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!

​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. 

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.

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. 

Pride summary: In this modern day remix of Pride and Prejudice, Zuri Benitez seeks to find herself as she moves toward college. When the wealthy Darcy family moves into her neighborhood of Bushwick, Zuri finds herself arguing for the merits of her home and struggling against the change that is threatening her path and her family.
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American Street summary: When Fabiola Toussaint flies from Haiti to America with her mother, she dreams of a new life with her aunt and cousins. However, when her mother is detained at the American border, Fabiola quickly discovers that the life she envisioned in Detroit is not what is in store for her.

 
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"People are who they are no matter how much you want them to be somebody else, Gabi. And we have two choices: love and accept them with all their faults." 
     
In this podcast episode, we have a great discussion with college freshmen at Bridgewater College about Isabel Quintero's Gabi: A Girl in Pieces. Gabi is a Latina senior in high school who is working through struggles with her family and friends such as pregnancy, drug addiction, homophobia, and gender expectations. Through her writing and her discovery of her own voice, she empowers herself to be her own hero. 

-Alternate Titles-
Address the nervousness
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Anticipating it is exciting
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Not a lot of table space for a drum roll
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I guess that was obvious
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What is wrong with you?
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We're going to take a bit of a dip
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Just phenomenal

-Alternate Titles-
I could recite to you precisely what it says.
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If you're into pretty books
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There is no picture of Cleopatra
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It's a lovely book to look at.
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They all had imaginary friends.
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I got a little fatigued.
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That is not a great plan for me.
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I will be taking my own advice.