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!
If you’ve read this column before or follow book publishing, you may know that September is a giant month for new releases.
This is a good time to remind you that, although we wish we could include all the books, we simply cannot. Excellent books are being released this month that you won’t see on this list, and you may wonder why we neglected to include them. Most of the time, this is intentional. We will forego a book with a Big Name publisher and lots of marketing power behind it for a book published by an indie label. We may opt to include a debut author instead of someone who’s got a few books to their name. No matter what, we put time and effort into ensuring we choose the right books for the list and you, our readers.
September is also the time when Violet and I are getting ready to begin a new academic year and sucking the last life out of a hot and humid summer in Wisconsin. Now that we’ve gotten a blast of cooler weather and things are picking up on campus, we are operating in high gear to meet our obligations while still having some fun before the grind of classes, new students and Badger game days begin.
That said, let’s get right into the 25 books we’ve chosen to highlight for September 2025.
We hope you, too, can enjoy the last days of summer and that you have a successful new school year!
Edited by Yousef M. Aljamal, Norma Hashim, Noor Nabulsi and Zoe Jannuzi. Haymarket Books. Out Sept. 2.
These real-life testimonies of displacement, erasure and violence are heartbreaking and enraging to read. Still, we must bear witness to the bravery and fortitude of the Palestinian people, determined to survive, for their stories of resistance and resilience also provide hope for peace.
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By Arundhati Roy. Scribner. Out Sept. 2.
You may know Arundhati Roy for her award-winning novels and essays, but her memoir is just as passionate, witty and beautifully written as you would imagine it to be. With candor and depth, Roy grapples with her complex relationship with her formidable mother both in life and in death.
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By Nikki Giovanni. William Morrow. Out Sept. 2.
This final collection of poetry, letters, and short prose is a fitting tribute to their indomitable creator, poet Nikki Giovanni, who passed away in 2024. Whether it is a love poem, a commencement address, an ode to graduates unable to hold an in-person ceremony, or a “letter of sadness” to the New York Times, Giovanni’s reminiscences and reflections are a treasure.
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By Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians). Henry Holt and Co. Out Sept. 2.
Bestselling author Angeline Boulley is back with a thrilling mystery of a girl on the run from her past, present and future. Since her father died, she’s constantly looking over her shoulder and now her past – and its truths – have caught up with her. This is a captivating, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful new book.
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By Marlene Gerber Fried and Loretta J. Ross. University of California Press. Out Sept. 9.
Whether you are new to the concept of reproductive justice (RJ) or have been part of the movement for decades, you will learn a few things from this guide. Written in accessible language, this one is required reading for anyone dedicated to bodily autonomy and sovereignty now and into the future.
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By Lee Lai. Drawn and Quarterly. Out Sept. 9.
Cannon is a chef dealing with a sick, formerly abusive grandfather, an avoidant mother, a selfish best friend and a stressful job. As she explores friendship, family and self, Lee Lai’s latest graphic novel is exceptionally well-written, drawn and felt. I loved this one.
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Curated by Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith. Washington Square Press. Out Sept. 9.
When Saeed Jones and Maggie Smith wrote in the introduction to this volume, “This anthology is a community in a book,” they were not kidding. From poems and stories to essays and advice, contributors such as Koritha Mitchell, Danez Smith, Imani Perry and Victoria Chang — this is the book we need right now.
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By Chandra Talpade Mohanty. Duke University Press. Out Sept. 12.
Consisting of individual and co-authored essays, as well as one interview, the latest exceptional work by Chandra Talpade Mohanty focuses on an insurgent feminism that incorporates anticapitalist, antiracist, anti-imperialist, and militant resistances to the status quo. Sharing over two decades of wisdom and experience, Mohanty looks back to move into imaginative and liberatory futures.
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By Patty Krawec (Anishinaabe). Broadleaf Books. Out Sept. 16.
Patty Krawec has taken her love of reading, her book club, and her podcast about Indigenous reading and books, and has gifted a guide for anyone looking to better understand Indigenous lives. From history and gender to horror and other fiction, this volume gives you book suggestions but also primes you to reflect on, learn from and talk about those books in new, nuanced and inspiring ways.
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By Ramona Bennett Bill (Puyallup). University of Washington Press. Out Sept. 16.
Ramona Bennett Bill’s remarkable memoir details her decades of activism and service to the Puyallup and other tribes of the Northwest. From fishing rights and environmental concerns to healthcare, Red Power and advocating for children, Bennett Bill shares her extraordinary experiences in this compelling debut.
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By Fatemeh Jamalpour and Nilo Tabrizy. Pantheon. Out Sept. 16.
In this powerful record of witness, two Iranian journalists tell the story of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Sparked by the murder of Mahsa Jina Amini by Iran’s morality police for not wearing a hijab, the women-led movement is beautifully and bravely related here through histories, interviews and personal experiences.
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By Nikita Gill. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Out Sept. 16.
Following Hekate after she is displaced and her family is captured due to the war between the gods and titans, this mythological retelling approaches a familiar genre with a refreshing new spin. Filled with reflections on self-discovery, growing up as a refugee, and finding friends in unexpected places, this coming-of-age story reimagines the life of an often-overlooked Greek goddess.
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By Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk). Heartdrum. Out Sept. 16.
I loved Cheryl Isaacs’ debut, The Unfinished, so I couldn’t wait to dive into the sequel. Equally scary and supernatural, The Others revisits Avery and Key in an unexpected journey of memory, trauma, love and healing. You’ll want to see what happens in this eerie and atmospheric thriller.
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By Mahreen Sohail. A Public Space Books. Out Sept. 16.
A collection of short stories that paint a picture of girlhood, love, aging, grief and liberation. Centered around the lives of women in Pakistan, each story in this electrifying debut will leave you feeling breathless and wanting more.
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By Chantelle Jessica Lewis and Jason Arday. Princeton University Press. Out Sept. 16.
In this extraordinary volume, public sociologists Chantelle Jessica Lewis and Jason Arday explore neurodiversity at the intersections of critical theory, Black feminism, disability studies and love. The result is a generous, reflective, accessible and liberating framework for deconstructing neurotypical hegemony in the service of creating a more inclusive society for all.
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By Keisha N. Blain. W. W. Norton & Company. Out Sept. 16.
Keisha Blain’s latest book tells the stories of Black women who, throughout history, have made human rights the focus of their work, activism and lives. From Reconstruction to the present, the stories of these women and their work are woven together across time and place, forming a robust and compelling history.
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By Jeannine A. Cook. Amistad. Out Sept. 23.
Lyrical and engrossing, this autofiction book-within-a-book is thought-provoking, whimsical, and oh-so-sweet. Reading it felt like reading a poem: you might not quite understand every line, but you will understand and remember the way it makes you feel.
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Edited by Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez and Anita Huízar-Hernández. University of Arizona Press. Out Sept. 23.
Focused on the histories and experiences of people in Arizona and the wider Southwest area of the U.S., the compelling essays included in this collection highlight place and space, language and listening, roots and routes. More academically oriented, the meXicana contributors offer insightful and reflective accounts of knowledge creation, bilingual education, digital histories, and more.
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By Tina Makereti. HarperVia. Out Sept. 23.
This kaleidoscopic and poignant story centers on a coastal community in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Wairere, a teen with a powerful and unexpected gift. When things in her neighborhood become dangerous, Wairere must face her fears and step into her truth to bridge divides and devastation.
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By A. Rushby. Berkley. Out Sept. 23.
From magic and witchcraft to antiques dealing and sex work, this feminist body horror is the perfect fall escape. While deftly exploring themes of bodily autonomy, queer love, and female friendship, A. Rushby paints a gripping portrait of the historical confinement of women and the lengths that the exploited will go to in search of revenge.
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By Deena ElGenaidi. Bindery Books. Out Sept. 30.
Set in a volatile Egypt, this debut novel centers on siblings forced to deal with their mother’s passing, their father’s betrayal and their own identities. With rich characters and multiple points of view, this story reckons with grief, trust, patriarchy, tradition and identity.
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By Seth Neblett. University of Texas Press. Out Sept. 30.
This is the long-overdue story of the women of the legendary funk band Parliament-Funkadelic, including Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva and the author’s mother and “Queen of Funk” Mallia Franklin. Through fascinating interviews with the women and icons like George Clinton, Sly Stone and Bootsy Collins, Seth Neblett has compiled an unbelievable archive full of strength, humor, tea, shade and yes, funk.
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By Melissa R. Michelson, Stephanie L. DeMora and Sarah V. Hayes. NYU Press. Out Sept. 30.
This insightful and inspirational volume presents a case study of Party at the Mailbox, an initiative that encouraged voting coordinated by Black-led organizations in multiple cities between 2020 and 2024. In clear and engaging prose, the authors’ findings confirm the importance of Black women’s leadership and community involvement in voter mobilization and electoral engagement.
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By Souvankham Thammavongsa. Little, Brown and Company. Out Sept. 30.
Reflective and subversive, this profound novel explores the barrier between customer and worker, as well as the divide between the privileged and the wanting. Following Ning at her nail salon, this one-day snapshot considers what we see on the surface, and what might be hiding underneath.
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By Janis A. Fairbanks (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa). University of Minnesota Press. Out Sept. 30.
In this humorous and loving ode, Janis A. Fairbanks shares stories and lessons she learned from her Ojibwe grandmother. From the importance of the Ojibwe language to caring for the natural world, Fairbanks grew to understand the importance of kindness, strength and compassion, and to cultivate these traits in others.
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Also releasing this month:
Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times
By Beverly Daniel Tatum. Basic Books. Out Sept. 2.
To the Moon and Back
By Eliana Ramage. Avid Reader Press. Out Sept. 2.
Touch Me, I’m Sick: A Memoir in Essays
By Margeaux Feldman. Beacon Press. Out Sept. 9.
Absolute Pleasure: Queer Perspectives on Rocky Horror
By Margot Atwell. The Feminist Press. Out Sept. 16.
Articulate: A Deaf Memoir of Voice
By Rachel Kolb. Ecco. Out Sept. 16.
The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid
By Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman. Portfolio. Out Sept. 16.
Trigger Warning: A Novel
By Jacinda Townsend. Graywolf Press. Out Sept. 16.
Wolf Bells: A Novel
By Leni Zumas. Algonquin Books. Out Sept. 16.
The Making of Revolutionary Feminism in El Salvador
By Diana Carolina Sierra Becerra. University of Cambridge. Out Sept. 18.
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny: A Novel
By Kiran Desai. Hogarth. Out Sept. 23.
Starry Starry Night
By Shani Mootoo. Book*hug Press. Out Sept. 23.
Orange Wine
By Esperanza Hope Snyder. Mareas by Bindery. Out Sept. 30.
Saltcrop: A Novel
By Yume Kitasei. Flatiron Books. Out Sept. 30.
Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave: My Cemetery Journeys
Written by Mariana Enriquez. Translated by Megan McDowell. Hogarth. Out Sept. 30.
Thank You, John
By Michelle Gurule. The Unnamed Press. Out Sept. 30.