Our contributors have paired up to tell one another about their favorite books of the year so far. You’ll hear these segments over the next few weeks! Today, Renee and Yasi share their top five of 2025. Then Ashley reflects on this year’s Met Gala, the inspiration behind it, and why it matters.

Renee and Yasi’s Favorite Books of the Year (so far) (0:21)

Renee and Yasi share their favorite books they’ve read so far this year, from off-beat contemporary fiction to memoirs of women in tech. You’ll want to get your TBRs ready for this segment!

A Bookmark in Fashion: Literature and This Year’s Met Gala  (21:42)

Ashley discusses the book Slaves to Fashion by Monica L. Miller, which inspired this year’s Met Gala theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. She also talks about modern dandies, ways in which literature has inspired Met Gala themes, and better thoughtfulness on criticism of the outfits.  

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Drag Queen

I’m Not Done with You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener

Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis

Adult’s Play: The Upsides of Growing Up by Yasi Agah

Slaves to Fashion by Monica L. Miller

Support and follow our hosts!

Follow Renee: Instagram // The StoryGraph

Follow Yasi: Instagram // Website // Adult’s Play by Yasi Agah

Follow Ashley: Instagram

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

The International Booker Prize celebrates translated literature from across the world that have been published in the UK or Ireland in the last year. In this episode, Mhairie and Nox split the six shortlisted titles, read them, and share their thoughts with one another. If reading more translated lit is on your bookish bucket list, get your TBRs ready!

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

The International Booker Prize

Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico

Heartlamp by Banu Mushtaq

Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix

A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre

On the Calculation of Volume: Book 1 by Solvej Balle

Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

Also translated by Sophie Hughes:

The Remainder by Alia Trabucco Zerán

Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor

Support and follow our hosts!

Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky 

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

The Amazing Race. Cooking competitions. Bachelor Nation. We touch on a little bit of everything in this episode! Nox, Rah, and Shoshana discuss reality TV’s impact on society, considering questions such as what draws viewers to reality TV? What are the ramifications (positive and negative) to the dominance of reality TV? What is the relationship between viewing reality TV and empathy? Join us on a deep dive into the world of unscripted television.  

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

Cue the Rising Sun! By Emily Nussbaum 

True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us by Danielle J Lindemann 

Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV by Jennifer L. Pozner  

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley 

Being Jazz by Jazz Jennings 

Miss Me with That by Rachel Lindsey 

Real Love by Rachel Lindsey  

How to Win the Bachelor by Chad Kultgen and Lizzy Pace 

Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Podcast 

Reality TV Has Reshaped Our World, Whether We Like It or Not by Judy Berman - Time Magazine Article  

Support and follow our guest and host! 

Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky 

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads // YouTube 

Follow Rah: Storygraph // Instagram // TikTok 

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

We’re chatting about Black wealth, Black joy, and happy Black endings in today’s episode. Tune in to hear Ashley discuss why she loves the soap opera Beyond the Gates, then stick around for Jordy and Mhairie’s discussion of Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron, a Black, queer retelling of Cinderella.

Beyond the Gates: Wealth and Escapism (0:22)

Ashley talks about “Beyond the Gates”, a soap opera about a wealthy Black family in Maryland. She talks about how escapism has a bigger purpose. She also talks about wealth onscreen despite the mostly disdain for it in real life. .

Cinderella Is Dead: Book Bans and Bold Stories (05:34)

Join FBC contributors Jordy and Mhairie as they dive into the banning of Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron and what it reveals about the power of diverse storytelling. They discuss why books with LGBTQ+ representation and feminist themes are frequently challenged and how this connects to the broader attacks on libraries, education, and free expression. If you’re passionate about fighting book bans and protecting inclusive stories, this conversation is for you! 

Books and Resources Mentioned:

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap by Mehrsa Baradaran

A Silver Lining for HBCUs in Affirmative Actions’ Demise from Insider Higher Ed

Black wealth is increasing, but so is the racial wealth gap from Brookings

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

ALA statement on White House assault on the Institute of Museum and Library Services from the American Library Association (ALA) 

Tracking the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Libraries from American Libraries Magazine 

Trump’s Attack on the Department of Education Explained from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 

How Dismantling the Department of Education Would Harm Students from National Education Association (NEA) 

Learn more about book bans and take action from PEN America  

Support this episode’s host and guest:

Follow Ashley: Instagram

Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok

Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky 

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

Sometimes we just wanna gush about the things we love. For Renee and Margot, it’s hardboiled fiction. For Ashley and Nox, it’s Lady Gaga’s new album. Tune in for two conversations around why we love the things we love.

What Is Hardboiled Fiction? with Margot Douihy (0:23)

Renee has been reading a lot of books described as “hardboiled” but what does that actually mean? Thank goodness author Margo Douihy is a friend of FBC, because she’s a literal expert on this topic. Margot shares some of the hallmarks of hardboiled fiction, some suggestions for authors queering the genre, and some examples of popular hardboiled media that you may not have realized is hardboiled.

The Measures of MAYHEM (21:47)

Lady Gaga’s latest album Mayhem released on March 7, 2025 and that’s all Ashley and Nox have been listening to. In this conversation, they share their favorite songs from the album and discuss their admiration for the promotion surrounding the release, plus some thoughts on the impact of fandoms on mental health.

Books and Resources Mentioned:

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy

Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy

The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler

The Woman in White by Wilkie White

Sara Peretsky’s V.I. Warshawski series

Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone series

Cheryl A. Head’s Charlie Mack series

Lev AC Rosen’s Evander Mills series

Ellen Hart’s Jane Lawless series

Brokeback Mountain by Anne Proulx

Further reading on the FBC Blog: 

The Necessity of Music Videos

When Fans Push Back Against Celebrity Boundaries

Support this episode’s host and guest:

Follow Renee: Instagram // The StoryGraph

Follow Margot Douaihy: Website // Instagram

Follow Ashley: Instagram

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

Dive into the enchanting and eerie world of selkies, sirens, and mermaids with author and literary agent Rachel Ekstrom Courage and FBC contributor, Jordy! In this episode, we explore the origins of these mythical women, their ties to patriarchal narratives, and why their stories continue to captivate us today. Jordy also shares some mermaid and siren inspired novels that are on her TBR (to be read) list. If you love folklore, feminist retellings, and unraveling the mysteries of the deep, this conversation is for you!

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

Nothing Bad Happens Here by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

The Selkie Girl by Janis MacKay

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

In the Veins of Drowning by Kalie Cassidy

Support this episode’s host and guest:

Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok

Follow Rachel Ekstrom Courage: Website // Substack // Instragram

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

The unhinged woman trope is undoubtedly one of our favorites, but what kind of woman gets to be unhinged and who gets a redemption arc? In this episode, Mariquita and Mhairie tackle those questions in a discussion about All of the Other Mothers Hate Me, then Yasi and Nox discuss two memoirs from former Playboy bunnies.

All the Other Mothers Hate Me (0:21)

Mariquita and Mhairie discuss the debut novel All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman and just why it is that we love the trope of the unhinged woman, generally, and the bad mommy, more specifically. As they talk, they look at who gets to claim these tropes, who doesn’t, and who doesn't even get to be seen in the first place.

Playboy Bunny Memoirs: Life Behind the Ears  (23:52)

Yasi and Nox dive into the memoirs Down the Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison and Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner. In this conversation, they discuss both authors' personal experiences and struggles during their time in the Playboy empire, exploring the darker side of fame, identity, and self-discovery. 

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny by Holly Madison 

Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself by Crystal Hefner  

Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails, and Getting My Sexy Back by Kendra Wilkinson 

Support this episode’s hosts:

Follow Mariquita: Instagram // Threads

Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky 

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads // YouTube Follow Yasi: Instagram // Website 

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by Amarissa

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

Get those TBRs ready because we’re about to melt your library card. In this episode, romance lovers will hear Jordy’s review of the new Ali Hazelwood novel, Deep End. Then stick around for Shoshana’s podcast debut as she chats with Nox about this year’s Audie Award winners. Stick around for some excellent insight into the audiobook industry as a whole.

Diving into the Deep End (0:23)

Jordy dives into Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, a gripping romance set in the high-stakes world of competitive diving. From sizzling chemistry to raw emotional depth, we explore Scarlett and Lukas’s journey of ambition, healing, and unexpected love.  

30th Annual Audie Awards - The Good, The Bad, and The Hopeful?  (5:38)

Shoshana and Nox, both avid audiobook listeners, chat about the 30th Annual Audies, National Audiobook Awards, held March 4th, 2025. In this spoiler-free conversation, they share some of their opinions about the winning titles, some stark demographics of the winners, and the changing landscape of the audiobook industry. 

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood 

Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood 

Mate by Ali Hazelwood 

Libro.FM 2025 Audie Award Finalists Playlist - list of finalists available for purchase 

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand  

The Sing Sing Files: One Journalist, Six Innocent Men, and a Twenty-Year Fight for Justice by Dan Slepian 

George Orwell’s 1984 Adapted by Joe White Performed by Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, full cast - Audible exclusive 🙁 

This Could by Us by Kennedy Ryan 

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells 

System Collapse by Martha Wells 

Homebody by Theo Parish 

Flamboyants by George M. Johnson 

Black Star by Kwame Alexander 

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu 

You Like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King 

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell 

Candy Darling by Cynthia Carr 

Coming Home by Brittney Griner and Michelle Burford - Audible exclusive 🙁 

The Women by Kristin Hannah  

Finding Me by Viola Davis 

Unprotected: A Memoir by Bill Porter  

Tough by Terry Crews  

On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera 

2025 Audie Awards Winners - full list of finalists and winners by category  

Audie Awards Past Winners - full list of winners from 1996 onwards 

AAP December 2024 StatShot Report - includes the year to date numbers 

Support this episode’s hosts:

Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok

Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky 

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads // YouTube 

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by @iam.onyxrose

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

Mhairie and Nox, both avid e-reader users, talk about what devices they use and their storied problems with the Kindle Fire breaking down. If you’re looking to get out of the Amazon ecosystem, Mhairie raves about her new Kobo e-reader, and Nox talks about using the Kindle app on devices that aren’t a Kindle. They also talk about refurbished and second-hand options for sustainability and affordability! 

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

Episode Thirteen by Craig Dilouie 

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley 

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao 

Unclaimed Baggage - where Kindles from unclaimed baggage are posted 

Queens Library - for $50, non New York residents can purchase a Queen Library e-card 

LA Public Library - for $50, you can purchase an LA Public Library card even if you don’t live in California, but you have to go to the library in person to get it initially 

Support this episode’s hosts:

Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky 

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads 

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by @iam.onyxrose

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

Mhairie and Nox both LOVE the library, and in this segment, they’re talking about how much they love libraries and audiobooks. Nox gushes about a program with her local library that delivers books to her because of her disabilities while Mhairie shares all of the things libraries can do besides sharing books. The two also talk about the accessibility that audiobooks provide, and how supporting your library is a (free!!) form of resistance. 

Books/Resources Mentioned: 

Queens Library - for $50, non New York residents can purchase a Queen Library e-card 

LA Public Library - for $50, you can purchase an LA Public Library card even if you don’t live in California, but you have to go to the library in person to get it initially 

Poyums by Len Pennie 

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones 

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters 

Falling Back in Love With Being Human by Kai Cheng Thom 

Support this episode’s hosts:

Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads

Follow Mhairie: Instagram // TikTok

Get our weekly round-up of blog and podcast content delivered directly to your inbox every Friday here.

Check out our online community here! 

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the ancestral land of the Dakota people.

Original music by @iam.onyxrose

Learn more about Feminist Book Club on our website, sign up for our emails, shop our Bookshop.org recommendations, and follow us on Instagram, BlueSky, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.