OvaryActive14 Aug 2025

Ep 22 | Best Books for Perimenopause & Midlife Women: Hot Flashes & Page Turners

If perimenopause has turned your brain to mush and your patience to vapor, fear not—we've got your next reading list and your next excuse to hide in a closet with a book.

In this episode of OvaryActive, Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Dr. Amy Voedisch tackle the hot topic of hot flashes and paperbacks, reminding us that reading is not just fundamental—it's survival.

These two brilliant minds dive into why reading is a legit form of self-care during perimenopause––wine and doomscrolling can only take you so far. From brain health and stress reduction to reconnecting with yourself when your hormones have ghosted you, they make the case for curling up with a good book—no matter the genre.

You'll get recs for everything from practical guides like The Menopause Manifesto and The Vagina Bible, to erotica that might just make your estrogen do a double take. Plus, empowering fiction, spicy sci-fi, feminist fantasy, and memoirs that scream "same, girl, same."

Tune in to fill your TBR pile and your soul. Share this episode and start a book club!

What you'll hear in this episode:

[0:34] Reading is fundamental

[2:54] Reading instead of scrolling

[5:20] Book Recs: Women's health, perimenopause, and sexual health

[19:04] Book Recs: Erotica, romance, & beach reads

[24:47] Book Recs: Throwbacks, perimenopause fiction, hot "flush", & fun fiction

[37:26] Fun Reads from Rebecca: Sci-fi and fantasy

[42:20] Fun reads from Amy: Historical fiction, light reads, murder mysteries

[47:23] Final thoughts

Follow the show @OvaryActive Instagram | YouTube

Meet the Docs:

More information about Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su:

Gennev: www.gennev.com/clinician/dr-rebecca-dunsmoor-su

LinkedIn @rebecca-dunsmoor-su

More information about Dr. Amy Voedisch:

Stanford Medical Clinic: stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/v/amy-voedisch.html

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Episoder(42)

Ep 41 | Brain Docs, Part 2: Migraines, Hormones, & Perimenopause

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Ep 40 | Brain Docs, Part 1: Brain Fog, Dementia Fears, & Perimenopause

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Ep 39 | Weird Symptoms of Perimenopause

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Ep 37 | When Its NOT Peri: Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (FHA) with Chrisandra Shufelt, MD

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Ep 36 | When It's NOT Peri: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

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12 Mar 42min

Ep 35 | When It's NOT Peri: Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

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26 Feb 40min

Ep 34 | Heart Disease and Perimenopause: The Risk Factors We're Missing

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