July is Disability Pride Month and is a month to celebrate and honor the achievements and struggles of this diverse community and to amplify their voices. With both mental and physical disabilities, July is the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act providing inclusion in society. If you’re looking for some stories involving characters with disabilities, now is the perfect time to add these to your TBR. Not only do these stories include amazing plots, but representation of disability within their characters that can give readers an insight with their experiences.
Just by Looking at Him by Ryan O’Connell
Elliott is a successful TV writer with the seemingly perfect boyfriend, but appearances aren’t always everything. What most don’t see is Elliott is struggling with his cerebral palsy, an alcohol addiction, and is being unfaithful to his boyfriend with a variety of sex workers. When Elliott finally accepts that changes are necessary, he realizes facing your demons isn’t all that easy when you want to get your life back on track.
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Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Jack and Grace are the perfect it couple. Wealthy and beautiful, they are known for having it all. Jack is a successful attorney and Grace is a homemaker who takes care of her younger sister who has Down’s syndrome. The only downside to this couple is people are beginning to notice that it’s hard to befriend or get to know Grace as she and Jack are inseparable. While some chalk it up to being newlyweds, others are beginning to wonder what happens after the dinner parties are over and Jack and Grace are alone.
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The Eighth Girl by Maxine Mei-Fung Chung
Featuring a character named Alexa Wu, who has dissociative identity disorder, her chaotic life is controlled by her alternate personalities. When Alexa’s friend, Ella, gets a job at a gentlemen’s club, she catches the eye of the owner and is immediately intrigued by his inner circle. When Alexa and Ella’s worlds intertwine, Alexa finds herself harboring a dark secret that proves to her that her multiple personalities can either protect her the most or cause her a ton of danger.
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So Lucky by Nicola Griffith
Mara Tagarelli is the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation, but her personal life is falling apart. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, her family is unreliable, her body is letting her down, and her friends and colleagues treat her like a victim. Stopping at nothing to flip the narrative and try to take control of her life and body, Mara’s world changes over the course of a week when her actions unleash monsters aimed at the heart of her community.
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Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
Dr. Jennifer White is a retired orthopedic surgeon with dementia. When her best friend, Amanda, is found dead with four fingers surgically removed from her hand, Jennifer is the prime suspect. The worst part is that Jennifer actually doesn’t even know if she’s guilty or innocent. As the investigation deepens, Jennifer’s relationships with her own children and her caretake make her question if she really could be capable of murder.
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The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Khai Diep thinks there’s something wrong with him, but his family knows better. Khai processes his feelings differently than others due to his autism. Because of this, Khai has avoided relationships at all costs. Khai’s mother decides that she’s going to take matters into her own hands and returns home to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride. In Vietnam, Esme Tran has always felt out of place until she gets the opportunity to go to America and meet a potential husband. Esme thinks this is fate, but soon realizes seducing Khai is no easy task. Now, Esme has found herself completely head over heels for Khai.
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Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai
Katrina King has just gone viral after a stranger live-tweets an innocent conversation she has with a man in coffee shop. Known as #CafeBae, Katrina’s world she’s worked so hard to keep private is threatening to come crashing down. Now, bodyguard Jas Singh has just offered Katrina refuge at his family’s farm and Katrina begins crushing, believing the love is unrequited until the two kiss and Katrina wonders if she is about to get everything she has desired all along. This rom-com is not only swoon-worthy but features a character who deals with panic disorder and anxiety.
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Starling Days by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Featuring a character dealing with depression, Mina told Oscar who she was on their first date. She’s a bisexual vegetarian who is on medication. Oscar and Mina did end up married, but the low days are starting to not be as manageable and when Mina finds herself standing on the George Washington Bridge, Oscar is called to pick her up. Following the incident, the two plan to move from New York to London. In London, Mina finds herself adjusting to a new life and drawn to a woman named Phoebe. Things take a dramatic turn when the friendship could lead to more and Mina feels like her relationship with Oscar is being tested.
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