Have you ever loved an author so much but then realized you’ve barely scratched the surface of their backlist? In episode 306, we’re talking about the “Book from a Favorite Author’s Backlist” category from the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge and why exploring earlier works can be such a rewarding reading experience. Before diving into our backlist picks, we kick things off with a bookish check-in. For our main discussion, Ashley shares about The Obsession by Jesse Q. Su

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison ( @ashley_dicksonellison ) I loved seeing Jen's post about the books she's considering reading from the year she was born for our Unabridged Reading Challenge, and I thought it would be fun to do that as well. I was born in 1981, and there are several iconic books that I did not realize were written that year. To get started, I also used the Goodreads list for the most popular books written in the year of my birth, and it was a helpful way to get a

Are you the kind of reader who loves a little structure, or do reading challenges make you want to run the other way?  In Episode 304  (our first episode of 2026!), we’re ringing in the new year with a conversation about reading challenges , reflecting on what worked for us in 2025, what didn’t, and how we’re thinking about setting reading intentions for 2026.  Then we dive into the 2026 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge, walking through all 12 categories and sharing a few

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Katherine Applegate's Wishtree (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) has been on my shelf for years—I love...

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) On our recent episode about books published before 1950 (for the Unabridged Reading Challenge), I...

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) One of my favorite categories in this year's Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge is "Book Recommended...

Are you joining us for the 2024 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge? For one of the categories, we're focusing on books that were...

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) One of our categories for this year's Reading Challenge is "Book Published Before 1950," which can...

What are your reading challenge plans for 2024? We're excited to launch the fourth annual Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. Ashley...

Do you enjoy book recommendations from friends? In episode 249, Ashley and Jen each picked a book for the other to read, which is one of...

Have you read any essay collections that you enjoyed? In this episode, Jen and Ashley are sharing essay collection recommendations for...

Do you love reading books that your friends recommend? Jen and Ashley celebrate the joy of recommendations from friends on this year's...

Have you found a 2023 reading challenge yet? We're excited to share our 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge, which we discuss on today's...

by Jen Moyers ( @jen.loves.books ) In my quest to read more environmental and nature literature for school—and to complete the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge!—I've been reading some fabulous books centered on these topics. A while back, I posted " 5 Nonfiction Books about Nature and the Environment "; here's a list of fiction to consider reading in the same vein! Julia Glass's Vigil Harbor ( Bookshop.org | Libro.fm ) I’d read only one of Julia Glass’s prior novels—her

by Jen Moyers ( @jen.loves.books ) This year's Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge includes the category "Read a book (fiction or nonfiction) that addresses nature or the environment." This has been a goal of mine recently, as well, both because of my current teaching position at a school with an environmental science focus and because this is an area that feels increasingly important. Here, I'm sharing five nonfiction picks (plus some extras in the writeups!); I'll share so

Have you read any books that center nature or the environment lately? In this episode, Ashley and Jen share books they've read recently - including Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves ( Bookshop.org | Libro.fm ) and Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior ( Bookshop.org | Libro.fm ) - that consider the role of nature as part of the story. These recommendations are perfect for the 2022 Reading Challenge category about the environment. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Abdi Na

In this episode, we're talking all things backlist books! We share our recommendations for some favorites that were published before the...

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) One of our categories for the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge this year is to "Read a Book in an...

In this Encore Unabridged Love is in the Air episode, we talk about some romance book recommendations we each want to share, including...

Just getting started with Unabridged Podcast? Welcome! We're Ashley and Jen, and we are both passionate about books and getting them into...