Fans pick 100 books like If I Had Your Face

By Frances Cha,

Here are 100 books that If I Had Your Face fans have personally recommended if you like If I Had Your Face. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love

Elyse Resch Author Of Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach

From my list on fighting diet wellness beauty and youth culture.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a curious, passionate, and introspective woman. My values have led me to a quest to have a profound impact on the world and leave a legacy of healing. Each book on my list has profoundly impacted me and led me to challenge my values, rethink my priorities, heal my inner turmoil, and use my lived experience to help others lead a more meaningful life.

Elyse's book list on fighting diet wellness beauty and youth culture

Elyse Resch Why did Elyse love this book?

I love this book and recommend it to people struggling with negative body image.

Sonya Renee Taylor teaches that we are all connected and that self-judgment in one person extends to the judgment of all people. I found myself digging deeply into the roots of any critical views that I might have held of my own body and then challenging them. Ultimately, it helped me embrace body neutrality and, ultimately, body liberation.

By Sonya Renee Taylor,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked The Body Is Not an Apology as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"To build a world that works for everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every facet of ourselves...'The body is not an apology' is the mantra we should all embrace." 
--Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum 

"Taylor invites us to break up with shame, to deepen our literacy, and to liberate our practice of celebrating every body and never apologizing for this body that is mine and takes care of me so well."
--Alicia Garza, cocreator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network and Strategy + Partnerships Director, National Domestic…


Book cover of Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal

Elise Hu Author Of Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital

From my list on challenging beauty standards and diet culture.

Why am I passionate about this?

My interest and curiosity in this topic primarily came from life experience: not fitting in as a gangly Asian girl growing up in white suburbs and picked on for how I looked, working as a teen model in the late 1990s and early aughts, becoming a mother to three girls while opening up NPR’s first-ever bureau and living in Seoul, South Korea, the plastic surgery capital of the world. Ever since graduating from The University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Journalism, I’ve been a professional journalist. Most of my career has been as an NPR correspondent, but I’ve also worked as a reporter for VICE and appeared in The Atlantic, WIRED, Slate, and numerous other publications.

Elise's book list on challenging beauty standards and diet culture

Elise Hu Why did Elise love this book?

As the author and philosopher Heather Widdows makes clear, one of the big reasons why appearance has come to mean so much to us, and we spend so much time, energy, and resources on upgrading our looks, is because physical beauty has wrongly become conflated with worthiness and character.

In other words, we assume if you look good, you’re a good, moral person. In this comprehensive yet fast-paced read (which laid an academic groundwork for a lot of the reporting in my own book), Widdows connects the dots between ethics and beauty and makes the case for why we should resist the increasing demands of beauty ideals. 

By Heather Widdows,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Perfect Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How looking beautiful has become a moral imperative in today's world

The demand to be beautiful is increasingly important in today's visual and virtual culture. Rightly or wrongly, being perfect has become an ethical ideal to live by, and according to which we judge ourselves good or bad, a success or a failure. Perfect Me explores the changing nature of the beauty ideal, showing how it is more dominant, more demanding, and more global than ever before.

Heather Widdows argues that our perception of the self is changing. More and more, we locate the self in the body--not just our…


Book cover of Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

Charlotte Markey Author Of Adultish: The Body Image Book for Life

From my list on raising body positive kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a Rutgers professor of psychology and a body image scientist. Growing up, I was a dancer and learned to be dissatisfied with my body at a young age. These concerns inhabited so much mental space during my adolescence that I ultimately began to study these issues in college as a way to better understand myself and others who had similar experiences. I’ve been doing research on body image and eating behaviors for over 25 years now and write books about these topics to help other kids and adults who may be struggling with these issues. Can you imagine what we could accomplish if we all felt comfortable in our own skin?

Charlotte's book list on raising body positive kids

Charlotte Markey Why did Charlotte love this book?

I love this book for the personal stories. Virginia is a journalist who has written about health issues for over a decade (i.e., not a psychologist or nutritionist). She knows how to engage readers while teaching them a ton of valuable information about raising kids to have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies. 

Virginia is unafraid to challenge the status quo and get readers to think differently about essential topics beyond parenting.

By Virginia Sole-Smith,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Fat Talk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'Fearless and game-changing.' - Emily Oster

'Hard recommend.' - Pandora Sykes

'A must-read.' - Aubrey Gordon

'Essential.' - Laura Thomas, PhD

'Revolutionary!' - Bethany Rutter

'Pivotal.' - Anita Bhagwandas

Change the way you talk about food, weight, and self-worth, forever.

We live in a world designed to make us hate our bodies. By the time children start school, most have learned that 'fat' is bad. As they get older, many pursue thinness to survive in a society that ties their value to their size. Parents worry both about the risks of their kids fixating on unrealistic beauty…


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Book cover of Ferry to Cooperation Island

Ferry to Cooperation Island By Carol Newman Cronin,

James Malloy is a ferry captain--or used to be, until he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by a "girl" named Courtney Farris. Now, instead of piloting Brenton Island’s daily lifeline to the glitzy docks of Newport, Rhode Island, James spends his days beached, bitter, and bored.

When he discovers a…

Book cover of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal

Elise Hu Author Of Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital

From my list on challenging beauty standards and diet culture.

Why am I passionate about this?

My interest and curiosity in this topic primarily came from life experience: not fitting in as a gangly Asian girl growing up in white suburbs and picked on for how I looked, working as a teen model in the late 1990s and early aughts, becoming a mother to three girls while opening up NPR’s first-ever bureau and living in Seoul, South Korea, the plastic surgery capital of the world. Ever since graduating from The University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Journalism, I’ve been a professional journalist. Most of my career has been as an NPR correspondent, but I’ve also worked as a reporter for VICE and appeared in The Atlantic, WIRED, Slate, and numerous other publications.

Elise's book list on challenging beauty standards and diet culture

Elise Hu Why did Elise love this book?

Oh my goodness, this is the most surprisingly fascinating book I’ve ever picked up, because I originally thought, how much could there be to learn about body hair removal? Well, the answer is, a lot.

It is ostensibly all about the history of body hair and body hair removal, but really it’s about abuse, freedom, and bodily autonomy and so many other sweeping topics. It’s funny, it’s fast-paced, it’s full of tidbits I continue to share with friends at cocktail parties.

Without giving too much away, I will say that as we move into an era in scientific innovation where it’s easier than ever before to genetically modify ourselves and other creatures, Herzig’s book is so evergreen and relevant.

By Rebecca M. Herzig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Plucked as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Uncovers the history of hair removal practices and sheds light on the prolific culture of beauty
From the clamshell razors and homemade lye depilatories used in colonial America to the diode lasers and prescription pharmaceuticals available today, Americans have used a staggering array of tools to remove hair deemed unsightly, unnatural, or excessive. This is true especially for women and girls; conservative estimates indicate that 99% of American women have tried hair removal, and at least 85% regularly remove hair from their faces, armpits, legs, and bikini lines. How and when does hair become a problem-what makes some growth "excessive"?…


Book cover of The Me List

Jacquline Kang Author Of The Club

From my list on the pleasures and perils of family ties.

Why am I passionate about this?

When my children were 1, 3, and 5, my husband and I adopted two teenage boys. Suddenly, I was a mom to five, trying to keep my head above water. I turned to other women for advice, friendship, and compassion. While bonding over our chaotic lives, I found stories. My friends offered new perspectives on my world. I learned that every woman is living life on her own terms, and no two tales are the same. This is the magic of listening to another woman. I'm passionate about telling these stories so we can all see the world from a unique perspective and look at our situations with new understanding.

Jacquline's book list on the pleasures and perils of family ties

Jacquline Kang Why did Jacquline love this book?

This book had one basic message, and it came down to this: Take time to put yourself first because you matter too. I love this message so much because it took me years (and I’m still working on it) to learn the importance of self-care.

Challenging relationships within my own family structure have taken a toll over the years. However, reading this book reminded me that I can take control of my own happiness and that it is not selfish to make a “Me List” and make myself happy, too. 

By Julee Balko,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Me List as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Balko's writing is pure magic and it's a must-read for today's divided world." –J.D. Greyson, founder of Move Me Poetry

Ziplining despite being scared of heights. Learning yoga when you're afraid of downward anything. Facing your strained relationship with your mother.

When Olivia writes a ME List, she picks 10 things to get her out of her suburban mom funk. But what she really needs is to figure out how to deal with her next-door neighbor, nemesis, and new boss-Patricia. Patricia is the top realtor in their town and has the perfect life. But when Olivia agrees to be Patricia's…


Book cover of The Sweet Spot

Nancy Crochiere Author Of Graceland

From my list on runaway moms.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a young working mom, I occasionally longed to follow the example of columnist Erma Bombeck and hide from my family in the car. Instead, I channeled the mayhem of family life into a humor column called “The Mother Load,” which detailed the day-to-day challenges of running a business while caring for two daughters, one husband, two guinea pigs, and a dancing rabbit. When I decided to pursue my life-long dream to write fiction, my debut novel was a humorous story about a mother-daughter-grandmother road trip/chase from Boston to Memphis. Although my writing doesn’t shy away from serious issues, I choose to see the world through a humorous and ultimately hopeful lens.

Nancy's book list on runaway moms

Nancy Crochiere Why did Nancy love this book?

The runaway mom in The Sweet Spot is an entrepreneur and TV personality who sends the plot spiraling into mayhem when she takes off to film a reality show, leaving her infant son with her ill-prepared new husband, Russell.

At wit’s end, Russell begs the help of his still-fuming ex-wife, Melinda, who in turn ropes in the family on whom she’s been unfairly taking out her anger. What I love about this book is its humor (I laughed out loud several times) and overall good nature. Although all the characters are flawed, the author gives us something to love about all of them. 

By Amy Poeppel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sweet Spot as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Amy Poeppel brings her signature "big-hearted, charming" (The Washington Post) style to this wise and joyful novel that celebrates love, hate, and all of the glorious absurdity in between.

In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby-belonging to exactly none of them-lands on their collective doorstep.

Lauren and her family-lucky bastards-have been granted the use of a spectacular brownstone, teeming with history and dizzyingly unattractive 70s wallpaper. Adding to the home's bohemian, grungy splendor is the bar occupying the basement, a (mostly) beloved dive called The Sweet Spot. Within days of moving in,…


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Book cover of At What Cost, Silence?

At What Cost, Silence? By Karen Lynne Klink,

Secrets, misunderstandings, and a plethora of family conflicts abound in this historical novel set along the Brazos River in antebellum Washington County, East Texas.

It is a compelling story of two neighboring plantation families and a few of the enslaved people who serve them. These two plantations are a microcosm…

Book cover of How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community

Trista Harris Author Of Future Good: How to Use Futurism to Save the World

From my list on dreamers who want to shape the future.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been obsessed with making the future a better place since I was 8 years old and spent my evenings hanging out in a local community center. I realized that things got better when people who cared showed up for each other. I am now a philanthropic futurist and have spent my career dedicated to helping visionary leaders build a more beautiful and equitable future. All of the books on this list have inspired me, and I hope they inspire you, too. If we all do our small part, we can ensure we have a Star Trek future and not a Hunger Games future.

Trista's book list on dreamers who want to shape the future

Trista Harris Why did Trista love this book?

This book was a powerful reminder of the importance of community and connection in our lives. This book made me realize how critical it is for us to show up for each other as humans, and it inspired me to be part of a future where we are deeply connected and caring for one another.

Mia teaches us how to rebuild that sense of belonging we’ve lost, guiding us to embrace vulnerability, generosity, and interdependence. Her message is right on time, especially as she challenges the isolation of the "American Dream" and invites us to lean on each other for support.

This book has truly influenced how I want to show up in the world and be a better human.

By Mia Birdsong,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How We Show Up as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Black Lives Matter to the ongoingWomen's Marches, we have had some powerful moments over the last decade that have galvanized and created new, but brief, feelings of community. Many of us, however, haven't figured out how to spark that feeling on our own, or how to build off or sustain those moments. Many of us are longing for a kind of sugar-borrowing and stoop-sitting closeness we imagine existed in the 50s. Maybe we even grew up in that environment, but we moved away from home for love, work, or adventure and we don't know how to recreate it in…


Book cover of The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Author Of Edit Your Life: A Handbook for Living with Intention in a Messy World

From my list on inspiring you to change your life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an American author and writing teacher for both Harvard and Oxford’s online writing programs. I am also a mother of two who lived three years in a tiny backyard guest house with my family in an effort to focus more on what we love. Editing books is a practice I have honed over decades, and when my family was stuck in a living situation that felt unsustainable, the clearest way forward was for me to ask myself how I might edit our way out of it. It worked! In this book, I share the most valuable eight principles that we learned through the process.

Elisabeth's book list on inspiring you to change your life

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta Why did Elisabeth love this book?

One that I give to anyone who is stuck in a pickle. Saunders’ book for young readers, illustrated in the oddball style of Lane Smith, tells of a girl named Capable who does her best and finds that it is still not good enough. So she makes an unthinkable change.

Reading this book to my children led to a eureka that we might change our own family life in a similarly unthinkable way.

By George Saunders, Lane Smith (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A gapper is a bit of a 'burr' but it is a dangerous thing. When it attaches itself to the goats the goats become very unhappy and even stop giving milk. There is nothing gappers like more than goats and nothing goats hate more than gappers. When gappers get your goats it means trouble. In one small town gappers are a real pest and it takes the ingenious approach of Capable to find a soution - if a solution exists at all.


Book cover of Ivy and Bean

Violet Lemay Author Of Let's Be Friends: A Lift-The-Flap Book

From my list on friendship and the courage to reach out to others.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve lived for over fifty years as a bashful introvert with social anxiety, which gives me a heightened appreciation for friendships, and for books about making friends. As an author and illustrator—and as a mom—my artistic mission is to create books that help all children feel cherished and appreciated. Everybody wants to be loved, everybody wants a friend. Even the loners and introverts out there. I love and collect books about friendship because they model friendly behaviors. These books give me the desire and the courage to reach out to others, and since I’m an extreme case, I imagine they must have a similar effect on most readers.

Violet's book list on friendship and the courage to reach out to others

Violet Lemay Why did Violet love this book?

This beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, hilarious tale of an unlikely friendship is so fantastic that it spawned a beloved series! Both the words and the art will keep you and your young one engaged and giggling. The original Ivy and Bean remains my favorite, but the entire series is wonderful. Perfect early chapter books for mischievous readers.

By Annie Barrows, Sophie Blackall (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ivy and Bean as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to quickly hide and Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charming and addictive introduction to the Ivy and Bean Book Series.

From beloved children's book author Annie Barrows, The Ivy & Bean collection has been delighting preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and kids of all ages for nearly two decades. Centered upon messages…


Book cover of Unicorns Are the Worst!

Jess Hernandez Author Of First Day of Unicorn School

From my list on unusual unicorns.

Why am I passionate about this?

No one would ever describe me as a unicorn. I’m not graceful. My mane of hair is half an inch long. And I rarely (if ever) prance. I’m a donkey in a party hat and that’s perfectly okay with me. But sometimes it can be kinda rough in a world that tells you that you must be gorgeous instead of goofy, fabulous instead of funny. So I love stories that make me feel a little less alone in my awkwardness – that remind me that all of us, from the most beautiful unicorn to the weirdest little goblin, are not quite what they seem.  

Jess' book list on unusual unicorns

Jess Hernandez Why did Jess love this book?

When a hardworking goblin gets a frivolous unicorn for a neighbor, it’s easy to understand why he’s a bit put out. After all, he knows many useful magical skills, like turning socks into slugs and making (broccoli-flavored) ice cream out of broccoli. So where are the kids begging for goblin-themed birthday parties, huh? What makes unicorns so special? Great for anyone who’s ever felt overlooked or a little jealous of the popular kids.

By Alex Willan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Unicorns Are the Worst! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Perfect for fans of Dragons Love Tacos and Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great, this wildly funny and imaginative picture book celebrates the value of differences as a grumpy goblin gets to know his new unicorn neighbors.

It’s an undeniable fact that unicorns are the worst!

Magic is serious business, but all unicorns do is frolic around, have tea parties, and leave glitter all over the place! They’re nothing like goblins—practical and hard-working, who can put magic to good use! Unicorns aren’t helpful at all.

Or are they?


Book cover of The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
Book cover of Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal
Book cover of Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

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