February 2025: What all the Badass Women are Reading, Watching, and Listening to this Month
How are you enjoying this month’s book? I have heard from several of you that it is HEAVY. Especially with everything going on right now. That being said, what are some hopeful messages you are taking from it? Simply respond to this email and let me know!
There are so many new releases out this month! Here are some I recommend…
In "First-Time Caller" by B.K. Borison, jaded radio host Aiden Valentine finds his show thrust into the spotlight after a young girl's call seeking dating advice for her mom goes viral. This leads him to Lucie Stone, a content single mother whose life becomes the center of Baltimore's attention, prompting her to reconsider her stance on romance. As their paths intertwine, both must decide between a media-crafted happy ending and the genuine connection developing between them.
Where are my Prep fans? You are going to love this next one from Curtis Sittenfeld!
In her second story collection, Sittenfeld proves she’s just as compelling in short fiction as in novels. These stories introduce vividly real characters facing moments that challenge their long-held beliefs. In The Patron Saints of Middle Age, a woman reconnects with old friends after divorce. A for Alone follows a married artist testing the so-called Mike Pence Rule. Lost but Not Forgotten revisits Prep’s Lee Fiora at a boarding school reunion. Hilarious and thought-provoking, Sittenfeld’s distinctive voice peels back the layers of our inner lives, keeping readers riveted.
New Book, New Rule: If Brooke Shields in not allowed to get old, then neither am I!
Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinized, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of scrutiny: that of being a “woman of a certain age.” And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she’s changing the narrative about women and aging.
This next novel draws on the author’s personal life…
She has a full, happy life—loving marriage, deep friendships, a thriving career—until her husband challenges the limits of traditional roles, igniting a thrilling upheaval. Crush explores the danger and liberation of chasing desire, the chaos it brings, and the clarity that follows. Sharp, funny, and seductive, it’s a revelatory novel about love, passion, and redefining marriage in a changing world.
I have loved all of Linda Holmes’ other books so excited for this one! If you don’t know her, she’s the host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour.
Cecily Foster loves making podcasts, protecting her friends, and avoiding romance after a disastrous workplace relationship. When her boss finally offers her a hosting gig, there’s a catch—she must document her dating life under the guidance of influencer-turned-relationship coach Eliza Cassidy. Reluctantly agreeing to twenty blind dates, Cecily finds herself drawn instead to Will, a photographer she bonded with over a lost dog. As she navigates conflicting advice and her own instincts, Cecily must decide if she can follow her heart without losing herself.
I had a goal of reading more historical fiction in 2025. I think this one will be good to start with!
From The Mystery of Mrs. Christie author Marie Benedict comes a thrilling novel about the five greatest women mystery writers of the Golden Age. In 1930s London, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy form a secret society to prove their worth in the male-dominated world of crime fiction. Their mission? Solve a real-life murder—that of a young English nurse found strangled in France, in a case as puzzling as the mysteries they write. But when the killer sets their sights on Sayers, the Queens of Crime must unravel the truth before one of their own becomes the next victim.
Finally, Emma Gannon is tried and true! Her earlier book, Sabotage, was a previous monthly pick.
Emma Gannon explores how our obsession with traditional success often leads to burnout, loneliness, and dissatisfaction. Drawing from her own experience and interviews with high achievers, she uncovers why the pursuit of more rarely brings fulfillment. The Success Myth offers a new approach, helping readers redefine success on their own terms and break free from comparison and unrealistic expectations.
What are the Badass Women watching? THAT is going to be the question tomorrow night with the SNL 50th, Yellowjackets AND White Lotus to pick from!
Here’s a new show from Mindy Kaling! Premiering Feb. 27 on Netflix, the series stars Hudson as Isla Gordon, a Los Angeles executive who is unexpectedly appointed head of the family business — which happens to be one of the most famous professional basketball franchises in the country — when her older brother publicly flames out and appoints her the new owner. You can watch the trailer here.
Here’s some big page to screen news -> Long-awaited 'Little House on the Prairie' reboot coming to Netflix
Are you a fan of scam stories? (Remembering that you all loved our April 2022 book, My Name is Anna!) If so, you’ll definitely want to check out these!
First, Apple Cider Vinegar is a true-ish story, based on a lie; its lead character, Belle Gibson, is inspired by a woman with the same name — an Australian influencer who claimed to have cured her terminal brain cancer through alternative therapies and nutrition. You can watch the trailer here.
Second up is Scamanda - the new ABC series (based on the No. 1 podcast of the same name), that unravels the story of California native Amanda Riley, a young wife, mother and devout Christian whose life suddenly takes a terrible turn when she is diagnosed with Stage 3 blood cancer. Amanda begins documenting her battle online, captivating thousands, but her story soon changes from inspiration to suspicion. You can watch the trailer here.
And finally, The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby, Kaitlyn Braun, a pregnant young woman in crisis, takes dozens of birth workers through an escalating series of disasters – rape, baby loss, and even a coma. One by one, the doulas struggle to support her and grieve with her, and even save her life as they’re led down a distressing path. And then the truth comes out. In this six-part true crime series, Sarah Treleaven untangles a complex web of lies and deception to ask who Kaitlyn really is and why she did the things that she did. You can listen here.