HeyJaredThe Reading Room
Chatting about the wonder of fantasy, science fiction, and classic literature.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 11
- Latest publication
- Sep 27, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 5, 2026
Latest issues
Cozy Perfection: “The Wind in the Willows” (opens the original)
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Having just read The Wind in the Willows for the first time—and consequently becoming an instant fan—I whipped off an enthusiastic article on why it’s a classic… And yet, one article was nowhere near enough to gush over this wonderful little book. So I asked my smarter-than-me son, Mitchell (an English teacher), to read it as well so we could get together in the Reading Room and talk about it. On camera. Here is that fun conversation in all its glory. <a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img"
Mole and Ratty, Badger and Toad (opens the original)
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Over the past decade, only three novels have floored me:The first was nine years ago when I finally got around to Watership Down. I was so taken by it that immediately I read it again, cursing that it took me until age 47 to meet Hazel and Bigwig.Next was when my third attempt to finish Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun hit paydirt. I sat about in a dizzy awe for weeks, realizing I’d just experienced a masterpiece.And the third was just two weeks ago, upon turning the f
“The Sparrow”: A Dark Night of the Soul (opens the original)
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Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow is a science-fiction first-contact book with deep theological themes. It’s from the mid-1990s, and I have to admit, I had never heard of this book until some fine folks—quite a lot of fine folks—recommended it to me, knowing how much I like philosophical science fiction.I’m really glad I read it.While it’s a pretty good book, I can’t say it’s my favorite, but still I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I wanted to talk about it a little bit.If you don’t know what the book
I Was Wrong About Harry Potter (opens the original)
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The first time I heard about Harry Potter was Rosie O’Donnel giving it a glowing recommendation on her talk show. It was about 1998, I was 29 and had just become a father. Rosie’s praise didn’t mean much to me, honestly, but as time went on the book—and soon J.K. Rowling’s series—took the zeitgeist by the horns. An all-out lightning-in-a-bottle cultural phenomenon, manic adoration was everywhere. My wife, Jennifer, read it and loved it. My kids devoured one book after another as they grew. I tau
“Parable of the Sower” is... okay (opens the original)
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I want to talk to you today about Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. This book is from the early or mid-90s (somewhere in the 90s!) and I’ve heard about it for three decades, but I’ve never gotten around to reading it until now.Part of the reason is (shame on me, judging a book by its cover) the cover that’s traditionally been printed on Parable of the Sower. Every time I look at it, even now, I’m thinking, “What is that supposed to be?” That is the least engaging image ever. I get it’s sup
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