#carry the ocean heidi cullinan

[autisminmedia]

Emmet Washington from Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan is canonically autistic.

Sources: [1][2]

[itallstartedwithharry]

Book Rec: Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan

What an insightful and enjoyable read!! Equal parts romance and a deep dive into mental health challenges and the reality of life with those struggles. What I found really fascinating was the inclusion of what accommodations can really mean, both for individuals and within a couple. I was surprised how much this book was relatable, and I am so looking forward to reading the next one! Wonderful story <3

Trigger warnings for the book below the cut

tw: discussion of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempt

[disabled-dragoon]

The Disability Library

I love books, I love literature, and I love this blog, but it's only been recently that I've really been given the option to explore disabled literature, and I hate that. When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be able to read about characters like me, and now as an adult, all I want is to be able to read a book that takes us seriously.

And so, friends, Romans, countrymen, I present, a special disability and chronic illness booklist, compiled by myself and through the contributions of wonderful members from this site!

As always, if there are any at all that you want me to add, please just say. I'm always looking for more!

Edit 20/10/2023: You can now suggest books using the google form at the bottom!

Updated: 31/08/2023

Articles and Chapters

The Drifting Language of Architectural Accessibility in Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris, Essaka Joshua, 2012

Early Modern Literature and Disability Studies, Allison P. Hobgood, David Houston Wood, 2017

How Do You Develop Whole Object Relations as an Adult?, Elinor Greenburg, 2019

Making Do with What You Don't Have: Disabled Black Motherhood in Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, Anna Hinton, 2018

Necropolitics, Achille Mbeme, 2003 OR Necropolitics, Achille Mbeme, 2019

Wasted Lives: Modernity and Its Outcasts, Zygmunt Bauman, 2004

Witchcraft and deformity in early modern English Literature, Scott Eaton, 2020

Books

Fiction:

Misc:

10 Things I Can See From Here, Carrie Mac

A-F:

A Curse So Dark and Lonely, (Series), Brigid Kemmerer

Akata Witch, (Series), Nnedi Okorafor

A Mango-Shaped Space, Wendy Mass

Ancillary Justice, (Series), Ann Leckie

An Unkindness of Ghosts, Rivers Solomon

An Unseen Attraction, (Series), K. J. Charles

A Shot in the Dark, Victoria Lee

A Snicker of Magic, Natalie Lloyd

A Song of Ice and Fire, (series), George R. R. Martin

A Spindle Splintered, (Series), Alix E. Harrow

A Time to Dance, Padma Venkatraman

Bath Haus, P. J. Vernon

Beasts of Prey, (Series), Ayana Gray

The Bedlam Stacks, (Series), Natasha Pulley

Black Bird, Blue Road, Sofiya Pasternack

Black Sun, (Series), Rebecca Roanhorse

Blood Price, (Series), Tanya Huff

Borderline, (Series), Mishell Baker

Breath, Donna Jo Napoli

The Broken Kingdoms, (Series), N.K. Jemisin

Brute, Kim Fielding

Cafe con Lychee, Emery Lee

Carry the Ocean, (Series), Heidi Cullinan

Challenger Deep, Neal Shusterman

Cinder, (Series), Marissa Meyer

Clean, Amy Reed

Connection Error, (Series), Annabeth Albert

Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star, Laura Noakes

Crazy, Benjamin Lebert

Crooked Kingdom, (Series), Leigh Bardugo

Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots, (Series), Cat Sebastian

Daniel, Deconstructed, James Ramos

Dead in the Garden, (Series), Dahlia Donovan

Dear Fang, With Love, Rufi Thorpe

Deathless Divide, (Series), Justina Ireland

The Degenerates, J. Albert Mann

The Doctor's Discretion, E.E. Ottoman

Earth Girl, (Series), Janet Edwards

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, Emily R. Austin

The Extraordinaries, (Series), T. J. Klune

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, (Series), Trenton Lee Stewart

Fight + Flight, Jules Machias

The Final Girl Support Group, Grady Hendrix

Finding My Voice, (Series), Aoife Dooley

The First Thing About You, Chaz Hayden

Follow My Leader, James B. Garfield

Forever Is Now, Mariama J. Lockington

Fortune Favours the Dead, (Series), Stephen Spotswood

Fresh, Margot Wood

H-0:

Harmony, London Price

Harrow the Ninth, (series), Tamsyn Muir

Hench, (Series), Natalia Zina Walschots

Highly Illogical Behaviour, John Corey Whaley

Honey Girl, Morgan Rogers

How to Become a Planet, Nicole Melleby

How to Bite Your Neighbor and Win a Wager, (Series), D. N. Bryn

How to Sell Your Blood & Fall in Love, (Series), D. N. Bryn

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites, Joy Demorra

I Am Not Alone, Francisco X. Stork

The Immeasurable Depth of You, Maria Ingrande Mora

In the Ring, Sierra Isley

Into The Drowning Deep, (Series), Mira Grant

Iron Widow, (Series), Xiran Jay Zhao

Izzy at the End of the World, K. A. Reynolds

Jodie's Journey, Colin Thiele

Just by Looking at Him, Ryan O'Connell

Kissing Doorknobs, Terry Spencer Hesser

Lakelore, Anna-Marie McLemore

Learning Curves, (Series), Ceillie Simkiss

Let's Call It a Doomsday, Katie Henry

The Library of the Dead, (Series), TL Huchu

The Lion Hunter, (Series), Elizabeth Wein

Lirael, (Series), Garth Nix

Long Macchiatos and Monsters, Alison Evans

Love from A to Z, (Series), S.K. Ali

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses, Kristen O'Neal

Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro

The Never Tilting World, (Series), Rin Chupeco

The No-Girlfriend Rule, Christen Randall

Nona the Ninth, (series), Tamsyn Muir

Noor, Nnedi Okorafor

Odder Still, (Series), D. N. Bryn

Once Stolen, (Series), D. N. Bryn

One For All, Lillie Lainoff

On the Edge of Gone, Corinne Duyvis

Origami Striptease, Peggy Munson

Our Bloody Pearl, (Series), D. N. Bryn

Out of My Mind, Sharon M. Draper

P-T:

Parable of the Sower, (Series), Octavia E. Butler

Parable of the Talents, (Series), Octavia E. Butler

Percy Jackson & the Olympians, (series), Rick Riordan

Pomegranate, Helen Elaine Lee

The Prey of Gods, Nicky Drayden

The Pursuit Of..., (Series), Courtney Milan

The Queen's Thief, (Series), Megan Whalen Turner

The Quiet and the Loud, Helena Fox

The Raging Quiet, Sheryl Jordan

The Reanimator's Heart, (Series), Kara Jorgensen

The Remaking of Corbin Wale, Joan Parrish

Roll with It, (Series), Jamie Sumner

Russian Doll, (Series), Cristelle Comby

The Second Mango, (Series), Shira Glassman

Scar of the Bamboo Leaf, Sieni A.M

Shaman, (Series), Noah Gordon

Sick Kids in Love, Hannah Moskowitz

The Silent Boy, Lois Lowry

Six of Crows, (Series) Leigh Bardugo

Sizzle Reel, Carlyn Greenwald

The Spare Man, Mary Robinette Kowal

The Stagsblood Prince, (Series), Gideon E. Wood

Stake Sauce, Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient is Love. No, Really, (Series), RoAnna Sylver

Stars in Your Eyes, Kacen Callender [Expected release: Oct 2023]

The Storm Runner, (Series), J. C. Cervantes

Stronger Still, (Series), D. N. Bryn

Sweetblood, Pete Hautman

Tarnished Are the Stars, Rosiee Thor

The Theft of Sunlight, (Series), Intisar Khanani

Throwaway Girls, Andrea Contos

Top Ten, Katie Cotugno

Torch, Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Treasure, Rebekah Weatherspoon

Turtles All the Way Down, John Green

U-Z:

Unlicensed Delivery, Will Soulsby-McCreath Expected release October 2023

Verona Comics, Jennifer Dugan

Vorkosigan Saga, (Series), Lois McMaster Bujold

We Are the Ants, (Series), Shaun David Hutchinson

The Weight of Our Sky, Hanna Alkaf

Whip, Stir and Serve, Caitlyn Frost and Henry Drake

The Whispering Dark, Kelly Andrew

Wicked Sweet, Chelsea M. Cameron

Wonder, (Series), R. J. Palacio

Wrong to Need You, (Series), Alisha Rai

Ziggy, Stardust and Me, James Brandon

Graphic Novels:

A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability, (Non-Fiction), A. Andrews

Constellations, Kate Glasheen

Dancing After TEN: a graphic memoir, (memoir) (Non-Fiction), Vivian Chong, Georgia Webber

Everything Is an Emergency: An OCD Story in Words Pictures, (memoir) (Non-Fiction), Jason Adam Katzenstein

Frankie's World: A Graphic Novel, (Series), Aoife Dooley

The Golden Hour, Niki Smith

Nimona, N. D. Stevenson

The Third Person, (memoir) (Non-Fiction), Emma Grove

Magazines and Anthologies:

Artificial Divide, (Anthology), Robert Kingett, Randy Lacey

Beneath Ceaseless Skies #175: Grandmother-nai-Leylit's Cloth of Winds, (Article), R. B. Lemburg

Defying Doomsday, (Anthology), edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, (short story) (anthology), Seiko Tanabe

Nothing Without Us, edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson

Nothing Without Us Too, edited by Cait Gordon and Talia C. Johnson

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, (Anthology), edited by Marieke Nijkamp

Uncanny #24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction, (Anthology), edited by: Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Dominik Parisien et al.

Uncanny #30: Disabled People Destroy Fantasy, (Anthology), edited by: Nicolette Barischoff, Lisa M. Bradley, Katharine Duckett

We Shall Be Monsters, edited by Derek Newman-Stille

Manga:

Perfect World, (Series), Rie Aruga

The Sky is Blue with a Single Cloud, (Short Stories), Kuniko Tsurita

Non-Fiction:

Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education, Jay Timothy Dolmage

A Disability History of the United States, Kim E, Nielsen

The Architecture of Disability: Buildings, Cities, and Landscapes beyond Access, David Gissen

Being Seen: One Deafblind Woman's Fight to End Ableism, Elsa Sjunneson

Black Disability Politics, Sami Schalk

Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety, Dr. Elinor Greenburg

Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure, Eli Clare

The Cambridge Companion to Literature and Disability, Barker, Clare and Stuart Murray, editors.

The Capacity Contract: Intellectual Disability and the Question of Citizenship, Stacy Clifford Simplican

Capitalism and Disability, Martha Russel

Care work: Dreaming Disability Justice, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Catatonia, Shutdown and Breakdown in Autism: A Psycho-Ecological Approach, Dr Amitta Shah

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays, Esme Weijun Wang

Crip Kinship, Shayda Kafai

Crip Up the Kitchen: Tools, Tips and Recipes for the Disabled Cook, Jules Sherred

Culture – Theory – Disability: Encounters between Disability Studies and Cultural Studies, Anne Waldschmidt, Hanjo Berressem, Moritz Ingwersen

Decarcerating Disability: Deinstitutionalization and Prison Abolition, Liat Ben-Moshe

Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally, Emily Ladau

Dirty River: A Queer Femme of Color Dreaming Her Way Home, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Disability Pride: Dispatches from a Post-ADA World, Ben Mattlin

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From the Twenty-First Century, Alice Wong

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability and Making Space, Amanda Leduc

Every Cripple a Superhero, Christoph Keller

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation, Eli Clare

Feminist Queer Crip, Alison Kafer

The Future Is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes, and Mourning Songs, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Growing Up Disabled in Australia, Carly Findlay

It's Just Nerves: Notes on a Disability, Kelly Davio

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot

Language Deprivation & Deaf Mental Health, Neil S. Glickman, Wyatte C. Hall

The Minority Body: A Theory of Disability, Elizabeth Barnes

My Body and Other Crumbling Empires: Lessons for Healing in a World That Is Sick, Lyndsey Medford

No Right to Be Idle: The Invention of Disability, 1840s-1930s, Sarah F. Rose

Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability Oppression and Empowerment, James I. Charlton

The Pedagogy of Pathologization Dis/abled Girls of Color in the School-prison Nexus, Subini Ancy Annamma

Physical Disability in British Romantic Literature, Essaka Joshua

QDA: A Queer Disability Anthology, Raymond Luczak, Editor.

The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability, Jasbir K. Puar

Sitting Pretty, (memoir), Rebecca Taussig

Sounds Like Home: Growing Up Black & Deaf in the South, Mary Herring Wright

Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness: How to Stay Sane and Live One Step Ahead of Your Symptoms, Ilana Jacqueline

The Things We Don't Say: An Anthology of Chronic Illness Truths, Julie Morgenlender

Uncanny Bodies: Superhero Comics and Disability, Scott T. Smith, José Alaniz 

Uncomfortable Labels: My Life as a Gay Autistic Trans Woman, (memoir), Laura Kate Dale

Unmasking Autism, Devon Price

The War on Disabled People: Capitalism, Welfare and the Making of a Human Catastrophe, Ellen Clifford

We've Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents, Eliza Hull

Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life, (memoir) (essays) Alice Wong

Picture Books:

A Day With No Words, Tiffany Hammond, Kate Cosgrove-

A Friend for Henry, Jenn Bailey, Mika Song

Ali and the Sea Stars, Ali Stroker, Gillian Reid

All Are Welcome, Alexandra Penfold, Suzanne Kaufman

All the Way to the Top, Annette Bay Pimentel, Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, Nabi Ali

Can Bears Ski?, Raymond Antrobus, Polly Dunbar

Different -- A Great Thing to Be!, Heather Alvis, Sarah Mensinga

Everyone Belongs, Heather Alvis, Sarah Mensinga

I Talk Like a River, Jordan Scott, Sydney Smith

Jubilee: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream, K. T. Johnson, Anabella Ortiz

Just Ask!, Sonia Sotomayor, Rafael López

Kami and the Yaks, Andrea Stenn Stryer, Bert Dodson

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay, Cari Best, Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, Jessica Kensky, Patrick Downes, Scott Magoon

Sam's Super Seats, Keah Brown, Sharee Miller

Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster, Manka Kasha

We Move Together, Kelly Fritsch, Anne McGuire, Eduardo Trejos

We're Different, We're the Same, and We're All Wonderful!, Bobbi Jane Kates, Joe Mathieu

What Happened to You?, James Catchpole, Karen George

The World Needs More Purple People, Kristen Bell, Benjamin Hart, Daniel Wiseman

You Are Enough: A Book About Inclusion, Margaret O'Hair, Sofia Sanchez, Sofia Cardoso

You Are Loved: A Book About Families, Margaret O'Hair, Sofia Sanchez, Sofia Cardoso

The You Kind of Kind, Nina West, Hayden Evans

Zoom!, Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko

Plays:

Peeling, Kate O'Reilly

---

With an extra special thank you to @parafoxicalk @craftybookworms @lunod @galaxyaroace @shub-s @trans-axolotl @suspicious-whumping-egg @ya-world-challenge @fictionalgirlsworld @rubyjewelqueen @some-weird-queer-writer @jacensolodjo @cherry-sys @dralthon @thebibliosphere @brynwrites @aj-grimoire @shade-and-sun @ceanothusspinosus @edhelwen1 @waltzofthewifi @spiderleggedhorse @sleepneverheardofher @highladyluck @oftheides @thecouragetobekind @nopoodles @lupadracolis @elusivemellifluence @creativiteaa @moonflowero1 @the-bi-library @chronically-chaotic-cryptid for your absolutely fantastic contributions!

---

Submit a Book:

[batboyblog]

My Super Gay/Queer Reading List

The Long Run by James Acker

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Another Dimension of Us by Mike Albo

Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak

Alan Cole Is Not a Coward by Eric Bell

Alan Cole Doesn’t Dance by Eric Bell

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker

Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron

Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Wild by Sally Green

Half Lost by Sally Green

Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green

Gay Club by Simon James Green

You’re the One That I Want by Simon James Green

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Totally Joe by James Howe

After School Activities by Dirk Hunter

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson

A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson

The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Straight by Jeff Jacobson

Haffling by Caleb James

The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune

A Destiny of Dragons by T.J. Klune

The Consumption of Magic by T.J. Klune

A Wish Upon the Stars by T.J. Klune

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

Flash Fire by T.J. Klune

Heat Wave by T.J. Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg

Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Ryan and Avery by David Levithan

How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J.C. Lillis

Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden

When Ryan Came Back by Devon McCormack

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Fraternity by Andy Mientus

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller

Hero by Perry Moore

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

More Than This by Patrick Ness

Junior Hero Blues by J.K. Pendragon

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

Kens by Raziel Reid

Emmett by Lev A.C. Rosen

Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen

Camp by Lev A.C. Rosen

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez

So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez

The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

All Kinds of Other by James Sie

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Freak Show by James St. James

Ray of Sunlight by Brynn Stein

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis

366 Days by Kiyoshi Tanaka

The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas

Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Tumblr got rid of yellow so I couldn't do pride colors, sorry!

If you want help picking something out just send me an ask with what kind of thing you're looking for and I'll select something for you, and if you end up reading something because you saw this list, please let me know

[mental-mona]

When you have an invisible disease, your sickness isn’t your biggest problem. What you end up battling more than anything else, every single day, is other people.

― Heidi Cullinan, Carry the Ocean

[bookish-thinking]

December 3rd - C

[LGBT+] “Peter Darling” by Austin Chant: a wonderful re-imagining of Peter Pan in which Wendy is trans and lives as Peter. The at times somber tone about the reality behind fairy tales is balanced by plenty of sass and Peter’s sweet and healthy romance with Hook. ~ my review

[Mental Health] “Carry the Ocean” by Heidi Cullinan: this romance story between an autistic boy and one with anxiety and depression will challenge some ingrained prejudices, has a really positive message and will give you hope for love despite adverse circumstances. ~ my review

[Race/Ethnicity] “The City Always Wins” by Omar Robert Hamilton: a captivating debut novel about the Arab Spring in Egypt, filled with action and emotions. Told in a modern, dossier style that fits the narrative. ~ my review

[Misc] “Stranger than Fanfiction” by Chris Colfer: nerdy humor, fandom, road trip, LGBT characters in all kinds of circumstances, honest truths about the difficulties of being a celebrity - all wrapped in amazing style. ~ my review

[paperfury]

"You're the one who decides what a good life is. What enough trying is. What happy is."

~ Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan

[bodycomingthroughtherye]

favorite books → carry the ocean by heidi cullinan

“i feel like everyone is carrying a bucket of water but i’m trying to carry an ocean.”

[ladyautie]

Carry the ocean : Review

 I finished reading the book “Carry the ocean” two days ago. I bought it at 10:00 P.M and I finished reading it at 04:00 A.M (my body doesn’t thank me for that).

It’s the first LGBT book I’ve got to read about an autistic character and, let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed.

The author is Heidi Cullinan, a Neurotypical woman who strives to represent the LGBT community in her books and wished to give “agency” to an autistic character, thing she’s regretting hasn’t been done much before.

[book cover of “Carry the Ocean” by Heidi Cullinan. We can see a young man’s silhouette, a silhouette filled with ocean pictures]

“Carry the ocean” is the story of Jeremey Samson, a young man who’s suffering from depression and a deep social anxiety, and Emmet Washington, a young autistic man. Together, they’re going to fight against ableism and bigotry to finally get their own happy ending.

“Carry the ocean” is a griping story with great representation. At first, I was skeptical because Emmet seems to meet a lot of clichés (SI in maths and trains, good with computers etc.) and he follows a specific diet (without gluten), but Emmet quickly gain my love and my approval.

He’s his own character and he’s never expected to be cured or to grow out of his autism. On the contrary, the whole story is there to tell him that being autistic doesn’t make him unworthy of love and that Emmet is good just the way he is.

There’s a lot of ableism in this book (notably functioning labels), but in a range that’s actually very realistic and it comes from other characters, never from the narration or the intent of the story.

Jeremey’s mother, for example, is very dismissive of his depression and tends to use the R-word for Emmet. She’s in the wrong for doing that and it’s never expected from the characters to forgive her for this behavior. That was very refreshing.

Emmet is empathetic, very much, but he has troubles to get what others might feel or why they’re feeling it. He’s often rude without wanting to be and has his own way of communicating his emotions (for example, he’s going to wear a Dalek shirt to mean that he needs to talk about an important topic).

He gets nonverbal when he’s overwhelmed and we can see him communicate through his phone and emails quite a lot in the book. Jeremey never dismisses him for it and, on the contrary, is glad to share this mean of communication, who is less anxiety-inducing for him.

He has a special interest in the movie “The Blues brothers” and used to tell various quotes from it as a form of echolalia. Now, he tends to tell the lines at the same time as the movie, when he’s watching it, and to reenact certain scenes.

Emmet feels alive, like his very own character. He doesn’t feel like a “textbook of autistic symptoms”, but someone you could actually come across. I loved to follow his evolution and I can’t wait to read this book’s sequel.

Also, there are other autistic characters, everyone of them being different from another. There’s an autistic woman and a nonverbal autistic guy. It was good to see that the author didn’t think that autism was only “Rain Man” or “Sheldon Cooper”.

As someone with depression, Jeremey felt very accurate to me too and I could almost felt my panic attacks coming back when he experienced them. I was happy to follow him too and I can only wish the best for these wonderful characters.

I sent an email to the author and she actually replied to me. Her experience with autism come from a long time spent with autistic teenagers and adults, as well as a member of her family, who discovered their own autism through her book (I’m not giving too much detail about it because I want to respect their intimacy).

One of her wishes was to give to actually autistic people, and LGBT autistic people, a book in which they could recognize themselves. A book who wouldn’t tell them that their feelings are “worthless” or that they don’t really “love” because of their autism.

She fought hard to keep the sex scenes in her book, arguing against her publisher that she would never have to fight for it if her character wasn’t autistic.

All in all, it’s a very good book, quite emotional and very uplifting. I’m gladly recommanding it. There might be some nitpicking to do about it, but I really, really loved it.

A few Trigger Warnings to finish this review : suicide attempt, the R-Word, ableism, homophobia.

[the-sound-and-the-fury]

April Reading Round Up!

1. These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks #1) by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

I thought this was fun! It was definitely a bit Jane Austen meets X-Men, and as long as I didn't take it too seriously or look too deep, it was a good time overall. Evelyn was a generally likable character who made some poor choices (which worries me regarding the love triangle that she doesn't seem to realize she's in), but I was invested in her story. The plot did seem to move in fits and starts with some unnecessary repetition (I trust them, I don't trust them, I trust them again, but now I don't trust them...), and some characters definitely could have used some more development. But I was genuinely surprised a few times! And it's not the worst missing sister story I've read lately (I’m talking to you, Caraval.)

Although due to a mishap with my Kindle app, I didn't realize the book was ending till the last page, so it felt like a very dramatic ending and I am very eager to get to the next one.

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (HP #1) by JK Rowling

I just gave in to some rereading, because I realized I could get the series on Kindle Unlimited and spare myself from carrying my hardcovers on the MBTA during my daily commute. But no matter the format, this remains the most influential book in my life. That said, I would love a physical copy with this cover series.

3. Carry the Ocean (The Roosevelt #1) by Heidi Cullinan

Angsty, but sweet. Not likely to read the sequel, though, because this kind of exhausted me. And although I can’t claim to know if it was accurate, there was a lot of disability rep, like autism, depression, and wheelchair use (though there is a suicide attempt, as a heads up).

4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (HP #2) by JKR

It’s merely a formality that I call this my least favorite of the series.

5. Squared Away (Out of Uniform #5) by Annabeth Albert

Apparently, I had set a reminder for myself about when this was being released, which I have no memory of but appreciated. It was a nice surprise for a day I was stuck home sick, because otherwise I had forgotten about the series.

6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (HP #3) by JKR

My favorite book in my favorite series.

7-10. Helping Hands (Housemates #1), Like a Lover (Housemates #2), Practice Makes Perfect (Housemates #3), and Watching and Wanting (Housemates #4) by Jay Northcote

You might not realize it, but “Oops, I Did It Again” is actually my life story regarding my accidental reading of a series about interconnected romance stores.

9. Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody

I don't know why it took me so long to get through this, because I genuinely liked it! I might not have picked it up if it hadn't come in my April OwlCrate box, but it was a fun choice. That said, this is the exclusive cover, which is fine, but not as nice as the original red cover.

But, the fantasy Vegas setting and the unexpected family magic system made for a lot of potential. Plus, Enne and Levi were perfectly adequate characters for POV chapters. There were, of course, some things that could have been better in the writing, but the I enjoyed the story enough to get over that. I do think I would have preferred if it was darker and more adult, or if it had gone deeper into the entertainment aspect of the setting. However, I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series.

[lgbtqreads]

Heyyy

Do you know any book about queers adults with ASD? I’ve been reading Elle Outside the Lines by A. J. Sass and I love it but it’s about a teenager and I would like to read something more my age.

Thank you so much for your service!

Sure do! The Prince and Her Dreamer by Ennis Bashe, The Outside by Ada Hoffman, An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles, Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan, Grasmere Cottage Mystery by Dahlia Donovan, Killer in the Mirror by Cole McCade, The Remaking of Corbin Wale by Roan Parrish, Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sonderby, The Lifeline Signal by RoAnna Sylver, and Human Enough by E.S. Yu all star autistic adults.

[danasmonster]

Read this if you are prepared are for all the emotions you have ever felt to surface during the course of several hours. Holy shit. It literally made me cry. 

[batboyblog]

Super Gay Reading List

The Long Run by James Acker Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli Another Dimension of Us by Mike Albo Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak Alan Cole Is Not a Coward by Eric Bell Alan Cole Doesn’t Dance by Eric Bell The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara Peter Darling by Austin Chant Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich Half Bad by Sally Green Half Wild by Sally Green Half Lost by Sally Green Heartbreak Boys by Simon James Green Gay Club by Simon James Green We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra Totally Joe by James Howe After School Activities by Dirk Hunter At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly Straight by Jeff Jacobson Haffling by Caleb James The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune A Destiny of Dragons by T.J. Klune The Consumption of Magic by T.J. Klune A Wish Upon the Stars by T.J. Klune The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune Flash Fire by T.J. Klune Heat Wave by T.J. Klune The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg The Bridge by Bill Konigsberg Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan Every Day by David Levithan Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J.C. Lillis Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden When Ryan Came Back by Devon McCormack Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Fraternity by Andy Mientus The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller Hero by Perry Moore I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson More Than This by Patrick Ness Junior Hero Blues by J.K. Pendragon The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid Kens by Raziel Reid Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen Camp by Lev A.C. Rosen Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez So Hard to Say by Alex Sanchez The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer All Kinds of Other by James Sie They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith Freak Show by James St. James Ray of Sunlight by Brynn Stein The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis 366 Days by Kiyoshi Tanaka The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes Always the Almost by Edward Underhill Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Blue= realistic fiction Purple=fantasy/magic Green=for younger readers Pink=sci fi/magical realism

if you want help picking out a book send me an ask, also I love it when people let me know they read a book off the list

[mental-mona]

When you have an invisible disease, your sickness isn’t your biggest problem. What you end up battling more than anything else, every single day, is other people.

― Heidi Cullinan, Carry the Ocean

[ellis-reviews]

Carry The Ocean (The Roosevelt #1) by Heidi Cullinan

I cannot express with words how much I love this book.

It’s not only the characters, which you can’t help but fall completely and utterly in love with.

It’s the painfully accurate descriptions. Which for someone who can relate, hits you so hard it’ll be hard to breath. And for those who can’t relate, I imagine this will still be understandable; insightful. The feelings conveyed are just so painfully accurate and easy to understand.

And it leaves you feeling warm and happy all over. The romance in this is just that sweet and heartwarming, while also gut-wrenching and bittersweet.

It’s a wild ride.

It’s also hands down one of my favorite books ever. Maybe even my Favorite book, of all time, which says a lot.

The whole book was just a journey and has left me too emotional to properly form words and sentences. It’s a lot. But in the best way possible.

[thatfrenchacademic]

December 16th // Work in Progress //🎧 Beau Papa - Vianney 

Christmas tea is here and I am LIVING. 

Name the Book Challenge Day 15 : Broken

Oof. Heidi Cullinan’s Carry the Ocean is not the best piece of queer literature I have read. But it nails deep, deep depression with such accuracy and realism that I refuse to re-read it for now. One day, for sure.

Name the Book Challenge Day 16 : What’s the book that made you think the most?

Ok, so taking the question literaly and give Onfray’s Anti-Manuel de Philosophy, which was recommended by my high school philosophy teacher and is the absolute best introduction to philosophy one could ask for, in all its liberating wonder :  

“There exists a moment where numbers of common ideas you held from your parents, your environment, your time, crumblr and leave in their place a nerve-wracking desert. Yet, do not stop you phulosophical journey. Quite the opposite. It is by keeping on movie forward that you will go beyond this state of worry”