year is already halfway over (!!!!!), so it’s time to check in on our reading goals and parts of our book lives.