The 2023 Body Liberation Gift Guide
Plus other cute stuff that Virginia and Corinne are giving (to ourselves and others) this year.
I know, I know you have received 900 gift guides already! But I’m an atheist who unapologetically loves Christmas, and a Suburban Mom, so holiday shopping is pretty much my Super Bowl. And while I realize those are absolutely not everyone’s identities here, capitalism provides so many reasons to buy gifts at this time of year! And maybe that process would be a lot more fun if those gifts happened to be at least loosely body liberation-aligned? (And one of them is the world’s best toilet seat? Keep reading!)
The Burnt Toast Bookshop is here for you.
We’ve got a curated list of book gift recs for everyone on your list, whether they are a hardcore fat lib activist or your mom who is body positive-curious but also keeps re-downloading Noom.
All of these links go, of course, to Split Rock Books, my local indie and purveyors of the BT bookshop, which for this holiday season is both online and a shelf in their brick and mortar store—Hudson Valley readers, take note!
As always, if you buy (or have bought) Fat Talk from them, you can take 10 percent off your order with the code FATTALK.
OR you can get 10 percent off if you buy any 3 titles in our gift guide—just use the code TREAT at checkout.
For Your Preschooler Who Just Called A Lady in the Grocery Store “Fat”
Big by Vashti Harrison (signed copies available!)
One to read and reread because the spare text and stunning illustrations are doing so much. And here’s Vashti on the podcast.
Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder
A joyful celebration of every kind of body diversity, size very much included. And here’s Tyler on the podcast.
Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl
Cheers to gorgeous fat rep that never makes that the plot, because Hazel is a little too busy managing a whole enchanted forest. (Plus maybe you need Phoebe’s Gnome Wall Calendar?) Here’s Phoebe on the podcast.
For Your Angsty Tween Who Is Starting to Feel Weird About Swimsuits
A nice stack of Crystal Maldonado novels because we can’t choose between Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, No Filter and Other Lies, and The Fall of Whit Rivera. (Here’s Crystal’s first appearance on the pod, and stay tuned for more Crystal next week!)
Dear Sweetpea by Julie Murphy
Cheers to a fat protagonist whose storyline doesn’t center exclusively on her weight. Also a great read for kids navigating separation and divorce.
For Your Cool Teen Who Already Listens to Maintenance Phase
Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital by Elise Hu
Because they watch all those makeup TikToks but also want to deconstruct some beauty standards. Yes, you could wrap this with a Sephora gift card and not feel conflicted about it. (Here’s Elise on the podcast.)
Big Girl: A Novel by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
An unforgettable coming of age story exploring queerness, gentrification, and Black girls in diet culture. Also, are you even raising Gen Z right if they don’t learn to appreciate 90s hip hop. (Here’s Mecca on the podcast.)
Phoebe’s Diary because Phoebe Wahl truly works for all demos. This recipient probably also needs this sticker, or maybe this one.
The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King
To be clear, this book is not YA. But Chrissy weaves her personal experiences growing up Black and in a bigger body into her breakdown of diet culture, anti-fatness and white supremacy in a way that the youths will relate to, especially if they’ve gotten into fitness culture and maybe want to get the hell out. Plus she’s got amazing style and a really good Instagram! (Here’s Chrissy on the podcast.)
For Your Best Friend Who Needs to Get Into Feminist Romance Already
Every book in the Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert, or at the very least start her off with Get A Life, Chloe Brown. 10/10, no notes, the fem-rom by which all others are measured.
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Haven’t read yet but going to endorse anyway because Julie Murphy + plus size adult film star protagonist + holiday theme! Enough said.
For Any Mom Who Is Trying To Be Less Diet-y (and Still Needs to Cook Dinner)
Dinnertime SOS by Amy Palanjian
Truly not biased even though she’s my best friend — but the approach to dinner in this book is low-key life-changing. Here’s Amy on the podcast.
Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food by Julia Turshen
For a super special gift, pair this one with one of Julia’s virtual cooking classes (I’ll be co-cooking with her on January 14!) or even a 5 pack so they can try a bunch. (Here’s Julia on the podcast.)
For Your Dad Who Keeps Saying He “Needs To Get Back In Shape”
Slow AF Run Club by Martinus Evans
Because it’s packed with practical advice and strategies and makes it clear that running is for every body. (Here’s Martinus on the podcast.)
For Anyone Who Needs a Starting Point
You Just Need to Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon
Nobody breaks it down—or better arms you for that holiday conversation with your uncle who thinks he understands the ob*sity epidemic—than Aubrey. (Here she is on the pod and on the pod again.)
Reclaiming Body Trust: A Path to Healing and Liberation by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant
There are a lot of books that promise to help you work on your relationship with your body. Reclaiming Body Trust helps us put our personal body struggles into the larger framework, to understand how our struggles fit into the systems of oppression we all live under. (Here are Hilary and Dana on the podcast.)
For Everyone On Your List
But especially any parent, teacher, coach or person who cares about raising kids with body autonomy!
Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture
For anyone who has thought, “I want this kid to love their body. I don’t want them to diet or get an eating disorder. But I also just don’t want them to be fat.” (Here’s Chapter 1, and here’s everything else Fat Talk-related.)
The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image and Guilt in America
Where it all began! A nuanced exploration of how diet culture gets baked into every meal, and every food struggle—plus my own story of helping my baby learn to eat again.
Signed copies of both my books are available exclusively through Split Rock Books; just make a note in the order comments if you’d like me to personalize this for your gift recipient (or you!).
The Gift of Good Email (and Podcasts!)
For $15, any mom or mom-adjacent person in your life will be delighted to get
, my new mini-podcast, co-hosted by about the intersection of motherhood, public performance, and bodies.For $5 for a month, or $50 for the whole year, a gift subscription to
gets your recipient behind every paywall and into our whole world: Ask Virginia, Indulgence Gospel episodes, podcast bonus content, and our delightful Friday Thread chats with several thousand new best friends.For a gold star gift: Give them Extra Butter for $120, and they’ll get all of the above (Cult of Perfect too!) plus even more bonus content.
Now Here’s Some Cute Stuff Virginia and Corinne Love Even Though They Aren’t Books
They also aren’t strictly about body liberation, though many are (fat art lovers, get ready!) and for the rest, we think it’s implied. You’ll also get Virginia’s current East Fork obsession and Corinne’s incredible underwear find, and maybe those are gifts for you to give yourself?
