‘One To Watch” By Kate Stayman-London Questions + My September Book Club Pick!
Well, Taylor Swift was right… August slipped away like a bottle of wine ? Where did it go?! Luckily, the start of a new month means new hopes, new goals, new intentions, and NEW BOOKS! I am giddy about my September Book Club Pick – but let’s talk about my choice for August first!
about the book: One To Watch
Since the world has felt really heavy recently, I wanted to choose a light and fun book for August – and One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London perfectly fits that description. But beyond being a delightful read, it’s also incredibly smart and poignant, tackling important points about body positivity, fat shaming, and more.
From the very first pages, I fell in love with our main character, Bea Schumacher. She is a popular plus-size fashion blogger (!!!) who is trying to get over a broken heart. Similarly to how we all can’t help but tune into The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Bea indulges in a similar reality show called Main Squeeze. But after getting frustrated with the lack of back diversity on the show (and too much wine!), she writes a scathing blog post criticizing the show.
The post attracts some backlash… but it also gets the attention of the producers of Main Squeeze who want her to be their next star. Bea isn’t convinced that she can find love on the show, but she decides to do it to make a statement that plus-size women deserve the fairy tale, too. The only problem? Once she’s on the show, everything becomes more complicated than she ever anticipated. Maybe love is possible… 😉
One To Watch Book Club Questions
If you also read this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts in my Lake Shore Lady Community Group on Facebook!
Did you picture any real life bloggers as Bea when you reading this book? Tell me who and why!
I fully related to Bea’s love/hate relationship with Main Squeeze because it’s usually how I feel about The Bachelor and Bachelorette. Do you feel conflicted when watching shows like that? Are there any other shows or movies that you love even though you have criticisms of them?
Would you ever go on a show like Main Squeeze? Why/why not?
Do you think The Bachelorette would ever cast a plus-size star? How do you think America would react?
Which of Bea’s suitors did you like the best? Why?
Have you ever had trouble getting over someone the way Bea had trouble getting over Ray? What made you realize that you could finally move on?
When Bea doesn’t choose either of the finalists at the end of the show, she is showing that getting engaged isn’t the only “happy ending.” Being happy and fulfilled on your own is also a happy ending we should all strive for. Have you ever felt as though society tells us you can only be happy if you are partnered up? How did you combat that?
My book club pick for September is…
MAJESTY BY KATHARINE MCGEE!!!! If you’ve been following me awhile, you know that I was OBSESSED with the first American Royals book that Katharine wrote, and this is the 2nd book in the series! To give you a quick synopsis, the first book introduces the American Royal Family. That’s right, in this reality, George Washington became King instead of President. And we are still being ruled by the monarchy led by his descendants. Princess Beatrice is in line to be come America’s first Queen regnant… and there’s tons of drama, romance, scandal, and more. I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished the first one. Who else is with me?!
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PS. You might also like Untamed Book Club Questions, Our Stop Book Club Questions, Little Fires Everywhere Book Club Questions, and How To Download Library Books to Your Kindle!
