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Why I’ve Had Trouble Buying Hollywood’s Version Of Girl Power
I get the desire to take comfort in cheerful stories of women’s triumph, from Ocean's 8 to On the Basis of Sex. But in 2018, I haven’t found them very comforting.
The Best Romance Novels Of 2018, According To One Of The Best Romance Writers
Romance writer Alyssa Cole on the books that gave her all the chemistry, banter, tension, and feels that she's looking for.
15 Stories That Show What's Changed And What Hasn't For People Who Have Said #MeToo
These BuzzFeed News stories show how the rise of the #MeToo movement has changed the US — and how far we still have to go.
2018 Wore Me The Hell Out
I am usually energized by arguing, by getting aggressive, by putting a name or a face to an enemy, online or otherwise. Not this year.
The Secret Of Miles City: How A Friend Request Shattered A Small Town’s Innocence
A high school athletic trainer claimed his unorthodox treatments would change players’ lives. Dozens of victims say school officials, including one who’s now a state lawmaker, kept “Doc’s” secrets.
12 Accomplished Authors Give Their Book Recommendations
Each month this year, we asked writers like Meg Wolitzer, Tayari Jones, and Sloane Crosley what they’ve been reading. Here are their picks.
These Are The Best Nonfiction Books Of 2018
Our favorite memoirs, essay collections, and reporting from the year, presented in no particular order.
The Rise, Lean, And Fall Of Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg
The reality of Silicon Valley is that it’s commerce by any means necessary. And the reality of Sandberg is that she’s excellent at it.
The Teen Rom-Com Was Reborn In 2018
This year’s breakout teen movies, like To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Love, Simon, reglamorized old tropes for a new audience.
These Are The 11 Best Movies Of 2018
This year was bad, but at least the movies were good. Here are my favorites.
I’m Tired Of Looking At All These Bad Wigs On Black Actors
From The Walking Dead to True Detective, this year was replete with bad wigs that suggested a casual disregard for black people’s interiority.
Glennon Doyle Is Trying To Wake Up White Women. Is It Working?
The author, activist, and former mommy blogger has been encouraging her mostly white fans to speak up and empower themselves. What happens when her new advice is to shut up, listen, and let women of color lead the way?
Natasha Trethewey Wants America To Have A Personal Reckoning
The Pulitzer Prize–winning, former US poet laureate’s new collection, Monument, feels timely, but she’s been reckoning with America’s sins for decades.
This Is The Best Fiction Of 2018
Our favorite novels and short story collections, presented in no particular order.
Book Excerpt: What Do You Do When Your Sister Keeps Murdering Her Boyfriends?
In this excerpt from Oyinkan Braithwaite’s novel My Sister, the Serial Killer, Korede starts to suspect that her sister Ayoola isn’t the victim she claims to be.
The “Sweet Valley High” Twins Were Monsters. I Still Love Them.
When I was a teenager, Francine Pascal’s iconic series was an escape to a destination that I already knew my way around.
Tumblr Has Closed The Door To Users Who Don’t Have Many Places Left To Go
With the end of adult content on Tumblr, people whose identity, sexuality, or interests fall outside the mainstream have lost one more online space to find ourselves.
This '80s PBS Show Made It Cool To Love Math
The best kids’ TV activates something that becomes an orienting beacon for the rest of our lives. That’s what the math show Square One did for me.
"7th Heaven" Duped Me Into Believing In A Christian Family Fantasy
Growing up, 7th Heaven offered me wholesome Christian comfort. But then I saw myself in queer shows like South of Nowhere, in which the Christian grown-ups weren’t saviors.
“You’ve Got Mail” Made The Internet Seem Nice
The 1998 rom-com believed that the internet could be used for something beautiful.
Like Everyone Else In The Aughts, I Loved Norah Jones
Reviewers dismissed Jones’ first two albums as Starbucks music, but there’s no denying how popular they were.
This Month’s BuzzFeed Book Club Pick Is “The Friend” By Sigrid Nunez. Read An Excerpt Here.
In this excerpt from The Friend, the protagonist recalls teaching a writing workshop at a center for victims of human trafficking.
Poetry: "Brooklyn, Ocean Avenue. 2006"
"So here I am / lying next to my husband, / children tucked into their bunks, / divorce papers nesting / in a printer on 138th"
These Novels Prove That Women Make Fascinating Fictional Killers, Too
Women's rage is in the spotlight in three of 2018's most thrilling novels: Megan Abbott's Give Me Your Hand, Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer, and Adrienne Celt's Invitation to a Bonfire.
Bon Appétit’s Test Kitchen Chefs Are The Only YouTube Stars I Care About
I may never get better at cooking, but I will follow these chefs to the ends of the earth.
The Only Good Political Movies This Year Are About An 18th-Century Queen And Joseph Stalin
The Favourite and The Death of Stalin are dark historical comedies that work as funhouse mirrors, reflecting back warped shapes that look a little more recognizable than we'd like.
35 Books Librarians Have Recently Loved
Romance, biography, manga, and so much more.
Why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram Is So Good
She embodies this surrealist thing of, like, “WHAT IF…you were elected to Congress? What would happen next? What would you do?”
How My Brother Survived The Camp Fire
My brother lives in Paradise, California. For five hours on November 8, while wildfire devoured the town, I had no idea if he was alive or dead.
HBO’s “My Brilliant Friend” Shows The Life-And-Death Stakes Of Elena Ferrante’s Novel
As a reader, it’s easy to gloss over the violence and chaos in Ferrante’s story of two girls growing up in mid-century Naples. Onscreen, it’s much more urgent.
