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Today’s book recommendation is a substantial read, clocking in at over 670 pages. This is not a book to read all in one go; it’s one to return to, read a section, then ruminate for a while. I remember getting readers from my college professors, and looking back, I don’t think I appreciated them enough for the wealth of content and information they provided, as well as the huge amount of labor they probably took to compile. Yes, please, someone collect the most quintessential essays and excerpts I need to read to get a solid understanding of a subject or concept. That today’s book recommendation is regular book price and not textbook price is an absolute steal. There are so many subjects now that I would pay real money for a reader of, and this is one of them.
The Portable Feminist Reader edited by Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay could give a masterclass on writing well-crafted introductions. The one for this book in particular is excellent and I especially appreciate the short discussion of canon, the idea of canon, the problems with canon, and trying to apply a lens of canon to the curation of feminist works while acknowledging that canon can and should evolve over time.
I know this is a ridiculous way to describe the portable feminist reader, but look: this book has some bangers. The structure is incredibly thoughtful and deliberate so I do recommend going through it in the order in which things appear. Having the context and concepts discussed in works like Kimberlé Crenshaw’s “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex” and Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” are necessary for getting the most out of subsequent pieces.
The book is divided into sections—the two pieces I just mentioned are in the first section focused on laying a foundation. Other sections include multicultural texts (I actually squealed when I saw Mona Eltahawy’s inclusion), a Black feminism section, a portion on sexual politics, and more. Authors span multiple genders and orientations, ethnicities, races, classes, disability, and beyond. The timeline of pieces included in this book spans hundreds of years. There are some really familiar names like Leslie Feinberg, Ida B. Wells, Rebecca Solnit, Angela Y. Davis, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Brittney Cooper, and Samantha Irby, and plenty of other names that are new to me. Before most pieces, Gay includes a statement and once again, I’m deeply appreciative that though she includes Susan B. Anthony, she acknowledges her racism.
Not only are there dozens of pieces included but there are pages of lists of further reading, watching, and listening including recommendations for anthologies, movies, music albums, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, short stories, and poetry.
The Most Anticipated Literary Events of (the Rest of) 2025
For some, the major literary events of the year come as a pleasant or interesting surprise—something to enjoy in the moment, rather than to anticipate. For others, there’s big appeal in bookmarking these occasions in advance to plan, predict, and build around. I and the rest of the editorial team are in the business of thinking ahead about what the year has in store for book lovers, publishers, industry experts, and the like, which is why we all got together toward the end of 2024 to plot out everything from birthdays of literary greats, to anniversaries of books that have made a deep cultural impact, to literary awards and events coming up this year. We’ve been marking these events as they happen on the site for what’s shaping up to be a very busy year in books, but there are still so many big, exciting literary events of 2025 to anticipate.
Whether you’re a book-focused or -adjacent content creator, someone who beefs up their TBR with literary awards honorees, or a book lover who appreciates being in the know, I’m here with a starting place for calendaring out the rest of this storied year…
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