Hi friends!
March is just around the quarter which means it’s time for a quick recap on March’s Read Disabled 2026 challenge as well as bring you some recommendations for books to read! All of these books are by disabled authors.
Also! Before I get into it, I just wanted to give you all a heads-up that voting for our March book club picks is open in the Discord, and many of the options fit one or both of these prompts!
Without further ado–let’s get into prompts and book recs!
Main Prompt: A Book by a Female Author
What I’m Planning to Read: That’s a Great Question, Thank You for Asking by Elyse Myers (Autism and ADHD representation)
March is Women’s History Month here in America, and to celebrate, our main prompt this month is a book by a female author (read: any book by an author who identifies as a woman), and I’m planning on going the non-fiction route with That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You by Elyse Myers.
I’ve been following Elyse Myers for a few years now. I find her content at turns very relatable and absolutely hilarious, and I was even able to meet her at Shelves and the City last March (she was so kind!) where she revealed the cover for this book! This is part memoir, part essay collection, and part poetry, talking about her life in a similar way to her video content, but a bit longer form. I’ve heard audio is the way to go for this one, so I’m hoping my library hold will come in by the end of the month for a tandem read, but if not I’ll settle for the physical copy.
My Recommendations:
A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz (autism representation)
This YA fantasy follows Milo, a devout, autistic temple steward who accidentally awakens a girl who was cursed to become a statue a thousand years before. Now awoken after a millennia trapped in stone, Gia is on a mission to kill the corrupt religious leader who cursed her–and she will kill anyone who gets in her way, even Milo.
What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella (glioblastoma, memory loss, and aphasia representation)
Sophie Kinsella’s final book, a novella fictionalizing her own experience with Glioblastoma is beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful. It follows Eve, a renowned novelist and mother of six who wakes up in a hospital bed with no memories, and must come to terms with a terminal diagnosis and fight to remember what is important to her.
The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado (PCOS representation)
When Whit Rivera is forced to plan her school’s Fall Formal with her nemesis, Zay, she knows it’s going to be a disaster–and she’s right. But what she wasn’t expecting was the sparks that begin to fly between the two of them.
Bonus Recommendation:
Fairest: A Memoir by Meredith Talusan (albinism representation)
This is a bonus recommendation because I haven’t read it. It’s another that is on my March TBR, but I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump, and don’t know if I’ll 100% manage to get this one read as well as the other two (which I’m prioritizing because they’re on my physical TBR, whereas this one i’d have to get from the library). It’s a memoir following the author’s experience growing up albino in the Philippines, immigrating to America, and coming out as a transwoman.
Bonus Prompt: A Book Featuring a Developmentally Disabled Main Character
What I’m Planning to Read: Happy Ending by Chloe Liese (ADHD representation)
March is also Developmental Disability Awareness Month! Developmental disability is a broad category of disabilities including things like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and more. It’s defined as categorizing disabilities that arise early in life and cause difficulties with communication, knowledge/skill acquisition, social interaction, and/or mobility. I’m planning to read Happy Ending by Chloe Liese for this prompt!
Chloe Liese is one of my favorite authors when it comes to disability representation, and I was under the impression that her upcoming release did not have any, but a few of my friends read early copies and have informed me that one of the main characters has ADHD. I was already excited to see Chloe Liese edge into a more women’s fiction bent in her romance (I’ve heard Emily Henry comped!) but with the added rep I’m doubly excited. This one isn’t out in the world until April, but I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy from Gallery Books.
My Recommendations:
King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin (ADHD representation)
This feels a little like cheating because I talked about it last month so it was already on your radar, but I just read it and it was phenomenal, so I need to scream about it. This follows Pernell, a 17 year old Black boy as he finds himself back in summer school for the third summer in a row and struggles to catch up with his peers. This book is stuffed full of Black disabled joy, and I love how the author knew exactly who his target audience was and wrote a story just for them. There were some really interesting (read: cool!) decisions made in story structure, pacing, and prioritization of different story elements to make this book more accessible and easier to connect with for teens with ADHD–escpecially those who struggle with reading. Cannot recommend this one more.
What Stars Are Made Of by Sarah Allen (Turner Syndrome representation)
When twelve year old Libby’s sister tells her she’s pregnant, Libby is thrilled–and also worried. She knows her sister is struggling financially and that not all babies are born healthy. So Libby strikes up a deal with the universe: she’ll enter a science competition, and if she wins the grand prize, she’ll give that money to her sister and the baby will be perfect.
Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest (cerebral palsy and wheelchair user representation)
As Effie starts her senior year, all of her focus is on college applications. She can’t wait for college, and she already knows the perfect place: a college in NYC with her dream program. But Effie is a wheelchair user, which means there’s a lot more to consider when choosing a college, and as senior year progresses she learns that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of.
Books That Fit Both Prompts: A Book by a Female Author with a Developmentally Disabled Main Character
For anyone who isn’t able to read two separate books, but wants to fit each prompt nonetheless–here are three books that are both by a woman and feature a developmentally disabled MC!
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (autism representation)
When Stella decides that she needs to practice dating, she does the only thing that makes sense: She hires a male escort to teach her all about dating and intimacy. Before long, Stella finds their no-nonsense partnership to make a strange sort of sense, and maybe is becoming something more than she planned for.
Second Chance Summer by Sarah Kapit (dyspraxia representation)
Maddie and Chloe are ready to move on after the dissolution of their best friendship, but when they end up at the same theater summer camp and find themselves repeatedly forced together, they discover that maybe the universe isn’t ready for their friendship to end.
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman (autism representation)
This YA fantasy follows autistic Changeling Seelie in the aftermath of a heist-gone-wrong as she’s forced on the run with her twin sister and unexpected allies. As they flee a murderous sorceress intent on retrieving what they’ve stolen, Seelie and her friends begin to unravel a mystery with its roots in both human and fae history.
Happy reading!
~Kaley
