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- Dec 11, 2020
- 3 min
Kate J. Baer's WHAT KIND OF WOMAN - A Beautiful Poetry Collection about Being a Woman and a Mother
by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) The first time I read a Kate J. Baer poem, my youngest child was still an infant. I was new to Instagram and still learning how stories worked on there; the poem had been shared by a beloved friend. (Don't all our best discoveries come from friends?) I remember feeling like the world rocked a little bit when I read those words—poetry can do that to you. Sometimes, it's like the poet, whom you have never met, can somehow see a
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- Aug 10, 2020
- 4 min
Grit in Kid Lit -- Picture Books that Encourage Resilience
by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) As we find our way through this challenging time in our world, I've been thinking a lot about how books can help us and our kids as we navigate hard times. In this compilation, I share a few favorite authors, including Kwame Alexander, Jacqueline Woodson, and Peter H. Reynolds, but I also pull in some authors who are new to me, including Troy Cummings and Ashley Franklin. I also include picture books by Chelsea Clinton, Juan
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- Jul 20, 2020
- 7 min
Some of Ashley's Favorite Reads of 2020 (So Far)
by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Oh my goodness, I'm already having A LOT of trouble choosing only five books, which is the sign of a great reading year so far! (Perhaps total life chaos leads to me loving books more... I certainly suffered from a reading slump when quarantine first started, and I'm still missing audiobooks and sometimes feel distant from the books I'm reading, but I have generally gotten back into reading after the initial transition... and
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- Apr 3, 2020
- 2 min
Ada Calhoun's WHY WE CAN'T SLEEP - This Book Speaks to Me! - Jen's Review
I cannot tell you how many photos of Ada Calhoun's Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis I texted to Ashley and Sara, accompanied by exclamations like "This book is speaking to me!!!" and "I started Why We Can't Sleep and have been compelled to book dart 7 times. I'm on page 6." I do not KNOW the last time I have identified so strongly with a book. I put Why We Can't Sleep on hold at the library immediately after hearing Calhoun's interview with Roxanne Coady on the
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- Mar 11, 2020
- 1 min
116: Anne Bogel's DON'T OVERTHINK IT - I Always Have the "Over" Problem
In this episode, we have fun discussing Anne Bogel's Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life and its application to our lives. Although we don't go in depth about her other books, I'd Rather Be Reading and Reading People , we enjoyed reading and discussing those way back in episode 43. Bookish Check In Jen - Stuart Gibbs’s Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation Sara - Jessica Simpson’s Open Book Ashley - Anthony Doerr’s A
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- Feb 17, 2020
- 3 min
Love Is in the Air: Even More Romance Recommendations!
Last week, on episode 112, we talked about some favorite love stories, including Alyssa Cole's A Princess in Theory and Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over. I (Jen) could not, however, bear to stop there. As an avid romance reader, I didn't want to leave out contemporary romance authors like Penny Reid or historical romance favorites Lisa Kleypas and Courtney Milan (who also writes contemporary romances!). So, here are a few more recommendations for your TBR stack! Selecte
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- Jan 22, 2020
- 2 min
Welcome - Introduction and Overview
Just getting started with Unabridged Podcast? Welcome! We're Ashley, Jen, and Sara, and we are teachers and podcasters who are passionate about books. We have four kinds of posts here on our blog. On Mondays, we post about our Bookish Faves, on Tuesdays we do Pub Day Shout-outs, on Wednesdays our episodes drop, and on Fridays, we post book reviews. (Be on the lookout on Thursdays, too; we sometimes have an extra post then!) There are many ways to connect with us! In addition
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- Dec 6, 2019
- 3 min
Shea Ernshaw's WINTERWOOD -- Jen's Review
Thanks to partner NetGalley for the digital ARC of Shea Ernshaw’s Winterwood in exchange for an honest review. The book released Tuesday, November 5. “I am a Walker. I am the thing whispered about, the thing that conjures goosebumps and nightmares” (loc. 131). Evocative. Atmospheric. Beautifully written. Shea Ernshaw’s Winterwood is a gorgeous YA fantasy novel set in a world just next door to our own. Teenager Nora Walker, the Walker (or, perhaps, witch) at the center of the
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- Nov 22, 2019
- 2 min
Lisa Lutz's The Swallows --- Sara's Review
Today I am here to talk to you about a new release by Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files series. Her newest book, The Swallows, grabbed me from page one. Thanks to @randomhouse #partner for my review copy! The Swallows is a novel centered around Stonebridge Academy, a private boarding school in New England. Alexandra (Alex) Witt, our protagonist, finds herself teaching at Stonebridge after a mysterious departure from her last teaching assignment. Once immersed in life at
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- Nov 7, 2019
- 1 min
98: Maggie O'Farrell's I AM, I AM, I AM - Defiance of Death
For our November Book Club, we're discussing Maggie O'Farrell's I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death, our first Unabridged Readers' Choice pick! This collection of connected essays elicited a different reaction from each of us . . . some of us definitely liked it more than others. We'd love to know what you think about this memoir. Join us all month on social media to discuss O'Farrell's work. Timeline Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 39:28 Book Pairings
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- Oct 2, 2019
- 1 min
93: Anissa Gray's THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS - Relationships Between Women
We're thrilled to discuss Anissa Gray's new novel, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls. Told in the alternating perspectives of the Butler sisters, this novel is timely, compelling, and, at times, heartbreaking. We offer pairings and recommendations for the ways that teachers can use this book in their classrooms. After you listen, join us on social media throughout October to participate in our book club discussions. We'd love to know what you think! Timeline Int
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- Aug 9, 2019
- 2 min
Mary Weber's TO BEST THE BOYS - Jen's Review
“I’m just tired of feeling like the way things are is the only way they can ever be” (136). Rhen Tellur lives in a world of limitations. She is bound by her gender and by her class in a society that—despite its fantasy roots—feels all too real. Mary Weber’s standalone young adult novel To Best the Boys is a delight. The premise centers on an annual competition: the boys of Pinsbury Point enter a labyrinth and vie to be the first to exit. The winner receives a full scholarship
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- Jul 3, 2019
- 1 min
80: Top Book Club Pick from Season 2 - Tara Westover's EDUCATED
This is a re-release of our most popular book club pick from Season 2, Tara Westover's Educated. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. #shownotes #unabridgedpodbookclub #memoir #nonfiction #feminism #socialissues Want to support Unabridged? Check out our Merch Store!
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- Jun 19, 2019
- 1 min
78: Laurie Halse Anderson Highlight - It Is Okay to Fight
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 al
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- Apr 17, 2019
- 1 min
69: VA Festival of the Book (Jason Reynolds, Laurie Halse Anderson, & More!) - Loving Every Minute
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 annu
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- Mar 13, 2019
- 1 min
64: DUMPLIN' Book to Film Adaptation - Different Ways to Be
In this Unabridged Shorts episode, we discuss the Netflix adaptation of Julie Murphy's Dumplin'. If you'd like to listen to our episode gushing about how much we loved the book, click here!
A quote from the book and one of our favorite scenes: “There’s nothing good about losing someone,” [Lee] says. “But maybe Lucy wasn’t supposed to be your compass forever. Maybe she was there for you just long enough so you could learn how to be your own compass and find your own way.”
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- Mar 6, 2019
- 1 min
63: Julie Murphy's DUMPLIN' - Finding Your Own Way
In this Unabridged Book Club episode, we discuss Julie Murphy's YA lit novel, Dumplin'. When “self-proclaimed fat girl” Willowdean Dickson decides to shake things up in her small town by entering her former beauty queen mother’s beloved beauty pageant, she learns more about herself than she anticipates. “I think you gotta be who you want to be until you feel like you are whoever it is you're trying to become. Sometimes half of doing something is pretending that you can.” Spoi
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- Feb 7, 2019
- 1 min
59: The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer - Our Fascinating Discussion
In this Unabridged podcast episode, we're discussing our February Book Club book, The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, which centers on issues related to feminism. This novel focuses first on college student Greer Kadetsky who meets her mentor, Faith Frank, when Frank speaks at Greer’s college. Their initial meeting leads to a productive and ultimately contentious relationship focused on advocacy for feminism. Along the way, a rich cast of secondary characters, including G
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- Nov 8, 2018
- 1 min
46: Tara Westover's EDUCATED - Don't Get in That Car
My life was narrated for me by others. Their voices were forceful, emphatic, absolute. It had never occurred to me that my voice might be as strong as theirs.” -Tara Westover, Educated: A Memoir Spoilers are inevitable throughout our discussion of Tara Westover's Educated, so consider whether or not to listen if you haven't yet read the book! Timeline Introduction and Summary of the Book: 0:00 - 01:10 Main Discussion: 01:11 - 51:47 Book Pairings: 51:57 - 58:39 Classroom Conn
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