#6Degrees: Only Ever Yours To... (Guest Post by Louise O'Neill)

#6Degrees continues and, as we've been doing Louise O'Neill's amazing Only Ever Yours this month, it's fantastic to have Louise herself here to do today's chain! For more from Louise, check out her website and her fabulous Twitter account.

I wrote Only Ever Yours, a dystopian novel that deals with the pressure on women to attain an often unattainable ideal of beauty, in 2012 and it was very much inspired by my own struggles with anorexia and bulimia.

One of the best books I have ever read that deals with eating disorders is Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's a beautiful exploration of the torture of anorexia and the tricks that your mind plays on you.

Laurie Halse Anderson also wrote Speak which has been banned on numerous occasions. Another author who has found herself on Banned Books lists is Judy Blume. Her novel Blubber was the first book I remember reading in which the main character was bullied because of her weight.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy also deals with fat-shaming and is one of the most charming books that I have read in the last year.

Another incredibly charming and poignant book which features a fat protagonist is Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I cried so much when I finished.

The last book before that which made me cry was Needlework by Deirdre Sullivan, an Irish author who isn't afraid to tackle issues as controversial as abuse and incest.

Thanks, Louise, for a great post!

Have you done a #6Degrees post this month? Remember to link it up to my post from May 7th!