First off, Jackie apologizes for her voice; she had laryngitis/a cold and we simply had to record. So, if her voice doesn't annoy you too much...enjoy our discussion of books featuring body diversity and representation! Also, are you one of those who loves to hate to watch The Bachelor/Bachelorette? Let us know! Email us at Ragingromantics@gmail.com
Content Warning: Discussions of eating disorders, fatphobia, online trolls, and bullying
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) helpline
Books we discuss:
- King Sized by Jessa Kane
- Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorenson
- Joss suffers from transverse myelitis, a disease
- One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Terms:
- Body dysmorphia - When you have body dysmorphic disorder, you intensely focus on your appearance and body image, repeatedly checking the mirror, grooming or seeking reassurance, sometimes for many hours each day. Your perceived flaw and the repetitive behaviors cause you significant distress, and impact your ability to function in your daily life.
- Asexual - aka "ace", people who identify with this term may have little interest in having sex, even though most desire emotionally intimate relationships. Within the ace community there are many ways for people to identify.
- Aromantic - an orientation characterised by a lack of romantic attraction. While asexuality is a sexual orientation, aromanticism is a romantic orientation, and the two don’t necessarily correlate.
- Slow burn romance - refers to stories featuring characters who gradually and naturally fall in love or lust before beginning a romantic or sexual relationship.
Other people/sources
- Tess Holliday - plus-size model, blogger, and make-up artist based in Los Angeles. Find her on Instagram, Twitter, and facebook
- Smarty Pants Romance
- Penny Reid and the Winston Brothers
Other representative books we recommend:
- When She's Bold by Ruby Dixon (sci-fi)
- Devi's Distraction by Ruby Dixon (Ice Home #7, amputee hero)
- Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert (SO MUCH REPRESENTATION)
- ANYTHING by Olivia Dade
- Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (Castles Ever After #1, blind hero)
Sources:
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (helpguide.org)
- Eating Disorders in Men and Boys (NEDA.org)
Activity