The Read Well Podcast

In this episode, I begin a six-part series on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s journaling habits. Emerson didn’t see his journals as a place to record daily events—he saw them as a savings bank for ideas. I’ll explain what that means and why changing how you view your journal is the first step toward making it a tool for thinking. I’ll also share a book recommendation that can help you choose the right kind of notebook for this practice.

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What makes a bookstore more than four walls and shelves of paper? In this episode, I read a short essay about how bookstores can help us rediscover ourselves. I’ll also share a powerful book recommendation—The Best Poems of the English Language, edited by Harold Bloom—and tell you about my Kickstarter campaign to launch Edgewater Bookstore. If you’ve ever wandered the aisles of a local bookstore and felt like you were finding a los...

I sat down with J.D. Barker to talk about how he walked away from a career in corporate compliance and built a life as a full-time thriller writer. We cover his novels Dracul and Something I Keep Upstairs, the stories behind them, and how they connect to the wider tradition of suspense writing. J.D. also shares his own approach to reading so that every book—whether fiction or nonfiction—becomes a masterclass in storytelling.

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Philosophy isn’t written like a story or a textbook—it unfolds in a completely different way. In this episode, I’ll walk you through how I approach reading philosophy without going insane. I’ll share practical tips that have helped me stay grounded, even in the densest chapters. I’ll also recommend a short book that every creative person should read (Art & Fear), and I’ll point you to a channel I think you’ll enjoy: Prose &...

I used to read a book and forget it days later. Then I realized the problem wasn’t my memory—it was how I was approaching the text. In this episode, I’ll explain why remembering is a choice, not a talent. I’ll show you how treating ideas like people you want to know will make them stick.

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In this episode of The Read Well Podcast, I’m cutting through the excuses lifelong learners love to tell themselves—“I don’t have time,” “I’m not smart enough,” “I just need the perfect system.” Nope. What you really need is discipline, focus, and a willingness to get uncomfortable.

I’m sharing 20 blunt tips that will kick you in the pants and help you finally take your learning seriously. If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, en...

In this week's episode, I’m sharing why The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy is one of the most powerful things I’ve ever read. It’s only 53 pages, but it forced me to rethink how I’m living, what I’m chasing, and whether I’m being honest with myself.

We’ll break down what this book is really about (spoiler: it’s not just death), how it gets under your skin, and why it might be the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed.

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As a kid, I used to read by flashlight under my covers—completely absorbed, completely amazed. Somewhere along the way, I traded that sense of wonder for utility. In this episode, I talk about what happened and how to get it back. I’ll share one book that lit the fire again and offer a few tips for reclaiming a deeper, more joyful experience of reading.

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I didn’t pick these books expecting them to shake up my perspective. But they did. In this episode, I walk through Working Days by John Steinbeck, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, and Cultish by Amanda Montell—three very different books that ended up revealing something essential about how we live, what we believe, and what we hide from ourselves. If you’re looking for thoughtful, honest reads that might nudge you toward new wa...

In this episode, I talk about why so many people forget what they read—and how I’ve changed my habits to remember the books that matter. It’s not a trick or a hack. It’s just a way of treating books like relationships. You can’t know someone after one dinner, and you can’t know a book after one reading.

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This is episode 100 of The Read Well Podcast, and to mark the moment, I’m sharing the 11 books we’ll be reading together from June 2025 to June 2026 in season 3 of the Book Club. If you’re someone who wants to read more deeply, especially when it comes to philosophy and big ideas, I think you’ll want to see what’s on the list. I’ll also explain how to join us for book club—whether you want to talk, listen, or just read alongside a ...

I read to spend time with people—fictional or not—that make me think, make me laugh, or just feel like good company. In this episode, I talk about why Less by Andrew Sean Greer worked for me, why Artemis by Andy Weir didn’t, and why I give every novel exactly 50 pages to win me over. This isn’t about snobbery—it’s about using your time wisely.

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Philosophy can feel like a foreign language at first. I used to struggle with it too—until I found the right books. In this episode, I walk through 9 books that helped me go from confused to curious, and eventually confident. If you’ve ever wanted to read philosophy but didn’t know where to begin, these titles will help you build that muscle. This isn’t about sounding smart—it’s about learning to think clearly.

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In this episode, I sit down with Binnie Kirshenbaum to talk about her new novel, Counting Backwards—a story about love, aging, and the slow disappearance of memory. We talk about how books can help us wrestle with what it means to be human, and how reading deeply—without rushing—can be one of the most powerful ways to stay present in our own lives.

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Writing a novel is a long road, and no one knows that better than Piers Torday, Andrea Stewart, and L.R. Lam. In this live interview, they share what writing looks like on a daily basis, how they help new writers at The Novelry, and how reading with a writer’s mind can change the way you experience books. I think you’ll find their insight helpful whether you’re working on a manuscript or just trying to understand your favorite nove...

I’ve started writing a novel—and it’s been draining in a way I didn’t expect. In this episode, I talk about the strange fatigue that comes with creative work and how I’ve learned to notice when I’m running low. I share what helps me recharge, including the kinds of books I turn to when I need my mind to come back to life.

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I tried to improve my handwriting because I couldn’t read my own notes. What I didn’t expect was that it would change how I read books. In this episode, I talk about how slowing down my writing helped me slow down my reading, how physical tension shows up in both, and how emotional baggage can get in the way of both writing and reading.

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Reading isn’t enough. People love to say that books make you smarter, but that’s only true if you do something with what you read. In this episode, I’ll talk about how to read for knowledge in a way that actually improves your life. I’ll also share some key decisions I’ve made as a reader to sharpen my understanding, including lessons from my study of Macbeth.

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In this episode, I talk about why classic literature is still worth reading, even in our busy lives. These books have lasted the test of time for a reason. They offer rich insights into the human experience, and I’ll show you how reading a novel like Jane Eyre can help you see life from new perspectives. You’ll find that classic literature is not just for scholars—it’s for anyone who wants to understand themselves and the world bet...