Ashley Dickson-Ellison and Jen Moyers
331 episodes listed below
Warm book talk for TBR builders.
Unabridged: A Book Podcast treats reading as an ongoing conversation, with Ashley and Jen moving from casual check-ins into fuller book club discussions and recommendation lists. The show favors premise, character, audio performance, and spoiler-aware reactions over formal criticism.
PRESS PLAY
Unabridged: A Book Podcast is a warm, conversational show for readers who like their recommendations with context, caveats, and feeling. Ashley and Jen return to a familiar structure: a bookish check-in first, then a featured discussion shaped around a book club pick, a reading challenge category, or a practical recommendation theme. The pace is unhurried. One voice often takes time to lay out a premise, explain a character dynamic, and name the emotional current of a book before the conversation turns toward reactions, format, or related reading. That generosity is the appeal. A discussion of Remarkably Bright Creatures can move from an aquarium setting and an unusual octopus-human relationship into grief, healing, mystery, and the joy of watching the story unfold. A conversation about Louder Than Hunger can pause over parental helplessness, institutional treatment, a young man learning to see adults as people, and the difficulty of naming a problem that is not often discussed in young men. The show is attentive to spoilers. It often marks the line between what a listener can safely know and what should remain part of the reading experience. It is also very aware of format. Audiobook narration, Libby holds, Libro.fm access, series order, buddy reads, Bookstagram enthusiasm, and reading on audio all matter here. Recent episodes cover Louder Than Hunger, Lunar Love, The True True Story of Raja the Gullible and His Mother, The Matzah Ball, books about animals, nonfiction audiobooks, favorite-author backlists, and the 2026 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. The range is broad without feeling scattered. Literary fiction, romance, middle grade, nonfiction, speculative elements, holiday reading, and backlist discovery all sit comfortably at the same table. The show is not built around hot takes. Its authority comes from accumulated reading life: what grabbed attention, what felt powerful, what worked better on audio, what might suit a challenge prompt, and what should be read in sequence. The tone stays companionable rather than polished for effect. Listeners get opinions, but they also get the reasoning behind them. For anyone who wants a steadier way to grow a TBR list, Unabridged offers book talk that is friendly, spoiler-conscious, and emotionally specific.
Made for: Best for readers who enjoy book club conversations, reading challenges, audiobook notes, and spoiler-conscious recommendations. It especially suits listeners who want thoughtful literary response without a formal review-show tone.
What sets it apart: Unabridged stands out by treating recommendations as lived reading experiences, not just quick pitches. The show gives space to plot setup, emotional stakes, format, and practical reader guidance before moving on.
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 [email protected].
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Unabridged connects close reading, personal response and practical recommendations without reducing books to verdicts or reading lists.
Ashley and Jen treat reading as a social practice, moving between book-club close reading and themed recommendation episodes. Their discussions stay attentive to what characters reveal about the systems and families around them, while personal responses make clear how a book can…
Greta Gerwig's LITTLE WOMEN gets book-club treatment, and your TBR catches the collateral damage.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Animal-centered fiction leads to warmth, grief, and a useful audiobook tip.
The discussion moves from Books about animals into animal-centered fiction with a clear, easy rhythm. Ashley and Jen frame Farrah Rochon's Pugs and Kisses as a sweet story built around veterinarian Evie Williams and the dogs around her, then pivot to Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably…
A tender book-club conversation about care, grief, and the people who keep showing up.
Unabridged's March 2026 book club conversation on John Hsu's Louder Than Hunger works best when it stays with Jake's pain and the people around him.
A milestone reunion that stays focused on books, reading habits, and the personal ways they stick.
Episode 300 finds Unabridged in reunion mode, with Sarah back beside Ashley and Jen as they revisit favorite books and listening memories from across the show’s run.
A warm book club discussion that keeps James's moral pressure close to the surface.
This episode keeps its footing in a warm, specific book club discussion of Percival Everett's James. Ashley and Jen start out relaxed, then move into the book's harder moral turns without losing the human scale of the conversation.
Warm book to film discussion that favors feeling and character over a strict scene-by-scene read.
Greta Gerwig's Little Women gets a warm, careful discussion from hosts who know the book well. They spend time on Amy as a fuller character in the film, Aunt March's sharp money sense, and the way the story keeps its sadness close without losing its tenderness.
Two classical-education teachers slow-read novels like Jane Eyre, chapter by chapter.
Book talk with room to wander.
Episode 310 keeps the setup clean.
Episode 309 turns tender fast.
The hosts discuss nonfiction audiobook recommendations as part of a reading challenge, starting with a bookish check-in about a novel.
This episode features a book club discussion of Lauren Kung Jessen's 'Lunar Love' as the February pick, including a bookish check-in where Jen shares her thoughts on Ian McEwan's 'What We Can Know'.
The hosts discuss their podcast's reading challenge category 'book from a favorite author's backlist', offering suggestions and reflections while sharing personal reading updates.
Hosts Ashley and Jen discuss their January book club pick, Rabi Alamuddin's novel, and share what they are currently reading.
The hosts discuss their 2026 reading challenge and share what they are currently reading.
Two teachers host a book club episode discussing Jean Meltzer's novel The Matzah Ball and share current reads.
The hosts discuss their December book club pick, 'Three Holidays and a Wedding,' and share what they are currently reading.
Hosts Ashley and Jen discuss their November Book Club pick, The Secret Garden, and share what they are currently reading.
Episode 300 brings Sarah back.
Two teachers discuss books that live up to the hype and share their current reads.
Hosts Ashley and Jen discuss their May 2025 book club pick, Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious, and share what they're currently reading.
Hosts Ashley and Jen discuss their March 2025 book club pick, Kareem Between, and share what they are currently reading.
Two teachers host a book podcast discussing Nella Larsen's 'Passing' and its film adaptation, sharing their current reads and bookish updates.
James gets a close book-club reading.
Hosts Ashley and Jen discuss their current reads, including Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, and promote their book club and community.
Episode 281 returns to Little Women, with Ashley and Jen sharing a formerly Patreon-only conversation about Greta Gerwig's film after reading Louisa May Alcott's novel last year.
Hosts Ashley and Jen introduce their book club episode discussing Isabel Cañas's Vampires of El Norte and share updates about new Patreon resources.
Hosts Ashley and Jen discuss their current reads and introduce their annual Spooky Reads episode for 2024.
The hosts kick off season 8 with a bookish check-in, discussing what they are reading and previewing a get-to-know-the-hosts segment.
Two teachers host a book club episode discussing Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q.
Two teachers host a book podcast, sharing summer short read recommendations and discussing their current reads.
Two teachers host a book club episode discussing Henry Hoke's Open Throat and share what they are currently reading.
The hosts discuss buddy reads and book clubs as part of a reading challenge, sharing their current reads and encouraging listener participation.
Two teachers host a book club episode discussing Nella Larson's novel 'Passing' and share what they are currently reading.
Two teachers discuss book recommendations and their reading challenge, focusing on books published before 1950.
Two teachers host a book club discussion of Jasmine Varga's 'Other Words for Home' and share bookish updates.
This episode features an interview with author Sarah Ward about her book Victory Gallop, interspersed with bookish discussions and community updates.
This episode is a book club discussion of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, including updates on Patreon content and a bookish check-in.
The hosts discuss their reading challenges for 2024, share a bookish check-in, and promote their Patreon content.
This episode is a book club discussion of Marie-Helene Bertino's novel '2 AM AT THE CAT'S PAJAMAS' for December, including a bookish check-in and podcast updates.
The hosts announce their 2023 book awards and discuss their current reads, including Allie Hazelwood's 'Love Theoretically'.