Feminist Book Club: The Podcast

It may be Swiftemonium out there, but we’re still thinking about Sabrina Carpenter. Nox and Ashley wrap up their two-part conversation on Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album, Man’s Best Friend. They dive into how the music itself compares with the album’s rollout, reflect on their favorite tracks, and unpack the growing trend of shorter songs in pop music. The conversation doesn’t stop with the music—they also bring in book recommendations that explore themes of music, playlists, and algorithms. Together, they consider how technology influences the way we listen, discover, and connect with art.   Books and Resources Mentioned:  Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly This is What it Sounds Like by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas  Part 1 of this conversation: Man’s Best Friend? Why Does Everything Sound Like an Audition Song for the Voice - Rolling Stone  Girl, all of these playlists? - Ashley’s Substack  The Necessity of Music Videos - Feminist Book Club       Support and follow our hosts!  Ashley’s Instagram I Substack  Nox’s Instagram I Substack I TikTok I 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 short episode, Jordy shares three fall reads that range from haunting suspense to dark romance and cozy mystery. Whether you’re craving a thriller, a morally gray serial killer love story, or a nostalgic whodunnit, this line-up has your fall TBR covered.   Books Mentioned:  Jackal by Erin E. Adams  Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver  Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver  Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage  Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn    TV shows mentioned:  Dexter  Only Murders in the Building  The Golden Girls    Movies mentioned:   Get Out  Mr. & Mrs. Smith    Resources:   Sirens, Selkies, and Mermaids, oh my! A discussion with Rachel Ekstrom Courage         Support and follow our host!  Follow Jordy: Bookworm Reads // 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.

This week we’re sailing into magical realms and creeping through gothic shadows! First up, Shoshana and Jordy gush about all things fantasy — what makes the genre so enchanting, why we can’t get enough, and a few favorite books to add to your TBR. Then Ashley chats with author Kathleen Kaufman about feminist gothic horror, the Scottish roots behind her novel The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey, and how women’s struggles past and present intertwine. Grab your headphones and let’s get fantastical! Books and Resources Mentioned:  The Lord of the Rings Series by J.R.R. Tolkien   Guilty Pleasures: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel by Laurell K. Hamilton  Lost (TV Series)   Dread Nation by Justina Ireland  Sourdough Or, Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market: A Novel by Robin Sloan  Happily Ever After for All podcast  Favorite Books of the Year Podcast  A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel  Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland (The Broken Blades series)  Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron  Enchantra by Kaylie Smith  Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper  River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey   That Time I got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming  A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna  Upon a Burning Throne by Ashok K. Banker   Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker  Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison  The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman     Support and follow our guest and hosts!  Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky  Follow Jordy: Bookworm Reads // Instagram   Follow Ashley: Instagram // Substack Follow Kathleen Kaufman: 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.

MINI POD! This short episode is a quick hit of memoirs by former and current women’s basketball players in celebration of the current WNBA Play-Offs. Books mentioned: They Better Call Me Sugar by Sugar Rodgers (cw: family death and incarceration) Catch a Star by Tamika Catchings Dear Black Girls by A’ja Wilson Love & Justice by Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons (cw: incarceration) You Let Some Girl Beat You? by Ann Meyers Drysdale (cw: miscarriage and family death) My Shot by Elena Delle Donne Hoop Muses by Seimone Augustus and Kate Fagan Inaugural Ballers by Andrew Maraniss Coming Home by Brittney Griner Sum It Up by Pat Summitt Uncommon Favor by Dawn Staley     Support and follow our host! Follow Ashley: Instagram // Substack   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 romance genre is what keeps the book industry afloat, but where do you start if you’re not typically a romance reader? Join Renee, Mhairie, and Shoshana for a quick introduction to some of the terms used in the romance genre, plus recommendations for folks who don’t typically read romance. This episode is perfect for readers new to romance, confused by romance, or long-time romance readers looking for some fresh recommendations! Books mentioned: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams  Happy Place by Emily Henry  Psyche and Eros by Lucy McNamara  The Cottage Around the Corner by DL Soria  A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J Penna  Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti  Out on the Ice by Kelly Farmer Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown  Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder  The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake Circe by Madeline Miller Naked Coffee Guy by Crissi Langwell To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins Indigo by Beverly Jenkins Born in Fire by Nora Roberts The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny by Rebekah Weatherspoon Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha     Resources mentioned: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books book finder Love’s Sweet Arrow (Tinley Park, IL) The Ripped Bodice (Brooklyn and Los Angeles) The Velvet Chapter (Petaluma, CA) Steamy Lit (FL)     Support and follow our guest and host! Follow Renee: Instagram // The StoryGraph Follow Shoshana: Storygraph // Instagram // Bluesky  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.

The ‘ber months are here, so that means we’re reading horror. You know we read horror all year round, but we brought in the expert - Mother Horror herself! Tune in to hear Mhairie chat about horror books, women in horror, becoming an accidental author, and good old fashioned vibes reading.   Books mentioned: Feral and Hysterical Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women- Sadie Hartmann  Ghost Story- Peter Straub 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered- Sadie Hartmann Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil- V. E. Schwab This House is Haunted- John Boyne The Doll Factory- Elizabeth Macneal (Audio) The Red Knot- Monique Asher (Audio) Born a Crime- Trevor Noah (Audiobook is an Audible exclusive so we won’t link it, screw you Amazon!) The Bewitching- Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audio) The Buffalo Hunter Hunter- Stephen Graham Jones (Audio) The Salvage- Anbara Salam  The Hounding- Xenobe Purvis Resources mentioned: Nightworms The StorygraphNoveList Plus (Through your library, search: novelist library) FBC’s Vampires of El Norte discussion  Other authors mentioned: Anne Rice Stephen King John Sandford Patricia Cornwell Agatha ChristieGrady Hendrix Isabel Cañas Alexis Henderson   Support and follow our guest and host! Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky Mother Horror: Instagram // Nightworms     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.

In this episode, Mhairie, Ashley, and Nox dive into the bold and provocative album art for Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend. The conversation explores the layered imagery, the cultural reception, and how it intersects with themes of power, desire, and kink. From feminist critique to playful banter, the hosts unpack how art can spark dialogue around pleasure, performance, and pushing boundaries.   Support and follow our guest and host! Follow Ashley: Instagram // Substack  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.

Join hosts Ashley, Mhairie, and Mariquita as they return for the much-anticipated follow-up to their deep dive into Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert. In this episode, the conversation moves beyond pop culture’s impact on women and digs into the murky intersection of porn, commodification, and the market’s influence on sexual agency. Prepare for a thoughtful and candid exploration of what it means to possess—and reclaim—real agency in a world that often packages sex and desire as products.   Books Mentioned:  Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert   Support and follow our guest and host! Follow Ashley: Instagram // Substack  Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky  Follow Mariquita: Instagram // 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.

Ashley sits down with Jacob Tobia to discuss their book Before They Were Men. Together, they explore why Jacob avoids the phrase “toxic masculinity,” what healthier models of masculinity could look like, and how the different places Jacob has lived have shaped their views on gender and gender nonconformity.   Books Mentioned:  Before They Were Men: Essays on Manhood, Compassion, and What Went Wrong by Jacob Tobia   Support and follow our guest and host! Follow Jacob: Instagram Follow Ashley: Instagram // Substack      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, Mhairie, and Ashley dive into Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert, unpacking its most thought-provoking themes. In Part I, they explore how reality TV and social media have shaped generational beauty standards, question the pitfalls of so-called “empowerment” movements, and discuss how media literacy can equip the next generation to be both powerful and protected.   Books Mentioned:  Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert   Support and follow our hosts! Follow Mariquita: Instagram // Threads Follow Mhairie: Instagram // Bluesky  Follow Ashley: Instagram // Substack        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.