Read, Shake, Appreciate #17

Welcome to Read, Shake, Appreciate! This is your fortnightly round-up of words that made me feel inspired, songs that made me shake my ass, and people who I think deserve some spotlight.

This week I’m reading:

Dietland by Sarai Walker

Dietland was probably the first novel I read with a fat protagonist and a storyline grounded in body liberation and feminism. I recommended it to everyone and was so pumped when it become a TV series. Last week I decided to take it off the shelf, bracing myself for it to not have necessarily aged all too well (all the body related movements have grown so much in the last handful of years). Turns out, it’s still fucking brilliant. And I would still recommend it to just about everyone (here I am, doing exactly that!).

This book gives a real and nuanced portrayal of fatphobia and the journey of recognising it, healing from it and leaving it behind in a culture that’s still swimming in misogynistic beauty standards. The parts about mental health are so astute in places that I put the book down and said “damn” out loud. It’s also still entertaining as heck. Is it perfect according to the most progressive body politics around? Course not. Is it worth (re)reading? Absolutely.

This week I’m shaking to:

Smile by Eugene King

“Smile, baby smile, you’re doing better than you think, you’re right where you’re meant to be so don’t overthink”

Reminder that you can find my playlist with all songs recommended so far here!

This week I’m appreciating:

Wednesday Holmes @hellomynameiswednesday

Wednesday's art has been such a consistent, colourful and compassionate addition to my IG timeline for years now. Reassuring mental health messages + beautiful art + a lovely human who occasionally pops up in a selfie with their adorable pup, Olive. Can’t lose with that follow. 💜

That's all my loves! Go easy this weekend - you're allowed to let go of what's been weighing you down during the week and rest. 🌱