Body Positivity and Plus Size Heroines in Fiction Today: A Guest Post by Alex Stewart
I’m on maternity leave! During this time, a few of my favorite authors offered to step up and write guest posts so that this blog would remain active while I adjust to my new role as a mother. I may also be a bit slower to respond. Thanks for understanding and for being so supportive of me, my family, and my blog. Want to donate a few dollars to keep this blog running or perhaps contribute to my diaper fund? You can do so on Venmo or Paypal.
Body Positivity and Plus Size Heroines in Fiction Today: A Guest Post by Alex Stewart
I was so honored when Ashley asked me to write a guest blog post during her maternity leave! Since my content is mostly centered around body positivity and showing other plus size women that they can live their best lives in a plus size body that I would share some of my favorite books that center around plus size heroines. Finding books that didn't focus on a woman's weight as a negative thing or in the context of dieting was difficult until the last few years when a lot of writers started writing some plus size heroines who could find love without us ever mentioning their weight or if they did it wasn't that they found love after they lost weight.
I have been reading chick lit type books ever since high school (class of '03 eek!) and my memories of most of these types of books were that women with curves were either the cheeky best friend or loved a man from afar until they lost weight and then won the man over, so seeing books like the ones I mention below has been so life changing for me to see myself as a woman who could be loved and find love. It shouldn't be a unique concept, yet it is!
Even if you aren't plus size, I think these books are just well written and great fun and somewhat educational about what it feels like to be in a plus size body in this day and age.
Body Positivity and Plus Size Heroines in Fiction Today: A Guest Post by Alex Stewart
One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London
It should be zero surprise that my first recommendation is a book about a plus size fashion blogger who has an obsession with the hit reality show Main Squeeze (think The Bachelor vibes). Yea, this one hit a little too close to home! The premise is that Bea Schumacher gets a little tipsy one night after watching her favorite reality show and goes on a Twitter rampage about body diveristy and represenation on the show. The next morning she wakes up to tons of retweets, responses and tons more followers than she had before agreeing with her! And one very interesting phone call from the producers themselves asking her to be the next Bachelorette for lack of better term. She accepts and it's a wild ride after that. This book tackles all the issues that plus size women deal with when dating in the real world - wondering if people like you for you or just your body, feeling insecure once in a realationship that they might not like you for your body, and other things that I think most fat women have experienced. I liked that the character had to come to terms with a lot of her own personal insecurities during the show to come out the other side. I found it incredibly powerful and relatable and thought the concept was super fun to read.
Body Positivity and Plus Size Heroines in Fiction Today: A Guest Post by Alex Stewart
The Brown Sister Series by Talia Hibbert
Talia Hibbert is one of my current favorite writers. All her characters are so well developed and interesting. I got introduced to her through the Brown Sister series. The Brown Sisters are three incredibly close and uniquely different women who each get their dedicated book about their personal love lives. The first book in the series is Get a Life, Chloe Brown which just happens to be my favorite in the series. It follows Chloe, the eldest sister, as she moves out her family's home to gain more independence. Chloe has chronic pain and fatigue issues which are explored throughout the book and in relation to her potential love interest who is the handyman at her new apartment complex. I love that all the characters have true issues they have to work through in each book. It makes them more real and relatable which is sometimes hard to find in a romance type book. I also love these books because while the sisters are described as curvy it's not their main character trait and is rarely mentioned thereafter. These books are just books about women finding love, and those women happen to be plus size. You can start anywhere in the series and it will still be easy to follow, but I liked Chloe's story the best!
Body Positivity and Plus Size Heroines in Fiction Today: A Guest Post by Alex Stewart
Dumpling by Julie Murphy
Ok, so this one isn't EXACTLY a romance novel, but it is a story that involves a puppy dog first relationship so I am counting it as one. Dumplin' is about high school student Willowdean Dickson, also known as Dumplin' so nicknamed by her former beauty queen mom. She self identifies as fat and is proud of it and her self confidence is honestly impressive. She joins the Miss Clover City pageant to show her town that anyone can win the title even someone who isn't what society might consider a standard beauty queen. Enter: Private School Bo. A former jock, Willowdean doesn't expect him to find her attractive like she does him and when he shows interest her normal confidence gets shaken. The story follows her through her journey through discovering self confidence within and outside of society's standards. I love this book specfiially because it tackles the large topic of being confident in your own skin, but still finding it hard to think someone could love you because society has told us larger bodies aren't deserving of it. They also made the book into a Netflix movie with Jennifer Aniston as the mom! I loved the book more, but just an FYI!
If you liked my recommendations and want to learn more about me and my mission, you can learn more about me at www.sassyconfetti.com. I am on Instagram, TikTok, and blog every once and while! I also love cheesy Hallmark movies, the Chicago food scene, traveling, and plus size fashion.
Body Positivity and Plus Size Heroines in Fiction Today: A Guest Post by Alex Stewart
