Feminist Book Club: The Podcast

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.

The title of this episode is a nod to the Bread and Roses strike at textile mill in 1912, where women banded together to demand bread aka money as well as roses aka art and beauty. In a time where working conditions were abysmal, the strike and poem/song of the same name were a rallying cry for decent wages and better conditions. Your podcast producer Renee was reminded of this when she was putting these segments together. While we’re not discussing the early 20th century labor movement today, we are discussing finances, art, and power.    Roses and Reckoning Jordy explores The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith, a Victorian-inspired romantasy filled with fae bargains, glittering balls, and cutthroat trials. From the enchanting world-building to themes of power, sisterhood, and resilience, we’re diving into what made this tale so compelling    Women Who Define Their Worth What do sex work, banks, and women’s basketball have in common? Ashley answers that question in this discussion of women defining their own worth. Tune in to hear her review two books and introduce a new basketball league to women’s sports fans.   Books/Resources Mentioned:  The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith Soft Core by Brittany Newell Give Her Some Credit by Grace L. Williams Unrivaled Basketball League Support this episode’s host and guest: Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok Follow Ashley: Instagram   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, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.  

With the current administration actively trying to whitewash Black History Month, Nox and Ashley sat down to share their Black history recommendations. They provide books, authors, and movies for various age ranges and topics in Black history, as well as a reminder to celebrate and uplift Black history all year round, not just in February. Content warnings: This episode and the recommendations in it discuss racism, murder, and police brutality, specifically regarding Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and Emmett Till, as well as the LA Riots in 1992 and the Tulsa Race Massacre.   Books/Resources Mentioned:  My Black Country by Alice Randall The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed Forty Acres by Dwayne Alexander Smith Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert The Barn by Wright Thompson  The Compton Cowboys by Walter Thompson-Hernandez A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams  The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown The Girl in the Lake by India Hill Brown Girl from the Ashes by India Hill Brown The Fire Inside (movie) One of them Days (movie) The Piano Lesson (movie) Rob Peace (movie) Beverly Jenkins: A Romance Revolutionary - Feminist Book Club Beverly Jenkins: Teaching Black History Through Romance - Readin' Magazine Discover Our Glory with @rachel.cargle - an annual BHM learning series curated by Rachel Cargle The Loveland Foundation - a foundation to connect Black women and girls with therapy Therapy for Black Girls - mental health resources for Black women and girls LA Fires: The Impacted Black Community Urgently Needs Help! - Go Fund Me - collecting funds for Altadena’s Black community that were impacted by the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles     Support this episode’s host and guest: Follow Nox: Instagram // TikTok // Threads Follow Ashley: Instagram   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, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.

In this episode, Jordy and Nox dive deep into Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley, a dark romantasy brimming with Fae politics, perilous trials, and a fierce rebellion against a sadistic faerie king. From the brutal magic of the underground Fae realm to Kenna Heron’s journey of courage, resilience, and unexpected love, we’re exploring what makes this tale both gripping and unforgettable. *some spoilers mentioned*  Books/Resources Mentioned:  Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley  A Witch’s Guide to Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley  A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley  Lightlark by Alex Aster  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas  Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J Tuli  The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones    Support this episode’s host and guest: Follow Jordy: Instagram // TikTok Follow Nox: Instagram // Twitter    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, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest.