Feminist Survival Project: "Introduction to Fun Things We Like"

Podcast Hosts: Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski
Episode Date: December 11, 2025

Episode Overview

In this upbeat and restorative episode, Emily and Amelia Nagoski embrace joy and escapism by sharing their favorite "fun things"—particularly books, but also music, video, and games. If you’re a feminist feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, this episode offers an overflowing list of recommendations specifically for those seeking comfort, low-stakes delight, and reliable happy endings. The sisters discuss their preferences and pet peeves, share memorable quotes, and swap stories about the things that bring them joy.

“It's a nice, happy, positive episode about things we like.” – Amelia (00:17)

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Setting the Stage: The Categories of Fun

• The episode's focus: sharing personal recommendations to encourage happiness and escapism.
• Categories: primarily books, with highlights in music, video, and games.
• Clear preference for low-stakes, comforting stories, avoiding horror, thrillers, and stories focused on trauma.

Quote:
“If I’m going to recommend music, I’m going to recommend the Burgundian composers of the High Renaissance.” – Amelia (01:21)

2. Music Recommendations

• Amelia recommends Renaissance-era Burgundian composers (e.g., Ockeghem) for beautiful harmonies that echo modern musical tastes. (01:17–02:36)
• Discuss boycotting Spotify and favoring YouTube Music due to Joe Rogan’s presence on Spotify.
• Emily jokes that searching Renaissance polyphony will “confuse the algorithms.” (02:41)

3. Book Recommendations: Tastes, Pet Peeves, and Comfort Reads

Reading Habits & Genres (04:20)

• Amelia admits to reading or listening to a book a day—over 180 books checked out from the library recently.
• Both sisters avoid horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories that focus heavily on mental illness or sexual violence.
• Both prioritize competence “porn”—stories about skilled, expert protagonists.
• Preference for positive, happy endings and aversion to “billionaire romances” and cringey/farcical plots.

Quote:
“I just don’t want to read about that stuff...I also don’t like it when billionaires are good guys.” – Amelia (06:02)

• Pet peeve words in romance (e.g., “plunder” as a verb for kissing; “cup” as a verb for touching). (07:12–08:00)

Favorite Tropes

• "Wizard detectives" and stories with “experts” or hyper-competent characters.
• High value placed on "competence porn." (08:44–09:07)

4. Stand-Out Book Recommendations (10:10 onward)

Fantasy & Adventure

• The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
  • “Full of wizard detectives. Chock-a-block.” – Amelia (11:34)
  • Five books so far, with a planned 15-book series. Audiobooks are around 50 hours each.

Cozy Mysteries

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
  • Cozy mysteries featuring retirees; addresses aging but is highly enjoyable and re-listenable. Narrator changes mid-series due to original narrator’s passing. (11:37–12:39)

Romance: Favorite Authors & Series

• Alexis Hall: Favorites include “10 Things That Never Happened,” “Boyfriend Material,” and “Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble.” Most recommended for low-sex, high-comfort stories. (14:01–14:32)
• Laura Kinsale: “Flowers from the Storm” and “Lessons in French.” Noted for passionate, complex stories. (16:22–17:19)
• K.J. Charles: “Will Darling” and “The Magpie series”—both heavy on “wizard detectives” and competence. (19:33–21:12)
• Courtney Milan: Especially “The Duke Who Didn’t” and other historicals with diverse characters and guaranteed happy endings. (29:23–30:55)
• Abby Jimenez: Recommended for soft, positive depictions, especially autistic-coded protagonists in “Yours Truly.” (23:52–24:34)
• Alyssa Cole: “Royals” series praised for its therapy-positive resolutions. (27:42–28:49)
• Helena Greer: “Seasons of Love” for queer holiday romances. (27:20–27:41)
• Kimberly Lemming: “That Time I Got Drunk and…” series, praised for D&D vibes and sex-positive fun. (24:41–25:23)
• Misha Popp: “Pies Before Guys,” featuring magical pies and moral nuance, perfect for those who enjoy quirky vengeance with heart. (25:23–26:53)
• Cat Sebastian: Particularly for autistic-coded, nerdy heroines. (32:43–33:20)

Notable Rom-Coms and Escapist Reads

• Yahtzee Croshaw: For silly, fast-paced sci-fi reminiscent of Douglas Adams. (39:38–40:08)

Literary Fiction & Memoir

• I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell: “Awe of the ability of this writer…warm, tender feelings.” (34:13–35:19)
• Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman: Family drama that sticks emotionally. (35:19–36:11)
• Great by Emily St. James: Praised for its clever audiobook approach and nuanced emotional content. (36:16–37:14)
• Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan: High fantasy for villain fans, described as “really stood out.” (37:33–38:03)
• Dear Girls by Ali Wong: Hilarious, heartfelt, and features a touching postscript from Wong’s (now ex-) husband. (38:08–39:35)

5. Audiobook Narrators: The Unsung Heroes

• Nicholas Boulton: The gold standard for both Kinsale and Hall audiobooks.
• Julia Whelan: Versatile and engaging, now an author herself. (22:39–22:51)
• Mary Jane Wells: Greatest for “romance comedy,” “goes all the way with the funny.” (22:56–23:38)
• Cornell Collins: Reads the Will Darling series, similar in style to Steven Crossley. (22:09–22:24)

6. Video & Podcast Recommendations

Video Game Streamers

• DrGluon: Recommended for “watching someone play every game in the worst way possible”; “so wholesome and sweet and funny.” The community is positive and inclusive. (40:22–41:55)
• DrGluon’s journey from Twitch to YouTube due to ethical concerns with platforms, and insights about his distinctive voice and friendly demeanor. (42:06–60:16)
• Emily: “DrGluon...draws cute things.” (42:25)

YouTube & Podcasts

• Jessica Kellgren-Fozard: British YouTuber, “fills me with joy.” (41:29–42:55)
• We Rate Dogs (“The Dogs Were Good Again”): Podcast mixing wholesome dog content with occasional deep dives on animal/human welfare and current events. (43:42–44:55)
• Sister Boniface series (BritBox): “For being about solving murder mysteries, it's so charming. And the stakes are rarely much of anything at all.” (61:23–62:08)

Tabletop & Actual Play Shows

• Dropout.tv: Both subscribe, specifically for Game Changer and Dimension 20. (45:46–46:52)
• Dimension 20: Fast-paced, improv-heavy D&D with fantastic production value, inclusive storytelling, and a commitment to happy (and hilarious) endings. (46:52–47:42)
• Discussing the difference between Dimension 20 and Critical Role (slower pace, more voice acting than improv). (51:07–51:56)
• Emily’s favorite: “Starstruck Odyssey” (sci-fi anti-capitalist setting, wizard detectives). (49:50–50:24)
• Special mention of “Escape from the Bloodkeep” (LotR villains as protagonists), and learning to love Matt Mercer despite his “very 90s creepy” visual vibe. (53:42–54:58)
• Touching moments of non-toxic, affectionate male friendship and emotional vulnerability in these TTRPG circles. (56:03–57:00)

Quote:
“Thanks for listening to us talk for an hour about stuff we like—men who hug and say, I love you.” – Emily (57:00)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I love me some competence porn.” – Emily (08:57)
• "If a romance novel uses the word 'plunder' to describe a kiss, I'm out." – Amelia (07:12)
• "Alexis Hall is the first author I've read where sometimes you have to read the sex scenes because they're doing character development." – Amelia (17:40)
• "I just want to roll around in the good stuff." – Emily (66:09)

Timestamps Guide to Key Segments

• [01:17] – Burgundian Renaissance music recommendations
• [05:12] – “Qualifications” for book recommendations
• [07:12] – Words that turn them off in romance novels
• [10:10] – Stormlight Archive (Brandon Sanderson) praise
• [11:37] – Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman; cozy mystery)
• [14:01] – Alexis Hall: recommendations & audiobooks
• [19:33] – K.J. Charles: Will Darling and Magpie series
• [22:39] – Top audiobook narrators
• [23:52] – Additional contemporary romance recs
• [34:13] – Maggie O’Farrell’s “I Am, I Am, I Am”
• [39:38] – Yahtzee Croshaw for sci-fi/comedy audiobooks
• [40:22] – DrGluon and game streaming for comfort
• [43:55] – We Rate Dogs podcast
• [45:46] – Dropout/Dimension 20/actual play shows
• [49:50] – Starstruck Odyssey and anti-capitalist sci-fi D&D
• [53:42] – "Escape from the Bloodkeep" & TTRPG learning curves
• [56:03] – Celebrating non-toxic masculinity in D&D culture
• [61:23] – Sister Boniface (Britbox) for cozy mysteries

Episode Mood and Takeaways

The episode rings with joy–a blend of geeky delight, comfort, warmth, and a refusal to apologize for liking “easy endings.” It’s a love letter to escapist media and the friendships (real and fictional) that sustain us through fraught times. While Emily and Amelia differ in their favorites, they agree: embrace the things that make you feel safe, happy, and whole.

Final Thoughts

“If there wasn’t anything on this list that sounds good to you, we just have really different tastes…and that’s okay.” – Emily (64:04)

“In particular, the things that we enjoy tend to be things that are low stakes and, like, guaranteed happy ending.” – Amelia (64:23)

For Further Exploration

• Emily and Amelia’s recommendations are heavily focused on comfort, joy, and happy endings—perfect for anyone seeking media to decompress and soothe stress.
• Specific author, book, and show titles are scattered throughout the episode; check the timestamps for favorites.
• Audiobook narration quality is often discussed—try seeking these readers as a way to explore new genres.

Bottom line: If you need a permission slip to fill your queue with things that just make you happy—this episode is it.