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 July Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar My Friends by Hisham Matar Ghostroots by ‘Pemi Aguda Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad by Damilare Kuku James...

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 Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance by Kellie Carter Jackson The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn  

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 episode: Kareem Between - Sharifa Saltagi Safadi The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky - Josh Galarza The Unboxing of a Black Girl - ...

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 by Ruby Dixon Baking By Feel by Becca Rea-Tucker Private Rites by Julia Armfield A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen  

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 media use and online communication as it relates to the consumption of political information.   Join our online community to be a part of the...

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 Experience and Allyship (0:22) We’re heading into November, where our book club theme is Trans Voices and our non-fiction book is The T in LGBT....

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 that Recharges Your Heart (0:22) Mariquita reviews Lyndsay Rush’s debut book of poetry, A Bit Much, and discusses why everyone needs to have a...

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 Girls Hiking had on her. Finally, Ashley chats with Jayne Allen, author of The Most Wonderful Time, a holiday romcom with depth.   Bite-Sized...

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/Resources Mentioned One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin The Color of Law by Richard...

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 mentioned: Miami Dolphins star Jaelan Phillips: Let’s not stigmatize vulnerability from men   Support this episode’s hosts Follow Ashley:...

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 of heart.    Support this episode’s hosts Follow Sam: Twitter // Instagram  Follow Mariquita: Instagram  Follow Ashley: Instagram //...

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 in the Caribbean in her new book Passiontide.    It’s Not Hysteria: A Review (0:21) Nox discusses It’s Not Hysteria by Karen Tang, an important...

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 Led Summer Blockbuster (0:21) Ashley shares her thoughts on the film Twisters, which amplifies women in STEM and a female-centered story, plus...

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 episode and that just feels right.   We Like to Feel Grimy: Books That Gross Us Out (0:22) Join Rah and Mariquita as they dive into the books...

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 Rachel Kushner, reviewed by Sam  (11:45) The Coven by Harper L. Woods, reviewed by Mhairie (15:30) (Trigger warnings: dubious consent,...

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 impression on her. From C-PTSD to depression, from sociopathy to anxiety, this segment covers a lot of ground.   You Will Make Mistakes:...

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 traditionally-published romance novel by a Native author featuring Native characters, we spotlight why #OwnVoices is more than just a hashtag.   Renee’s...

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 thinking about the kinds of entertainment media that makes us all who we are.   Made For You – AI Women and The Bachelor (0:21) Jordy sits down to...

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 Mentioned: The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning by Samhita Mukhopadhyay Having It All by Helen Gurley Brown Phillip Cardi’s interview...

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-fiction.    The One with the (Un)Likable Female Character with Katy Brent (0:21) Do we need to like our main characters or can we just accept that...

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 Eisenberg, with themes of love, grief, queerness, embodiment, and so much more.   More Poly Rom-Coms Please: Discussing Triple Sec with TJ...

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 discuss their experience watching the new film Furiosa: A Mad Max Story.   Summer Heat: An Interview with Defne Sumner (1:03) One of our book club...

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 artist when they actively harm the people we love. Queerly Beloved - Sapphic Stories to Light Up Your Pride Month (1:47) Happy Pride...