After many years of requests for better representation in comics, comics are continuing to diversify and open more doors for women, on and off the page — and Young Adult fiction could be a big contributing factor. Just this week, DC Comics announced Marie Javins as the new Editor-in-Chief of the entire company. Javins will be responsible for developing and overseeing the execution of the company’s publishing schedule to grow all DC imprints. One imprint that has been incredibly successful in attracting female readership and providing more...

Danielle Evans’ new novella and collection of stories reads like a prescient letter from a brutally honest friend with her finger on the pulse of an ailing culture. Each story bristles with the author’s signature wit and precision. Her narrators engage in a constant struggle to be seen as “real people” despite possessing many trappings of privilege. In “Happily Ever After” a woman dresses with care before a hospital consult so that she may resemble “a person whose mother deserved to live.” In the titular...

There’s a lot to learn from entrepreneur, writer, and podcast host Meredith Fineman. She recently released her first book, Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion (Penguin Random House), a bestselling guide to self-advocacy. Aside from this book, Fineman founded and is the CEO of FinePoint, a leadership and professional development company that elevates individuals, from young professionals to CEOs, by helping women utilize and understand public relation tactics. Over a Zoom call, Fineman and I talked about the art of self-promotion, book touring during a pandemic, and...

Lauren Paige Richeson is a chef based in France who started her career at Project Parlor in Bed-Stuy, but her newest project is all about one of the most talked-about foods of the 2010s: the mighty avocado! Hailed as the ultimate millennial fuel and the reason young people can’t afford to buy houses, Richeson’s Avocado Obsession is filled with creative and easy recipes that go beyond your typical avo toast. Richeson got her start by recreating recipes from restaurants that she wanted to try but...

Getting to Center: Pathways to Finding Yourself Within the Great UnknownBy Marlee Grace(William Morrow & Company) Marlee Grace first danced into our social media feeds (and straight into our hearts) back in 2015 on her Instagram account @personalpractice, a daily documentation of Grace dancing in different environments. The simple yet inspiring project stood out as a gem in the emotional minefield that is social media by creating a space for vulnerability and openness. Grace uses this same approach on her personal account, @marleegrace, where she shares personal anecdotes...

Author Kristen J. Sollée’s favorite selections from her magical book collection Occult expert Kristen J. Sollée is a sorceress with words whose fascinating histories—Witches Sluts Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive; Cat Call: Reclaiming the Feral Feminine; and Witch Hunt: A Traveler’s Guide to the Power and Persecution of the Witch (out October 1)—are catnip for dark-at-heart feminists. We asked her what books she cherishes most from her home reference library, and her picks are perfect for Halloween season.  1. Sexuality, Magic & Perversion by Francis King As a devoted...

Grand: A Memoir By Sara Schaefer (Gallery Books) Sara Schaefer was only in grade school when her life was turned upside down by a family scandal. Already a cautious child, she becomes even more vigilant in the face of this formative experience, which exacerbates her anxiety but also gifts Schaefer with an ironclad sense of humor that serves as a shield against life’s difficult circumstances. This talent for wit in the face of hardship serves her well in her chosen profession of comedy; she carves out dizzying career success while experiencing...

Rachel Wiley’s new poetry collection, Fat Girl Finishing School, is a tender, hilarious, illuminating journey written openly and unapologetically by a woman whom the world has aimed to shame into silence because of her body. Wiley is both a fighter and a comedic jackpot, blending razor-sharp cynicism and wit with heartbreaking truth. These poems will sneak up on you, making you laugh at the most inappropriate moment or cry exactly when you need to. In the poem, “In Which the Poet Learns to Wake Up...

If you're like me, every season is the perfect season for a good mystery. But the turning leaves, pumpkin-laden doorsteps, and darker nights of fall add to the strong sinister vibes of a well-written thriller. With everything occupying our minds and energy right now, it can be difficult to feel excited about this year's All Hallow's Eve. But luckily, some of the best names in the mystery game have come to our rescue to ensure that we experience some chilling, festive fright. Here are 5 new...

While the term “fangirl” has been playfully reclaimed by people of all genders, the historical portrayal of young women music enthusiasts has often landed somewhere between glossed-over footnote and “hysterical” as a metric used to measure a musician’s power. In Fangirls: Scenes From Modern Music Culture, author Hannah Ewens, whose own experiences are included, explores a far more complex view of fandom through exhaustive research and interviews with women and gender-nonconforming music devoteesin the U.K., Europe, North America, and Japan. The individual voices and profiles vary...