Unabridged Podcast

Welcome to Unabridged! Ashley and Jen (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.

Want to get more involved? Check out our 2023 reading challenge, join our buddy reads or book club on Instagram, or sign up on Patreon!

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Mar 8
4 min

249: Our 2023 Book Recommendations to Each Other

Do you love reading books that your friends recommend? Jen and Ashley celebrate the joy of recommendations from friends on this year's Unabridged Reading Challenge with a category dedicated to that topic. On today's episode, we're sharing our specific recommendations for each other, which we'll both read for the 2023 reading challenge category. Our picks include Aiden Thomas’s Lost in the Never Woods (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Sara Novic's True Biz (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm

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Jan 11
4 min

245: Reading Challenges - 2022 Review and 2023 Plans

Have you found a 2023 reading challenge yet? We're excited to share our 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge, which we discuss on today's episode. Jen and Ashley also share our reflections on our 2022 reading challenges as we look back over the year, and we share our other reading challenge plans for 2023. Jen plans to do the #23backlistin2023 challenge, the ToB reading list, and her own Jane Austen reading challenge (#readausten2023). Ashley plans to participate in the Uncorked

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Oct 19, 2022
5 min

8+ Fiction Books about Nature and the Environment

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 debut T

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Sep 21, 2022
4 min

5 Nonfiction Books about Nature and the Environment

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 some

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Sep 14, 2022
4 min

237: Environmental and Nature Book Recs Perfect for the Reading Challenge

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 Nazemian’

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Mar 23, 2022
6 min

222: All about the Backlist - Our Recs for Books Published Prior to 2000

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

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Mar 14, 2022
4 min

Books in Unusual Formats for the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge

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

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Mar 2, 2022
13 min

219: Encore of Love Is in the Air 2021 - Our Latest Romance Book Recs

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

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Jan 5, 2022
5 min

211: Reading Challenges - 2021 Recap and 2022 Reading Goals and Challenges

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 |

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Dec 20, 2021
2 min

Reading Challenges for 2022

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

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Nov 19, 2021
2 min

Announcing Our Unabridged Podcast 2022 Reading Challenge: Bonus Episode!

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

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Sep 22, 2021
12 min

196: Read More Variety with Versatile Authors

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,

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Jul 5, 2021
4 min

Favorite Reads from Jen's 2021 Reading Challenge Picks So Far

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 (

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Jun 28, 2021
3 min

Favorite Reads from Sara's 2021 Reading Challenge Picks So Far

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

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Jun 23, 2021
8 min

183: 2021 Reading Challenges and Our Mid-Year Check-In

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

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Jun 21, 2021
3 min

Favorite Reads from Ashley's 2021 Reading Challenge Picks So Far

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

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May 10, 2021
6 min

Fairy Tale Retellings to Put at the Top of Your TBR Stack

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

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May 3, 2021
4 min

8 Retellings of Greek Epic Poetry

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

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Mar 22, 2021
4 min

Meeting the Challenge: Celebrating Author Imprints

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

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Feb 10, 2021
13 min

164: Love Is in the Air 2021 - Our Latest Romance Book Recs

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

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