30 Books I Read in 2018: 1-5

921 words

7 minute read

(Borrowing this idea from my friend Ellen, who blogged about The 20 Books I Read in 2017 last year.)

This year, I had a goal to read 24 books - 2 per month.  I ended up reading 30 (not including my own work.)  My success at reading was largely due to discovering Goodreads which allows me to keep track of the books I am reading.

I love realistic fiction, but made a concerted effort to branch out this year, and read more by authors of color.  I'm also a big fan of going back to books I already know I love, so several of these were rereads as well.

My rating system was inspired by Malice of Malice's Movie Madness.

0 Wheels = Did Not Like It

1 Wheel = It Was Okay

2 Wheels = Liked It

3 Wheels = Really Liked It

4 Wheels = It Was Amazing

1.  An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Genre: Science Fiction

Disability Representation: Yes

Rating: 4 Wheels

Age Range: 18+

Excerpt of Goodreads Summary:  Odd-mannered, obsessive, withdrawn, Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She's used to the names; she only wishes there was more truth to them. If she were truly a monster, as they accuse, she'd be powerful enough to tear down the walls around her until nothing remained of her world, save for stories told around the cookfire...

What I Thought:  Definitely some of the best disability representation I have ever read.  I cannot recommend this book highly enough.  Check out my previous post about this book for further thoughts.

2. Every Day by David Levithan

Genre: YA

Disability Representation: Yes

Rating: 2 Wheels

Age Range: 12+

Excerpt from Goodreads Summary:  Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

What I Thought:  Only one of the bodies A inhabits has any type of disability and the detailing of that particular day is sparse.  So, this isn't a book I'd necessarily go to if you're looking for good disability representation, but it was an interesting book that I did like.

3. Courage to Soar by Simone Biles

Genre: Autobiography / Memoir

Disability Representation: Yes

Rating:  2 Wheels

Age Range: 9+

Excerpt from Goodreads Summary:  Simone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a daycare field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, passion, and perseverance have made her one of the top gymnasts in the world, as well as a four-time winner of Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro.

But there is more to Simone than the nineteen medals—fourteen of them gold—and the Olympic successes. Through years of hard work and determination, she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, while having fun competing at the highest level and doing what she loves. Here, in her own words, Simone takes you through the events, challenges, and trials that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the 2016 Olympic team.

What I Thought: As a longtime fan of women's gymnastics, I really enjoyed Simone's memoir.  From her childhood in foster care to finding a stable, loving home with her parents, to achieving her dreams.  

Disability representation is included through Simone's middle school years as she talks about being diagnosed with A.D.H.D.

4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Genre: YA

Disability Representation: Yes

Rating: 4 Wheels

Age Range: 14+

Excerpt from Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

What I Thought: Powerful.  I read this back in February of this year and ten months later, the storyline is still with me.  Vividly authentic, this book centers on one family and the impact of police brutality on their world.  Disability representation I recall is PTSD - which, again - is thoughtfully depicted.  One of the most important reads of this year for me.

5.  Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Genre: Autobiography / Memoir

Disability Representation: Yes

Rating: 3 Wheels

Age Range: 18+

Excerpt of Goodreads Summary: The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime New York Times bestseller about one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison..

What I Thought:  This book was slow to start for me, which is the main reason I gave it 3 wheels instead of 4.  I really enjoyed the author's narrative voice, but the end was the part I related to the most strongly.

Disability representation in this one is not at the forefront but does include his grandmother, who is blind, and was present in the author's early years.

***

Don't forget to connect on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram