Unabridged: A Book Podcast

Michael Bennett’s BETTER THE BLOOD - June 2023 Book Club

Are you looking for a serial killer thriller with profound social commentary? Michael Bennett’s Better the Blood (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is propulsive and leaves the reader with many things to consider.
 
For our June Unabridged book club, we're discussing Better the Blood, which is perfect for the 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge, where it can cover categories including a mystery novel, a book by an indigenous author, and a book set in a country you'd like to visit (if New Zealand is on your list!).
 
 
We share our pairings as well, including Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Jane Harper’s The Dry (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
 
We're continuing our Patreon drive this summer and appreciate our Bookish Best Friends on Patreon so very much. If you'd like to support us and get some extra Unabridged content each month, sign up today!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
Want to support Unabridged?
 
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Books We Can’t Stop Reading - 2023 Edition

Are you looking for the perfect summer read? As we head into summer vacations and beach time, Jen and Ashley are sharing some of the latest books we can't stop reading.
 
Featuring Rebecca Makkai’s I Have Some Questions for You (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Angie Thomas’s Nic Blake and the Remarkables (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), we'll be sure to share with you some picks that will keep your reading momentum going wherever you find yourself this summer.
 
We're continuing our Patreon drive this summer and appreciate our Bookish Best Friends on Patreon so very much. If you'd like to support us and get some extra Unabridged content each month, sign up today!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
 
Want to support Unabridged?
 
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Natasha Bowen’s SKIN OF THE SEA - May 2023 Book Club

Are you looking for a compelling reimagining of The Little Mermaid? For our May 2023 Unabridged Book Club pick, we're discussing Natasha Bowen's Skin of the Sea. Jen and Ashley share our thoughts about this YA lit fantasy book.
 
We share our book pairings, including Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Rivers Solomon's The Deep, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
 
 
We are continuing with our Patreon campaign. Sign up today to support us and to get a bonus episode; those Patreon exclusives release on the first day of each month!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
 
Want to support Unabridged?
 
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
 

Essay Collection Recommendations for Your Unabridged Reading Challenge

Have you read any essay collections that you enjoyed? In this episode, Jen and Ashley are sharing essay collection recommendations for books we loved, which are perfect for the 2023 Unabridged Reading Challenge. You could also choose a poetry collection or a short story collection to complete the category!
 
Ashley recommends Jessi Klein’s I’ll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen recommends Kelly Jensen’s [Don't] Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health (Bookshop.org).
 
 
We are continuing our Patreon campaign and appreciate your support so much. Sign up today to support us and to get a bonus episode; those Patreon exclusives release on the first day of each month!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
Want to support Unabridged?
 
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Ruth Reichl’s SAVE ME THE PLUMS - April 2023 Book Club

Are you looking for a food book to complete your Unabridged Reading Challenge for 2023? This memoir is a great pick for that category!
 
For our April Book Club pick, we're discussing Ruth Reichl’s Save Me the Plums (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We also share our pairings, including Kim Fay’s Love and Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Stanley Tucci’s Taste: My Life through Food (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
 
 
We are continuing our Patreon campaign. Sign up today to support us and to get a bonus episode; those Patreon exclusives release on the first day of each month!
 
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
 
Want to support Unabridged?
 
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Diving Into History with Historical Fiction Book Recs for 2023

Are you looking for historical fiction books to add to your TBR list? In today's episode, Jen and Ashley are revisiting this popular topic with our latest recommendations for historical fiction books based on our recent reads.
 
If you're looking for more historical fiction recommendations, listen in to episode 230 where we shared some recs, and check out Jen's Bookish Fave sharing 7+ Middle Grade Historical Fiction Recs.
Want to support Unabridged? For just $5 a month, you can get an extra episode of Unabridged—every month—and know that you're helping to support our podcast. Head over to our Patreon page to find out more.
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

James Baldwin’s IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK - March Book Club

Are you looking for an amazing classic by a Black author? James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) is a perfect fit for the Unabridged Reading Challenge. 
 
We're discussing it as our March book club pick, and we also share our pairings including Tayari Jones’s An American Marriage (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm).
 
 
If you're loving the podcast or our Unabridged blog and would like to support us, for just $5 a month on Patreon, you can get access to an extra episode the first day of each month. We appreciate your support.
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

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). Listen in to hear why we made those choices!
 
How will our recommendations for each other work out? We'll report back later in the year after we've read the recommendations!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
 
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.

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 our Patreon efforts - sign up today to support the podcast and to get a bonus episode each month!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
 

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 years, including episode 216, episode 164, and episode 112. What do you recommend? Let us know!
 
Love what we're doing? Support us on Patreon for $5 or more to get at least one bonus episode a month!
 
Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
 
Want to support Unabridged?
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.