The year is 2035, and Los Angeles County is awash in a tangelo haze of wildfire smoke. Xandria Anastasia Brown spends her days deep in the archives of the Huntington Library as the curator of African American Ephemera and associate curator of American Historical Manuscripts, supported by an array of AI personal assistants and health bots. Descended from a family of obsessive collectors who took part in the Great Migration, Xandria grew up immersed in African American ephemera and realia: boots worn by Negro Troopers during the Civil War, Black ATA tennis rackets, bandanas worn by the Crips....

Although Xandria's work may preserve collective memory, she is losing a grasp on her own. Evren, her new health bot, won't stop reminding her that her symptoms of long COVID are worsening; not to mention that severe asthma, chronic fatigue, grief, and worrying lapses in reality keep disrupting progress on a new Octavia E. Butler exhibition, cataloging the new Diwata Collection, and organizing the Huntington against a stealth corporate takeover. Then, one morning a colleague Xandria can't place calls to wish her a happy birthday--and the library goes into an emergency lockdown.

Sequestered in the archive with only her adaptive technology and flickering intuition, Xandria fears that her life's work is in danger--the Diwata Collection, a radical blueprint for humanity's survival. Up against a faceless enemy and unsure of who her human or AI allies truly are, she must make a choice.

A lyrical and strikingly original saga, The Ephemera Collector announces Stacy Nathaniel Jackson as a singular new voice in fiction.

National Book Award Finalist - Here is the unforgettable story of the Binewskis, a circus-geek family whose matriarch and patriarch have bred their own exhibit of human oddities--with the help of amphetamines, arsenic, and radioisotopes.

One of The Atlantic's Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years

Their offspring include Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family's most precious--and dangerous--asset.

As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry, Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.

A potent novel about chronic illness and the circular nature of recovery-shortlisted for the major Australian literary award The Stella Prize.

In the wake of a major operation, a twenty-eight-year-old woman with chronic illness has twelve weeks to heal, or rather, to acclimate to her new body and prepare herself to leave the routines, comforts, and interiority of her convalescence. In the hydrotherapy pool, she meets Frida, a young woman who looks strikingly similar to her and is also in a state of recovery. But Frida sees her chronic illness as something to overcome and her body as something to control. She adores the pool and pushes the narrator and herself toward an active life, relentlessly pursuing the prevailing narrative of illness followed by recovery.

But the narrator also happens upon Sylvia, another young, convalescing woman, resting on a bench in a nearby park, which the narrator frequents on the days she is too ill to swim. Sylvia understands her body and the narrator's in a different way, gently encouraging her to rest, to perceive illness as something happening to her, but which does not define her.

Throughout the narrator's recovery, these women shadow, overlap, mirror, and complicate one another, and what begins as two seemingly undemanding friendships is challenged by what each woman asks of the narrator, of themselves, and of their bodies.

Foreword by Nicola Griffith, author of Hild and Spear

Too often, science fiction and fantasy stories erase--or cure--characters with disabilities. Soul Jar, edited by author and bookstore owner Annie Carl, features thirty-one stories by disabled authors, imagining such wonders as a shapeshifter on a first date, skin that sprouts orchid buds, and a cereal-box demon. An insulin pump diverts an undead mob. An autistic teen sets out to discover the local cranberry bog's sinister secret. A pizza delivery on Mars goes wrong. This thrillingly peculiar collection sparkles with humor, heart, and insight, all within the context of disability representation.

Bellwether Award winner Susan Nussbaum's powerful novel invites us into the lives of a group of typical teenagers-alienated, funny, yearning for autonomy-except that they live in an institution for juveniles with disabilities. This unfamiliar, isolated landscape is much the same as the world outside: friendships are forged, trust is built, love affairs are kindled, and rules are broken. But those who call it home have little or no control over their fate. Good Kings Bad Kings challenges our definitions of what it means to be disabled in a story told with remarkable authenticity and in voices that resound with humor and spirit.

The bestselling modern classic by the author of I Never Promised You a Rose Garden about a deaf couple, their hearing child, and the bond they create through sign language, featuring a new introduction by Sara Novic, author of the New York Times bestseller True Biz, and a new afterword by the author

Astute and wholly authentic . . . This novel isn't only one of deaf hardship, but also one of bravery and great joy. . . . Over the course of it, I was often as gripped . . . as I am while reading a thriller. --Sara Novic, from the Introduction

A Penguin Classic

Abel and Janice meet at a school for the deaf. Sign language brings them together, enabling them to survive and, indeed, to forge a love too powerful to be broken by the world into which they were born. Spanning forty years, from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, In This Sign follows the lives of Abel, Janice, and their hearing daughter, Margaret, as they contend uneasily with the Outside--a world designed, often purposely, to be inhospitable to those like them.

First published in 1970, only a decade after ASL's formal recognition as a language and well before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, In This Sign stands out as a rare, compassionate portrait of the deaf community.

For more than seventy-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 2,000 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

A complicated, rich, and challenging work . . . An impressive debut that goes beneath surface issues of climate-apocalypse fiction.

-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

It's 2088, and the dust has settled on America, decades after an environmental collapse. The eco-totalitarian organization, WORLD, has reconfigured society with the intention of restoring nature. Twelve-year-old eternal optimist Tristan Weekes lives in what he believes must be paradise: Canland, an agrarian California desert-greening project. However, Tristan's life-defining medical condition, analgesia, prevents him from feeling physical pain, leaving his brain's stress centers unresponsive to everything from ego-blows to heatwaves.

Well-intended, curious, and wielding a stunning vocabulary, Tristan loves to listen to the subversive theories spouted by his older brother, Dylan, a drug-addicted satellite hacker. He also wants to prove his independence to his mother, Helena, a powerful population control-extremist. Meanwhile, all around him, the survivors of the environmental collapse are just working toward a better tomorrow. But when a slew of violent acts befalls Canland, Tristan must confront certain truths about the community he loves-including his family's secrets, his own involvement in the horrors enacted by WORLD, and the debts that are owed to the orphans of Canland.

In this work of literary fiction, set against the backdrop of a frighteningly plausible dystopia, Daniel Vitale explores the fate of our planet, the nature of family, and the duty of science, as Orphans of Canland asks: What does it mean to belong on Earth?

It's 2088, and the dust has settled on America, decades after an environmental collapse. The eco-totalitarian organization, WORLD, has reconfigured society with the intention of restoring nature. Twelve-year-old eternal optimist Tristan Weekes lives in what he believes must be paradise: Canland, an agrarian California desert-greening project. However, Tristan's life-defining medical condition, analgesia, prevents him from feeling physical pain, leaving his brain's stress centers unresponsive to everything from ego-blows to heatwaves.

Well-intended, curious, and wielding a stunning vocabulary, Tristan loves to listen to the subversive theories spouted by his older brother, Dylan, a drug-addicted satellite hacker. He also wants to prove his independence to his mother, Helena, a powerful population control-extremist. Meanwhile, all around him, the survivors of the environmental collapse are just working toward a better tomorrow. But when a slew of violent acts befalls Canland, Tristan must confront certain truths about the community he loves-including his family's secrets, his own involvement in the horrors enacted by WORLD, and the debts that are owed to the orphans of Canland.

In this work of literary fiction, set against the backdrop of a frighteningly plausible dystopia, Daniel Vitale explores the fate of our planet, the nature of family, and the duty of science, as Orphans of Canland asks: What does it mean to belong on Earth?

Sam Kovner reads messages on walls and hears voices in the hall, and wonders: if you find yourself losing your mind, how do you get well?

Winter, 1976, Columbia University. Hearing voices and seeing hateful writing on walls, early admission Sam Kovner walks the New York streets, sleepless thirty-six hours. Through the radiant specificity of memory, he reckons with a hard-driving father, a caring, sometimes careless mother, a generous, self-involved uncle who's just become a movie star, and star-struck grandparents. Sam fears the undertow of feelings: he's not quite spent the night with someone he's fallen for. Home for high-school graduation, a prom night affair reminds Sam of how he once knew love, freeing him to face his encroaching psychosis. Entering a hospital, he confronts traumatic, repressed memories with unflinching courage. With irrepressible humor and pathos, Easy to Slip recalls an era when youth mattered and people healed from psychiatric illness.

A BBC TWO BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOK CLUB PICK

After a car accident Jarred discovers he'll never walk again. Confined to a 'giant roller-skate', he finds himself with neither money nor job, a shoplifting habit, an addiction to painkillers and strangers treating him like he's an idiot. Worse still, he's forced to live back home with his estranged father.

Trying to piece himself together, Jarred comes to realise that things don't have to stay broken after all. The Coward is about hurt and forgiveness, how the world treats disabled people, and how we write and rewrite the stories we tell ourselves about our lives - and try to find a happy ending.

Lily has never had problems with her mental health. She's never worried about anything, not even her massive credit card debt or the creditors that insist on calling her daily. But that changes when she gets into a small car crash. Suddenly, Lily is unable to even think about leaving her apartment without having a panic attack.

Thankfully, Lily's two best friends, Autumn and Cora, live down the hall from her. They help her manage day-to-day tasks like walking her blind beagle, Phil, but Lily is still left alone for much of the day. An opportunity for more companionship presents itself when Cora decides to sign up for a dating app and matches with Michael the police officer. Too busy with work to chat with Michael, Cora leaves her phone with Lily during the day so she can talk to Michael while pretending to be Cora. But Lily keeps forgetting she's meant to be chatting as Cora and keeps telling Michael facts about herself. When Cora and Michael finally meet, there's confusion, mayhem, and a whole lot of explaining to do. Has Lily taken on too much or can she successfully navigate her mental health and a mistaken identity?

Based on the true story of the 1965 dolphin house experiment, this spellbinding novel captures the tenor of the social experiments of the 1960s in award-winning author Audrey Schulman's tightly paced and evocative style.

It is 1965, and Cora, a young, hearing impaired woman, buys a one-way ticket to the island of St. Thomas, where she discovers four dolphins held in captivity as part of an experiment led by the obsessive Dr. Blum. Drawn by a strong connection to the dolphins, Cora falls in with the scientists and discovers her need to protect the animals.

Recognizing Cora's knack for communication, Blum uses her for what will turn into one of the most fascinating experiments in modern science: an attempt to teach the dolphins human language by creating a home in which she and a dolphin can live together.

As the experiment progresses, Cora forges a remarkable bond with the creatures, until her hard-won knowledge clashes with the male-dominated world of science. As a terrible scandal threatens to engulf the experiment, Cora's fight to save the dolphins becomes a battle to save herself.

This self-deprecating, mordantly funny horror novel explores medical trauma through Irish folklore, asking Can a sick woman ever be trusted?

Brigid--that's the Irish Breej, not Bridge-id, though it's not like she'd correct you--has had a rough go of it. Her mother abused her when she was little, her best friend (and secret crush) is too busy chasing some blonde to answer Brigid's calls, and she lost her job thanks to chronic pelvic pain with no identifiable cause. As a self-doubting, disabled adult, she's certain that everything that has happened to her is her fault. How could it not be, when every medical professional has dismissed her pain as anxiety, and her dearest Mammy has reminded her time and again that she's an ungrateful bitch?

Now Mammy has gone missing and Brigid's only option is to move back into her childhood home in the idyllic Midwestern town of St. Charles, Illinois. Soon the uncanny begins: A particular crow that once harassed her reappears, following her everywhere. A painting of Jesus keeps coming back, no matter how many times she throws it away. Frozen body parts show up in places rubber band balls and door stoppers ought to be. Every night the same nightmare repeats: her real Mammy is dead and decaying in the closet, and the identical Mammy who raised her is not her mother. But it's all in Brigid's head. It's all her fault. It must be. What other explanation could there be?

After all, since when can a sick woman be trusted?

A pee-shy pizza guy teams up with a drone hacker and a disbarred activist to rescue their drowning families, destroy the Shutyergorge Dam, and let America once again flow free.

When Leo Pascal's dad tries to sneak out of their family pizzeria on a late-night delivery, Leo insists on driving. Mom already drowned in the dammed-up Delaware River, can't let Dad sink too.

Dad's directions lead them to a secret tunnel into the Shutyergorge Dam. Turns out Mom's death wasn't an accident-she was killed by the dam's fascist feds and Dad wants a dynamite revenge. But Dad is captured during the drop-off, while Leo snags the tip of a bullet, metal-pedals the Subaru, and escapes.

Dam breakout, coming up...

Leo teams up with two loyal customers also trying to rescue their families: drone hacker Beryl and her disbarred attorney Rock. Now it's time to skydive, climb, carjack, paddle, swim, and tunnel to the dam. If Leo can steer through his shyness, the team can save their families, smash the dam, and let America once again flow free.

From the psychological thriller-spiller Vinnie Hoose comes a nothing-to-lose #OwnVoices adventure that flows deep into disability lit...

Flowtastic Forces: the definitive, unlimited, soon-prohibited number-one novel about the shy bladder, bashful bladder, paruresis, and pee-shy struggles that affect over 17 million Americans. A power story for anti-ableist #BookTok battlers and #EndTheStigma speaker-uppers.

SETH
Dating isn't easy. Dating as a nonverbal man is even harder. Naturally, I balk when my favorite grandmother sets me up on a blind date. Even worse, she isn't told I don't speak. I can only hope she can see the man I am, not what I can't do.

EMBER
Despite being a popular morning DJ, I haven't found the right man. People expect my crazy on-air persona. And while I love to talk, I'm not the wild woman they hear on the radio. So, I humor my grandma, agreeing to be set up with her friend's grandson. Maybe he can accept who I am, not who I pretend to be.

Charming the Silent Guy is a steamy and sweet opposites attract romance. Each book in the series features an imperfect hero that finds his happily ever after with the heroine that heals his heart.

As the solo violinist at Prem Proper, I've dedicated my career to creating the ideal ambiance for unforgettable first kisses at this year-round romantic destination.

At least, that was my role until a Christmas angel pranced in, decked the halls, spread an abundance of holiday cheer, and compelled me to play an endless medley of seasonal tunes. Unfortunately, the owners aren't keen on hope and joy overshadowing the essence of romance.

Now, the only person who can help me wrangle this mysterious force is Ben, the coworker I've been secretly pining for since the moment I laid eyes on him. Every wordless silence, every smile, every electrifying touch from him sends my heart racing. And the way he confidently wields that riding crop he brought for our mission makes me eager to discover just how skilled he truly is with it. After all, the angel can wait-especially when the chemistry between us is far more potent than anything I've ever experienced.

Silent Forte is a playful friends-to-lovers romance featuring a mute violinist. This book also contains light BDSM themes.

In the wake of his girlfriend's suicide, Brody - a bright but naive high school senior - descends into a world of drugs, sex, and self harm.Equally visceral, disturbing, and heartbreaking, When You Bleed to Death is an honest, unflinching look at the life of someone with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Faithful Furry Friends is a wonderfully illustrated children's book about service dogs. The illustrations and story demonstrate the proper way to interact with service dogs and it teaches about the many jobs they perform. It is a fun and educational guide to help children understand service dogs and the tasks they perform for the people they serve.

Shortlisted for American Writing Awards' Hawthorne Prize for Fiction

He almost let her go. Her past could tear them apart. But a love like theirs is worth fighting for...

Phoenix Walker will never be the same. Nine months after a heroic act leaves him forever changed, he refuses to hurt Orchid Paige ever again.

Orchid is ready to forgive. Convincing her guy she still loves him, no matter his injuries, she works to rebuild their intimacy. But their move to her family's ancestral country unveils China's superstitions against people with disabilities. Worse, their friend's life has been upended by those prejudices.

Will Phoenix and Orchid find a way to beat the odds and turn discrimination into compassion?

Always Orchid is the riveting third book in the Goodbye, Orchid contemporary fiction series and can be read as a standalone. If you like relatable characters, surprising twists, and stories that pull on your emotions, then you'll love award-winning author Carol Van Den Hende's journey to unconditional acceptance.

Carol Van Den Hende never disappoints. Her books are full of rich characters, real challenges and deep emotion.

- Kristan Higgins, New York Times, USA TODAY, Publisher's Weekly bestselling author