naturallybgrace's reviews
17 reviews

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings

challenging informative slow-paced

5.0

Incredibly thorough, well descriptive and information driven. The origins of anti-fat thought, believes, policies and action is traced to anti-Blackness through the years.

Quotes—
“…the current anti-fat bias in the United States and in much of the West was not born in the medical field. Racial scientific literature since at least the eighteenth century has claimed that fatness was ‘savage’ and ‘black.”

“The legacy of Protestant moralism and race science as it related to fat and thin persons loomed large. Indeed, many early to mid-twentieth-century physicians relied on moral and racial logics to rail against persons deemed too fat or too thin. But over time, a growing number did so specifically, and exclusively, to condemn fatness.”

“…Revealing race to be the missing element in many of these analysis’ indeed the racial discourse of fatness as coarse, immortal, black and other, not only denigrated Black women but it also served as the driver for the creation of slenderness as the proper form of embodiment for elite white christian women. In other words the fear of the black body was integral to the creation of the slender aesthetic amount fashioned white Americans.”

Content Warnings

Decolonizing Wellness by Dalia Kinsey

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

This is the exact book I needed to listen to at this time. While being direct and gentle Dalia Kinsey, shares truth about our bodies, our history, our cultures, our lifestyles and how journey towards liberation. The book includes reflective journaling prompts that are great starting points for discovery. I cannot recommend this enough.

// Listened to on Hoopla

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

Go to review page

emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A honest and funny quick read! It starts of hot and heavy, throughout the book you’ll laugh and maybe cry, but mostly nod your head. Would read again, already recommending to others!

Quotes I jotted down…

But maybe you should question the people who taught you this version of God. Because it's not doing you any favors.

Don't ask me to repent because I regret nothing. You can't save me because I'm not in peril.

Communion: The Female Search for Love by bell hooks

Go to review page

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

4.25

Another hit by the brilliant bell hooks. Very insightful read and a great follow up to all about love. My only note is bell heavily relies on binary language. Her thoughts and writings could easily be reframed with perhaps more frequently used “modern” terms like femme and masculine people. She also centers on heteronormative love often, but she does acknowledge this.

All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

brilliant. a must read for every person. bell hooks’ work is a treasure for us all, all about love is merely the beginning. “when we are loving we openly and honestly express care, affection, responsibility, respect, commitment, and trust.”

Content Warnings

Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

are you cold? don’t you think it’s strange that to warm yourself is to basically touch the body with the temperature of it’s marrow…

a beautiful read. stirs reflection in various areas of one’s life. the author is truly gifted with words & storytelling. it felt like an honor to read this title.

Content Warnings