Feminist Book Club: The Podcast

Marlena is joined by Dr. Kenesma D. John to talk about her novel Hair Diaries: My Hair Evolution, a reflective and visually rich exploration of hair, identity, and Black girlhood. In this spoiler-free conversation, they discuss what inspired John to use hair as the lens for the story, the blend of autobiography and fiction, and her choice to tell Charisma's journey through reflections and illustrated images. Together, they unpack how hair becomes deeply emotional and political, touching on colorism, community, and intergenerational exchange.      Books mentioned: Hair Diaries: My Hair Evolution by Kenesma D. John, Ph.D.     Support and follow our host and guest! Follow Dr. Kenesma D. John: Instagram // Website  Follow Marlena: Instagram // Blog     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.

MINI POD! In this quick episode, Casey talks about three non-fiction books which have been helpful in her resistance, and maybe helpful to yours! Covering police abolition, disability justice, and eloquent ways to textually fight back when cornered by a hate-spewing Christian Nationalist. Books mentioned: We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice by Mariame Kaba   Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba     Care-Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha    Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds  by John Fugelsang        Support and follow our host!  Follow Casey: 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.

Have you seen the trend of "going analogue" taking over social media lately? From ditching smartphones to rediscovering film cameras, paper planners, and offline hobbies, it's popping up everywhere—and it's clearly striking a nerve. Mhairie and Nox wanted to dig into this shift a little more deeply to understand what "going analogue" really means, where it came from, and why so many people are drawn to it right now.   Book and resources mentioned: 75 booked Emily Paige This story ain't over: insta // youtube Anti brain rot reading challenge The analog life project Stationery articleHobonichi Japan (explanation of types)      Support and follow our hosts! Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bookstagram 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.

MINI POD! In this quick episode, Jordy shares why she loves The Glass Scientists trilogy by S. H. Cotugno, a gothic graphic novel series where so-called monsters challenge the rigid systems built to control them. Through mad science, queer selfhood, and breathtaking art, this episode explores who gets labeled dangerous, who gets erased, and what happens when marginalized people refuse to stay hidden and start cracking institutions from the inside out. Books mentioned: The Glass Scientists, Volume 1 by S. H. Cotugno The Glass Scientists, Volume 2 by S. H. Cotugno The Glass Scientists, Volume 3 by S. H. Cotugno   Support and follow our host!  Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co   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.

Our contributors teamed up to tell one another about their favorite books of the year. Renee and Nox round out this podcast series with their cozy, feel-good favorites. If you need a book that's like a warm hug (and who doesn't right now?), tune in!     Book and resources mentioned: Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton The Baby Dragon Cafe by AT Qureshi Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis What Happened to Belen? by Ana Elena Correa The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez     Support and follow our hosts! Follow Renee: Instagram // The StoryGraph 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.  

MINI POD! Jordy and Renee discuss their creative obsession: junk journaling! They chat about the origins of the junk journal and how they adapt this creative activity to suit their needs. This is a two-part series. See more spreads and the video of this conversation in our Mighty Network community!   Resources mentioned: Jessica Swift's online retreats Skillshare Buy Nothing PangoBooks Art Scraps   Support and follow our hosts!  Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co Follow Renee: Instagram // The StoryGraph   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.

Our contributors have teamed up to tell one another about their favorite books of the year over the next couple of weeks! Casey and UyenThi come together to discuss their top 5 reads of 2025. From memoirs, to romance, to translated fiction, to dark academia, these are the stories we read in 2025 that we feel need to be on everyone's TBR.    Book and resources mentioned: James by Percival Everett The Simple Art of Killing a Woman by Patricia Melo Feeding Ghosts by Tessa HullHijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan The Night Eaters by Marjorie Liu Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor #PouredOver interview with Nnedi Okorafor  I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Katabasis by R. F. Kuang I'll Tell You When I'm Home: A Memoir by Hala Alyan Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros     Support and follow our hosts! Follow Casey: Instagram Follow UyenThi: utranmyhre.com    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.  

As access to abortion is being increasingly restricted, trustworthy resources for abortion care and loving someone through an abortion can be difficult to find. Becca Rea-Tucker has written the go-to manual for just that. Whether you're considering an abortion for yourself or know someone who might need support, The Abortion Companion should be on every feminist's bookshelf.    *Join us for a community-wide online Q&A with Becca on January 25, 2026. Your first week in our community is free, sliding scale available: Join the FBC community!     Book and resources mentioned: The Abortion Companion by Becca Rea-Tucker Baking by Feel by Becca Rea-Tucker Relinquished by Gretchen Sisson Baking the Resistance with Our Favorite Sweet Feminists (Becca's previous appearance on the pod!) Find abortion resources: ineedana.com National Network of Abortion Funds See Becca on her book tour!       Support and follow our hosts! Follow Renee: Instagram // The StoryGraph Follow Becca Rea-Tucker: Instagram // Substack    

Our contributors have teamed up to tell one another about their favorite books of the year over the next couple of weeks! In this episode, Mariquita and Jordy reflect on their favorite books of 2025, celebrating stories that lingered long after the final page. From fierce heroines and sharp social commentary to swoony romance and dark intrigue, they unpack the reads that made them feel, think, and stay up way too late turning pages.      Book and resources mentioned: Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson  Silver Elite by Dani Francis  Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver  This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman  Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas  The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma  The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith  A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon  Minor Detail by Adania Shibli  Play Nice by Rachel Harrison  How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina Swamidoss McConigley  The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas  Bad Cree by Jessica Johns  All We Want is Everything by Soraya Chemaly   Unbearable: The Perils of Pregnancy in America by Irin Carmon    Podcasts referenced:   Unbearable: A Discussion with Irin Carmon on Pregnancy in America  Bread and Roses (The Rose Bargain)  Thrills & Chills (Tourist Season)  Damsel? Never heard of her (This Princess Kills Monsters)        Support and follow our hosts! Follow Mariquita: Instagram // Threads // Storygraph // Bluesky Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co    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.

Our contributors have teamed up to tell one another about their favorite books of the year over the next couple of weeks! First up, Shoshana and Mhairie share a spoiler free gush session of their favorite books of 2025. This conversation includes books from every genre and format, a sure bet to please these long winter nights. Take care of yourself, friends, be sure to check the content warnings before reading.      Book and resources mentioned: Shoshana's Books  5. He's to Die For by Erin Dunn  4. The Black Gods Drums by P Djeli Clark  3. ZomRomCom by Olivia Dade  2. I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming  1. A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna     Mhairie's Books  5. The Book of Witching by C J Cooke  4. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent  3. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  2.  What Hunger by Catherine Dang  1. Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett    Bonus Books from Shoshana:  Check Please # 1 and Check Please #2 by Ngozi Ukazu   The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe  Faking It: the Lies Women Tell about Sex--And the Truths They Reveal by Lux Alptraum  Alchemised by SenLinYu   A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett  Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen  Looking for Group by Alexis Hall    Bonus Books from Mhairie:  Blood Relay by Devon Mihesuah - Publishes 2026  Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones  The rest of the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett (Encyclopedia of Faeries and Map of the Otherlands)  The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean by Susan Casey (read in 2024 but I have bought this as a gift no less than 3 times and keep recommending it. Def my top non fiction of the last couple years. Hella interesting.)      Support and follow our hosts! Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky  Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky // Storygraph   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.

New to fanfic? Not sure where to start or whether you even should? We got you! In this episode, Jordy, Mhairie, and Shoshana explore the world of fanfiction, its fandom roots, its role in uplifting marginalized voices, and why it remains a powerful feminist space. They also dig into the ethical complications of engaging with fanworks inspired by harmful or problematic creators. Together, they unpack how fanfiction becomes a site of creativity, community, and cultural resistance.        Book and resources mentioned: Alchemised Discussion in the Feminist Book Club community Alchemised by SenLinYu  Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  Article on fandom culture - https://www.teenvogue.com/story/2021-year-in-fandom   https://archiveofourown.org/   AO3 Diversity statement - https://archiveofourown.org/diversity   AO3 FAQ on tagging - https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tags?language_id=en   Article of the brief history of LGBTQIA+ fanfiction - https://www.themarysue.com/first-published-slash-fanfiction/     TV Shows Mentioned  Stargate SG - 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate   Star Trek - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek   Teen Wolf - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_Wolf_(2011_TV_series)   The Night Agent - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Agent       Support and follow our hosts! Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co  Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky  Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky // Storygraph   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.  

MINI POD! Jordy dives into two books: A Beautiful and Terrible Murder and Dream by the Shadows. Both books follow women who refuse to be silenced by corrupt institutions. From Oxford's secretive halls to a dream-haunted kingdom, these stories are full of clever rebellion, dark intrigue, and empowered women.   Books mentioned: A Beautiful and Terrible Murder by Claire M. Andrews Dream by the Shadows by Logan Karlie   Support and follow our host!  Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co   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.

Mariquita, Jordy, and Nox get together to explain the controversies around Emerald Fennell's adaptation of Wuthering Heights, weigh in on whether they think the uproar is valid (spoiler: they do!), and provide their opinions on just how romantic literature's first romance book really is. CW: intimate partner violence, child abuse, animal abuse, sexual assault, generational trauma, maternal mortality, child abandonment.     Books mentioned: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte   Support and follow our hosts! Follow Mariquita: Instagram // Threads // Storygraph // Bluesky Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok 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.  

MINI POD! Jordy dives into the magic of holiday romances and the tradition of finding "home" in books. From friends-swapping vacations to chaotic family gatherings and second-chance love, this episode explores how these festive reads bring comfort, joy, and cheer to even the loneliest holiday season.   Books mentioned: The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay Most Wonderful by Georgia Clark A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams   Support and follow our host!  Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co   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.

Not every book we read will skyrocket to the top of our lists. Casey, Jordy, and Nox discuss this and more regarding Cleopatra's story in I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomon. Nox DNF'd it, and Jordy and Casey felt it left the reader wanting more, especially regarding Cleopatra's power and influence. All three agree that Solomon's prose is lush and worth reading, though! Light (yet hilarious) spoilers when Jordy reveals gasp Caesar dies.   Books mentioned: I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomon Cleopatra by Saara El-Afiri The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra VII by Kristiana Gregory (book on CD linked, but check your library!) Cleopatra: A Life by Sarah Schiff   Support and follow our hosts! Follow Casey: Instagram Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok 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.  

  MINI POD! Nox discusses two instances of disrespect towards powerful Mexican women in recent news: The treatment of Fatima Bosch (Miss Mexico) by the Miss Universe executive director, and the public groping of Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the current President of Mexico. Nox digs into these stories and the importance of women working together/   Books mentioned: Liliana's Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza What Happened to Belen by Ana Elena Correa     Support and follow our host!  Follow Nox: Instagram // Substack // 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 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 not joking when we say this one is required listening. Mariquita talks with author and activist Soraya Chemaly about her latest book, All We Want is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy. Soraya explains how male supremacy is the structure upon which all of our systems are built, whether they be close to home or on a global scale. Together, Soraya and Mariquita give suggestions for how to create a different environment and patterns of behavior both individually and collectively and emphasize that the work of educating men on the burdens and breadth of male supremacy is not the onus of women but is the responsibility of men.   Soraya's books: All We Want is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth After Trauma     Support and follow our guest and host!  Follow Soraya Chemaly: Instagram // Threads // Website  Follow Mariquita: Instagram // Threads // StoryGraph 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.  

Mariquita talks with Jen Percy about her recent book, Girls Play Dead: Acts of Self-Preservation. Based on her article, What People Misunderstand About Rape, Girls Play Dead expands the conversation about the myriad responses to sexual assault and rape, weaving in personal stories and historical context. Their conversation covers the common reactions of tonic and collapsed immobility, evolutionary ways humans have evolved to survive trauma, and how colonialism and individualism can stymy recovery for some survivors who instead would benefit from collectivism and community care. CW: Sexual assault, sexual abuse, rape, child abuse, chronic illness, addiction, medical malfeasance   Support and follow our guest and host!  Follow Jen Percy: Instagram // Facebook // Website Follow Mariquita: Instagram // Threads // StoryGraph 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.  

MINI POD! Jordy dives into the worlds of Lyla Sage, where small towns meet big emotions, and love is both fierce and tender. This episode explores how Sage's stories remind us that feminism can hold grace and grit in equal measure, and that choosing yourself can be the bravest kind of love story.    Books by Lyla Sage mentioned: Done and Dusted   Swift and Saddled  Lost and Lassoed  Wild and Wrangled  Soul Searching      Support and follow our host!  Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co @jordymac   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.  

Join Jordy and Nox as they dive into Sister Wife, the new memoir from TLC's Sister Wives star Christine Brown Wooley. What begins as a story about reality TV and polygamy transforms into a conversation about faith, autonomy, and liberation. Together they unpack Christine's courageous decision to leave not only her marriage but an entire belief system, and what it means to reclaim your story.    Support and follow our hosts!  Follow Jordy: Instagram // Bookworm Reads // Pagebound.co @jordymac 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 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.