I don’t read nearly as much as I would like to. When I do pick up a new read, it’s often times a body positive book. I first learned about body positivity online. Many of those who I admire online have also written body positive books that can really help you go so much deeper into your study of body positivity.
What is body positivity?
Believe it or not, body positivity is a movement that has been around for centuries. It dates back to 19th Century Victorian Feminism. The 21st century, and the universality of social media, has brought its third wave.
Body positivity is all about celebrating and being proud of the size, shape, color, and imperfections of our bodies. Not in spite of those things, but because of them. Body positivity at its core should be about fighting for the rights of those in the most marginalized bodies.
In this post, I offer 6 must-read body-positive books that empower readers to kick fatphobia in the face!
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| Sonya Renee Taylor | 2018
Sonya Renee Taylor is an activist known for her work in radical self love. In this book, Taylor passionately works to unpack and dismantle the systems of oppression that perpetuate the shame women have of their own bodies. This book works to reach the root cause of shame. Like the title suggests, it works to help the reader see that a larger body is not something to apologize for.
| Jes Baker | 2015
Jes Baker is a body-positive blogger (The Militant Baker) known for her very criticizing Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffrieâs many sexist comments. In Things, Baker offers research-based insight combined with her own personal experience to help readers build a strong sense of self and develop pride in their bodies.
| Charlotte Cooper | 1999
Charlotte Cooper outlines fat rights in America and explains how fatphobia and the fear of obesity affects all women. It not only oppresses fat women but also incites fear and discrimination from those who are not fat. Cooper shares the stories of fat women as they describe their experiences with discrimination.
| Leah Vernon | 2019
In Unashamed, Leah Vernon tells the tumultuous story of her childhood and adolescence living in poverty with a passionate mother and absent father, and being a fat, black, Muslim girl. Her childhood and her parents’ nasty divorce left her with a love/hate relationship with beauty. Her experience also led her to unapologetically love herself. Through her work, Vernon slashes the myth of what a Muslim woman should look like and act like. Seeing her body as a symbol of rebellion, she inspires readers to live unapologetically.
| Jes Baker | 2018
Landwhale is another body positive book by Jes Baker. In her deeply personal and unapologetic memoir, she describes her experiences growing up to now dating as a fat woman. This piece will leave you laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time!
| Sofie Hagan | Release Date: April 4, 2020.
Sofie Hagan is a prolific writer and podcaster, hilarious comedian, , and fat activist, and someone everyone should hear from.
In Happy Fat, a half-memoir half-guidebook, Hagan adds a pinch of self-deprecation to her confident and reassuring voice in hopes of helping other women with appreciate their own bodies and eliminate fatphobia from their own daily lives.
I hope you have at least found one book to add your list. You can find more over on our Masterlist! If you have other books that are absolute must-reads, share them with us below!
Happy Reading!