by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Oh, friends, this is such a hard decision! A lot of my reading was less than fully focused during the second half of 2021 as I spent it on the go and building up a business... so while I read a lot of books I really enjoyed, I also read differently than I have in many other years. I shared more about that on our Unabridged Awards for 2021 episode that recently came out. But these five were all five-star reads for me, and I lo

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Oh, friends. We've come to that post that causes me so much joy and so much agony: a list of favorites. My problem is assembling books for a list. Oh no. My problem is narrowing that list because, really, I could go on forever. I'm quoting myself here, from last year's list of five (so far): "So, here's my methodology. I looked back at my monthly wrap-up posts in IG, and I ONLY allowed myself to jot down the titles of my five-star reads." Then

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Hello, friends! I can't believe we are here at the end of 2021. My first half of the year was definitely more robust than my last half in terms of reading, but I have been fortunate to read several books in the back half that I have really enjoyed. All of us here at Unabridged have different criteria for these posts. For me, I just look at my last half of the year and pick five of the books that stuck with me. You can find my favorites for t

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) As we approach the end of 2021, I decided it would be interesting once again to look back on the year. Ashley, Sara, and I went through this reflective process, and it's amazing—when you consider all that has happened this year—just what we've been able to accomplish. Just to remind you, in addition to working full-time jobs, having families, and going through all of the pandemic-related stuff . . . Ashley has been abroad since summer! It's be

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Ostensibly, I love the fall season. I'm a huge fan of the changing leaves, I love boots and sweaters, and I can't get enough of butternut squash soup and pumpkin carving. Having been in places where the seasons don't change much, I also love the fact that I now live in a place where the seasons do change significantly, and I celebrate the start of each new season every year. (We're in Madrid as I write this, but that seasonal

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Gift giving season is here! And we are here with our Bookish Gifts 2021 Long List just in time for Black Friday! Last Wednesday we released our Bookish Gifts 2021 episode and promised a long list of the gift ideas that didn't make it on the episode. And you know, we would never break a promise. So here it is—it includes the gifts we discussed in the episode, plus so many other gift items and companies that we love so much. Enjoy and let us k

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Listeners to the podcast know that a relatively new hobby for me is bullet journaling! I just started the bullet journal adventure last December, so I've been doing it for almost a year now. I was a little intimidated to start and honestly wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it or stick with it, but I absolutely love it! When thinking about gift ideas (which we're featuring in this week's episode, so be on the lookout for that this Wedn

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) In last week's episode, Ashley, Sara, and I offer up our latest audiobook recommendations. We've been big fans of audiobooks at Unabridged over the years, so I'd share some general recs and then some of our audiobook-related content. If you love . . . Full-Cast Audiobooks? Check out Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (Amazon | Bookshop.org). The Perfect Pairing between an Author and a Narrator? Check out Jane Entwistle reading Alan

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) You know I am ALWAYS anxiously awaiting holiday reading season, and this year is no different! I am so excited to talk to you about several books I think you will love if you are into incorporating festive reads into your holiday season. Maggie Knox's The Holiday Swap (Amazon | Bookshop.org) From the publisher: "When chef Charlie Goodwin gets hit on the head on the LA set of her reality baking show, she loses a lot more than consciousness;

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Our episode from last Wednesday (which was episode 200!!!!) was all about memoirs, which got me to thinking about other nonfiction books I've read and loved recently. These include memoirs, essay collections, and one graphic travel diary. Although I read WAY more fiction than nonfiction, I find that a lot of the nonfiction that I read has a deep impact on me, and I enjoyed thinking about some recent nonfiction favorites! The

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Last week, my 90s nostalgia was on full display with our episode all about the 90s horror classic Scream. Sara and I had a great time diving into our re-watch in which we discovered what aged well—and didn't—about that scary movie fave. Thinking about that film made me want to revisit some spooky (or spooky-adjacent) books I read and loved in the 90s. Two caveats: (1) These books were not all published in the 90s. (2) I have NOT re-read these

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Today's Bookish Fave is all about finding books to help with life. I have chosen five books that I have truly found to be SO helpful in my life. In 2021, I have tried to prioritize finding ways to educate myself to make my life easier and/or more productive. These books have helped me in this journey. Holly Whitaker's Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol (Amazon | Bookshop.org) I read this boo

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) In anticipation of our annual Spooky Reads episode that will release on Wednesday, I wanted to share some (not-so-spooky) spooky favorites I've enjoyed. Listeners know that I'm not big on reading spooky books, but I do love speculative fiction, fantasy, and the occasional paranormal presence, and I also love seasonal reads. Here are some books that would be perfect seasonal reads for mood readers. These books are atmospheric

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) This Wednesday, we'll release our Book Club episode focusing on Darcie Little Badger's Elatsoe (Amazon | Bookshop.org). This amazing YA novel focuses on Elatsoe, a member of the Lipan Apache tribe, and blends fantastic world building with a compelling mystery, along with some great paranormal touches. Reading Elatsoe made me reflect on my reading year and some other amazing books I've read. (Be sure to read through the end for some additional

October Book In October, we're so excited to be discussing Aiden Thomas's YA novel Cemetery Boys (Amazon | Bookshop.org) as both our Book Club and Buddy Read pick. We'll have two IG chats in the middle of the month, and then the episode will release on October 27th. Stay tuned to @unabridgedpod for details! Here's the synopsis: "A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debu

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) On Wednesday, we'll be sharing authors who write either for multiple age groups, genres, or both. We discussed several of our favorite authors on the episode. Here are some other authors who we love who write broadly! Jason Reynolds: It is no secret that here at the podcast, we adore Jason Reynolds. He has a myriad of books written for both upper elementary/middle grade readers and young adult readers. Some of our favorites include The Track

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) On Wednesday, we'll be sharing book recommendations for books we've read that surprised us in the best possible ways and turned out to be more than we expected. In keeping with my recent bookish fave posts featuring YA lit and middle-grade recommendations, I wanted to hone in on a few young adult lit and middle-grade books that also brought me unexpected joy because they were more than I anticipated when I started them. B. B.

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Last week, we released an episode recommending some favorite fantasy and dystopian reads. (You can check it out here.) So, I thought I'd zoom in on fantasy for this week's bookish fave. Fantasy is one of my go-to genres. It's there when I need a comfort read, when I want to escape, when I want to challenge myself. Often, fantasy authors are taking on real-world issues under the guise of leaving the real world. While the list of fantasy books I

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) After I became a mom, I was always looking for books to pique my kids' interests. As they got older and were moving on to early chapter books, I realized I had two reluctant readers on my hands. What I love about series books for reluctant readers is that once a child loves one book in a series, it is easy for him/her/them to find their next read--the next book in the series! Here are some of the series that my kids have enjoyed over the yea

September Books On September 29, we'll release our Book Club episode focusing on Darcie Little Badger's Elatsoe (Amazon | Bookshop.org), but before that releases, we'll have two IG chats on September 13 and 27 (this is also our September Buddy Read pick!). Stay tuned @unabridgedpod for announcements and updates. Here is the synopsis from the publisher: "A Texas teen comes face-to-face with a cousin's ghost and vows to unmask the murderer. "Elatsoe—Ellie for short—lives in an