Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.
This week’s prompt is a freebie, and while I hated freebie weeks when I first started blogging, I really enjoy them now. This month is Disability Pride Month, and the freebie lets me highlight some of my favorite books featuring good disability representation. Here’s what I’ve come across so far:
- A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. This one features a main character with cerebral palsy
- Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas. In this book, a character is dealing with a disabling injury, and going through a realistic grieving period for their former life and abilities.
- Clockwork Princess/Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. This is another book featuring a character who suffers a paralyzing injury, and is getting adjusted to their new normal.
- Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. I love a good OwnVoices book. I can’t speak about the fibromyalgia representation, but the chronic pain rep is on point.
- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. This is another OwnVoices book written by an autistic person featuring an autistic MC.
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Another OwnVoices book featuring a main character with chronic pain who relies on a mobility aid, and as someone with similar issues, they’re written so true to life.
- Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. In this fabulous book, the main character has a visible facial disability with the loss of an eye, and a side character has Alzheimer’s Disease, both of which are portrayed sensitively.
- One for All by Lillie Lainoff. A stunning debut, this OwnVoices story features a main character with an unnamed chronic illness that sounds suspiciously similar to POTS, yet she doesn’t let it hold her back.
- Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. This hilarious rom-com features a character with serious social anxiety, and portrays healthy coping strategies, making it a winner in my eyes.
- Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok. In this book, the main character is infertile due to a congenital issue. She is also an Orthodox Jewish woman struggling to find a marriage, because most people marry to have children in that community. I thought it was portrayed wonderfully.
What are some books on disability that you’ve found to be really good?
Categories: Top Ten Tuesday
Leah's Books 
I’ve heard of many of these authors and even own Six of Crows, but I’ve never read anything by these authors… well maybe a short story by Leigh Bardugo. Beyond that, I just know I’ve read about some of these from other lists. Always fun to be reminded of books I may enjoy. 🙂
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Glad to be the one doing the reminding!
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What an excellent list to highlight this week. Thank you.
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Thank you so much!
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Remarkable and thought-provoking theme! I would add Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen of Attolia, where the thief hero gets his hand cut off by his lady love. It’s middle grade, so the dark undertone was totally unexpected but dealt with very well.
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Thank you! I appreciate the rec, I’m adding it to my TBR now.
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Happy disability pride month! That’s a great pick for a theme.
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
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Thank you!
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Thanks for the recommendations! The only one I’ve read is Six of Crows.
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I’m so glad to help!
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I want to read Thank You For Listening!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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It’s so good!
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Wow, this is a great freebie this week, Leah. A very good subject, and one nobody talks about often. I love it!! Happy reading 🌞📚💜
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Thank you! I always try to work these in, but this one is especially important to me as a disabled person. I’m so glad to be able to bring awareness to it today!
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Great topic! Representation is so important. I’m a Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic and I’d love to see more of my disease in literature. I think it would be especially helpful for young T1Ds to see themselves in books and for other readers to realize that diabetic kids are just normal kids who deal with a challenging health issue. It’s not contagious or anything!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Thank you, and yes! I’d love to see T1D represented in adult and younger books – not only would it be awesome for people to see their own disability represented, but especially for kids it could help them understand why their friend can’t eat the same foods or has to take shots. Good call!
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A Curse so Dark and Lonely is one of my favorite books! I still need to finish the trilogy though. In fact, maybe I should reread it because it’s been so long lol Six of Crows I obviously love too.
My TTT: https://www.mollysbooknook.com/top-ten-tuesday-22/
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I have to say that ACSDAL was the best book in the trilogy, it all kind of went downhill from there. But SoC is always a favorite of mine.
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I loved Thank You for Listening and Yours Truly! Great choices for this topic.
Here’s my TTT post.
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Thank you so much! Those two were great reads.
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What a great list! I’ve read and enjoyed many on this list, so this makes me want to try the other ones, like One for All and Yours Truly.
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That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for making me smile today. I hope you enjoy the rest!
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Love this post! I might have to write up something similar. I loved Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. Others I liked include:
Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest
The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer
A Face for Picasso: Coming of Age with Crouzon Syndrome by Ariel Henley
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal
All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel
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I’d love to see a post like that from you! Of these, I’ve only read The Lunar Chronicles, but I’ll definitely be checking these out. The Invisible Kingdom by Meghan O’Rourke was a fantastic non-fiction.
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