the audio book edition of Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering
Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend suggests Burke Michaels after a whirlwind commercial. Except that Burke is not who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: He is happily married and uses Skye for his own deceptive ends. On a collision course that she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into planning the wedding as Burke’s plan becomes more and more twisted. But of course even the best plans can go astray. And if you think you know where this audiobook is going, you will find that there is more than one way to tell the truth.
April is just around the corner and it’s almost time for the Disability Readathon! The Readathon, hosted by Erin Hawley and Anna Goldberg, encourages readers to read more #OwnVoices books by and about disabled people. As a disabled person, I couldn’t be more excited to attend this book celebration.
One of my favorite ways to take part in readathons is of course by listening to audiobooks. Here are some of my last few favorites!
Golem Girl: A Memory from Riva Teacher, Narrated by the Author and Cassandra Campbell
In 1958, Riva Lehrer was born with spina bifida. After being told a childhood that it is smaller than something that is broken and needs to be fixed, it discovers an art collaboration full of disabled people. As she gets to know her and paints her portraits, Leher begins to find the community she has always needed.
Sitting nicely: The look from my usual, resilient, disabled body by Rebekah Taussig, told by the author
Disability attorney Rebekah Taussig shares her experience as a paralyzed girl who rarely saw a disability in the media. And when she saw it, it wasn’t great. As an adult, Taussig writes about the complex realities of life as a disabled person and tells her own story as she sees it. I love her narrative voice, and when she performs the book for audio output, I love it even more.
Growing up disabled in Australia Edited by Carly Findlay, told by Carly Findlay
The latest in the Growing Up series, Growing Up Disabled in Australia highlights the diverse experiences of disabled, chronically ill, deaf and neurodivergent people from Australia. Disability rights activist Carly Findlay has brilliantly curated this collection and is reading the audio book edition.
Have: The deaf-blind woman who conquered Harvard’s law from haben Girma tells the story of the author
In this memoir, Have Girma shares her experience of attending Harvard Law as a deafblind woman. When everyone seems to be underestimating them, Girma uses their experience as an opportunity to innovate, solve problems and create new channels of communication. As an added bonus, Girma tells the audiobook herself!
Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert, told by Ione Butler
As a huge fan of the Brown Sisters series, I couldn’t wait to see Talia Hibbert’s latest romance novel in the series, in which two autistic people fall in love. In the latest book, the youngest brown sister, Eve, is unemployed and doesn’t know what to do next with her career. But when she comes across an adorable bed and breakfast, she meets Jacob, a grumpy man who just wants his business to be successful.
What Doesn’t Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness – Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller, as told by the author
When Tessa Miller fell ill, she was not given a manual on how to maneuver the medical system. Having experienced countless medical procedures and doctor’s appointments, she had to figure everything out for herself. In What Doesn’t Kill You, Miller shares her experiences and gives tips on how to help other chronically ill people.
The collected schizophrenias of Esmé Weijun Wang, narrated by the author
Esmé Weijun Wang shares her experiences with schizophrenia in brilliant prose. Each essay deals with a different aspect or observation about living with mental illness. Wang tells the book himself and adds an extra layer of feeling to the listening experience.
We never meet in the real life of Samantha Irby, told by the author
When people think of disability, they often imagine a gloomy and grumpy existence. But Samantha Irby blows these stereotypes out of the water. Although Irby shares some of the more difficult experiences of her life, her writing is alive and full of life. She is reading the audiobook herself and I just want to warn you that you may be laughing out loud for several minutes.
For more recommendations for audiobooks by disabled authors, see these two previous articles: “5 OwnVoices Audiobooks About Women With Chronic Illnesses or Disabilities” and “7 Audiobooks Celebrating Disability Pride Month”.
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