We’ve compiled a list of great reads recommended for those that would like to see themselves represented within their next favorite book. Whether you enjoy relaxing with a tale of romance, investigating a crime, or becoming immersed into an autobiography, this list has something for everyone to enjoy. So take a look through our recommendations to find your next page-turning obsession!
100 Days of Sunlight by Annie Emmons
Yellow background with a mural of flowers, butterflies, a guitar, a bird, and a laptop. Text reads: “100 Days of Sunlight: When life knocks you down… Get up.”
Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Yellow to black vignette background with orange monarch butterfly in center. Text says: “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. ‘A wistful poetic ironic and whimsically affirmative testament by a man who refused to die in spirit’ – The New York Times”
A lasting testament to life life, Jean-Dominique Bauby falls into a 20-day long coma only to be awoken inside a body unable to move. With his left eye’s blink as a link to his unimpaired mind, Bauby composes an extraordinary recant of how beautiful life can be, in a world of imagination and realism. Throughout the novel he returns to an “inexhaustible reservoir of sensations,” keeping in touch with himself and the life around him.
Being Heumann by Judith Heumann
Orange Background with Judith Heumann sitting on a bed of flowers. She’s wearing glasses and has her legs crossed. Text reads: “Being Heumann: an unrepentant memoir of a disability rights activist”
“A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for all of us and of one woman’s activism—from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington—Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society.”
“Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people.”
How Lucky: A Novel by Will Leitch
Blue background with white letters “How Lucky” over a blue and white house with the front door ajar. Faint city skyline behind the house. Text reads: “‘A fantastic novel… You are going to like this a lot.’ – Stephen King” and “How Lucky” in white.
“Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He’s got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy—despite the fact that he’s suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair.
Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he’s not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he’s almost sure he sees her being kidnapped…”
A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Banard
Dark blue background with an outline of two hands forming a heart. Text reads: “A Quiet Kind of Thunder.“
“Steffi’s been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He’s deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she’s assigned to help him acclimate. To Rhys, it doesn’t matter that Steffi doesn’t talk. As they find ways to communicate, Steffi discovers that she does have a voice, and that she’s falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. But as she starts to overcome a lifelong challenge, she’ll soon confront questions about the nature of her own identity and the very essence of what it is to know another person.”
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Light blue background with an image of two people side-hugging in front of a cat. Text reads: “Get a life, Chloe Brown: Love wasn’t on her to-do list“ and “Absolutely charming… a flawless balance of humor, heat, sweetness, and depth, and I loved every page.” – Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Bride Test“
A witty, hilarious romantic comedy about a woman who’s tired of being “boring” and recruits her mysterious, sexy neighbor to help her experience new things—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne, Jasmine Guillory, and Helen Hoang!
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion.
