Unbound with Trish and Jess
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago - ★★★ - 8 ratingsA podcast about books, and giving your opinion when no one asked.
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Episodes
The Book Thief
October 28, 2017 12:00 - 50 minutes - 46.1 MBFor their final ever podcast, Trish and Jess read one of Trish's all time favorites, "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. They get a little choked up discussing the heartbreak of the multiple characters who don't make it to the end of this novel that takes place in WWII Germany and get off track only briefly when they need to pause to kill a spider. They reflect on their podcasting highs and lows over the past 3 years, and end Podcast Unbound for good with a Top 5 of books they read for the purp...
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
September 23, 2017 13:00 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBFor the final two episodes of Podcast Unbound, Trish and Jess pick books they love for the other to read. Our hosts discuss bookstores they've recently frequented, which requires discussion of Jess's dislike for BAM. Rob Lowe, after being a nonentity for the entirety of previous episodes, finds himself relevant on multiple occasions. Trish and Jess identify their favorite snail facts from this month's read, "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. They finish the podcast n...
The God of Small Things
August 29, 2017 00:22 - 37 minutes - 17.2 MBIt's mid-August and Trish has already reached her goal of reading 52 books this year, so Jess and Trish discuss her updated reading goals. In spite of this reading high, Trish shares her recent literary low when she realizes she's been mispronouncing a word for a long time. Jess and Trish then share their heartbreak about how deeply events went wrong in this month's read "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy, and how heartbreaking books that take place in India always seem to be. With tw...
In the time of Butterflies
August 01, 2017 00:14 - 48 minutes - 22.2 MBBefore getting into their book this month, Trish and Jess discuss some of their recent reads and book purchases, including 2nd person novels where mothers disappear and turn into birds and old school detective novels that are disappointingly creepy. They then asses “In the Time of the Butterflies,” a gorgeous novel based on the true story of the Mirabel sisters and their part of the revolution in the Dominican against Trujillo. Trish and Jess announce their podcasting days are drawing to a cl...
This is how you lose her
June 30, 2017 23:53 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBTrish and Jess talk about times they've been assholes, including Jess mispronouncing the word detritus on the podcast and in her personal life for forever. They also talk about the asshole main character in the beautiful, sparsely written "This is How You Lose Her" by Junot Diaz. Next month they read "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez. (Music credit: “Books” by Minden http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)
The Girl With All The Gifts
May 29, 2017 15:33 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MBTrish and Jess read "The Girl with All the Gifts" by M. R. Corey this month, and Trish is forced to start questioning why she has read 5 books in the last year in which people attempt or are successful in turning into some kind of tree. Trish also begins to soul search why she hasn't read as many dystopian novels as she thought, until Jess points out she's full of crap and has read lots of dystopia. Next month, "This is How You Lose Her" by Junot Diaz. (Music credit: “Books” by Minden http://...
Mute
April 30, 2017 17:42 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBFor the first time, Jess and Trish review a book which it turns out they both despise, "Mute" by Piers Anthony. Not even telekinetic chickens can save this misogynistic piece of old sci-fi. Trish suspects even the person who wrote the description for the back cover wasn't able to finish it, as Mit the hermit crab is misidentified as telepathic when he is actually clairvoyant. Next month they put this debacle behind them with "The Girl with All the Gifts" by M. R. Carey. (Music credit: “Books”...
The Museum of Extraordinary Things
March 25, 2017 13:13 - 56 minutes - 26 MBJess and Trish talk about fake mermaids and true love while discussing "The Museum of Extraordinary Things" by Alice Hoffman. They also break down some important though unconnected topics, like if the new Beauty and the Beast movie is gonna be good. They end with one of their favorite Top 5s ever, characters who think they're a monster. Next month the delve deep into serious sci-fi, "Mute" by Piers Anthony. (Music credit: “Books” by Minden http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)
Purple Hibiscus
February 28, 2017 01:18 - 42 minutes - 19.3 MBTrish and Jess disagree about a variety of books from beginning to end. Trish fails to appreciate "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman the way it deserves, but they agree entirely that "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is great, and that the character development was clear when they had epiphanies about one character through the eyes of another. They finish with Top 5 books they've hated, and have moments of great agreement and dispute. Next month, they read "The Museum...
A Man Called Ove
January 28, 2017 14:00 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MBOne of the best things about Leah is that she has a Pinterest board named "Mug Life," but it also is great that she was our guest in Jan! We talked about hot cheese, all while discussing "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrick Backman. Leah and Trish describe their love of the cantankerous old man with a heart of gold at the heart of the book, while Jess has mild reservations. They debate how old you have to be to be considered old, and agree the limit should be upped. They get into Top 5 male charact...
Girl in a Coat
December 29, 2016 01:05 - 46 minutes - 21.4 MBTrish and Jess check in about books they got for Christmas, how their respective apartments are filling with books despite best efforts, and Jess's last ditch attempt to read a book a day for the rest of the year to reach her yearly goal. They then discuss Girl in Blue Coat by Monica Hesse, which made its way into the 30% of books Trish likes despite being a little unbelievable. They compare it to Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer which loaded Jess with tension as she worried that mother and...
Endless Night
November 27, 2016 19:52 - 38 minutes - 35 MBBefore Trish and Jess review "Endless Night" by Agatha Christie, they commiserate on their apartments filling up with books despite their best intentions and check in about their reading goals for the year. Trish has already read more books than weeks in the year, and Jess makes plans to power through detective novels to make her quota. While reviewing "Endless Night" they discuss their surprise over its structure, push back on extended recuperation periods for sprained ankles, and discuss th...
Pigtopia
October 29, 2016 13:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBIt's Podcast Unbound's 2 year anniversary! Our only regret so far is how weird our recorded voices are. This month's book is Pigtopia by Kitty Fitzgerald because we found two copies at a consignment store. We share our mutual horror at having picked yet another book that ended up having weird sex stuff in it. A man who thinks he's developmentally disabled until he finds out he's not somehow raises a horde of pigs in his basement without being discovered and shares his secret with a local girl...
Constant Suicides / Princesses
September 28, 2016 01:09 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBTrish and Jess compare and contrast books with vaguely similar titles they found at a consignment shop: the Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory vs The Case of the Constant Suicides by John Dickson Carr. Trish reports historical princesses are weird pervs and Jess is unable to explain why a Scotsman would keep his back door open but his bedroom door locked. Top 5 list this month: consignment store purchases. Join us next month for our two-year anniversary, when we read Pigtopia by Kitty Fitz...
The Dwarves
August 27, 2016 13:00 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MBWelcome to our August episode where we talk to our friend Jason, who has chosen “The Dwarves” by Markus Heitz for us to read. We talk about potential dwarven hankey-pankey, wizard betrayal, and why so much ham gets eaten. We round the episode out with our top five lines from a book. Next month we do a double header where we’ll each read a different book with a sort-of similar title, and compare and contrast. Those two books are “The Constant Princess” by Philippa Gregory and “The Case of Cons...
Hyde
July 30, 2016 23:09 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBOk, back on track! This month, we enjoy some bad-boy time with “Hyde” by Daniel Levine. This episode contains bad rosé, all sorts of weird sex things none of us expected, and Star Trek top five. Next month, we read The Dwarves by Markus Heitz with a special guest. (Music credit: “Books” by Minden http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)
The Poisonwood Bible
July 19, 2016 00:31 - 54 minutes - 24.9 MBAnd a belated Happy Father's day to you all! To celebrate we asked Jess's Father, Gary, to join us in a discussion of his favorite book, "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. Hear how this book ruined us for other books. Top 5 for this month? Bad Dads. Next month, we read, "Hyde" by Daniel Levine. Enjoy, and send us your questions to @PodcastUnbound on Twitter or Facebook.
Beloved
May 30, 2016 19:26 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBTrish and Jess start with a chat about what else they've been reading recently, which included Joe Hill's newest novel, BuzzFeed articles, and essays about the Polyvagal Theory. They move on to talk about the powerful heartbreak of Toni Morrison's "Beloved." They qualify when they are willing to accept unbelievable circumstances in books and what makes a book feel hopeless. They end with a Top 5 list of other books that broke their hearts. Next month, Jess's dad guest stars for Father's Day t...
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
April 30, 2016 02:24 - 1 hour - 33.1 MBJess and Trish overestimate how much wine they can reasonably drink before podcasting. They share the professional writers they wish wrote fanfic before assessing "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend," by Katarina Bivald. They both are passionately distressed by an unrealistic depiction of stew and small town cohesion and end with Top 5 books they would recommend to strangers. Next month, "Beloved," by Toni Morrison. (Musical Credit: My Favorite Game by The Cardigans)
Zorro
March 31, 2016 02:17 - 54 minutes - 12.4 MBJess and Trish drink a bottle and a half of wine before playing judge a book by its title. A life changing event takes place when one of them actually guesses one correctly!! Who and which book? You'll have to listen to find out. They then discuss "Zorro" by Isabelle Allende, and touch upon plot points including children catching bears, the pressure of being a lady on a ship when everyone is trying to watch you dump your chamber pot, and the romance of being mute except for the girl of your d...
The Fourth Hand
March 01, 2016 01:07 - 1 hour - 29.6 MBWhile chatting about "The Fourth Hand" by John Irving, Jess and Trish begin to ponder if there is a lot more weird sex in books than they realized until podcasting about it, or if they have a predilection for a certain type of novel. They discuss books which were better as movies and have a moment of intense consensus. Next month, "Zorro" by Isabel Allende. (Musical Credit: When the Lion Sleeps Tonight performed by Rockapella)
Bear
January 29, 2016 12:00 - 54 minutes - 25 MBTrish and Jess read "Bear" by Marian Engel, an award winning Canadian novel about a woman who falls in romantic, sexual, actualized love with a bear. Jess and Trish discuss the inherent physical dangers, the complications in getting a bear to do what a lady wants in bed, and briefly consider romantic armadillo love. Next month, The Fourth Hand by John Irving. (Musical Credit: Bear Necessities by Phil Harris & Bruce Reitherman)
Outlander
December 31, 2015 16:35 - 1 hour - 14 MBThings get tipsy as we close out the year with "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon. This was a real bodice ripper, so we talked about beating women with belts, weird homo-erotic rape scenes, P in V, and oh so much more. The romance continues in the new year with an Unbound classic: "Bear" by Marian Engel.(Musical Credit: Loch Lomond performed by The Hangovers)
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
November 28, 2015 14:00 - 58 minutes - 13.3 MBThis month Trish and Jess challenge each other to "Judge a Book by it's Title" and both fail miserably. Their review of "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" by Haruki Murakami encompasses Bob Dylan, Danny Boy, and loneliness. Jess cites the most New England way to kill yourself and Trish finds a book where people turn into furniture. Next month, "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon. (Musical credit: Danny Boy by Bing Crosby)
Persepolis
November 11, 2015 22:44 - 52 minutes - 23.8 MBFor our one year anniversary (Woohoo!), we talk about the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Next month we tackle Haruki Murakami's Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World.(Musical Credit: Kidda by Natacha Atlas)
On Beauty
September 30, 2015 03:44 - 51 minutes - 23.8 MBTrish and Jess begin by sharing favorite examples of fan fic and Jess tries not to cry. They then delve into "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith and the two main families: the American Belsey family, with white British art professor Howard and his African American wife Kiki and their three children, and the Trinidadian-British Kipps family with British art professor Monty and wife Carlene and their two children. Their are midlife crises, smug superiority, bad outfits, hairy nipples, and families tryin...
Shadow of the Wind
August 31, 2015 22:28 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MBJess and Trish assess "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. They debate the unlikelihood of two female characters getting pregnant after having sex once and reasons why you would go to Planned Parenthood besides an abortion. Perhaps most importantly, they discuss how a threesome with two men is like petting two dogs at once. Next month's book is "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith. (Musical Credit: Spanish Mary by The New Basement Tapes)
How to get into the twin palms
July 30, 2015 12:19 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBJess and Trish review "How to Get into the Twin Palms" by Karolina Waclawiak. They discuss burning down LA, the painful awkwardness of acting like a 15 year old when in your late twenties, and that you cannot realistically dye your hair red if you have just previously dyed in black. Next month they read "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon as recommended by listener @FittenTrim on Twitter. (Musical Credit: 50 Pieces by Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire)
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
June 30, 2015 01:17 - 1 hour - 28 MBJess and Trish discuss the pleasures of reading under the covers as a child when you were supposed to be asleep. They then asses "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" by discussing mice being turned into potions for madness, book hoarding, anxiety rashes, and exceptional character development. Next month's book, "How to Get into the Twin Palms" by Karolina Waclawiak. (Musical Credit: The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas)
A Fine Balance
May 30, 2015 22:26 - 1 hour - 29.8 MBThis month we try to fit 603 pages of indian sorrow into an hour-long podcast. It's a miracle, but we did it. Buckle up for the insane levels of poverty, human cruelty, and misfortune that befall these characters. Next month we read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Oh right, and check out our new . (Musical Credit: Invocation by Shpongle)
Blindness
April 30, 2015 01:45 - 1 hour - 28.3 MBTrish and Jess identify books they will own but will never read, sometimes because they have squishy hearts and sometimes because they hate history. Trish knows someone who gotten broken up with because they read "Ulysses" too much, Jess is unsympathetic to suddenly blinded charachters because Daredevil is so badass, and a talking dog scolds other dogs all while assessing this month's book, "Blindness." Next month: "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry. (Musical Credit: I can see clearly now b...
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
March 26, 2015 00:19 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBWhile assessing "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan, Trish and Jess discuss hypothetical hedgehog names that have come from the deep truth of dreams, Mr. Penumbra is weighed against Dumbledore, and the economic value of animating boobs are all discussed in this month's episode. Next month's book: "Blindness" by Jose Saramago. (Musical Credit: Princes of the Universe by Queen)
Gone Girl
February 21, 2015 21:56 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBThis month we talk about Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. One of the 40% of books Trish actually likes! Who does or does not get murdered is discussed, but more importantly, are there any characters in this book that deserve our affection? Your hosts are of different opinions. Next month: Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore by Robin Sloan. (Musical Credit: She's Leaving Home by The Easy Star All-Stars)
The Garden of Evening Mists
January 26, 2015 15:32 - 33.2 MBThis month we bring you a discussion on The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. Next month we discuss Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. (Musical Credit: Confluence by John Williams)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
January 01, 2015 01:09 - 42.5 MBWe close 2014 with Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt. Next month we read The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng. (Musical Credit: Georgia on my mind by Ray Charles)
The Sparrow
November 25, 2014 17:50 - 47.5 MBThis month, Trish and Jess talk about "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. We learn that Trish doesn't care about space potatoes, there's all kinds of sexual tension, and Jess just wants Tim Gunn to be happy. Next month is "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt. (Musical Credit: Paer Natus Est Nobis Et Filius Datus Est Nobis by Benedictine Monks Of Santo Domingo De Silos)
Horns
October 27, 2014 23:54 - 43.7 MBIn the premiere episode, Trish and Jess face off in "Judge a Book by its Title" before assessing their first book choice: "Horns" by Joe Hill. Discussion wraps up with their top 5 lists of horror novels. Next month: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. (Musical Credit: Devil with the Blue Dress On by Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels)