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 […]
Girls Play Dead with Jen Percy Read More »
Mariquita talks with author Irin Carmon about her newest book, Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America. Their discussion covers the racist roots of ob/gyn medicine in America, provides context for the current state of reproductive care, and ties in vital personal stories of families that have been affected by the legacy
Unbearable: A Discussion with Irin Carmon on Pregnancy in America Read More »
Mariquita and Kenesma dive into their top 5 favorite books of 2025 (so far—with six months of reading still ahead!). In this spoiler-free conversation, they highlight memorable quotes, unpack recurring themes, and explore what makes each of these reads so unforgettable. From powerful storytelling to characters that linger long after the last page, this chat
Favorite Books of 2025 So Far (Mariquita and Kenesma’s version) Read More »
It’s no surprise that the FBC Team is incredibly well-read across multiple genres, but this episode especially feels like a testament to that! Join Mariquita and Jordy as they discuss righteous vengeance in two young adult novels. Then stick around for Shoshana and Nox’s top five books of 2025 so far to get a taste
Righteous Vengeance, Haunting Yet Hopeful Read More »
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
Reevaluating Unhinged Women: From Bad Moms to Playboy Bunnies Read More »
We love messy family dramas and today our podcasters are talking about two newer releases, The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha and Hate Follow by Erin Quinn-Kong. These two contemporary fiction novels tackle big families with big drama, from handing over the family business to momfluencers ignoring their kids’ consent. Tune in for thoughtful and nuanced
Curious about the National Book Award finalists? Last week and this week, our team dived into the shortlists for the Young People’s Literature and Fiction titles. Today, Mariquita and Mhairie discuss the five shortlisted books in Fiction. The National Book Award winners will be announced tomorrow! Mentioned in this episode: All Fours by Miranda July
National Book Award Finalists for Fiction Read More »
Get your TBRs ready because we’re discussing three books you won’t want to miss! Jordy reviews Made For You by Jenna Satterthwaite, Renee reviews All This and More by Peng Shepherd, and Mariquita sits down with Rachelle Bergstein to chat about her book The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of
Media That Makes Us: Judy Blume, The Bachelor, and Reality TV Read More »
In this double feature, we’re sharing a moving author interview as well as a review of an important non-fiction book.
Two New Releases That Resonated with Mariquita & Nox Read More »
Before I became a parent, I loved to bake. The kitchen was a little sanctuary for me. Cooking and baking were like meditation. They were like magic. I could put in some earbuds and listen to music or podcasts or audiobooks and fold egg whites, sift flour, roll pie dough. Since becoming a parent, I
I’m Overwhelmed: A Baking By Feel Test Drive Read More »
