Author: Karla J. Strand

Dr. Karla J. Strand is a feminist librarian, writer, historian and educator dedicated to providing knowledge, information services, research assistance, and somatic trauma-informed guidance in her areas of specialty to fight misinformation, anti-intellectualism and injustice with an emphasis on building curiosity, empathy, self-awareness and empowerment. Follow her on socials @karlajstrand.

October 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us

Each month, Ms. provides readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.

I love autumn in the Midwest. It’s cooler, the leaves are turning and change is in the air. I also love reading horror and watching scary movies at this time of year, so you know I’ve included a couple spooky stories this month—and a couple nonfiction titles I think are particularly terrifying.

There’s memoir and history, stories and essays. Even the scariest are packaged in lovingly written prose that educates and entertains. And there’s a first: I don’t think I’ve ever featured the new releases of both a mother and a daughter in a single month. So there’s that. 

With further ado, here are the 13 titles I’ve chosen for the month. Read, reflect, learn, enjoy, resist and repeat.

September 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us

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! 

This month, it’s back to school and back to heavy book-publishing schedules. I can’t wait for you to check out the 15 other books I’m recommending this month. So get to it.  

August 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us

Each month, Ms. rounds up some of the most exciting new books by writers from historically marginalized communities—authors whose work too often gets overlooked in a publishing landscape still dominated by white, cisgender, heterosexual men. The hope is not only to amplify these voices and the independent presses championing them, but also to encourage readers to seek them out, whether by buying, borrowing or recommending them.

This August’s list grew beyond the usual 10 selections because there were simply too many remarkable books to leave behind. From novels in translation and groundbreaking histories to feminist resistance, gender, incarceration and contemporary fiction, these 15 titles offer fresh perspectives, unforgettable storytelling and urgent ideas.

Whether you’re looking for literary fiction, political analysis or thought-provoking nonfiction, there’s something here to add to your late-summer reading stack.

July 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us

Each month, Ms. provides readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.

Dear feminist reader friends, I don’t ask you for much. But now, I want to hear from you. 

Do you prefer more titles with less descriptive summaries? Or fewer titles with more thoughtful annotations? Is there anything else I can do to improve the columns? 

If I don’t hear from you, I will just keep on keepin’ on, but I’d prefer to give you what you want. So, go to my website and use my contact form to send me some feedback, please!

And until next month, I hope you enjoy these 10 titles as much as I did.

June 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us

Each month, Ms. provides readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.

Happy June! Happy Pride! Happy Caribbean-American Heritage Month! Happy summer!

Wherever you are and however you spend your month, I hope you are able to slow down, rest and enjoy life with a good book. 

Reads for the Rest of Us: The Best Poetry of 2025 and 2026

and

Happy April, and Happy National Poetry Month. Since my dormant love of poetry was reignited, I’ve found it so refreshing and inspiring to read beautiful collections each year and share them with you.

In 2021, I tried something a bit different with the poetry list: Instead of the usual blurb, I focused my thoughts about each collection into three words. Readers responded so well to it that I decided to keep doing it. Sometimes the words are nouns, sometimes verbs, sometimes adjectives—and I may have just made up some words too. The words I choose are always inspired by the collection and often taken directly from it. Sometimes I try to be clever, other times straightforward and you can tell I love my alliteration. Since I find it challenging to be succinct, this is a valuable exercise in imagination, reflection and, well, restraint. 

I hope you find some collections that will have you reflecting on how poetry moves you, challenges you and represents you.  

February 2026 Reads for the Rest of Us

and

Each month, Ms. provides readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.

There are hundreds of books being released every month, and it is challenging to narrow down the titles to a manageable list of 20-ish. I pride myself on finding the hidden gems—the ones you may not hear about otherwise. That means that I sometimes forgo some of the most buzzy books for ones that haven’t gotten as much publicity, even though they deserve it.  

So all that said, here is February’s list of 28 books. It was one of those months where it was tough to decide—enjoy the extra titles!