What We Read, Watched, and Listened to in 2025
Books, Shows, and Podcasts That Helped Us Learn and Grow – Or Simply Kept Us Entertained
Members of our staff are eager to once again share what we read, watched, and listened to in 2025 that contributed to our learning and growth. From moving novels to inspiring podcasts and Netflix shows, each of these selections have sparked conversations, consideration of new viewpoints, and learning experiences about gender, racial, and economic equity. And sometimes, they were just plain entertaining. As always, we hope you’ll check them out!
Let This Radicalize You – A Book by Kelly Hayes & Mariame Kaba
Let This Radicalize You came out at the exact right time for me, asking “What fuels and sustains our activism and organizing when it feels like our worlds are collapsing?” Authors Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba wrestle with what it’s like to care deeply about justice while also dealing with burnout, frustration, and wondering if what we’re doing actually matters. What I love most about this book is how it shows that taking care of each other isn’t separate from the work—it is the work. It gives us real, honest strategies for building the kind of communities where we look out for one another, share the load, and create space for everyone to show up as whole people. It’s a powerful reminder that we can’t build a better world alone, and that our relationships with each other are what sustain us through the hardest moments. If you’ve ever felt worn down but refuse to give up, this book will meet you exactly where you are.
– Camisha Lashbrook, Director of Grantmaking
James – A Book by Percival Everett
I loved Percival Everett’s James, which was a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim. The book has Jim/James “code switching” in a way I have never even thought about before. I was lucky enough to hear Everett speak at Denver’s Pen and Podium series a few months ago. In his talk, he spoke about the depth that Twain didn’t give Jim. He said that he didn’t feel that Twain was malicious, but he wrote Jim through the lens of a white author in the 1880s: as kind, loyal, simple, and often comic relief. James reveals how incomplete that portrayal is. After seeing Jim think strategically, joke privately, manipulate language to survive, Twain’s version feels shaped less by who Jim was and more by what white readers like me expect a Black character to be. I will continue to look at what I read more closely in the future because of this book.
– Jen Schwem, Database Administrator
The Empyrean Series (Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm) – A Series by Rebecca Yarros
I love fantasy fiction that ignites the imagination and provides an escape from everyday life. I’m especially drawn to stories with strong, resilient women who overcome adversity. The three-book Empyrean series follows Violet Sorrengail who starts physically weak but must enter a brutal war college for dragon riders. Forced into a world of betrayal and trauma, she transforms into a formidable, fierce warrior who forges her own path and learns to fight for survival. The culture of Basgiath War College dismisses those who don’t fit the traditional warrior mold, yet Violet constantly battles her skeptics and proves them wrong through sheer determination and intelligence. As a woman I appreciated this series because it powerfully demonstrates that strength comes in many forms, and that intellect is as vital to leadership as physical might.
– Tommie Mailey, Controller
The Let Them Theory – A Book by Mel Robbins
The Let Them Theory, by podcast host, Mel Robbins is a shortcut to saving your sanity. The premise is simple, but not easy. It requires letting go when your default setting is to manage or mediate. Knowing you can’t control other people is one thing, redirecting that frustration and stepping away to maintain your peace is next level. Mel is rehabilitating people-pleasers and teaches us set boundaries and focus on the ‘Let Me’ moment. It’s radical self-love disguised as indifference. It basically gives you permission to whisper “bless their heart” and walk away from every single unnecessary conflict.
– Manushkka Sainvil, Executive & Board Coordinator
Pleasure Activism – A Book by Adrienne Maree Brown
Pleasure Activism has been an integral part of my thesis work this year, highlighting the political and personal nature of pleasure. While we might often conceptualize pleasure to be erotic, Brown takes time to focus on the every day pleasures we can experience. Being reminded to take time to engage in joy and fulfillment has been important as I work every day to accomplish all of my commitments. However, she does also highlight the important need for erotic pleasure. She engages with Audre Lorde’s The Erotic as Power’ and expands upon Lorde’s ideas to further articulate the ways that we can use our erotic power. I highly recommend checking out this book because it opened my eyes to new things I can centralize and focus on in my daily life.
– Aspen Rawson, Policy & Advocacy Intern
There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America – A Book by Brian Goldstone
This book is a heart wrenching account of the story of five families struggling to remain housed in an increasingly gentrifying and unequal city. It shines a light on the system that creates homelessness and breaks down many of the misconceptions that we hold about what it means to be homeless. The book is heartbreaking and infuriating in a way that will change how you view the systems at work in this country and what leads people to be pushed out of housing and out of their hometowns. Many of us see homelessness as an issue of mental health, drug abuse, and unemployment, but the truth is that there is a silent majority of homeless people who have employment but simply cannot make ends meat or access support for their families. It showcases the pitfalls of our entire housing system and how private interests systemically exclude low-income people from accessing housing. A heavy read that will change you for the better.
– Elva Escobedo, Events Manager
Not My Type: One Woman vs. A President – A Book by E. Jean Carroll
Full confession: I listened to this book on audio. E. Jean Carroll is a fabulous narrator, but as a longtime columnist for Elle magazine, her writing is just as great. So, whether you read or listen to Not My Type, E. Jean Carroll will captivate you. If you don’t know who she is, juries now have twice awarded Carroll huge sums for Donald Trump claiming she made up a story about him attacking her in a department store dressing room in 1996 to help her sell a memoir.
The whole book hits hard from the very first chapter where she must list all the men she has slept with (an impressive list by most people’s standards, btw), as requested by President Trump’s legal team. Her story once again illustrates how the onus is on women – not men – to prove their innocence when they’ve experienced sexual assault. The book is definitely infuriating, but E. Jean Carroll is intoxicating, and her optimism and bravery make up for the gross injustices she describes. If you are a fan of New York culture as well as the world of celebrity and fashion, you’ll find this even more enthralling.
– Lisa Christie, Vice President of Communications
Lone Women – A Book by Victor LaVelle
The year is 1915, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret is forcing her to flee California in a hellfire rush and make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will become one of the “lone women” taking advantage of the government’s offer of free land for those who can tame it—except that Adelaide isn’t alone. And the secret she’s tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing that will help her survive the harsh territory.
Crafted by a modern master of magical suspense, Lone Women blends shimmering prose, an unforgettable cast of adventurers who find horror and sisterhood in a brutal landscape, and a portrait of early-twentieth-century America like you’ve never seen. And at its heart is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—or redeem it.
– Marie Medina, Director of Development
The Frozen River – A Book by Ariel Lawhon
This recommendation came from my mom and her book club, so my mom and I got to have a mini book club discussion about it. With a strong woman as the main character and themes of access to reproductive health care and safety from gender-based violence, the historically-inspired novel, The Frozen River, addresses topics that remain relevant today. The story centers on midwife Martha Ballard – who really lived in the late 1700s and delivered more than 800 babies – and is based on her diaries. The author is transparent about making fictional embellishments inspired by Ballard. In some parts of the story, I found myself wondering how much of this could have actually happened. For me, that didn’t detract from the story. It underscored how central women have always been and must continue to be in ensuring health, well-being, and justice for us all.
– Louise Myrland, Vice President of Programs
Take My Hand – A Book by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
This was a quick and compelling read! Having worked in reproductive health care and given Depo shots to many women over the years, this poignant piece of historical fiction gave me a lot to consider. While I believe wholeheartedly in the power of birth control to give women agency over their own lives as they so choose, I also recognize that there is a deeply problematic history there, especially for women of color. Birth control should, of course, always be a personal choice; many times throughout history, it hasn’t been. I thought of Daisy Patton’s embroidered art exhibit, Put Me Back Like They Found Me, all the way through the book – forced sterilization among women of color is a tragedy in this country that doesn’t get enough attention.
– Jaime Marston Cook, Major Gifts Officer
The Key to Impactful Leadership – A Simon Sinek Podcast Episode
I’ve listened to many of Simon Sinek’s podcasts on leadership, but one of my favorites is an episode he recorded in 2022 on “SuperLife with Darin Olien.” He goes into detail on his two central philosophies – “finding your why” and “true leadership.”
Finding Your Why: Sinek’s famous “Golden Circle” concept emerged from his own crisis when he lost passion for his work. He realized most people know what they do and how they do it, but can’t articulate why. We all know what we do (our job, our sport, our activities) and how we do it (our methods and strategies). But most people can’t explain why they actually do it – like the real, deep reason that makes it meaningful.
True Leadership: Leadership has nothing to do with titles or authority. It’s about taking care of the people around you. Simon Sinek’s test: When you ask someone “How are you doing?” do you actually care about the answer? That’s the difference between having authority and being a leader.
– Renee Ferrufino, President & CEO
The Empress – A Netflix Series
I watched The Empress not once, not twice, but three times this year—which should tell you everything you need to know about how much I enjoyed this one. The German-language Netflix series follows Elisabeth of Bavaria (“Sisi”) as she becomes Empress of Austria in the mid-1800s, navigating royal politics, rigid tradition, and a whole lot of powerful men who underestimate her. What pulled me in wasn’t just the romance or the spectacle (though both are excellent), but the reminder that women have always been running things, even when history pretends otherwise. Elisabeth pushes back—against the court, the rules, and the idea that her role should be small or silent. The women behind these so-called “great men” weren’t passive; they influenced decisions, shaped outcomes, and often held entire systems together. The Empress is a sharp reminder that women’s leadership isn’t new—it’s just been overlooked, underfunded, and under-acknowledged.
– Erica Jackson, Digital Marketing Manager
I Don’t Want to Go to Gay Heaven – A Binchtopia Podcast Episode
In this Binchtopia podcast episode, co-hosts Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb dive into an enlightening conversation with Dr. Dontá Morrison about the intersections of queerness, religious trauma, and racism in the U.S. Dr. Morrison, author of Faithful and Forgotten: Navigating Race, Sexuality, and Belonging in the Black Church, shares his own experiences growing up in Black religious spaces as a gay man, speaks on what it was like to address his congregation after the Pulse nightclub shooting, and sends a powerful and inspiring message to Binchtopia’s young, queer listeners growing up in religious communities.
If you enjoy this episode of Binchtopia, I highly recommend checking out the rest of their work. Co-hosts Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb record research-driven conversations that dive into sociological and psychological perspectives on almost any topic you can imagine, from the patriarchy of the Salem Witch Trials to the secrets of celebrity PR. Binchtopia feels like talking to old friends while constantly learning something new.
– Delaney Lindner, Digital Marketing & Communications Intern
An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World – A Book by Patrisse Cullors
Another world is possible.
In An Abolitionist’s Handbook, Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, invites readers to join her in imagining a liberated future and taking action to realize it. Rooted in her years of community organizing experience, Cullors’ handbook offers practical strategies for activists who want to transform oppressive systems and build just future. Readers learn how to have courageous conversations, cultivate compassion, think creatively, and organize effectively. Cullors generously shares her wisdom and experience in a way that feels accessible, supportive, and actionable. With every page, my hope for the future grew, along with my understanding of how to do my part to shape and realize the just, compassionate future we’re fighting for.
– Louise Myrland, Vice President of Programs
Culture Study -A Podcast by Anne Helen Petersen
Let me start by saying that Anne Helen Petersen is brilliant. Hailing from the world of academia, she wrote Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and The Burnout Generation. Her Culture Study podcast is just that – an exploration of cultural trends and expectations that aren’t always front and center, but deserve to be elevated and dissected.
The topics – while seemingly unrelated – are often framed through a feminist lens. Here’s a sampling of some of her episodes – what it’s like to run a small business, all the ways we surveil motherhood, how the 2000s messed up women, what we don’t talk about when we talk about periods, and trad wives. She also has a Patreon newsletter by the same name with a discussion board you can join for $60. I budget for the subscription every year because I’m willing to pay for the insightful commentary, community recommendations, and more.
– Lisa Christie, Vice President of Communications
Cher, The Memoir: Part One – A Book by Cher
Cher has always been impossible to look away from. From the Bob Mackie gowns to that iconic hair to the way she refused to shrink herself – there is something about the way she showed up as exactly who she is, unapologetically.
Cher: The Memoir, Part One pulls back the curtain on how that icon was made – or maybe more importantly, how she made herself. What struck me most was Cher’s unflinching honesty about growing up poor, struggling in school with undiagnosed dyslexia, and being told repeatedly that she wasn’t enough. And then deciding, again and again, that other people’s assessments of her worth didn’t matter as much as her own determination to survive and succeed.
If she could turn back time, would she change anything? Reading this memoir, I doubt it. Cher didn’t wait for permission to reinvent herself – not when she was told she was too outspoken, too unconventional, too much. She just kept showing up and proving everyone wrong.
– Maggie Stoot, Vice President of Development
