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.

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May 27
4 min

Joshilyn Jackson's MOTHER MAY I--Unexpected and Twisty

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Joshilyn Jackson's Mother May I (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) I have read several of Joshilyn Jackson’s books and have enjoyed them, so I was excited to see her new release in April. I was in the mood for a twisty book, so I listened to this one on audio. Jackson narrated the audiobook, and hearing her narrate her own characters added an extra layer of authenticity to the characters as I read. *Before I proceed, I want to make a clear trigger wa

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May 20
2 min

Jessie Q. Sutanto's FOUR AUNTIES AND A WEDDING--Good, Campy Fun

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Jesse Q. Sutanto's Four Aunties and a Wedding (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) I was delighted when Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Four Aunties and a Wedding (Book 2 in the Aunties series) came out in March. I really enjoyed the audio of Dial A for Aunties, and I just knew Four Aunties and a Wedding was going to be just what I needed. I also knew I had to get the audiobook–Risa Mei, the narrator, brings these characters to life. We last left Meddy, her mom, a

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Mar 4
3 min

Karen M. McManus's ONE OF US IS LYING--A Backlist Twisty YA Romp

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is Lying (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) In One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, Nate, and Simon are assigned to detention under suspicious circumstances. When one of them is dead by the end of the detention period, the remaining four become suspects. All of them have motive. Did one of them commit the crime? This is the question that is explored over the course of the novel. I really enjoye

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Feb 25
3 min

Seth Rogen's YEARBOOK--A Hysterical Memoir Told in Essays

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Seth Rogen's Yearbook (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Oh, man. I cannot tell you how much I adored this book. It was entertaining and hilarious. Rogen has a gift for telling really hilarious stories. I listened to the audiobook, which Rogen reads, but also has a FULL cast of voice work. When he quotes a celebrity, THAT CELEBRITY ACTUALLY READS THE LINE. What?!?! So, if he quotes Snoop Dogg, Snoop Dogg reads that quote in the audiobook. Perfection

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Feb 19
3 min

Nita Prose's THE MAID--Cozy Mystery At Its Finest

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Nita Prose's The Maid (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Hooray for a wonderful, delightful, heartfelt cozy mystery! Admittedly, I am a total sucker for the cozy mystery genre. Give me all the cozy mysteries. However, I do think in The Maid, Nita Prose has elevated the genre and created an excellent story and well-developed characters. The narrative centers around Molly Gray, a maid at at the Regency Grand Hotel. Molly is such an interesting and lov

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Jan 28
3 min

An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang

by Sara Voigt An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) Wow! Talk about non-fiction that makes you think AND makes you want to immediately delete all social media accounts and crawl under the covers and never come out--welp, that is what An Ugly Truth did for me. Kang and Frenkel's examination of Facebook's ethical practices concerning their users and their dissemination of information to their users is

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Jan 7
2 min

Jenny Bayliss's A SEASON FOR SECOND CHANCES - Romance at Its Best

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) I just devoured Jenny Bayliss’s new book, A Season for Second Chances. (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) I cannot tell you how much I adored this book. Last year, I reviewed Bayliss’s holiday romance, The Twelve Dates of Christmas, for the blog (see that here), and I really enjoyed that one too. In A Season for Second Chances, Annie Sharpe, a successful chef and restaurateur, finds her adulterous husband in a compromising position with one of the s

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Nov 26, 2021
3 min

Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading - A Perfect Book to Gift the Bookworm in Your Life

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) When I was thinking about what to review for Black Friday, I thought a book that I think makes an excellent gift would be perfect. That is why I chose to review I'd Rather Be Reading (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) by Anne Bogel. Do you know Anne Bogel?! If not, let me acquaint you. Anne Bogel is an author (Her previous book, Reading People, is great! And she also recently released a reading journal for book lovers.), a blogger--her Modern Mrs. D

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Oct 15, 2021
3 min

Shari Lapena's NOT A HAPPY FAMILY - A Page-Turning Domestic Suspense Novel

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) If you don’t mind a book filled with a whole lot of unlikable characters, this is the book for you. It is full of suspense, and twists and turns. Not a Happy Family (Amazon | Bookshop.org) is an excellent October read. The Merton family is a wealthy, well-known family in Breckin Hill, an exclusive, expensive neighborhood in upstate New York. Fred Merton, the patriarch of the family, has just sold his wildly successful robotics company and he

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Sep 24, 2021
3 min

Danielle Walker's Food Saved Me - An Inspiring and Insightful Memoir

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Danielle Walker's Food Saved Me: My Journey of Finding Health and Hope through the Power of Food (Amazon | Bookshop.org) I have talked about how much I enjoy reading about food and also learning about food sources and how what we eat affects our bodies and health. I have been following Danielle Walker for many years and have all of her cookbooks. So, I was so excited to read her recently released memoir, Food Saved Me: My Journey of Finding

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Sep 3, 2021
3 min

Hestor Fox's THE WITCH OF WILLOW HALL - A Spooky Autumn Read

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Today, I am sharing a book that I thought was a spooky fall read. I found Hester Fox's The Witch of Willow Hall (Amazon | Bookshop.org) compelling, bizarre, and surprising, with a spookiness that caught me off guard. The protagonist, Lydia, is a likeable character, and I enjoyed the witchy elements that she brought to the story. Catherine, the eldest sister, and foil for Lydia is a haughty, cruel person and reminded me a bit of Kate from Ea

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Aug 13, 2021
3 min

Ruth Wariner's THE SOUND OF GRAVEL - Page-Turning Nonfiction

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) If you listen to the pod, you know I love a good memoir. We have talked about Ruth Wariner's The Sound of Gravel (Amazon | Bookshop.org) several times on the show, and I thought I would share my complete review of this fantastic memoir. In fact, I would say that this book is the book that lit the fire for my love of memoirs and my compulsion to read as many as I can get my hands on. Written by Ruth Wariner (known predominantly as Ruthie in

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Jul 2, 2021
2 min

Cece Bell's EL DEAFO - A Graphic Novel for All Audiences

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) I am not a huge reader of graphic novels, but I have a personal interest in Cece Bell's autobiographical graphic novel, El Deafo. One of my favorite people in the whole world, my cousin, Bekah, has a similar story—ill at a young age which led to total hearing loss in both ears, a cochlear implant before starting school, and similar struggles to Cece throughout the course of her life. It was extremely appealing to read a novel which chronicle

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Jun 11, 2021
3 min

Jennifer Ryan's THE KITCHEN FRONT-- Historical Fiction at Its Best

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Thanks to Partner Random House for my copy of Jennifer Ryan’s The Kitchen Front. Ya’ll, I LOVED this book so much. Set in Britain during World War II, this book follows 4 women who are affected by the war and their circumstances in different ways. First, there is Audrey, a woman raising 3 boys on her own after her is killed during active duty in the war. She is an excellent baker and runs a pie business to support her sons and to make ends

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May 21, 2021
3 min

Tiffany Jackson's Allegedly - A Compelling, Backlist YA Read

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson is the gut-wrenching tale of Mary, a young woman accused and convicted of killing an infant in the care of her mother when she is just nine years old. Mary has been to what she calls "baby jail" and is now in a group home with young women who are in similar to her. Her current situation in the group home shapes her interactions and reactions with the people she encounters. Throughout the novel, Mary's reality

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Apr 30, 2021
3 min

Sheila Turnage's Three Times Lucky - Marvelous Middle Grade Literature

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Here at Unabridged, we haven't had too many book reviews on Upper Elementary/Middle Grade lit, so I wanted to take a minute to talk about one of my all time favorites. In fact, I loved this one so much, I bought a copy for each of the kids in my son's classroom when he was in 5th grade. (Don't worry--Scholastic ran a deal, and each copy was only $1. I love a bargain!) One of my all time favorite middle grade novels is Three Times Lucky by Sh

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Apr 9, 2021
2 min

Matthew Sullivan's MIDNIGHT AT THE BRIGHT IDEAS BOOKSTORE- Mystery and a Bookstore—Yes, Please!

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) I am coming at you with another backlist title that I REALLY enjoyed! Matt Sullivan's Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a treat. Oh, how I want to work at the Bright Ideas Bookstore! I saw this book recommended by one of the bookish bloggers I follow on Instagram way back, and I loved the cover. Also, I just loved the name of the book. Throw in the review I read, and this book was a must read for me. Luckily, my library had it, and

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Mar 19, 2021
3 min

Sharon Huss Roat's HOW TO DISAPPEAR - A YA Must-Read about Social Anxiety

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) How to Disappear is a YA novel that focuses on social anxiety in a world where social media and popularity are king. Bravo to Sharon Huss Roat for tackling this tough and multi-faceted issue. I haven't read a book that addresses this particular issue in this way. While Roat could have easily made this an "issues" book, she instead creates a relatable character and a setting that is familiar to most teenagers. Vicky Decker is a high school st

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Feb 26, 2021
3 min

Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere - Backlist Excellence

by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness) Are you looking for some great backlist reading? Well, do I have a suggestion for you. I read Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere a while ago, and thought it was amazing. More recently, I watched the limited series on Hulu. I enjoyed the series, but there is no standing in for Ng's words on the page. First, Ng's masterful writing is truly something to behold. She has the ability to capture a feeling in words that I just haven't found in a l

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Feb 5, 2021
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

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