by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) My reading has been going much better in 2021 than in 2020. I have read quite a few books (for me) in this first part of the year, and I have read some that I truly adored. If you look back at my post from last year at this same time, my reading was not going well. At all. I love sharing the books I love, so I wanted to highlight these five books that have been some of my favorites of the year (so far). These aren't necessarily books that we

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) As usual when I set out to create a concise list of something, I struggled with this task, with creating a list of five favorite books that I've read so far in 2021. I've read a LOT of amazing books this year, and I want to tell you about them ALL. But, fear not, I've restrained myself, and I've come up with a list. I won't say that it's the definitive list because there's a great chance that tomorrow, I'll have regrets and wish I'd chosen one

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Phew, I have read some amazing books so far this year! Every year it feels increasingly challenging to pick favorites, and that is proving to be true for 2021. I shared some favorites from my reading challenges so far in my latest Bookish Fave. Here are a few others that I have absolutely loved during the first half of 2021! This list of five favorites so far includes Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) I am not a huge reader of graphic novels, but I have a personal interest in Cece Bell's autobiographical graphic novel, El Deafo. One of my favorite people in the whole world, my cousin, Bekah, has a similar story—ill at a young age which led to total hearing loss in both ears, a cochlear implant before starting school, and similar struggles to Cece throughout the course of her life. It was extremely appealing to read a novel which chronicle

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Brenda Myers-Powell's Leaving Breezy Street Description from Publisher: "Fourteen years old, poor, Black, mother dead, two babies to feed and clothe, and a grandmother who is not full of motherly kindness, to put it mildly. What money-making options are open to a girl like Brenda Myers? "When Breezy, as she came to call herself, hit the streets of Chicago as a prostitute in 1973

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) There are SO many good books coming out today, but here are just three books that I'm excited to discuss! Cheryl Diamond's Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood (Amazon | Bookshop.org) Description from Publisher: "By the age of nine, I will have lived in more than a dozen countries, on five continents, under six assumed identities. I’ll know how a document is forged, how to withstand an interrogation, and most important, how to disapp

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Danielle Henderson's The Ugly Cry Description from Publisher: "'If you fight that motherf**ker and you don’t win, you’re going to come home and fight me.' Not the advice you’d normally expect from your grandmother—but Danielle Henderson would be the first to tell you her childhood was anything but conventional. "Abandoned at ten years old by a mother who chose her drug-addicted,

May Books On May 5, we're so excited to share our Book Club episode focusing on Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. We'll have a Book Club chat on IG about the novel on May 17 at 8:00 PM EST. Then, on April 10 and 24, we'll have IG chats about Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite’s Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. DM us @unabridgedpod to join! Here are the synopses from the publishers: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Michelle Zauner's Crying in H Mart Description from Publisher: "From the indie rockstar of Japanese Breakfast fame, and author of the viral 2018 New Yorker essay that shares the title of this book, an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. "In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and

In this Unabridged Podcast Book Club episode, we discuss Eric Gansworth's memoir in verse, Apple: Skin to the Core. We talk about what worked for us, share quotes, and offer pairings including Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter, Steve Sheinkin’s Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team, and Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Nicola Yoon’s Instructions for Dancing (coming out June 1; thanks to NetGalley) (amazon | Bookshop

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Erin French's Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story Remaking a Life from Scratch Description from Publisher: "Long before The Lost Kitchen became a world dining destination with every seating filled the day the reservation book opens each spring, Erin French was a girl roaming barefoot on a 25-acre farm, a teenager falling in love with food while working the line at her dad’s diner an

By Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) If you have been listening to the podcast, you know that I am have been reading a lot of non-fiction this year, with a focus on reading strong female voices. Today's Bookish Fave is a list of several strong female voices in nonfiction. What I love about these women is that they speak their mind unapologetically. While I don't always agree with everything they say, I respect and appreciate what they are bringing to the table. I am finding the

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we circle back to the books we recommended to each other in episode 139. Each of us got a recommendation from each of our co-hosts, and we read those books and are reporting back about how we felt about them! Be sure to check out episode 139 if you'd like to hear more about why the books were recommended. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything (Bookshop.org | Amazon.com) Jen

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Our hearts are heavy as we consider the victims of the horrific shootings in Atlanta last week and the ongoing racist assaults on the AAPI community. Be sure to check out the movement to # StandUpforAAPI on Bookstagram. Today we celebrate a few of our favorite books from AAPI authors. Adult Picks Helen Hoang's The Bride Test - I've shared my love of this romance novel many times including when I talked about it as one of my f

April Books On April 7, we're so excited to share our Book Club episode focusing on Eric Gansworth's Apple: Skin to the Core. Then, on April 12 and 19, we'll have IG chats about Jennifer Mathieu's Moxie, and on April 26, we'll discuss the Netflix adaptation!. DM us @unabridgedpod to join! Here are the synopses from the publishers: Apple: Skin to the Core "Apple: Skin to the Core, is a YA memoir-in-verse. Eric Gansworth tells the story of his life, of an Onondaga family living

In this Unabridged Podcast episode, we discuss author imprints and the way that those can help readers discover new authors to love. We specifically discuss the Rick Riordan Presents imprint and share books we've read from it including Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Yoon Ha Lee’s Dragon Pearl, and Carlos Hernandez’s Sal and Gabi Break the Universe. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter (Amazon | Bookshop.org) Jen - Jesse

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Sara Desai's The Dating Plan Description from Publisher: "Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiancés might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game. "Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest i

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) If you listen to the pod, you know we love a good adaptation. We (and you!) are in luck because there are so many great adaptations available on several streaming services. Today, we are going to talk about six television (think "series") adaptations to put on your "To Watch" list. Normal People Book by: Sally Rooney Adaptation Available On: Hulu Watch it if you like brooding, complicated, complex relationships. When Dimple Met Rishi Book by

In this Unabridged Podcast Book Club episode, we discuss Mira Jacob's graphic memoir Good Talk. We talked about this amazing memoir and also shared our pairings, including Craig Thompson’s Blankets, James McBride’s The Color of Water, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s Hey, Kiddo. If you're interested in discussing this one with us, be sure to join us on March 15th on Instagram to participate in our book club chat. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Robert Jones, Jr.’s The Prophets Jen - Hena

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) This week, we're releasing our Unabridged Podcast Book Club episode in which we discuss Mira Jacob's graphic memoir Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations. Though we each recommend a pairing in the episode, mine (spoiler alert!) is not a graphic memoir, so I wanted to share some that I've enjoyed. (If you're interested in joining our IG chat about Good Talk on March 15, let us know!) Classics of the Format Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story