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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4 days ago
3 min

Ashley Schumacher's THE RENAISSANCE OF GWEN HATHAWAY - Bards, Princesses, and More!

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Ashley Schumacher’s The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway (Bookshop.org). The book came out this week! Ashley Schumacher’s The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, her third novel, centers on the story of Madeline Hathaway. Maddy’s life is just a bit unusual: since she was born, she’s traveled with her parents on the Renaissance Faire circuit. She’s never attended in-person school. In

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Mar 3
2 min

Bolu Babalola's HONEY & SPICE: A Brilliant Romance Exploring Social Issues

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) I listened to Bolu Babalola's Honey & Spice (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), a new adult romance, thanks to Libro.fm, and I absolutely loved the way that Babalola explored so many facets of relationships within the novel while also exploring social and racial dynamics within a university setting. Kiki Banjo is a Black British woman at Whitewell University, where she leads a popular university radio show called Brown Sugar, which fo

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Feb 22
6 min

248: Chencia C. Higgins’s D’VAUGHN AND KRIS PLAN A WEDDING - February 2023 Book Club

Are you looking for an uplifting romance that's full of sweet moments but also powerful social commentary? Check out this month's Unabridged Book Club pick, Chencia C. Higgins’s D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Listen in to hear Jen and Ashley discuss this one and share our pairings including Alexis Daria’s You Had Me at Hola (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Sophie Gonzales’s Never Ever Getting Back Together (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We're continuing

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Feb 17
3 min

Priyanka Taslim’s THE LOVE MATCH - Jane Austen with a Twist

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) After my epic, #readausten22 buddy read in 2022, I’m primed for some amazing retellings of Jane Austen’s books, and Priyanka Taslim’s The Love Match (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) exceeded my expectations. Zahra Kahn is a Bangladeshi American teenager who has just graduated from high school. She lives with her mother and two younger siblings in a small apartment in Paterson, New Jersey, where they try to make ends meet after her father’s death seve

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Feb 15
7 min

8+ (More!) Romance Books to Read Right Now

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Earlier this month, Ashley shared some of her favorite recent romance reads, and I couldn't resist chiming in with some of my own recommendations. Romances are a constant in my life, and when we record episodes like the two we're releasing this month (Love Is in the Air, from last week, and our upcoming Book Club discussion of Chencia C. Higgins's D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding), there are always books I want to recommend that we just don't

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Feb 8
4 min

247: Love Is in the Air 2023 - Romance Recs

Are you looking for romance books to read this season? Jen and Ashley are back with our annual Love Is in the Air episode, sharing some of our latest favorite romance books with you. We share our picks, Julia Whelan’s Thank You for Listening (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Mariana Zapata’s From Lukov with Love (Bookshop.org). These romance recommendations are from recent reads, but if you're looking for more recommendations, you can listen back to our episodes from previous yea

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Feb 1
6 min

8+ Romance Books to Read Right Now

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) I'll be honest, friends. I missed out on romances for a HUGE part of my reading life. These past few years, I've been making up for lost time, but the last few months I'd run into a bit of a dry spell. I read several romances that were duds for me, and after going through a lot of medical appointments and ultimately a body-altering major surgery, I also just wasn't feeling it. I didn't want to read about Happily Ever Afters o

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Oct 21, 2022
2 min

Jacqueline Firkins's MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED - A Fabulous New Adult Romance with Tons of Banter

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Thanks to partners NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Jacqueline Firkins’s Marlowe Banks, Redesigned (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). The book is out Tuesday. I absolutely loved Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things and How Not to Fall in Love, Jacqueline Firkins’s first two books, so I was so excited to read her new book, Marlowe Banks, Redesigned. It did not disappoint—what a fun, amazing book. Marlowe is living and work

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Sep 7, 2022
4 min

5 Books to Bring Your Reading Mojo Back

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) As listeners know, I have had quite the tumultuous year, and that has made reading very difficult at times - hard to find the time, hard to find the motivation, hard to find the headspace. So as I looked over the reading I've done recently, I wanted to share some books that helped me get my reading mojo back during a difficult and busy season of my life. Here are five of my favorites that I could not wait to get back to readi

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Sep 2, 2022
3 min

Emiko Jean's TOKYO EVER AFTER - Discovering Japan and the World

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Emiko Jean's Tokyo Ever After (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) I just finished Emiko Jean'sTokyo Dreaming (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), book 2 in this series, which I devoured on audio all in one sitting. (Yes, I was also driving across several states at the time, which I've done a lot of this summer. The book was a great driving companion!) Listening to Book 2 reminded me of all of the things I absolutely love about this brilliant

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Aug 5, 2022
3 min

Alexis Hall's A LADY FOR A DUKE - Historical Romance with a Twist

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Alexis Hall's A Lady for a Duke (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Longtime listeners to the podcast may remember how much I (Ashley) loved Alexis Hall's Boyfriend Material. (Check out my review of that one here.) I am eagerly anticipating reading Husband Material (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), which just came out on Tuesday! I saw this one, Alexis Hall's A Lady for a Duke, come out in spring of 2022, and I couldn't wait to dive in! I l

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Apr 8, 2022
3 min

Samantha Markum's THIS MAY END BADLY - A Prank War with Heart

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Samantha Markum's This May End Badly (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Thanks to partners NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Samantha Markum’s This May End Badly in exchange for an honest review. The book is out on April 12! I picked up Samantha Markum’s This May End Badly when I was in somewhat of a reading slump . . . which Markum promptly ended. I could not put down this book! The novel begins with Doe and her best friends (Gemma,

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Mar 22, 2022
4 min

New Book Releases Featuring Dana Brown, Judy I. Lin, and Taj McCoy

by Sara (@meaningfulmadness) Here are three books coming out today that I'm excited to read! Taj McCoy's Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) Description from Publisher: "A delicious debut rom-com about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup—with the help of an irresistible cast of friends and family, a kitchen reno and a devastatingly handsome contractor. "Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the crac

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Mar 18, 2022
3 min

Book Review of Mariana Zapata's Super-Slow Burn Romances

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) So, I know that typically, we choose a single book to review on Fridays, but instead, I want to share FOUR books by one of my favorite new-to-me authors. Mariana Zapata writes super-slow burn romances. These are long books—the shortest here is just under 500 pages—which makes for plenty of space to develop characters and relationships. While I'm working on Zapata's backlist, here are the four I've read so far: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (Book

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Mar 7, 2022
4 min

Self-Published Romance Recs to Warm Your Heart and Heat Up Your Life

by Jen Moyers (@jen.loves.books) Last week, as we moved into March, we capped off our month-long celebration of romance with a re-release of last year's Love Is in the Air episode. In February, we released a new Love Is in the Air episode; discussed Helen Hoang's The Heart Principle, our Book Club pick; and chatted about Sally Thorne's The Hating Game AND its adaptation. While I review a lot of romance, I thought it might be fun to zoom in on some popular subsection of the ro

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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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Feb 23, 2022
7 min

218: Helen Hoang's THE HEART PRINCIPLE - February 2022 Book Club

Are you looking for romance reads that also explore important issues in meaningful ways? We are all fans of Helen Hoang's books and were excited to dive into her latest release. In our February 2022 book club, we're discussing Helen Hoang's The Heart Principle. We also share our pairings, which include Talia Hibbert’s Act Your Age, Eve Brown, Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart, and Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date. Bookish Check-in Ashley - Ruta Sepetys’s The Fountains of

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Feb 16, 2022
5 min

217: Book-to-Film Adaptation Discussion - Sally Thorne's THE HATING GAME

In this Unabridged book to film discussion, Sara, Jen, and Ashley talk all about Sally Thorne's The Hating Game and the recent film adaptation! We also share our latest reads in our bookish check-in, and we talk about some of our kids' latest favorite reads in this week's Give Me One. Don't miss it, and join us on social media to let us know your thoughts! Bookish Check-in Ashley - Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Jen - Samantha Cohoe’s Bright Ruined Th

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Feb 14, 2022
6 min

5 Books I Wanted to Hug When I Finished Reading

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Today is Valentine's Day. Instead of making a list of romance books, I thought I would do something a little different. You know that feeling you get after reading a book that is just so satisfying that you want to hug it at the end? (Maybe it's just me, but you get my point...) Well, today, my list is going to be five of those books for me. These books aren't necessarily romance books, but they are books that hit the spot and were everythin

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Feb 11, 2022
3 min

Casey McQuiston's ONE LAST STOP - A Twisty Love Story Full of Fascinating Stops

by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse) Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Friends, I did not see what was coming in Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop, and let me tell you - I was here for it! Longtime listeners know that I was a huge fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue, and I still think of that one as one of my most favorite romances ever! While there are some traits that are present in both books -- heartfelt characters with rich personalitie

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