Unabridged: A Book Podcast

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 o...

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...

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 bo...

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 ).   In addition to monthly bonus...

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 n...

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 Thie...

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 bac...

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 ) a...

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 rec...

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 b...

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 rea...

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 Huts...

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 (...

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 Ta...

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...

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...

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...

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 Gonz...

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...

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 ). W...

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...

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 )....

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 th...

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 ou...

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...