Well-Read

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

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Get in the mood for Valentine’s Day (and to clear space off your shelves) when we tackle the pink books on our TBRs!

 

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Ann’s picks:

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
– Sarah Vowell books
– Audie Cornish on NPR

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
– The Guncle by Steven Rowley

American Fantasy by Emma Straub
– New Kids on the Block (band)

Halle’s picks:

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson
– Jenny Colgan books
– Clare Pooley books
– Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Lovely War by Julie Berry
– Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm
– Ali Hazelwood books

What We’re Reading This Week:

Ann: King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
– S.A. Cosby books

Halle: Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams
– The Last Word by Taylor Adams
– Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

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It’s a new year and we’re so excited about the roster of books coming out in 2026! Find out what we can’t wait to dive into this winter and spring.

 

Books and other media mentioned in this episode:

Jane Austen books
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat
Amity by Nathan Harris
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover
Heart the Lover by Lily King
An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
I, Medusa by Ayana Gray

Ann’s picks:

 This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman (releases February 10)
– Isola by Allegra Goodman
– Sam by Allegra Goodman

 The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (releases February 17)
– The Empress of Rome series by Kate Quinn

 Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (releases February 17)
– Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett

 My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi (releases March 17)

 The Shock of the Light by Lori Inglis Hall (releases March 17)

 The Midnight Show by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne (releases April 7)
– Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
– The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne

 The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (releases April 7)
– V.E. Schwab books
– Cat Clarke books
– Anthony Horowitz books

  Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (releases April 21)
– Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

Halle’s picks:

 This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page (releases February 3)

 Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson (releases February 10)
– The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

 So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder (releases February 10)
– People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder
– People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

 Kin by Tayari Jones (releases March 17)
– An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
– The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

 A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman (releases March 3)
– The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

 Whidbey by T. Kira Madden (releases March 10)
– Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

 Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (releases April 7)
– Diabolical Lies (podcast)
– Trad Wife by Saratoga Schaefer

  Unbound by Peyton Corinne (releases April 7)
– Unsteady by Peyton Corinne
– Unloved by Peyton Corinne

What We’re Reading This Week:

Ann: All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis
– Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
– The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Halle: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
– Gilmore Girls (TV)
– Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
– Bridgerton (TV)
– Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

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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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