Grab the Lapels

Help Me Decide! A Blogger’s Request <3

I agree, friends: it’s been way too long since I reviewed a book from my fat reads quest list. When I did the big #20BooksofSummer challenge, I think I got a little off track. I was worried that I would overwhelm readers with too many reviews of books that look at positive fat representation, and in the process I did myself a disservice. To get back on track, I picked up a YA book I purchased for the quest, hoping it would be a speedy, maybe easy, read. I’ll share that review on Monday.everything beautiful

Although I’m occasionally adding a book to the list, I really went nuts at the end of December 2016 and early January 2017 coming up with a list of as many books as I could that sounded fat positive — and I bought every single one that wasn’t available at my library! A lot of recommendations came from blogger friends like you, but I also read through Goodreads lists and blogs. I was surprised by how many books eroticize fat women. Cool, right? Except not, because fat women aren’t around to fulfill fetish desires. There are books with ridiculous titles like The Beast Loves Curves (Oh, FFS, ammirite??) and Big Girl’s Do It Better (actually, they do it how it makes them happy, just like everyone else) and Vet’s Desire (is the author comparing the woman to an animal? Is the vet into sex with animals?? I’m so confused…).

horrified

What I want from you, now, is your vote — to help me make some decisions. The books I bought with positive fat representation (yes, there are some sexy ones, no they are not all sexy) are in all kinds of genres. My review of the Aussie YA novel Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell will be published Monday, but what should I pick up next??

Voting ends in a week. Thanks for being part of my reading selection process!

Published by Grab the Lapels

I'm a graduate of the MFA fiction writing program at the University of Notre Dame, which inspired me to follow along with trends in teaching, publishing, and reviewing. I also have an MA and BS from Central Michigan University. I used to teach composition, creative writing, and literature in higher education, then did a brief stint at a civic theater, followed by two years at a references desk at a public library. I'm now working toward my ASL Interpreter license.

20 comments

  5. I voted for literary too, but I was tempted to go for sci-fi. It’s easy to get into the frame of mind where you’re reading for the blog audience rather than yourself, isn’t it? I’m making a determined effort to stop doing that… and yes, I am losing followers as a result… *shrugs* Oh, well!

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  6. Ooh, I voted for action, because I don’t read much action (even though I like it), and also because when I encounter well-written fat protagonists it’s almost always in literary fiction.

    I know it’s not the focus of GtL, but I was wondering if you’d come across any well-written fiction with fat male protagonists in your quest? The friend I find myself talking about these issues with most is a man, and I’ve become much more aware of the way men’s bodies are written about as a result.

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    • The a new book I haven’t read yet called Eat Only When You’re Hungry by Lindsay Hunter, though I don’t know if it’s a positive representation of fat men. I’ve read a few that weren’t so flattering and some in which the man is like “I don’t need to be fat!” and he does a weight lifting montage and gets ripped (which is not how you look when you go from fat to muscular).

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  7. I’ve gone for Literary too because that’s what I like to read, so therefore I like to read reviews in this area, though my second choice would have been crime. I don’t read much crime but it can be so gritty, and is such a popular genre, I’d love to see a positive presentation there.

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  9. This is brilliant. I love the idea of polling for some help! I get stuck myself sometimes. Particularly when I FINALLY have a chance to read what I want* to for once! I hope that no matter what you come up with some great books. I can’t wait to see what wins!

    *I am always reading what I want to, I just don’t often get to select the books myself or feel like I’m reading with freedom due to self-imposed deadlines and reading lists from book clubs, ARCs, buddy reads, etc. etc. etc. I love all the reading I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

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