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.

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.