Unabridged: A Book Podcast

Romances for the Beach

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Looking for a few romances to add to your summer reading list? In this episode, we’re sharing romances that would make great beach reads, with stories full of second chances, complicated friendships, family expectations, emotional depth, and plenty of momentum.

During our bookish check-in, Ashley shares Jessica Parra’s Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a YA novel about baking, ambition, family pressure, and finding your own path. Jen shares June Hur’s The Forest of Stolen Girls (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a historical mystery set on Jeju Island in 1426.

Then we move into our main discussion with two summer romance recommendations: Alisha Rai’s Partners in Crime (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Carley Fortune’s Our Perfect Storm (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We close with a round of Lit Chat about DNFing books, skipping to the end, and whether it ever feels okay to spoil yourself just a little.

We’d love to know what romances are on your summer TBR or which beach reads you think we should add to ours.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org books from our Unabridged shop. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram or Facebook. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Maggie O'Farrell's HAMNET - May 2026 Book Club

Wed, 27 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

What book has broken your heart in the best possible way? In episode 313, we’re discussing Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), our May 2026 Book Club pick. Before we dive into this moving novel inspired by the life and loss behind Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we share our Bookish Check-in.

In our discussion of Hamnet, we talk about Maggie O’Farrell’s stunning portrayal of grief, motherhood, art, and love. We discuss Agnes as such a compelling and unconventional character, the emotional power of Hamnet and Judith’s bond, and the way the novel captures both intimate family moments and sweeping questions about loss and creativity. We also share pairings, including Weyward by Amelia Hart (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Whether you’ve already read Hamnet or have been meaning to pick it up for years, we’d love for you to join us for this conversation.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Sally Smith’s A Case of Mice and Murder (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)

Jen - Vauhini Vara’s Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Cozy Mystery Recommendations for 2026

Wed, 13 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Are cozy mysteries one of your favorite comfort reads, or are you looking for a place to start? In episode 312, we’re sharing a couple of cozy mystery recommendations that surprised and delighted us in very different ways. Before we dive into mysteries, we kick things off with our Bookish Check-in: Jen shares Edward Humes’ Total Garbage: How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Ashley talks about Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Then we discuss two cozy mysteries we highly recommend: Alexia Gordon’s Murder in G Major (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), featuring a ghostly composer in Ireland, and The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a historical mystery set in 1920s London. We also wrap up with a Lit Chat about how we keep track of our ever-growing TBR lists. Whether you’re already a cozy mystery fan or just curious about the genre, we hope you’ll join us for the conversation.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Sherri L. Smith’s FLYGIRL - April 2026 Book Club

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Have you ever read a historical novel that shines a light on a perspective you hadn’t considered before? We’re discussing Sherri L. Smith’s Flygirl (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), our April 2026 Book Club pick, which tackles the role of women pilots in WWII.

Before we dive in, we share our Bookish Check-in: Jen talks about Eliot Schrefer’s The Darkness Outside Us (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Ashley shares her thoughts on Clint Smith’s How the Word Is Passed (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

In our discussion of Flygirl, we talk about the complexity of Ida Mae’s decision to pass, the novel’s exploration of colorism and identity, and the tension between following your dreams and staying connected to who you are. We also share our pairings, including Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray’s The Personal Librarian (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Nella Larsen’s Passing (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

We wrap up with our latest Unabridged favorites. We’d love to hear what you thought of Flygirl and hope you’ll join us for the conversation.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Books about Animals

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Have you ever been surprised by how powerful a story about an animal can be?

In this episode, we’re sharing book recommendations for the “books about animals” category of our 2026 Reading Challenge.

We start with a quick bookish check-in: Ashley is reading Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen is listening to With Love from Harlem by ReShonda Tate (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Then we each share a featured recommendation: Ashley highlights Shelby

Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen recommends The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tania James (Bookshop.org), two very different but equally compelling stories where animals play a central role.

We wrap up with a Lit Chat about books that have inspired us in real life.

Whether you’re checking off a challenge category or just looking for a great read, we hope you’ll join us for the conversation!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

John Schu’s LOUDER THAN HUNGER - March 2026 Book Club

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

What happens when a book captures both the hardest parts of life and the possibility of hope? In episode 309, we’re discussing John Schu’s Louder Than Hunger (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), our March 2026 Book Club pick. Before we dive into this powerful middle-grade novel in verse, we share our Bookish Check-in: Ashley talks about Annie Hartnett’s The Road to Tender Hearts (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen shares her thoughts on Maggie Su’s Blob: A Love Story (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

In our discussion of Louder Than Hunger, we talk about the emotional power of Schu’s storytelling, the way the verse form brings readers into Jake’s experience, and how the novel offers such an important portrayal of eating disorders, mental health, and healing. We also recommend our pairings, including Yara Zgheib’s The Girls at 17 Swann Street (Bookshop.org) and Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper (Vol 3 Bookshop.org | Vol 4 Bookshop.org).

We wrap up with a couple of our latest Unabridged favorites. We’d love to hear what you thought of Louder Than Hunger and hope you’ll join us for the conversation.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Nonfiction Audiobook Recommendations

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Have you discovered a nonfiction audiobook that completely drew you in? In this episode, we’re sharing some of our favorite nonfiction audiobooks as part of the 2026 Unabridged Reading Challenge.

Before diving into our recommendations, we start with our bookish check-in. Then we turn to nonfiction audiobooks we’ve loved. Jen recommends Hannah Ritchie’s Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), an accessible and hopeful look at climate change that balances honest data with practical, actionable solutions. Ashley shares Juno Dawson’s This Book Is Gay (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a candid, funny, and informative guide to exploring gender and sexuality that tackles complex topics with openness and compassion.

We wrap up with a Lit Chat question about how we treat our books, including whether we annotate, use book darts, or keep every page pristine.

If you’re looking for a great nonfiction audiobook to add to your TBR (or your reading challenge list), we hope you’ll join us for the conversation!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Lauren Kung Jessen's LUNAR LOVE - February 2026 Book Club

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Do you believe love is written in the stars, or is it something we shape for ourselves? We’re discussing our February Book Club pick, Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Before we dive in, we start with a quick bookish check-in: Jen shares about What We Can Know by Ian McEwan (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a speculative literary mystery about art, archives, and the future of the humanities, and Ashley talks about Damsel by Elana K. Arnold (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a dark, fairy-tale-inspired story that’s already raising big questions.

Then we get into Lunar Love, where we talk about the tension between tradition and modern dating apps, what it means to inherit a family legacy, and whether compatibility should be rigidly focused on matchmaking. There’s a lot to unpack here about identity, growth, and opening yourself up to love—even when it doesn’t look the way you expected.

We also share a couple of pairings, including Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and we close with our latest Unabridged Favorites.

Book from a Favorite Author’s Backlist

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Have you ever loved an author so much but then realized you’ve barely scratched the surface of their backlist? In episode 306, we’re talking about the “Book from a Favorite Author’s Backlist” category from the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge and why exploring earlier works can be such a rewarding reading experience.

Before diving into our backlist picks, we kick things off with a bookish check-in. For our main discussion, Ashley shares about The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), reflecting on how dramatically tone can shift across an author’s body of work. Jen shares her backlist pick, The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and we talk about nuanced characters, moral complexity, and the joy of reading an author’s interconnected world over time.

We wrap up with a Lit Chat question all about book recommendations. Whether you’re tackling this category for the reading challenge or just looking for a nudge to revisit a favorite author, we hope this conversation inspires your next pick.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Laura Dave’s The Night We Lost Him (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)

Jen - Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Rabih Alameddine's THE TRUE TRUE STORY OF RAJA THE GULLIBLE (AND HIS MOTHER) - January 2026 Book Club

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Have you ever finished a book you absolutely loved but found hard to explain?

In this episode of Unabridged, we’re discussing our January 2026 Book Club pick, National Book Award winner The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which is brilliant in ways that are sometimes hard to articulate.

Before diving into the discussion, we start with a bookish check-in: Ashley shares about Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen talks about Life on a Little-Known Planet: Dispatches from a Changing World by Elizabeth Kolbert (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

From there, we dig into Raja the Gullible, talking about Raja’s unforgettable narrative voice, the novel’s nonlinear structure, and the way humor and tragedy coexist on the page. We explore Raja’s complicated, tender relationship with his mother, the impact of memory and trauma across decades, and how personal stories are shaped by larger national and historical forces. We also share book pairings, give this one a resounding five bookish hearts, and wrap up with a couple of Unabridged favorites.

If you’re participating in the 2026 Unabridged Reading Challenge, this book fulfills the category “book from an awards list.” If you read this one, we’d love to hear what you thought!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

2026 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Are you the kind of reader who loves a little structure, or do reading challenges make you want to run the other way?

In Episode 304 (our first episode of 2026!), we’re ringing in the new year with a conversation about reading challenges, reflecting on what worked for us in 2025, what didn’t, and how we’re thinking about setting reading intentions for 2026.

Then we dive into the 2026 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge, walking through all 12 categories and sharing a few ways we hope the challenge will feel flexible, fun, and community-centered as you read along with us this year. We’re excited to kick off another reading challenge for the new year and can’t wait to have you join us. For more about the 2026 reading challenge, check out this info on our website.

If you’re joining our challenge (or tackling another one), come tell us what you’re reading on Instagram @unabridgedpod!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Jean Meltzer's THE MATZAH BALL - December Book Club Encore

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Have you read Jean Meltzer yet, and are you in the mood for a holiday romance with real heart?

In this special encore episode, we’re bringing back our December 2021 Book Club episode (Ep. 207), featuring Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org), her delightful debut. We loved revisiting this one: it’s funny and festive, but it also has surprising depth as Meltzer thoughtfully explores chronic illness and the power (and weight) of keeping parts of yourself hidden. We also talk about the rich portrayal of Jewish traditions, the book’s strong family dynamics, and the second-chance chemistry between Rachel and Jacob.

If you’re new to Meltzer, this is a perfect place to start, especially since she’s also written another holiday romance we adore, The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We hope you enjoy this cozy throwback, and we’d love to hear what holiday reads you’re loving this season!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org books from our Unabridged shop.

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram or Facebook. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley’s THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING - December Book Club

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Do you love a good holiday story that brings different traditions, and unexpected friendships, together in one cozy, snowed-in town? We’re diving into our December Book Club pick, Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Before we get into the book club chat, we start with a bookish check-in: Jen shares about Nadia Davids’s Cape Fever (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Ashley talks about A. R. Abbott’s Founded on Blood and Magic (Bookshop.org).

From there, we get into all things Three Holidays and a Wedding. We talk about the way Maryam and Anna’s unlikely friendship becomes the heart of the story, the charm of the Snow Falls setting, and the beauty of seeing Ramadan, Hanukkah, and Christmas all woven into the same timeline. We also share book pairings, including Ali Brady’s Merry Little Bookshop (Bookshop.org) and Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and wrap up with our bookish heart ratings and a couple of Unabridged Favorites.

This is our final new episode of 2025, and we’ll be back soon with a re-release of a past book club discussion before we head into a new year of reading together. Also be sure to check out our 2026 Reading Challenge as we turn toward the new year!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s THE SECRET GARDEN - November 2025 Book Club

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Have you read Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), or maybe watched one of the adaptations, and wondered how it holds up today? In Episode 301, Jen and Ashley dive into this beloved classic as our November Book Club pick. We start with a Bookish Check-in before diving into our discussion. We talk about what surprised us when revisiting The Secret Garden, from Mary’s truly contrary beginning to the way nature, friendship, and “a bit of earth” transform both Mary and Colin over time. We also spend time on the harder pieces that haven't aged well despite the hopeful story at the center of the novel.

For pairings, Ashley recommends Sharon M. Draper’s Out of My Mind (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen brings Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) into the conversation. We wrap up with our Unabridged Favorites for this month. We’d love to know your thoughts on The Secret Garden and any pairings you’d suggest, so come chat with us on social media @unabridgedpod and let us know what you think.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Celebrating the 300th Episode of Unabridged!

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Have you been with us since the early days, or are you just finding your way to our bookish corner? In Episode 300, we celebrate a huge milestone with a very special guest… our beloved former co-host, Sara! We kick things off with a Bookish Check-In, then look back at standout reads and moments from eight years and 300 episodes of Unabridged.

We revisit unforgettable conversations and reads, including Dopesick by Beth Macy (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) paired with Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm); a joyful return to Anne of Green Gables (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm); and the lasting impact of Tommy Orange’s There There (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) (plus a nod to Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We share favorite memories like our spirited “Is Love Actually a holiday movie?” debate, book-festival fangirl moments, and the pre-lockdown Podfest trip that re-shaped our podcasting lives. We close with a Lit Chat prompt about the childhood series that made us readers.

Whether you’ve listened to one episode or all 300, thank you for being here. Come celebrate with us, and tell us your favorite Unabridged memory or the series that hooked you on reading! You can always join the bookish conversation on Instagram.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?
The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org books from our Unabridged shop. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram or Facebook. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Stephen Graham Jones's THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER - October 2025 Book Club

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you picked up Stephen Graham Jones’s The Buffalo Hunter Hunter (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) yet? We dig into this brilliant work in our October book club discussion. We start with a Bookish Check-In: Jen’s reading Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Ashley just started V. E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Then we dive into The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. We talk about the layered storytelling structure, including journals, interviews, and found documents, and we discuss how Jones uses horror to explore history, violence, and accountability.

We wrap up with our pairings: Jen recommends Dan Simmons’s The Terror (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Ashley shares Emelia Hart’s Weyward (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), plus we both shout out other Stephen Graham Jones books.

We’d love to hear what you thought of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. Come tell us your take on Instagram @unabridgedpod.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Spooky Reads 2025 Edition

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Do you like spooky reads, or do you tend to steer clear of anything too creepy? In Episode 298, Jen and Ashley share our favorite books for the season, and we talk about what makes the perfect fall read.

We start with our Bookish Check-in: Ashley is listening to Thorn Season (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) by Kiera Cass, and Jen’s revisiting Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Then we each bring a fall pick to the table: we share about Megan Bannen’s The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Adriana Mather’s How to Hang a Witch (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Both picks have ghosts, magic, and just enough spookiness to feel seasonal without being nightmare fuel.

Just a reminder that if you purchase books using our affiliate links for Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, or if you shop on Bookshop using our Unabridgedpod shop, we get a small percentage of those sales, which supports us and the companies.

We wrap things up with a Lit Chat question about DNFs: do you finish every book you start? We share a little honesty about how hard it can be to stop reading something once it’s begun. Join us, and let us know on Instagram what your favorite spooky reads are (and whether you’re a completionist or a proud DNFer)!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Alison Bechdel's FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC - September 2025 Book Club

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic or seen the musical adaptation? In episode 297, our September Book Club pick takes us into Bechdel’s layered, brilliant graphic memoir about family, identity, and the stories we use to make sense of our lives.

We kick things off with a bookish check-in (Ashley’s listening to Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Ruling Class; Jen just started Angeline Boulley’s Sisters in the Wind) and then dive into Fun Home. We discuss Bechdel's literary references and her stark honesty, the grief and humor, and why this one is so often challenged. We’d love to hear your thoughts and favorite moments from the book. Come join the conversation!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Books that Live Up to the Hype

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you ever hesitated to pick up a buzzy book because you weren’t sure it would live up to the hype? In Episode 296, Jen and Ashley kick off Season Nine with a chat about the books that absolutely do.

We start with our Bookish Check-in: Jen’s reading Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy, and I share thoughts on Elana K. Arnold’s What Girls Are Made Of. Then we each bring a hyped pick that worked for us (hello, Susan Choi’s Flashlight and Allison Espach’s The Wedding People). We wrap with a card from Book Riot's Lit Chat Game about which fictional journey we’d tag along for.

Join us, and tell us on Instagram which hyped reads delivered for you!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Books for Your Beach Bag

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Which books are going in your beach bag this summer? In today’s episode, we’re sharing a few great picks for your next vacation—or just your next relaxing afternoon in the sun. From fast-paced thrillers and twisty YA mysteries to a heartfelt rom-com set in the world of podcasting, we’ve got something for everyone.

We're heading into a summer break for Unabridged soon and wanted to make sure we'd shared some fun picks for summer before we pause.

For our beach bag picks, Ashley recommends Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, a compulsively readable thriller set on a remote island during a glamorous wedding weekend. Jen shares Back After This by Linda Holmes, a thoughtful, feel-good rom-com about podcasting, heartbreak, and second chances.

We wrap up with a Lit Chat question: What’s a book or series you think is overrated?

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram or Facebook. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Maureen Johnson's TRULY DEVIOUS - May 2025 Book Club

Wed, 28 May 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson—or maybe even the whole series? In this May 2025 Book Club episode, we’re diving into the twisty world of Ellingham Academy with Stevie Bell and company. But first, we kick things off with a Bookish Check-In. Ashley’s reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (yes, the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea), and Jen shares her thoughts on Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author.

Then we dive into all things Truly Devious—what makes Stevie such a compelling protagonist, how Johnson balances multiple mysteries across timelines, and why this one’s a must-read for fans of dark academia and character-driven whodunits. We wrap up with perfect book pairings, plus a few favorite things outside the reading life.

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

HEARTSTOPPER on Screen: Discussing Alice Oseman’s Beloved Series

Wed, 14 May 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you watched the Heartstopper series or read the graphic novels by Alice Oseman? In this episode, we’re sharing a conversation that originally aired on Patreon all about the pilot episode of Heartstopper, based on Oseman’s beloved graphic novel series. Before we dive into the adaptation, we kick things off with a bookish check-in—Ashley shares about Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, and Jen is rereading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. We wrap things up with a fun Lit Chat question about whether we prefer borrowing or buying books (spoiler: it depends!).

Whether you’ve read the series, watched the show, or are just curious what all the buzz is about, we hope you’ll tune in and join the conversation.

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Javier Zamora’s SOLITO - April 2025 Book Club

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0400

In this month’s Book Club episode, we’re discussing Solito by Javier Zamora, a powerful memoir that chronicles his journey as a nine year old traveling alone from El Salvador to the United States. With vivid detail and emotional clarity, Zamora recounts the two-month trek that took him across borders, through deserts, and into the hands of strangers—some kind, some dangerous—all with the hope of reuniting with his parents on the other side.

We discuss the emotional weight of Zamora’s story, the beauty of his writing, and the way his experience speaks to the resilience of young people navigating unimaginably difficult circumstances. Tune in to hear our thoughts, a few favorite quotes, and recommendations for other powerful reads to pair with this unforgettable memoir.

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

How Buddy Reads Boost Our Young Adult Reading

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you ever found that reading with a friend makes a book even better? In this episode, we (Jen and Ashley) dive into the joys of buddy reading, spotlighting some of our favorite young adult books we've read together through Unabridgedpod Buddy Reads—a community reading experience we host monthly on Instagram.

We share how these reads have shaped our perspectives, helped us connect more deeply with the stories, and brought us closer to our reading community. From emotional reads like Darius the Great Is Not Okay to page-turners like Jennifer Lynn Barnes'sThe Naturals, we’re talking about the power of reading together and the books that have stuck with us along the way.

Whether you’re new to buddy reading or a long-time participant in our monthly chats, this episode is a celebration of shared stories and the friendships that grow from them.

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Shifa Saltagi Safadi’s KAREEM BETWEEN - March 2025 Book Club

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0400

How do you find your place when you feel stuck between worlds? In this episode, Jen and Ashley dive into Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, our March 2025 book club pick. This middle-grade novel in verse explores identity, belonging, and tough moral choices as Kareem navigates friendships, football, and family while feeling caught between cultures.

We discuss our overall impressions, the book’s powerful themes, and some of the moments that stuck with us. Plus, we share book pairings that explore similar themes of identity and community.

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Discussing the Film Adaptation of Nella Larsen's PASSING

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read Nella Larsen's Passing (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a brilliant classic written in 1929? Today, we're sharing our Patreon discussion of the film adaptation of this, which we both thoroughly enjoyed. We talk about the book and film and share our thoughts about the artistic choices.

We end with a couple of very entertaining Lit Chat Game questions, so be sure to stick around for those!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Chloe Liese's TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT - February 2025 Book Club

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0400

It’s book club time! This month, we’re diving into Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese—a swoony, opposites-attract romance inspired by Much Ado About Nothing. Fake dating? Revenge plot? Emotional depth? We have thoughts.

In this episode, Jen and I break down our overall impressions, what worked for us, and some standout quotes that stuck with us. We also share our book pairings for this one, including Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert and Sonali Dev’s Austen retellings—because if you loved Two Wrongs Make a Right, we’ve got more recommendations to keep that reading streak going.

Join us for the discussion, and let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Love is in the Air 2025 - Our Latest Romance Recs

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Love is in the air! In our annual February episode, we’re back with some romance recommendations just in time for Valentine’s (or Galentine’s!) season. We’re sharing books that have captured our hearts recently, from star-crossed lovers to unconventional storytelling.

But first, we kick things off with our latest reads, including Matt Haig’s The Life Impossible and Jennifer Croft’s The Extinction of Irena Rey—both of which bring unique narrative structures and compelling protagonists to the table. Join us as we chat about what we’re loving (and maybe not loving) in romance right now, with a mix of new releases and backlist gems.

Want even more from us? Check out our Patreon for bonus content, exclusive guides, and access to our full back catalog: patreon.com/unabridgedpod.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Percival Everett's JAMES - January 2025 Book Club Pick

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0400

What does it mean to explore identity, legacy, and the complexities of family through a literary lens? For our January book club episode of Unabridged, join us as we discuss Percival Everett’s James.

This inventive retelling of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn reimagines the story from Jim’s perspective, giving voice to a character often overshadowed in the original. Packed with humor, grief, and rich reflection, Everett’s novel invites readers to explore themes of race, agency, and storytelling in a whole new way. Don’t miss this engaging conversation about a brilliant book that will be discussed for many years to come.

Join us on Patreon to have access to our back catalog of recordings and resources. Also, just a reminder that this season, we now have a shop on Patreon where you can purchase book discussion guides and other resources. We appreciate your support so much.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Our 2025 Reading Challenges and Looking Back on 2024

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:00:00 -0400

Happy New Year! In this episode of Unabridged, we're diving into our 2025 reading challenges and reflecting on the highs and lows of our 2024 goals. Join us as we share our experiences with various reading challenges—what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons we’re carrying forward. We're also introducing our 2025 Unabridgedpod Reading Challenge. We'd love for you to join us!

Whether you’re new to reading challenges or a seasoned pro, this episode offers inspiration and insight to shape your reading life for the year ahead. Don't forget to check out our Patreon shop for discussion guides, book club resources, and more to support your reading journey!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

284: Sonya Lalli's A HOLLY JOLLY DIWALI - December Book Club (Encore)

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0400

As we approach winter break, we wanted to share a re-release of a book club episode about a seasonal novel we loved discussing. Looking for a fun, illuminating holiday-centered read? Check out Sonya Lalli's A Holly Jolly Diwali (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), our December Unabridged book club pick.

In this episode, Jen and Ashley discuss thoughts about A Holly Jolly Diwali and share our book pairings including Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Thrity Umrigar’s Honor (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Cynthia Hand's THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE - December 2024 Book Club

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 04:00:00 -0400

For our December book club episode of Unabridged, join Ashley and Jen as we discuss Cynthia Hand's The Afterlife of Holly Chase. This modern young adult retelling of A Christmas Carol is packed with holiday spirit, humor, and poignant themes. Alongside our book discussion, Ashley and Jen also share our book pairings to complement your reading experience. Don’t miss this festive conversation!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Waubgeshig Rice's MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW - November 2024 Book Club

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In our November Book Club episode, Jen and Ashley are discussing Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Join Ashley and Jen as we explore this haunting post-apocalyptic novel set in a remote Anishinaabe community and as we share our thoughts and pairing recommendations.

As the outside world descends into chaos and communication cuts off, the community must grapple with the collapse of modern systems, rediscover traditional ways of life, and confront the arrival of unsettling outsiders. Filled with tension and resilience, Rice’s novel offers a compelling exploration of survival, identity, and the strength of community.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Discussing Greta Gerwig’s LITTLE WOMEN - A Fresh Look at a Beloved Classic

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 04:00:00 -0400

This month on Unabridged, we’re thrilled to share our Patreon discussion about Greta Gerwig’s Little Women with you all. In this beloved adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, Gerwig brings a fresh, nuanced perspective to the March sisters' journeys, exploring themes of independence, ambition, and sisterhood in ways that resonate with today’s audiences. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Little Women or discovering Gerwig’s take for the first time, this episode is full of insights that will deepen your appreciation for the film.

Join us on Patreon to have access to our back catalog of more film adaptation discussions like this one! Also, just a reminder that this season, we now have a shop on Patreon where you can purchase book discussion guides and other resources. We appreciate your support so much.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Isabel Cañas's Vampires of El Norte - October Book Club

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0400

In our October Book Club episode, the Unabridged Podcast is diving into Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Join Ashley and Jen as they discuss this gripping novel set in 1840s Mexico, where Nena, the daughter of a rancher, faces a sinister threat that lurks near her home, draining men of their blood. After being attacked by this nightmare nine years earlier, Nena is reunited with Néstor, her childhood sweetheart, as they are both pulled into the chaos of the U.S. invasion of Mexico in 1846. Nena, a curandera, and Néstor, a vaquero, must confront their unresolved past while battling a monstrous evil.

In the episode, Ashley and Jen share their overall impressions, what worked for them, and some powerful quotes from the book, including a discussion about Nena’s struggle for freedom. They also offer their book pairings. Don’t miss this deep dive into a historical, supernatural story!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Our 2024 Spooky Reads Recommendations

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for some spooky reads to get you in the Halloween spirit? We’re back with our 2024 spooky recommendations, perfect for curling up with as the nights get longer. Whether you’re in the mood for dark fairy tales or eerie adventures, we’ve got two books that will give you chills!

In this episode, Ashley recommends Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a dark, atmospheric fairy tale with twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jen suggests Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a creepy middle-grade novel that delivers plenty of suspense and eerie moments, making it perfect for readers of all ages.

Get ready for a frightfully good time with these spooky reads! Also, just a reminder that this season, we now have a shop on Patreon where you can purchase book discussion guides and other resources. You do not have to be a patron to purchase from the shop, so feel free to take a look even if you are not patron! We appreciate your support!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Jas Hammonds's WE DESERVE MONUMENTS - September 2024 Book Club

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Have you ever wondered what family secrets are hiding just below the surface? In this episode, Jen and Ashley dive into Jas Hammonds' stunning debut, We Deserve Monuments.

As seventeen-year-old Avery navigates the tension between her mother and her terminally ill grandmother, we unpack the complex relationships, hidden histories, and simmering truths that drive this story forward. We discuss how Avery’s search for answers shakes the foundation of her world. Join us as we explore this emotional and thought-provoking novel about family, identity, and the price of truth.

We now have resources available for purchase on Patreon; these do not require a membership. We appreciate your support so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Get to Know the Hosts - Season 8

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0400

We're back with Season 8 of Unabridged: A Book Podcast!

Join us for a special "Get to Know the Hosts" episode where we catch up on their summer adventures, bookish highlights, and what’s been keeping them inspired.

Whether you’re a long-time listener or new to the podcast, this episode offers a personal look at the people behind the mic.

Tune in now to hear about their latest reads and what’s coming up next for Unabridged!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Jesse Q. Sutanto's VERA WONG'S UNSOLICITED ADVICE FOR MURDERERS - June 2024 Book Club

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a cozy mystery with a lot of spilled tea? Be sure to join us as we read and discuss Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) as our June 2024 book club pick! This cozy mystery is a perfect summer read that will warm your heart despite the dead body at its center.

We're continuing to add exclusive content over on Patreon. We appreciate your support so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Short Reads for Summer

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:35:38 -0400

Are you looking for quick reads to breeze through this summer? We're bringing you recommendations for short books to put on your TBR stack (our in your audiobook queue!) for this summer. If you're looking for more short book recommendations, be sure to check out our popular blog post, "9 Great Short Books to Kick Off Your 2024 Reading Goals."

We're continuing to add exclusive content over on Patreon. In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon for subscribers. We appreciate your support so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Henry Hoke’s Open Throat - May 2024 Book Club

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a book written from an unusual perspective for the 2024 Unabridged Reading Challenge? Henry Hoke's Open Throat, a young adult novel in verse written from the perspective of a mountain lion living in LA, certainly meets the requirements for that category.

This is a fast, compelling read that addresses many social issues from a unique perspective. Listen in to hear Ashley and Jen discuss Hoke's work as well as our pairings.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Finding Book Club Picks for the Reading Challenge

Wed, 08 May 2024 04:00:00 -0400

How do you find book clubs and buddy reads to join? Jen and Ashley dig into the ways to get involved with book clubs (online and in real life) and buddy reads. If you're doing the 2024 Unabridged Reading Challenge with us, participating in a new book club or buddy read is a category on the list!

Be sure to tune in to hear how to expand your reading with book club and buddy read opportunities.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Nella Larsen’s Passing - April 2024 Book Club

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read Nella Larsen's Passing (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a brilliant classic written in 1929? If you haven't read this stellar (short!) book, take time to do that and then join us for the discussion. We share our pairing recommendations as well, including Toni Morrison’s Sula (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

We are continuing our Patreon drive and appreciate the support on there so much. Also, if you are participating in our challenge this year, this book is perfect for a pre-1950 classic! If you haven't joined us for the challenge yet, there is still time to participate this year. Check out the Reading Challenge page where you can see all of the categories and can download printables and images for social media.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Recommendations for Books Published Before 1950

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Are you joining us for the 2024 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge? For one of the categories, we're focusing on books that were published before 1950, so we wanted to share some recommendations for that category on today's episode. Listen in to hear us talk about Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Jane Austen’s Persuasion (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) as well as other things we're reading and doing these days.

If you haven't joined us for the challenge yet, there is still time to participate this year! Check out the Reading Challenge page where you can see all of the categories and can download printables and images for social media.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Jasmine Warga's OTHER WORDS FOR HOME - March 2024 Book Club

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read a middle grade novel in verse recently? This month, we're reading Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which is perfect for the Unabridged Reading Challenge 2024 category featuring a middle grade novel in verse. Jen and Ashley discuss the book club pick and share our pairings including Thanhhà Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), Hena Khan’s Amina’s Voice (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Janika Oza’s A History of Burning (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Interview with Sarah Ward, Author of VICTORY GALLOP

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a great middle grade book that highlights equestrian sports and mental health challenges? Listen in to hear author Sarah Ward share about her debut middle grade novel Victory Gallop, which is available exclusively on Amazon.

Jen and Ashley talk with Sarah about her inspiration for the novel and her passion for the writing she's doing. We also hear a little about some of the other projects Sarah has in the works as she prepares to share more writing soon!

Listen in to learn more about the middle grade novel, Victory Gallop, directly from the author, Sarah Ward.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

About Sarah Ward and Victory Gallop

Sarah Ward has been writing and telling stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Georgia with her husband and dog. Her hobbies include daydreaming about dragons, watching baseball, and drinking copious amounts of hot chocolate. A former teacher and library assistant, Sarah writes stories for both children and adults. Her debut middle grade novel, Victory Gallop, is out now.

You can get the e-book of Victory Gallop for FREE this coming weekend! From March 15 - 17, go to Amazon to get your free e-copy.

The epilogue to Victory Gallop will be available to newsletter subscribers this fall, so sign up on Sarah's website to subscribe to her newsletter!

Learn more about Sarah's books and editing at her website, https://sarahwardbooks.wixsite.com/sarah-ward.

You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sarahwardbooks.

Sarah is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@sarahwardbooks.

Gary Lonesborough's READY WHEN YOU ARE - February 2024 Book Club

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a teen coming-of-age love story set in the Australian bush? This month, we're discussing Gary Lonesborough's Ready When You Are (Bookshop.org), which is a YA romance that is perfect for our Unabridged Reading Challenge category Romance by an Indigenous Author.

We also share our pairings including Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper (Bookshop.org) and Benjamin Alire Saenz’s Aristotle and Dante duology including Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Be on the lookout for our discussion of the Aristotle and Dante film adapatation coming to Patreon this Friday! If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Love is in the Air 2024 - Our Latest Romance Recs

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for romance recommendations to read this February? We've got some new recommendations for you as we return with our annual Love is in the Air episode. We'll share about our picks for this year's edition, including Kacen Callender’s Stars in Your Eyes (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Jacqueline Firkins’s The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Louisa May Alcott's LITTLE WOMEN - January 2024 Book Club

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Jen and Ashley read and discuss Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, Little Women (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). This one is perfect for the Unabridged Reading Challenge category about a classic written before 1950! Check out our reading challenge here. We also share our pairings including Hena Khan’s More to the Story (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Geraldine Brooks’s March (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

If you'd like to hear more about Little Women, be sure to tune in to hear our upcoming Patreon exclusive episode on February 1st when we share our thoughts about Greta Gerwig's film adaptation! We appreciate your support on Patreon so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon. | Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Reading Challenges for 2024

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0400

What are your reading challenge plans for 2024? We're excited to launch the fourth annual Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. Ashley and Jen are also each participating in other reading challenges as well, and we share those with you in the episode. If you're looking to reach some new reading goals this year, reading challenges are a great way to help you reach those goals.

We're continuing our Patreon drive in the new year. In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon for subscribers. We appreciate your support so much, and it helps cover the cost of maintaining our podcast. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Marie-Helene Bertino’s 2 AM AT THE CAT’S PAJAMAS - December 2023 Book Club

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0400

What happens when a nine-year-old girl decides she's determined to sing at Philadelphia's renowned jazz club? Marie-Helene Bertino's 2 AM at the Cat’s Pajamas (Libro.fm) is the story of Madeleine Altimari and other people all trying to reach their goals on the eve of Christmas Eve.

Listen in to hear our thoughts and our pairings for this book club pick, including Abdi Nazemian’s Like a Love Story (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Fredrik Backman’s My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon for subscribers. We appreciate your support so much. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Unabridged Book Awards for 2023

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0400

In our annual Unabridged Awards episode, Jen and Ashley share awards we created for some of our favorite books from 2023. We each share three books in this episode, but if you're interested in more of our favorites, be sure to also check out this month's Bookish Fave posts on our blog.

Patreon pals, be on the lookout for additional awards coming your way on January 1st! In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon for subscribers. (Our exclusive Bookish Gift Ideas Guide just came out on Monday!) We appreciate your support so much. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Elliot Page’s PAGEBOY - November 2023 Book Club

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read Elliot Page's brilliant new memoir, Pageboy (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm)? Jen and Ashley are discussing our thoughts about this powerful book in the November book club episode. We also share our pairings, including George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Kacen Callendar’s Felix Ever After (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

Our Latest Book Recommendations by Indigenous Authors

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 04:00:00 -0400

What are some of your favorite books by indigenous authors? We wanted to share a couple of books we've loved recently that are by indigenous authors including Sonora Reyes’s The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Angeline Boulley’s Warrior Girl Unearthed (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Let us know your recommendations!
In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon for subscribers. We appreciate your support so much. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Trang Thanh Tran’s SHE IS A HAUNTING - October 2023 Book Club

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a ghost story that also explores important social issues? Our October 2023 Unabridged book club pick, Trang Thanh Tran’s She Is a Haunting (Bookshop.org), is a young adult horror novel set in Vietnam and explores the lasting impact of colonialism on the country. Listen in to hear our thoughts about this debut novel and check out our pairings, including Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always (Bookshop.org) and Ryan La Sala’s The Honeys (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
In addition to monthly bonus episodes, we are now releasing more content on Patreon and just unveiled a Spooky Reads Recommendation guide for subscribers. We appreciate your support so much. If you haven't joined us there yet, you can check the details out here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Our 2023 Spooky Reads Recommendations

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 04:00:00 -0400

What spooky reads are you adding to your TBR list this year? Ashley and Jen share our recommendations for 2023 including Zoraida Córdova’s The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). If you'd like more recommendations, don't miss our Spooky Reads episodes from the past few years (episode 198, episode 147, and way back to episode 97!) where we give lots of spooky book recs.
We're also sharing a long curated list of spooky read recommendations for our Patreon subscribers, which comes out October 15! We appreciate our Unabridged Patreon Pals so very much. If you'd like to support us and get some extra Unabridged content each month, sign up today!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Julia Alvarez’s IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES - September 2023 Book Club

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0400

What do you know about Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic? For our September book club pick, Jen and Ashley discuss Julia Alvarez's classic book In the Time of the Butterflies (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which is a historical fictional account of the four Mirabal sisters.
We also share our pairings including Mario Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Daniel José Older’s The Book of Lost Saints (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Celeste Ng's Our Missing Hearts (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which we read as our January 2023 book club pick and discussed on episode 246, would also be an excellent near-future dystopian fiction pairing.
We're continuing our Patreon drive this season and appreciate our Unabridged Patreon Pals so very much. If you'd like to support us and get some extra Unabridged content each month, sign up today!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Our Book Recs for Each Other 2023 - Reading Update

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Do you enjoy book recommendations from friends? In episode 249, Ashley and Jen each picked a book for the other to read, which is one of the categories for the Unabridged Reading Challenge this year.
To kick off season 7 of the podcast, Jen and Ashley circle back to the books we've recommended for each other, and we share our thoughts after having read the books.
If you're looking for a recommendation from a bookish friend, let us know on social media, and we can recommend something for you to meet that challenge category!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Michael Bennett’s BETTER THE BLOOD - June 2023 Book Club

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a serial killer thriller with profound social commentary? Michael Bennett’s Better the Blood (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is propulsive and leaves the reader with many things to consider.
For our June Unabridged book club, we're discussing Better the Blood, which is perfect for the 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge, where it can cover categories including a mystery novel, a book by an indigenous author, and a book set in a country you'd like to visit (if New Zealand is on your list!).
We share our pairings as well, including Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Jane Harper’s The Dry (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
We're continuing our Patreon drive this summer and appreciate our Bookish Best Friends on Patreon so very much. If you'd like to support us and get some extra Unabridged content each month, sign up today!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Books We Can’t Stop Reading - 2023 Edition

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for the perfect summer read? As we head into summer vacations and beach time, Jen and Ashley are sharing some of the latest books we can't stop reading.
Featuring Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions for You (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Angie Thomas’s Nic Blake and the Remarkables (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), we'll be sure to share with you some picks that will keep your reading momentum going wherever you find yourself this summer.
We're continuing our Patreon drive this summer and appreciate our Bookish Best Friends on Patreon so very much. If you'd like to support us and get some extra Unabridged content each month, sign up today!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Natasha Bowen’s SKIN OF THE SEA - May 2023 Book Club

Wed, 24 May 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a compelling reimagining of The Little Mermaid? For our May 2023 Unabridged Book Club pick, we're discussing Natasha Bowen's Skin of the Sea. Jen and Ashley share our thoughts about this YA lit fantasy book.
We share our book pairings, including Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Rivers Solomon's The Deep, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
We are continuing with our Patreon campaign. Sign up today to support us and to get a bonus episode; those Patreon exclusives release on the first day of each month!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Essay Collection Recommendations for Your Unabridged Reading Challenge

Wed, 10 May 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Have you read any essay collections that you enjoyed? In this episode, Jen and Ashley are sharing essay collection recommendations for books we loved, which are perfect for the 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge. You could also choose a poetry collection or a short story collection to complete the category!
Ashley recommends Jessi Klein’s I’ll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen recommends Kelly Jensen’s [Don't] Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health (Bookshop.org).
We are continuing our Patreon campaign and appreciate your support so much. Sign up today to support us and to get a bonus episode; those Patreon exclusives release on the first day of each month!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Ruth Reichl’s SAVE ME THE PLUMS - April 2023 Book Club

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a food book to complete your Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2023? This memoir is a great pick for that category!
For our April Book Club pick, we're discussing Ruth Reichl’s Save Me the Plums (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We also share our pairings, including Kim Fay’s Love and Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Stanley Tucci’s Taste: My Life through Food (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
We are continuing our Patreon campaign. Sign up today to support us and to get a bonus episode; those Patreon exclusives release on the first day of each month!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Diving Into History with Historical Fiction Book Recs for 2023

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 04:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for historical fiction books to add to your TBR list? In today's episode, Jen and Ashley are revisiting this popular topic with our latest recommendations for historical fiction books based on our recent reads.
If you're looking for more historical fiction recommendations, listen in to episode 230 where we shared some recs, and check out Jen's Bookish Fave sharing 7+ Middle Grade Historical Fiction Recs.
Want to support Unabridged? For just $5 a month, you can get an extra episode of Unabridged—every month—and know that you're helping to support our podcast. Head over to our Patreon page to find out more.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

James Baldwin’s IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK - March Book Club

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 04:38:09 -0400

Are you looking for an amazing classic by a Black author? James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is a perfect fit for the Unabridged Reading Challenge.
We're discussing it as our March book club pick, and we also share our pairings including Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
If you're loving the podcast or our Unabridged blog and would like to support us, for just $5 a month on Patreon, you can get access to an extra episode the first day of each month. We appreciate your support.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Our 2023 Book Recommendations to Each Other

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Do you love reading books that your friends recommend? Jen and Ashley celebrate the joy of recommendations from friends on this year's Unabridged Reading Challenge with a category dedicated to that topic.
On today's episode, we're sharing our specific recommendations for each other, which we'll both read for the 2023 reading challenge category. Our picks include Aiden Thomas’s Lost in the Never Woods (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Sara Novic's True Biz (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Listen in to hear why we made those choices!
How will our recommendations for each other work out? We'll report back later in the year after we've read the recommendations!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Chencia C. Higgins’s D’VAUGHN AND KRIS PLAN A WEDDING - February 2023 Book Club

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for an uplifting romance that's full of sweet moments but also powerful social commentary? Check out this month's Unabridged Book Club pick, Chencia C. Higgins’s D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Listen in to hear Jen and Ashley discuss this one and share our pairings including Alexis Daria’s You Had Me at Hola (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Sophie Gonzales’s Never Ever Getting Back Together (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).

We're continuing our Patreon efforts - sign up today to support the podcast and to get a bonus episode each month!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Love is in the Air 2023 - Romance Recs

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for romance books to read this season? Jen and Ashley are back with our annual Love is in the Air episode, sharing some of our latest favorite romance books with you.
We share our picks, Julia Whelan’s Thank You for Listening (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Mariana Zapata’s From Lukov with Love (Bookshop.org).
These romance recommendations are from recent reads, but if you're looking for more recommendations, you can listen back to our episodes from previous years, including episode 216, episode 164, and episode 112. What do you recommend? Let us know!
Love what we're doing? Support us on Patreon for $5 or more to get at least one bonus episode a month!
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Celeste Ng’s OUR MISSING HEARTS - January 2023 Book Club

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Have you read this propulsive near future dystopian novel by podcast favorite Celeste Ng? To kick off the new year, we're pleased to share our thoughts on our first book club pick of 2023, Celeste Ng's Our Missing Hearts (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We also include our pairings, Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Archive (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Veronica Roth’s Poster Girl (Bookshop.org).
We're discussing this one on Instagram on January 30th at 8 PM EST, so message us if you'd like to join us! We continue to share bonus episodes on Patreon with at least one new episode each month; $5 of support gives you access to those bonus episodes. We appreciate it!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Reading Challenges - 2022 Review and 2023 Plans

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Have you found a 2023 reading challenge yet? We're excited to share our 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge, which we discuss on today's episode.
Jen and Ashley also share our reflections on our 2022 reading challenges as we look back over the year, and we share our other reading challenge plans for 2023. Jen plans to do the #23backlistin2023 challenge, the ToB reading list, and her own Jane Austen reading challenge (#readausten2023). Ashley plans to participate in the Uncorked Reading Challenge for 2023.
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Sonya Lalli’s A HOLLY JOLLY DIWALI - December 2022 Book Club

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Looking for a fun, illuminating holiday-centered read? Check out Sonya Lalli's A Holly Jolly Diwali (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), our December Unabridged book club pick. In this episode, Jen and Ashley discuss thoughts about A Holly Jolly Diwali and share our book pairings including Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Thrity Umrigar’s Honor (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Are you interested in more content from Unabridged? Join us on Patreon where for $5 a month, you get at least one exclusive Patreon episode as well as occasional bonus content. Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Unabridged Book Awards for 2022

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this annual episode that causes us much consternation, Jen and Ashley share some special books we've read during 2022. We reflect over the year, and we each create and give awards to some of our top reads from our 2022 reading lists. It's so hard each year to choose!
For a few more picks, join us on Patreon for an extra bonus episode featuring additional bookish awards. (We just couldn't fit them all in here!) For $5 a month, you can be a Bookish Best Friend with access to at least one additional exclusive episode every month. (The bonus awards episode drops at 5 AM EST on Thursday, December 15th.)
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Kelly Barnhill’s THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON - November 2022 Book Club

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Looking for an amazing children's book that is perfect for many audiences? For our November book club pick, Jen and Ashley discuss Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We offer our pairings, including Tae Keller’s When You Trap a Tiger (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Melissa Albert’s Our Crooked Hearts (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We wrap up by talking about our feelings about whether we are morning or night people. Interested in supporting us? Join our Patreon for $5 a month to get a bonus episode each month.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Our Cozy Reads 2022 Book Recommendations

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0400

On today's Cozy Reads 2022 Recommendations episode, Ashley and Jen share some recent books they've loved that fall into the cozy reads camp. We share about Alexis Hall’s Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake and Sarah Addison Allen’s Other Birds. (Ashley would like to note that her pick has some cozy components but is an open door romance!) As we mention in the episode, Libro.fm is doing Credit Bundles for the holidays, and we're happy to support them as an affiliate! Looking for more cozy reads? Be sure to check out our previous recommendations from episode 151.
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook,and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Tiffany D. Jackson’s THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD - October 2022 Book Club

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Oh my goodness, drop what you are doing and read this book! Spoiler alert: Jen and Ashley both loved Tiffany D. Jackson's The Weight of Blood (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) so much, and there is a ton to discuss. This one just came out in September. In the episode, we also offer a couple of other spooky reads perfect for the fall reading season including R. J. Jacobs’s Always the First to Die (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s Ace of Spades (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Interview with Barrett Holmes Pitner, Author of THE CRIME WITHOUT A NAME

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Ashley talks with Barrett Holmes Pitner, author of The Crime Without a Name: Ethnocide and the Erasure of Culture in America (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Pitner shares some thoughts and perspectives on what ethnocide looks like in American history, where we are culturally today, and what we can do to look toward a more fulfilling future tomorrow. Want to Connect with Barrett Holmes Pitner?

In addition to being an author and journalist, Barrett is founder of The Sustainable Culture Lab. You can connect with Barrett by signing up for his newsletter or by following The Sustainable Culture Lab on Twitter or Instagram.
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Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Madeline Miller’s THE SONG OF ACHILLES - September 2022 Book Club

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Do you enjoy retellings of the epics? Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is a retelling of Homer's The Illiad. Jen and Ashley share our thoughts about this book club pick, and we share our pairings including Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
Looking for more Unabridged content? Join us on Patreon, where we release an additional episode each month.
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Environmental and Nature Book Recs Perfect for the Reading Challenge

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Have you read any books that center nature or the environment lately? In this episode, Ashley and Jen share books they've read recently - including Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) - that consider the role of nature as part of the story. These recommendations are perfect for the 2022 Reading Challenge category about the environment.
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Laura Gao’s MESSY ROOTS - August 2022 Book Club

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In our August 2022 book club episode, we discuss Laura Gao's Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American. We share pairings for Gao's memoir including Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Great Middle Grade Recs for 2022

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley and Jen share some middle grade recs by authors of color perfect for anyone working on the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. Kacen Callendar's King and the Dragonflies and Varsha Bajaj’s Count Me In would both be fantastic additions to your TBR. We round out our book discussion with our Bookish Check-in and share some favorite pet stories.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Season 5 Wrap Up

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Ashley, Jen, and Sara describe—in the bookish check-in—some summer reads they loved this summer, including Diana Gabaldon's Go Tell the Bees that I Am Gone, Alexis Hall's A Lady for a Duke, Peter Swanson's Before She Knew Him, and Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s The Golden Couple. Sara shares a big announcement: she's signing off, so we send her off with so much love. And they offer some of their favorite ice cream flavors and places.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits - Jen with A Teacher’s Plan for Summer

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses the end of the school year and her plan for summer. She talks about taking some much needed rest and relaxation. In addition, she discusses some of the processes she will go through to prepare for the next school year.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Film Adaptation Discussion:THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Jen and Sara discuss 2018's adaptation of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. They discuss this movie--what they liked, what they didn't, and their overall feelings about the adaptation. Check it out and let us know what you think! And don't miss their discussion on the book in last week's episode!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Shaffer and Barrows’s THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY - May 2022 Book Club

Wed, 25 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, Sara and Jen discuss Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. We also share our pairings, including works by Helen Hanff and Kim Fay.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Our Historical Fiction Recs

Wed, 18 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Do you need a recommendation for a historical fiction book? Listen to this episode to hear recommendations from Sara, Jen, and Ashley. We feature Ruta Sepetys’s The Fountains of Silence, Sarah Winman’s Still Life, and Kim Fay’s Love & Saffron, and we discuss what we loved about these picks.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbit - Sara with the Creator Studio Add-On For Google Slides

Wed, 11 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara discusses an add-on for Google Slides. She talks about Creator Studio, an add on that allows you to convert any Google Slide Show to an animated GIF for video slideshow.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Film Adaptation Discussion: Lauren Weisberger’s THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Wed, 04 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Jen and Sara discuss 2006's adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org). They discuss this beloved movie--what they liked, what they didn't, and their overall feelings about the adaptation. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Visit the Unabridged website for and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Want to support Unabridged?

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Angie Thomas’s CONCRETE ROSE - April 2022 Book Club

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 06:00:00 -0400

We are long-time Angie Thomas fans here at Unabridged (check out our episodes focused on The Hate U Give here and its adaptation here), so Ashley, Jen, and Sara were thrilled when we heard she was publishing a prequel focused on Maverick. Concrete Rose (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is (spoiler alert!) a five-star read for us, so we have a wide-ranging discussion of the book. We also share our pairings, including works by Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Laekan Zea Kemp.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books a t Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

True Crime Recs to Dive Into This Year

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Are you a true crime fan? Lucky for you, we have a wide range of opinions on this genre, so our recommendations include picks that would work for any reader depending on your interest and preferences. Our picks include Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff’s Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators, and John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits - Jen with Choosing Books

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses how she chooses books for her classroom. She talks about the steps she uses to select, obtain, and vet books that she will use for literature circles, whole class reads, and individual reads. In addition, she discusses whether she uses thematic or chronological units and what she plans on sharing with you in the future.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Film Adaptation Discussion: Karen M. McManus’s ONE OF US IS LYING

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Jen and Sara discuss Peacock's adaptation of Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is Lying (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org). They discuss the pilot episode--what they liked, what they didn't, and their overall feelings about the adaptation. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Jenny Lawson’s FURIOUSLY HAPPY - March 2022 Book Club

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a memoir that is both laugh out loud hilarious and also deeply poignant? In this March Book Club episode, we discuss Jenny Lawson's memoir Furiously Happy. We chat about our thoughts on Lawson's work, and we share our pairings including Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half, Lindy West’s Shrill, and R. Eric Thomas’s Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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All about the Backlist - Our Recs for Books Published Prior to 2000

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we're talking all things backlist books! We share our recommendations for some favorites that were published before the year 2000. We share Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, Louise Edrich’s Tracks, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver. These recommendations are also perfect for those doing the 2022 Unabridged Reading Challenge!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits - Sara with 3 More Google Extensions

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara discusses 3 more Google extensions and how to use them to assist in the classroom and in the Google environment. She talks specifically about these excellent extensions to try out immediately. All of these extensions can be found in the Chrome Web Store. The extensions discussed today are Eyedropper, SmallPDF, and Dualless.

Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Our Recs for Books in Unusual Formats

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0400

Do you need a recommendation for a book in an unusual format to complete your Unabridged Reading Challenge? Listen to this episode to hear recommendations from Sara, Jen, and Ashley. We feature Jason Reynolds’s Ain’t Burned All the Bright with artwork by Jason Griffin, Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer’s To Night Owl from Dogfish, and Jennifer L. Holm and Elicia Castaldi’s Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff, and we talk about other books we have enjoyed in unusual formats.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 29: The Power of Revision with Jen

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses how she navigates revision in her writing instruction. She talks about the logistics of assessing revision, the writing process she currently asks students to navigate, and some of the questions she's considered as she balances writing process and product.

Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Encore of Love Is in the Air 2021 - Our Latest Romance Book Recs

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Encore Unabridged Love is in the Air episode, we talk about some romance book recommendations we each want to share, including discussions of Alexis Daria's You Had Me at Hola, Alisha Rai’s First Comes Like, and Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown. There's something for everyone who is looking for a great romance book to read.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Helen Hoang’s THE HEART PRINCIPLE - February 2022 Book Club

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for romance reads that also explore important issues in meaningful ways? We are all fans of Helen Hoang's books and were excited to dive into her latest release. In our February 2022 book club, we're discussing Helen Hoang's The Heart Principle. We also share our pairings, which include Talia Hibbert’s Act Your Age, Eve Brown, Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart, and Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 28: Asana with Ashley

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits Episode, Ashley shares a workflow tool, Asana, that can really help teachers manage both individual projects and team projects. This tool has collaborative features and a robust free version that works well and can really help streamline and organize tasks. Like Slack and Google Keep, which we've shared in other Teaching Tidbits, this is another project management tool that can be really helpful! Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Book to Film Adaptation Discussion - Sally Thorne’s THE HATING GAME

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged book to film discussion, Sara, Jen, and Ashley talk all about Sally Thorne's The Hating Game and the recent film adaptation! We also share our latest reads in our bookish check-in, and we talk about some of our kids' latest favorite reads in this week's Give Me One. Don't miss it, and join us on social media to let us know your thoughts!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Love is in the Air - Our 2022 Romance Recs

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In the 2022 edition of this annual episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley are all happy to share some of their latest romance recs. Our picks this year include Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating, and Jenny Bayliss’s A Season for Second Chances. All of us read a lot of romances in 2021, so we're happy to share some of our top picks with you!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 27: Sara with Using Google Extensions

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits Episode, Sara discusses what extensions are and how to use them to assist in the classroom. She talks specifically about three excellent extensions to try out immediately. All of these extensions can be found in the Chrome Web Store. The extensions discussed today are: My Bib, qSnap, and Sir Links-A-Lot.

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Cuddle Up with These Cozy Mystery Recs

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 06:00:00 -0400

Are you looking for a perfect cozy mystery to add to your TBR stack? Listen in to hear these cozy mystery book recommendations from Sara, Jen, and Ashley. We feature Abby Collette’s A Deadly Inside Scoop, Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties, and Mia P. Manansala Arsenic and Adobo, and we share our thoughts about what works for it when it comes to cozy mysteries as well as thinking about what exactly qualifies as a cozy mystery!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Fredrik Backman’s ANXIOUS PEOPLE - January 2022 Book Club

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley discuss Fredrik Backman's Anxious People. We also share our pairings including Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising, Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney’s Good Company. We are all big fans of Backman's work and enjoyed discussing this one! Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 26: Student Websites with Jen

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses reasons to use student-created websites in the classroom, potential projects they can house, and some of the logistics of starting them with students. She provides a few things to consider and identifies some of the long-range skills students can gain by creating their own websites. Visit the Unabridged website for more great content! Want to support Unabridged? Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Looking Forward to New Book Releases in 2022

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0400

What are you excited to read that comes out in 2022? Each year, we love sharing just a few of the MANY books we're excited to read in the new year!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Unabridged Book Awards for 2021

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0400

What books would you give awards to from your 2021 reading? It's that time for Unabridged! We each pick a couple of books that we absolutely loved from our 2021 reading, and we share the specific custom-made award we're giving for the books we've selected. We also all share one Young Adult Lit pick from the year, and we end the episode with a Non-Bookish Award for our Give Me One. Looking for more of our award episodes from previous years? Check out our awards episodes from 2020 and 2019!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 25 - Ashley with Google Keep

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 09:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits Episode, Ashley talks about a favorite teaching and life hack that she uses to keep things organized - Google Keep. Ashley shares why Keep works well for her and some tips and tricks that you can leverage to maximize Keep's effectiveness in your life and in your classroom!

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Reading Challenges - 2021 Recap and 2022 Reading Goals and Challenges

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 06:00:00 -0400

What are your reading goals and plans for 2022? We want to know! In this Unabridged episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley report back on how our challenges for 2021 went, and we each share about our individual reading goals and challenge selections. We are all, of course, doing the Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2022, so be sure to join us for that challenge! Find everything you need to get started here. Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Encore of Our Cozy Reads Recommendations - Curl Up with a Good Book

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this encore episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we each share some cozy read recommendations with you. After our Bookish Check-in, we talk about what makes a cozy read for us, and then we each share one that we've loved. The books we chose include Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series, Colleen Wright's The White Christmas Inn, and Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material. We end the episode with our Give Me One . . . Cozy Comfort.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Encore of Christina Lauren‘s IN A HOLIDAZE Book Club Discussion

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this encore episode of our Unabridged Book Club pick from December 2020, we talk about Christina Lauren's holiday rom-com, In a Holidaze. After our Bookish Check-in, where we each share what we're reading, we chat about the novel and then offer another holiday book recommendation. We end with our Give Me One and talk about holiday songs that make us cringe.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Encore of the Epic LOVE, ACTUALLY Debate of 2019

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this throwback episode from 2019, Jen and Sara get into an uncharacteristic sparring match about the essence of the Love, Actually film while Ashley stays (also uncharacteristically) decidedly neutral.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Jean Meltzer‘s THE MATZAH BALL - December 2021 Book Club

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, Sara, Jen, and Ashley discuss their December book club pick, Jean Meltzer's The Matzah Ball. We all discuss this 2021 release (spoiler alert: we all loved it!!!), and then we each share a pairing suggestion. Our pairings include Talia Hibbert’s Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Sarah Adams’s The Match, and Beth O’Leary’s The Switch. This book club pick is perfect for the holiday season and is the perfect mix of a fun romance coupled with serious issues.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Teaching Tidbits 24 - Using Slack for Communication

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara talks about using Slack as a communication tool for teams, content groups, schools, etc. She discusses how she, Ashley, and Jen use it for the podcast and how her instructional technology team uses it in her school district. In addition, she discusses the importance of finding tools to simplify the lives of teachers after a very stressful 2021. Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

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Find Perfect Books for the Season with Our Winter and Holiday Book Recommendations

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this seasonal episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley are sharing some of their recent favorite reads that would be perfect for holiday reading picks! Our recommendations include Sarah Morganthaler’s Mistletoe and Mr. Right, Sophie Cousens’s This Time Next Year, and Jasmine Guillory’s Royal Holiday. We end the episode by sharing our favorite seasonal drinks for our Give Me One! Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables - November 2021 Book Club

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0400

For our November Unabridged Book Club pick, we had so much fun reading this classic novel, Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables (Amazon | Bookshop.org). We also shared our pairings including Alan Bradley’s The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and Fannie Flagg’s Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man. Sara, Jen, and Ashley all have different levels of experience with this classic novel, so it was super fun discussing our personal experiences with it!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Announcing Our Unabridged Podcast 2022 Reading Challenge

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Bonus Unabridged Episode, Jen shares about our Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2022! We loved doing our very first challenge in 2021, and we are thrilled to announce the 2022 challenge! You can learn about all things related to the 2022 Reading Challenge on this Reading Challenge page, where you can see the 2022 categories, join in on the discussion groups, and download templates to help you keep track (and more!). Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter if you'd like a 2022 reading tracker, which includes the Reading Challenge categories! (If you are already a subscriber, be on the lookout for the 2022 tracker in our newsletter, and just let us know if you didn't get it and would like one!)

Get Gifts for Your Bookish Friends Using Our 2021 Gift Ideas!

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0400

This is one of our favorite annual episodes. As many of you know, Sara is our resident gift giving guru, and she carefully curates a list each year of amazing bookish gifts perfect for the book lovers in our lives (and for us to put on our own wish lists!). Jen and Ashley share a few of our favorites, too. Listen in, and let us know what your go to bookish gift picks are! If you're interested in the long list of Bookish Gifts from Sara (our Gift Giving Guru!), be sure you sign up for our newsletter! (And don't miss the links in our blog show notes for our previous Bookish Gifts episodes for more gift ideas!)

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Discover New Fairy Tale Retellings with Our Latest Recommendations

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 06:00:00 -0400

What is a favorite fairy tale retelling for you? At Unabridged, we are having so much fun with the Fairy Tale Retellings category on this year's Unabridged Reading Challenge! We're coming at you this week with three new fairy tale retelling recommendations, including Elizabeth Lim’s Six Crimson Cranes, Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, and Kalynn Bayron’s Cinderella Is Dead, all of which were excellent! Don't miss this fun discussion; you're sure to find a retelling that you'd enjoy!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 23 - Student Seminars

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits Episode, Jen talks about student seminars. She defines what they are, shares some of the benefits, and offers different ways to implement them in the classroom. She also provides a detailed example of the way she's created a seminar assignment for her English classroom and discusses the reflection process. Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

Find More Outstanding Audiobooks - Our Latest 2021 Audiobook Recommendations

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

As audiobook listeners, Jen, Sara, and Ashley are always on the lookout for amazing audiobooks! Join Sara, Jen, and Ashley as they share their latest audiobook recommendations including Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom, Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Jennifer Ryan’s The Kitchen Front. Each of these recommendations is not only a great book but is also enhanced by the audio experience. Looking for more recs? Don't miss links to other audiobook posts in our blog show notes.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Aiden Thomas‘s CEMETERY BOYS - October 2021 Book Club

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley discuss Aiden Thomas's Cemetery Boys, which has also been our buddy read for the month! We share our pairings for this one including Kacen Callender’s Felix Ever After, Molly Knox Ostertag’s The Witch Boy (trilogy), and Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite’s Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. We had such a great time discussing this one!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 22 - Using the Calm App in the Classroom

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Ashley shares about using the Calm App both for self care and in the classroom. The Calm site and app include an entire suite of resources to help with encouraging mindfulness, practicing meditation, and getting better sleep. Ashley talks about how the resources are grouped by age range and shares some of the ways that she has used the app. She mentions the free resources for teachers Calm provides, and she talks about how teachers can get started with using Calm.

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Our 2021 Memoir Recommendations

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

We always love sharing our latest memoir recommendations with you all! In this episode, Sara, Jen, and Ashley each pick a memoir that we have read or listened to recently that we loved and want to recommend! Today, our memoir recs include Jenny Lawson’s Broken (In the Best Possible Way), Ashley C. Ford’s Somebody’s Daughter, and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart. This is a topic we love to revisit because there are always new amazing memoirs coming out to discuss; don't miss episode 138 where we share some nonfiction picks. We end our episode with aspirations for a new hobby to try as our Give Me One topic.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Some Spooky Seasonal Fun - Unabridged Discusses Scream!

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, Jen and Sara discuss Scream. Before diving into that discussion, Sara, Jen, and Ashley all share our bookish check-in reading, which this week includes Laura Florand’s The Chocolate Thief, Sarah Adams’s The Match, and Ashley Audrain’s The Push. Jen and Sara share their experiences in 1996 watching Scream for the first time, and then they share their thoughts about watching it again now in 2021. Afterwards, we all come back together for our Give Me One where we admit a veggie that we each hate!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books a Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Teaching Tidbits 21: Self-Care for Educators

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In today's teaching tidbit episode, Sara talks about the book Tina H. Boogren's 180 Days of Self-care for Busy Educators (Amazon | Bookshop.org). She discusses a both the content and setup of the book. In addition, she discusses the importance of self-care and how teaching is even more difficult due to the events going on in our world. We appreciate educators so much, and hope you find this episode helpful.

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Spooky Reads 2021 - Our Latest Recs

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, which has become an annual tradition, Sara, Jen and Ashley share our latest thriller and spooky recommendations with you, perfect for fall mood reading. Our recommendations include Alex Michaelides’s The Maidens, Shea Ernshaw’s A History of Wild Places, and Riley Sager’s Survive the Night. We talk about the best ways to enjoy thrillers and wrap up our episode by sharing some of our favorite Halloween memories.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Darcie Little Badger‘s ELATSOE - September 2021 Book Club

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, Sara, Jen, and Ashley discuss Darcie Little Badger's young adult lit book Elatsoe (Amazon | Bookshop.org). This fascinating book combines several genres including fantasy and paranormal fiction. We also share our pairings, including Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter, Aiden Thomas’s Cemetery Boys, and Dhonielle Clayton’s The Belles. We had a great discussion about this outstanding book and hope that you enjoy it!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 20: Facilitating Discussion

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In today's teaching tidbit episode, Jen talks about ways to facilitate discussion. She suggests alternate types of discussions and ways to reduce the pressure of sharing ideas aloud in class. She mentions programs like Nearpod, Flipgrid, and Schoology that can offer new ways for students to share ideas, both ahead of class and in the moment. (Don't miss Teaching Tidbits 5, where Jen talks about literature circles, and 18, where Sara talks about Flipgrid.) If you like our teaching ideas and want to see more that we've created, check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store where we share resources. Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

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Unexpected Joy - Books that Surprised Us in Excellent Ways

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley share book recommendations for book picks that surprised us and brought unexpected joy. Our recommendations, including Rebecca Stead’s The List of Things that Will Not Change, Patrik Svensson’s The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World, and Tiffany Haddish’s The Last Black Unicorn, are very different from each other, but they were all books that turned out to be more than what we expected.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 19: Podcasting in the Classroom with Students

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

We're back with our Teaching Tidbits episodes for this school year! In our first teaching tidbit episode of season five, Ashley talks about podcasting in the classroom and different ways that teachers can incorporate podcast creation into class activities. Ashley mentions programs like WeVideo and Adobe Spark, which can be used to create the podcasts. (Don't miss Teaching Tidbit 6 where Sara talks about using Adobe Spark!) If you like our teaching ideas and want to see more that we've created, check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store where we share resources.

Visit the Unabridged website for more great content!

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Young Adult Lit Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss one of our favorite topics, book-to-screen adaptations. In this one, we focus on young adult books that have been adapted to films or series. We talk about ones we've discussed on the podcast and others we've loved. This episode is perfect for the 2021 Unabridged Reading Challenge because it covers the category for a YA lit book that has been adapted as well as for the bonus "Watch the Adaptation" category!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Get Reading Momentum Going with Our Favorite Fantasy and Dystopian Series Recs

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, Ashley, Jen, and Sara talk about one of our favorite topics—we share book series we've loved reading. We're focusing on young adult literature fantasy and dystopian series, and although there are tons of great recommendations in this category, we narrow it down to Marie Lu, Dhonielle Clayton, and S.A. Chakraborty. Check it out, and find us on the socials to share your favorites with us!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Balli Kaur Jaswal’s EROTIC STORIES FOR PUNJABI WIDOWS - August 2021 Book Club

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

For our Unabridged Book Club pick for August of 2021, we're discussing Balli Kaur Jaswal’s Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows. We talk about our overall impressions, what worked for us, some quotations, and then we pair this one with other books we think readers who loved this would enjoy including Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X, Sandhya Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi, and Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Expand Your Reading with Our Latest Graphic Novel Recs

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we talk all things graphic! We share a graphic novel, a graphic memoir, and a graphic nonfiction pick, all of which would work well for the Unabridged Reading Challenge 2021. Listen in to hear what we have to say about our picks including Roz Chast’s Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant?, Gene Luen Yang’s Dragon Hoops, and Jerry Craft’s Class Act.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Unabridged Discusses the Pilot of RIVERDALE - Book-to-Screen Adaptation

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, we discuss one of our favorite topics, book-to-screen adaptations! In this episode, Ashley, Jen and Sara share their Bookish Check-in, and then Sara and Jen discuss the pilot episode of Riverdale.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Our Recs for Books We Can't Stop Reading

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

On today's Unabridged episode, we share about a popular topic - books we cannot stop reading! We share about a fantasy favorite, Sarah J. Maas, with A Court of Silver Flames, and romance favorite Alyssa Cole with her thriller When No One Is Watching. We also talk about Laura Hankin’s Happy and You Know It. It's always fun to read a book you can't put down, so we wanted to share some that had that effect on us!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Encore of Thrillers that You Can't Put Down - Better on Audio

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we're discussing specific thrillers that we've read and LOVED (including books by Ruth Ware, Oyinkan Braithwaite, and T.M. Logan), and we're talking more generally about what does and does not work for us when it comes to the thriller genre. We've talked a lot recently about comfort reads and light reads, but we know from our Bookstagram community that thrillers are also a great escape for many readers. Let us know what you have read and loved when it comes to thrillers!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Encore of Emily Henry's BEACH READ - July 2020 Book Club

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast book club episode, we're discussing Emily Henry's Beach Read. We have a great discussion and pair this one with some other great reads, including Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes, Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering, and Josie Silver’s The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. Beach Read is a contemporary romance that balances witty banter with more serious themes.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Unabridged Hosts The Island Library Podcast

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Here at Unabridged, we love listening to other bookish podcasts! Today, we're thrilled to share an episode from our friends Laura and Jodie at The Island Library podcast. On their episodes, Laura and Jo share about the books they've read and debate whether they would take that book along on a deserted island library, where there are ONLY ten precious spots. In this episode, they're discussing Justin A. Reynolds's Early Departures, and they also touch on Reynolds's first book, Opposite of Always. Loving what you hear? Check them out at The Island Library, and subscribe to their show here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Jacqueline Woodson's RED AT THE BONE - July 2021 Unabridged Book Club

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club discussion, we talk about Jacqueline Woodson's Red at the Bone. Spoiler alert: we all loved this powerful, tightly woven story. We pair this one with Randi Pink’s Angel of Greenwood, Tommy Orange’s There There, and Brit Bennett’s The Mothers.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Find New YA Books with Our Latest Young Adult Lit Recommendations

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, Ashley, Jen, and Sara share about one of our favorite topics—young adult lit books that we want to recommend! We're all passionate about YA literature (both for use in the classroom and in our own reading lives!), and we love sharing some of our favorite YA lit novels with you. This time, we're sharing three of our most recent favorites with Nicola Yoon’s Instructions for Dancing, Aiden Thomas’s Cemetery Boys, and Laekan Zea Kemp’s Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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2021 Reading Challenges and Our Mid-Year Check-In

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, Ashley, Jen, and Sara share about our reading challenges. We each talk about where we are with the Unabridged Reading Challenge, and then we give updates on where we are with our individual challenges including the Uncorked Challenge, the Beyond the Bookends Challenge, the #21backlistin2021 Challenge, and the Tournament of Books. In case you missed it, we first shared about our picks in Episode 162, so check that out to learn more about our picks!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Screen Adaptation - Discussion of the Pilot Episode of The 100

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, Jen and Sara share their thoughts about the pilot episode of the CW series The 100, which is now available on Netflix. Ashley joins Sara and Jen for the Bookish Check-In and the Give Me One.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Get to Know the Unabridged Hosts, Season 4 (Part 2)

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we answer more questions from listeners. If you missed our first episode back in February, you can listen to those responses as well from episode 166! We talk about some bookish things, but many of the questions are outside of the bookish realm. We hope that you enjoy this peek into our lives outside of reading!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Laura Taylor Namey's A CUBAN GIRL'S GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW - May 2021 Book Club

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, we talk about Laura Taylor Namey's young adult romance novel, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. After our discussion (spoiler alert: this one was a big hit for all of us!), we share our pairings including Stephanie Perkins’s Anna and the French Kiss, Amy Spalding’s We Used to Be Friends, and Elizabeth Acevedo’s With the Fire on High.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 18: Sara with Using Flipgrid for Reflection

Fri, 28 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara talks about Flipgrid, a versatile tool that can be used in the classroom. Flipgrid allows students to record video responses and view each other's responses. Listen to the episode for ideas on how to use this awesome (FREE!) tool in the classroom!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Screen Adaptation - Jennifer Matthieu's MOXIE

Wed, 26 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss the Netflix screen adaptation of Jennifer Mathieu's Moxie. In the episode, we discuss the book and the adaptation and what we thought of each, so check out the adaptation, and then give this discussion a listen! We also share our Bookish Check-ins and, in our Give Me One, talk about a thing we each like to do by on our own. Let us know on social media: What is something you enjoy doing by yourself?

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Find More Amazing Middle-Grade Books with These Recommendations

Wed, 19 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, we have several amazing middle-grade book recommendations for you all. We share about Jewell Parker Rhodes’s Ghost Boys, Alex Gino’s George, and Dusti Bowling’s Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus as our featured recommendations, and then we each mention a couple of other personal favorites from our recent middle-grade reads.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 17: Reflecting on the Year with Students

Fri, 14 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses the process of reflecting on the school year with your students. She talks about different methods of reflection, types of feedback she has received, and changes she hopes to make on the basis of her conversations with students.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Dive into Fairy Tale Retellings with These Unabridged Recommendations

Wed, 12 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, we discuss a favorite genre that is also a category on the Unabridged Reading Challenge 2021 list—fairy tale retellings. We recommend a few favorites including Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely, and Erin A. Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrows.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Ocean Vuong's ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS - May 2021 Book Club

Wed, 05 May 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, we discuss our May book club pick, Ocean Vuong's novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. We discuss the powerful, heartbreaking, lyrical novel, and then we share our pairings, including Kiese Laymon’s Heavy, Lisa Ko’s The Leavers, and Mira T. Lee’s Everything Here Is Beautiful.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 16: Teaching Tools to Use on the Go

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits episode, Ashley shares some teaching tools she'll be taking with her as her family prepares for their big trip. Three tools that she shares are Rocketbooks (which work with Frixion pens), games like Bananagrams, and Osmo games, which work with iPads or Kindle Fire tablets. Some specific things Ashley uses are the Fusion Rocketbook, this pack of Frixion pens, and My First Bananagrams. The Osmo kits her girls love are the Genius kit and the Little Genius kit. Note that both of those kits can be purchased without the base, and they are cheaper that way. You only need to buy the base one time. (Be sure to buy the correct base for the iPad or for the Kindle Fire.) Ashley's girls also love the Detective Agency Osmo game. *The Osmo company runs some great deals, so it's worth watching for discounts.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Enjoy Revisiting the Classics through Retellings

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we share some retellings of classics that we've enjoyed reading. We share our picks including Hena Khan’s More to the Story, Patricia Park’s Re Jane, Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs. These recommendations are perfect for the retellings category on our Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2021!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Keep Up a Love of Reading with Auto-Buy Authors

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, we talk about a favorite topic for us on the podcast—auto-buy authors! We share some favorite authors and talk about different ways to support authors. We also share our perspectives on what an auto-buy author is for each of us and what would work for that category on the Unabridged Reading Challenge! If you haven't signed up for the challenge yet, you can still join us! Find out everything here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 15: A Writing Resource for the Classroom

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara talks about one of her favorite writing resources for the classroom. Writing can be a difficult subject to teach with students of all different levels. Sara loves Kelly Gallagher's work, and one of her must-have books is Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts. She thinks this is an essential resource for anyone who wants excellent ideas for teaching writing not only in English class, but across the curriculum.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Screen Adaptation of John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss the Hulu screen adaptation of John Green's Looking for Alaska. In the episode, we only discuss the pilot episode of the series (which, spoiler alert, we all loved!), so check out the pilot if you're interested, and then give this discussion a listen! We also share our Bookish Check-ins and share some of our exercise preferences. Let us know on social media: which do you prefer—cardio or weights?

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Eric Gansworth's APPLE: SKIN TO THE CORE - April 2021 Book Club

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast Book Club episode, we discuss Eric Gansworth's memoir in verse, Apple: Skin to the Core. We talk about what worked for us, share quotes, and offer pairings including Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter, Steve Sheinkin’s Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 14: Using Film in the Classroom

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses reasons to use film in the classroom and ways to approach interpreting film with students. She suggests giving students Roger Ebert's "How to Read a Movie," an essay that is a helpful introduction to interpreting movies and points listeners to a short film, Rodrigo Blaas's Alma, that is an excellent introduction to film analysis.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Update on Our Season 4 Book Recs to Each Other

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we circle back to the books we recommended to each other in episode 139. Each of us got a recommendation from each of our co-hosts, and we read those books and are reporting back about how we felt about them! Be sure to check out episode 139 if you'd like to hear more about why the books were recommended.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Discover New Authors with Author Imprints

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss author imprints and the way that those can help readers discover new authors to love. We specifically discuss the Rick Riordan Presents imprint and share books we've read from it including Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Yoon Ha Lee’s Dragon Pearl, and Carlos Hernandez’s Sal and Gabi Break the Universe.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 13: Canva Graphic Design for Educators

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 05:14:05 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Ashley talks about the graphic design program Canva. She shares about the benefits of signing up for an educators' account with Canva, and she shares a few tips about using Canva to create images for various purposes as well as suggestions for how it can be used in the classroom with students. To sign up for the Educators' account with Canva, click here. For a quick slideshow with examples and more information about Canva, click here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book-to-Screen Adaptation of Jenny Han's ALWAYS AND FOREVER, LARA JEAN

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 05:15:09 -0400

In this Unabridged Book-to-Screen Adaptation episode, we discuss To All the Boys: Always and Forever, the Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han's Always and Forever, Lara Jean. We are all huge fans of the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series, and you can catch our discussion of the first film here.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Get Back into Reading with Favorite Tropes

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss some of our favorite tropes and share some book recommendations that have included those tropes. Our recommendations include Beth O’Leary’s The Switch, Helena Hunting’s Kiss My Cupcake, and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. We talk about some of our favorite and not-so-favorite tropes in romance novels, and we discuss the benefits of tropes for readers.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 12: Using Graphic Memoirs in the Classroom

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast Episode, Sara talks about using graphic memoirs in the classroom. She goes over ideas to use graphic memoirs in literature circles, and some ideas to encourage reluctant readers. Sara also discusses three specific recommendations for graphic memoirs to use in literature circles in your classroom.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Mira Jacob's GOOD TALK - March 2021 Book Club

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast Book Club episode, we discuss Mira Jacob's graphic memoir Good Talk. We talked about this amazing memoir and also shared our pairings, including Craig Thompsons Blankets, James McBride's The Color of Water, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo. If you're interested in discussing this one with us, be sure to join us on March 15th on Instagram to participate in our book club chat.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Get to Know the Unabridged Podcast Hosts, Season 4 (Part 1)

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, Ashley, Jen, and Sara answer questions from listeners. The questions are both bookish and non-bookish, so we enjoyed mixing those up and doing a speed round as well with some of the questions. Many of the questions came from the Unabridged Ambassadors! Remember to check out that program if you're interested in getting more involved with Unabridged.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 11: Google Tips to Support Reading

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast Episode, Jen talks about ways to use some of the features of Google Apps for Education to support reading. She goes over the best ways to distribute Google files to students, the benefits of annotation, and some ideas to support the re-reading of complex texts. Jen also discusses ways to implement collaborative adaptations of these activities in your classroom.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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MISMATCHED Screen Adaptation of Sandhya Menon's WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss the pilot episode of Mismatched, a screen adaptation of Sandhya Menon's young adult romance novel, When Dimple Met Rishi. We all loved this book and enjoyed doing it as a buddy read on Instagram. This adaptation is a perfect fit for our Unabridged Reading Challenge bonus category, watching an adaptation of a YA lit book! This series has six parts and can be found on Netflix.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Love Is in the Air 2021 - Our Latest Romance Book Recs

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Love is in the Air episode, we talk about some romance book recommendations we each want to share, including discussions of Alexis Daria's You Had Me at Hola, Alisha Rai’s First Comes Like, and Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown. There's something for everyone who is looking for a great romance book to read. Any of these picks would be a great fit for our Unabridged Reading Challenge category featuring a romance book by a person of color!

If you're looking for more romance book recommendations, don't miss this great bookish fave from Jen or our previous romance episodes from 2019 (which is a good one but so old it's only available here on our site!) and from 2020. Also be sure to check out our episode with Farrah Rochon about her brilliant book, The Boyfriend Project!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 10: Incorporating Poetry into Class

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 06:13:41 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Ashley talks about a few ways to incorporate more poetry into class routines. She talks about activities teachers can do with students to engage with poetry, and she shares a few places to access more poems including sites such as Poetry Foundation and signing up for daily emails such as the Poem-a-Day email subscription. She also mentions Billy Collins' collections curated for classroom use, Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry and 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day.

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Sonali Dev's PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND OTHER FLAVORS -- February 2021 Book Club

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, we are discussing Sonali Dev's Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. This one was chosen by the Unabridged Ambassadors and is a perfect fit for two of our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge categories, a romance by an author of color and a retelling of a classic. This month, we are having a Book Club discussion on Instagram on February 15th. Just DM us on Instagram or comment here (with your IG handle) if you'd like to join us!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Unabridgedpod 2021 Reading Challenge and Our Individual Reading Challenge Choices

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Unabridged, we talk about our reading challenge choices for 2021, including the Unabridged Reading Challenge that we're doing together and our personal choices for an additional reading challenge. We'd love for you to join us for the #unabridgedpodreadingchallenge this year—check out this page for everything you need to dive right in!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Teaching Tidbits 9: Creating Connections with Six Word Memoirs

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara discusses creating connections with six word memoirs and ideas on how to use six word memoirs across the curriculum. Let us know some of your ideas on how to use six word memoirs in your classroom!

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Book Recs for Reaching Your Goals in 2021 with Adam Schaeuble from Million Pound Mission

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara chat with Adam Schaeuble, host of the Million Pound Mission podcast (now called the Low Carb Hustle podcast) and the Podcasting Business School podcast. After our Bookish Check-in, Adam joins in recommending behavioral science books that can help everyone reach their life goals in 2021. If you have resolutions that you'd like to reach, be sure to check out the episode, and if you have your own self-help books to share, let us know @unabridgedpod!

Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Check out our Merch Store!

Become a patron on Patreon.

Like and follow our Facebook Page.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher.

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Unabridged Podcast Book Awards for 2020

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara offer up their book awards for 2020. After sharing their Bookish Check-ins, they each present their award categories and their book picks, which include adult and young adult titles. They end the episode with Non-Bookish Awards.

Bookish Check-in Ashley - Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown Jen - Lisa Ko’s The Leavers Sara - Liz Moore’s Long Bright River Our Book Picks for Our 2020 Unabridged Awards Ashley - A Romance Book that Taught Me I Can Love Love Books - Helen Hoang’s The Bride Test A New to Me Book that is Fascinating and Important - Brittany Morris’s SLAY (YA Lit Pick) Jen - Favorite Re-Read that Was a New Discovery - Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible A New Take on an Old Subject - Traci Chee’s We Are Not Free (YA Lit Pick) Sara - Favorite Memoir that Made Me Laugh Out Loud - R. Eric Thomas’s Here For It Most Important Book of the Year - Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (YA Lit Pick) Other Mentions Casey McQuiston's Red, White, and Royal Blue Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient Beth Macy's Dopesick Schitt's Creek Ted Lasso Fleabag Previous Awards Episodes Interested in more awards? Here are the Unabridged Podcast Awards episodes from 2019 and 2018. Awards for 2019 Awards for 2018 Give Me One - Non-Bookish Unabridged Awards Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Teaching Tidbits 8: New Year, New Goals

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen discusses taking a pause to reflect on changes for the remainder of the school year, including questions to ask, practices to improve, and focuses to implement.

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Adib Khorram's DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OKAY - January Book Club

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In the first book club discussion of 2021, we are thrilled to discuss Adib Khorram's Darius the Great Is Not Okay. This brilliant young adult lit book addresses so many important topics including family heritage, bullying, friendship, family dynamics, managing depression, and so many other issues with nuance and humor. If you're interested in discussing this one, it's also our Unabridged Podcast Buddy Read this month! We'll be talking about it on January 11th and 25th on Instagram. Just message us to join!

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Marie Lu’s Skyhunter Jen - Patrick deWitt’s The Sisters Brothers Sara - Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs

Our Pairings

Ashley - David Yoon’s Frankly in Love Jen - Erika L. Sánchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Sara - Sarah Moon’s Sparrow

Mentioned in Episode

Charles Portis’s True Grit A. S. King’s Everybody Sees the Ants Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom Neil Shusterman’s Scythe Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Give Me One - A Series You Want to Finish but Haven't

Listen in to hear our responses to this great topic suggested by one of our Unabridged Ambassadors! (Click to learn more about the ambassador program!)

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Books We Are Excited to Read in 2021

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, after their Bookish Check-ins, Ashley, Jen, and Sara share books they're excited to read in 2021. These are all books by some of their favorite authors, so they also talk about their histories with the authors' previous works. Then, they conclude the episode with the Give Me One segment, sharing some memories of childhood gifts they received from Santa.

Bookish Check-in Ashley - Chip and Dan Heath’s The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Jen - Kate Stayman-London’s One to Watch Sara - James Clear’s Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
Our Picks for 2021 Books We're Excited to Read Ashley - Nicola Yoon’s Instructions for Dancing (June 3) Jen - John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed (May 18) Sara - Angie Thomas’s Concrete Rose (January 12, 2021) Mentioned in Episode John Green's An Abundance of Katherines Nicola Yoon's Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and On the Come Up
Give Me One - Memorable Gift from Santa Listen in to hear special items from childhood that we loved! Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Bonus Episode: The 2021 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this bonus episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we share the 2021 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. We hope these categories give you a little push to try some new things in 2021! In episodes through the rest of Season 4, we'll be sharing books that meet the Challenge's categories. And keep an eye on our Bookish Faves and social media (especially our Instagram feed and the Unabridged Book Club Group on Facebook), which will also offer ideas and discussion to help you succeed in meeting the Challenge.

At the end of 2021, for those who have completed the Challenge, we'll have a giveaway!

You can download your own copy of the Reading Challenge here. Share your bookish posts on IG using #unabridgedpodreadingchallenge for extra entries in the giveaway.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Patreon Sneak Peek 2 - Unabridged Uncensored

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we give you a glimpse into our Patreon content with an Unabridged Uncensored recording from Ashley and Sara. Don't miss out on our opinions about a popular thriller, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea

Jen - Kevin van Whye’s Date Me, Bryson Keller

Sara - Melanie Shankle’s On the Bright Side

Mentioned in Episode

The Sixth Sense

Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl

Gone Girl - the film adaptation

The Matrix

The Popcast

The Big Boo Cast

Totally Teen Buddy Read on Instagram

Give Me One - Favorite Christmas Movie

Listen in for our favorites, and let us know yours on social media!

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbit 7 - Hands-On Activity Book Recommendations

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits episode, Ashley talks about incorporating more hands-on activities into the classroom (or at home), and she shares three of her favorite books for making it easier to find and do activities with kids. Ashley shares two books by Asia Citro, creator of Fun at Home with Kids. Ashley talks about 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids: The Very Best and Easiest Playtime Activities from FunAtHomeWithKids.com! and The Curious Kid's Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8. Then, she shares about Kimberly McLeod's Easy Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials: 60 Cool Projects that Reimagine Paper Rolls, Egg Cartons, Jars and More!. Ashley also mentions supplies it helps to have available for activities, especially these liquid watercolors. These books are great resources for teachers and moms, and any one of them would be a great gift option!

Unabridged Discusses HAMILTON

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara take on the musical phenomenon that is Hamilton. After sharing their Bookish Check-in, each host discusses her Hamilton history, and then they explore together favorite songs, most emotional moments, and favorite scenes. They end the episode with the Give Me One segment, each describing one thing she wants to accomplish in the new year.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People Jen - Nancy Jooyoun Kim’s The Last Story of Mina Lee Sara - Lindy West’s The Witches Are Coming

Mentioned in Episode

Fredrik Backman's My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell Me She's Sorry Jeremy McCarter and Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: The Revolution Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton The Room Where It's Happening podcast Song Exploder Netflix episode - "Wait For It" Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds's Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You Robin Roberts interview on Disney Plus

Give Me One - Something to Accomplish Before the New Year

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Our 2020 Reading Challenges - Reflecting on Our Goals

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara reflect on the reading goals they set back in January. After the Bookish Check-in, they reflect on each reading challenge they chose and provide an update on how they did, what they gained, and what has changed in their reading lives in 2020.

After listening to the 2020 reading challenge update, let us know how your reading challenges went this year!

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Sofía Segovia’s The Murmur of Bees Jen - Edward Lee’s Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef's Journey to Discover America's New Melting-Pot Cuisine (for the Read Harder Challenge) Sara - Jessica Redland’s Starry Skies Over the Chocolate Pot Cafe Sally - Jennifer Donnelly's Poisoned Find Sally, one of our Unabridged Ambassadors, @phoenixlib on Instagram! Interested in the Ambassador program? Find out more here.

Reading Challenge Episodes - The Background

2020 Reading Goals and Challenges - Episode 109 Reading Challenge Midyear Check-In - Episode 131

Mentioned in Episode

The Tournament of Books and the Super Rooster John Boyne's A Ladder to the Sky Bernadine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other Susan Choi's Trust Exercise Dexter Palmer's Mary Toft; Or, the Rabbit Queen: A Novel Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad Toni Morrison's A Mercy Ali Smith's The Accidental

Give Me One - Favorite Holiday Song

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Teaching Tidbits 6: Adobe Spark

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Sara talks about an easy-to-use, free tech tool, Adobe Spark, which includes three different options for creating digital projects: Post, Video, and Page. She discusses the ways to access Adobe Spark (online or as an iPad or phone app), talks about ways the podcast uses Adobe Post and offers ideas about how to implement them in the classroom.

If you have questions about Adobe Spark or ideas to share, let us know on social media @unabridgedpod. Note: To access Adobe Spark as an app, you will search for each individual tool: Adobe Spark Post Adobe Spark Video

Adobe Spark Page

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean.

Christina Lauren's IN A HOLIDAZE - December Book Club

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Book Club episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we talk about Christina Lauren's holiday rom-com, In a Holidaze. After our Bookish Check-in, where we each share what we're reading, we chat about the novel and then offer another holiday book recommendation. We end with our Give Me One and talk about holiday songs that make us cringe.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Nic Stone’s Dear Justyce (sequel to Dear Martin) Jen - Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog Sara - Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind

Our Additional Holiday Book Recommendations

Ashley - Karina Yan Glaser’s The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street Jen - Sarah Morgenthaler’s Mistletoe and Mr. Right (sequel to The Tourist Attraction) Sara - Jenny Bayliss’s The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Mentioned in Episode

Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze Our previous holiday episodes - #102 discussing Hazel Gaynor and Heather Mariah Webb's Last Christmas in Paris and #50 discussing Gretchen Anthony's Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners The infamous Love, Actually debate episode, #104 Christina Lauren's The Unhoneymooners Gilmore Girls

Give Me One - Holiday Song that Makes You Cringe

Ashley - “Jingle Bell Rock” Jen - “Frosty the Snowman” Sara - “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean.

Bookish Gifts - Our 2020 Recommendations

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we share some recommendations for bookish gifts for the upcoming holidays. After our Bookish Check-in, we offer our recs, covering options from snarky to sweet, with plenty of ways to support independent and local businesses. Then, we each share an item from our own wishlist.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Alyssa Cole’s When No One Is Watching Jen - Toni Morrison’s A Mercy Sara - Rachel Joyce’s Miss Benson’s Beetle

Our Bookish Gifts Recommendations

Bookshop.org Free as a Bird Books (@freeasabirdbooks) (@jeanellnicolereads) - Jeanell curates books to amplify authors of color. A Fine Quotation - watercolor items with favorite characters and fandoms - thanks to listener Jody for this recommendation! Libro.fm Emily McDowell and Friends - snarky cards, witty bags, plenty of profanity The Lady Jane - cute gifts for every one with a special section of literary gifts (local) Emily Cromwell Designs - Happy, whimsical designs for every booklover Bookshelf Tees - cute bookish tees (woman-owned) Inkwell Threads - bookish tees and other bookish items

Other Info

Check out our bookish gifts episodes from previous years, #100 from 2019 and #49 from 2018, and be on the lookout for our upcoming annual giveaway with The Mountain Thread Company!

Give Me One - An Item on Your Wishlist

Ashley - bullet journal accessories Jen - Subscription Box - Book Riot’s TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations

Sara - Libro FM subscription

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 5: Literature Circles

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen talks about teaching with literature circles. She defines literature circles, talks about ways to choose books for them, and offers ideas about how to implement them in the classroom, including different options for lit circles roles for students. If you have questions about literature circles or ideas to share, let us know on social media @unabridgedpod. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Books that Encourage Activism in Young People

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we share book recommendations that we believe promote and encourage activism in young people. Our selections include Brandy Colbert’s The Voting Booth, Dave Cullen’s Parkland: Birth of a Movement, and Monica Clark-Robinson's Let the Children March, illustrated by Frank Morrison. We also share what we're currently reading in our Bookish Check-In, and we share some activism accounts that we love in our Give Me One segment.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Jenny Han’s We’ll Always Have Summer Jen - Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down: The Graphic Novel, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff

Sara - Alan Bradley’s The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (after Jen’s recommendation in our cozy reads episode!)

Our Recommendations for Encouraging Activism

Ashley - Brandy Colbert’s The Voting Booth Jen - Dave Cullen’s Parkland: Birth of a Movement

Sara - Monica Clark-Robinson, Frank Morrison (illustrator) Let the Children March (picture book)

Mentioned in Episode

Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down Mariah Marsden's Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel Dave Cullen's Columbine Enola Holmes Netflix film Our Cozy Reads Recommendations episode

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl: The Manga, Volume 1

Give Me One - Activist Accounts on Instagram

Ashley - @theconsciouskid Jen - @nicstone

Sara - @hereweeread

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Our Cozy Reads Recommendations - Curl Up with a Good Book

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this autumn episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we each share some cozy read recommendations with you. After our Bookish Check-in, we talk about what makes a cozy read for us, and then we each share one that we've loved. The books we chose include Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce series, Colleen Wright's The White Christmas Inn, and Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material. We end the episode with our Give Me One . . . Cozy Comfort.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Karina Yan Glaser’s The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

Jen - Rumaan Alam’s Leave the World Behind

Sara - Jennifer Weiner’s Big Summer

Our Cozy Reads Recs

Ashley - Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material

Jen - Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series

Sara - Colleen Wright's The White Christmas Inn

Mentioned in Episode

Kate Stayman-London's One to Watch

The movie Us

Neal and Jarrod Shusterman’s Dry

Fredrik Backman’s My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry

Libro.fm

Give Me One - A Cozy Comfort

Ashley - Firepit

Jen - Soft, Fluffy Blankets

Sara - Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 4: Picture Books that Encourage Mindfulness

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits episode, Ashley shares two books that encourage mindfulness in children. Ashley talks about Susan Verde and Peter H Reynolds's I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness (which comes from this series) and Brendan Wenzel's A Stone Sat Still. She also shares about the Calm app and Cosmic Kids Yoga, both of which have been great with her own children. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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November Book Club - Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam's PUNCHING THE AIR

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0400

In this Book Club episode of the Unabridged podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara discuss Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam's Punching the Air. After our Bookish Check-in, we share our opinions about the book and some favorite quotations, and then each of us offers another book we think would pair well with this YA novel in verse. Finally, we end by sharing some new favorites we've discovered lately.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji Jen - Yaa Gyasi’s Transcendent Kingdom

Sara - Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle's Let It Snow

Our Pairings

Ashley - Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage Jen - Nic Stone’s Dear Justyce

Sara - Ellen Hopkins’s Burned

Mentioned in Episode

Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing Akwaeke Emezi’s Freshwater Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Wes Moore's The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates Nic Stone's Dear Martin “Wait for It” from Hamilton West Wing Weekly Song Exploder podcast and Netflix series

Partners podcast

Give Me One - A Recent Favorite

Ashley - Kim’s Convenience on Netflix Jen - In the Dark, most recent episode with Curtis Flowers

Sara - Hamilton

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Read-Aloud Book Recommendations for Parents and Teachers

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we're discussing books for all levels that we believe would work really well for read-aloud choices. We were thrilled to be joined by Holly Hicks, a third-grade teacher and Unabridged Ambassador who has experience choosing and sharing read-aloud picks with her third-grade students. We also share our own experiences with read-aloud picks both at home and in the classroom.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering Jen - Marissa Meyer’s Instant Karma (from NetGalley, out 11/3) Sara - Sarah Morgan’s One More for Christmas

Holly - Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key and Alex North's The Shadows

Our Read-Aloud Recommendations

Picture Books

Ashley - Ashley Franklin’s Not Quite Snow White, illustrated by Ebony Glenn Holly - Adam Rubin’s Secret Pizza Party, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri Jen - B. J. Novak’s The Book with No Pictures

Sara - Drew Daywalt’s The Day the Crayons Quit, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Middle-Grade Books

Kate DeCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie Barbara O’Connor’s Wish Hena Khan’s Amina’s Voice

K. A. Holt’s House Arrest

YA Lit Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X

Mentioned in Episode

Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood Jane Harper's The Dry Emily X. R. Pan's The Astonishing Color of After Drew Daywalt’s The Day the Crayons Came Home, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers Drew Daywalt’s The Crayons' Christmas, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers My Name Is Earl TV series Shrek Jason Reynolds’s Long Way Down

Give Me One - Favorite Thing about Being a Pet Owner Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 3: Using Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, Sara shares tips for using picture books in the secondary classroom. She discusses the benefits of using picture books and her own teaching experiences. In addition, she recommends two books with which she has had success in her own classroom—David Shannon's A Bad Case of Stripes to teach theme and Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs to teach point of view. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Our Speculative Fiction Recs with Virginia Soenksen, Author of the GENETICS CHRONICLES Series

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we're talking all things speculative fiction with Virginia Soenksen, author of The Titan Strain, The Osiris Contingency, and The Ragnarok Resolution. We talk with her about her amazing science fiction series, and then we all recommend books that we've loved within the speculative fiction realm. We wrap up our episode with some favorite museum recommendations in honor of Virginia's role as an art historian and an associate director of a museum.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - The Toni Morrison Book Club by Juda Bennett, Winnifred Brown-Glaude, Cassandra Jackson, and Piper Kendrix Williams Jen - Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X Sara - Dusti Bowling’s Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Virginia - Janella Angeles's Where Dreams Descend

Featured Books

Virginia Soenksen’s The Titan Strain (The Genetics Chronicles Book 1) - See Ashley's review! Virginia Soenksen’s The Osiris Conspiracy (The Genetics Chronicles Book 2)

Virginia Soenksen’s The Ragnarok Resolution (The Genetics Chronicles Book 3)

Our Speculative Fiction Recs

Ashley - Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians Jen - N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (check out Jen's review!) Sara - Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion

Virginia - V.E. Schwab’s Vicious

Mentioned in Episode

V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (check out Jen's review here!) Tommy Orange's There There (Listen to our book club episode, or join our Facebook book club discussion for late October by requesting to join here!)

The National Museum of Natural History

Give Me One - Favorite Museum

Ashley - the Louvre Jen - Metropolitan Museum of Art Sara - Air and Space Museum

Ginny - Freer Gallery of Ar t & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Our 2020 Spooky Reads Recommendations

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

This week, Unabridged Podcast is launching into the Halloween spirit with some spooky recommendations. After our Bookish Check-in—featuring a guest appearance by Unabridged Ambassador Talie—each of shares a perfect October pick, and then (for our Give Me One) we talk about our autumn favorites.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Nic Stone’s Shuri Jen - V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Sara - Lamar Giles’s Not So Pure and Simple and Tommy Orange’s There There (listen to our Book Club episode, 146)

Talie - Hench (find Talie at taliesadventures.com or @talielovesbooks on Instagram.)

Our Spooky Reads Recs

Ashley - Kelly Keaton’s Darkness Becomes Her Jen - Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic

Sara - Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door

Mentioned in Episode

Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep and Winterwood Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark

Give Me One - Favorite Thing about Fall

Ashley - pumpkin carving Jen - fall leaves/plants

Sara - crisp air, and getting to wear fall clothes

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 2: Technology during the Time of Virtual Teaching with Ashley

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Teaching Tidbits episode, Ashley talks about some tips for surviving the trials and tribulations of using technology during the era of virtual teaching. She builds off of what Jen shared in Teaching Tidbit #1 about her experience with virtual teaching so far, and Ashley talks about a few things that have helped her navigate technology during this time. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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October Book Club - Tommy Orange's THERE THERE

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 13:15:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast book club discussion, we talk about Tommy Orange's There There. We all discuss this masterpiece, and then we share our pairings, including Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine, Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji, and Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians Jen - Julie C. Dao’s Broken Wish (from NetGalley, out October 6) Sara - Lindy West’s Sh*t, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

Main Discussion

Tommy Orange's There There

Pairings

Ashley - Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine Jen - Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji

Sara - Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City

Mentioned in Episode

Episode 104 - What Makes a Holiday Movie?

Libro.fm’s ALC Program

Give Me One - A New Interest

Ashley - Indoor plants Jen - Virtual teaching

Sara - Puppies

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Lit Chat Game with Unabridged, Fall 2020

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we revisit a favorite game that we've played on past episodes, Book Riot's Lit Chat Game. After our Bookish Check-in, we dive into the game and answer some impromptu questions related to our reading lives, all while recording our responses. In this episode, we leave you with a favorite store for our Give Me One segment.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Jennifer De Leon’s Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From

Jen - Helen Macdonald’s Vesper Flights

Sara - Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam's Punching the Air

Mentioned in Episode

Ibi Zoboi's American Street and Pride

Helen Macdonald's H Is for Hawk

Lit Chat: Conversation Starters about Books and Life

Richard Adams's Watership Down

Stan and Jan Berenstain's The Berenstain Bears series

Russell Hoban's Tea Time for Frances

Anne Dewdney's Llama Llama Red Pajama

Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day

P. D. Eastman's Are You My Mother?

Elizabeth L. Cline's The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good

Give Me One - Favorite Store

Ashley - Plant Life Indoors Jen - Stitch Fix

Sara - The Bluest Willow

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Teaching Tidbits 1: Reflecting on Virtual Teaching . . . 3 Weeks In

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, Jen shares five conclusions she has drawn about teaching virtually after three weeks of instruction with her students. Teaching and learning are definitely different than usual right now, but adjusting our expectations and preparation can make a big difference! We'd love to know your virtual teaching (and learning!) tips, so reach out on social media. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Celebrating Global Read Aloud

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In honor of the final year of the Global Read Aloud, Unabridged Podcast revisits our episode from last year, in which we discussed Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves, Padma Venkatraman's The Bridge Home, and Kelly Yang's Front Desk. Join us in celebrating this fantastic program, which highlights books for young people and promotes global collaboration.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Mark Oshiro’s Each of Us a Desert (thanks to Partner NetGalley) Jen - Roshani Chokshi’s The Silvered Serpents (thanks to Partner NetGalley) Sara - Beth O’Leary’s The Switch (thanks to Partner Libro.fm)

Celebrating the Global Read Aloud

Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves Padma Venkatraman's The Bridge Home

Kelly Yang's Front Desk

Mentioned in Episode

Roshani Chokshi's The Gilded Wolves Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony Cormac McCarthy's The Road Peter Heller's The Dog Stars Neal and Jarrod Shusterman's Dry Mindy McGinnis's Not a Drop to Drink Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven

Alan Gratz's Refugee

Katherine Boo's Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Give Me One - New Find

Ashley - American Gods Jen - 800 Words

Sara - Olive and June and Speed Cubers

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Reading Romance - Interview with Farrah Rochon, author of THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

We are thrilled to share our interview with Farrah Rochon, the USA Today Bestselling author of more than 35 novels, including her latest release, The Boyfriend Project. The two-time RITA Award finalist is a native of South Louisiana. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Marie Lu's Wildcard Farrah - Sandra Kitt's Winner Takes All Sara - Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys

Lia Louis's Dear Emmie Blue

Mentioned in Episode

Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project (check out Sara's review) and The Dating Playbook (book two in the series, coming out in 2021!) Marie Lu's Warcross and Rebel Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date Alyssa Cole (An Extraordinary Union) Suzanne Brockman's SEALS series (Book 1, Prince Joe) Priscilla Oliveras (The Island Affair) K. M. Jackson / Kwana Jackson's Real Men Knit

Denny S. Bryce's Wild Women and the Blues

Give Me One - Favorite Broadway Musicals

Farrah - Hamilton, Aida, Dear Evan Hansen, Spring Awakening, Once Ashley - Rent Sara - Cabaret

Jen - Hamilton, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Once

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Unabridged Launches Teaching Tidbits

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Episode, we share with listeners a brand new type of episode that we're launching in Season Four, Teaching Tidbits! These bite-sized episodes will focus on books and activities relevant to classroom teachers. We'll share these a couple of times a month on Fridays, so be on the lookout for them in your feed!

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Hena Khan’s Amina’s Voice Jen - Susan Abulhawa’s Against the Loveless World

Sara - Jerry Craft’s New Kid

Sara's Teaching Tidbit

Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi

Never Have I Ever Netflix series

Mentioned in Episode

Our upcoming interview with Farrah Rochon. Be sure to check it out next Wednesday!

Give Me One - Favorite Disney Character

Jen - the genie from Aladdin Sara - Moana from Moana

Ashley - Stitch from Lilo and Stitch

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Chanel Miller's KNOW MY NAME - September Book Club

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, we discuss Chanel Miller's memoir, Know My Name. We discuss the powerful impact of Chanel Miller's words and the way that she is changing the world through sharing her story. In our book pairings, we talk about Laurie Halse Anderson's SHOUT, Jon Krakauer’s Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, and Jason Reynolds’s and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material Jen - Natasha Trethewey’s Memorial Drive

Sara - Kate Stayman-London’s One to Watch

Mentioned in Episode

Chanel Miller's Know My Name Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy Episode 78: Laurie Halse Anderson Highlight - It Is Okay to Fight Kiese Laymon's Heavy Episode 138: Dive into Nonfiction Reads

Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak

Our Pairings

Ashley - Laurie Halse Anderson’s SHOUT Jen - Jon Krakauer’s Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

Sara - Jason Reynolds’s and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys

Give Me One - Instrument You Wish You Played

Ashley - cello Jen - guitar

Sara - guitar or piano

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Patreon Preview - Book-to-Film Adaptation, Discussion of Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged episode, we give listeners a sneak peek into some of the content that we share on Patreon each month. In this one, after our bookish check-in, we share Jen and Sara's book-to-film adaptation discussion of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. Don't miss the fun trivia! Stick around for the give me one where we share the best concerts we've ever attended!

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Brandy Colbert’s The Voting Booth Jen - Nadia Hashimi’s The Pearl that Broke Its Shell (@readwithtoni buddy read; check out our episode with Toni)

Sara - Lamar Giles’s Not So Pure and Simple

Mentioned in Episode

Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and the film adaptation The Lost Boys

Our Unabridged Podcast Patreon Page - patreon.com/unabridgedpod

Give Me One - Best Concert We've Attended

Ashley - U2 (with Nelly Furtado as the opening act) Jenv- Goo Goo Dolls / No Doubt / Bush

Sarav- Goo Dollsv/ Bon Jovi

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Great Book Recommendations - Our Season 4 Recs for Each Other

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In today's episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we each do our best to recommend a book that our friends and co-hosts will love. Be sure to listen to our Bookish Check-in and our Give Me One, where we pick a favorite karaoke song.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again Jen - Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic (@bookishladiesclub buddy read) Sara - Lori Gottlieb’s Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed

Main Discussion - Our Recs for Each Other

Ashley's Pick for Jen - Pénélope Bagieu’s Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World Ashley's Pick for Sara - Dhonielle Clayton’s The Belles Jen's Pick for Ashley - Kiley Reid’s Such a Fun Age Jen's Pick for Sara - Rachel DeLoache Williams’s My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress Sara's Pick for Ashley - R. Eric Thomas's Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America

Sara's Pick for Jen - Sharon Huss Roat’s How to Disappear

Give Me One - Song We’d Sing at Karaoke

Ashley - Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” Jen - “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton

Sara - Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”

Other Mentions

Dhonielle Clayton's The Everlasting Rose

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Go to our website for a transcript of the episode, or click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai.

Dive into Nonfiction Reads

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we talk all things nonfiction, and we each make recommendations for nonfiction reads to dive into that we've loved. We talk about Kirkland Hamill's Filthy Beasts, Kiese Layman's Heavy, Knox McCoy's All Things Reconsidered, and Phuc Tran’s Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In. As always, we find ways to talk about more books, too, and have lots of fun during our discussion. If you're interested in nonfiction reads, be sure to join us for our September book club choice, Chanel Miller's Know My Name.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Marie Lu’s Rebel

Jen - Adrienne Kisner’s Six Angry Girls

Sara - Chanel Miller’s Know My Name

Our Picks

Ashley - Kiese Laymon’s Heavy: An American Memoir

Jen - Phuc Tran’s Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In

Sara - Knox McCoy’s All Things Reconsidered

Mentioned in Episode

Kirkland Hamill's Filthy Beasts Marie Lu's Legend, Prodigy and Champion The Popcast Episode 135 with Morgan Hoit, @NYCBookGirl, from Avid Reader Press Episode 137, Stamped Book Club Discussion Hamilton

Knox McCoy's The Wondering Years

Give Me One - What We Wanted to Be When We Grew Up

Jen - a nurse Ashley - marine biologist

Sara - fashion designer

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi’s STAMPED: RACISM, ANTIRACISM, AND YOU - August 2020 Book Club

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club discussion, we talk about Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. This phenomenal book is a remix for young people of Kendi’s original Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, and we all felt that it was a phenomenal read and is such a great fit for the classroom.

Bookish Check-In

Ashley - Tiffany D. Jackson’s Monday’s Not ComingJen - Robert Kolker’s Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American FamilySara - Sheila Williams’s The Secret Women

Book Pairings

Ashley - Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele’s When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir

Jen - Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Sara - Nic Stone’s Dear Martin and Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer

Give Me One - Favorite Dessert

Ashley - Oreo Ice Cream Dessert (This recipe is similar to the handwritten one I have)

Jen - Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Sara - Ice cream, but Sara also recommends Monster Cookie Dough Dip

Other Mentions

Tiffany D. Jackson's Allegedly

Jamie Golden with The Popcast

@readwithtoni buddy read for Hidden Valley Road (Don't miss our episode with Toni!)

the Hamilton musical

Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy

Unabridged Episode - Great Books for the Classroom Written by Black Authors

Revisionist History episode, "The Lady Vanishes" (Note: In the episode, Jen mentions a Freakonomics episode about the Prime Minister of New Zealand and says she'll check on the link. This episode of Revisionist History, about the Prime Minister of Australia, is the correct reference.)

Ibram X. Kendi's interview on Armchair Expert

Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai.

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Get to Know the Unabridged Podcast Hosts in 2020 - Season 3 Wrap-up

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

As we wrap up Season 3 of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara look back at Give Me One, a segment we introduced this season. After our Bookish Check-in, we each recommend a Give Me One, and then we end with an episode we recommend from the season. Thank you so much for all of your support! We definitely are looking forward to Season 4.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Sandhya Menon’s 10 Things I Hate about Pinky Jen - Roselle Lim’s Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop (coming out August 4)

Sara - Farrah Rochon’s The Boyfriend Project

Discussion - Recommended Give Me One Segments from Season 3

Ashley - Episode 123 - A Worthwhile Purchase During Quarantine Jen - Episode 113 - A YA Lit Favorite

Sara - Episode 104 - A Toy You Loved When You Were a Kid

Other Mentions Roselle Lim's Natalie Tan's Book of Love and Fortune Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi Emily X. R. Pan's The Astonishing Color of After John Green's Turtles All the Way Down Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give Teachers Pay Teachers store Asia Citro's The Curious Kid's Science Book: 100+ Creative Hands-On Activities for Ages 4-8 Asia Citro's 150+ Screen-Free Activities for Kids: The Very Best and Easiest Playtime Activities from FunAtHomeWithKids.com! Kimberly McLeod's Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials: 60 Cool Projects that Reimagine Paper Rolls, Egg Cartons, Jars, and More John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped: Racism, Anti Racism, and You

Give Me One - Recommended Episode from Season 3

Ashley - Episode 113 - Why Teach YA? Jen - Episode 106 - 2019 Unabridged Awards

Sara - Episode 104 - Debate - What Makes a Holiday Movie?

Books We'd Love to See Adapted with Morgan Hoit @NYCBookGirl

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we have so much fun talking with Morgan Hoit, @NYCBookGirl, about book-to-screen adaptations. We talk about our latest reads, book-to-screen adaptations we have loved, and books that we would love to see adapted.

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Sally Rooney’s Normal People Jen - Phuc Tran’s Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit in Sara - Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park Morgan - Chelsea Bieker's God Shot, Emma Straub's All Adults Here, Lorrie Moore's short stories

Our Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Ashley - Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible Jen - Natalie Jenner’s The Jane Austen Society Sara - Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On

Morgan - Adrienne Brodeur's Wild Game

Give Me One - Game Night Recommendations

Ashley - Exploding Kittens Jen - Beyond Balderdash Sara - Apples to Apples

Morgan - Anomia

Other Mentions

Cormac McCarthy's The Road Lorrie Moore's Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? Garrett M. Graff's The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 Lisa Taddeo's Three Women Hamilton Lev Grossman's The Magicians book series and adaptation Mikel Jollett's Hollywood Park R. O. Kwan's The Incendiaries Lauren Groff's Arcadia Laurence Wright's Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief Jeannette Walls’s The Glass Castle Waco on Netflix Avid Reader Imprint Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before - book and film adaptation Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give - book and film adaptation Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name Lady Bird and Greta Gerwig Screen adaptation of Sally Rooney's Normal People Hannibal series, based on Thomas Harris's book Hannibal Mary Ann Shaffer's The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and the film version The Harry Potter book series and film adaptations The Twilight series and film adaptations Cards Against Humanity (game) The Oatmeal comic (by Matthew Inman, illustrator of Exploding Kittens)

What Do You Meme? (game)

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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How to Find Joy - Discussing WHAT YOU WISH FOR with Katherine Center

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we're talking with Katherine Center about her latest book, What You Wish For, which released on July 14th. Katherine shares her first experience as a writer, writing fan fic about Duran Duran, why clown socks are the most fashionable apparel, and how she sets out to fight for joy.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half

Jen - Jennifer Weiner’s Big Summer

Sara - Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning

Katherine - Will Storr's The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better

Other Mentions

Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Brit Bennett's The Mothers

Katherine Center's Happiness for Beginners

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire

Katherine Center's How to Walk Away

Katherine Center's The Lost Husband

Ingrid Fetell Lee’s Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness

Katherine Center's thoughts on reading for joy on her website

Archie comics

Stranger than Fiction

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Underrated Books and Authors with Mariely Sylvette Martinez of PodQueens Latinas

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we have so much fun talking with Mariely Sylvette Martinez of PodQueens Latinas about underrated books and series. She joins us for our Bookish Check-in, and then we chat about what it means to be underrated and why some great books and authors don't seem to get as much buzz as others. Finally, we end with our Give Me One segment and recommend some podcasts that we're enjoying right now.

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Mindy McGinnis's A Madness So Discreet Jen - Kel Kade's Fate of the Fallen Sara - Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible

Mariely - Dr. Mayra Llado's Run Your Race: A Guide to Making Your Impossibles Possible

Our Underrated Books and Authors

Ashley - Laini Taylor

*Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

*Strange the Dreamer duology

*Faeries of Dreamdark duology - Blackbringer

Jen - Lauren Oliver

*Before I Fall

*Delirium

*Panic

Sara - Beth Vrabel's Caleb and Kit Mariely - Mayra Llado's Run Your Race: A Guide to Making Your Impossibles Possible

Give Me One - Podcast

Ashley - NPR's Life Kit Jen - NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour Sara - By the Book Podcast Mariely - Trailblazing Out of Corporate Life

Other Mentions

Podfest Multimedia Expo @readwithtoni - Episode 126: Plugging into Bookish Communities Online with @readwithtoni from Instagram Jack Canfield's The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be Mindy McGinnis's Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust Green Valley Book Fair Marie Lu's Rebel Groundhog Day Jack Canfield's Chicken Soup for the Soul Brigid Kemmerer's A Curse So Dark and Lonely and A Heart So Fierce and Broken Talia Hibbert's Get a Life, Chloe Brown Sarah J. Maas - Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses Cassandra Clare - City of Bones George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire series Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance The Popcast with Knox and Jamie Rhonda Byrnes's The Secret Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing Brandy Ferner's Adult Conversation - Episode 127: Parenting and Partner Tips with Brandy Ferner of ADULT CONVERSATION Wow in the World

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Emily Henry's BEACH READ - July 2020 Book Club

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast book club episode, we're discussing Emily Henry's Beach Read. We have a great discussion and pair this one with some other great reads, including Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes, Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering, and Josie Silver’s The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. Beach Read is a contemporary romance that balances witty banter with more serious themes.

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me

Jen - Jennifer S. Cohen’s Falling Forward

Sara - Elizabeth L. Cline’s The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good

Book Pairings

Ashley - Mary Beth Keane’s Ask Again, Yes - episode

Jen - Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering

Sara - Josie Silver’s The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

Mentioned in Episode

Dressember Summer Book Club

Sally Thorne's The Hating Game

Green Valley Book Fair

Cassandra Clare's Lady Midnight

Brandy Ferner's Adult Conversation - episode

Cormac McCarthy's The Road

Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles

Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

Bookish Ladies Club

Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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2020 Reading Challenge Check In

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

On this Unabridged episode, we consider where we are with our reading goals for the year, including how we're doing on the reading challenges we each selected back in January. We talk about the The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge with @annebogel, Book Riot's 2020 Read Harder Challenge with @bookriot, and the Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge from @novelknight along with The Unread Shelf Project 2020 with @theunreadshelf.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Laura Hankin’s Happy & You Know It - Sara's review will be published on Friday! Jen - Marlon James’s The Book of Night Women

Sara - Layla F. Saad’s Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor

Our Reading Challenges

Jen - Book Riot's 2020 Read Harder Challenge with @bookriot → a little more than half Sara - Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge from @novelknight along with The Unread Shelf Project 2020 with @theunreadshelf

Ashley - The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge with @annebogel

Give Me One - Beach or Pool?

Other Mentions

@readwithtoni on Instagram and our episode with her Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf @definitelyra on Instagram and our episode with her @laylafsaad on Instagram N. K. Jemisin's The City We Became - Jen's review John Steinbeck’s East of Eden Marilynne Robinson’s novels (Gilead, Housekeeping, Jack, Lila, Home) The Tournament of Books and Camp ToB Adib Khorram's Darius the Great Is Not Okay Abi Daré's The Girl with the Louding Voice - Ashley's review George M Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue

Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi

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Great Books for the Classroom by Black Authors

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast discussion, we recommend some books by Black authors that we think would be a great fit in the classroom. We talk about recommendations for Kid Lit, Middle Grade, and YA Lit, and we touch on books by several of our favorite authors, including Jacqueline Woodson, Kwame Alexander, and Ibi Zoboi.

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Anna Solomon’s The Book of V Jen - Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Sara - Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi

Our Recommendations

-Kid Lit *Quvenzhané Wallis’s A Night Out with Mama *Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson -Middle Grade *Jerry Craft’s New Kid *Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming and Harbor Me

-YA Lit

*Ibi Zoboi's American Street and Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix

*Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together

Give Me One - Movie to Watch with Your Kids

Ashley - Shrek series

Jen - Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Sara - Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

Other Mentions

Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning Black Lives Matter Movement Nic Stone's article "Don’t Just Read About Racism—Read Stories About Black People Living" Nic Stone's works, including Dear Martin, Odd One Out, Jackpot, Clean Getaway, Shuri Kwame Alexander's works, including the Crossover series (including The Crossover, Booked, Rebound), Solo, and Swing Ibi Zoboi's My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X Angie Thomas's On the Come Up Angie Thomas's Concrete Rose (January 2021) Ernest J. Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying Jacqueline Woodson's The Day You Begin Jason Reynolds's Miles Morales: Spider-Man

Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Re-release of Jason Reynolds Highlight with LONG WAY DOWN, GHOST, and WHEN I WAS THE GREATEST

Sat, 13 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this bonus episode, we wanted to share a re-release of an episode highlighting three novels by Jason Reynolds, one of our favorite Black authors for young people and for the classroom.

We tried to go very light on the spoilers in this episode, but a few minor spoilers were hard to avoid as we revealed what we loved about these books.

Timeline

Introduction and Summary of the Book: 00:00 - 02:08 Long Way Down: 02:09-14:55 Ghost: 14:56-25:03 When I Was the Greatest: 25:04-41:03

Classroom Connections: 41:04-44:53

Mentioned in Episode

David Greene's "In 'Long Way Down,' The Ghosts Of Gun Violence Chill A Plan For Revenge" Jason Reynolds's As Brave as You Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys Jason Reynolds's Track series

Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give

Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Re-release of Angie Thomas's THE HATE U GIVE Book Club Discussion

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In light of the unjust loss of Black lives in America and of the Black Lives Matter movement, we wanted to share an episode from 2018 where, for our book club, we discussed one of our most favorite YA literature books for the classroom, Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give. In the episode, we discuss the novel and share pairings including Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine, Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil's The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After, and Nic Stone's Dear Martin.

Note: We read a few passages from the text of the novel that include strong language. Spoilers are inevitable throughout our discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book!

Book Pairings

Jen - Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine Sara - Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil's The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After

Ashley - Nic Stone's Dear Martin 

Books Mentioned in Classroom Connections

Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys

Other Works Mentioned

Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele's When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir Angie Thomas at the National Book Festival Book Riot's "Is it Time to Retire To Kill a Mockingbird?" by Jennifer Marer

Jason Reynolds's books

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai. Want to support Unabridged?

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A Message about Today's Episode

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 16:00:00 -0400

Today, we are sharing a message about our decision to postpone the regularly scheduled book club episode.

Resources Mentioned

Episode 41, about Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give

Episode 45, about the film adaptation of The Hate U Give

Note: We will be editing these two episodes and re-releasing them next week.

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Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai.

Parenting and Partner Tips with Brandy Ferner of ADULT CONVERSATION

Wed, 27 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast interview episode, we had a wonderful time discussing all things parenting and partners with Brandy Ferner. We read her novel Adult Conversation, which just released on May 5th, and we all felt that the depiction of motherhood with all of its dark humor and relentlessness resonated so much with our experiences.

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible

Jen - Marie Lu’s Rebel Sara - Josie Silver’s The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

Brandy - Glennon Doyle’s Untamed

Mentioned in Episode

Judy Brady Syfer’s “I Want a Wife” Instagram’s @readwithtoni Adult Conversation Podcast The Adult Conversation Episode where Brandy talks about writing Adult Conversation The Office

Give Me One - Reality TV Recs

Ashley - The Great British Bake Off

Jen - Survivor, Nailed It, So You Think You Can Dance, Next Top Model Sara - The Bachelor/The Bachelorette, The Challenge, Top Chef, Real World, Road Rules

Brandy - Vanderpump Rules, Cameo website, The Bachelor, The Bachelor in Paradise, Too Hot to Handle

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged?

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Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening, provided by otter.ai.

Building on the Classics: Middle-Grade Reads to Add to Your Shelves

Sun, 24 May 2020 10:00:00 -0400

We're so excited to share a preview of "Is There Anything Newer?" an episode of Connections: A Podcast of the James L. Hamner Public Library. This is a short excerpt from our conversation with Jill Hames, director of the James L. Hamner Public Library and host of Connections. Also, watch for our Bookish Fave at unabridgedpod.com with recommendations for even more middle-grade reads.

Books Mentioned

Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, Brian's Winter (complete Hatchet series)

Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games trilogy)

Clare Vanderpool's Navigating Early

Veronica Roth's Divergent (the Divergent series)

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Plugging into Bookish Communities Online with @readwithtoni from Instagram

Wed, 20 May 2020 05:00:00 -0400

In this week's episode of Unabridged, Ashley, Jen, and Sara talk with Toni about the power of developing an online bookish community. Toni--who posts @readwithtoni--shares her own bookstagram journey, what she loves about buddy reads, and the books (like Homegoing and All the Ugly and Wonderful Things) that have resulted in some great conversations. We also each share some great, bookstagram-made-me-do-it reads.

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Lyssa Kay Adams’s The Bromance Book Club Jen - Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s Locke and Key series / book 1 Sara - Dionne Searcey’s In Pursuit of Disobedient Women: A Memoir of Love, Rebellion, and Family, Far Away

Toni - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's The Mountains Sing

Mentioned in Episode

John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing Min Jin Lee's Pachinko Fatima Farheen Mirza's A Place for Us Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Bryn Greenwood's The Reckless Oath We Made

@marianne.reads on Instagram

Give Me One - Book You've Found Because of Instagram

Sara - Lisa Lutz’s The Swallows Ashley - Miranda Popkey’s Topics of Conversation (Book of the Month in general) Toni - Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing

Jen - Mikel Jollett’s Hollywood Park

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening provided by otter.ai.

Thrillers that You Can't Put Down - Better on Audio

Wed, 13 May 2020 16:00:00 -0400

Bookish Check In

Sara - Brandy Ferner’s Adult Conversation Jen - Casey Cep’s Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee Ashley - Jim Kay’s illustrated edition of J.K. Rowlings’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Thrillers We Recommend

Sara - T.M. Logan's Lies Jen - Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key Ashley - Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer

Other Mentions

Schitt’s Creek Abby Jimenez’s The Happy Ever After Playlist Emily Henry’s Beach Read Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train

Give Me One - Things that Make Us Happy in Spring

Jen - Planting flowers Ashley - Cherry blossoms Sara - Porch weather Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Readers' Choice Pick - Katharine McGee's AMERICAN ROYALS

Wed, 06 May 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast book club episode, we discuss the readers' choice spring 2020 pick, Katharine McGee's American Royals. We pair it with other books we've loved, including Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians (which we discussed in a film adaptation episode here!), Kiera Cass’s The Selection series, and Melissa Bashardoust’s Girls Made of Snow and Glass. We ended the episode by sharing (confessing?) things that we love to do to relax.

Timeline

Intro and Bookish Check In: 00:00 - 06:13

Book Club Discussion: 06:14 - 45:14

Give Me One: 45:15 - end

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Talia Hibbert’s Get a Life, Chloe Brown

Jen - Maggie Downs’s Braver than You Think (out May 12)

Sara - Abby Jimenez’s The Happy Ever After Playlist

Book Pairings

Ashley - Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians

Jen - Kiera Cass’s The Selection series - The Selection Book 1 / Complete Box Set

Sara - Melissa Bashardoust’s Girls Made of Snow and Glass

Other Mentions

Libro.fm

Hamilton the musical

Our Bookish Turn Offs episode

Our Crazy Rich Asians Book-to-Film Adaptation episode

The Bachelor

Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games

Give Me One - One Thing You Do to Relax

Ashley - coloring and lettering

Sara- exercise routine

Jen - reality TV / reading

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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How to Help Young People Keep Reading when School Is Out

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

This week, we're talking about all of the things that work for us and that have worked for our students to keep the reading momentum going! We talk about favorite authors like Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Mo Willems, and we share about awesome audio options like Lavar Burton's weekly reading opportunities. To get full access to all of the resources we curated, be sure to sign up for our newsletter where you'll be able to download our guide!

Bookish Check In

Sara - Katharine McGee’s American Royals

Jen - Mikel Jollett’s Hollywood Park

Ashley - Cassandra Clare’s Lady Midnight

Mentioned in Episode

AudioFile's Audiobook Sync

Jason Reynolds - Instagram / Library of Congress

Kwame Alexander - Twitter / YouTube

Jacqueline Woodson - Twitter

Lavar Burton - podcast / Twitter livestream

Mo Willems’s "Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems"

Coco Simon's The Cupcake Diaries series

Anne Bogel’s Don’t Overthink It

Scribd

Give Me One - A Worthwhile Purchase during Quarantine

Ashley - Kimberly McLeod’s Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials: 60 Cool Projects that Reimagine Paper Rolls, Egg Cartons, Jars and More!

Jen - John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series (book 1, The Ruins of Gorlan)

Sara - Canvas set for art projects

Other Mentions

Lego Masters show

Little Fires Everywhere series

Asia Citro's 150+ Screen-Free Activities with Kids

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean.

For a transcript and book images, click here.

Bookish Turn Offs and What to Do about Them

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we're discussing some bookish turn offs we each have and when it's worth it to push past those turn offs (and when to accept them and move on!). We discuss tons of books including some of our collective favorites like John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, and Alan Gratz’s Refugee. While we each have different turn offs, we all agree that there are certainly things that attract us and repel us when it comes to choosing books, and it's fun to discuss what those are!

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Abi Daré’s The Girl with the Louding Voice

Jen - Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child

Sara - Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door

Books Mentioned

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl

Miranda Popkey’s Topics of Conversation

Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network

Martha Hall Kelly’s The Lilac Girls

Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life

John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones

Alice Sebold’s The Almost Moon

Alice Sebold’s Lucky

Paula Hawkins's The Girl on the Train

Blake Crouch's Dark Matter

Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief

Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See

Janie Chang’s The Library of Legends

Ruta Sepetys’s Salt to the Sea

George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy

Georgia Hunter’s We Were the Lucky Ones

Alan Gratz’s Refugee

Give Me One - A Show to Binge

Jen - Locke and Key (book), My Brilliant Friend (book)

Sara - Broadchurch, Cheer

Ashley - Schitt’s Creek

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Loving what you see here? Please comment below (scroll ALL the way down to comment), share this post using the social media buttons below (scroll down for those as well!), and find us on social media to share your thoughts. Want to support Unabridged?

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Click here for a full transcript that you can read while listening provided by otter.ai. For a transcript and book images, click here.

Learn More about Yourself by Exploring Enneagram Books

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we have a great time discussing what we've each learned about the enneagram. We each chose a book (Ashley chose Millenneagram: The Enneagram Guide for Discovering Your Truest, Baddest Self, Jen chose The Essential Enneagram, and Sara chose The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery) to read that explored the enneagram, and we did our best to figure out our numbers. It was an adventure, and we had fun sharing with you! Stick around for our board game recs during our Give Me One at the end of the episode.

Bookish Check In

Jen - Maggie Stiefvater’s Call Down the Hawk

Sara - Ali Wong’s Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life

Ashley - Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient

Enneagram Books We Each Read

Ashley - Hannah Paasch’s Millenneagram: The Enneagram Guide for Discovering Your Truest, Baddest Self

Jen - David Daniels, M.D., and Virginia Price, Ph.D.’s The Essential Enneagram

Sara - Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile's The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

Other Mentions

Free Enneagram Test that Ashley took

Paid Enneagram Test that Sara took

True Colors Personality Test

Give Me One - Favorite board game to play with your family Ashley - Simple Farm Bingo (farm animal bingo), 5 Minute Dungeon, Mancala Sara - Qwixx Jen - HedBanz Other Games Mentioned Spot It Uno Moo To see a full transcript and listen at the same time, click here to access it on Otter.ai. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Find Your Way Back to Reading with Comfort Reads

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we talk about what kinds of reads are bringing us comfort during these challenging times. Sara shares her love of cookbooks like Michelle Smith’s The Whole Smiths Good Food Cookbook, Ashley shares her love of poetry including the grief anthology Kevin Young’s The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, and Jen shares some great fantasy reads that she's loving including Sarah J. Maas’s House of Earth and Blood. We'd love to know what you're reading that is bringing you comfort! Let us know here or on social media @unabridgedpod!

Bookish Check-in

Ashley - Louise Penny’s Still Life

Jen - Susannah Cahalan’s The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission that Changed Our Understanding of Madness

Sara - Katherine Center’s Things You Save in a Fire

Comfort Read Recommendations

Sara -

Cookbooks

Annie F. Downs’s 100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self

(See this episode 198 from What Should I Read Next?) Jen - Sarah J. Maas’s House of Earth and Blood Elana K. Arnold’s Damsel Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely Ashley - Wendell Berry’s Window Poems Mary Oliver’s West Wind Nikky Finney’s Rice and Head Off and Split Kevin Young’s The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, including Phillis Levin’s “Vigil” Don't miss our episode where we talked about ways to beat a reading slump in Episode 54! Other Mentions Susannah Cahalan’s Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness Katherine Center’s How to Walk Away Anne Bogel’s Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life Michelle Smith’s The Whole Smiths Good Food Cookbook: Whole30 Endorsed, Delicious Real Food Recipes to Cook All Year Long Give Me One - What's Getting Us By Right Now Jen - Jarrett Lerner’s activities online online streaming of new movies (Onward) Sara- Joe Wick - daily PE activities for kids (and adults!) Lindsay Brin - Kids' workouts Yaymaker - Virtual paint class Ashley - Wow in the World podcast (now releasing daily with “Two Whats and a Wow!” as well as weekly!) Highlights Magazine Hidden Pictures - set of 4 To see a full transcript and listen at the same time, click here to access it on Otter. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Samira Ahmed's INTERNMENT -- April Unabridged Book Club

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0400

For our April Unabridged Book Club episode and discussion, we talk about Samira Ahmed's near-future YA literature novel, Internment (which was also our buddy read on Instagram in March!), and we make connections to other works including Mark Oshiro’s Anger Is a Gift, George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy, and Nic Stone’s Dear Martin. We end the episode by discussing some things that are helping us cope during this challenging time for our Give Me One. Join us all month on social media as we continue this discussion about Ahmed's Internment!

Timeline

Intro and Bookish Check In: 00:00 - 06:45

Book Club Discussion: 06:45 - 29:52

Give Me One: 40:00 - end

Bookish Check In

Ashley - Gary Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars

Jen - Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years

Sara - Sarah Dunn’s The Arrangement

Our Pairings

Ashley - Mark Oshiro’s Anger Is a Gift

Jen - George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy

Sara - Nic Stone’s Dear Martin

Give Me One - One Thing Helping Us Cope

Ashley - Cincinnati Zoo Safari Live Events (on their Facebook page and on their YouTube channel) and spending time outside

Jen - Lego Masters show

Sara - FaceTime with family

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

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Hopeful Books to Engage Students - What Can I Recommend to Students Right Now?

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we consider books that we'd recommend to students as great choices to read independently. As the world around us has drastically changed and continues changing, we decided on this topic and talked about some of our favorites, including R. J. Palacio's Wonder, Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before series, Nicola Yoon's books, and anything by Jason Reynolds, as well as some other favorites. We focus our discussion on books we think students can access without teacher support and on books that are not extremely heavy but leave the reader with a sense of hope. (We shared our long list on our Bookish Faves post this past Monday.) Be sure to let us know ones you'd recommend on the comments here or on our Instagram posts.

Our Recommendations R. J. Palacio’s Wonder Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Ep 90) Jason Reynolds’s Track series or When I Was the Greatest (or any of his other works) (Ep 34) John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star (Ep 75 - book-to-film adaptation) Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl Cece Bell’s El Deafo Raina Telgemeier’s Drama and Guts Julie Murphy's Dumplin’ (Ep 63 about the book & Ep 64 about the adaptation) David Yoon’s Frankly in Love Other Mentions Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman’s Dry R. J. Palacio’s Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories (including The Julian Chapter), White Bird: A Wonder Story Click here to view the discussion between Jason Reynolds and Laurie Halse Anderson from Virginia Festival of the Book 2019 Give Me One - Something that Makes Us Happy Jen - flowering trees and spring Sara - red wine Ashley - roller coasters Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The Unread Shelf with Whitney Conard - Curate that Unread Shelf and Actually Get Them Read

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we had the wonderful experience of interviewing Whitney Conard from The Unread Shelf. She joins us for our bookish check-in (we're big Camille Pagán fans!), shares the origin story of The Unread Shelf Project, and offers tips to help all of us pare down those burdensome stacks of unread books. We round out our discussion with our "Give Me One" segment, talking about our favorite teas.

Bookish Check In

Jen - Camille Pagán’s Forever Is the Worst Long Time (on audio; narrator Timothy Andrés Pabon)

Sara - Knox McCoy’s All Things Reconsidered

Ashley - Helen Hoang’s The Bride Test

Whitney - Camille Pagán's This Won’t End Well

Other Mentions

The Popcast

Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Persephone Books

The Little Free Library program

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Anne Cleeves - The Long Call

The Unread Shelf

Whitney's Email Course

Whitney's Post about Bookish App Recommendations

Join Whitney on this Journey - # theunreadsshelf + the year

Anne Bogel's podcast What Should I Read Next? - The life-changing magic of clearing your unread shelf

Madeline with Top Shelf Text on Instagram

Whitney's Top Tips for Your Unread Shelves

Count your unread books

Put all of the unread books in one place

Prioritize the top reads for you

Figure out your barriers and figure out how to overcome them

JUST READ!

Give Me One - Favorite Teas

Sara - Harney & Sons’ Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea (Black Tea with Orange and Sweet Clove), Herbal Element tea company

Ashley - Chai (Equal Exchange Organic Chai, 20-Count - Pack of 3)

Jen - Peppermint tea when sick

Whitney's recommendations - Irish Breakfast or Assam blend for coffee drinkers, Simpson and Vail tea company's author line (especially Jane Austen blend), Celestial Seasoning's Bengal Spice

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

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Anne Bogel's DON'T OVERTHINK IT - I Always Have the "Over" Problem

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 16:31:44 -0400

In this episode, we have fun discussing Anne Bogel's Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life and its application to our lives. Although we don't go in depth about her other books, I'd Rather Be Reading and Reading People , we enjoyed reading and discussing those way back in episode 43.

Bookish Check In

Jen - Stuart Gibbs’s Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation Sara - Jessica Simpson’s Open Book Ashley - Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See Other Mentions Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading Anne Bogel's Reading People Our episode about Anne Bogel's other two books Give Me One - Favorite Distraction Ashley - Calm app / Cute animal videos Sara - TV (Top Chef, Project Runway) Jen - Romance novels (check out Jen's post of romance faves!) Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Kevin Wilson's NOTHING TO SEE HERE - Learning by Fire

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 17:00:00 -0400

For our March Unabridged Book Club discussion, we're focusing on Kevin Wilson's excellent Nothing to See Here (which was also a Book of the Month pick!). Listen to catch up with what we're reading now and to hear why we chose to pair books like Ninth House, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, and Young Jane Young with Wilson's novel. Finally, we're thinking about movies from our childhood in our Give Me One segment.

Timeline

Bookish Check In: 00:00 - 05:40 Book Club Discussion: 05:45 - 33:46 Our Pairings: 33:47 - 47:25 Give Me One: 47:25 - end Bookish Check In Jen - Pierce Brown's Dark Age (Red Rising Book 5) Ashley - Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl Sara - Megan Angelo's Followers Our Pairings Ashley - Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon Jen - Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House Sara - Gabrielle Zevin's Young Jane Young Give Me One - Movie from Childhood Jen - E.T.,The Extra-Terrestrial Ashley - The Secret of NIMH Sara - Girls Just Want to Have Fun Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Read Alike Ideas and Lit Circles - I Think the Risk Is Worth the Reward

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 17:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we're discussing the benefits of using Read Alikes within book clubs and within the classroom. We touch on some of our favorite YA lit books, such as Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give, as well as classics like Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. We talk about strategies for making read alikes work and ways to manage the difficulties in order to reap the rewards of exploring a variety of books centering around one theme.

Bookish Check In

Jen - Jojo Moyes’s The Giver of Stars

Sara - Axton Betz-Hamilton’s The Less People Know about Us

Ashley - Brittney Morris’s Slay Books Mentioned Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 Daniel T. Willingham's Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom Give Me One - Best Books for Book Club Discussions Jen - Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test, Jon Ronson’s So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed Sara - Ruth Wariner’s The Sound of Gravel, Tara Westover’s Educated, Bryn Greenwood’s All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Ashley - John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down, Bryn Greenwood’s The Reckless Oath We Made Resources - Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers materials Book Flight Guides - Police Brutality, Fairy Tale Retellings Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Why Teach YA? - There's Nothing I Want More than for Kids to Love What We're Doing

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 17:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we focus on classroom teachers and talk directly about how and why we incorporated Young Adult literature into our classrooms. We talk about series we saw our students loving like Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, and Veronica Roth's Divergent, and we talk about seeing our students fall in love with books. From classics like S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders to A.S. King's Everybody Sees the Ants, we talk about using YA lit in our classes and also the role we think it can play more generally within the classroom setting.

Bookish Check In

Sara - Axton Betz-Hamilton's The Less People Know about Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity

Ashley - Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift

Jen - Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett's A House in the Sky: A Memoir (@readwithtoni buddy read)

Other Mentions Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games series David Baldacci's Wish You Well Bob Greene's Be True to Your School: A Diary of 1964 F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby Arthur Miller's The Crucible Stephanie Meyers's The Twilight Saga Katherine Paterson's Jacob Have I Loved A. S. King's Everybody Sees the Ants R. J. Palacio's Wonder Elie Wiesel's Night Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre Give Me One - A YA Lit Favorite Ashley - Emily X. R. Pan's The Astonishing Color of After Jen - Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January Sara - John Green's Turtles All the Way Down Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

2020 Love Is in the Air - The Protagonist's Name is in the Title

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In our 2020 Love Is in the Air episode, we're talking all things romance. In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite romance novels, including Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over, Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue, and David Yoon’s Frankly in Love just to name a few. While we have varying degrees of expertise in this genre, we all have some recommendations to share with you! Jen's Picks Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series; Book 1 - A Princess in Theory Ashley's Picks Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely Sara's Picks David Yoon’s Frankly in Love Elin Hildebrand’s The Blue Bistro Give Me One - Favorite Romantic Getaway or Date Night Jen - movie marathon, trip to NY Ashley - breweries downtown and local restaurants (Boboko, Cuban Burger, Food Bar Food, Pale Fire Brewing, Three Notch'd, Brothers Craft Brewing) Sara - Dinner and a show at home, trips to local vineyards Other Mentions NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast Nicola Yoon (author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star) Brigid Kemmerer's A Heart So Fierce and Broken Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Bryn Greenwood's THE RECKLESS OATH WE MADE - Challenging, in the Best Way

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, we discuss Bryn Greenwood's The Reckless Oath We Made. We discuss our overall impressions, what worked and didn't for us in the novel, and some memorable quotations, before getting into our pairings, including Peter Heller’s The Painter, Tracey Garvis Grave’s The Girl He Used to Know, and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer. We also share our thoughts on whether this is a keeper for us and how much bookish love we each give it.

Timeline

Introduction and Bookish Check Ins: 0:00 - 4:50

Main Discussion: 4:51 - 41:10

Our Pairings: 41:10 - 48:30

Bookish Love: 48:31 - 51:36

Give Me One: 51:37 - end

Bookish Check In Jen - John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany; buddy read with @readwithtoni on Instagram Sara - Paul Pen's The Light of the Fireflies (see Episode 35, Books We Don't Recommend but are Dying to Discuss!) Ashley - Madeline Miller's Circe Our Pairings Sara - Tracey Garvis Grave’s The Girl He Used to Know Jen - Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer Ashley - Peter Heller’s The Painter Give Me One - A brand/ item/ place to which we're loyal Jen - Apple products Sara - Emily Schromm Ashley - Wild Wolf Blonde Hunny beer Other Mentions Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Broadchurch series Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store! Become a patron on Patreon. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram. Like and follow our Facebook Page. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store. Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter. Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher. Check us out on Podbean. Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Winter Books - If I Read a Good Thriller, I'm Thrilled

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we are sharing about a favorite topic of ours, seasonal reads. We discuss some favorite reads that revolve around winter in some way, including Fredrik Backman’s Beartown, Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child, Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray, and George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.

Our Recommendations

Ashley -

Fredrik Backman’s Beartown

Neil Gaiman’s American Gods

Sara -

Megan Collins’s The Winter Sister

Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child

Jen -

Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray

George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series

Other Mentions

Ruta Sepetys's Salt to the Sea

American Gods - the TV series

The 100 - the TV series

Game of Thrones series

Modern Mrs. Darcy - Anne Bogel's blog

What Should I Read Next - Anne Bogel's podcast

Give Me One - Favorite Cold Weather Activity or Drink

Ashley - sledding and hot chocolate

Sara - visiting a local vineyard

Jen - making snow cream

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

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2020 Reading Goals and Reading Challenges - I Can Share My Spreadsheet with You

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 17:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we're facing the new year (and new decade!) and considering our reading lives and goals. We've also each signed up for a different reading challenge including Book Riot's 2020 Read Harder Challenge, the Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge, and The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge for 2020. We're talking all things goal and resolution-oriented, and we're making grand plans for how our reading lives will look this year. Will they work out? We'll keep you all posted.

Our Reading Challenges

Jen - Book Riot's 2020 Read Harder Challenge with @bookriot

Sara - Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge from @novelknight along with The Unread Shelf Project 2020 with @theunreadshelf

Ashley - The Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge with @annebogel

Other Mentions

The Morning News Tournament of Books

Marie Kondo

# 20backlistin2020 on Instagram

Give Me One - New Year's Resolutions

Jen - Updating the house, clearing out the clutter

Sara - Monitoring consumption

Ashley - Simplifying and focusing on clear goals

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

Check out our Merch Store!

Become a patron on Patreon.

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Our 2020 TBR Lists - Round-Robin Style

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we're discussing some books we can't wait to read in 2020, including Brigid Kemmerer’s A Heart So Fierce and Broken, Bianca Marais’s Hum If You Don’t Know the Words, and Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years. We also talk about Sarah J. Maas's works and end our episode talking about some of our favorite places to eat.

Ashley’s Picks

Brigid Kemmerer’s A Heart So Fierce and Broken - January 7, 2020

Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Archive

*Listen to Jen’s comments about this one on our “All About the Journey” episode

Jen's Picks

Bianca Marais’s Hum If You Don’t Know the Words

Sarah J. Maas’s House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City series) - March 3, 2020

Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed’s When Stars Are Scattered - April 14, 2020

*Colby Sharp's tweet

Sara’s Picks

Rebecca Serle’s In Five Years - March 3, 2020

Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

Cara Wall’s The Dearly Beloved

Other Mentions

Rebecca Serle’s The Dinner List

Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl

Sarah J. Maas’s Court of Thorns and Roses (book 1 in series) and Throne of Glass (book 1 in series)

Give Me One - Our Favorite Type of Food

Taste of Thai in Harrisonburg

Taj of India in Harrisonburg

Corgan’s Publick House of Harrisonburg

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store!

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Mary Beth Keane's ASK AGAIN, YES - I Had to Open Another Tin of Book Darts

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club (#unabridgedpodbookclub) episode, we discuss Mary Beth Keane's Ask Again, Yes, the amazing multigenerational novel examining two families in a planned community. We make connections to Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere, John Boyne’s The Heart's Invisible Furies, and Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, and we thoroughly discuss the intricacies of relationships over time and through generations as they are explored in the novel.

Timeline

Introduction - 00:00 - 01:35

General Discussion - 01:36- 39:48

Our Pairings - 39:50 - 46:15

Classroom Connections - 46:16 - 49:52

Our Pairings

Ashley's pick - Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere

Sara's pick - John Boyne’s The Heart's Invisible Furies

Jen's pick - Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House

Classroom Connections and Other Mentions

Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You

Mira T. Lee's Everything Here Is Beautiful

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Children's author Kate DiCamillo on the What Should I Read Next? podcast (episode 213)

Give Me One - Favorite Mixed Drink

Sara - Amaretto Sour or Mimosa

Ashley - Negroni

Jen - Margarita

Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.

Want to support Unabridged?

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Unabridged Awards 2019 - Y'all Know I'm Indecisive

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 17:00:00 -0400

The hosts of Unabridged once again gathered to reflect on our year of reading and to choose some of our favorites. While Jen (as is typical) wanted to talk about all the books, Sara and Ashley did a much better job reining it in. Check out the episode to hear us talk about The Song of Achilles, Good Talk, and The Heart's Invisible Furies. We revisit favorites from the podcast and share some of our favorite books for kids.

We'd love to know about your favorites of the year! Head over to social media to boost your picks.

Our Individual Awards

Jen

*Best Reinterpretation of a Classic - Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles

*Most Tear-Jerking YA Novel - Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Ashley

*Poignant, Hilarious, and Brilliant Graphic Memoir with a One-of-a-Kind Style - Mira Jacob’s Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations

*Gripping Story that’s All about Sports, Except that It’s Really All about Life - Fredrik Backman’s Beartown

Sara

*Best Non-fiction that Reads like a Thriller - Nick Bilton’s American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road

*Best Book of My Year and on My Top 5 of All Time - John Boyne’s The Heart's Invisible Furies

Children's and Young Adult Books

*Ashley - Most Affirming Story about Accepting Oneself - Grace Byers’s I Am Enough, illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

*Sara - Best Graphic Novel I Have Read and Also Got to Meet the Author - Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Hey Kiddo

*Jen - Best Series to Re-read - J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series

Not My Cup of Tea

*Ashley - Alafair Burke’s The Ex

*Jen - Elizabeth McCracken’s Bowlaway

*Sara - Stephanie Land’s Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive

Favorite Book from the Podcast

*Ashley - Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

*Jen - Ibi Zoboi's Pride

*Sara - Beth Macy's Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

Give Me One - A Fact People Might Be Surprised to Know about Us

*Jen - studied biology and loves science

*Sara - has an MBA and used to work in banking

*Ashley - was a white water rafting guide

Other Mentions

*Anne Bogel's What Should I Read Next? podcast

Check out what's coming up next.

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Holiday Wrap Up 2019 - 3 Favorites from the Year

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this special holiday episode, we're wrapping up 2019 with 3 recent favorites. Stay tuned next week for our 2019 Unabridged Awards!

How would you wrap up YOUR year? What are some of your 2019 favorites? Let us know on social media!

timeline

Click the episode title to access show notes:

*Introduction (0:00 - 2:01)

*Episode 87, "Get to Know the Hosts" (002:10 - 28:00)

*Episode 86, "Favorite Audiobooks" (28:10 - 50:11)

*Episode 91, "Book and Song Pairings" (50:22 - 72:13)

*Give Me One (72:23 - end)

give me one - favorite pizza topping

*Ashley - Bacon

*Jen - Ham and Pineapple

*Sara - Extra Cheese

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Debate - What Makes a Holiday Movie? - I'm Having a Conversation in My Head

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 16:00:00 -0400

The Unabridged debate over what makes a holiday movie gets a little contentious as Jen and Sara face off (primarily) about Love Actually. Poor Ashley serves as moderator (sorry, Ashley!).

What do YOU think makes a Christmas movie? Does it have to be ABOUT Christmas, or is it enough to be set during the holiday season? Let us know what you think @unabridgedpod!

movie mentions

*Love Actually

*Elf

*Christmas with the Kranks

*Deck the Halls

*Jingle All the Way

other mentions

*The Atlantic articles on Love Actually

--> From 2004 - The Movie Review: 'Love Actually'

--> From 2013 - I Will Not Be Ashamed of Loving Love Actually / Love Actually Is the Least Romantic Film of All Time / Love Actually: Still Awful

give me one - a toy you loved when you were a kid

*Jen's pick - Barbies (organized by name and age)

*Sara's pick - Roller Skates

*Ashley's pick - my teddy bear Fuzzy

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Unpopular Opinion Alert 2019 - I Have Some Trepidation

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Unabridged is back with more unpopular opinions! For our second Unpopular Opinion Alert, we take on Where the Crawdad Sings, Verity, and The Female Persuasion.

What books did everyone else love that you . . . well, that you don't? Head over to our social media to share your opinion in a safe space. Move past YOUR trepidation to let us know what you REALLY think. And let us know what you think about our unpopular opinions, too.

works mentioned

*Ashley's Pick - Meg Wolitzer’s The Female Persuasion

*Jen's Pick - Colleen Hoover’s Verity

*Sara's Pick - Delia Owens’s Where the Crawdads Sing

give me one: Instagram accounts to follow

*Sara's pick: NYC Book Girl

*Ashley's pick: We Love Big Books and We Cannot Lie

*Jen's pick: Bookish Ladies Club

--> @reading_mom.me

--> @kb.reads19

--> @jessicasbookjourney

--> @the_reading_bee

--> @bradeighgodfrey

--> @musingwithmeirys

--> @chill_jilland_read

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Hazel Gaynor and Heather Mariah Webb's LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS - Tied Up with a Bow

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Friends, for our Unabridged Book Club book this month, we're reading Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb's epistolary novel Last Christmas in Paris. This book, set predominantly during World War I, unveils the relationships of two characters, Evie and Tom, through the letters they write to each other and to friends and family. Through the lens of their very personal letters, readers also gain an understanding of other concerns of the time, including the growing role of women in Great Britain, concerns of journalism in telling the truth and supporting patriotism, mental health of soldiers, and (of course!) finding love and companionship in the midst of war. It's a novel of friendship, of fraternity, and of passion, set over the course of years.

Join us on social media this month to share your thoughts about Gaynor and Webb's novel!

timeline

*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 38:03

*Book Pairings: 38:04 - 43:34

*Classroom Connections: 43:35 - 45:18

*Give Me One: 45:20 - 47:45

book pairings

*Ashley - Ruta Sepetys’s Salt to the Sea

*Jen - Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network

*Sara - Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See

other mentions

*Alice Walker's The Color Purple

*Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's Dangerous Liaisons

*The Hamilton Soundtrack

give me one - musician to try

*Jen's pick - Red Hot Chili Peppers

*Sara's pick - Maroon 5

*Ashley's pick - The Chainsmokers

*Check out what's coming up next.

want to support unabridged?

*Check out our Merch Store!

*Become a patron on Patreon.

*Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.

*Like and follow our Facebook Page.

*Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.

*Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.

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Human Trafficking Awareness with RuthAnn Deveney, Dressember Advocate - Fresh-Squeezed Freedom

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 16:00:00 -0400

The three of us had an amazing conversation with RuthAnn Deveney about ways that everyone can combat human trafficking every day. We discuss Dressember (find Ashley and Sara on social media to support their Dressember campaigns) and about how to talk to kids of all ages about human trafficking and how to make a difference. We also share an array of book recommendations for all ages, including Girl Rising by Tanya Lee Stone, Tell Me by Joan Bauer, and Sold by Patricia McCormick.

Starting on December 10, join us on Instagram (@unabridgedpod) for our Dressember Auction--you can win a fabulous prize package and join us in combating human trafficking.

works and authors mentioned

*Joan Bauer's Tell Me

*Tanya Lee Stone's Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time

*Patricia McCormick's Sold

*Dave Eggers's What Can a Citizen Do?

*Innosanto Nagara's A Is for Activist

*Vashti Harrison's Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

*Malala Yousafzai's Malala's Magic Pencil

*Peter H. Reynolds's Say Something

*Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli's Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

*The Doorstone Film Project's "The Candy Shop"

*Aisha Saeed's Amal Unbound

*Shobha Rao's Girls Burn Brighter

*Mende Nazer and Damien Lewis's Slave: My True Story

*Gary Houghan and Victor Boutros's The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence

*Cyntoia Brown Long's Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System

other mentions

*International Justice Mission

*RuthAnn on Instagram - @definitelyRA

*30 for 30 Remix Challenge (3o items of clothing in 30 days)

give me one: magazine picks

*Sara's pick: People

*Ashley's pick: Simplify

*Jen's pick: Real Simple

Check out what's coming up next.

want to support unabridged?

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Bookish Gifts 2019 - Insert Party Horn Sound Here

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:00:00 -0400

It's that time of year again, friends. You know it: the time of year when we are all about finding the perfect gift for the bookworms in your life. We have a great time in this episode talking about some of our favorite bookish shops and items for all your bookworm gift-giving needs!

Listen to find out about book sleeves and headbands and earrings and bookmarks and so much more!

featured businesses

*Lyndsey Draws Co. Etsy Shop and Lyndsey's Instagram

*A Hum for Hope - Discount Code: UNABRIDGED10

*Mountain Thread Company - Discount Code: UNABRIDGED

*Bring Your Own

some bookish items we love

*Treat Yo’ Shelf Subscription from $55 (from Snitch Earrings ($20) (from Artsy Heartsy Boutique - Quilled Literary Creations)

*Full Hearts Collection (from Carrot Top Paper Shop)

a few other mentions

*Book Riot's Book Fetish Newsletter

*Bookish Headband from Fablebands ($10.00)

*Bookshop Bookend from Amazon.com ($9.00)

*Knock, Knock Personal Library Kit from Amazon.com ($13.00)

*Personalized Name Bookmark from kraze4paper ($10.00)

*Custom Picture Bookmark from Sweet Cartolina (from $11.00)

*2018 Bookish Gifts Episode

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Debate - Classics or Not?: I Just Skipped the Scenery...and the Descriptions

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:00:00 -0400

What do you think of the classics? And, for that matter, how do you define classics? We take on these issues and more in today's episode, discussing the merits of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Zora Neale Hurston, and more.

Listen to the episode, and then join us on social media to let us know where YOU think about this debate.

works and authors mentioned

*Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Emma

*Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations

*Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

*Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

*Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God

*F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

*John Steinbeck's East of Eden

*Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

*Shakespeare’s Othello, Hamlet

*James Joyce’s Ulysses

*Clive Cussler (check out Pacific Vortex!)

*Samuel Beckett (here's a collection, Three Novels: Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable)

give me one: apps worth trying

*Sara's pick: PicTapGo

*Ashley's pick: Down Dog

*Jen's pick: IMDb

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Maggie O'Farrell's I AM, I AM, I AM - Defiance of Death

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 16:00:00 -0400

For our November Book Club, we're discussing Maggie O'Farrell's I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death, our first Unabridged Readers' Choice pick! This collection of connected essays elicited a different reaction from each of us . . . some of us definitely liked it more than others.

We'd love to know what you think about this memoir. Join us all month on social media to discuss O'Farrell's work.

timeline

*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 39:28

*Book Pairings: 39:39 - 46:18

*Classroom Connections: 46:19 - 50:18

*Give Me One: 50:19 - 52:58

book pairings

*Ashley - Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

*Jen - Jesmyn Ward's Men We Reaped

*Sara - Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge -- Listen to Sara's perspective on this novel in Episode 16, Unpopular Opinion Alert

other mentions

*Lorrie Moore's short story collections such as Birds of America, including the short story "How" from her collection Self-Help

*Elizabeth Strout's Olive, Again

give me one - super hero edition

*Jen's pick - Captain America

*Sara's pick - Wonder Woman

*Ashley's pick - Black Panther

*Check out what's coming up next.

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Spooky Stories - Twisty in All the Right Ways

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Join us for our 2019 edition of Spooky Stories! We're here again this season to share with you our latest seasonal and spooky favorites. We'll talk the latest books (including Shea Ernshaw's Winterwood, coming out on November 5th... SO GOOD!), and we will share our thoughts about some of the Book of the Month picks from this season (including Alex North's The Whisper Man, Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient, and Riley Sager's The Last Time I Lied).

What are you reading this season? Find us on social media to share your favorites!

our spooky picks

Jen's Picks

*Alex North’s The Whisper Man

*Jennifer McMahon’s The Invited

Ashley's Picks

*Sarah Henning’s The Sea Witch

*Shea Ernshaw’s Winterwood

Sara's Picks

*Riley Sager’s The Last Time I Lied

*Alex Michaelides’s The Silent Patient

give me one - game edition

*Jen's pick - Exit: The Game (The Abandoned Cabin edition)

*Sara's picks - - Apples to Apples AND Trivial Pursuit: Pop Culture Edition

*Ashley's pick - Code Names

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Update on Our Recommendations to Each Other: A Love Story . . . and Also Not

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Well, we have failed at reading all of our recommendations for each other, but we had a good time with some confessions, some reflection, and some reviews of how well we know each other. In general, I'd say that we did a pretty good job recommending books for each other . . . and a pretty bad job prioritizing our TBRs.

Join us on social media to share your thoughts about these books, your recommendations for each of us, and your tips for TBR prioritization!

Missed out on the episode where we recommended books to each other? Listen here.

Ashley’s Update

*Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together

*Ingrid Rojas Contreras’s Fruit of the Drunken Tree

*Hasn't read yet -

*Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains (The Seeds of America Trilogy)

*Sujata Massey’s The Widows of Malabar Hill

Jen's Update

*A. Sivandan’s When Memory Dies

*Knox McCoy’s The Wondering Years

*Louise Penny's Still Life

*Still finishing -

*Don Delillo’s White Noise

Sara's Update

*Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

*Stephanie Perkins’s Anna and the French Kiss

*Laura Lippman’s Sunburn

*Hasn't read yet -

*John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies

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Rainbow Rowell Rocks: You Have to Read It! You Have to Read It!

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 16:00:00 -0400

For this short episode of Unabridged, we are talking all about Rainbow Rowell and our love for her books. While we each have unique favorites of her work, we can agree that we are all fans, and there are some things that run through her writing that we enjoy.

And as Jen says, "Rainbow Rowell is an auto-buy for us!"

the hosts' favorites

Ashley’s Pick

*Rainbow Rowell's Carry On

Jen’s Pick

*Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl

Sara’s Pick

*Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor and Park

other mentions

*Rainbow Rowell's Wayward Son

*Rainbow Rowell's Pumpkinheads

*Rainbow Rowell's Attachments

*Rainbow Rowell's Landline

*Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High series

give me one: one tv show you should watch

*Sara's pick: Justified

*Ashley's pick: The Good Place

*Jen's pick: Fleabag

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Literary Friends in Real Life - I Felt Like I Had Somewhere Brilliant to Go

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Our short episode in which we pair two characters from two different books, those literary folks we think might be friends in real life, proved to be more challenging than we anticipated. Fortunately, as friends in real life (ha!), we supported each other, confirming the validity (when we could) of our choices.

Listen to this new short episode, and then let us know what you think: are these friendships viable? what friendships do YOU think might work in real life?

Jen’s Match

*Wendy from Claire Lombardo’s The Most Fun We Ever Had with Marianne from Sally Rooney’s Normal People

Sara’s Match

*Penny from Shea Ernshea’s The Wicked Deep with Evie from Sarah Henning’s Sea Witch

Ashley’s Match

*Leigh from Emily X. R. Pan’s The Astonishing Color of After with Lara Jean from Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

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Anissa Gray's THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS - Relationships Between Women

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We're thrilled to discuss Anissa Gray's new novel, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls. Told in the alternating perspectives of the Butler sisters, this novel is timely, compelling, and, at times, heartbreaking.

We offer pairings and recommendations for the ways that teachers can use this book in their classrooms.

After you listen, join us on social media throughout October to participate in our book club discussions. We'd love to know what you think!

timeline

*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 36:03

*Book Pairings: 36:03 - 45:43

*Classroom Connections: 45:44 - 49:54

book pairings

*Ashley - Mira T. Lee's Everything Here is Beautiful

*Jen - Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides

*Sara - John Green's Turtles All the Way Down

classroom connections

*Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls

*Yara Zgheib's The Girls at 17 Swann Street

*Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing

other mentions

*Piper Kerman's Orange Is the New Black and the Netflix Series

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All about the Journey - Bump It Up on the List

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 16:00:00 -0400

For this short episode of Unabridged, we thought about journeys. Nearly every book contains some sort of journey--emotional, moral, time--but we wanted to focus on the physical journeys that often lie at the heart of novels to symbolize or catalyze something else.

Our TBR lists explode (or shuffle, at the very least) as we each recommend two books with journeys at their centers. Listen to Jen remember our website's url, Sara get past not really loving journey novels all that much, and Ashley consider why audiobooks, while not always quite her first choice, are better than growing her TBR even more. Then, head over to social media to share your recommendations!

our selections

Ashley’s Picks

*Craig Thompson’s Carnet de Voyage

*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi’s Americanah

Jen’s Picks

*Cormac McCarthy’s The Road

*Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Archive

Sara’s Picks

*J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

*Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven

other mentions

*Camp TOB

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Book and Song Pairings - I'm Going to Go for It

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We took on a new challenge for this episode, offering our ideas for songs that pair beautifully with books. While none of us would call this our wheelhouse (I don't think!), we loved hearing the others' ideas for songs that resonate, for books that somehow connect in a meaningfully way to the feeling or story of the song.

We would LOVE to hear your ideas for perfect book-and-song pairings. Visit us on social media to share your ideas!

Ashley’s Picks

*Death Cab for Cutie’s “What Sarah Said” (lyrics here) with Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers

*X Ambassadors’ “Unsteady” (lyrics here) with Beth Macy’s Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

Jen’s Picks

*Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” (lyrics here) with Dave Cullen’s Parkland: Birth of a Movement

*Lin-Manuel Miranda's “It’s Quiet Uptown” from the Hamilton soundtrack (lyrics here) with Dani Shapiro’s Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage

Sara’s Picks

*Chris Cornell’s "Nothing Compares to U" (LIVE Chris Cornell version, lyrics here) with Dane Hucklebridge’s Castle of Water

*Linkin’ Park’s "Shadow of the Day" (lyrics here) with Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before Book to Film Adaptation - Get With It!

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In our newest short episode, we embark on a discussion of one of our favorite things: a book-to-film adaptation. This time, we're discussing the Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han's fabulous YA romance To All the Boys I've Loved Before. While the book is fuzzier for some of us than others (it's been a loooong time for someone, folks!), we all nonetheless enjoy considering the positives and negatives of this adaptation. Spoiler alert: there are some elements we like better in the movie!

works mentioned

*Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before

*To All the Boys I've Loved Before Netflix movie adaptation

*My So-Called Life TV series

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Elizabeth Acevedo's WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH - On Her Side

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We're thrilled to discuss Elizabeth Acevedo's sophomore novel, With the Fire on High. Protagonist Emoni is a high school student, a mother, a granddaughter, and an amazingly inspired chef in training.

Listen in for our discussion of the ways that Acevedo counters our expectations for this character. We offer pairings and recommendations for the ways that teachers can use this book in their classrooms.

After you listen, join us on social media throughout September to participate in our book club discussions. We'd love to know what you think!

timeline

*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 35:00

*Book Pairings: 35:01 - 42:17

*Classroom Connections: 42:18 - 48:00

book pairings

*Ashley - Jade Chang’s The Wangs vs the World

*Jen - Roselle Lim’s Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune

*Sara - Erika Sanchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

classroom connections

*Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X

*Gaby Rodriguez's The Pregnancy Project

*Isabel Quintero's Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

*Robin Benway's Far from the Tree

other mentions

*Chopped TV Series

*Beat Bobby Flay TV Series

*Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate

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Autumn TBR Lists - Shopping in My Kindle Closet

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We'll let you guess just which one of us went shopping in her Kindle closet . . . and then cheated to share an extra book (or two . . . or three!) on this episode. Well, actually, we ALL cheated because we have SO many books coming out this fall that we're eagerly anticipating.

Take a listen to our TBR lists, and then let us know what books you look forward to reading this fall! Head over to social media to let us know.

TBR Lists

Ashley’s Picks

*Sarah Henning’s Sea Witch

*Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women

*Rainbow Rowell’s Wayward Son

Jen’s Picks

*Peter Heller’s Celine

*Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments

*Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know

Sara’s Picks

*Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls

*Lisa Lutz’s The Swallows

*Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys

other mentions

*Peter Heller's The Dog Stars

*Peter Heller's The Painter

*Peter Heller's The River

*Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale

*The Bachelorette (TV Show)

*The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu TV Show)

*Casey McQuiston’s Red, White and Royal Blue

*Love Island (TV Show)

*Hester Fox’s The Widow of Pale Harbor

*Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer

*Interview with Jesmyn Ward

*Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments

*Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep

*Min Jin Lee's Pachinko

*Hester Fox's The Witch of Willow Hall

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Get to Know the Hosts - A Great Story of Friendship

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 16:00:00 -0400

There's a little bit about books and a whole lot about us in this Unabridged Short episode. Learn what books we loved to teach, what scares us, and what we do outside of reading. (This is more of a stretch for some of us than others!)

Feel free to share other questions for us on social media! And let us know: what's the scariest thing YOU've ever done for fun? what are your hobbies (outside of books)? what's your favorite podcast or social media follow . . . that's not book related?

works mentioned

*A.S. King’s Everybody Sees the Ants

*Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God

*S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders

*Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood

podcasts and social media accounts mentioned

*The Popcast, Instagram account here

*Revisionist History, Instagram account here

*Tumble, Instagram account here

*Jamie B. Golden on Instagram (from the Popcast)

*Simpleish Living (on Instagram)

To learn more about Ashley, see her page.

To learn more about Jen, see her page.

To learn more about Sara, check out her page.

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Our Favorite Audiobooks - (Don't) Come to Me, Animal Friends

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we are revisiting our love for audiobooks! Each of us has evolved as an audiobook listener, and we talk about that process, the types of books that work best for us on audio, how we're stretching ourselves . . . and Sara's deep, deep love for puppy dog kisses (no sarcasm there at all!).

What are some of your new favorite audiobooks? Visit us on social media to share. You can find us on Litsy (at Unabridged), Instagram and Twitter (@unabridgedpod), and Facebook.

Ashley’s Picks

*George Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo (multiple narrators) (book/audiobook)

*Michelle Obama’s Becoming (read by the author) (book/audiobook)

Jen’s Picks

*Steve Sheinkin’s Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian Football Team (Mark Bramhill, narrator) (book/audiobook)

*Lydia Kang’s A Beautiful Poison (Saskia Maarleveld, narrator) (book/audiobook) and The Impossible Girl (Saskia Maarleveld, narrator) (book/audiobook)

Sara’s Picks

*Fredrick Backman’s Beartown (Marin Ireland, narrator) (book/audiobook)

*W. Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose (William Dufris, narrator) (book/audiobook)

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Global Read Aloud 2019 - I just have to read this quotation

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:00:00 -0400

For the second year, we are excited to explore three of the Global Read Aloud books. (You can find out more information about the Global Read Aloud here.) We are thrilled to begin Season 3 with a discussion of three amazing novels for middle grade, middle school, and young adult readers.

Listen to the episode, and then let us know what you think!

timeline

*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 01:16

*Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves: 01:17 - 18:45

*Padma Venkatraman's The Bridge Home: 18:46 - 31:59

*Kelly Yang's Front Desk: 32:00 - 43:40

other mentions

*Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony

*Cormac McCarthy’s The Road

*Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars

*Mindy McGinnis’s Not a Drop to Drink

*Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven

*Alan Gratz’s Refugee

*Neal Shusterman’s Dry

*R. J. Palacio’s Wonder

*Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers

*Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”

other resources

*Joseph Boyden’s Wenjack

*Louise Erdrich’s Tracks

*Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine

*Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Hearts Unbroken

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Season Three Launch - Brand Spanking New Logo!

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We could NOT be more excited about launching Season 3!!!! We have so much good stuff planned for this upcoming season and are looking forward to reaching more readers and more teachers and more listeners.

In this episode, we highlight some upcoming episodes, new offerings on Teachers Pay Teachers, and ways you can become involved in our podcast discussions.

Tune in to find out what we have planned, and be sure to find us on social media!

books mentioned

*Elizabeth Acevedo's With the Fire on High

*Kelly Yang's Front Desk

*Padma Venkatraman's The Bridge Home

*Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves

other mentions

*Our Patreon Page

*Our Teachers Pay Teachers Store

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Summertime Drink and Book Pairings - The Food, The Family, the Relationships

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0400

What says summer more than curling up with a good book and a nice glass of . . . something? Unabridged dives into book and drink pairings in this episode. We share some books we've read, some books we hope to read, and the drinks that pop into our minds (sometimes spontaneously, and sometimes after a bit of Googling).

After you listen, head over to social media to let us know what you think of our recommendations and what you'd recommend! You can find us @unabridgedpod on Instagram and Twitter, at Unabridged on Litsy, and on Facebook.

books mentioned

Jen's Picks

*Laura Dave’s Eight Hundred Grapes paired with wine (Thalia 2017 from Muse Vineyards)

*Megan Abbott’s Give Me Your Hand or You Will Know Me (TBR) - Mole Hill American Imperial Stout (Brothers Craft Brewing)

Ashley's Picks

*Pat Conroy's Beach Music paired with a Negroni (gin, vermouth, and campari)

*Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer with a Mind Eraser (kahlua, vodka, soda) from this post

Sara's Picks

*Jane Harper's The Dry paired with a Diablo cocktail (tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice, ginger ale) or a Foster's beer or Victoria Bitter beer

*Linda Francis Lee's The Glass Kitchen with Apple Pie drink (apple schnapps and a splash of cinnamon schnapps)

other mentions

*Jane Harper's The Lost Man and Force of Nature

*Episode 68 - Books about Food

*Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate

Check out what's coming up next.

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Our Anticipated Reads of 2019 Update - Intentionally Weird

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Back in January, we shared the books that we planned (or hoped?) to read this year. Now, it's time to share our progress. Have we read all of them? Nope. But we've made a valiant effort. (Or at least an effort.)

What was on your TBR list for 2019? How are you doing? We'd love to hear about your successes and failures, the books you've loved and the ones that have disappointed you, over on social media. Check us out on Facebook and everywhere else @unabridgedpod.

books we've read

Jen’s Update

*Helen Oyeyemi’s Gingerbread

*Karen Thompson Walker’s The Dreamers

*Leigh Bardugo's King of Scars

Ashley’s Update

*Laini Taylor’s Muse of Nightmares

*Children’s book - Kwame Alexander's The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Sara’s Update

*Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones and the Six

*Busy Phillips’s This Will Only Hurt a Little

*Tracey Garvis Graves’s The Girl He Used to Know

other mentions

*Karen Thompson Walker's The Age of Miracles

*Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

*Myquillyn Smith’s The Cozy Minimalist Home

*Angie Thomas's On the Come Up

*Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer

*Yara Zgheib’s The Girls at 17 Swann Street

*Tommy Orange’s There, There

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Best of Unabridged Shorts (So Far!) - Most Riveting of All

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this summer highlights episode, we're sharing three of our most popular Unabridged Short Story episodes! You can join us on the Rainbow Rowell Train, pick up some steamy recommendations, and learn all about our worst (or maybe best?) literary sins.

We'd love to hear your newest recommendations for our TBR, your best steamy picks, and (of course!) your true confessions.

timeline

Click the episode title to access show notes and links to the books mentioned:

*Episode 57, "Anticipated Reads of 2019" (01:58 - 20:50)

*Episode 33, "Love is in the Air" (21:00 - 40:40)

*Episode 54, "Confessing Our Literary Sins" (40:50 - 55:06)

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Top Book Club Pick from Season 2 - Tara Westover's EDUCATED

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Spoilers are inevitable throughout our discussion of Tara Westover's Educated, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book!

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 01:10

*Main Discussion: 01:11 - 51:47

*Book Pairings: 51:57 - 58:39

*Classroom Connections: 58:40 - 63:05

book pairings

*Jen - Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle

*Ashley - Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible

*Sara - Ruth Wariner's The Sound of Gravel

*Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

other mentions in classroom connections

*Sara - Dave Pelzer's A Child Called "It"

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Our Recommendations to Each Other - I Just Love This Book

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 16:00:00 -0400

The Unabridged crew took time in our most recent short episode (#unabridgedshorts) to recommend books to each other, which was fun . . . and a little scary! (It's weirdly vulnerable.)

Check out what we chose to recommend for each other, and let us know if you have other books you think we'd would appreciate (or, of course, if you think we got something really wrong!).

Jen’s Recs

--> For Ashley -

*Ingrid Rojas Contreras’s Fruit of the Drunken Tree

*Sujata Massey’s The Widows of Malabar Hill

--> For Sara -

*Laura Lippman’s Sunburn

*John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Ashley’s Recs

--> For Sara -

*Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

*Stephanie Perkins’s Lola and the Boy Next Door and Anna and the French Kiss

--> For Jen -

*A. Sivandan’s When Memory Dies

*Don Delillo’s White Noise and Underworld

Sara’s Recs

--> For Ashley -

*Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together

*Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains (The Seeds of America Trilogy)

--> For Jen-

*Knox McCoy’s The Wondering Years

*Louise Penny's Still Life

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Bonus Episode - Collins Center Tips for Promoting Healthy Relationships

Sat, 22 Jun 2019 11:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged bonus episode, Ashley interviews Jess Balac from the Collins Center in Harrisonburg, VA, who works with local preschool and elementary school kids to teach sexuality education and to promote healthy attitudes toward bodies and relationships.

books mentioned

*Robie Harris's It's NOT the Stork!: A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends (for ages 4 and up)

*Robie Harris's It's So Amazing: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families (for ages 7 and up)

*Robie Harris's It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health (for ages 10 and up)

additional resources

*Siegel, Daniel J, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., with The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind

*The Collins Center Site

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Laurie Halse Anderson Highlight - It Is Okay to Fight

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 16:00:00 -0400

For our last Unabridged Highlight episode of season 2, we're discussing the influence of one of our favorite YA authors, Laurie Halse Anderson. After seeing her at the Virginia Festival of the Book and reading her new memoir in verse Shout, we were inspired to consider her place in YA literature. It's the 20th anniversary of her seminal work Speak, and the new edition features some excellent resources and an afterword by Jason Reynolds, another Unabridged favorite. We were also happy to revisit a couple of other favorite novels. Take a listen, and then let us know @unabridgedpod what Laurie Halse Anderson and her work mean to you!

timeline

*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 13:37

*Shout: 13:38 - 25:30

*Speak: 25:30 - 40:30

*The Impossible Knife of Memory and Wintergirls: 40:31 - 57:00

other mentions

*The Virginia Festival of the Book (Listen to our episode on that experience here!)

*Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak: The Graphic Novel, illustrated by Emily Carroll

*Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

*Steve Mertzger's Huggapotamus, illustrated by Gabriele Antonini

*Chris Lynch's Inexcusable

*Portia de Rossi's Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

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Our Summer TBR Lists - We All Know How I Like the Romance

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We at Unabridged are SO. Excited. About summer! As unrepentant bookworms, we have been plotting and planning which books we can fit in over our summer break. We are therefore happy to share our Summer TBR lists with you (and with each other) in this #unabridgedshort.

What's on your summer TBR? Let us know on social media (@unabridgedpod).

books mentioned

Jen's TBR List

*Stephen and Owen King’s Sleeping Beauties

*Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On (to prep for the sequel!)

*Harry Potter series re-read! (starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Ashley's TBR List

*Tommy Orange’s There, There

*Mark Oshiro’s Anger Is a Gift

*Adib Khorram‘s Darius the Great Is Not Okay

Sara's TBR List

*Anna Todd’s After

*Riley Sager’s The Last Time I Lied

*Amy Meyerson’s The Bookshop of Yesterdays

Check out what's coming up next.

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Bryan Stevenson's JUST MERCY - A Must Read for All Human Beings

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this #unabridgedbookclub episode, we discuss Bryan Stevenson's nonfiction book Just Mercy. Stevenson discusses his work as an attorney with prisoners on death row and with individuals who were sentenced to life in prison when they were children.

During our discussion, we strive to cover the plethora of issues raised by the book, including mass incarceration, the way we deal with mental disabilities and mental illness, the death penalty, and the role of poverty in the criminal justice system. Our conversation, like the book, is wide ranging both in topic and emotion as we reflect on what we gained from Stevenson's book. This truly is, as Sara says in the episode, a book that should be a "must read."

timeline

*Introduction: 00:00 - 01:42

*Just Mercy: 01:43 - 52:19

*Book Pairings: 52:30 - 61:10

*Classroom Connections: 61:15 - 64:04

book pairings

*Ashley - Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

*Jen - Ernest Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying

*Sara - Beth Macy’s Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

other mentions and additional resources

*Equal Justice Initiative

*"Michael B. Jordan Headlines Film Adaptation of Criminal Justice Memoir, 'Just Mercy'"

*"Lethal Injections: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)"

*Bryan Stevenson’s TED Talk: “We need to talk about an injustice”

*In the Dark Podcast (Season Two)

*Ian Richardson's Story

*Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

*Orange Is the New Black series

*Loving film

*Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “The Case for Reparations”

*Richard Wright's Black Boy and Native Son

*Patrisse Khan Cullers and Asha Bandele's When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir

Check out what's coming up next.

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Nicola Yoon's THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR - Book-to-Film Adaptation - I was right up on that book!

Wed, 29 May 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Thanks for joining us for our discussion of the film adaptation of Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also a Star! We are big fans of Nicola Yoon's work (check out episode 3, when we discussed her book Everything, Everything), so we eagerly anticipated this movie . . . and it's no surprise that we have A LOT of feelings.

Take a listen, and then let us know what you thought about this book and film on social media, where you can find us @unabridgedpod.

mentioned in episode

*Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also a Star

*The Sun Is Also a Star film

*Crazy Rich Asians book-to-film adaptation episode

*Before Sunrise

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Bookworm Problems - I'm Feeling Anxious Just Talking about It

Wed, 22 May 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this #unabridgedshort episode, we confess our bookworm problems (with a side of literary sins). These bookworm problems aren't unique to us. Are they? (Please say no!)

Want to confess some of your bookworm problems? Connect with us on social media @unabridgedpod!

mentioned in episode

*Massanutten Regional Library

*Cassandra Clare's The Dark Artifices series

*Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere

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Bonus Episode: Interviews with Gus Bus Kids, K-2 and 3-5 - I love it!

Sat, 18 May 2019 11:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Bonus episode, we share our experience with the Gus Bus, a mobile literacy program that also offers this after-school component. We met with two groups, K-2 and 3-5, to talk a little bit about podcasting, share some favorite children's books, and get some great recommendations from the Gus Bus students.

We loved hearing the students' excitement as they learned about Unabridged, quizzed us about our level of fame, and expressed great enthusiasm about books and reading. To learn more about the Gus Bus program, check out their website.

books we read and discussed

*Susan Verde's I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

*Matt de la Peña's Last Stop on Market Street, illustrated by Christian Robinson

*Jacqueline Woodson's The Day You Begin, illustrated by Rafael López

*Jason Reynolds's Ghost

Gus Bus kids' recommendations

*Jack Chabert's The Locker Ate Lucy

*Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Captain Underpants

*Dav Pilkey's Dog Man series

*5-Minute Batman Stories

*Steve Jenkins's Actual Size

*Greg Farshtey's Way of the Ninja (first in the Ninjago series)

*Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate's The Last Kids on Earth

*Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series (Netflix series)

*Raina Telgemeir's Smile, Ghosts, and Kristy's Great Idea (first in the new Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels)

*J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series; the first book is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

*Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

*Dan Gutman and Jim Paillot's Mrs. Master Is a Disaster

*Paul Tobin's Plants vs. Zombies

*Kimberly Brubaker Bryan's The War that Saved My Life

*Greg Logsted's Alibi Junior High

*Author Chris Van Allsburg (check out his Jumanji)

*Jeff Kinney's The Getaway (from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series)

Check out what's coming up next.

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Author Interview for Claire Handscombe's UNSCRIPTED -- A "Smart Beach Read"

Wed, 15 May 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, the Unabridged team had an amazing opportunity to interview author and podcaster of The Brit Lit Podcast Claire Handscombe about her book Unscripted. Claire describes her debut novel as a "smart beach read."

Sara, Jen, and Ashley all read Unscripted and were delighted to have an opportunity to discuss the work, her love of The West Wing, and writing in general, with Claire.

discussion

Spoiler-free section: 0:00 - 29:22
Spoiler section: 29:22 - 44:26

mentions

*Libby Page's The Lido

*A. J. Pierce's Dear Mrs. Bird

*Adelle Waldman's The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P

*Martha Alderson's The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

*Martha Alderson's Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-Step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

*The West Wing Weekly Podcast

*The Brit Lit Podcast

*The West Wing TV series

*Notting Hill film

Check out what's coming up next.

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Worth All the Tears - That Book Enriched My Life

Wed, 08 May 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this #unabridgedshort episode, we recommend books that made us cry--we're talking ugly tears!--but are worth the sorrow that accompanies them. These are favorite books that made us feel all the things. Want a cathartic experience? Pick up one of these brilliantly evocative novels.

We also invite you to share some of your favorite tear jerkers. What books have made you cry but been worth it? Let us know @unabridgedpod!

our recommendations

--> Ashley

*Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You

*Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places

--> Jen

*Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

*Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner

--> Sara

*John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

*Rachael Lippincott's Five Feet Apart with Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis

also mentioned

*Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

*Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed

*Beth Vrabel's Caleb and Kit

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Graeme Simsion's THE ROSIE PROJECT - Immerse Yourself in the Way He Sees the World

Wed, 01 May 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project is our Unabridged Book Club pick this month. In The Rosie Project, professor Don Tillman has embarked on a mission -- his plan is to find a suitable life partner. He decides to create an extensive questionnaire for female candidates to complete and dubs the quest “The Wife Project.” Along comes Rosie Jarman, who is far from suitable according to the questionnaire. However, she and Don get swept up in another joint project, the quest to find her biological father. Drama ensues.

Spoilers are inevitable throughout our Book Club discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book The Rosie Project!

timeline

*Introduction: 00:00 - 01:35

*The Rosie Project: 01:35 - 41:29

*Book Pairings: 41:39 - 48:31

*Classroom Connections: 48:32 - 53:12

book pairings

*Ashley - Cory Ann Haydu's OCD Love Story

*Jen - Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

*Sara - Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient

other mentions

*Daniel Tammet’s Born on A Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant

*Monica Wood's The One-in-a-Million Boy (Listen to our episode here!)

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Rachael Lippincott's FIVE FEET APART Book-to-Film Adaptation - Maybe It Is that Star-Crossed Lovers Thing

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Short episode, we discuss the book-to-film adaptation of Five Feet Apart, a book that began as a screenplay. Our opinions about both the book and the film vary greatly, so check out our take on the film, and then let us know what you think on social media!

mentioned in episode

*Rachael Lippincott's Five Feet Apart with Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis (book)

*Five Feet Apart (film)

other resources

*Shannon Maughan's "Moving on Up: 'Five Feet Apart'"

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Virginia Festival of the Book (Jason Reynolds, Laurie Halse Anderson, and more!) - Loving Every Minute

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we focus on our field trip to the Virginia Festival of the Book, held in Charlottesville, VA, from March 20-24. We offer our impressions of four sessions, including a dream conversation between Jason Reynolds and Laurie Halse Anderson and a serendipitous afternoon when we got to see the April Book Club Book authors Beth Macy (with Chris McGreal) and Jarrett Krosoczka in back-to-back sessions.

You can find out more information about the annual festival here.

timeline

*American Addictions: Our Opioids Crisis: 00:00 - 11:31

*Carol Troxell Reader: Jarrett Krosoczka: 11:31 - 17:51

*Hate / Speech: Confronting Discrimination with Free Expression: 17:51 - 29:07

*Writing Tough Topics with Laurie Halse Anderson and Jason Reynolds: 29:07 - 43:17

books mentioned from VA Festival of the Book Authors

*Beth Macy's Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America

*Chris McGreal's American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts

*Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction

*Arjun Sethi's American Hate: Survivors Speak Out

*Nadine Strossen's Hate Speech: Why We Should Resist it with Free Speech, Not Censorship

*Laurie Halse Anderson's Shout

*Jason Reynolds's Track series

other mentions

*Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

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I Love to Eat! -- Cookbooks and Books about Food

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this short Unabridged podcast episode, we share some of our favorite cookbooks and books about food. Each of us talks about how much cooking she does in her home (spoiler alert: one of us just doesn't cook). We also take on how working toward minimalism impacts our cookbook collections.

Our choices range from memoir to investigative nonfiction to the plain old cookboook.

We'd love to hear about your food-related recommendations on social media!

our recommendations

Ashley

*Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day

*Archana Mundhe's The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook 

*Irma S. Raumbauer's Joy of Cooking

Jen

*Bianca Bosker’s Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste

*Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen

*Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes

Sara

*Melissa Joulwan's Well Fed Weeknights: Complete Paleo Meals in 45 Minutes or Less

*Jennifer Reese's Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should (and Shouldn't) Cook from Scratch to Save Time and Money

*Michelle Smith's The Whole Smiths Good Food Cookbook: Whole30 Endorsed, Delicious Real Food Recipes to Cook All Year Long

also mentioned

*Moosewood Cooks Website

*Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

*What's Cooking in Japan?: Healthy Homestyle Recipes Cooked the Kikkoman Way

*Naomi Kijima and Laura Driussi's Bento Boxes: Japanese Meals on the Go

*Tokiko Suzuki's Japanese Homestyle Cooking

*Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

*Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

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Beth Macy's DOPESICK and Jarrett Krosoczka's HEY KIDDO - Obviously, We Read Both

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged podcast episode, we talk about two books that look at drug addiction and its impact on families. Beth Macy's nonfiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America shows the bleak situation of the opioid crisis in America by focusing on the situation within three communities along I-81, the "Heroin Highway" in Virginia. Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction is a graphic memoir portraying Krosoczka's own experiences growing up as the son of a heroin addict who continued using throughout his adolescence.

Spoilers are inevitable throughout our Book Club discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the books Dopesick and Hey, Kiddo!

timeline

*Introduction: 00:00 - 02:13

*Dopesick: 02:13 - 49:58

*Hey Kiddo: 50:10 - 70:40

*Book Pairings: 70:50 - 85:49

*Classroom Connections: 85:50 - 91:33

book pairings

*Ashley - When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullers and Asha Bandele and Blankets by Craig Thompson

*Jen - David Sheff’s Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey through His Son's Addiction and Nic Sheff’s Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines

*Sara - Ellen Hopkins's Crank (Glass and Fallout are the second and third in the trilogy) and Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls

other mentions

*Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

*Chris McGreal's American Overdose: The Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts

*Netflix's One Day at a Time series

*Yara Zgheib's The Girls at 17 Swann Street

Check out what's coming up next.

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I'm Over Here Having a Little Personal Celebration - YA TBR Update

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this podcast episode, we return to our TBR lists for YA Literature that we discussed in Episode 47. Interested in listening to that short episode first? Listen to that episode here.

the YA books we read from our TBR lists

*Ashley

-- Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die

*Jen

-- Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series

-- Neil Shusterman's Scythe

*Sara

-- Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before series

-- To All the Boys I've Loved Before on Netflix

also mentioned

-- Neal Shusterman's Dry

-- Tahereh Mafi's A Very Large Expanse of Sea

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Interview with Nadine Brandes, Author of ROMANOV - That Was Really Captivating

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, the Unabridged team had an amazing opportunity to interview Nadine Brandes about her upcoming publication, the YA historical fiction novel Romanov. Nadine is the author of Fawkes, the Out of Time series, and Romanov, which will be published on May 7th.

Sara, Jen, and Ashley all read Romanov and were thrilled to have an opportunity to discuss the work, and writing in general, with Nadine.

discussion

*Our Interview Discussion: 0:00 - 24:07

mentions

*Romanov by Nadine Brandes

*Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

*The Out of Time Series (A Time to Die, A Time to Speak, and A Time to Rise by Nadine Brandes)

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DUMPLIN' Book to Film Adaptation - Different Ways to Be

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Shorts episode, we discuss the Netflix adaptation of Julie Murphy's Dumplin'. If you'd like to listen to our episode gushing about how much we loved the book, click here!

A quote from the book and one of our favorite scenes:

“There’s nothing good about losing someone,” [Lee] says. “But maybe Lucy wasn’t supposed to be your compass forever. Maybe she was there for you just long enough so you could learn how to be your own compass and find your own way.” She winks at me. “The universe is a strange thing.”

mentioned in episode

Julie Murphy's Dumplin' (the book)
Dumplin' (film)

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Julie Murphy's DUMPLIN' - Finding Your Own Way

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Book Club episode, we discuss Julie Murphy's YA lit novel, Dumplin'.

When “self-proclaimed fat girl” Willowdean Dickson decides to shake things up in her small town by entering her former beauty queen mother’s beloved beauty pageant, she learns more about herself than she anticipates.

“I think you gotta be who you want to be until you feel like you are whoever it is you're trying to become. Sometimes half of doing something is pretending that you can.”

Spoilers are inevitable throughout our book club discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book Dumplin'!

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 00:00 - 01:30

*Main Discussion: 01:30 - 42:40

*Book Pairings: 42:50 - 49:24

*Classroom Connections: 49:24 - 56:36

book pairings

*Ashley - Dhonielle Clayton's The Belles

*Jen - Isabel Quintero’s Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

*Sara - Sharon Huss Roat's How to Disappear

other mentions

*Erin Jade Lange's Butter

*Jennifer Niven's Holding Up the Universe

*Carolyn Mackler's The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

*Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls

*A. S. King's Reality Boy

*A. S. King's Everybody Sees the Ants

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Nikki Giovanni at Bridgewater College - So Masterful (Short)

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0400

discussion

*Our reflections on the evening: 0:00 - 12:59

mentions

*A Good Cry: What We Learn from Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni

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Ibi Zoboi's PRIDE and AMERICAN STREET: Cherishing Culture (Highlight)

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0400

We worked hard to avoid spoilers in this #unabridgedhighlights episode; see the timeline below to avoid spoilers in American Street. If you haven't read them yet, check out Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix and American Street by Ibi Zoboi!

timeline

*Introduction and Overview of Episode: 0:00 - 01:26

*Discussion of Pride: 01:26 - 19:30

*Classroom Connections: 19:30 - 21:33

*Discussion of American Street: 21:33 - 51:53 --> Spoilers beginning 37:35

*Classroom Connections: 51:53 - 53:32

other mentions

*Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

*Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give

*Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey

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Love Is in the Air - Romantic Books to Read in February (Short)

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0400

In this Unabridged Shorts podcast episode, we discuss our favorite love stories within novels.

Some of our favorite authors who write romantic characters (or characters with amazing love stories) include Rainbow Rowell, Leigh Bardugo, and Dane Huckelbridge.

We discussed the novels based on levels of steaminess. For more recommendations grouped by "steam" level, check out our social media!

our favorite love stories

Ashley -

*Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On

*Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga graphic novel series

*Marissa Meyer’s Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles series)

*Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

Jen -

*Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl

*L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series

*Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series (Book #1)

*Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game

Sara -

*Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park

*Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date

*Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient

*Dane Huckelbridge’s Castle of Water

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The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer - Our Fascinating Discussion (Book Club)

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Spoilers are inevitable throughout our book club discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book The Female Persuasion!

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 00:00 - 01:58

*Main Discussion: 01:58 - 49:11

*Book Pairings: 49:21 - 56:59

*Classroom Connections: 57:00 - 00:00

book pairings

*Ashley - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists

*Jen - Rebecca Solnit's Men Explain Things to Me

*Sara - The Radical Element: Twelve Stories of Daredevils, Debutants, and Other Dauntless Girls edited by Jessica Spotswood

other mentions

*Meg Wolitzer's Belzhar and The Ten-Year Nap

*Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale

*Christina Dalcher’s Vox

*Naomi Alderman’s The Power

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Bonus Episode - Unabridged Turns One!

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 13:00:00 -0400

Bonus Episode - Unabridged Turns One!

#unabridged #readwithunabridged

It's hard to believe, but it has been a year since we launched the Unabridged Podcast. Here are a few things we're celebrating:

-- Unabridged Book Club
-- Our Patreon Page
-- The Unabridged Newsletter
-- Author Interviews (coming soon!)
-- Classroom Visits

Most especially, we are celebrating YOU, our listeners and supporters! We so appreciate you. Be sure to check out our episode and social media pages to enter our latest GIVEAWAY!

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You Have the Power: A Discussion with College Students about Isabel Quintero's GABI, A GIRL IN PIECES (Highlight)

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Spoilers are inevitable throughout this discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book Gabi, a Girl in Pieces!

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 03:49

*Main Discussion: 03:50 - 36:01

other mentions

*J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

*Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series

*William Shakespeare's Hamlet

*Charles Dickens's Great Expectations

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A Giant Pile: Anticipated Books for 2019 (Short)

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Podcast Episode 57 - A Giant Pile: Anticipated Books for 2019

#unabridgedshorts #readwithunabridged @unabridgedpod

our anticipated reads

*Jen -

*Helen Oyeyemi’s Gingerbread

*Dane Huckelbridge’s No Beast So Fierce

*Karen Thompson Walker’s The Dreamers

*Patrick Rothfuss’s Doors of Stone

*Rainbow Rowell’s Wayward Son

*Leigh Bardugo's King of Scars

*Ashley -

*Myquillyn Smith’s The Cozy Minimalist Home

*Angie Thomas's On the Come Up

*Laini Taylor’s Muse of Nightmares

*Yara Zgheib’s The Girls at 17 Swann Street

*Children’s book - Kwame Alexander's The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson

*Sara -

*Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones and the Six

*Busy Phillips’s This Will Only Hurt a Little

*Tommy Orange’s There, There

*Tracey Garvis Graves’s The Girl He Used to Know

other mentions

*Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

*Myquillyn Smith's The Nesting Place

*Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give

*Dane Huckelbridge's Castle of Water

*John Vaillant's The Tiger

*Karen Thompson Walker’s The Age of Miracles

*Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance

*Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer

*Rainbow Rowell's Carry On and Eleanor and Park

*Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

*Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series, starting with Shadow and Bone

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I Will Qualify Them All: Unabridged Awards (Highlight)

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0400

favorites by category mentioned in episode

*Jen -

*Most devastating, gorgeous novel that alternates between time periods - Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers

*Most satisfying end of a long series that I’ve been reading for years - Sarah J. Maas’s Kingdom of Ash

*Ashley -

*Best memoir that left me tearing up every five minutes - Michelle Obama’s Becoming

*Best YA verse novel that includes brilliant slam poetry - Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X

*Sara -

*Best book I thought I would hate, but ended up LOVING - Rebecca Serle’s The Dinner List

*Most compelling non-fiction that I have read in a LONG time. - John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood

not my cup of tea

*Ashley - Angelo Surmelis’s The Dangerous Art of Blending In

*Jen - Ariel Lawhon’s I Was Anastasia

*Sara - Emily Giffin’s All We Ever Wanted

favorites by category - children's books

*Ashley - A book I’ve decided my girls will absolutely have to read (I hope… fingers crossed that they will like it) - Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon

*Jen - A book I immediately had to read with my son - Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me

*Sara - A book filled with nostalgia that I HAD to share with my kids - Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

favorites from the podcast

*Ashley - Emily X. R. Pan’s The Astonishing Color of After

*Jen - Tara Westover’s Educated

*Sara - Dane Huckelbridge’s Castle of Water

Interested in those episodes from the podcast? Click on the images below for the podcast episodes and show notes.

want to support unabridged?

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A Part of Our History: Justina Ireland's DREAD NATION (Book Club)

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0400

Justina Ireland's Dread Nation

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 02:10

*Main Discussion: 02:11 - 40:54

*Book Pairings: 40:55 - 46:17

*Classroom Connections: 46:18 - 49:04

book pairings

*Jen - Patrick Ness’s The Knife of Never Letting Go

*Ashley - Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone (Listen to our podcast episode here)

*Sara - Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series

other mentions

*The Walking Dead TV series

*Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games

Check out what's coming up next.

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Not Guilty Enough: Confessing Our Literary Sins (Short)

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 16:00:00 -0400

mentioned in episode

*Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

*Jane Austen's Emma

*Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre

*F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

want to support unabridged?

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Holiday Wrap-Up! (Short)

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0400

In this special holiday episode, we're wrapping up three of our favorite Unabridged Short Story episodes!

timeline

Click the episode title to access show notes:

*Episode 35, "Books We Don't Recommend but Would Love to Discuss" (01:33 - 14:26)

*Episode 33, "Guilty Pleasure Reads" (14:36 - 26:55)

*Episode 31, "Book-to-Screen Adaptations" (27:04 - end)

Check out what's coming up next.

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Our Confessions Being Made: Beat the Holiday Reading Slump (Highlight)

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0400

children's anthologies mentioned in episode

*Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls edited by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo

*We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

anthologies mentioned in episode

Jen -

*Here We Are: 44 Voices Write, Draw, and Speak about Feminism for the Real World edited by Kelly Jensen

*Flying Lessons & Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh

*Three Sides of a Heart: Stories about Love Triangles edited by Natalie C. Parker

Ashley -

*#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women edited Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

*Anthology of Motherhood edited by Rachel Piercey and Emma Wright

*Because I Was a Girl edited by Melissa de la Cruz

Sara -

*Girls Write Now: Two Decades of True Stories by Young Female Voices edited by Girls Write Now

*All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World: Essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom (Nothing But the Truth So Help Me God) edited by Deborah Santana and America Ferrera

*My True Love Gave to Me: 12 Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

other mentions

*Chimamanda Ngozi's We Should All Be Feminists

*Women of NASA Lego Set

*You Should Meet Collector's Set: Women Who Launched the Computer Age; Mae Jemison; Misty Copeland; Jesse Owens; Duke Kahanamoku; Katherine Johnson

*Barack Obama's Of Thee I Sing

Check out what's coming up next.

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It Is Just So Precious: Our Kids' Current Reads (Short)

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0400

works mentioned in episode

Jen -

--> 11-year-old

*Stuart Gibbs’s series, particularly Spy School books

*Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid

*Christopher Paolini’s Eragon

--> 8-year-old

*Jeff Smith’s Bone series

*Geronimo Stilton’s Kingdom of Fantasy series

*Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

Ashley -

--> 2-year-old and 4-year-old

*Susan Verde and artist Peter H. Reynolds’s I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness

*Susan Verde and artist Peter H. Reynolds’s I Am Human: A Book of Empathy

*Sheila Hamanaka’s All the Colors of the Earth

*Barack Obama’s Of Thee I Sing with illustrations by Loren Long

Sara -

-->10-year-old

*Jason Reynolds’s Miles Morales Spiderman

*Stephen McCranie’s Mal and Chad graphic novels

-->7-year-old

*Jennifer Fosberry’s My Name Is Not Isabella: Just How Big Can a Little Girl Dream?

*Meghan McCarthy's Dare Devil: The Daring Life of Betty Skeleton

*Lina Maslo’s Free as a Bird: The Story of Malala

Check out what's coming up next.

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These Random People at Dinner: Gretchen Anthony's EVERGREEN TIDINGS FROM THE BAUMGARTNERS (Book Club)

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 16:00:00 -0400

Spoilers are inevitable throughout our discussion, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners!

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 01:13

*Main Discussion: 01:13 - 33:43

*Book Pairings: 33:53 - 43:15

*Classroom Connections: 43:15 - 45:38

book pairings

*Jen - Helen Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road

*Ashley - Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before

*Sara - Josie Silver's One Day in December

other mentions

*Gilmore Girls TV series

*Cath Crowley's Words in Deep Blue

Check out what's coming up next.

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I've Developed a Serious Mug Habit: Bookish Gift Ideas for the Holidays (Short)

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0400

bookish gifts and online shops

*Blue Q socks - cute, bookish, quotable socks

*The Mountain Thread Company - coiled rope baskets and totes

*Riddle’s Tea Shoppe - book themed teas including teas that focus on Harry Potter connections

*Modern Mrs. Darcy shop - book darts, journals, pens, and classes

*Book Riot store - socks, books, t-shirts, and collections

*Carrot Top Paper Shop on Etsy - artistic mugs, postcards, prints, and bookmarks focusing on literary heroines and quotes

*Kulana Stickers on Etsy - personalized vinyl stickers

*Bibliophile pullover from New Vintage Embroidery

great gift books

*Jane Mount's My Ideal Bookshelf and Bibliophile

*Annie Spence's Dear Fahrenheit 451

*Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading

*Knox McCoy's The Wondering Years

*Rick Riordan's illustrated Percy Jackson books

*Jim Kay's illustrated versions of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books 1, 2, and 3

book subscriptions mentioned in episode

*Book of the Month Club - gift options linked here

*Owl Crate and Owl Crate Junior

*Capsule Books

*Once Upon a Book Club

other book subscription services

*LitJoyCrate

*Bad People Book Club

*An article from the Washington Post highlighting the best book subscriptions of 2018

reminder about discount codes

*Once Upon a Book Club - Use the discount code UNABRIDGED to receive a 10% discount on your purchase.

*The Mountain Thread Company - Use the discount code UNABRIDGED to receive a 15% discount on your purchase. Offer expires after 12/28.

*Capsule Books - Use the discount code ESCAPE15 to receive a 15% discount on your purchase.

Check out what's coming up next.

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Stay the Course and Go for It: Graphic Novels and Comic Collections (Highlight)

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0400

works mentioned in episode

*Jen -

*March Trilogy by John Lewis with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell

*Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

*Runaways by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka

*Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 by Joss Whedon (Author), Georges Jeanty (Illustrator), Andy Owens (Illustrator), Jo Chen (Illustrator)

*American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

*This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

*Ashley -

*Blankets by Craig Thompson

*Alone by Christophe Chabouté

*Illegal by Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin, and illustrated by Giovanni Rigano

*La Perdida by Jessica Abel

*Sara -

*El Deafo by Cece Bell

*Middle School Is Worse than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm and illustrator Elicia Castaldi

*Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

*Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

other mentions

*Saga by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

*Maus by Art Spiegelman

*Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and the graphic novel adaptation (Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden and Brenna Thummler)

*Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series

*Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series

*Rick Riordan's graphic novels

*Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock

Check out what's coming up next.

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I'm Always Here for That: YA To-Be-Read Lists (Short)

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0400

works mentioned in episode

*Jen -

*Neal Shusterman's Scythe

*Tahereh Mafi 's Shatter Me series

*Ashley -

*Leigh Bardugo's Wonder Woman: Warbringer

*Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die series

*Sara -

*Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before series

*Lance Rubin's Denton Little's Deathdate

other mentions

*Neal Shusterman's Challenger Deep, also his Unwind series

*Book Smugglers Blog

Check out what's coming up next.

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Don't Get in That Car: Tara Westover's EDUCATED (Book Club)

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:00:00 -0400

Tara Westover's Educated

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 01:10

*Main Discussion: 01:11 - 51:47

*Book Pairings: 51:57 - 58:39

*Classroom Connections: 58:40 - 63:05

book pairings

*Jen - Jeannette Walls's The Glass Castle

*Ashley - Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible

*Sara - Ruth Warimer's The Sound of Gravel

*Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

other mentions in classroom connections

*Sara - Dave Pelzer's A Child Called "It"

Check out what's coming up next.

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The Longest Short Episode Ever: Book-to-Film Adaptation of Angie Thomas's THE HATE U GIVE (Short)

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 16:00:00 -0400

Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give

mentioned in episode

*Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give (the book)

*The Hate U Give (film)

*Tanisha C. Ford's "The Complexity of Black Girlhood Is at the Heart of The Hate U Give"

*David Canfield's "The Hate U Give author Angie Thomas on why it's wrong to ban her Black Lives Matter novel"

*Kyle Buchanan's "With One Strong Word, ‘The Hate U Give’ Couldn’t Hold Its Tongue"

Check out what's coming up next.

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A Chill Up the Back of Your Neck: Spooky Reads (Short)

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:00:00 -0400

works mentioned in episode

*Jen -

*Samanta Schweblin's Fever Dream

*Libba Bray's The Diviners

*Rin Chupeco's The Girl in the Well

*Ashley -

*Stephen King's Bag of Bones

*Stephanie Perkins's There's Someone Inside Your House

*Short story - William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

*Sara -

*Shea Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep

*Justina Ireland's Dread Nation

*Short story - Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tale-Tell Heart"

Check out what's coming up next.

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Part of My Personality: Anne Bogel Highlights - READING PEOPLE and I'D RATHER BE READING (Highlight)

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 16:00:00 -0400

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of the Book: 00:00 - 01:24

*Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lenses of Personality Changes Everything: 01:24 - 35:42

*I'd Rather Be Reading: the Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life: 35:52 - 63:46

other mentions

*The Popcast podcast with Jamie and Knox

*Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking

*Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile's The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

*Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone

*John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

*Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air

*Nina Riggs's The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying

Check out what's coming up next.

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Our Children Making Their Rounds: Bring Your Own Book Game #2 (Short)

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 16:00:00 -0400

Prompt #1: A phrase that would be extra creepy if you whispered it.

*Jen - Fredrik Backman's Us Against You

*Ashley - Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass

*Sara - Shea Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep

Prompt #2: The Name of a Popular New Indy Band

*Sara - Jennifer Reece's Make the Bread, Buy the Butter

*Ashley - Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

*Jen - Hannah Pittard's Visible Empire

Prompt #3: A Rejected Catch Phrase from a Nineties Sitcom

*Jen - Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

*Sara - Amy Kaufman's Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure

*Ashley - Yann Martel's Life of Pi

Other Mentions

*So Many Damn Books Podcast

Check out what's coming up next.

Every Time I've Read It I've Found Something New to Love: Angie Thomas's THE HATE U GIVE (Book Club)

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 16:00:00 -0400

Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give

Note: We read a few passages from the text of the novel that include strong language.

timeline

*Introduction and Summary of The Hate U Give: 0:00 - 02:10

*Main Discussion: 02:10 - 53:56

*Book Pairings: 54:06 - 63:26

*Classroom Connections: 63:27 - 69:35

book pairings

*Jen - Gabrielle Union's We're Going to Need More Wine

*Sara - Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil's The Girl Who Smiled Beads

*Ashley - Nic Stone's Dear Martin

books mentioned in classroom connections

*Sara - Jason Reynolds's Long Way Down

*Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

*Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys

other works mentioned

*Book Riot's "Is it Time to Retire To Kill a Mockingbird?" by Jennifer Marer

*Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied, Sing

*Jason Reynolds's books

Check out what's coming up next.

"Frantically Reading": Book-to-Film Adaptation of Kevin Kwan's CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Short)

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 16:00:00 -0400

mentioned in episode

*Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians (the book)

*IMDB - Crazy Rich Asians

*PRI Article about the Casting Call - "What Happens When You Let Everyone in the World Audition for a Hollywood Studio Film"

*The Popcast with Knox and Jamie

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Check out what's coming up next.