In this episode, we're talking all things backlist books! We share our recommendations for some favorites that were published before the year 2000. We share Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, Louise Erdrich’s Tracks, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver. These recommendations are also perfect for those doing the 2022 Unabridged Reading Challenge! Bookish Check-in Ashley - V. E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) Jen - Patrick Radden Keefe’s Empir

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 Unusual Genre" (we have since realized that we should have called it an "Unusual Format" . . . live and learn, I guess?). I absolutely love this category. I'm constantly amazed by the inventiveness of authors, by the ways that shifting into a new format can lend an immediacy to a story. Last week, we released an episode with some recommendatio

In this Encore Unabridged Love is in the Air episode, we talk about some romance book recommendations we each want to share, including discussions of Alexis Daria's You Had Me at Hola, Alisha Rai’s First Comes Like, and Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown. There's something for everyone who is looking for a great romance book to read. If you're looking for more romance book recommendations, don't miss this great bookish fave from Jen or our previous romance episodes from

What are your reading goals and plans for 2022? We want to know! In this Unabridged episode, Jen, Sara, and Ashley report back on how our challenges for 2021 went, and we each share about our individual reading goals and challenge selections. We are all, of course, doing the Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2022, so be sure to join us for that challenge! Find everything you need to get started here. Bookish Check-in Ashley - John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed (Libro.fm |

As we look forward to 2022(!), we wanted to remind you about our Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2022. We loved hosting our first challenge in 2021, and we are thrilled to continue with the 2022 challenge. You can learn about all things related to the 2022 Reading Challenge on this Reading Challenge page, where you can see the 2022 categories, join in on the discussion groups, and download templates to help you keep track (and more!). Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter i

In this Bonus Unabridged Episode, Jen shares about our Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2022! We loved doing our very first challenge in 2021, and we are thrilled to announce the 2022 challenge. You can learn about all things related to the 2022 Reading Challenge on this Reading Challenge page, where you can see the 2022 categories, join in on the discussion groups, and download templates to help you keep track (and more!). Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter if you'd like

In this Unabridged episode, Jen, Ashley, and Sara share some of our favorite authors who write for multiple age groups OR for different genres (or both!). This episode is perfect for those completing the Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2021; this will give you lots of great ideas for who to read for the versatile authors category. We talk about favorite authors such as John Green, Jacqueline Woodson, Rainbow Rowell, Sherry Thomas, and others. Listen in to hear our thoughts,

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) On our episode two weeks ago, we all shared mid-year updates on our reading challenges for 2021. As always, I appreciate the ways that taking on these challenges can help to make my reading more intentional, but I also seek balance: sometimes, those lists can stress me out! This year, I've been thrilled with my challenges. I'm doing three: the Tournament of Books (and now Camp ToB, which is in progress), the Unabridged 2021 Reading Challenge (

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) On last week's episode, we all share mid-year updates on our reading challenges for 2021. Ashley shared some of her reading challenge favorites in her Bookish Fave last week, so I thought I would follow up with mine! My reading challenges are going SO much better than my 2020 challenges, which if you remember were abysmal. So, I am elated to share with you some of the books that I have loved from my Unabridged 2021 Reading Challenge (which y

In this Unabridged podcast episode, Ashley, Jen, and Sara share about our reading challenges. We each talk about where we are with the Unabridged Reading Challenge, and then we give updates on where we are with our individual challenges including the Uncorked Challenge, the Beyond the Bookends Challenge, the #21backlistin2021 Challenge, and the Tournament of Books. In case you missed it, we first shared about our picks in Episode 162, so check that out to learn more about our

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) On this week's episode, we all share mid-year updates on our reading challenges for 2021. I'm happy to report that things are going a lot better for me this year! We talk about where we are with the Unabridged 2021 Reading Challenge (which you can still join if you're interested!), and then we share about where we are with our individual reading challenges. I personally chose the Uncorked Reading Challenge with the Uncorked L

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) As I started putting together books to share for this category, one of my personal favorites on the Unabridged Reading Challenge for this year, I realized that there are SO many that I want to read! So today, rather than sharing ones I've already read, I'm sharing my TBR stack for fairy tale retellings, including a couple of gems that are coming out later this year. Julie C. Dao's Forest of a Thousand Lanterns From the Publis

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) One of the categories I've been loving for the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge is "Retelling of a Classic." Though I'm no expert on Greek epic poetry, I enjoy retellings of it SO. MUCH. Here are some I'd recommend: 1. Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles - Here's my review from 2019: "I love this book SO. MUCH. Miller crafts a brilliant story rooted in mythology and in the gritty reality of love. Her interpretation of the story of Achil

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) This year, for the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge (find out more here!), we are celebrating author imprints. On Wednesday, we're releasing an episode all about Rick Riordan Presents, but I wanted to spotlight some other imprints you may want to check out. Do you have favorite author imprints? Let us know @unabridgedpod! Rick Riordan Presents Description from the website: "Rick Riordan Presents is one small branch of the Disney-Hyperion P

In this Unabridged Love is in the Air episode, we talk about some romance book recommendations we each want to share, including discussions of Alexis Daria's You Had Me at Hola, Alisha Rai’s First Comes Like, and Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown. There's something for everyone who is looking for a great romance book to read. Any of these picks would be a great fit for our Unabridged Reading Challenge category featuring a romance book by a person of color! If you're loo

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) In February, we're all about romance! We recently released our Book Club episode focusing on Sonali Dev's Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, and this Wednesday, we're releasing our newest episode of romance recommendations, "Love Is in the Air 2021." I can never resist, however, offering even more book ideas. (You know I always want to read all the things.) So, here are some other romance novels I've enjoyed . . . each of these would also wo

In this episode of Unabridged, we talk about our reading challenge choices for 2021, including the Unabridged Reading Challenge that we're doing together and our personal choices for an additional reading challenge. We'd love for you to join us for the #unabridgedpodreadingchallenge this year—check out this page for everything you need to dive right in! Bookish Check-in Ashley - Randi Pink’s Angel of Greenwood (from Netgalley; check out her review here) Jen - Ashley Schumache

In this bonus episode of the Unabridged Podcast, we share the 2021 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. We hope these categories give you a little push to try some new things in 2021! In episodes through the rest of Season 4, we'll be sharing books that meet the Challenge's categories. And keep an eye on our Bookish Faves and social media (especially our Instagram feed and the Unabridged Book Club Group on Facebook), which will also offer ideas and discussion to help you suc

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Wow. This one will definitely be one of my top reads of the year. I chose this, Sofia Segovia's The Murmur of Bees, as my book in translation pick for the Modern Mrs. Darcy challenge, which is the reading challenge I participated in this past year. Segovia is a Mexican author writing in Spanish, and her work was translated by Simon Bruni. (Check out our reading challenge episodes from the beginning of 2020 where we shared our

In this episode of the Unabridged Podcast, Ashley, Jen, and Sara reflect on the reading goals they set back in January. After the Bookish Check-in, they reflect on each reading challenge they chose and provide an update on how they did, what they gained, and what has changed in their reading lives in 2020. After listening to the 2020 reading challenge update, let us know how your reading challenges went this year! Bookish Check-in Ashley - Sofía Segovia’s The Murmur of Bees J