Unabridged Podcast

Welcome to Unabridged, the podcast where teachers take on books! Every week, Sara, Jen and Ashley (shown left to right in the photo) talk books, share recommendations, and celebrate all things bookish. On our blog (see our posts below!) we share bookish faves, pub day shout-outs, show notes, and book reviews each week.

Want to get more involved? Check out our 2022 reading challenge, join our buddy reads on Instagram, or sign up on Patreon!

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Virginia Soenksen's THE TITAN STRAIN - A Compelling Science Fiction Read

Oct 16, 2020
3 min

Virginia Soenksen's THE TITAN STRAIN - A Compelling Science Fiction Read

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) A fast-paced story with complex characters, some fascinating turns, and a bit of a mystery... that's what you get with Virginia Soenksen's The Titan Strain, the first book in her Genetics Chronicles series. This series also includes The Osiris Contingency and The Ragnarok Resolution, which just released in September! In this science fiction novel, the protagonist Liane has some superhuman qualities that have made her an idea

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Nic Stone's DEAR JUSTYCE - A Worthy Companion to the Brilliant DEAR MARTIN

Oct 9, 2020
2 min

Nic Stone's DEAR JUSTYCE - A Worthy Companion to the Brilliant DEAR MARTIN

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I've shared my love for Nic Stone's Dear Martin all over the internet—I think it is such a powerful foundation for conversations with teenagers about police violence, racism, and justice. I'm sure it will be no surprise, then, that I was INCREDIBLY excited to see Nic Stone's announcement of a sequel, Dear Justyce. (No worries! This will be a spoiler-free review of book two.) Dear Martin's protagonist is Justyce McCallister, a Black teenager w

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Christina Lauren's IN A HOLIDAZE - A Fun Holiday Romp

Oct 2, 2020
2 min

Christina Lauren's IN A HOLIDAZE - A Fun Holiday Romp

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Things have been tough lately, so I was in the mood for a festive holiday read. In October. Yep. October. So, I requested Christina Lauren’s In a Holidaze, which releases October 6th. Thanks to NetGalley #partner for my free e-galley of this book. You all know what a slow reader I am, and I flew through this book. Talk about the right book at the right time. This Groundhog Day-esque (Yes, I made up that word.) tale about Maelyn (Mae) Jones,

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Lindy West's SH*T, ACTUALLY: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

Sep 25, 2020
3 min

Lindy West's SH*T, ACTUALLY: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Omg. This book came at THE most perfect time for me. Both Jen and Ashley have talked about Lindy West's work on the podcast and in our bookish off-mic conversations, but I have never read one of her books. Shit, Actually, has made me a forever fan. First, Lindy West is not afraid to tell it like it is. She doesn't care if she offends you (or me) or if you don't agree with her. And I. Am. Here. For. It. In Shit, Actually, West delves into so

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V. E. Schwab's THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE - An Impossible Choice

Sep 18, 2020
3 min

V. E. Schwab's THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE - An Impossible Choice

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, October 6, 2020. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the first book I’ve read by V. E. Schwab . . . I’ll definitely be reading more. What a brilliant, compelling, gorgeous novel. Adeline LaRue, born in France in 1691, is happy in her quiet life with her parents. Her dotin

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Beth O'Leary's THE SWITCH - A Must Read on Audio

Sep 11, 2020
2 min

Beth O'Leary's THE SWITCH - A Must Read on Audio

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Wow. I can't describe to you how much I enjoyed Beth O'Leary's The Switch. It was the perfect book for me at the most perfect time. If you can--listen to this (more on this later). I listened to this book through libro.fm's ALC program. (Quick sidebar: We love libro.fm, because they give back to independent bookstores. We love that! We are also in the process of getting a promo code so our listeners can try out libro.fm! Stay tuned!) This bo

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Alexis Hall's BOYFRIEND MATERIAL - More than Meets the Eye

Sep 4, 2020
2 min

Alexis Hall's BOYFRIEND MATERIAL - More than Meets the Eye

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) When I started listening to Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material, it was kind of an arbitrary choice to start it. (Thank you, thank you, thank you to @libroFM and their amazing ALC program for providing the audio!) The next thing I knew, I was trying to find things to do around the house to justify listening to the book instead of the other endless tasks I should have been doing instead. And then, the next thing I knew, I was wo

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Katharine McGee's MAJESTY - A Worthy Sequel

Aug 28, 2020
2 min

Katharine McGee's MAJESTY - A Worthy Sequel

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Katharine McGee’s Majesty in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. ***Warning: It’s impossible to review Majesty without spoilers from book one, American Royals, so proceed with caution!*** Katharine McGee’s YA novel Majesty picks up right where American Royals left off: After the death of King George, Beatrice is Queen of America . . . she ju

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Susan Abulhawa's AGAINST THE LOVELESS WORLD - Gorgeous, Fast-Paced Literary Fiction

Aug 21, 2020
3 min

Susan Abulhawa's AGAINST THE LOVELESS WORLD - Gorgeous, Fast-Paced Literary Fiction

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Susan Abulhawa’s Against the Loveless World in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. I requested Susan Abulhawa’s Against the Loveless World after absolutely loving her novel Mornings in Jenin. This one is, for me, even better. Nahr, the protagonist, is complicated. She’s by turns selfless and selfish. She tells her story from The Cube, a “moder

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Tayari Jones's AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE - A Close Examination of Relationships

Aug 14, 2020
3 min

Tayari Jones's AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE - A Close Examination of Relationships

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) "Marriage is like grafting a limb onto a tree trunk. You have the limb, freshly sliced, dripping sap, and smelling of springtime, and then you have the mother tree stripped of her protective bark, gouged and ready to receive this new addition" (110). Wow, friends, this was a phenomenal book. I was totally captivated by the story. In Tayari Jones's An American Marriage, Celestial and Roy, who live in Atlanta, are still early

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R. Eric Thomas's HERE FOR IT - Hilarity Ensues

Aug 7, 2020
3 min

R. Eric Thomas's HERE FOR IT - Hilarity Ensues

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) I picked up R. Eric Thomas's new book, Here for It: Or, How to Save Your Soul in America, Essays (on both audio and e-book) after hearing rave reviews about it. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I am not an easy customer when it comes to essay collections. Often, I find it hard to stay engaged in essay collections, and more often than not, an essay collection takes me a LONG time to finish. This is not the case with Here for It. I

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Tehlor Kay Mejia's PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS - The Perfect Blend of Middle School and Fo

Jul 31, 2020
2 min

Tehlor Kay Mejia's PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS - The Perfect Blend of Middle School and Fo

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Tehlor Kay Mejia’s Paola Santiago and the River of Tears in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. Paola Santiago is obsessed with the mysteries of the world: how humans can use algae to reduce fossil fuel use, what it's really like in space, why her mother won't let her get a dog, why her family never has enough money. But most of all, she wants

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Sandhya Menon's 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY - The Attraction of Polar Opposites

Jul 24, 2020
2 min

Sandhya Menon's 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY - The Attraction of Polar Opposites

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) We at Unabridged Podcast were all SO excited to see this new release from Sandhya Menon! This one just came out on Tuesday -- check out the Pub Day Shout-outs here! We all loved When Dimple Met Rishi and the awesome #unabridgedpodbuddyread discussions about it! I haven't read There's Something about Sweetie yet, but these awesome books don't have to be read in order. I'll look forward to reading that one soon! As far as 10 T

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Farrah Rochon's THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT - Just the Right Amount of Steam!

Jul 17, 2020
2 min

Farrah Rochon's THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT - Just the Right Amount of Steam!

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Romance. Mystery. Women in STEM. Yes, please! I cannot tell you how much I loved Farrah Rochon's contemporary romance novel, The Boyfriend Project. Rochon takes the typical rom-com scenario and turns it on its head. Which, I am here for. The protagonist of the story is Samiah Brooks, a super-smart, super successful computer coder who goes on a terrible date, becomes the target of office gossip, and swears off men for 6 months along with her

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Katherine Center's WHAT YOU WISH FOR - The Pursuit of Joy

Jul 10, 2020
3 min

Katherine Center's WHAT YOU WISH FOR - The Pursuit of Joy

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Katherine Center's What You Wish Forin exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, July 14. Katherine Center’s What You Wish For is devoted to the pursuit of joy. That doesn’t mean it’s always a joyful novel--in fact, it opens with a tragedy that broke my heart. What it does mean is that Center is exploring, on every page, what we can do when it’s tough to be joyful,

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Jasmine Guillory's PARTY OF TWO - A New Standout Romance

Jul 3, 2020
2 min

Jasmine Guillory's PARTY OF TWO - A New Standout Romance

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner Edelweiss for the digital ARC of Jasmine Guillory's Party of Two in exchange for an honest review. The book is out now. Party of Two, the fifth book in Jasmine Guillory's loosely connectedThe Wedding Date series, is a joyful read. I loved the main characters, Olivia and Max, and we watch the development of their relationship from alternating perspectives, which I think is fun in romance novels. Olivia--who first appeared inTh

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Laura Hankin's HAPPY & YOU KNOW IT--A Wild Ride

Jun 26, 2020
3 min

Laura Hankin's HAPPY & YOU KNOW IT--A Wild Ride

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) When I picked my next read recently, I knew I needed contemporary fiction. Not literary fiction. Not historical fiction. So, I chose Laura Hankin's new novel Happy & You Know It. This book begins with Claire, a recently dismissed musician from a band that found fame...right after she was dismissed, as she struggles to find her footing in New York City. She finds herself entangled in a playgroup filled with a privileged, yet diverse, array of

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Brandy Colbert's THE VOTING BOOTH - Settle in for a One-Sitting Read!

Jun 25, 2020
3 min

Brandy Colbert's THE VOTING BOOTH - Settle in for a One-Sitting Read!

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Brandy Colbert's The Voting Booth in exchange for an honest review. The book releases Tuesday, July 7. Brandy Colbert's The Voting Booth is a perfect YA book. It's socially conscious; features compelling, nuanced characters; and has just the right amount of romance--I was grinning for nearly the duration of the book, which alternates between the points of view of two high school seniors. Marva

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Abi Daré's THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE - An Uplifting Story of Bravery and Determination

Jun 19, 2020
3 min

Abi Daré's THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE - An Uplifting Story of Bravery and Determination

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Abi Daré's debut novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice, captures your heart with the focus on Adunni, a young Nigerian teenager who loses her ability to go to school and becomes a child bride after her mother's untimely death. Despite her father's promise to her mother that Adunni will get to continue her education and will not become trapped in a life of hard work and misery, her father agrees to her marriage for a bride pr

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N. K. Jemisin's THE CITY WE BECAME - Heroes in New York

Jun 12, 2020
3 min

N. K. Jemisin's THE CITY WE BECAME - Heroes in New York

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I'm a sucker for the movie scene when a team--maybe it's gunfighters in the Old West, maybe it's superheroes fighting to save the world--comes together. There's usually been some sort of establishment of backstory, and we come to know the characters individually, diving into each origin story. And then, there's that electricity, that feeling of the whole being more than the sum of its parts, that makes you just know that the good guys (or whoe

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