Disabled Readers and Books

Hi, I am pretty new to the site but I am very excited to be able to talk with other readers from all around the world. I am disabled and have an extreme special interest in all things books. Are there like readers here on the platform and do you have any recommendations for books about characters with disabilities? Mental, Developmental, emotional, or physical would all be appreciated, but I do normally prefer for them to be written by disabled authors because those provide an authentic and accurate read! :)

Saou Ichikawa, who has congenital myopathy, won the Akutagawa Prize (most prestigious Japanese literary award) for her book Hunchback which will be coming out in English in March 2025 (with a beautiful cover). Definitely worth checking out.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/07/26a318651087-disabled-author-wins-pre...

Amazon blurb:
Born with a congenital muscle disorder, Shaka Isawa has severe spine curvature and uses an electric wheelchair and ventilator. Within the limits of her care home, her life is lived online: she studies, she tweets indignantly, she posts outrageous stories on an erotica website. One day, a new male carer reveals he has read it all – the sex, the provocation, the dirt. Her response? An indecent proposal…

Written by the first disabled author to win Japan’s most prestigious literary award and acclaimed instantly as one of the most important Japanese novels of the 21st century, Hunchback is an extraordinary, thrilling glimpse into the desire and darkness of a woman placed at humanity’s edge.

I can recommend Good kings bad kings, by Susan Nussbaum: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/04/29/author-disability-activist-and-actor-s...

Susan was an author and disability activist; the book, set in Chicago, is about a group of disabled teens in a state-run institution.

I put out a request earlier this year for speculative fiction with disabled protags, fantastic/sci-fi qualities which function as a metaphor for disability, magical disabilities, etc. I received a lot of good recommendations (not all of which I've acquired a copy of yet...) and that thread can be found in the Book Recommendation group.

One I would highlight is Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses. I'm unsure of the disability status of the author but from my perspective (also disabled) it was incredibly realistic (except for the werewolf part, which I can't speak to the accuracy of...)

>4 GraceCollection:

I'm unsure of the disability status of the author

On her website, the author says, "I have two autoimmune disorders, endometriosis, and a number of other problems & issues with my body. I have flares pretty regularly."

I was recently looking for horror books about characters or by authors with disabilities and came across the website The Disability Book Archive that may be of interest. And if you like horror, there’s a list of titles here on LT: Differently Abled Horror list.

>4 GraceCollection:
I searched up the link to the past topic that you mentioned, and it can be found at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/362777

I second >3 lilithcat:’s recommendation of Good Kings, Bad Kings. Fantastic novel.

Also great:
What is Visible by Kimberly Elkins
The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken
The Giant O’Brien by Hilary Mantel
Animal’s People by Indra Sinha
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo