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

Have you ever finished a book you absolutely loved but found hard to explain? In this episode of Unabridged , we’re discussing our January 2026 Book Club pick, National Book Award winner The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)  by Rabih Alameddine ( Bookshop . org | Libro . fm ), which is brilliant in ways that are sometimes hard to articulate. Before diving into the discussion, we start with a bookish check-in: Ashley shares about Vera Wong’s Guide to Snoo

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

http://Libro.fm Have you read Jean Meltzer yet, and are you in the mood for a holiday romance with real heart? In this special encore episode, we’re bringing back our December 2021 Book Club episode (Ep. 207), featuring Jean Meltzer’s The Matzah Ball ( Libro.fm  | Bookshop.org ) , her delightful debut. We loved revisiting this one: it’s funny and festive, but it also has surprising depth as Meltzer thoughtfully explores chronic illness and the power (and weight) of keeping pa

Do you love a good holiday story that brings different traditions, and unexpected friendships, together in one cozy, snowed-in town? We’re diving into our December Book Club pick, Three Holidays and a Wedding  by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley ( Bookshop . org | Libro . fm ). Before we get into the book club chat, we start with a bookish check-in: Jen shares about Nadia Davids’s Cape Fever ( Bookshop . org | Libro . fm ), and Ashley talks about A. R. Abbott’s Founded o

Have you read Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden ( Bookshop . org  | Libro . fm ), or maybe watched one of the adaptations, and wondered how it holds up today? In Episode 301, Jen and Ashley dive into this beloved classic as our November Book Club pick. We start with a Bookish Check-in before diving into our discussion. We talk about what surprised us when revisiting The Secret Garden , from Mary’s truly contrary beginning to the way nature, friendship, and “a bit of

Have you been with us since the early days—or are you just finding your way to our bookish corner? In Episode 300, we celebrate a huge milestone with a very special guest… our beloved former co-host, Sara! We kick things off with a Bookish Check-In, then look back at standout reads and moments from eight years and 300 episodes of Unabridged. We revisit unforgettable conversations and reads, including Dopesick  by Beth Macy ( Bookshop.org  | Libro.fm ) paired with Jarrett J. K

Have you picked up Stephen Graham Jones’s The Buffalo Hunter Hunter  ( Bookshop.org  | Libro.fm ) yet? We dig into this brilliant work in our October book club discussion. We start with a Bookish Check-In: Jen’s reading Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain ( Bookshop.org  | Libro.fm ), and Ashley just started V. E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil ( Bookshop.org  | Libro.fm ).  Then we dive into The Buffalo Hunter Hunter . We talk about the layered storytel

Do you like spooky reads, or do you tend to steer clear of anything too creepy? In Episode 298, Jen and Ashley share our favorite books for the season, and we talk about what makes the perfect fall read. We start with our Bookish Check-in: Ashley is listening to Thorn Season  ( Bookshop.org  | Libro.fm ) by Kiera Cass, and Jen’s revisiting Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend ( Bookshop.org  | Libro.fm ). Then we each bring a fall pick to the table: we share about Megan Bannen’s Th

Have you read Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic or seen the musical adaptation? In episode 297, our September Book Club...

Have you ever hesitated to pick up a buzzy book because you weren’t sure it would live up to the hype? In Episode 296, Jen and Ashley...

Which books are going in your beach bag this summer? In today’s episode, we’re sharing a few great picks for your next vacation—or just...

Have you read Truly Devious  by Maureen Johnson—or maybe even the whole series? In this May 2025 Book Club episode, we’re diving into the...

Have you watched the Heartstopper  series or read the graphic novels by Alice Oseman? In this episode, we’re sharing a conversation that...

In this month’s Book Club episode, we’re discussing Solito  by Javier Zamora, a powerful memoir that chronicles his journey as a nine...

Have you ever found that reading with a friend makes a book even better? In this episode, we (Jen and Ashley) dive into the joys of buddy...

How do you find your place when you feel stuck between worlds? In this episode, Jen and Ashley dive into Kareem Between  by Shifa...

Have you read Nella Larsen's Passing ( Bookshop.org  |   Libro.fm ) , a brilliant classic written in 1929? Today, we're sharing our...

It’s book club time! This month, we’re diving into Two Wrongs Make a Right  by Chloe Liese—a swoony, opposites-attract romance inspired...

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