Feminist Book Club: The Podcast

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.