I am a little late to The Guncle party (2021) by Steven Rowley, but better late than never, although I do have mixed feelings about it, primarily because of the anti-fat bias throughout. Patrick, who was an actor in a popular sitcom, lives alone in his Palm Springs house and hasn’t worked for several years.Continue reading “The Guncle”
Tag Archives: contemporary fiction
Catalina
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (publication day July 23, 2024) is a novel about an undocumented young woman from Ecuador, Catalina, who was brought to the United States at 5 years old to live with her grandparents in Queens, and goes to Harvard. I think some people will absolutely love it. Catalina is a smartass,Continue reading “Catalina”
The Poet X
The Poet X (2018) by Elizabeth Acevedo is an award-winning YA novel-in-verse that just blew me away. The audiobook is narrated by the author, which I especially loved, as you hear the pacing and intonation as she intended. Xiomara (pronounced See-oh-MAH-ruh) lives in Harlem with her parents and twin brother. They are 15 and Dominican,Continue reading “The Poet X”
Tell It to Me Singing
Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramírez (publication date 7/9/2024) takes its title from a Cuban and Dominican greeting “dímelo cantando” which translates directly as “tell it to me singing” but means “tell me everything!” It is a fitting title for this book that reads like a telenovela with unexpected twists and turns. AsContinue reading “Tell It to Me Singing”
Maame
Maame (2023) by Jessica George was on my TBR list as soon as I read the description, and I was not disappointed. 25-year old Maddie is Ghanaian and lives with her father in the London area. He has Parkinson’s and she is is primary caregiver, along with a home health worker that comes in mostContinue reading “Maame”
The Make-Up Test
The Make-Up Test (2022), by Jenny Howe, is a fat-positive, second chance romance set in the fraught world of the Academy. It’s filled with dogs, geeky medieval literature references, impostor syndrome and extreme competitiveness, and a difficult parental relationship that included a lot of anti-fatness. And the best part is how Howe describes the mainContinue reading “The Make-Up Test”
Bodies to Die For
I have mixed feelings about Bodies to Die For (publication date June 11, 2024) by Lori Brand. Many of the characters live their lives as fitness influencers, tracking every gram of carbs they eat every day, terrified of becoming fat. Gemma is the main character, and she is a former fat person, now a fitnessContinue reading “Bodies to Die For”
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Darius the Great is Not Okay (2018) by Adib Khorram is a sweet YA coming-of-age book about depression, tea, Star Trek, family, and embracing all of the different sides of oneself. Darius is a fractional Persian–his mother is Persian and his father is American. He is a high-schooler in the Pacific Northwest with his parentsContinue reading “Darius the Great is Not Okay”
Housemates
I was beyond excited to read Housemates (pub. Date May 28, 2024) by Emma Copley Eisenberg because she writes the Substack Frump Feelings, where in 2023 she wrote about anti-fat bias in books. I was not disappointed. Eisenberg herself, at ElectricLit, described Housemates as “about falling in romantic love and art love with your housemateContinue reading “Housemates”
Such a Fun Age
Such a Fun Age (2020) by Kiley Reid was recommended to me a long time ago, so I finally listened to it, and was mostly impressed by the author’s work, and infuriated with the white characters. Reid introduces us to Emira, a 20-something black woman who is a little adrift after college, not sure whatContinue reading “Such a Fun Age”
Reading While Fat 