The Feminist Know-It-All: You know her. You can’t stand her. Good thing she’s not here! Instead, this column by gender and women’s studies librarian Karla Strand will amplify stories of the creation, access, use and preservation of knowledge by women and girls around the world; share innovative projects and initiatives that focus on information, literacies, libraries and more; and, of course, talk about all of the books.
Hello, feminist reader friends! Each month, I provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups. The aims of these lists are threefold:
- I want to do my part in the disruption of what has been the acceptable “norm” in the book world for far too long—white, cis, heterosexual, male;
- I want to amplify indie publishers and amazing works by writers who are women, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, APIA/AAPI, international, queer, trans, nonbinary, disabled, fat, immigrant, Muslim, neurodivergent, sex-positive or of other historically marginalized identities—you know, the rest of us; and
- I want to challenge and encourage you all to buy, borrow and read them!
As we near the end of another year, most of us are probably reflecting on just how we made it through this one. It was a tough one for many, and I hope you’re all able to find some peace, fun and relaxation in spite of any challenges.
I’ll make this a short introduction because you’ll get two Reads lists this month: this one and the Best of the Rest for 2025, which will be coming in just a couple of weeks. That is always a fun list to compile, as it allows me to look back over the hundreds of books I’ve read and considered throughout the year. It’s also a time for me to express my deep gratitude to so many people.
I am thankful for Violet Pandya’s hard work and dedication as our inaugural GWSL+Ms. intern; she made the lift a little lighter and a lot more fun. I’m also grateful to all of you who regularly read the column and reach out with feedback and support. And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank everyone I work with at Ms. I’m so lucky to have this space to live and share my values every month.
Thank you for your support all year.
December’s 14 titles are great for gifting or curling up with on a cold winter’s night. Wishing you all a lovely holiday season!
By Diana Xin. YesYes Books. Out now.
Intimate and illuminating, this debut short story collection explores the everyday lives of women, but with a touch of the unreal. Full of quiet rebellions and generational explorations, Diana Xin presents a new lens through which to view what would typically be considered ordinary.
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By Brionni Nwosu. Lake Union Publishing. Dec. 1.
A sweeping tale about a woman who, in the face of death, gave up her mortality for a chance to save humankind. Perfect for historical fiction, fantasy, and travel lovers alike, this debut novel is an uplifting anthem to the enduring possibilities of the world.
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Edited by Allyn Walkerand Aimee Wodda. University of California Press. Dec. 2.
When Walker and Wodda set out to publish a book about queer abolition and justice, they extended their call far and wide to include those active in the movement for years, but who were often marginalized in academic and publishing spaces. The result is a robust, timely volume of essays focused on the work of abolition, queer criminalization and queering criminology.
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Written by Osvlade Lewat. Translated by Maren Baudet-Lackner. Coffee House Press. Dec. 2.
Cameroonian filmmaker Osvalde Lewat’s debut book tells the captivating story of a married woman in a fictional African country. When her best friend is arrested and tortured for being gay, she faces immense challenges in trying to free him while dealing with an abusive husband. Intense and engaging, The Aquatics grapples with tradition, fundamentalism, political corruption, and more.
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Written by Fátima Vélez. Translated by Hannah Kauders. Astra House. Dec. 2.
Fátima Vélez’s debut is not for the faint of heart. A surreal, stream-of-consciousness allegory about AIDS, this novel features a group of gay friends who get sick with a mysterious illness in 1992 and make their way to the Galapagos. While the body horror may be too much for some, others will be rewarded by the novel’s superlative queerness, style and message.
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Written by Olga Tokarczuk. Translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. Riverhead Books. Dec. 2.
This work by Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk is a layered and intricate story of one woman’s life after moving to Nowa Ruda, a remote village between Poland and Czechoslovakia. As the woman learns about her neighbors, she learns even more about the town and the importance of place, history, connections and existence.
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Written by Darya Bobyleva. Translated by Ilona Chavasse. Angry Robot. Dec. 2.
Almost like a fairytale for adults, this English language debut combines Russian folklore with modern oddities to create an eerie, page-turning novel. Darya Bobyleva explores how a once simple society collapses when residents of a small village awake to find themselves trapped within a now impenetrable forest
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By Aisha Hassan. Gallery/Scout Press. Dec. 2.
Aisha Hassan’s debut tells the story of Lalloo, a young man whose impoverished family is forced to work in a labor camp in Lahore, Pakistan, to pay off a debt. Lalloo goes to great lengths to help his family, but he experiences tragedy and challenges along the way. Inspired by a true story, When the Fireflies Dance is a stark yet loving reflection on class, loss and the strength of sibling love.
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Edited by Sharon A. Suh. North Atlantic Books. Out Dec. 9.
Grounded in adrienne maree brown’s work on emergent strategy, Emergent Dharma is the first volume to center Asian American Buddhists sharing their unique practices, complexities and identities through a feminist lens. With a focus on justice and resistance, contributors reflect upon tradition, meditation, stereotypes, embodiment and more.
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By Maria Alyokhina. Beacon Press. Out Dec. 9.
Maria (Masha) Alyokhina was a member of the Russian activist group Pussy Riot who infamously staged a musical protest on the steps of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. In her unique style and no-nonsense voice, Alyokhina describes her life after serving a two-year sentence in a penal colony and returning to activism.
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Written by Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida. Translated by Alison Entrekin. FSG Originals. Out Dec. 9.
In this beautifully written yet somber character study, three old men reflect on their involvement in the Portuguese slave trade and the complexities of memory, regret, responsibility and forgiveness. Dark and quiet yet powerful, this volume offers a thoughtful critique of colonial violence.
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By Andrea Louie. NYU Press. Out Dec. 16.
Andrea Louie dug into archives to supplement her own experiences and share her grandmother’s story of being awarded Mother of the Year by the American Mother’s Committee of the Golden Rule Foundation in 1952. In so doing, Louie sheds light on the model minority myth and presents a master class on genealogical and scholarly research that is accessible, thought-provoking and compelling.
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By Angela Frederick. NYU Press. Out Dec. 16.
When Winter Storm Uri hit Texas in February of 2021, it brought freezing temperatures, ice and inches of snow, disabling the Texas power grid and leaving thousands without power or water. In Disabled Power, Angela Frederick uses the storm to demonstrate the uniquely dangerous predicament that climate disasters pose for people with disabilities and how politics exacerbates systems at the cost of those who depend on them the most.
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By Kamilah Cole. Poisoned Pen Press. Out Dec. 30.
Kamilah Cole’s adult debut is dark academia featuring a young woman determined to prove her mettle at an Ivy League where legacies reign, and secrets remain. This supernatural slow burner offers diverse characters, and with its beautiful cover and printed edges, it’s a stunner on the shelf as well.
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Also releasing this month:
Casanova 20: Or, Hot World
By Davey Davis. Catapult. Dec. 2.
Daddy Was a Number Runner (55th Anniversary Edition)
By Louise Meriwether. The Feminist Press at CUNY. Dec. 2.
Googoosh: A Sinful Voice
By Googoosh with Tara Dehlavi. Gallery Books. Dec. 2.
How to Cook A Coyote: The Joy of Old Age
By Betty Fussell. Counterpoint. Dec. 2.
The Jaguar’s Roar: A Novel
Written by Micheliny Verunschk. Translated by Juliana Barbassa. Liveright. Dec. 2.
A Little Piece of Cuba: A Journey to Become Cubana-Americana
By Barbara Caver. She Writes Press. Dec. 2.
We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope
Edited by Malka Older, Annalee Newitz and Karen Lord. S&S/Saga Press. Dec. 2.
Cape Fever
By Nadia Davids. Simon & Schuster. Out Dec. 9.
Disabling Relations: Wounded Bodyminds and Transnational Praxis
By Sona Kazemi. Temple University Press. Out Dec. 19.
Prison Abolition for Realists
By Anna Terwiel. University of Minnesota Press. Out Dec. 30.
Great Job Karla J. Strand & the Team @ Ms. Magazine Source link for sharing this story.
