Read or Dead

Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss some mystery and thriller recommendations for the 2026 Read Harder Challenge!

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!

Things Discussed


God of the Woods - Liz Moore - next book club read! - March 6th

Read Harder Challenge 2026

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed

22) Nonviolent True Crime: The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy - Paige Williams

17) Cults: Kismet - Amina Akhtar

6) Read a gothic novel published in the last ten years - The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story - Olga Tokarczuk, Translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

21) Read a genre (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) book in translation - Death Takes Me - Cristina Rivera Garza, Translated by Robin Myers and Sarah Booker


My Husband’s Wife - Alice Feeney (January 20th)


On Sundays She Picked Flowers - Yah-Yah Scholfield (Jan 27th)

If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:

Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester

Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady

And we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their favorite books of 2026!

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!

News

God of the Woods - Liz Moore - next book club read! - March 6th

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed


Paper Cut - Rachel Taff (Jan 27)


The Body - Bethany C. Morrow (Feb 10)


Someone Else’s Husband - Kimberly McCreight (June 16)


Whidbey - T Kira Madden (March 10)


Hooked: A Novel of Obsession - Asako Yuzuki, Translator Polly Barton (March 17)


The Ending Writes Itself - Evelyn Clarke (April 7)


The Star From Calcutta - Sujata Massey (March 3)


The Keeper - Tana French (March 31)


Last One Out - Jane Harper (April 14)

If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:

Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester

Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady

And we will talk to you all next time!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Read or Dead is taking a short holiday break, so we thought we'd share with you a recent episode from our newest Book Riot podcast, Zero to Well-Read, in which Jeff and Rebecca revisit Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a story so familiar it’s often mistaken for simple. They consider its moral stakes, its enduring influence on readers and society, and why Scrooge's redemption still resonates.

Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.

Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Email us: [email protected]

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their favorite books of 2025.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!

We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.

News

Fern Michaels has died at 92

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Books Discussed


Fiend - Alma Katsu


Nothing But Blackened Teeth - Cassandra Khaw


Victorian Psycho - Virginia Feito


The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones


The Witch’s Orchard - Archer Sullivan


King of Ashes - S.A. Cosby


They All Fall the Same - Wes Browne

If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:

Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester

Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady

We will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester recommend books for Native American Heritage Month and beyond.

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!

We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.

Books Discussed

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


Sisters of the Lost Nation - Nick Medina


Blood Sisters - Vanessa Lillie


Sisters in the Wind - Angeline Boulley


The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones

If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:

Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester

Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady

And we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices