Books about Animals

About this episode

The episode features book recommendations centered around animals as part of the 2026 Reading Challenge.

Have you ever been surprised by how powerful a story about an animal can be? In this episode, we’re sharing book recommendations for the “books about animals” category of our 2026 Reading Challenge. We start with a quick bookish check-in: Ashley is reading Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon ( Bookshop . org | Libro . fm ), and Jen is listening to With Love from Harlem by ReShonda Tate ( Bookshop . org | Libro . fm ). Then we each share a featured recommendation: Ashley highlights Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures ( Bookshop . org | Libro . fm ), and Jen recommends The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tania James ( Bookshop . org ), two very different but equally compelling stories where animals play a central role. We wrap up with a Lit Chat about books that have inspired us in real life. Whether you’re checking off a challenge category or just looking for a great read, we hope you’ll join us for 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. Want to support Unabridged? The number 1 way to support us is by purchasing Bookshop.org…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ashley Dickson-Ellison, Jen Moyers

Topics covered

• books about animals
• reading challenge
• book recommendations
• literature
• animal stories

Keywords

• animal stories
• book recommendations
• reading challenge
• literature
• Pugs and Kisses
• Remarkably Bright Creatures
• The Tusk That Did the Damage

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Pugs and Kisses, With Love from Harlem, Remarkably Bright Creatures, The Tusk That Did the Damage

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