Tag: body image

Grace and Gratitude: New Biographies and Memoirs in the Collection

Kath

We have really settled into the cold part of a Wellington winter and what better activities to keep you warm than getting cosy with a good biography or memoir.  This month we have a whole host of new books by and about women for you to delve into.  Check these out:

Olivia : grace and gratitude / Young, Miranda
“No matter how far she roamed, Olivia always called Australia home. From the UK to Melbourne and all around the world, Grease superstar Olivia Newton-John is one of the most beloved musical and acting icons in the world. Grace and Gratitude covers Olivia’s journey as a dedicated woman in music who conquered the international entertainment world.  With tributes from famous celebrities and public figures and exclusive insights from some of Australia’s biggest names in music, Olivia: Grace and Gratitude is the perfect tribute to an Australian and world-beloved icon.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Never shaken, never stirred : the story of Ann Fleming and Laura, Duchess of Marlborough / Reindorp, Christopher
“Glamorous, fun and packed with scandalous anecdotes, Never Shaken, Never Stirred tells the story of two extraordinary sisters, Ann and Laura Charteris, who made marrying well an art form. While Laura eventually became the Duchess of Marlborough, Ann became Mrs Ian Fleming, and the antics and attitudes of the two women inspired the writer to create the famous ‘Bond Girl’.   Indeed, the lives of the Charteris sisters are almost too extraordinary to believe, as they bagged husbands, bedded men, threw parties and travelled to some of the most glamorous destinations in the world, all at a time when such behaviour by aristocratic society women was unthinkable.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The last daughter : a true story of love, loss and reconnection / Matthews, Brenda
“When Brenda Matthews was two years old, she and her siblings were taken from their parents. For the next five years she was a much-loved daughter in a white family, a happy child in a country town on the outskirts of Sydney, unaware of the existence of her Aboriginal family or how hard her parents were fighting for her return-unaware of her Aboriginal identity. Then, she was suddenly returned to her Aboriginal family, the last daughter to come home.  It’s a story full of heartbreak, love, hope and healing, one that shows a way forward for all Australians.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Continue reading “Grace and Gratitude: New Biographies and Memoirs in the Collection” →

Get a grip, love: New health books

Kath

Whether you’re looking to improve the health of your body or your mind, we can help you with health  books to give you some guidance. Body image, food allergies, chronic illness, neurodiversity, the history of germs, eating healthy on a budget and more are all in this selection this month.

Get a grip, love / Lucey, Kate
“Kate Lucey has been ‘officially’ depressed (as in, diagnosed) for six years. In that time she’s experienced everything from bad therapy, knock-out meds, and friends-with-too-many-opinions, to good therapy, medication, and solutions that actually work. This book recognises that getting help is not as easy as ‘just telling someone’ or ‘taking some pills’. Crucially, as well as poking fun at mental illness and all its absurdities (because what are we without laughter, hey?), Kate reminds you that it’s fine not to feel ok. That you can go back to crying at any time. And that you do not need to get a grip.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Your weight is not the problem : a simple, no-diet plan for healthy habits that stick / Cohen, Lyndi
“In Your Weight is not the Problem, nutritionist and dietitian Lyndi Cohen offers a simple plan to break free from the dieting trap with small, doable healthy habits you can stick to no matter how busy life gets. Her evidence-based strategies will help you find freedom with food and build a trusting, healthy relationship with your body. Because health and happiness aren’t about having a perfectly flat stomach or a cellulite-free tush. They’re about feeling comfortable in your skin and having the energy to do the things you love. Liberate yourself from food guilt and self-blame with a new approach to health that doesn’t rely on willpower or counting calories, because you can’t live a full life on an empty stomach.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The long COVID survival guide : how to take care of yourself and what comes next
“The first patient-to-patient guide for people living with Long COVID, with answers and reassurance to guide readers through issues like getting diagnosed, dealing with symptoms, and caring for their mental health.” (Catalogue)

Dirty laundry : why adults with ADHD are so ashamed and what we can do to help / Pink, Richard
“The authors, the husband-and-wife team behind the social media accounts @ADHD_Love, present their perspectives and insights on real adult life with ADHD, including guidance and education for family and friends on how to best support neurodivergent people.” (Catalogue)

Living gluten-free / Korn, Danna
“Covering the practical, medical, scientific, and emotional aspects of the lifestyle, this book will inspire you with all the details on the benefits of giving up gluten, common and hidden sources of gluten, how to deal with the social and emotional challenges, tips and insight on shopping and eating out, and recipes for creating delicious, gluten-free meals and snacks.” (Catalogue)

The complete human body : the definitive visual guide / Roberts, Alice
“The definitive guide to the development, form, function, and disorders of the human body. The most detailed popular reference book on human anatomy available, this beautiful exploration of the human body is now in its third edition, revised with the latest medical knowledge. The 3-D computer-generated illustrations are incredibly detailed, virtually life-size, and based on the 3-D scans of a real human body. But in addition, the book features hundreds of smaller illustrations, diagrams, and the latest medical and microscope imaging.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Breasts : an owner’s guide / Kaye, Philippa
“Separate fact from fiction with the first complete medical guide to breasts. Health expert Dr. Philippa Kaye offers straightforward advice, explaining every what, why, and how of your mammaries, helping you improve your self-care routine both today and tomorrow.” (Catalogue)

Pathogenesis : how germs made history / Kennedy, Jonathan
“‘According to the accepted narrative of progress, a few great humans have bent the arc of history. But in this revelatory book, Dr Jonathan Kennedy argues that germs have done more to shape humanity at every stage, from the first success of Homo sapiens over the equally intelligent Neanderthals to the fall of Rome and the rise of Islam. By exploring the startling intimacy of our relationship with infectious diseases, Kennedy shows how they have been responsible for some of the seismic revolutions of the past 50,000 years.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A history of fatigue : from the Middle Ages to the present / Vigarello, Georges
“This pioneering book explores the rich and little-known history of fatigue from the Middle Ages to the present. Vigarello shows that our understanding of fatigue, the words used to describe it, and the symptoms and explanations of it have varied greatly over time, reflecting changing social mores and broader aspects of social and political life. Ranging from the history of war, religion and work to the history of the body, the senses and intimacy, this history of fatigue shows how something that seems permanently centered in our bodies has, over the course of centuries, also been ingrained in our minds, in the end affecting the innermost aspects of the self.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Broke vegan one pot : over 100 simple plant-based recipes that don’t cost the earth / Dixon, Sam
“With over 100 plant-based recipes using supermarket staples, along with hints and tips for simplifying vegan cooking, Broke Vegan: One Pot will have you cooking delicious meals time after time that save money and help the planet. From easy weeknight meals to fancier dishes for entertaining, Broke Vegan: One Pot will help you cook sustainably without breaking the bank.” (Catalogue)

For more new items in the collection, go to What’s new & Popular / June 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

A Body Positive booklist for the New Year

Kath

It’s January and that means we’re being bombarded from all angles with diet ads, fitness challenges, and the endless “New Year, New Me” messages.  It can be hard keeping these negative body messages at bay, especially after the Christmas/New Year period when we’ve all been enjoying the celebratory kai and chilling out over summer.

Thankfully, there are plenty of excellent books available to help you get back to loving your body and feeling good about yourself.  Here are a few we have in our collection:


Body positive power : how learning to love yourself will save your life / Crabbe, Megan Jayne
“We’ve been convinced that happiness is something that only comes once we hit that goal weight, get those washboard abs, shrink ourselves down and change every part of ourselves. We believe that our bodies are the problem, but this is not true. It’s how we’ve been taught to see our bodies that’s the problem… It’s time for us all to stop believing the lies we’ve been fed about what it means to be beautiful, and take our power back. Megan’s body image issues began when she was five years old. She spent her childhood chasing thinness, and at fourteen found herself spiralling into anorexia. After recovery she spent years dieting, binging, losing and gaining weight. But then she found body positivity, quit dieting, and finally escaped the cult of thin. Now she’s determined to let as many people as possible know the truth: that we are all good enough as we are.” (Catalogue)

The body is not an apology : the power of radical self-love / Taylor, Sonya Renee
“Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies. The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world–for us all” (Catalogue)

Size sexy : how to look good, feel good, and be happy – at any size / Ellis, Stella
“”I like to say that my hourglass figure is more like an hour and a half”–Stella, as quoted in O Magazine. To become a “muse” to Jean-Paul Gaultier, you have to be someone special, and Stella Ellis filled that role when she rocked the modeling world.” (Catalogue)

More than a body : your body is an instrument, not an ornament / Kite, Lexie
“Positive body image isn’t believing your body looks good; it is knowing your body is good, regardless of how it looks. How do you feel about your body? Have you ever stayed home from a social activity or other opportunity because of concern about how you looked? Have you ever passed judgment on someone because of how they looked or dressed? Have you ever had difficulty concentrating on a task because you were self-conscious about your appearance? Our beauty-obsessed world perpetuates the idea that happiness, health, and ability to be loved are dependent on how we look, but authors Lindsay and Lexie Kite offer an alternative vision.” (Catalogue)

Embrace yourself / Brumfitt, Taryn
“Body positivity from the maker of documentary Embrace – how to love the skin you’re in and embrace yourself.” (Catalogue)

Screw inner beauty : lessons from the fat-o-sphere / Harding, Kate
“A sassy, sexy, no-holds-barred book for everyone – fat or thin – who’s tired of being told they are too big, thin, tall, short, wrinkly.” (Catalogue)

Fattily ever after / Yeboah, Stephanie
“Twenty-nine-year-old plus-size blogger Stephanie Yeboah has experienced racism and fat-phobia throughout her life. From being bullied at school to being objectified and humiliated in her dating life, Stephanie’s response to discrimination has always been to change the narrative around body-image and what we see as beautiful. In her debut book, Fattily Ever After, Stephanie Yeboah speaks openly and courageously about her own experience on navigating life as a black, plus-sized woman telling it how it really is and how she has managed to find self-acceptance in a world where judgment and discrimination are rife.” (Catalogue)

Happy fat / Hagen, Sofie
“‘I am a fat person and I love my body. I feel lucky to be able to say that – it has taken a lot of work and a lot of time. I want to tell you what I have learned and how I got here.’ In Happy Fat, comedian Sofie Hagen shares how she removed fatphobic influences from her daily life and found self-acceptance in a world where judgement and discrimination are rife. Part memoir, part social commentary, Happy Fat is a funny, angry and impassioned look at how taking up space in a culture that is desperate to reduce you can be radical, emboldening and life-changing.” (Catalogue)

And a few titles for kids:


Bodies are cool / Feder, Tyler
“Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text celebrate bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors, with different kinds of hair, eyes, spots, scars, and more.” (Catalogue)

All bodies are good bodies / Barkla, Charlotte
“Bold and beautiful, loud and proud, All Bodies are Good Bodies is an uplifting book about different body features and types. Through playful rhyme, it promotes the development of body acceptance and celebrates inclusivity and individuality.” (Catalogue)

Beautifully me / Noor, Nabela
“Zubi, a happy Bangladeshi girl, is excited about her first day of school, but at breakfast she is puzzled by her mother and older sister worrying about being “too big,” and even at school she hears other people criticizing each other’s bodies, and she starts to worry that maybe something is wrong with how she looks–until her declaration at dinner that she is on a diet makes her family realize what they have been doing wrong.” (Catalogue)