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.
Have you ever loved an author so much but then realized you’ve barely scratched the surface of their backlist? In episode 306, we’re talking about the “Book from a Favorite Author’s Backlist” category from the Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge and why exploring earlier works can be such a rewarding reading experience.
Before diving into our backlist picks, we kick things off with a bookish check-in. For our main discussion, Ashley shares about The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9781728215167) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4qfT9l9)), reflecting on how dramatically tone can shift across an author’s body of work. Jen shares her backlist pick, The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9780812979510) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4rzPakF)), and we talk about nuanced characters, moral complexity, and the joy of reading an author’s interconnected world over time.
We wrap up with a Lit Chat question all about book recommendations. Whether you’re tackling this category for the reading challenge or just looking for a nudge to revisit a favorite author, we hope this conversation inspires your next pick.
Bookish Check-in
Ashley - Laura Dave’s The Night We Lost Him (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9781668002933) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4tgpWJo))
Jen - Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9780062898111) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4rvr3n3))
Visit the Unabridged website for (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/post/299-stephen-graham-jones-the-buffalo-hunter-hunter)our full show notes (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/post/306-book-from-a-favorite-author-backlist) and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/our-featured-books) page.
Want to support Unabridged?
The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org books from our Unabridged shop (https://bookshop.org/shop/unabridgedpod). Follow us @unabridgedpod (https://www.instagram.com/unabridgedpod/) on Instagram or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/unabridgedpod/). | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/2026-unabridged-reading-challenge). | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/shop/unabridgedpod). | Become a patron on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/unabridgedpod). | Check out our Merch Store (https://www.teepublic.com/stores/unabridged?ref_id=9490). | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers...
28 Jan 2026
Rabih Alameddine's THE TRUE TRUE STORY OF RAJA THE GULLIBLE (AND HIS MOTHER) - January 2026 Book Club
Have you ever finished a book you absolutely loved but found hard to explain?
In this episode of Unabridged, we’re discussing our January 2026 Book Club pick, National Book Award winner The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9780802166470) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4qx4pKR)), which is brilliant in ways that are sometimes hard to articulate.
Before diving into the discussion, we start with a bookish check-in: Ashley shares about Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9780593546253) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4qvsbXv)), and Jen talks about Life on a Little-Known Planet: Dispatches from a Changing World by Elizabeth Kolbert (Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/18573/9798217086061) | Libro.fm (https://tidd.ly/4pR7BzM)).
From there, we dig into Raja the Gullible, talking about Raja’s unforgettable narrative voice, the novel’s nonlinear structure, and the way humor and tragedy coexist on the page. We explore Raja’s complicated, tender relationship with his mother, the impact of memory and trauma across decades, and how personal stories are shaped by larger national and historical forces. We also share book pairings, give this one a resounding five bookish hearts, and wrap up with a couple of Unabridged favorites.
If you’re participating in the 2026 Unabridged Reading Challenge (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/2026-unabridged-reading-challenge), this book fulfills the category “book from an awards list.” If you read this one, we’d love to hear what you thought!
Visit the Unabridged website for (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/post/299-stephen-graham-jones-the-buffalo-hunter-hunter)our full show notes (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/post/305-rabih-alameddine-the-true-true-story-of-raja-the-gullible-january-2026-book-club) and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/our-featured-books) page.
Want to support Unabridged?
The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org books from our Unabridged shop (https://bookshop.org/shop/unabridgedpod). Follow us @unabridgedpod (https://www.instagram.com/unabridgedpod/) on Instagram or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/unabridgedpod/). | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/readingchallenge2025). | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/shop/unabridgedpod). | Become a patron on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/unabridgedpod). | Check out our<a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/unabridged?ref_id=9490" rel="noopener noreferrer"...
14 Jan 2026
2026 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge
Are you the kind of reader who loves a little structure, or do reading challenges make you want to run the other way?
In Episode 304 (our first episode of 2026!), we’re ringing in the new year with a conversation about reading challenges, reflecting on what worked for us in 2025, what didn’t, and how we’re thinking about setting reading intentions for 2026.
Then we dive into the 2026 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge, walking through all 12 categories and sharing a few ways we hope the challenge will feel flexible, fun, and community-centered as you read along with us this year. We’re excited to kick off another reading challenge for the new year and can’t wait to have you join us. For more about the 2026 reading challenge, check out this info on our website (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/2026-unabridged-reading-challenge).
If you’re joining our challenge (or tackling another one), come tell us what you’re reading on Instagram @unabridgedpod (https://www.instagram.com/unabridgedpod)!
Visit the Unabridged website for (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/post/299-stephen-graham-jones-the-buffalo-hunter-hunter)our full show notes (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/post/304-2026-unabridged-podcast-reading-challenge) and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/our-featured-books) page.
Want to support Unabridged?
The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org books from our Unabridged shop (https://bookshop.org/shop/unabridgedpod). Follow us @unabridgedpod (https://www.instagram.com/unabridgedpod/) on Instagram or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/unabridgedpod/). | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge (https://www.unabridgedpod.com/readingchallenge2025). | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/shop/unabridgedpod). | Become a patron on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/unabridgedpod). | Check out our Merch Store (https://www.teepublic.com/stores/unabridged?ref_id=9490). | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Unabridged-Podcast).
Who has been a guest on Unabridged: A Book Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Sonya Lalli
Jean Meltzer
Thrity Umrigar
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
45 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
73
Social presence
94
YouTube
0
Engagement
90
Contact Unabridged: A Book Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
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