10 BOOKS TO READ WHILE YOU WAIT FOR OURS

If you follow us on social media, you may have detected – from a series of incredibly subtle posts – that we have written a book. Yes, that’s right; almost 90,000 words detailing exactly how one embarks on a diet of, ‘eat what you want and don’t worry about it’. It’s been a labour of love (and sleepless nights) which has seen both Laura and I achieve something we considered a wild, untouchable fantasy.  With any luck,this will be the book that provides the armour you need to fight the food regulations, restrictions and colleagues who refer to their lunch as ‘clean’. Perhaps this will be the book that allows you to greet every shop front window advertising a ‘200 calorie carb-free lunch’ with an almighty fuck you.  Hopefully, this book will remind you of your invaluable worth and the cruel power of a world that teaches you, from day one, that you are simply not good enough. And then: you fight.  I hope, with every vein in my heart, that this is the catalyst that kick-starts your recovery, once and for all.

Well, unfortunately you’ve got to wait two and a bit months before you can actually get it. Sorry about that. BUT, there are two bits of good news; 1) you can pre-order it on Amazon now and stare at the cover everyday until 17th Jan if you wish, and 2) there are lots of other books on the shelves (not as good as ours, obvs) to prepare your brain for the impending anti-diet revolution. Here are some to get you going…

FAT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE, SUSIE ORBACH

The original feminist bible, published in the 1970s, is a deep-dive into the psyche of Orbach’s patients in the context of a food/image/body obsessed culture. When I first read it, shortly after my eating disorder treatment, it quite literally changed my life. I finally understood why my self-worth was so entangled in my body image and why, as a woman, many of my struggles were an inevitability – the symptoms of my gender in a patriarchal world. And then I got angry.

 

BODIES, SUSIE ORBACH

I’ll be honest, I haven’t quite finished this one but from what I’ve already ingested; it’s everything FIFI offers and more. It will answer all your questions about the so-called obesity ‘crisis’ and explain the linear links between the food-porn culture and the epidemic of eating disorders. It will ensure you are sufficiently armed in arguments with unenlightened folk who think obesity is caused by the family-sized bars of Dairy Milk they sell at WHSmith.

 

THE BEAUTY MYTH, NAOMI WOLF

A must-read for anyone who has ever worried about the way they look, ever. So everyone. Wolf argues that the strive for physical perfection, indoctrinated as a by-product of female repression, has left us trapped. It’s fairly radical and some of the writer’s rejection of the cosmetics industry as a whole can be tough to swallow (especially if, like me, the contents of your bathroom is 95 per cent Nars highlighters) but her arguments are certainly valid. Also you’re not a ‘bad feminist’ (is there such a thing?) if you don’t agree with her…

 

THE GUILTY FEMINIST, DEBORAH FRANCES WHITE

…which leads me on to comedienne DFW’s literary version of her very excellent podcast, of which every episode begins with the guests’ ‘guilty feminist’ confession.  Emma Thompson described it as; ‘everything you wanted to know about feminism but were too afraid to ask.’ A forgiving, kind and hilarious depiction of modern day feminism, alongside searingly raw accounts of the author’s gender-related struggles throughout her life. White writes frankly about her battles with bulimia and body image, using sharp wit to take the edge. A bit like us!! Oh and here’s mine –  I’m a feminist BUT…I still find it incredibly hard to do a poo within earshot of my boyfriend.

 

THE ANGRY CHEF, BY ANTHONY WARNER

A dear friend of Not Plant Based, Anthony continues to cut through food and diet myths using piercing wit and durable, scientific fact. Wanna know why a sweet tooth is definitely not a sugar addiction and why ‘processed’ foods is kind of, not really, a ‘thing’? Buy this book. Oh and I’m in it.

 

HOW TO EAT, NIGELLA LAWSON

Having spilled many bottles of soy sauce and smeared chocolate-covered fingers over the pages of this book, it is rather odd that only this week, I received my first ever copy. The aforementioned defaced version was my mother’s. Sorry mum. Having my very own, shiny window into The Queen’s kitchen is overwhelmingly joyous; the knowledge that I too can share in the unwavering pleasure that Nigella draws from her dishes brings great comfort. The effortless way she uses words, in an eloquent package, to describe the sensory experience of eating makes the sentences dance off the page and land in the warm, gooey section of your brain. She’s unmistakable  – and this book is, by far, the best.

 

HUNGER, ROXANE GAY

A moving and powerful portrayal of the writer’s lifetime relationship with her body. It’s not easy, nor jolly, but I plead with you to stick with it. Roxane relays her horrific experience of sexual and emotional abuse, and the life-wrecking impact of others’ restrictions on her own body. For me – a cis, white, straight woman, Roxane’s voice and experience is sacred for informing my understanding of the world and how others exist within it. Once you’ve read this book, you’ll want to bash everyone who has ever said ‘fat people just eat too much’ over the head with it. Really hard.

 

NOTES ON A NERVOUS PLANET, MATT HAIG

For us Nervos, there isn’t much out there aside from ‘The Idiot’s Guide To CBT’ to help ease our anxiety. Until, this. The author of the best-selling Reasons To Stay Alive has penned his second mental health resource which focuses heavily on being mentally well in a fast-moving, digital age. It’s clever, entertaining and most importantly, helpful. Expect advice about separating yourself from the social media ether and re-instating your mind in the here and now. Essential for anyone with higgledy piggledy thoughts.

 

 

COME AS YOU ARE, EMILY NAGOSKI

I’ve written at length about this one previously so won’t continue to bore you with it again. Basically, men have dominated the world for far too long, which – unsurprisingly – has had a detrimental effect on our sex lives. No one knows how to give a woman an orgasm because, until now, nobody really cared. Emily cares. Emily reeeeeeally cares. Enjoy!

 

EAT UP, RUBY TANDOH

The wonderful foodie force that is writer and cook Ruby Tandoh has created for you a gift. It is a short-ish, illustrated appreciation for everything she has ever eaten in her life. There’s less science and nutrition stuff than you can expect from our book, with a heap of her gloriously simple, original recipes and fascinating historical tales explaining how our global menu came to be. Lots of references to 80s/90s/00s popular culture which is pretty delicious in itself…especially that* scene from When Happy Met Sally. You can find one of Ruby’s tantalising recipes in our book. Which is out January 17th 2019. Did I mention?