10 Books To Help You Love Your Body

Here's the deal: Our bodies are so much more than aesthetics. They do so much for us, most of which we aren't even aware of. And yet, we may often find ourselves wishing they were different: smaller, bigger, lighter, darker, more able, smoother, softer, prettier... And it's not our fault really. For years, we have been conditioned to focus on how we look, not on who we are, to compare ourselves to filtered versions of others, to be 'beach body ready', to believe that we are less than because of the number on the scale. And we're tired of it.

When we created The List, this was a huge part of our mission: To fight against diet culture. To show people that they are more than their bodies. To show that everybody in every body is unique and special and worth celebrating. And to play a small part in helping people learn to love and accept themselves once again... and that's why we've revisited and expanded this list of books to help you love your body with the team at the Guille-Allès Library.

 

TW: This article contains mentions of eating disorders and disordered eating.

 

1.  Fat Talk: Coming of Age in a Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith

We live in a world designed to make us hate our bodies. By the time children start school, most have learned that 'fat' is bad. As they get older, many pursue thinness to survive in a society that ties their value to their size. Parents worry both about the risks of their kids fixating on unrealistic beauty standards - and about them becoming fat. Meanwhile, multibillion-dollar industries thrive on our insecurities. 'Fat Talk' is a deeply researched book that will transform the conversation about health and size, laying bare how diet culture has perpetuated a crisis of disordered eating and body hatred.

Borrow here.

 

2.  Body Neutral: A Revolutionary Guide To Overcoming Body Image Issues, by Jessi Kneeland

Have you ever thought that if only you could change the way you looked, your life would be better? It's so easy to imagine that by changing the outside of our bodies, we'd feel better on the inside. But we all know that body image issues are never just about the body: they're always about something deeper inside. Longtime personal trainer and coach Jessi Kneeland has seen hundreds of clients achieve their fitness goals but still feel trapped in a web of anxiety, obsession and dysmorphia. Searching for a solution, Kneeland set out on a quest to discover what it truly takes to help people understand, process and heal their body image issues for good.

Borrow here.

 

3.  Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

Inspirational thought-leader Brene Brown offers a powerful new vision that encourages us to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly, and to courageously engage in our lives. Appearance and body image feature as core areas of vulnerability, in a world where putting ourselves out there means there's a far greater risk of being criticized - but surely there is nothin more hurtful than standing standing on the outside of our lives looking in. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen.

Borrow here.

 

4.  Positivity Is Our Superpower by Malin Andersson

Body positivity activist Malin Andersson shares how she unlocked her inner strength to overcome trauma and find healing - and how you, too, can turn setbacks into strengths. She has inspired thousands with her honesty, resilience and sassy sense of humour, speaking openly about her experiences with her mental health and body image. In this book, she shares how to deal with negative people, find your purpose and take back control of your life.

Borrow here.

 

5.  Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West

"Women are told, from birth, that it's our job to be small: physically small, small in our presence, and small in our impact on the world. We're supposed to spend our lives passive, quiet and hungry. I want to obliterate that expectation..." In Shrill, Lindy recounts how she went from being the butt of people's jokes, to telling her own brand of jokes - ones that carry with them a serious message and aren't told at someone else's expense. 

Borrow here.

 

6.  Am I Ugly? by Michelle Elman

A captivating and deeply personal memoir that describes Michelle’s childhood experiences of life-threatening health problems that left her scarred, both mentally and physically. The narrative follows her journey as she deals with her body confidence issues to embrace both her scars and her body – and help others do the same. Michelle gave a talk at the Library a few years ago: "Her honest, life-affirming story of discovering strength and beauty at the end of struggle is both inspirational and uplifting."

Borrow here.

 

7.  Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Part inspiration, part memoir, Untamed explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet the expectations of the world, and instead dare to listen to and trust in the voice deep inside us. From the beloved New York Times bestselling author, speaker and activist Glennon Doyle, if it wasn't on your 'to read' list before, this is your sign to borrow it now.

Borrow here.

 

8.  Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given

For too long we have internalised the belief that our bodies are things to be looked at - instead of lived in. This book helps women uncover the sense of awe and wonder that has been buried by the layers of shame, perfectionism and self-objectification that get piled on us by the patriarchy. It unpacks the many barriers women face when trying to access joy so that they can discover the delicious life that's theirs for the taking.

Borrow here.

 

9.  Ugly: Giving Us Back Our Beauty Standards by Anita Bhagwandas

We've all had those moments. The ones where you look in the mirror and nothing feels ok looking back at you. For Anita Bhagwandas, this started when she was a child growing up in South Wales, and it created an enduring internal torment about her looks. We're encouraged to obsess over our body and go to any length to change it, but we're also ordered to 'just love ourselves' from every corner of the internet. But what if there was another way out of the beauty myth? In 'Ugly', Anita uncovers where these beauty standards started.

Borrow here.

 

10.  One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London

This fictional read follows Bea Schumacher, a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger with amazing friends, thousands of Insta followers and a broken heart, as she indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show 'Main Squeeze.' But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show, so when she is asked to be it's next star she agrees, and soon finds herself in a whirlwind of couture, sexy suitors and a messy love affair.

Borrow here.