The Bookish Mutant’s Books for Disability Pride Month (2023 edition) ♿️

Happy Friday, bibliophiles!

Here in the U.S., July is Disability Pride Month! Although I’ve seen some more recognition for it in the past few years, I find myself saying this over and over—disability issues are left behind in intersectional feminism far too often. The larger representation in media of disabled people as otherwise white and cishet, the lack of accessibility at many pride events, and the hurdles that most disabled students have to go through in order to get accommodations at school is proof. And yet, around 27% of Americans have some sort of disability—myself included. As the literary world has slowly shown more stories with disabled characters, it’s more important than ever to uplift disabled voices.

Like some of my other themed lists this year, I’ve decided to expand it beyond YA, because I’d be remiss if I didn’t include some of the amazing Adult and MG reads with disabled rep over the years. I’ve separated all of these recs by age group, and included their genres, my rating, and the type of disability rep.

(SHOUTOUT TO NOT IF I CAN HELP IT, I FINALLY HAVE A MORSEL OF SPD REP)

for my lists from previous years, click here:

• 2022 (+ on having SPD and the lack of representation)
• 2021

Let’s begin, shall we?

THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH (2023 EDITION)

YA:

• Forever is Now – Mariama J. Lockington | Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance | anxiety, agoraphobia | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester – Maya MacGregor | Paranormal, LGBTQ+ | Autism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Social Queue – Kay Kerr | Realistic Fiction, Romance | Autism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Queen of the Tiles – Hanna Alkaf | Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Thriller | anxiety, PTSD | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• You’re Welcome, Universe – Whitney Gardner | Realistic Fiction | Deaf | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Breathe and Count Back from Ten – Natalia Sylvester | Realistic Fiction | hip dysplasia | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling – Lucy Frank | Realistic Fiction, Novels in Verse | Crohn’s disease |⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• The Art of Saving the World – Corinne Duyvis | Sci-fi, Fantasy, LGBTQ+ | anxiety, endometriosis |⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The Immeasurable Depth of You – Maria Ingrande Mora | Paranormal, LGBTQ+ | anxiety, OCD, ADHD |⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

ADULT:

• Meru – S.B. Divya | Sci-fi, LGBTQ+, Romance | sickle-cell anemia | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• An Unkindness of Ghosts – Rivers Solomon | Sci-fi, LGBTQ+ | Autism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The Outside – Ada Hoffmann | Sci-fi, LGBTQ+ | Autism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Noor – Nnedi Okorafor | Sci-fi | prosthetic limbs (cybernetic) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75, rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• She Who Became the Sun – Shelley Parkey-Chan | Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance | amputee | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• The Final Strife – Saara El-Arifi | Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance | amputee | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
• Seven Devils – Laura Lam & Elizabeth May | Sci-fi, LGBTQ+ | Autism, prosthetics | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Chameleon Moon – RoAnna Sylver | Dystopia, Fantasy, Sci-fi, LGBTQ+ | Autism, anxiety, PTSD | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Get a Life, Chloe Brown – Talia Hibbert | Realistic Fiction, Romance | chronic illness (fibromyalgia) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

MIDDLE GRADE:

• El Deafo – Cece Bell | Graphic Memoir | Deaf | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• The War That Saved My Life – Kimberly Brubaker Bradley | Historical Fiction | twisted foot | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Not If I Can Help It – Carolyn Mackler | Realistic Fiction | SPD | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and what did you think of them? What are your favorite books with disabled rep? Let me know in the comments!

Today’s song:

That’s it for this year’s Disability Pride recs! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!