Unabridged: A Book Podcast

Unabridged: A Book Podcast

Unabridged is a bookish podcast hosted by teachers. We release episodes twice a month, including a monthly Book Club episode and other bookish topics full of recommendations for your TBR list. Join us for bookish fun at our website unabridgedpod.com, on social media @unabridgedpod, or via email at unabridgedpod@gmail.com.

Episodes

April 24, 2024 45 mins

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).

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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...

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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 |...

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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 he...

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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 inc...

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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)...

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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 |...

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January 10, 2024 32 mins

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.

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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 a...

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December 13, 2023 42 mins

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 lookou...

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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).

 

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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 Patre...
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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...
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October 11, 2023 27 mins
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...
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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 ...
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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 fri...
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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...
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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 fi...
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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...
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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...
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