Search
- Apr 5
- 7 min
6 Nonfiction Reads by Strong Women
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
7 views0 comments
- Mar 31
- 12 min
171: Update on Our Season 4 Book Recs to Each Other
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
16 views0 comments
- Mar 29
- 4 min
8 Amazing Books to Read by AAPI Authors (Plus 2 Picture Books!)
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
20 views0 comments
- Mar 24
- 10 min
170: Discover New Authors with Author Imprints
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
10 views0 comments
- Mar 3
- 13 min
167: Mira Jacob's GOOD TALK - March 2021 Book Club
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
30 views0 comments
- Mar 1
- 3 min
Graphic Memoirs to Enrich Your TBR
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
6 views0 comments
- Feb 22
- 7 min
6 Nonfiction Reads You Won't Be Able to Put Down
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) If you have trouble getting into nonfiction reads, then I have 5 books for you! These books are page-turners that read a lot like fiction. They have a narrative flow that keep you coming back for more. 1. American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton (Read my review of the book here.) From the publisher: "In 2011, a twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the u
7 views0 comments
- Feb 5
- 3 min
Elizabeth L. Cline's THE CONSCIOUS CLOSET - A Real Eye-Opener
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Admittedly it has taken me awhile to read this book. I actually started it over the summer (summer 2020--a tough time for us all) and I read the first few chapters and really liked it, but then my entire reading life fell by the wayside (which has been chronicled (lamented?) on the pod. So, at the start of 2021, I made a promise to myself to try to learn more this year in what I am reading and, in turn, try to be a better citizen of the wor
2 views0 comments
- Feb 2
- 4 min
Pub Day Shout-Outs! for February 2, 2021, featuring Harper, McGarrahan, and Watson
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Renee Watson's Love Is a Revolution "When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani’s birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He’s perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new
5 views0 comments
- Feb 1
- 7 min
Five of Sara's Favorite Reads of 2020 (Part 2)
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) This is so exciting! i can't wait to share my 2nd half picks with you! My 2020 reading had some ups and downs, but as I was reflecting on some of my favorites, I found that I had some definitive favorites for the latter part of 2020. (Be sure to check our mid-year posts: here's Jen's, Ashley's, and mine.) Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi From the publisher: "Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than
16 views0 comments
- Jan 20
- 13 min
161: Book Recs for Reaching Your Goals in 2021 with Adam Schaeuble from Million Pound Mission
In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara chat with Adam Schaeuble, host of the Million Pound Mission podcast (now called the Low Carb Hustle podcast) and the Podcasting Business School podcast. After our Bookish Check-in, Adam joins in recommending behavioral science books that can help everyone reach their life goals in 2021. If you have resolutions that you'd like to reach, be sure to check out the episode, and if you have your own self-help books to
27 views0 comments
- Jan 18
- 8 min
Five of Jen's Favorite Reads of 2020 (Part 2)
by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Oh, friends, making book choices never gets easier for me. I had shared so many excellent books in my 2020 mid-year post AND on our 2020 Unabridged Awards Episode that I thought I would have narrowed the list from which to choose. Wow, was I wrong! (Be sure to check our mid-year posts: here's mine, Ashley's, and Sara's.) I read 345 books in 2020, and of those, 28 earned five stars from me, and 92 earned four-and-a-half stars. So, even with the
19 views0 comments
- Jan 13
- 12 min
160: Unabridged Podcast Book Awards for 2020
In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara offer up their book awards for 2020. After sharing their Bookish Check-ins, they each present their award categories and their book picks, which include adult and young adult titles. They end the episode with Non-Bookish Awards. What 2020 books have stood out for you? Bookish Check-in Ashley - Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown Jen - Lisa Ko’s The Leavers Sara - Liz Moore’s Long Bright River Our Book Picks
21 views0 comments
- Jan 11
- 3 min
5 Celebrity Memoir Audiobooks to Add to Your TBR
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) One of my favorite things is to listen to an audiobook memoir read by the author. There is an extra layer of awesomeness that comes with hearing an author read his or her own words. Also, as I have discussed on the pod, I LOVE celebrity gossip, pop culture, and everything in between, so I am always interested in a celebrity memoir. Here are five I have thoroughly enjoyed on audio. (Audio is definitely the way to go if the celebrity is readin
9 views0 comments
- Dec 30, 2020
- 8 min
158: Books We Are Excited to Read in 2021
In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, after their Bookish Check-ins, Ashley, Jen, and Sara share books they're excited to read in 2021. These are all books by some of our favorite authors, so we also talk about our histories with the authors' previous works. It turns out there is a focus on Young Adult authors, which is not a surprise since we all love YA Lit! Then, we conclude the episode with the Give Me One segment, sharing some memories of childhood gifts we received
16 views0 comments
- Dec 26, 2020
- 2 min
Featured Books for January 2021
January Double Feature In January, Adib Khorram's Darius the Great Is Not Okay will be both our Book Club pick AND our Buddy Read choice. You can join us for the episode that releases on Wednesday, January 6, or participate in our two Instagram chats . . . or both! Want to look ahead? Scroll down to see our February picks! Here's the synopsis from the publisher: "Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He'
9 views1 comment
- Dec 22, 2020
- 5 min
Pub Day Shout-Outs! December 22, 2020 Special Edition
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) As we move toward the holidays and the end of the year, there are not many books coming out this week. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to highlight a few of my most anticipated reads that have appeared in our pub day shout-outs! Barack Obama's A Promised Land Description from Publisher: "In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man s
9 views0 comments
- Dec 16, 2020
- 13 min
156: Unabridged Discusses HAMILTON
In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara take on the musical phenomenon that is Hamilton. After sharing their Bookish Check-in, each host discusses her Hamilton history, and then they explore together favorite songs, most emotional moments, and favorite scenes. They end the episode with the Give Me One segment, each describing one thing she wants to accomplish in the new year. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People Jen - Nancy Jooyo
7 views0 comments
- Dec 1, 2020
- 4 min
Pub Day Shout-Outs! for December 1, 2020, featuring Pinguicha, Joseph, and O'Leary and Coker Burks
by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Diana Pinguicha's A Curse of Roses Description from Publisher: "With just one touch, bread turns into roses. With just one bite, cheese turns into lilies. There’s a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic–her curse–has turned her meal into a bouquet. She’s on the verge of starving, which only r
4 views0 comments
{"items":["606c6f52e6f77a001540a46c","6063572d57f22f0015896b4f","604a6260617d1600422074e1","6059fdbd70813300152939cb","604a650988535400153b1c3a","60282d6278046300598c3394","60340fa00a039e001763b2cb","6029a7e45a484400172e031b","601c9718ab46470017687d1d","60176214f72b5c001724d62d","6017557d5c3bf800175a424c","5fd8150ff8adaf0017c69223","5ffa0438175cb800177bee33","5fecb73189cf4f001779b0d0","5ffa62d857f7730017734721","5fd6188a4a419f0017b3790f","5fe4e25e42a3770017016055","5fe1444a58b9a50017061dd4","5fc180cd72d9220018795edd","5fc53bbe82bc25001781a08d"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(237,237,236,1)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":940,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}