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 earth” transform both Mary and Colin over time. We also spend time on the harder pieces that haven't aged well despite the hopeful story at the center of the novel.

For pairings, Ashley recommends Sharon M. Draper’s Out of My Mind (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Jen brings Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) into the conversation. We wrap up with our Unabridged Favorites for this month. We’d love to know your thoughts on The Secret Garden and any pairings you’d suggest, so come chat with us on social media @unabridgedpod and let us know what you think.

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.

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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. Krosoczka’s graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm); a joyful return to Anne of Green Gables (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm); and the lasting impact of Tommy Orange’s There There (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) (plus a nod to Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). We share favorite memories like our spirited “Is Love Actually a holiday movie?” debate, book-festival fangirl moments, and the pre-lockdown Podfest trip that re-shaped our podcasting lives. We close with a Lit Chat prompt about the childhood series that made us readers.

Whether you’ve listened to one episode or all 300, thank you for being here. Come celebrate with us, and tell us your favorite Unabridged memory or the series that hooked you on reading! You can always join the bookish conversation on Instagram.

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.

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 storytelling structure, including journals, interviews, and found documents, and we discuss how Jones uses horror to explore history, violence, and accountability.

We wrap up with our pairings: Jen recommends Dan Simmons’s The Terror (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), and Ashley shares Emelia Hart’s Weyward (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm), plus we both shout out other Stephen Graham Jones books.

We’d love to hear what you thought of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. Come tell us your take on Instagram @unabridgedpod.

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.