Staff Picks
Broader Bookshelf 2026: Read a book that celebrates body positivity
Collection
Fulfill the "read a book that celebrates body positivity" prompt with these titles.
This list is part of the Broader Bookshelf 2026 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
For Keeps
Women Tell the Truth About Their Bodies, Growing Older, and Acceptance
Published in 2007
"We women often devote boundless effort to beauty and fitness, but usually by fighting our bodies rather than befriending them. So maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that when we face injury, illness, or old age, we are often devastated - in truth, we feel betrayed by our own bodies." "For Keeps is more than an acceptance of getting older - it's about accepting who you are, period. By turns hilarious and heartrending, moving and irreverent, this extraordinary collection chronicles the transformative potential of the body's wisdom. From adolescent awkwardness to eating disorders, mental illness to cancer diagnoses, twenty-seven gifted writers share their intimate stories of wrestling with their less-than-perfect bodies, a triumphant testament to the self-acceptance and peace available to us all."--BOOK JACKET.
The (other) F Word
A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce
Published in 2019
"The definitive collection of art, poetry, and prose, celebrating fat acceptance Chubby. Curvy. Fluffy. Plus-size. Thick. Fat. The time has come for fat people to tell their own stories. The (Other) F Word combines personal essays, prose, poetry, fashion tips, and art to create a relatable and attractive guide about body image and body positivity. This YA crossover anthology is meant for people of all sizes who desire to be seen and heard in a culture consumed by a narrow definition of beauty. By combining the talents of renowned fat YA and middle-grade authors, as well as fat influencers and creators, The (Other) F Word offers teen readers and activists of all ages a guide for navigating our world with confidence and courage."-- Provided by publisher.
The Unapologetic Fat Girl's Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts
Published in 2012
"This empowering exercise guide is big on attitude, giving plus-size women the motivation, support, and information they need to move their bodies and improve their health"--Provided by publisher.
Do What Feels Good
Recipes, Remedies, and Routines to Treat Your Body Right
Published in 2019
As a food lover, beauty product addict, exercise junkie, and wellness entrepreneur, Hannah Bronfman practically radiates confidence and health. But she'll be the first one to admit that the road to wellness and self-acceptance hasn't been easy. As a woman of color who grew up watching a close family member struggle with an eating disorder, Hannah's had to forge her own path and create her own standards of beauty. And what she's learned is this: Healthy is beautiful. And healthy should feel good. In Do What Feels Good, Hannah offers real talk about getting in touch with your body's needs, baring her soul and sharing her story along the way. Hannah provides insight on everything from gut health to nutrition to fitness to skincare, sharing insight from top experts on how to understand your body's unique chemistry so that you can fuel it with more of the things that feel good and less of the things that don't. And since delicious food is one of the things that makes everyone feel good, Hannah shares more than 50 of her favorite recipes for healthy hedonism (desserts and cocktails included!). Enlightening, empowering, and educational, this is an approach to wellness that is holistic, hedonistic, and real. Because self-care should not feel self-punishing, and every body deserves to feel good. -- Amazon.com.
My Big Bottom Blessing
How Hating My Body Led to Loving My Life
Published in 2012
Describes the author's lifelong struggle with self-esteem, and provides advice for overcoming it in order to reach one's full potential and achieve personal fulfillment.
About Betty's Boob
Published in 2018
"She lost her left breast, her job, and her guy. She does not know it yet, but this is the best day of her life. An inspiring and surprisingly comedic tale of loss and acceptance told largely through silent sequential narrative"--Back cover.
The Love Haters
Published in 2025
"It's a thin line between love and love-hating in the newest laugh out loud, all the feels rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center. Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past-now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole's request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie's not exactly qualified. She can't swim-but fakes it that she can. Plus: Cole is Hutch's brother. And they don't get along. Next stop paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two. Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue-along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last"-- Provided by publisher.
Physical Disobedience
An Unruly Guide to Health & Stamina for the Modern Feminist
Published in 2018
"Even as a wave of renewed feminism swells, too many women continue to starve, stuff, overwork, or neglect our bodies in pursuit of paper-thin ideals. "Fitness" has been co-opted by the beauty industry. We associate it with appearance when we should associate it with power. Grounded in advocacy with a rowdy, accessible spirit, Physical Disobedience asserts that denigrating our bodies is, in practice, an act of submission to inequality. But when we strengthen ourselves--taking broad command of our individual physicality--we reclaim our authority and build stamina for the literal work of activism: the protests, community service, and emotional resilience it takes to face the news and stay engaged. Physical Disobedience introduces a breathtaking new perspective on wellness by encouraging nonviolence toward our bodies, revitalizing them through diet and exercise, fashion and social media, alternative therapies, music, and motherhood. The goal is no longer to keep our bodies in check. The goal is to ignite them, to set them free, and have a mighty fine time doing it"-- Amazon.com.
Bet Me
Published in 2004
Agreeing not to pursue a relationship after one date, unlikely lovers Min Dobbs and Cal Morrisey are thrown together again in the wake of such factors as a jealous ex-boyfriend, a determined psychologist, and a bizarrely intelligent cat.
40-love
Published in 2020
"This match is no game. When a rogue wave strips Tess Dunn of her bikini top, desperate, half-naked times call for desperate, please-cover-me-kids-are-coming-closer measures. Enter Lucas Karlsson, AKA that flirty Swede in the water nearby. When he prevents her bare buoys from being exposed to fellow vacationers, even an ocean can't drown the sparks that fly. Lucas, a former top-level tennis pro now giving lessons at the resort, fled there after the abrupt, painful end to his injury-plagued career. But he's finally ready to move on with his life--and after a few late-night, hands-on sessions with Tess, he's eager to prove he's the ace she wants. But this match comes with challenges: She's forty, and at twenty-six, he's barely old enough to rent a car. Worse, they only have two weeks together before Tess returns to her assistant-principal life in Virginia. During that brief time, they'll have to play hard, take a few risks, and find out whether their chemistry is a one-shot wonder ... or whether they're meant to be doubles partners for life"--Back cover
At First Spite
Published in 2024
After her fiancé's brother convinces him to break up with her before the wedding, Athena Greydon moves into a ten-foot-wide Spite House between the two and engages in some well-deserved payback.
Ship Wrecked
A Novel
Published in 2022
"Maria's one-night stand -- the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note -- just reappeared. Apparently, Peter's her surly Gods of the Gates costar, and they're about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him...but he now wants nothing to do with her. Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won't sabotage his career for a woman who's already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends -- possibly even best friends -- but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her. For years, they don't touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don't have a future together, since Peter's going back to Hollywood and Maria's returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he's determined to change her mind, and he's spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting. His shipwrecked Swede doesn't stand a chance" -- From back cover.
Spoiler Alert
A Novel
Published in 2020
When her viral fan-fiction leads to a disastrous publicity-stunt date with her celebrity crush, a talented plus-sized writer discovers that the actor secretly writes his own popular fan-fiction against studio rules.
Ink in Water
An Illustrated Memoir
Published in 2017
"Lacy Davis's eating disorders begins with the germ of an idea: a seed of a thought that tells her she just isn't good enough. And like ink in water, the idea spreads. Blending bold humor, a healthy dose of self-deprecation, literary storytelling, and provocative artwork, Ink In Water is an unflinching, brutally honest look into Lacy"s mind as she learns to move past her self-destructive behaviors and toward a life of health, strength, and nourishment."--Back cover.
The F*ck It Diet
Eating Should Be Easy
Published in 2019
"A funny, edgy, comprehensive program for chronic dieters to help them escape the plague of diet culture, regain their personal power, and reboot their relationship with food, weight and self-worth. What's the one thing the $60-billion-dollar diet industry doesn't want you to know? Diets don't work. Our bodies are hardwired against them. But instead of wondering what's wrong with dieting, we wonder what's wrong with us. Diet programs earn billions because they make people believe they're food addicts, lazy and weak, and that losing weight is the key to the life they truly want. The F*ck It Diet is the anti-diet, designed for anyone who feels guilt or pain over food, weight, and their bodies. Caroline Dooner calls BS on the diet industry as she reveals the truth about weight bias, tackles the flawed approach inherent in dieting, and guides readers through the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of the journey from miserable food obsession to true food ease. Dooner encourages us to eat the things our bodies want, and to be happy being healthy at whatever weight that might be. The F*ck It Diet is the only diet that works because it tackles two things at once: the biological reality that dieting triggers the body's famine response, and the mental, emotional, and cultural reasons that we become obsessed with food. By taking diets off the cultural pedestal, Dooner contends, we can reclaim mealtimes as pleasure and nourishment instead of a misguided test of willpower. Feminist, counter-culture and empathetic, The F*ck It Diet is a fresh, irreverent, and empowering call-to-arms for everyone berating themselves over yesterday's donut. It's time to give up the shame and start eating to live--happily"-- Provided by publisher.
Cheeky
A Head-to-toe Memoir
Published in 2020
"The funny, exuberant, inspiring antidote to body shame-a full-color graphic memoir celebrating the imperfections of the author's female body in all its glory. Too tall. Too short. Too fat. Too thin. The message is everywhere-we need to pluck, wax, shrink, and hide ourselves, to not take up space, emotionally or literally; women are never "just right." Well, Ariella Elovic, feminist and illustrator extraordinaire, has had enough. In her full-color graphic memoir Cheeky, she takes an inspiring and exuberant head-to-toe look at her own body self-consciousness, and body part by body part, finds her way back to herself. How does Ariella learn not to see herself as a never-finished DIY project, but to accept and even love the physical attributes society taught her to hide? How does a mirror go from a "black hole of critique" to a "who's that girl" moment? Essential to her journey is her posse of girlfriends, her "yentas." Together, they discover that sharing "imperfections" and some of the gross and "unsightly" things our bodies produce can be a source of endless laughs and deep bonding. It helps to have a team with some outside perspectives to keep our inner bullies in check. Charming and hilarious, full of empathy and candor, and gorgeously illustrated, Cheeky aims to inspire women everywhere to embrace their bodies, flaws and all, and also their respective bodies' needs, desires, and inherent power"-- Provided by publisher.
Full of Myself
A Graphic Memoir About Body Image
Published in 2024
"Author and illustrator Siobhán Gallagher's humorous and heartfelt graphic memoir details her journey from being anxious and unhappy to learning to love herself as she is. "I'm proud of the person I've become because I fought to become her." At the age of 30, Siobhán Gallagher looks back on her teenage years struggling with anxiety and diet culture, desperate to become a beautiful, savvy, and slim adult. As an actual adult, she realizes she hasn't turned out the way she'd imagined, but through the hard work of self-reflection--cut with plenty of humor--Gallagher brings readers along on her journey to self-acceptance and self-love. Through witty comics and striking illustrations, Full of Myself is a highly relatable story of the awkward, imperfect, and hilariously honest teenage best friend readers will wish they had had--and the awkward, imperfect, and hilariously honest woman she becomes."--Publisher.
Fat Girl Walking
Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin...every Inch of It
Published in 2015
What We Don't Talk About when We Talk About Fat
Published in 2020
"From the creator of Your Fat Friend, an explosive indictment on the systemic and cultural issues facing plus-sized people that will move us toward creating an agenda for fat justice"-- Provided by publisher.
"You Just Need to Lose Weight"
And 19 Other Myths About Fat People
Published in 2023
"The co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast and creator of Your Fat Friend equips you with the facts to debunk common anti-fat myths and with tools to take action for fat justice"-- Provided by publisher.
What I Like About Me
Published in 2020
The Wedding Date
Published in 2018
"A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel. Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist. On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend. From the best man's toast to the bouquet toss, Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible. But before they know it, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other. They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want.."-- Provided by publisher.
While We Were Dating
Published in 2021
"Two people realize that it's no longer an act when they veer off-script in this sizzling romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory. Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him busy, family drama he's trying to ignore, and his advertising job to focus on. When Ben lands a huge ad campaign featuring movie star Anna Gardiner, however, it's hard to keep it purely professional. Anna is not just gorgeous and sexy, she's also down-to-earth and considerate, and he can't help flirting a little. . . . Anna Gardiner is on a mission: to make herself a household name, and this ad campaign will be a great distraction while she waits to hear if she's booked her next movie. However, she didn't expect Ben Stephens to be her biggest distraction. She knows mixing business with pleasure never works out, but why not indulge in a harmless flirtation? But their lighthearted banter takes a turn for the serious when Ben helps Anna with a family emergency, and they reveal truths about themselves to each other, truths they've barely shared with those closest to them. When the opportunity comes to turn their real-life fling into something more for the Hollywood spotlight, will Ben be content to play the background role in Anna's life and leave when the cameras stop rolling? Or could he be the leading man she needs to craft their own Hollywood ending?"-- Provided by publisher.
Happy Fat
Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You
Published in 2019
In Happy Fat, comedian Sofie Hagen shares how she removed fat-phobic influences from her daily life and found self-acceptance in a world where judgment and discrimination are rife. From shame and sex to airplane seats, love and getting stuck in public toilets, Sofie provides practical tips for readers--drawing wisdom from other Fat Liberation champions along the way. Part memoir, part social commentary, Happy Fat is a funny, angry and impassioned look at how taking up space in a culture that is desperate to reduce you can be radical, emboldening and life-changing.
Anti-diet
Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
Published in 2019
"68 percent of Americans have dieted at some point in their lives. But upwards of 90% of people who intentionally lose weight gain it back within five years. And as many as 66% of people who embark on weight-loss efforts end up gaining more weight than they lost. If dieting is so clearly ineffective, why are we so obsessed with it? The culprit is diet culture, a system of beliefs that equates thinness to health and moral virtue, promotes weight loss as a means of attaining higher status, and demonizes certain ways of eating while elevating others. It's sexist, racist, and classist, yet this way of thinking about food and bodies is so embedded in the fabric of our society that it can be hard to recognize. It masquerades as health, wellness, and fitness, and for some, it is all-consuming. In Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison takes on diet culture and the multi-billion-dollar industries that profit from it, exposing all the ways it robs people of their time, money, health, and happiness. It will turn what you think you know about health and wellness upside down, as Harrison explores the history of diet culture, how it's infiltrated the health and wellness world, how to recognize it in all its sneaky forms, and how letting go of efforts to lose weight or eat "perfectly" actually helps to improve people's health -- no matter their size. Drawing on scientific research, personal experience, and stories from patients and colleagues, Anti-Diet provides a radical alternative to diet culture, and helps readers reclaim their bodies, minds, and lives so they can focus on the things that truly matter."--Amazon.com
The Wellness Trap
Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses, and Find Your True Well-being
Published in 2023
""It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle." You've probably heard this phrase from any number of people in the wellness space. But as Christy Harrison reveals in her latest book, wellness culture promotes a standard of health that is often both unattainable and deeply harmful. Many people with chronic illness understandably feel dismissed or abandoned by the healthcare system and find solace in alternative medicine, as Harrison once did. Yet the wellness industry promotes practices that often cause even more damage than the conventional approaches they're meant to replace. Weaving together history, memoir, reporting, and practical advice, Harrison illuminates the harms of wellness culture while re-imagining our society's relationship with well-being"-- Provided by publisher.
Belly of the Beast
The Politics of Anti-fatness As Anti-blackness
Published in 2021
"An exploration of anti-fatness and anti-Blackness at the intersections of race, police violence, gender identity, fatness, and health"-- Provided by publisher.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown
Published in 2021
"Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong--so she's given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It's time for Eve to grow up and prove herself even though she's not entirely sure how. Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner is on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car supposedly by accident. Yeah, right. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she's infiltrated his work, his kitchen and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore and it's melting Jacob's frosty exterior."-- provided by publisher.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
A Novel
Published in 2020
"Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost--but not quite--dying, she's come up with seven directives to help her "Get a Life", and she's already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family's mansion. The next items? Enjoy a drunken night out. Ride a motorcycle. Go camping. Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex. Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage. And... do something bad. But it's not easy being bad, even when you've written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job. Redford 'Red' Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He's also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit. But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe's wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior.."-- Provided by publisher.
Take a Hint, Dani Brown
A Novel
Published in 2020
A young woman agrees to fake-date her friend after a video of him "rescuing" her from their office building goes viral.
Body Image
Because All Bodies Are Great Bodies
Published in 2021
"Too fat, too thin. Muffin top, flat bum, thunder thighs, spaghetti arms. From an early age, kids learn they are judged for how they look. Both boys and girls are bombarded with messages of what they should look like and are shamed for not measuring up. When kids encounter conflict based on stereotypes of body image, they need the understanding and the tools to deal with the situation and not let it damage their self-esteem. This book provides information, relatable situations and opportunities for kids to explore cultural standards, their own assumptions and those of others. This accessible illustrated book offers information, quizzes, comics and real-life situations to help kids think critically about body image, how it influences how others see them and how they see themselves. Considered from the viewpoints of the Internalizer, who suffers from body-image issues, the Influencer, who perpetuates negative stereotypes and standards of body image and the Witness, with conflicts around body image, this issue is identified, examined and put into a context kids can use to navigate issues of shaming and self-esteem."-- Provided by publisher
The Make-up Test
A Novel
Published in 2022
"One to Watch meets Beach Read in Jenny L. Howe's smart, swoony debut The Make-Up Test, in which two exes find themselves battling against each other-and their unresolved feelings-for a spot in a prestigious Ph.D. program.."-- Provided by publisher.
On the Plus Side
A Novel
Published in 2023
"Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That's why she's still a receptionist instead of exploring a career in art, why she lurks but never posts on the forums for her favorite makeover show, On the Plus Side, and why she's crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. When no one notices you, they can't reject you or insist you're too much. This plan is working perfectly until someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of On the Plus Side. Overwhelmed by the show's extremely extroverted hosts and how much time she'll have to spend on screen, she finds comfort in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. Soon Everly realizes that he's someone she doesn't mind being noticed by. In fact, she might even like it. But when their growing connection is caught on camera, it sends the show's ratings into a frenzy. Learning to embrace all of herself on national TV is hard enough; can Everly risk heartbreak with the whole world watching?"-- Provided by publisher.
Pretty Happy
Healthy Ways to Love Your Body
Published in 2016
"Actress and fitness icon Kate Hudson shares her insights to help every woman become healthy, strong, and beautiful from the inside out in this stunning, full color illustrated lifestyle guide.Kate Hudson is an award-winning actress and founder of the popular active wear line, Fabletics. Long admired for her natural beauty and dedication to wellness and living well, Kate offers readers inspiration for setting attainable goals to create balance in their lives. Her philosophy is straightforward: living healthfully is about simplicity, accessibility, positivity and throwing the idea of "perfection" out the window"-- Provided by publisher.
Women, Food, and Desire
Embrace Your Cravings, Make Peace with Food, Reclaim Your Body
Published in 2015
"A holistic health counselor and co-star of award-winning documentary Super Size Me explores women's cravings--for food, sleep, sex, movement, companionship, inspiration--and teaches them to listen to their bodies for a healthier, fuller life. Transformational health expert Alexandra Jamieson is a woman on a mission. Having overcome her own food addictions and the weight and health problems these habits caused, she learned something life-altering: when we listen to our cravings, they will lead us onto the path of deep healing. Since her own personal breakthrough more than a decade ago, Alexandra has dedicated her life to helping other women learn to listen to the wisdom of their cravings and make food their greatest ally as they step into their lives with authentic passion. In this powerfully feminine manifesto, Alexandra dares us to face our cravings head-on, to make the self-commitment to no longer hide out behind food, self-loathing, or the limiting expectations of others. With love, deep compassion, and fearless honesty, she calls upon all of us to boldly use food as a tool to cleanse ourselves of the nutritional, emotional, physical, and mental blocks that limit our ability to live full, meaningful, and joyful lives.
A Physical Education
How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting
Published in 2025
"A Physical Education traces Casey Johnston's journey of calorie restriction and obsessive cardio--making herself small in almost every way--to finding healing through the (unexpected) practice of lifting weights. As she progresses, carrying groceries and closing heavy doors become easier. As she diligently practices checking in with how she feels, she begins to question not only how she has treated her body, but how she sees herself and the world. This growth also fuels a deeper understanding: how the mainstream messaging she received about women's bodies has seeped into almost every other area of her life. Combining wit, rage, and a reporter's eye for detail, Johnston recounts how she learned the process of rupture, rest, and repair-not just within her cells and muscles, but within her spirit. A love letter to the science of female strength, this is a book for anyone who's ever longed to return home to their own body"-- Provided by publisher.
What's Eating Us
Women, Food, and the Epidemic of Body Anxiety
Published in 2023
"Blending personal narrative and investigative reporting, Emmy Award-winning journalist Cole Kazdin reveals that disordered eating is an epidemic crisis killing millions of women. Women of all ages struggle with disordered eating, preoccupation with food, and body anxiety. Journalist Cole Kazdin was one such woman, and she set out to see if the impossibility of her own full recovery from an eating disorder was all in her head. Interviewing women across the country as well as the world's most renowned researchers, she discovered that most people with eating disorders never receive treatment--the fact that she did made her one of the lucky ones. Kazdin takes us to the doorstep of the diet industry and research community, exposing the flawed systems that claim to be helping us, and revealing disordered eating for the crisis that it is: a mental illness with the second highest mortality rate (after opioid-related deaths) that no one wants to talk about. Along the way, she identifies new treatments not yet available to the general public, grass roots movements to correct racial disparities in care, and strategies for navigating true health while still living in a dysfunctional world. What would it feel like to be free? To feel gorgeous in your body, not ruminate about food, feel ease at meals, exercise with no regard for calories-burned? To never making a disparaging comment about your body again, even silently to yourself. Who can help us with this? We can. What's Eating Us is an urgent battle cry coupled with stories and strategies about what works and how to finally heal-for real"-- Provided by publisher.
Fat Off, Fat on
A Big Bitch Manifesto
Published in 2023
"Fat Off, Fat On: A Big Bitch Manifesto is cultural critic Clarkisha Kent's memoir of navigating the world as a fat, Black, queer woman"-- Provided by publisher.
The Body Liberation Project
How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom
Published in 2023
"An exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and specific exercises and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and revolutionary-body liberation"-- Provided by publisher.
Body Neutral
A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Body Image Issues
Published in 2023
"Longtime body image coach Jessi Kneeland has worked with hundreds of clients struggling with body obsession, anxiety, and hatred. Determined to ease their pain, Kneeland created a revolutionary method to neutralize body image distress by illuminating and addressing the underlying, hidden causes of suffering. Now, in their groundbreaking Body Neutral, Kneeland shares this radical system, inviting readers to identify themselves among four body image "avatars," or types, each one representing a different underlying cause: the self-objectifier, the high achiever, the outsider, and the runner. Kneeland then uses the avatars to guide readers through a step-by-step process for accepting their bodies and their innate worthiness as people."--Page 4 of cover.
How to Be Well
Navigating Our Self-care Epidemic, One Dubious Cure at a Time
Published in 2025
"A groundbreaking cultural, political, and personal exploration of the multi-billion dollar wellness industry and the ways it's shaping our thinking about health and self-care. Peleton. Pilates. Biohacking. Colonics. Ashweganda. Today, the wellness industry is a $3.7 trillion dollar behemoth that touches us all. In this urgently needed book, journalist Amy Larocca peels back the layers behind the movement and reckons with its promises and profits. How did we get here and how did the idea of wellness become integrated with women's lives? How to Be Well takes readers into the communities that swear by their activated charcoal toothpaste and green juice enemas, explaining what each of these practices really are--and what the science says. Larocca holds a magnifying glass to alternative medicine and nouveau lifestyle prescriptions, delivering an incisive assessment of how the wellness industry embodies our (gendered, class-based, racialized) perceptions of care and self-improvement, and how it preys upon our unshakeable fear of the unknown. She traces the history of how the beauty and fashion industries has peddled snake oil to women for decades--and why we keep coming back for more. A nuanced portrait of the weird world of wellness, How to Be Well lays bare the ways in which the simple notion of caring for oneself has become a seriously big business"-- Provided by publisher.
Fat, Crazy, and Tired
Tales from the Trenches of Transformation
Published in 2022
"When the Covid-19 pandemic first hit, many Americans coped with the impending crisis the only way they knew how: by stockpiling snacks by the pound and alcoholic beverages by the bulk, and binging Netflix and Hulu until their eyes bugged out. After dedicating years to improving his physical and mental health, media personality and podcast host Van Lathan Jr. soon found himself stuck in a similar boat-surrounded by carbs galore, non-stop exhaustion, and crippling waves of anxiety and depression. A formerly chubby kid who self-identified for much of his life as "the fat friend," Van has struggled with physical and mental health his entire life. He was used to being his besties' wing man on the dating scene, the slack bench-dweller at the gym, and his mother's biggest fan at every meal, especially whenever she served up her infamous mac and cheese with five different kinds of cheese. At 365 lbs, Van hated being fat, but more than anything, he hated himself for being fat. And so, he got to work on healing his anxiety and started shedding the extra weight. Before the pandemic struck, Van had successfully lost 85 pounds-only to gain much of it back during a year that decimated not just his health, but the health of Americans across the country. Fat, Crazy & Tired isn't just about Van's rollercoaster, ultimately unsuccessful journey to an Instagram-able body; it's about the unspoken personal battlefield of attaining and maintaining that good health. Unlike the self-help gurus that push you to go "all or nothing" and "keep it 100," Van argues for us to be happier and healthier at 50% without totally killing ourselves to get there. After all, Van nearly lost his life on what he deems "the Hood Atkins Diet" by indulging on bacon. He also explores the real reasons behind our unending physical and mental health battles-culture, family, and the baggage of life-and demonstrates how we can better understand our bodies by better understanding ourselves. Forget all those self-help books, diets-of-the-week, and extreme exercise fads. "Detox" cleanses? Weight loss pills? Celery juice? No, thank you. Instead, this book provides a close look at how to really take control of your health-in all areas-one step at a time, with patience, compassion, and a dose of humor. If you're DONE with feeling fat, crazy & tired-or you know someone else who is, well then, this book is for YOU"-- Provided by publisher.
Set on You
Published in 2022
"A gym nemesis pushes a fitness influencer to the max in Amy Lea's steamy debut romantic comedy. Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym - her place of power and positivity. Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents' engagement party. In the lead up to their grandparents' wedding, Crystal discovers there's a soft heart under Scott's muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, she just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength"-- Provided by publisher.
I'll Be the One
Published in 2020
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls can't dance. Shouldn't wear bright colors. Shouldn't call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering, intense world of K-pop, and to do that, she's about to break all the rules that society, the media, and ever her own mother have set for girls like her. When Skye nails her audition in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, she's immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn't count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean entertainment industry or her sudden media fame and scrutiny. Luckily, she doesn't have to go it alone. In the competition, Skye meets new friends and finds herself partnered with fellow competitor Henry Cho, an unfairly cute celebrity model. Sparks soon fly, and with the support of her friends and Henry, Skye sets her sights on becoming the world's first plus-size K-pop star--by winning the competition without losing herself. Lyla Lee's effervescent debut is a celebration of body positivity, first love, and a talented young woman claiming her space. -- From dust jacket.
Brave Love
Making Space for You to Be You
Published in 2018
Explains how the author found truth and wholeness after spending years pushing herself to be the perfect wife and perfect mother.
Ever After Always
Published in 2024
"Freya Bergman has spent a dozen years loving Aiden and never thought they'd find their marriage on the rocks. He's her partner and best friend, the person she knows she can count on most. Until one day Freya realizes the man she married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the growing distance between them becomes too much to bear. Aiden would spend a dozen lifetimes making his wife happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing he's not sure he can give her: a baby. With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, his anxiety is at an all-time high. They're drifting apart and he doesn't know how to change the tide. As if weathering marriage counseling wasn't enough, Freya and Aiden are thrown together for a Bergman family island getaway. Will this trip help them finally work through their trouble in paradise, or be the final wave that tows them under?"-- Provided by publisher.
Believe It
How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable
Published in 2021
"Shares the wild but true story of how a once struggling waitress turned her against-the-grain idea into an international bestselling sensation, eventually selling the company for over a billion dollars and becoming the first female CEO of a brand in L'Ore?al's 100+ year history. Faced with self-doubt, body-doubt, God-doubt, Jamie reveals how she almost didn't make it, how she learned to trust herself, and the powerful lessons you, too, can use to go from underestimated to unstoppable"-- Provided by publisher.
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
Published in 2021
Overweight sixteen-year-old Charlie yearned for her first kiss while her perfect best friend, Amelia, fell in love, so when she finally starts dating and learns the boy asked Amelia out first, she is devastated.
Wake Up, I'm Fat!
Published in 1999
Leg
The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew from It
Published in 2023
"A hilarious and poignant memoir grappling with family, disability, and coming of age in two closets--as a gay man and as a man living with cerebral palsy. Greg Marshall’s early years were pretty bizarre. Rewind the VHS tapes (this is the nineties) and you’ll see a lopsided teenager limping across a high school stage, or in a wheelchair after leg surgeries, pondering why he’s crushing on half of the Utah Jazz. Add to this home video footage a mom clacking away at her newspaper column between chemos, a dad with ALS, and a cast of foulmouthed siblings. Fast forward the tape and you’ll find Marshall happily settled into his life as a gay man only to discover he’s been living in another closet his whole life: He has cerebral palsy, a diagnosis that has been kept from him since birth. (His parents always told him he just had "tight tendons" and left it at that.) Here, in the hot mess of it all, lies Greg Marshall’s wellspring of wit and wisdom. Leg is an extraordinarily funny and insightful memoir from a daring new voice. Packed with outrageous stories of a singular childhood, it is also a startlingly original examination of what it means to transform when there are parts of yourself you can’t change, a moving portrait of a family in crisis, and a tale of resilience of spirit. In Marshall’s deft hands, we see a story both personal and universal--of being young and wanting the world, even when the world doesn’t feel like yours to want."--Amazon.com.
My Grandmother's Hands
Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
Published in 2017
"The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze, and it endures the trauma inflicted by the ills that plague society. In this groundbreaking work, therapist Resmaa Menakem examines the damage caused by racism in America from the perspective of body-centered psychology. He argues this destruction will continue until Americans learn to heal the generational anguish of white supremacy, which is deeply embedded in all our bodies. Our collective agony doesn't just affect African Americans. White Americans suffer their own secondary trauma as well. So do blue Americans -- our police. My Grandmother's Hands is a call to action for all of us to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body, and introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide."--Amazon.com.
Hello, Higher Self
An Outsider's Guide to Loving Yourself in a Tough World
Published in 2024
"Insecurities, inadequacies, self-doubt; we all have them, and never more so than in this age of media saturation and technical voyeurism. Enter Bunny Michael, an interdisciplinary artist whose work picks up where Alex Elle, Brené Brown, and Julia Cameron leave off. Bunny knows what it is firsthand to be an outsider: from trying to find their footing in an art world dictated by social media followers, to coming to terms with their queer identity, to dealing with the societal traumas they've inherited as a person of color in a society that privileges whiteness. It was at a real low point that Bunny first got in touch with their higher self--and ever since has been helping their followers do the same through their art and inspiring Instagram presence. Building from Bunny's viral memes, Hello Higher Self Is a self-care manifesto, calling on readers to radically shift their perspectives from the Learned Hierarchal Beliefs (LHBs) we've all internalized to the self-acceptance we were born into, aka our Higher Selves. This book shines a light into eighteen areas of life where LHBs often lurk--from creativity, to work, to relationships, to race, to sexual pleasure. Bunny's mix of meditative advice, written exercises, and personal examples make for a jaw-dropping read."-- provided by publisher.
Fat Girls Hiking
An Inclusive Guide to Getting Outdoors at Any Size or Ability
Published in 2022
"In the tradition of Workman's Every Body Yoga, we're bringing a proud, plus-sized, body-positive attitude to the world of hiking and outdoor recreation. Summer Michaud-Skog, founder of the Fat Girls Hiking community, offers a book brimming with heartfelt stories, practical advice, personal profiles of FGH community members, and trail reviews. It all serves to spread the Fat Girls Hiking message of inclusivity in the outdoors. Equal parts empowering and impassioned, personal and practical, this book adds an important voice to the conversation about diversity in the outdoors, raising visibility of hikers who have too long been marginalized. As the Fat Girls Hiking motto goes, "Trails Not Scales!""-- Provided by publisher.
It Was Me All Along
A Memoir
Published in 2015
All her life, Mitchell had eaten lustily and mindlessly. Food was her babysitter, her best friend, her confidant, and it provided a refuge from her fractured family. But when she stepped on the scale on her twentieth birthday and it registered a shocking 268 pounds, she knew she had to change the way she thought about food and herself: her life was at stake. She tells us how she discovered balance in an off-kilter world, finding beauty in acceptance and learning to love all parts of herself.
Brace for Impact
A Memoir
Published in 2022
"Gabe Montesanti grew up queer in a working-class, conservative Catholic family in the Midwest, where she was taught to prioritize strength and impenetrability over vulnerability and honesty. In this emotionally, physically, and spiritually abusive environment, she developed a severe eating disorder, never learned to trust herself, and lived in constant fear. As she enters graduate school, she vows to put the trauma of her past behind her and to learn to fully inhabit her body. She joins Arch Rival Roller Derby in St. Louis, one of the top-rated teams in the country, and instantly falls in love with the roughness, intensity, and roller derby's open embrace of people who are literally and figuratively scarred. Gabe soon finds community, safety, and a sense of belonging, reveling in the queer-friendly environment, the tattoos, glitter, and campiness. She chooses the derby name Joan of Spark, modeling herself after the fierce and independent Joan of Arc, to signify all the ways she's left behind the baggage of her childhood. But when Gabe suffers a catastrophic injury, her unresolved trauma catches up to her. In the aftermath of her accident, it becomes impossible to ignore how the physicality of roller derby mirrors the emotional violence of her upbringing. Gabe's arduous physical recovery is matched only by the painful process of beginning to heal her emotional wounds. Forced to reckon with her past, she must decide if she can be Joan of Spark off the track, too--skating into a bolder, truer future"-- Provided by publisher.
If the Shoe Fits
Published in 2021
"In this modern-retelling of Cinderella, plus-size Cindy dreams of becoming a shoe designer. But when a spot opens up on her stepmother's famous reality dating TV competition, Cindy is thrust into the spotlight in ways she never thought possible"-- Provided by publisher.
Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up
Published in 2023
Mickey Chambers is an adjunct instructor with a meager summer class schedule and too many medical bills, courtesy of her chronic illness. Picking up a bartending gig seems perfect. Sure, Mickey' never done this before, but the grumpy bar owner, Diego Acosta, might be the perfect man to teach the teacher... if he wasn't so stressed. Diego is worried he's running his late wife's bar into the ground. Add the pressures of returning to college part-time at forty-two, and it's no wonder he's making rash decisions. When he finds out that Mickey is the teacher of his online writing course, it's a complication neither was expecting. As Mickey starts reenergizing The Saloon with cocktails, karaoke and an optimism even Diego can't ignore, they struggle to keep things professional. But all it takes is one sip, one kiss, to shake both their worlds forever. - adapted from back cover
Juliet Takes a Breath
Published in 2020
"Juliet, a self-identified queer, Bronx-born Puerto Rican-American, comes out to her family to disastrous results the night before flying to Portland to intern with her feminist author icon--whom Juliet soon realizes has a problematic definition of feminism that excludes women of color"-- Provided by publisher.
Everything's Trash, but It's Okay
Published in 2018
"From New York Times bestselling author and star of 2 Dope Queens, Phoebe Robinson, comes a new, hilarious, and timely essay collection on gender, race, dating, and a world that seems to always be a self-starting Dumpster fire. Wouldn't it be great if life came with an instruction manual? Of course, but like access to Michael B. Jordan's house, none of us are getting any. Thankfully, Phoebe Robinson is ready to share everything she's experienced in hopes that if you can laugh at her topsy-turvy life, you can laugh at your own. Written in her trademark unfiltered and singularly witty style, Robinson's latest essay collection is a call to arms. She tackles a wide range of topics, such as giving feminism a tough love talk in hopes it can become more intersectional; telling society's beauty standards to kick rocks; and demanding that toxic masculinity close its mouth and legs (enough with the manspreading already!), and get out of the way so true progress can happen"-- Provided by publisher.
Hairlooms
The Untangled Truth About Loving Your Natural Hair and Beauty
Published in 2017
"Words have power, and those that Black women often use to describe their hair are derogatory: nappy, steel wool, out of control. They often personally inherit these terms and pass them along without even realizing the crushing effects these words have on their feelings about the person they see in the mirror. While many books on the market address the practical ways of styling Afro-textured hair naturally, Hairlooms asks: Why is it so difficult for Black women to embrace their hair? and How can Black women overcome the multi-layered challenge of embracing their natural hair and beauty? Author Michele Tapp Roseman helps readers answer these questions for themselves, to write a new story that they can pass along, "--Amazon.com.
Living with Your Body & Other Things You Hate
How to Let Go of Your Struggle with Body Image Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Published in 2013
"Let's be honest: most people are unhappy with at least some aspect of their physical appearance. Just think of all the money we spend each year trying to improve our looks! But if worrying about your appearance is getting in the way of living, maybe it's time to start thinking about body image in a completely new way. Based in proven-effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Living with Your Body and Other Things You Hate offers a unique approach to addressing your struggle with body image. In this book, you will not be told that your self-perceptions are wrong, that your thoughts are irrational, or that your feelings are misguided. Instead, you will learn to live with the reality that these often painful thoughts and beliefs about yourself will arise from time to time, and that what is really important is accepting these distressing thoughts without allowing them to dominate your life. You know what it's like to constantly be checking the mirror, to avoid certain social situations where your body may be exposed, or to gaze longingly at a fashion model in a magazine and think, "Why can't I be her?" But what you may not know is that people who struggle with negative body image are at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. Body image problems can even lead to major financial issues. By focusing on your appearance and little else, you are hurting yourself in more ways than one. If you are ready to find a purpose in life that is more important than the pain you feel about your appearance, this book provides a truthful, powerful resource"-- Provided by publisher.
Body Kindness
Transform Your Health from the Inside Out, and Never Say Diet Again
Published in 2016
"Imagine a graph with two lines. One indicates happiness, the other tracks how you feel about your body. If you're like millions of people, the lines do not intersect. But what if they did? This practical, inspirational, and visually lively book shows you how to create a healthier and happier life by treating yourself with compassion rather than shame. It shows the way to a sense of well-being attained by understanding how to love, connect, and care for yourself--and that includes your mind as well as your body"-- Provided by publisher.
The Eating Instinct
Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America
Published in 2018
Visiting kitchen tables around America, this timely volume explores today's toxic food culture, telling the stories of those who are struggling with food issues and providing insight into how to feel good about food.
Fat Talk
Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture
Published in 2023
"By the time they reach kindergarten, most kids have learned that "fat" is bad. As they get older, kids learn to pursue thinness in order to survive in a world that ties our body size to our value. Multibillion-dollar industries thrive on consumers believing that we don't want to be fat. Our weight-centric medical system pushes "weight loss" as a prescription, while ignoring social determinants of health and reinforcing negative stereotypes about the motives and morals of people in larger bodies. And parents today, having themselves grown up in the confusion of modern diet culture, worry equally about the risks of our kids caring too much about being "thin" and about what happens if our kids are fat. Sole-Smith shows how the reverberations of this messaging and social pressures on young bodies continue well into adulthood--and what we can do to fight them. Fat Talk argues for a reclaiming of "fat," which is not synonymous with "unhealthy," "inactive," or "lazy." Talking to researchers and activists, as well as parents and kids across a broad swath of the country, Sole-Smith lays bare how America's focus on solving the "childhood obesity epidemic" has perpetuated a second crisis of disordered eating and body hatred for kids of all sizes. She exposes our society's internalized fatphobia and elucidates how and why we need to stop "preventing obesity" and start supporting kids in the bodies they have. Continuing conversations started by works like Girls & Sex, Under Pressure, and Essential Labor, Fat Talk is a stirring, deeply researched, and groundbreaking book that will help parents learn to reckon with their own body biases, identify diet culture messaging, and ultimately empower their kids to navigate this challenging landscape. Sole-Smith offers an alternative framework for parenting around food and bodies, and a way for us all to work toward a more weight-inclusive world--because it's not our kids, or their bodies, who need fixing"-- Provided by publisher.
Yoke
My Yoga of Self-acceptance
Published in 2021
"Remember Jessamyn Stanley? How could you not? She's the proudly fat, Black, queer yoga teacher and charismatic author of Every Body Yoga, who drops a lot more f-bombs than namastes and refuses to pray at the church of Lululemon. Now she's back, here to take us even further on a personal and provocative journey into what it means to "practice yoga." Where Every Body Yoga, with 59,000 copies in print, taught us how to do yoga, Yoke tells us why. In Yoke, which draws its name from a literal translation of the Sanskrit root "yuj," from which the word "yoga" derives, Jessamyn writes about what she calls the yoga of the everyday-a yoga that is not just about poses but about applying the hard lessons we learn on the mat to the even harder daily project of living. This yoga of the everyday is about finding within life's toughest moments the same flexibility, strength, grounding energy, and core awareness found in a headstand or Tadasana or cobra pose. In a series of deeply honest, funny, gritty, thoughtful, and largely autobiographical essays, Yoke explores issues of self-love, body-positivity, race, sex and sexuality, cannabis, and more, all through the lens of an authentic yoga practice. Every reader is invited to find this authentic spirit of yoga in their own lives and practice. To yoke"-- Provided by publisher.
Sitting Pretty
The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body
Published in 2020
"From disability advocate with a PhD in disability studies and creative nonfiction, and creator of the Instagram account @ sitting pretty, an essay collection based on a lifetime of experiences in a paralyzed body, tackling themes of identity, accessibility, bodies, and representation"-- Provided by publisher.
The Body is Not an Apology
The Power of Radical Self-love
Published in 2018
"Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies. The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world--for us all"--Amazon.com.
Your Body is a Revolution
Healing Our Relationships with Our Bodies, Each Other, and the Earth
Published in 2023
"Embodiment coach Tara Teng helps us untangle ourselves from centuries of body-based oppression built into our societal systems or masquerading as religion. When we embrace our relationship with our bodies, we come into alignment with all things: ourselves, each other, the earth, and our spirituality. When we embrace ourselves, we can take back what society says is too much--too loud, too feminine, too masculine, too gay, too worldly, too unique. Now is the time to journey back to our bodies and to celebrate our whole selves"-- Provided by publisher.
I Do It with the Lights on
And 10 More Discoveries on the Road to a Blissfully Shame-free Life
Published in 2016
Strong is the New Beautiful
Embrace Your Natural Beauty, Eat Clean, and Harness Your Power
Published in 2016
Dietland
Published in 2015
"A fresh and provocative debut novel about a reclusive young woman saving up for weight loss surgery when she gets drawn into a shadowy feminist guerilla group called "Jennifer"--equal parts Bridget Jones's Diary and Fight Club"-- Provided by publisher.
The Summer Place
A Novel
Published in 2022
At her stepdaughter's wedding day to her pandemic boyfriend--the last gathering at the family's beach house in Cape Cod--Sarah is faced with lovers being revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings, and secrets, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same.
That Summer
A Novel
Published in 2021
"Daisy Shoemaker can't sleep. With a thriving cooking business, full schedule of volunteer work, and a beautiful home in the Philadelphia suburbs, she should be content. But her teenage daughter can be a handful, her husband can be distant, her work can feel trivial, and she has lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Still, Daisy knows she's got it good. So why is she up all night?While Daisy tries to identify the root of her dissatisfaction, she's also receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own. While Daisy's driving carpools, Diana is chairing meetings. While Daisy's making dinner, Diana's making plans to reorganize corporations. Diana's glamorous, sophisticated, single-lady life is miles away from Daisy's simpler existence. When an apology leads to an invitation, the two women meet and become friends. But, as they get closer, we learn that their connection was not completely accidental. Who IS this other woman, and what does she want with Daisy?"--Publisher.
Shrill
Notes from a Loud Woman
Published in 2016
"Presents a series of essays by the American writer and comedian, dealing with issues of body image, popular culture, feminism, and social justice,"--NoveList.
Feeling Good About the Way You Look
A Program for Overcoming Body Image Problems
Published in 2006
"In a society where a blemish or "bad hair" can ruin an otherwise perfect day, and airbrushed abs dominate the magazine rack, many of us feel ashamed of our bodies.
It's Always Been Ours
Rewriting the Story of Black Women's Bodies
Published in 2023
A dietitian, storyteller, and community organizer offers a cultural discussion of body image, food, health and wellness by focusing on the bodies of Black women and how our culture's obsession with thin, white women reinforces racist ideas and ideals.