I was already emotional when I read the introduction of this anthology. I should have taken that as a sign that this book will truly have an impact on me, not just as a reader but also as a fat person myself.

Every Body Shines managed to hurt me and comfort me at the same time. It’s an anthology that spans across various genres, featuring a diverse cast, celebrating body diversity and fat acceptance. Throughout these stories, we see fat people face fatphobia and a lot of it (and please be careful, as it can be jarring). However, we also see them challenge other people and their prejudice, build confidence for themselves, and start to live their lives the way they want it. Reading these different stories was heartbreaking, and moving, and beautiful.

Guilt Trip by Claire Kann – This was really fun and nice! I loved that we see fat people singing, dancing, and being fashionable in this story. I also loved that family, even though not by blood, was highlighted here.

Shatter by Cassandra Newbould – This was really interesting! I love the blend of science fiction and drama, plus it was really symbolic in its own way. The sapphic characters and the subtle sapphic romance were also a nice addition.

Prom Queers by Alex Gino – Oh, this was so beautiful and so precious. I loved the nonbinary rep, and how this story showed how gendered our clothes are (which really shouldn’t be). This also highlighted how hard it is to find clothes that make us look and feel fabulous and we can work on that.

Dupatta Diaries by Nafiza Azad – This one hit hard. This one really hit close to home. It was hard for me to read this story, but at the same time it was necessary and affirming. The way family is our own enemy, the one who berates us the most about our weight.

Food is Love by Chris Baron – Oh, I wanted more of this! I love how food is the main theme here, and how the main character is trying to make new memories and start a new despite not-so-great memories from the past. There was pain in this story, and yet there was also hope.

Orion’s Star by Catherine Adel West – This was really precious. I love how it focused on family relationships and dreams, and how sometimes we have to work and put in an effort to achieve both.

Weightless by Sheena Boekweg – This has to be my favorite in this anthology! This was so cute, and precious, and otherworldly. The character development was awesome, the science fiction and math part was so cool (I can’t believe this made math cool for me!), and the subtle romance made it all fit together. I also loved how this just showed that fat people are more than just their weight, that they deserve to be everywhere they want to be, that their worth and their talent and skills have nothing to do with being fat.

Outside Pitch by Kelly deVos – This one was odd in its own way, but somehow still a very enjoyable and cute read about taking chances.

Filling the Net by Monique Gray Smith – I adored reading this one. Loved that the focus was a family coming together, even after grieving. And that fat, Asian girls also excel in sports so wonderfully.

A Perfect Fit by Jennifer Yen – This was really emotional. And probably hard to read. It’s a story that represents many fat girls and how we’re subjected to fatphobic comments even from our own family. That said, it was great to see the main character grow and overcome each and every unnecessary comment from other people.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire by Rebecca Sky – This was really fun, despite tackling a touchy subject at first. Still, family and sportsmanship were main themes here, which was great!

Letters to Charlie Brown by Francina Simone – This had such a unique writing style and story telling technique. Told through letters to the fictional character, this was an interesting story. One that showed the innocence of the main character, and how she navigated childhood and pre-teens.

Love spells and lavender lattes by Amanda Lovelace – Well, this was interesting as well. The setting can be a bit confusing, but this took me on a small journey of love and magic.

Breathe You In by Hillary Monahan – Oh, this was brilliant! The Little Mermaid retelling with a dark, exciting twist? I loved it!

Unpleasant Surprises by Linda Camacho – This was an interesting one. Love that friendship and family were the main themes, and it also gives us an insight to coping with change and dieting, and more.

Letting Go by Renée Watson – The perfect ending to this anthology. Really short, but the sweetest.

I felt like crying reading this book. I’ve gotten so used to fatphobic remarks and microaggressions that reading about body positivity and seeing fat people celebrate their bodies, felt like an honest-to-god breath of fresh air. Like being cooped up in a very small house for so long and then finally stepping out, moving about, and seeing the sun. That’s how it was for me.

These stories try to show that fat people deserve to be here, that we deserve to take up space, and we do deserve the same respect and kindness. These stories speak of love and life, of friendship and family, and it’s just wonderful to see these different authors get together to write this anthology.

Every Body Shines is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 25th 2021.

Will you be picking up Every Body Shines? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

An intersectional, feminist YA anthology from some of today’s most exciting voices across a span of genres, all celebrating body diversity and fat acceptance through short stories.

Fat girls and boys and nonbinary teens are: friends who lift each other up, heroes who rescue themselves, big bodies in space, intellects taking up space, and bodies looking and feeling beautiful. They express themselves through fashion, sports and other physical pursuits, through food, and music, and art. They are flirting and falling in love. They are loving to themselves and one another. With stories that feature fat main characters starring in a multitude of stories and genres, and written by authors who live these lives too, this is truly a unique collection that shows fat young people the representation they deserve.

With a foreword by Aubry Gordon, creator of Your Fat Friend, and with stories by Nafiza Azad, Chris Baron, Sheena Boekweg, Linda Camacho, Kelly deVos, Alex Gino, Claire Kann, amanda lovelace, Hillary Monahan, Cassandra Newbould, Francina Simone, Rebecca Sky, Monique Gray Smith, Renée Watson, Catherine Adel West, Jennifer Yen

The post Review: ‘Every Body Shines’ Anthology appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Just in case you:

1. Still haven’t found your favourite read this year,
2. Eager to find something fresh, presumably your new favourite author, or
3. Just need an excuse to add more books to your #TBR

Well then, in today’s post, I’ll help you to fulfil all of those! Here are 12 debut releases that you need to check out this month!

Again, but Better by Christine Riccio
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Shane has been doing college all wrong. Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. She needs a change — there’s nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroad in London. She’s going to right all her college mistakes: make friends, pursue boys, and find adventure! Easier said than done.

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat. But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A big-hearted romantic comedy in which First Son Alex falls in love with Prince Henry of Wales after an incident of international proportions forces them to pretend to be best friends…

I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they’re thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas. But Ben’s attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan. As Ben and Nathan’s friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

All Our Broken Pieces by L.D. Crichton
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lennon Davis doesn’t believe in much, but she does believe in the security of the number five. If she flicks the bedroom light switch five times, maybe her new L.A. school won’t suck. Kyler Benton witnesses this pattern of lights from the safety of his treehouse in the yard next door. But Kyler finds that descriptions of blonde hair, sad eyes, and tapping fingers are beginning to fill the pages of his notebooks. Lennon, the lonely girl next door his father has warned him about, infiltrates his mind.

How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Biz knows how to float. She has her people, her posse, her mom and the twins. She has Grace. And she has her dad. So Biz doesn’t tell anyone anything. Not about her dark, runaway thoughts, not about kissing Grace or noticing Jasper, the new boy. But after what happens on the beach–first in the ocean, and then in the sand–the tethers that hold Biz steady come undone.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it. But Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden.

Next Girl to Die (The Calderwood Cases #1) by Dea Poirier
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

It’s been fifteen years since Claire Calderwood’s sister, Rachel, was brutally murdered in their small hometown in Maine. Still haunted by Rachel’s cold case, Claire returns home, hoping to solve the crime. When the killer strikes once again, Claire knows he’s not done. Now he’s set his sights on Claire.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in a Latinx-inspired world, a face-changing thief, Finn Voy and a risk-taking prince, Alfie, must team up to defeat a powerful evil they accidentally unleashed. But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world.

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. But then a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fatima lives in the city of Noor, a thriving stop along the Silk Road. However, the city bears scars of its recent past, when the chaotic tribe of Shayateen djinn slaughtered its entire population — except for Fatima and two other humans. Now ruled by a new maharajah, Noor is protected from the Shayateen by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, and by their commander, Zulfikar. But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

Will you be reading any of these debut books? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 12 Debut Novels Coming Out In May 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be reading any!

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling and Alex, Nebula, and Hugo-Award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to a world of amoral alchemy, shadowy organizations, and impossible cities in the standalone fantasy, Middlegame.

DEV1AT3 by Jay Kristoff
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From bestselling author Jay Kristoff comes the second installment in the LIFEL1K3 trilogy–hailed by Marie Lu as “a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means.”

The Candle and The Flame by Nafiza Azad
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Azad’s debut YA fantasy is set in a city along the Silk Road that is a refuge for those of all faiths, where a young woman is threatened by the war between two clans of powerful djinn.

Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

High seas adventure, blackmail, and meddling gods meet in Dark Shores, a thrilling first novel in a fast-paced new YA fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen.

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Ready Player One meets Stranger Things in this new novel by the bestselling author who George RR Martin describes as “an excellent writer.”

Last Tango in Cyberspace by Steven Kotler
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A unique blend of cutting-edge technology and traditional cyberpunk, Last Tango in Cyberspace explores hot topics like psychology, neuroscience, technology, as well as ecological and animal rights issues. With its electrifying sentences, subtle humor, and an intriguing main character, readers are sure to find something that resonates with them in this groundbreaking cyberpunk science fiction thriller.

The Obsoletes by Simeon Mills
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Obsoletes is a thought-provoking coming-of-age novel about two human-like teen robots navigating high school, basketball, and potentially life-threatening consequences if their true origins are discovered by the inhabitants of their intolerant 1980s Michigan hometown.

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Isabel Sterling’s delightful, suspenseful debut is equal parts sweet romance and thrilling mystery. With everything she loves on the line, Hannah must confront the murderous villain before her coven–and any chance she has with the new girl–is destroyed.

Westside by W.M. Akers
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A young detective who specializes in “tiny mysteries” finds herself at the center of a massive conspiracy in this beguiling historical fantasy set on Manhattan’s Westside—a peculiar and dangerous neighborhood home to strange magic and stranger residents—that blends the vivid atmosphere of Caleb Carr with the imaginative power of Neil Gaiman.

Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The inventive and hauntingly timely story of a seventeen-year-old coder’s catapult to stardom, reminiscent of The Social Network with a Ready Player One twist.

Exhalation: Stores by Ted Chiang
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From an award-winning science fiction writer (whose short story “The Story of Your Life” was the basis for the Academy Award-nominated movie Arrival), the long-awaited new collection of stunningly original, humane, and already celebrated short stories

The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

On the day of Saskia’s kenning―a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds―her worst fear comes true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, a seer, like her mother.

Are there any fantasy or sci-fi books you’re excited to read this month? Tell us in the comments below!

The post May Book Releases: Fantasy + Sci-Fi appeared first on The Nerd Daily.