Top Ten Diverse Reads – Newbie Blogger Spotlight | Blogmas

Top Ten Diverse Reads – Newbie Blogger Spotlight No.7 | Blogmas

Hi friends! Today’s Blogmas post is the reinstatement of my Newbie Blogger Spotlight! Today I have one of my favourite newbie bloggers, Emily, on my blog and she has a wonderful post to share with you all. Go check her out on Twitter and her blog!

The Newbie Blogger Spotlight is a feature I have on my blog where I share a guest post from a lovely newbie blogger. They will be talking about why they got into blogging, what they enjoy about it and whatever else they’d like to share. I hope you’re all lovely to these bloggers and go and check them out, let’s spread the blogging love! Remember how you felt when you were first starting out.

Now on to Emily!

Firstly, thanks to the brilliant Jenn for having me on her beautifully designed blog.

I’ve been toying with the idea of starting up a book blog for years and suddenly I had some free time in July, so I decided to just go for it. Now three months on, ashortbooklover is my space to just indulge in my passion for reading. From reviews to TBR shelves, tags and even an author interview, I’m having so much fun just sharing my opinions and love of books.

Speaking of being passionate, I’m a strong supporter of promoting and recommending diverse books, so more people can see themselves in books. Ideally, every book would feature well-developed diverse characters (like in Six of Crows) but unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet.

One area of diversity that I want to highlight today was disability and mental health issues. So many of my friends struggle with these problems every day and a close member of my family is disabled, so I’m pretty vocal. I feel like there’s not that many books that discuss these themes, so I chose 10 to share today (in no particular order as they’re all amazing).

My Top Ten Books That Featured Disabilities/ Mental Health Issues:

1. The Six Of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo:

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Published by Henry Holt and Company on September 29th 2015
Pages: 465
Goodreads

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Published by Henry Holt and Company on September 20th 2016
Pages: 546
Goodreads

Jesper trummeldas rahutult sõrmedega vastu kintse. „Kas teie olete ka tähele pannud, et terve linn hakkas meid otsima, kõik on meie peale maruvihased ja tahavad meid maha tappa?” „Ja siis?” vastas Kaz. „Noh, et tavaliselt teeb sedasi ainult pool linna.” Kaz Brekkeri meeskond sai hakkama hulljulge ettevõtmisega, millest polnud õigupoolest lootust eluga välja tulla. Lubatud priske tasu asemel aga ootab neid taas ees võitlus elu ja surma peale. Tüssatud ja nõrgestatud meeskonnal napib nii liitlasi, ressursse kui ka lootust. Kogu maailmast koonduvad Ketterdami mõjukad tegelased, et uurida välja ohtliku uimasti jurda parem’i saladused, samal ajal aga ilmuvad välja ka vanad võistlejad ja uued vaenlased, et Kazi taiplikkus ja salga hapravõitu lojaalsus proovile panna. Ketterdami linna süngetel ja kõveratel tänavatel puhkeb sõda – lahing kättemaksu ja lunastuse nimel, mis otsustab grišade maailma saatuse.

Auhinnatud Ameerika kirjanikule Leigh Bardugole tõi suurema tuntuse „Griša” triloogia. „Kõver kuningriik” on tema järgmise sarja, „Vareste kuue” teine ülipaeluv osa, milles põimuvad tegelikkus ja Bardugole omane võluv fantaasiamaailm. „„Kõver kuningriik” on justkui hõrgult omapärane maitsekooslus „Harry Potterist”, „Troonide mängust” ja sutsukesest 19. sajandi Euroopast.” – Los Angeles Times

Kaz has a condition called haphephobia which is an extreme rare phobia of skin to skin contact, walks with a cane to aid his physical disability and he also suffers from PTSD. The way Bardugo just seamlessly blends in Kaz’s disability is just one example of the amazing casual diversity in this series.

2. I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman
Published by HarperCollins on May 3rd 2018
Pages: 395
Goodreads

'I'm gonna die. I'm literally gonna die.''Wouldn't recommend that,' says Juliet, as if she's been on a two week holiday to Death and gave it a two out of five on TripAdvisor.

For Angel, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friend Juliet, her dreams, her place in the world.

Jimmy owes everything to The Ark. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band with his mates is all he ever dreamed of doing.

But dreams don't always turn out the way you think, and when Jimmy and Angel are unexpectedly thrust together they find out just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

Funny and wise, I Was Born for This is a stunning reflection on the power of believing in something - especially yourself.

Another simply stunning read for a champion of UKYA. Jimmy has extreme anxiety. The portrayal of teens is the most accurate writing that I have seen for quite a while and there’s some brilliant casual diversity as well.

3. History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Published by Soho Teen on January 17th 2017
Pages: 320
Goodreads

When Griffin's first love and ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college and started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he's been imagining for himself has gone far off course.

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin's downward spiral continues. He's losing himself in his obsessive compulsions and destructive choices, and the secrets he's been keeping are tearing him apart.

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life.

This book will make you cry, so just be warned. Silvera breaks my heart with every book he’s written and the portrayal of grief and OCD was just perfect for me.

4. Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

Am I Normal Yet? (The Spinster Club, #1) by Holly Bourne
Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd on August 1st 2015
Pages: 434
Goodreads

All Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…

But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad. And if Evie can’t even tell her new friends Amber and Lottie the truth about herself, how will she cope when she falls in love?

Such a good portrayal of OCD and Evie’s speech about how she’s fed up of people using mental health problems as a ‘cute’ adjective really got to me. It was one of those fist-pumping moments and struck a chord with me.

5. We Are Young by Cat Clarke

We Are Young by Cat Clarke
Published by Quercus Children's Books on May 3rd 2018
Pages: 384
Goodreads

On the same night Evan's mother marries local radio DJ 'Breakfast Tim', Evan's brand-new step-brother Lewis is found unconscious and terribly injured, the only survivor of a horrific car crash.

A media furore erupts, with the finger of blame pointed firmly at stoner, loner Lewis. Everyone else seems to think the crash was drugs-related, but Evan isn't buying it. With the help of her journalist father, Harry, she decides to find out what really happened that night.

As Evan delves deeper into the lives of the three teenagers who died in the crash, she uncovers some disturbing truths and a secret that threatens to tear her family - and the community - apart for ever...

I can’t actually mention the content warning without it being a spoiler, but it’s really well-handled and again it struck a chord with me.

6. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Published by Scholastic Press on May 24th 2011
Pages: 396
Goodreads

The 50 contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras.

But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness.

This is such a witty, underrated gem of a book. One character has a hearing aid and this is a key part of the plot later on. Beauty Queens is a satirical, merciless take-down of sexism, racism and stereotypes that is now one of my favourite books.

7. The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas

The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas
Published by Macmillan Children's Books on April 6th 2017
Pages: 224
Goodreads

Sometimes I feel like everyone else was handed a copy of the rules for life and mine got lost.

Grace has Asperger's and her own way of looking at the world. She's got a horse and a best friend who understand her, and that's pretty much all she needs. But when Grace kisses Gabe and things start to change at home, the world doesn't make much sense to her any more.

Suddenly everything threatens to fall apart, and it's up to Grace to fix it on her own.

My close friend is autistic and she couldn’t believe that this book actually existed. Grace, our MC, is autistic and Lucas’ story is just beautiful.

8. The Diviners series by Libba Bray

The Diviners (The Diviners, #1) by Libba Bray
on September 18th 2012
Pages: 578
Goodreads

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2) by Libba Bray
on August 25th 2015
Pages: 613
Goodreads

The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.

Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.

As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?

In this heart-stopping sequel to The Diviners, Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray takes readers deeper into the mystical underbelly of New York City.

Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners, #3) by Libba Bray
on October 3rd 2017
Pages: 552
Goodreads

New York City.1927.Lights are bright.Jazz is king.Parties are wild.And the dead are coming...

After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward's Island, far from the city's bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten--ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows.

With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves.

A 1920s, supernatural mystery series now with so many historical references (I’m quite a history nerd) and seamlessly integrated casual diversity. Each and every character gets a story arc, flaws and growth. An underrated series that I love.

9. Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
Published by Clarion Books on January 3rd 2017
Pages: 330
Goodreads

At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.

But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.

Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?

Pretty much the only book that I’ve seen that discusses agoraphobia and Gornall does it in such a nuanced way. The romance is super-cute as well, which doesn’t hurt.

10. Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde
Published by Swoon Reads on March 14th 2017
Pages: 262
Goodreads

Three friends, two love stories, one convention: this fun, feminist love letter to geek culture is all about fandom, friendship, and finding the courage to be yourself.

Charlie likes to stand out. She’s a vlogger and actress promoting her first movie at SupaCon, and this is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star Reese Ryan. When internet-famous cool-girl actress Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought.

Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with her best guy friend Jamie—no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about a fan contest for her favorite fandom, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan's young adult imprint Swoon Reads, is an empowering novel for anyone who has ever felt that fandom is family.

A cute, fluffy romance that also tackles themes of autism, questioning your sexuality, bisexuality, anxiety and strong female friendships. The representation doesn’t define the characters as well and I found myself supporting the relationships very strongly.

Added bonus: I can never stick to just ten books, so my honourable mention goes to the underrated On A Scale Of One To Ten by Ceylan Scott.

On a Scale of One to Ten by Ceylan Scott
Published by Chicken House on May 14th 2019
Pages: 288
Goodreads

Tamar is admitted to Lime Grove, a psychiatric hospital for teenagers.

Lime Grove is home to a number of teenagers with a variety of problems: anorexia, bipolar disorder, behavior issues. Tamar will come to know them all very well. But there's one question she can't... won't answer: What happened to her friend Iris? As Tamar's emotional angst becomes more and more clear to her, she'll have to figure out a path to forgiveness. A shocking, moving, and darkly funny depiction of life in a psychiatric world.

A stunning journey of one girl's mental illness and the redemptive power of truth and healing.

It’s quite dark, intense and powerful, so I would advise people to check content warnings as the MC faces some trauma from her past that is revealed gradually throughout the plot.

That was 10 of my favourite YA books that feature disabled characters and/or characters that are dealing with a mental health issue. I hope you’ve found some new books to enjoy and, as ever, let me know which books you’d add.

Thanks everyone for checking out this post and supporting Emily! Have you read any of these books? If you want to take part in this feature, send me a message on Twitter!

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