The Disability Book Tag. null

It’s time to have some fun, and as I’ve always loved book and blog tags this seemed like a great way to kick off GeekDis 2023 and Disability Pride Month! The Disability Book Tag is dedicated to books about and by disabled and/or neurodivergent people. I doubled checked before creating this tag to see if one already existed (it didn’t) and I also looked to see if there were any diverse book tags. There are various different versions of “The Diverse Book Tag”, some of which include disability and some forget the disabled community exists entirely. I wish I could say that was an uncommon, unfortunately it’s not. But that is a topic for another time.

The aim of the Disability Book Tag is to raise awareness about positive disability representation, to give a shout-out to the disabled and neurodivergent authors who have made us feel seen and to share the books we love.

Our community intersects with other marginalised communities which is why there are questions about LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors and characters. Representation of intersectional authors and books is often passed over in favour of “less complicated” books, therefore, it is essential that we show our support for them through discussion and celebration.

Tag Guidelines

Here are the tag guidelines:

  1. Create a new blog post and answer each of the questions.
  2. Include a copy of the rules and the questions without editing or removing any. If you use the image version copy and post the accompanying alt text as an image description.
  3. A link back to this page and the tag creator, Heather of Geeking By.
  4. This tag is open to anyone, disabled, neurodivergent or non-disabled, however, if you are non-disabled and the majority of your answers for this tag are books by non-disabled authors then you need to ask yourself why. It might be better for you to widen your reading and then come back to answer this tag.

The Questions

Please note that disability includes “physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction)” (definition from We Need Diverse Books).

Neurodivergent conditions include (but are not limited to) Autism spectrum disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Intellectual disabilities, Prader-Willi syndrome, Sensory processing disorders, Social anxiety, Tourette syndrome, and Williams syndrome.

  1. Author:
  2. LGBTQIA+ author:
  3. BIPOC author:
  4. Book:
  5. Non-Fiction:
  6. Disabled character:
  7. Neurodivergent character:
  8. LGBTQIA+ character:
  9. BIPOC character:
  10. Friendship:
  11. Couple:
  12. Most Relatable:
  13. Best Book This Year:
  14. Most Anticipated:
  15. Unknown Gem:

I’m tagging:

The Disability Book Tag - A slightly transparent cream square is layered on top of a pale yellow background filled with book, typewriter and flower illustrations. On the cream background in large text a header reads The Disability Book Tag. Below in smaller black text is a numbered list; Author 2. LGBTQIA+ author 3. BIPOC author 4. Book 5. Non-Fiction 6. Disabled character 7. Neurodivergent character 8. LGBTQIA+ character 9. BIPOC character 10. Friendship 11. Couple 12. Most Relatable 13. Best Book This Year 14. Most Anticipated 15. Unknown Gem. Underneath the text continues and reads Created for GeekDis by Heather @justgeekingby @geekdis2023 (Twitter).

Image description:

A slightly transparent cream square is layered on top of a pale yellow background filled with book, typewriter and flower illustrations. On the cream background in large text a header reads The Disability Book Tag. Below in smaller black text is a numbered list; Author 2. LGBTQIA+ author 3. BIPOC author 4. Book 5. Non-Fiction 6. Disabled character 7. Neurodivergent character 8. LGBTQIA+ character 9. BIPOC character 10. Friendship 11. Couple 12. Most Relatable 13. Best Book This Year 14. Most Anticipated 15. Unknown Gem. Underneath the text continues and reads Created for GeekDis by Heather @justgeekingby @geekdis2023 (Twitter).

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My answers

The fun part about creating a tag is getting to answer them as well! This was far harder than I anticipated and there are so many I didn’t get a chance to mention, so look out for another post this month of some more of my favourite books with disabled and neurodivergent representation.

One for All by Lillie Lainoff - A book cover featuring an illustrated design of a young woman in a magenta 16th century French gown holding out a rapier, she has a smug look on her face. She is surrounded by multiple swords pointing in her direction. The text on the cover reads "One for All. Lillie Lainoff."

Author – Lillie Lainoff

Lillie Lainoff has only written one book so far, and it has already left such a huge impact. There were so many things that I loved about One for All (my review is here) and I can’t wait to see what Lillie does next.

The Unbalancing by R.B. Lemberg - A black cover with a patterned blue border and white accent corners. At the top of the cover is a quote in small white text from Kate Elliott, author of Crown of Stars. It reads "I am staggered by the richness and intricacy of R.B. Lemberg's imagination". Below that there is a blue and black mountain range with a long-tailed blue bird flying across the base of them. In the middle of the mountains is a small black sign with an intricate white border. It reads A Birdverse Novel in white capital letters. Underneath the mountains, there is a blue compass design in the middle of the cover with birds with outstretched wings between each compass point. In the middle of the compass is the book title in white text, The Unbalancing, and below it in blue text the author's name, R.B. Lemberg. At the top and bottom corners of the compass are blue and white cresting waves.

LGBTQIA+ Author – R.B. Lemberg

R.B. Lemberg is a queer bigender author and the way they used fantasy to explore neurodiversity, gender and identity in their novel The Unbalancing (review here) was beautiful.

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester - The cover art features features a teen diving into a pool. She has scars along her thigh and pelvic bone and her shadow is mermaid-shaped.

BIPOC Author – Natalia Sylvester

In her novel Breathe and Count Back From Ten, Natalia Sylvester uses her own lived experience growing up as a disabled immigrant. The result is a brilliant novel that has spoken to so many people, myself included.

The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson - A red cover with a cutout in the shape of a ball of yarn stabbed through with a sword & knitting needle, showing an old woman holding a cane & sword silhouetted overlooking a city while a dragon hovers overhead.

Book – The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher

It was so hard to pick just one for this, and I changed my choice so many times. In the end I’ve chosen The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson because it has multiple characters with disability representation (and other rep too!) and even better, the representation is accurate! Check out my full review here.

Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau - A teal book cover with illustrations depicting disabled people of all different body shapes, races, disabilities and mobility aids. In the center of the cover is a dark teal rectangle. Inside it in white font is the book's title "Demystifying Disability : What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally". At the bottom of the book cover in dark teal font is the author's name "Emily Ladau".

Non-Fiction – Demystifying Disability

I’ve had the pleasure to read some fantastic non-fiction books by disabled authors in recent years, however, Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau is the one I recommend the most to people. It has so much to offer for disabled people and is a great way to explain so many things about disability to non-disabled people.

The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden - A multicoloured spotted background with the book title, The First Thing About You, printed in large white text to fill the cover. The author's name, Chaz Hayden, is printed in the bottom left corner in smaller white text.

Disabled Character – Harris in The First Thing About You

This was another tough one, and I decided on Harris from The First Thing About You by Chaz Hayden (review here) as he is such a great character. Harris has spinal muscular atrophy and is a wheelchair user, and his school experience is very different from his peers. He has a unique way of viewing the world by asking people their favourite colour, and depending on that colour he knows what that person will be like. In The First Thing About You, he meets someone who refuses to tell him their favourite colour, forcing him to navigate their growing relationship unguided.

The Disability Book Tag - The original Disability Book Tag! Raise awareness about disability representation and share the disabled and neurodivergent authors and books. null
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune - A book cover featuring an illustration of a cityscape at sunset with two superheroes standing behind a caucausian teenage boy with short brown hair. He is wearing a blue hoodie, yellow t-shirt, dark blue pants and blue sneakers. Behind him on the left the superhero is wearing an all black costume with red stripes and a white tornado symbol on his chest. The superhero on the right is also wearing all black and has a star symbol on his chest. In the pink sky the author's name, TJ Klune is printed in dark blue letters. Across the middle of the cover in white letters is the book title, The Extraordinaries, with the X elongated. Near the bottom of the cover on the left in small white text it reads "Nick puts the EXTRA" and the sentence finishes on the left; "in EXTRAORDINARY".

Neurodivergent character – Nick in The Extraordinaries

I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard reading a book as I did while reading The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune. Nick Bell is a superhero fanboy with ADHD and right from the start his condition is front and centre, including details about his medication and how his ADHD affects his daily life. Klune has a brilliant way of utilising humour to give voice to teenage experiences, and Nick’s voice is so authentic. There were so many times when I was laughing and hiding under the covers when Nick’s actions rang true to my own memories as a teenager.

Book Review: The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath - A black cover with a large elaborate teal, red and orange flower design. Under the lower part of the design in white capital letters the book title is printed, The Reckless Kind. At the bottom of the cover in smaller white letters the author's name, Carly Heath, is printed.

LGBTQIA+ character – Erlend, Gunnar & Asta in The Reckless Kind

I’m cheating a bit with this one as The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath has not one, but three disabled LGBTQIA+ characters, and they all deserve a mention. Erlend and Gunnar are gay and Asta is asexual. Erlend has anxiety, Gunnar has a spinal cord injury and Brown-Séquard syndrome, and Asta has hearing loss due to Waardenberg Syndrome. You can find out more about this historical fiction novel in my review.

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas Book - A book cover featuring an illustration of a young man with brown skinn and short dark wavy hair. His back is to us, showing a full view of his vibrant green, teal and gold wings. His head is turned to look forward, and he is holding a a transparent shining golden skull in his hand. He is wearing a dark red sleeveless top with a detailed gold neckline and green pants. On his head is a crown with spokes like the rays of the sun and teal feather detailing over his ear.

BIPOC character – Dezi from The Sunbearer Trials

While Dezi is a secondary character in The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas his inclusion in the book has an impact on the world-building of the book (read my review here). Dezi is one of the semidioses (demi-gods) chosen to take part in the Sunbearer trials. He is the Black, Deaf, Pansexual child of the Diosa of Love, Amor. Sign language is incorporated into the Trials along with other accessible accommodations, and other characters have learned sign language so that they communicate with Dezi. While he is there to win, he is also a nice person and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book.

(In)Visible by Ivan Baidak - A beige cover featuring a checkered sepia coloured photo of a man's face. Below it is the Ukranian flag followed by the book's title, (In)Visible printed in brown capital letters. In smaller letters the author's name, Ivan Baidak, is printed below that.

Friendship – (In)Visible by Ivan Baidak

Friendship is at the core of (In)Visible by Ivan Baidak and I loved the way that it highlighted how important it is for disabled and neurodivergent people to have support from our own community. That is the number one thing that non-disabled authors always miss when writing disabled characters; disabled friends. The best friend and partner are always non-disabled and while we do have them, we also have a lot of connection to our community. This book hits that nail on the head completely. Find out more about (In)Visible in my review.

You, Me and Our Heartstrings by Melissa See - An illustrated book cover of two young white caucasian people on a train. They are both blushing as they look at each other. One is a young woman with brown hair in a side ponytail. She is on the left, sitting down with an violin case on her lap and by her legs. She is wearing a pink collared shirt, blue leggings and pink lace up shoes. A young man is standing by the doors of the train looking down at her. He has curling brown hair, wears glasses, a red scarf, a blue cardigan, teal shirt, blue pants and orange shoes. He has a cello case slung across his body and back, and is holding out a bouquet of flowers to the woman. On the right of the couple in large white letters is the title, You, me and our Heartstrings. Above the train door on a poster pink script reads "a novel by Melissa See".

Couple – Daisy & Noah from You, Me and Our Heartstrings

I very rarely read romance novels and Daisy and Noah’s relationship from You, Me and Our Heartstrings hit me in the feels for so many reasons (more in my review). It is a beautiful relationship that shows the multiple layers of how difficult it can be to navigate a relationship when two people have disabilities, especially when one is a mental health condition.

A Girl in One Room by Jessica Taylor-Bearman - A cream cover with a design of multicoloured water coloured birds in flight. Small dark yellow text at the top of the cover reads "From the No. 1 bestselling author". Below that in larger black letters is the title, A Girl in One Room. There is then a quote from Kara Tointon printed in small text; "Jessica's journey is an inspiring story of courage that needs to be heard". At the bottom of the cover is the author's name, Jessica Taylor-Bearman.

Most Relatable – A Girl in One Room

This was incredibly difficult for me to choose because there are hardly any books with characters with one of my health conditions, and none with multiple conditions (forget eight!). In the end I went with A Girl in One Room by Jessica Taylor-Bearman (review here) because ME/CFS was the condition that hit me the hardest and I related to the way she had to build her life back up. While my ME/CFS was nowhere near as severe as Jessica’s, I still had to re-learn many things and adapt a lot.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner - A cover featuring an illustration of a stag entwined with roots lifting it's head to the sky. Behind it's head is a large planet. Inside the circle of the planet the book's title and the author's name are printed; Godkiller Hannah Kaner.

Best Book This Year – Godkiller

I made a no repeat rule when I started this tag because otherwise Godkiller by Hannah Kaner would have been listed here multiple times. This is hands down my favourite read this year period and a big part of that is the disabled representation of the main character and secondary characters. It just flows so naturally and is just a part of their lives – as it should be! You can read my full review here.

The Undectables by Courtney Smyth - A sepia-toned cover designed to look like an advert page for a magical newspaper. In the centre is an illustration of three silhouetted figures with a bright purple pentacle above their heads. The title of the book is printed in brown text on top of the pentagram; The Undetectables. Below the figures, more text reads Be Gay. Solve Crimes. Take Naps. The author's name is printed below in purple lettering; Courtney Smyth. Dotted around the cover are purple beetles.

Most Anticipated – The Undectables

Urban fantasy, murder mystery a main character with chronic illness representation and LGBTQIA+ rep too? Of course The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth caught my attention very quickly and other than a bunch of sequels that I’m stalking patiently waiting for, this is definitely my most anticipated book with a disabled and/or neurodivergent character in the next twelve months.

The Words in my Hands by Asphyxia. null

Unknown Gem – The Words in my Hands by Asphyxia

Again, I could list so many for this one but the first to come to mind is The Words in my Hands by Asphyxia. Set in the near future, and it tells the story of Deaf teenager Piper who was brought up to pass as hearing. When she meets Marley, a child of a Deaf adult (CODA), he introduces her to the Deaf community and her world begins to change. It is written by Deaf activist Asphyxia and every page is gorgeously illustrated in the style of an art journal (Piper’s journal), adding a whole new dimension to the experience. You can read more and see an example of the artwork in my review.

I’m tagging…

Everyone! If you’re reading this consider yourself tagged. Feel free to post on your blog, YouTube channel, social media, wherever as long as you follow the rules!

Over to you

Thank you for joining me for The Disability Book Tag! Please do link back to this post, tag me on social media and drop your links in the comments if you complete the tag. I’d love to read them!

GeekDis is an event for the disabled and neurodivergent community to discuss disability representation. It takes place throughout July and you can find more information about it here.

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