Fat Is Not a Bad Word: Books

Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

5 Reasons To Read "Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love & Fashion"

Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls On Life, Love & Fashion came out earlier this year and continues to receive a plethora of positive press from within the fat community. If you haven't already got a copy, I urge you to rush to Amazon or your local bookstore. It's worth it, I promise!

Edited by Virgie Tovar and published by Seal Press, Hot & Heavy features incredible writers/fat activists, including Tasha Fierce, Kitty Stryker, April Flores (pictured on the cover) & lots more listed here.

Here are 5 reasons why you should read this anthology today:

1 The stories are genuine, authentic and raw. Written by real fat women with a variety of experiences, from illness to dieting to dancing and learning to love their bodies, every chapter is unique and engaging.

2 Virgie's piece, "Pecan Pie, Sex & Other Revolutionary Things" is my favourite, possibly because I relate to much of it and adore Virgie's writing style, but every chapter spoke to me in some way. I think you'll feel the same.

3 The book advocates "shedding shame instead of shedding pounds" [page 51]. We are more than our size or shape, our gender or sex, our skin colour or background. This is a powerful message.

4 The epilogue is full of inspiring, actionable ideas for fierce fat girls who want to love their bodies. A perfect way to end an incredible book

5 Explore the "About the Contributors" section at the back for even more fatspiration, including links to fat positive websites run by the contributors. Consider it hours of extra reading for free.

A copy of Hot & Heavy was provided to me by Seal Press in exchange for this blog post. This in no way affects my opinion of the book.

FBBI Podcast #1: You Are Good at Things

I've wanted to do a podcast for a while, and reading You Are Good At Things inspired me to record my very first. I hope you like it!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (& Wonderful Out of Print Tees!)

You know that saying, 'wear your heart on your sleeve'? Out of Print abides by a similar rule: wear your favourite book on your shirt!

Out of Print is a company that makes stylish tees and accessories printed with classic or out of print book covers. But the brilliance doesn't stop there. In their own words: "[As well as] spreading the joy of reading through our tees and accessories, we acknowledge that many parts of the world don’t have access to books at all. We are working to change that. For each product sold, one book is donated to a community in need through our partner Books For Africa".

So not only do you get to look good in a cool graphic tee; you get to feel good because you're supporting a great cause, too.

I've been a fan of Out of Print for a while, because I'm passionate about literacy and fashion, which are the two things Out of Print stands for. When they offered to send me a shirt in exchange for an article about their company, I jumped at the chance! I'm now the proud owner of a gorgeous, incredibly soft Wonderful Wizard of Oz tee, and the excited writer of a blog post about what's probably my new favourite company.

Wearing this shirt makes me awfully nostalgic about the first time I read the Oz books... So much so that I think I'm going to reread them! I also can't stop touching the fabric-- it's delightfully soft. And the cut of the shirt is very flattering. It's all-around awesome. I think you need one!

Want to celebrate the world’s great stories through fashion? Visit Out of Print.

Image Source: OutofPrintClothing.com

I never endorse companies/products which I'm not absolutely thrilled by. This post meets FTC guidelines.

Fresh: What I Wore 20.1.2012

It was a chilly afternoon, but I was full of excitement. Two of my very best friends (both since childhood!) were going to meet me for dinner downtown and we were going all out. I decided sparkles were absolutely necessary.

What I Wore:
Cardigan: Winners
Sparkly top: The Bay
Camisole: Old Navy
Pants: George Plus
Bag: Winners
Eyeliner: Annabelle
Lipgloss: Vinyl Gloss in Pin-up by Rimmel

We took the subway down to Spadina & Bloor, then walked a snowy block to Fresh. I'd never been before, but it was delicious.

Veggie burger with quinoa onion rings, veggies & kale slaw.

Delicious food is always best with wonderful company, as I was reminded during this meal.

My darling Tush amuses us while pouring drinks.

We had chocolate cake for dessert. It was scrumptious! Fresh's food is all vegetarian or vegan, but it's so incredible that even carnivores can enjoy it. That cake especially. mmmm!

We wandered down Bloor, chatting, snapping photos, having a fabulous time, until we found ourselves at a bookstore! Being total biliophiles, we went right on in!!

Chana poses in the humour section.

Finally, bags full of brand new paperbacks and magazines, we grabbed lattes and headed home.

But not before I posed for this picture!

All photos property of RebeccaEsther.com.

A Year of Books + Films

When I turned 19, I decided to record every book I read and film I watched for a year. The whole project made me more mindful of the media I consume every day + what interests me. I discovered a lot more about myself in the process, than I thought I would.

You'll find the lists below. I highly suggest that you try this too!