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.

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May 13
2 min

Julia Glass's VIGIL HARBOR - Speculative Fiction that Hits Close to Home

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Julia Glass's Vigil Harbor (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Thanks to partners NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday, and Pantheon Books for the digital ARC of Julia Glass’s Vigil Harbor in exchange for an honest review. The book is available for purchase. I’d read only one of Julia Glass’s prior novels—her debut Three Junes, winner of the National Book Award—when I requested an advance copy of Vigil Harbor. I was drawn in by the synopsis, focused on an isolate

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May 6
3 min

Kathryn Miles's TRAILED - A Compelling Blend of Memoir and True Crime

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Kathryn Miles's Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Thanks to partners NetGalley, Libro.fm, and Algonquin Books for the ARC of Kathryn Miles’s Trailed in exchange for an honest review. The book is available for purchase! My interest in Kathryn Miles’s Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders was piqued for two reasons. First, I lived very close to the setting since 1994—in 1996

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Apr 15
3 min

Daniel José Older's BALLAD & DAGGER - A New YA Pathway for Rick Riordan Presents

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Daniel José Older’s Ballad & Dagger (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the digital ARC of Daniel José Older’s Ballad & Dagger in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on May 3! I’ve talked often about my love for the Rick Riordan Presents imprint on the Unabridged Podcast. Of course, I’m a fan of Riordan’s work, which I enjoyed and my boys have read and re-read, but I also so app

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Apr 8
3 min

Samantha Markum's THIS MAY END BADLY - A Prank War with Heart

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Samantha Markum's This May End Badly (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Samantha Markum’s This May End Badly in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on April 12! I picked up Samantha Markum’s This May End Badly when I was in somewhat of a reading slump . . . which Markum promptly ended. I could not put down this book! The novel begins with Doe and her best friends (Gemma,

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Mar 18
3 min

Book Review of Mariana Zapata's Super-Slow Burn Romances

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) So, I know that typically, we choose a single book to review on Fridays, but instead, I want to share FOUR books by one of my favorite new-to-me authors. Mariana Zapata writes super-slow burn romances. These are long books—the shortest here is just under 500 pages—which makes for plenty of space to develop characters and relationships. While I'm working on Zapata's backlist, here are the four I've read so far: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (Book

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Feb 4
3 min

Samantha Cohoe's BRIGHT RUINED THINGS - THE TEMPEST Doesn't Matter

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Samantha Cohoe’s Bright Ruined Things (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on February 15! Samantha Cohoe’s Bright Ruined Things is a YA retelling of The Tempest (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) set in the 1920s, but you definitely don’t need to have read the play to enjoy this fabulous novel. (I read the play last in college, a looong time

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Jan 14
3 min

Emma Lord's WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE - A New Book from an Auto-Read Author

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Emma Lord's When You Get the Chance (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) in exchange for an honest review. When You Get the Chance is my second book by Emma Lord. (I loved You Have a Match [Bookshop.org | Libro.fm] and have Tweet Cute [Bookshop.org | Libro.fm] on my shelf to read ASAP.) Yes, she’s now an auto-read author for me. This one focuses on Millie Cooper, a super-extroverted,

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Dec 10, 2021
3 min

E. G. Reger's GRAVE MISTAKES - A Tender Tale of Vampires . . . and Other Beings

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) E. G. Reger's Grave Mistakes: The Story of a Podcast by the Undead, for the Living (Amazon) is one of those books that completely captivates. It starts innocuously enough: Martin, a vampire, and Quietus, a supernatural being whose exact species is uncertain, have a podcast called (of course!) Grave Mistakes. The podcast is modestly successful, but they hope for more, so when they're invited to present at PodCon, they're thrilled. What begins t

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Nov 12, 2021
2 min

Alix E. Harrow's A SPINDLE SPLINTERED - A Twist on the Sleeping Beauty Story

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I picked up Alix E. Harrow's A Spindle Splintered (Amazon | Bookshop.org) for two reasons: (1) I loved her novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Amazon | Bookshop.org) and (2) I love a good fairytale retelling. (Check out our most recent episode, all about fairytale retellings, for more recs along these lines.) This slim book—it's only 128 pages—is a retelling or remix of the Sleeping Beauty story (one of my favorites). Here, the protagonis

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Oct 22, 2021
3 min

Lauren Blackwood's WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS - A Creative Re-Imagining of JANE EYRE

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partners NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls (Amazon | Bookshop.org) in exchange for an honest review. The book just released on October 19! Those of you who follow me know that I love a new version of a classic, and I’m particularly a sucker for a Jane Eyre (Amazon | Bookshop.org) retelling, so when I saw that there was a Jane Eyre retelling set in Et

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Oct 1, 2021
2 min

Maureen Johnson's TRULY DEVIOUS Series - A Satisfying Mystery Trilogy . . . Plus One

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I don't know the last time that I was drawn into a book the way Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious (Amazon | Bookshop.org) drew me in. I quickly got through the rest of my "have-to" reads to devour the next two books in the trilogy (Amazon | Bookshop.org). Truly Devious runs through two timelines. In the historical timeline, it's 1936, and we're with millionaire Albert Ellingham whose wife and daughter have been kidnapped from their home on the c

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Sep 10, 2021
2 min

Zoraida Córdova's THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA — A Magical Book Anchored in Reality

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC of Zoraida Córdova's The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina (Amazon | Bookshop.org) in exchange for an honest review. The book is now available for purchase! Zoraida Córdova's The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina begins with a letter. Orquídea Montoya is dying, so she calls her relatives to her home in Four Rivers to claim their inheritance. She’s lost touch with most of them, having d

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Aug 20, 2021
3 min

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's CERTAIN DARK THINGS - A Gritty, Noir Vampire Reimagining

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partners NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital ARC of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Certain Dark Things (Amazon | Bookshop.org) in exchange for an honest review. The book will be available for purchase on September 7, 2021. Certain Dark Things is full of things I already knew I loved: Vampire stories? Check. (I’m such a sucker for them all. Pun belatedly intended.) Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s ability to transfer her fabulous, gritty writin

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Jul 30, 2021
4 min

John Green's THE ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED - A Rating of a Book of Ratings

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) I knew before I started reading that I would be giving John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet (Amazon | Bookshop.org) five stars. How did I know? I've been a long-time John Green fan. I started with The Fault in Our Stars (Amazon | Bookshop.org), in 2012, as the book was becoming a sensation. I picked up the novel, not suspecting the effect it would have on me, and didn't put it down until I finished it, ugly

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Jul 9, 2021
2 min

Rachel Donohue's THE TEMPLE HOUSE VANISHING - A Haunting, Atmospheric Read

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner Algonquin Books for the ARC of Rachel Donohue's The Temple House Vanishing (Amazon | Bookshop.org) in exchange for an honest review. This one just came out on July 6! Rachel Donohue's The Temple House Vanishing is an atmospheric, gorgeous novel about the friendship between two girls and the charismatic teacher who lies at the center of their relationship. Louisa is the new girl at the Temple House, a scholarship girl who is m

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Jun 18, 2021
2 min

Tahereh Mafi's AN EMOTION OF GREAT DELIGHT - A Compelling Character Study

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner Libro.fm for the ALC of Tahereh Mafi's An Emotion of Great Delight (Amazon | Bookshop.org). This book is now available for purchase. Tahereh Mafi has become one of my favorite YA authors. Whether it's the dystopian Shatter Me series (Amazon | Bookshop.org) or her previous historical YA novel A Very Large Expanse of Sea (Amazon | Bookshop.org), Mafi maintains a brilliant balance between complex characters and compelling plots.

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May 28, 2021
3 min

Book Review of Deb Caletti's ONE GREAT LIE - A Stunning Book about Gender and Power

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partners NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital ARC of Deb Caletti’s One Great Lie (Amazon | Bookshop.org) in exchange for an honest review. The book will be released on Tuesday, June 1. Deb Caletti’s One Great Lie is a stunning YA novel about gender dynamics and issues of power, perfect for consideration in the aftermath of the #metoo movement. Told in spare, gorgeous prose, the novel focuses on a girl who’s given her drea

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May 7, 2021
2 min

Jennifer Weiner's THAT SUMMER - Compelling Characters Build Suspense

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC of Jennifer Weiner’s That Summer (Amazon | Bookshop.org) in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, May 11. Somehow, That Summer is only my third book by Jennifer Weiner, but I definitely need to dive into her backlist because I devoured this novel. I could NOT put it down. It’s (1) a great summer read (and it’s finally feeling like summer!); (2) a bo

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Apr 16, 2021
3 min

Mercedes Helnwein's SLINGSHOT - Not Your Average YA Rom-Com

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of Mercedes Helnwein’s Slingshot in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, April 27. Despite its bright and cheery cover, Mercedes Helnwein’s Slingshot is not a sweet YA rom-com. From page one, it defied my expectations. I absolutely loved it. Grace Welles is fifteen and miserable. She attends an undistinguished boarding school paid for by her fa

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Mar 26, 2021
3 min

Kaitlyn Greenidge's Libertie - Historical Fiction that Resonates

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to Partner Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC of Kaitlyn Greenidge’s Libertie in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, March 30. I jumped on the chance to read an early copy of Kaitlyn Greenidge’s Libertie. I read her first book, We Love You, Charlie Freeman, for the 2016 Tournament of Books, and I thought it was a phenomenal work with a core of historical fiction: it’s thoughtful and thoug

Unabridged Podcast

Julia Glass's VIGIL HARBOR - Speculative Fiction that Hits Close to Home

Kathryn Miles's TRAILED - A Compelling Blend of Memoir and True Crime

Daniel José Older's BALLAD & DAGGER - A New YA Pathway for Rick Riordan Presents

Samantha Markum's THIS MAY END BADLY - A Prank War with Heart

Book Review of Mariana Zapata's Super-Slow Burn Romances

Samantha Cohoe's BRIGHT RUINED THINGS - THE TEMPEST Doesn't Matter

Emma Lord's WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE - A New Book from an Auto-Read Author

E. G. Reger's GRAVE MISTAKES - A Tender Tale of Vampires . . . and Other Beings

Alix E. Harrow's A SPINDLE SPLINTERED - A Twist on the Sleeping Beauty Story

Lauren Blackwood's WITHIN THESE WICKED WALLS - A Creative Re-Imagining of JANE EYRE

Maureen Johnson's TRULY DEVIOUS Series - A Satisfying Mystery Trilogy . . . Plus One

Zoraida Córdova's THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA — A Magical Book Anchored in Reality

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's CERTAIN DARK THINGS - A Gritty, Noir Vampire Reimagining

John Green's THE ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED - A Rating of a Book of Ratings

Rachel Donohue's THE TEMPLE HOUSE VANISHING - A Haunting, Atmospheric Read

Tahereh Mafi's AN EMOTION OF GREAT DELIGHT - A Compelling Character Study

Book Review of Deb Caletti's ONE GREAT LIE - A Stunning Book about Gender and Power

Jennifer Weiner's THAT SUMMER - Compelling Characters Build Suspense

Mercedes Helnwein's SLINGSHOT - Not Your Average YA Rom-Com

Kaitlyn Greenidge's Libertie - Historical Fiction that Resonates

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