Unabridged: A Book Podcast
Unabridged is a bookish podcast hosted by teachers. We release episodes twice a month, including a monthly Book Club episode and other bookish topics full of recommendations for your TBR list. Join us for bookish fun at our website unabridgedpod.com, on social media @unabridgedpod, or via email at unabridgedpod@gmail.com.
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Our short episode in which we pair two characters from two different books, those literary folks we think might be friends in real life, proved to be more challenging than we anticipated. Fortunately, as friends in real life (ha!), we supported each other, confirming the validity (when we could) of our choices.Listen to this new short episode, and then let us know what you think: are these friendships viable? what friendships do YOU think might work in real life?
Jen’s Match
*Wendy from Claire Lombardo’s The Most Fun We Ever Had with Marianne from Sally Rooney’s Normal People
Sara’s Match
*Penny from Shea Ernshea’s The Wicked Deep with Evie from Sarah Henning’s Sea Witch
Ashley’s Match
*Leigh from Emily X. R. Pan’s The Astonishing Color of After with Lara Jean from Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
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Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
We're thrilled to discuss Anissa Gray's new novel, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls. Told in the alternating perspectives of the Butler sisters, this novel is timely, compelling, and, at times, heartbreaking.We offer pairings and recommendations for the ways that teachers can use this book in their classrooms.After you listen, join us on social media throughout October to participate in our book club discussions. We'd love to know what you think!
timeline
*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 36:03
*Book Pairings: 36:03 - 45:43
*Classroom Connections: 45:44 - 49:54
book pairings
*Ashley - Mira T. Lee's Everything Here is Beautiful
*Jen - Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides
*Sara - John Green's Turtles All the Way Down
classroom connections
*Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls
*Yara Zgheib's The Girls at 17 Swann Street
*Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing
other mentions
*Piper Kerman's Orange Is the New Black and the Netflix Series
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
For this short episode of Unabridged, we thought about journeys. Nearly every book contains some sort of journey--emotional, moral, time--but we wanted to focus on the physical journeys that often lie at the heart of novels to symbolize or catalyze something else.Our TBR lists explode (or shuffle, at the very least) as we each recommend two books with journeys at their centers. Listen to Jen remember our website's url, Sara get past not really loving journey novels all that much, and Ashley consider why audiobooks, while not always quite her first choice, are better than growing her TBR even more. Then, head over to social media to share your recommendations!
our selections
Ashley’s Picks
*Craig Thompson’s Carnet de Voyage
*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi’s Americanah
Jen’s Picks
*Cormac McCarthy’s The Road
*Valeria Luiselli’s Lost Children Archive
Sara’s Picks
*J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
*Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven
other mentions
*Camp TOB
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
We took on a new challenge for this episode, offering our ideas for songs that pair beautifully with books. While none of us would call this our wheelhouse (I don't think!), we loved hearing the others' ideas for songs that resonate, for books that somehow connect in a meaningfully way to the feeling or story of the song.We would LOVE to hear your ideas for perfect book-and-song pairings. Visit us on social media to share your ideas!
Ashley’s Picks
*Death Cab for Cutie’s “What Sarah Said” (lyrics here) with Rebecca Makkai's The Great Believers
*X Ambassadors’ “Unsteady” (lyrics here) with Beth Macy’s Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America
Jen’s Picks
*Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” (lyrics here) with Dave Cullen’s Parkland: Birth of a Movement
*Lin-Manuel Miranda's “It’s Quiet Uptown” from the Hamilton soundtrack (lyrics here) with Dani Shapiro’s Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage
Sara’s Picks
*Chris Cornell’s "Nothing Compares to U" (LIVE Chris Cornell version, lyrics here) with Dane Hucklebridge’s Castle of Water
*Linkin’ Park’s "Shadow of the Day" (lyrics here) with Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
In our newest short episode, we embark on a discussion of one of our favorite things: a book-to-film adaptation. This time, we're discussing the Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han's fabulous YA romance To All the Boys I've Loved Before. While the book is fuzzier for some of us than others (it's been a loooong time for someone, folks!), we all nonetheless enjoy considering the positives and negatives of this adaptation. Spoiler alert: there are some elements we like better in the movie!
works mentioned
*Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before
*To All the Boys I've Loved Before Netflix movie adaptation
*My So-Called Life TV series
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
We're thrilled to discuss Elizabeth Acevedo's sophomore novel, With the Fire on High. Protagonist Emoni is a high school student, a mother, a granddaughter, and an amazingly inspired chef in training. Listen in for our discussion of the ways that Acevedo counters our expectations for this character. We offer pairings and recommendations for the ways that teachers can use this book in their classrooms.After you listen, join us on social media throughout September to participate in our book club discussions. We'd love to know what you think!
timeline
*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 35:00
*Book Pairings: 35:01 - 42:17
*Classroom Connections: 42:18 - 48:00
book pairings
*Ashley - Jade Chang’s The Wangs vs the World
*Jen - Roselle Lim’s Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune
*Sara - Erika Sanchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
classroom connections
*Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X
*Gaby Rodriguez's The Pregnancy Project
*Isabel Quintero's Gabi: A Girl in Pieces
*Robin Benway's Far from the Tree
other mentions
*Chopped TV Series
*Beat Bobby Flay TV Series
*Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
Wednesday Aug 28, 2019
We'll let you guess just which one of us went shopping in her Kindle closet . . . and then cheated to share an extra book (or two . . . or three!) on this episode. Well, actually, we ALL cheated because we have SO many books coming out this fall that we're eagerly anticipating.Take a listen to our TBR lists, and then let us know what books you look forward to reading this fall! Head over to social media to let us know.
TBR Lists Ashley’s Picks
*Sarah Henning’s Sea Witch
*Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women
*Rainbow Rowell’s Wayward Son
Jen’s Picks
*Peter Heller’s Celine
*Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments
*Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know
Sara’s Picks
*Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
*Lisa Lutz’s The Swallows
*Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys
other mentions
*Peter Heller's The Dog Stars
*Peter Heller's The Painter
*Peter Heller's The River
*Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale
*The Bachelorette (TV Show)
*The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu TV Show)
*Casey McQuiston’s Red, White and Royal Blue
*Love Island (TV Show)
*Hester Fox’s The Widow of Pale Harbor
*Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer
*Interview with Jesmyn Ward
*Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments
*Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep
*Min Jin Lee's Pachinko
*Hester Fox's The Witch of Willow Hall
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
Wednesday Aug 21, 2019
There's a little bit about books and a whole lot about us in this Unabridged Short episode. Learn what books we loved to teach, what scares us, and what we do outside of reading. (This is more of a stretch for some of us than others!)Feel free to share other questions for us on social media! And let us know: what's the scariest thing YOU've ever done for fun? what are your hobbies (outside of books)? what's your favorite podcast or social media follow . . . that's not book related?
works mentioned
*A.S. King’s Everybody Sees the Ants
*Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
*S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders
*Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood
podcasts and social media accounts mentioned
*The Popcast, Instagram account here
*Revisionist History, Instagram account here
*Tumble, Instagram account here
*Jamie B. Golden on Instagram (from the Popcast)
*Simpleish Living (on Instagram)
To learn more about Ashley, see her page.
To learn more about Jen, see her page.
To learn more about Sara, check out her page.
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
Wednesday Aug 14, 2019
In this episode, we are revisiting our love for audiobooks! Each of us has evolved as an audiobook listener, and we talk about that process, the types of books that work best for us on audio, how we're stretching ourselves . . . and Sara's deep, deep love for puppy dog kisses (no sarcasm there at all!).What are some of your new favorite audiobooks? Visit us on social media to share. You can find us on Litsy (at Unabridged), Instagram and Twitter (@unabridgedpod), and Facebook.
Ashley’s Picks
*George Saunders’s Lincoln in the Bardo (multiple narrators) (book/audiobook)
*Michelle Obama’s Becoming (read by the author) (book/audiobook)
Jen’s Picks
*Steve Sheinkin’s Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian Football Team (Mark Bramhill, narrator) (book/audiobook)
*Lydia Kang’s A Beautiful Poison (Saskia Maarleveld, narrator) (book/audiobook) and The Impossible Girl (Saskia Maarleveld, narrator) (book/audiobook)
Sara’s Picks
*Fredrick Backman’s Beartown (Marin Ireland, narrator) (book/audiobook)
*W. Bruce Cameron’s A Dog’s Purpose (William Dufris, narrator) (book/audiobook)
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
Wednesday Aug 07, 2019
For the second year, we are excited to explore three of the Global Read Aloud books. (You can find out more information about the Global Read Aloud here.) We are thrilled to begin Season 3 with a discussion of three amazing novels for middle grade, middle school, and young adult readers.Listen to the episode, and then let us know what you think!
timeline
*Introduction and General Discussion: 00:00 - 01:16
*Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves: 01:17 - 18:45
*Padma Venkatraman's The Bridge Home: 18:46 - 31:59
*Kelly Yang's Front Desk: 32:00 - 43:40
other mentions
*Leslie Marmon Silko’s Ceremony
*Cormac McCarthy’s The Road
*Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars
*Mindy McGinnis’s Not a Drop to Drink
*Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven
*Alan Gratz’s Refugee
*Neal Shusterman’s Dry
*R. J. Palacio’s Wonder
*Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers
*Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”
other resources
*Joseph Boyden’s Wenjack
*Louise Erdrich’s Tracks
*Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine
*Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Hearts Unbroken
Check out what's coming up next.
want to support unabridged?Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.