I know how you feel when you finish reading a book. need How to talk about it? immediately? I’m texting someone who hasn’t read it yet, calling a friend who might be three chapters behind, and let’s be honest, I’m just spiraling a little bit because I’m reading it. thought And there is no place to put them?
Yeah. That’s exactly what we’re fixing.
Last year, we introduced books to The Curvy Fashionista in a way that felt natural and necessary. We began highlighting titles, sharing recommendations, and carving out space for stories that reflected our community. This was a first step, but it made one thing very clear. The interest was there. The need was there. And the conversation is just beginning.
Now we’re building on that foundation in an even bigger way. What started as a discovery has evolved into a connection. What started as content is becoming a community. With the resumption of TCF Book Club, we are creating a space that goes beyond the pages of paper. A space where we can gather, react, ask questions, celebrate, and advance conversations together.
Because finding a book is only half the story. Magic happens when you talk about it.
And this time we will do both.
Introducing our Chief Story Stylist, Taylor Collien!
A good book club needs people who know how to read between the lines and read the atmosphere.
input Taylor Collien.
Taylor is a plus-size creator, stylist, influencer, and self-proclaimed lover of books centered around plus-size characters. She built her platform by showing up fully through her personal style and the stories we choose to engage with, and encouraging others to do the same.
“To say I was over the moon when Marie told me she wanted to restart the TCF Book Club with me as the chief story stylist is an understatement! Reading romance novels has become one of my favorite pastimes in my life, and the opportunity to be in a community with other plus-size women who love it was a dream come true.”
She reads with intention! She notices details. She definitely cries out tired tropes, then turns around and celebrates characters she feels are realistic, nuanced, and worthy of the spotlight.
“But I don’t want the book club to be just a book club. I want it to be a community where plus-size people can be brought into friendship with each other. It’s so important to share space with other people who understand your life journey, and not only do we do that, we also read about characters who live fiction, romance, fantasy, and all of the real-world situations we face!”
This is where she sets the mood. Equal parts style eye, cultural critic, and friend who always gives a critique after Chapter 3.
Book of the Month for April
We wanted the first book to say something.
Set standards for more than just readability.
Our April Book of the Month is one we debated, went back and forth, and ultimately chose because it reflects exactly what we want more of. Plus size characters in the center. A story that won’t make her feel weak. A story that makes her fully present.
This month’s books for April are: This week only Written by Natasha Bishop
Taylor, our chief story stylist, tells us exactly why this one rose to the top.
“When Marie told me she wanted to restart the TCF Book Club with me as chief story stylist, I knew right away.”“This Week Only” Natasha Bishop It was the first book I read in my book club!
It’s already at the top of my personal TBR and I can’t scroll through social without constantly hearing the title. The main character, Janelle, seems like the perfect plus-size FMC to start the first month of your book club with.
The experiences of characters like Janelle, who find the courage to live their lives unapologetically despite their circumstances, have all the best influences for curvaceous women looking to find that courage in the real world.
To kick off this year full of romance novels, we’ll be reading Only for the Week for the first month, and I’m sure this story will stay in our hearts forever. ”
Taylor Collien
Consider this a formal notification. Please read this book together.
Monthly status
This is not a passive book club.
It’s not just about reading and liking posts.
You are among them.
Twice a month, we meet live on Zoom to discuss books. Good part. The complicated part. Those moments when you have to pause and reread a paragraph to make sure you got it right.
In between, the conversation continues within our style society. This is a space to post your takes, react in real time, and connect with other readers who are focused on the same things as you.
And because one book is never enough, we create monthly editorials for continued discovery. Even more authors. More stories. There are more main characters who look like us.
Why are we still having this conversation?
This is an area that cannot be ignored.
Publishing is a multi-billion dollar industry. Despite this, plus-size characters are still rarely positioned as fully developed leads with rich, layered lives. Often they are written as supporting characters, punch lines, or projects.
Even now, stories centered around large bodies are often associated with stories of transformation, instead of making room for joy, desire, adventure, and complexity.
That gap is the reason this book club exists.
“Romance and fantasy stories are for everyone, especially plus-size women, and we need a space where books are our center. My main goal as a leader is to foster an environment where we all feel included, heard, and at home with each other.”
Curvy Fashionista Book Club exists to bridge the discovery gap through intentional curation, community conversation, and consistent visibility. We make it easier to find stories that already exist, and harder to ignore stories that don’t yet exist.
And even though these books are hits, they don’t stay on the page. They open the door to film, television and broader culture. That’s how expression grows.
April 11th. Please be there.
This is your invitation.
Our first meeting will be held on April 11th and input is expected.
Sign up for your first book club meeting!
Join the TCF Style Society and get access to the TCF Book Club space.
Please come prepared to speak. Please come prepared to listen. Get ready to see yourself a little more clearly in the stories we choose.
We don’t just turn pages.
We finally get the conversation we’ve been waiting for.
Source: The Curvy Fashionista – thecurvyfashionista.com
