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.

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 The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm) and Adriana Mather’s How to Hang a Witch (Bookshop.org | Libro.fm). Both picks have ghosts, magic, and just enough spookiness to feel seasonal without being nightmare fuel.

Just a reminder that if you purchase books using our affiliate links for Bookshop.org and Libro.fm, or if you shop on Bookshop using our Unabridgedpod shop, we get a small percentage of those sales, which supports us and the companies.

We wrap things up with a Lit Chat question about DNFs: do you finish every book you start? We share a little honesty about how hard it can be to stop reading something once it’s begun. Join us, and let us know on Instagram what your favorite spooky reads are (and whether you’re a completionist or a proud DNFer)!

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 read Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic or seen the musical adaptation? In episode 297, our September Book Club pick takes us into Bechdel’s layered, brilliant graphic memoir about family, identity, and the stories we use to make sense of our lives.

We kick things off with a bookish check-in (Ashley’s listening to Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s The Ruling Class; Jen just started Angeline Boulley’s Sisters in the Wind) and then dive into Fun Home. We discuss Bechdel's literary references and her stark honesty, the grief and humor, and why this one is so often challenged. We’d love to hear your thoughts and favorite moments from the book. Come join the conversation!

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 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 kick off Season Nine with a chat about the books that absolutely do.

We start with our Bookish Check-in: Jen’s reading Suleika Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy, and I share thoughts on Elana K. Arnold’s What Girls Are Made Of. Then we each bring a hyped pick that worked for us (hello, Susan Choi’s Flashlight and Allison Espach’s The Wedding People). We wrap with a card from Book Riot's Lit Chat Game about which fictional journey we’d tag along for.

Join us, and tell us on Instagram which hyped reads delivered for you!

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.

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 your next relaxing afternoon in the sun. From fast-paced thrillers and twisty YA mysteries to a heartfelt rom-com set in the world of podcasting, we’ve got something for everyone.

We're heading into a summer break for Unabridged soon and wanted to make sure we'd shared some fun picks for summer before we pause.

For our beach bag picks, Ashley recommends Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, a compulsively readable thriller set on a remote island during a glamorous wedding weekend. Jen shares Back After This by Linda Holmes, a thoughtful, feel-good rom-com about podcasting, heartbreak, and second chances.

We wrap up with a Lit Chat question: What’s a book or series you think is overrated?

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

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 read Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson—or maybe even the whole series? In this May 2025 Book Club episode, we’re diving into the twisty world of Ellingham Academy with Stevie Bell and company. But first, we kick things off with a Bookish Check-In. Ashley’s reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (yes, the sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea), and Jen shares her thoughts on Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author.

Then we dive into all things Truly Devious—what makes Stevie such a compelling protagonist, how Johnson balances multiple mysteries across timelines, and why this one’s a must-read for fans of dark academia and character-driven whodunits. We wrap up with perfect book pairings, plus a few favorite things outside the reading life.

Let us know what you thought about this one! Remember that you can support us on Patreon if you're interested in contributing to the podcast.

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.