Books matter, even the weird ones. This episode kicks off with some of Sally’s favorite “WTF” books so get your TBRs ready. Then Ashley and Jordy share their thoughts on the genre-bending novel Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris. Finally, Nox discusses the importance of books and why book bans are terrible for everyone and stick around for some exce…

Curious about the National Book Award finalists? Last week and this week, our team dived into the shortlists for the Young People’s Literature and Fiction titles. Today, Mariquita and Mhairie discuss the five shortlisted books in Fiction. The National Book Award winners will be announced tomorrow! Mentioned in this episode: All Fours by Miranda Jul…

Renee, Rah, and Sally reconvene to ask is doxxing justified?, plus Grammy takeaways, and what we're watching and reading. Want to see the video recording and put faces to names? We publish these the same day in the FBC Community! Join us here: https://feministbookclub.mn.co/ Books mentioned: The Disordered Cosmos by Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein We …

Curious about the National Book Award finalists? This week and next week, our team is diving into the shortlist for the Young People’s Literature and Fiction titles. Today, join Renee, Jordy, and Nox as they tell each other about the five nominees for Young People’s Literature and which title they think is going to win the award. Mentioned in this …

Join Renee, Rah, and Sally as they catch up and share how they're coping post-election, what they're baking, and how they're escaping Want to see the video recording and put faces to names? We publish these the same day in the FBC Community! Join us here: https://feministbookclub.mn.co/ Books Mentioned: American Rapture by CJ Leede Bull Moon Rising…

Mhairie speaks with Dr. Lauren Cagle, professor of rhetoric at the University of Kentucky, about the history of memes, their impact on culture, and particularly on prevalence of memes in the 2024 US Presidential election. They discuss the field of rhetoric more broadly, define the term “meme,” and investigate the generational differences in social …

Renee, Steph, Rah, and Sally share their unfiltered thoughts on Halloween candy, Woman of the Hour, Love is Blind, Agatha All Along, and what they're reading. Want to see the video recording and put faces to names? We publish these the same day in the FBC Community! Join us here: https://feministbookclub.mn.co/…

Is this real life? We are honored to be chatting with three amazing authors that we happen to admire so much! Sally chats with Jamie Raines and his wife Shaaba to discuss our November book of the month, The T in LGBT. Then Renee invites KJ Dell’Antonia back on the show to discuss the adaptation of her 2020 book The Chicken Sisters. The Trans Experi…

We’re in the final weeks until the election, so we thought we’d share a few books (and one documentary!) that brought a glimmer of hope to our hearts. Tune in for Mariquita’s review of A Bit Much, Sally’s review of The Inner Mountain, and Ashley’s discussion of the documentary Sacred Soil alongside the book Admissions. A Bit Much: Relishing Poetry …

We all know that books can help us escape the real world and they can also demonstrate how we might show up in the world as our whole selves. This episode celebrates both ends of this spectrum. Sally kicks us off with some of her favorite quick horror novellas, a perfect escape for this time of year. Then Nox tells us about the impact the book Fat …

Renee and Mariquita didn’t know what they were getting into when they decided to discuss the book One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon. Tune into this discussion for an overview of Yoon’s first adult novel, a thriller in the vein of The Stepford Wives, but stick around for Renee and Mariquita’s experience being humbled by Black readers’ reviews. Books/Re…

Ashley and Mariquita discuss the book Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture by Niobe Way. They touch on topics of masculinity, the crisis of connection, and ways in which boys can create better pathways towards mental wellness. You may also hear them pontificate on why childless cat ladies exist. Other resources mentione…

Join Sam, Mariquita, and Ashley for a roundtable discussion on one of our favorite books of the year, Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe. They discuss the themes of motherhood, sex work, addiction and recovery, as well as the narrative perspective of Margo herself. Don’t let the heavy topics fool you – this book is hilarious, warm, and full …

While we love a good fluffy book, there’s just something about diving deep into a specific subject. At FBC, we know we can do that through both fiction and non-fiction. In this episode, Nox shares a non-fiction book about reproductive health that opened her eyes to how much learning she has to do. Then Renee talks to Monique Roffey about femicide i…

It’s the week after Labor Day when it still feels like summer but we’re starting to get the itch for fall. So today’s episode celebrates this liminal space. First, Ashley shares her thoughts on summer blockbuster films led by women. Then Renee shares her five must-read BIPOC thriller authors and her favorite books by each one. Twisters: A Female Le…

We’re not sure what this episode says about us as a team, but we like gross shit and we look up to rebels. In the first segment, listen in as Rah and Mariquita tell one another about some books they love that just gave them the ick. Then stick around for Sam’s review of Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna. Somehow Kathy Acker is name dropped twice in this…

Sometimes our contributors just want to tell you about the delightful books they’ve read recently, so tune in for four book reviews on some recent releases. What’s in this episode: The Backtrack by Erin LaRosa, reviewed by Mariquita (0:21) Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve by Drew Afualo, reviewed by Renee (3:25) Creation Lake by …

Renee shares some of her favorite mental health memoirs and Mariquita interviews author Anamely Salgado Reyes, all in a search for the answer to an age-old question: Are we mad or is it just trauma? Renee’s Reading Corner: Mental Health Memoirs (0:21) Instead of a longer review of one book, Renee shares six mental health memoirs that made a last im…

The phrase “own voices” gets tossed around the bookish internet a lot, but have you ever paused to think about why it truly matters? Today’s podcast sheds light on the importance of reading stories told by the people within those communities. From the political crisis in the Philippines from an intrepid Filipino journalist to the first traditionall…

Get your TBRs ready because we’re discussing three books you won’t want to miss! Jordy reviews Made For You by Jenna Satterthwaite, Renee reviews All This and More by Peng Shepherd, and Mariquita sits down with Rachelle Bergstein to chat about her book The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us. This episode will have you th…

After trying – and failing – to lean in and girlboss our way to success, what comes next? Ashley and Sally chat with Samhita Mukhopadhyay (former executive editor for Teen Vogue) about what we can take away from those movements, how community is key to a workplace revolution, and insights from her book The Myth of Making It. Books and Resources Men…

Move over non-fiction, we’ve got three novels that tackle big social issues in today’s episode! From violence against women in Murder After the Night Before, racist property laws in What You Leave Behind, and climate change in Troubled Waters, today’s episode proves that fiction can teach us and inspire us just as well, if not better, than non-fict…

Pride Month may be over for 2024, but we’ll never stop reading and recommending queer lit! Especially when the books are as good as the two in this episode. First up, tune into Rah fanboi-ing all over TJ Alexander as they interview the author about their new book Triple Sec. Then join Mariquita and Sam in a discussion of Housemates by Emma Copley E…

We love supporting women’s righteous anger… and let’s be real, it feels really good to be angry from time to time. In this episode, join Kenesma as she speaks with Defne Suman about her new book Summer Heat and the themes of anger, reconciliation, and family during Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus. Then stay tuned to hear Ashley and Rah thoughtfully dis…

Pride Month is here and we've got our queerly beloveds on our minds. In this double header, you'll first hear Rah and Jordy discuss their favorite sapphic romances and why they love a good WLW love story. Then, Ashley and Mhairie tackle the question of whether we can ever separate a piece of art (such as a certain nostalgic magical series) from the…

We’re truly in the golden age of book adaptations but move over, Reese Witherspoon, Patricia Highsmith is the reigning queen. Tune in to listen to Renee, Ashley, and Mariquita thoughtfully and hilariously discuss the 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, as well as the 1999 film, and the new Netflix series. They compare and cont…

When Sally mentioned in our team Slack that she was considering reading the six books on the short list for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, Renee chimed in that she’d already read two of them. Like the true feminist nerds they are, they teamed up to read three each. In this podcast episode, Sally and Renee rank the six books and make a predictio…

Beach read season is upon us! There are lots of definitions of beach reads out there but to us, a good beach read is something that is smart, sexy, funny, and full of heart. Tune in to hear Jordy and Mariquita discuss This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune and then stick around for Renee’s review of The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. This Sum…

Today’s episode features two seemingly disparate segments with a lot in common. Alternate titles included Wisdom from the Windy City, Voices of Chicago Youth and Elders, Notes on Compassion, or something about absurdism and groundedness. Mariquita, Rah, and Renee discuss the new book Kittentits by Holly Wilson, then Ashley interviews Chaz Ebert abo…

Is anyone else just generally Going Through It? Here at Feminist Book Club, we all kind of feel like life is a lot at the moment. So today we’re here with some feminist brain candy to keep you company when the going gets rough. Renee shares some books she’s read recently, then Ashley and Rah discuss the new film Challengers. What to Read When Every…

We love to celebrate women who defy gender roles and today we’re celebrating two groups of fascinating women. First, Ashley gives an update on all the exciting happenings in women’s sports around the country. Then, Renee chats with Laura Carroll about her book A Special Sisterhood, a collection of profiles on women in history who chose not to have …

Here at FBC, we wanna diversify your bookshelf in all sorts of ways and we’re here to remind you that reading Black stories doesn’t just mean reading literary fiction about pain or suffering. Genre fiction, or popular fiction that falls into certain predictable categories, is full of incredible Black women writing at the tops of their games. In thi…

We believe good books help us feel a little less alone, whether that’s a book that reassures us that we’re not the only ones falling for logical fallacies or it’s a picturesque audiobook experience that complements the landscape around us. Join Renee for a review of The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell then stick around to hear Jordy d…

We’re big fans of getting uncomfortable with your reading life, whether that be reading about a topic that has been misunderstood for most of history or reading translated literature in a whole new format. In this episode, our contributors share two ways to get a little outside your comfort zone when it comes to reading. Reframing and Reclaiming: U…

If there’s one thing Feminist Book Club does well, it’s demonstrating how beautifully complex and multifaceted feminists are. In this episode, you’ll hear Ashley and Tayler’s thoughts on the juggernaut that is Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter (is it a country album?) and then you’ll learn a thing or two about how the government collects demographic data wit…

We're not saying Feminist Book Club is as culturally important to the Western world as The Golden Girls, but we're also not not saying that. In this episode, you’ll hear FBC founder Renee chat with Executive DIrector Sally about some of the struggles selecting our books of the month. Then you’ll hear Ashley review a little known Golden Girls spinof…

Today’s episode is all about feeling a part of something, whether that’s a family lineage or a community of gamers. We all want to feel like we belong to something more, and our contributors today take that feeling in two totally different (but somehow complementary?) directions. Intuition and Lineage with Chanel Cleeton (0:17) Ashley speaks with C…

Not every book is a slam dunk, but we’re going to discuss them anyways. However, when a book is good, it’s really good. In this two-part episode, you’ll hear Jordy, Mariquita, and Nox discuss a book that wasn’t quite their cup of tea as well as a glowing review from Renee of a recent release. Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan mini book club discussion (…

In this double feature, we’re sharing a moving author interview as well as a review of an important non-fiction book. Family Dynamics, Women’s Rage, and Korean-American Womanhood with Gina Chung (01:54) First up, Mariquita interviews author Gina Chung about her new collection of short stories, Green Frog. Along the way they discuss how women’s rage…

Do you love books? Do you love movies? Do you love to celebrate and/or complain about book-to-movie adaptations? This is the episode for you! In anticipation of the 96th Academy Awards, Sally watched all of the nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay… and then read all the books they were adapted from. She’ll never get those 60+ hours of her life back…

Four Graphic Novels for 2024 (0:22) Looking for a graphic novel to pick up? In this segment Rah shares four graphic novels that are making their way onto shelves in 2024. Recommended in this segment: Freshman Year by Sarah Mai Tender by Beth Hetland Full of Myself by Siobhán Gallagher Mothballs by Sole Otero Black Feminists Who Helped Me Unlearn My…

Tayler (she/her) sits down with Shayla Lawson (they/them), author of the new book How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir. Tune in as Shayla talks about Blackness as nonbinary, shares an argument for lowercasing the b in Black, and so much more on the African Diaspora. Get a copy of How to Live Free in a Dangerous World: A Decolo…

Tune in to this episode where Renee and Rah take a moment to reflect on a couple of reads that took them by surprise and earned a 5-star rating. Books Mentioned by Renee: Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel Books Mentioned by Rah: Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest To Hu…

Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of one of the biggest pop stars of our time. In this episode of Feminist Book Club: The Podcast, Renee, Sally, and Rah gather around to share their thoughts on the newly released memoir, 'The Woman in Me' by none other than Britney Spears! For those of us who grew up in the '90s, Britney Spears was an ic…

Renee shares a quick update on where our podcast has been, what's to come the next couple weeks, what to expect in the future. Contribute to our Co-Op Transition Fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/feministbookclub Beyond the Box: Our weekly round-up of blog and podcast content delivered directly to your inbox every Friday Check out our online co…

Join Mariquita, Mhairie, and Sam for a discussion about Isabel Cañas's genre-defying new release, Vampires of El Norte. Cañas's work seamlessly blends the chilling elements of horror, the tender allure of romance, and the rich tapestry of historical fiction into a single captivating narrative. In this episode, our hosts take a deep dive into this l…

In this episode of Feminist Book Club: The Podcast, Jordy sits down with Ali Hazelwood – romance author, Ph.D in neuroscience holder, and former professor to discuss women in STEM. Ali shares some of her trials and triumphs in the field and in academia and how that has influenced the women she writes about in her novels. Curious to find out what ST…

Welcome to another exciting episode of Feminist Book Club: The Podcast! In this thought-provoking installment, we're delving into two dynamic segments starting with a book review of The Quickening by Elizabeth Rush. Then stay tuned to listen in as Renee and Ashley ask themselves, “Can I be a feminist football fan?”. The Quickening: A Review (00:21)…

In this episode of Feminist Book Club: The Podcast, we have two segments that will have your TBR list flourishing with cozy mysteries and empowered women. First Renee chats with Mia P. Manasala about her recently released cozy mystery, Murder and Mamon. Then Ashley, Rah, and Mariquita sit down for a mini-book club discussion revolving around Killer…

Welcome to Feminist Book Club: The Podcast, where we explore media through a feminist lens. In this episode, we're diving into two diverse segments that promise an overview of Safe and Sound by Mercury Stardust and an analysis of the film Oppenheimer. A Renters-Friendly Guide to home repair: An Enthusiastic Overview Mhairie introduces you to a rent…