Happy Wednesday, bibliophiles!
Here in the U.S., July is Disability Pride Month! This July, we find ourselves in a situation that’s far from celebratory. Both the U.S. and the U.K. are on the verge of passing legislation that would make cuts to the healthcare programs and benefits that many disabled people rely on. It’s clearer than ever that the people in power see disabled people as disposable and not deserving of respect. In the years since I’ve started making these posts, visibility for disabled people (and this pride month) has seen a small increase (in my experience) yet continues to be left behind in feminism. And I’m still on the hunt for any kind of media that accurately represents my own disability (sensory processing disorder), and I know many disabled people have had similar experiences. But that’s no reason to give up. It’s no reason to stop writing, to stop reading, and to stop listening to the lived experiences of disabled people. We cannot be erased with legislation—we will always be here, and we’re sticking around no matter what.
So here is another list of some of the best books with disabled representation that I’ve read in the past year! I’ve included books from all age ranges (middle grade to adult) and genres that represent a multitude of disabilities.
NOTE: my memory (and the internet) is imperfect, so if I’ve misrepresented/mislabeled any of the specific rep in these books, don’t hesitate to let me know!
KEY FOR TERMS IN THIS POST:
- MC: Main character
- LI: Love interest
- SC: Side character
For my previous lists, click below:
Let’s begin, shall we?
♿️THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH (2024 EDITION)♿️
FANTASY:
- When the Tides Held the Moon – Venessa Vida Kelley | Adult | MC with asthma, little person SC, SC with gigantism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Sixteen Souls – Rosie Talbot | YA | MC with prosthetic limbs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Maid and the Crocodile – Jordan Ifueko | YA | MC with vitiligo and crooked foot (cane user) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Brooms – Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall | MG | Deaf MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- To a Darker Shore – Leanne Schwartz | YA | Autistic MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Lightfall: The Girl & The Galdurian – Tim Probert | MG | MC with anxiety disorder | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SCIENCE FICTION:
- Goldilocks – Laura Lam | Adult | MC with PCOS | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Dust – Alison Stine | YA | Deaf MC and SCs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Stardust Grail – Yume Kitasei | Adult | MC with chronic migraines | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection – edited by Madeline Dyer * | YA | various disabilities throughout (anthology) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Accessing the Future: A Disability-Themed Anthology of Speculative Fiction – edited by Kathryn Allan and Djibril Al-Ayad | Adult | various disabilities throughout (anthology) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- Finna – Nino Cipri | Adult | MC with depression | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Time and Time Again – Chatham Greenfield | YA | MC with IBS and anxiety, LI with oligoarthritis | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- The Vela – Becky Chambers, S.L. Huang, Yoon Ha Lee, and Rivers Solomon | Adult | Deaf MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- A People’s Future of the United States – edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams | Adult | various disabilities throughout (anthology) | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
*I’ve arbitrarily included Being Ace in the science fiction section, but it includes several genres, many of which fall under sci-fi/fantasy. It could theoretically go in all three fiction categories in this post.
REALISTIC FICTION:
- Roll for Love – M.K. England | YA | MC with anxiety disorder | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- Love Letters from Joy – Melissa See | YA | MC with cerebral palsy | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Death of the Author – Nnedi Okorafor | Adult | wheelchair-using MC/later uses prosthetic limbs | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Navigating With You – Jeremy Whitley and Cassio Ribeiro | YA | MC with cerebral palsy | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Stars in Their Eyes – Jessica Walton and Aśka | YA | MC with prosthetic leg, LI with anxiety disorder | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Joined at the Joints – Marissa Eller | YA | MC, LI, and SCs with juvenile arthritis, SC with celiac disease | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Afrotistic – Kala Allen Omeiza | YA | Autistic MC, SCs with autism and cerebral palsy | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Life Hacks for a Little Alien – Alice Franklin | Adult | Autistic MC | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
NONFICTION (or “Oops! All Alice Wong”):
- Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century – edited by Alice Wong | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life – Alice Wong | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Invisible: How Women with Serious Health Issues Navigate Work, Relationships, and the Pressure to Seem Just Fine – Michele Lent Hirsch | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Strong Female Character – Fern Brady | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Mean Little Deaf Queer: A Memoir – Terry Galloway | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
- Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire – edited by Alice Wong | Adult | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and if so, did you enjoy them? What are some of your favorite books with disability rep? Let me know in the comments!
Today’s song:
That’s it for this recommendations list! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!
The Bookish Mutant 