Some books speak to your soul. Others shake it. And then there are those rare ones that do both, because they’re not written for applause or acclaim, but from lived experience, deep discomfort, and sometimes, unspeakable pain. If you’ve ever wanted to understand the world through a more inclusive lens, or just feel less alone in it, these five books are the ones to begin with.

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

At first glance, this might seem like a romance. But beneath the love story lies a far more complex, provocative dialogue about disability and choice. Jojo Moyes didn’t write Me Before You without hesitation. She spent months researching spinal cord injuries, speaking to individuals and caregivers, and even visiting care homes. And still, when the book was released, it sparked intense debates. Was it empowering? Was it controversial? The truth is, it's both. Because disability is as layered, messy, and human as life itself. Read this book and it’ll stay with you long after the final page.

2. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Written by Naoki Higashida, a 13-year-old boy with non-verbal autism, The Reason I Jump isn't your typical book. To write this book, Naoki painstakingly spelled out every word using an alphabet grid, with the help of his mother and a teacher. The process was slow, deliberate, and almost sacred. What emerged wasn’t just a book, it was a bridge between two worlds: one where people speak, and one where people feel things too big for words. Read this book and you’ll never look at silence the same way again.

3. Gifted by Sudha Menon

When author Sudha Menon began interviewing children with disabilities across India, she didn’t expect to be transformed herself. Gifted is the result of that journey. It’s a collection of deeply personal, gut-wrenching stories of children who refuse to be defined by their diagnoses. What makes this book interesting isn’t just the kids, it’s Menon’s humility. She doesn’t centre herself, rather she steps back, listens, and lets their voices do the talking. Read this book and you’ll meet artists without arms, athletes without sight, and dreamers with enough resilience to move mountains, because those voices? They’re loud in spirit and utterly unforgettable.

4. Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Some struggles stay invisible, until someone gives them a name. Fish in a Tree is the story of Ally, a bright young girl who’s spent her whole school life hiding the fact that she can’t read. She’s labelled as a troublemaker, distracted, or just “not trying hard enough”, until a teacher sees through the noise and helps her discover that she has dyslexia. What makes this book so impactful is the personal lens through which it was written. Author Lynda Mullaly Hunt herself had undiagnosed dyslexia growing up, and she brings that raw, lived experience into Ally’s journey. The result is a book that’s heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. Read this book and you’ll realise that sometimes, the system fails to see brilliance, not because it doesn’t exist, but because it’s looking for a fish in a tree.

 5. Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau

Emily, a lifelong disability rights activist who uses a wheelchair, wrote this as a practical guide, but you’ll quickly realise it’s much more than that. This book came from years of microaggressions, exclusion, and hard-earned wisdom. It was her way of saying: you don’t have to get it perfect, but you have to try. Demystifying Disability is packed with grace, clarity, and surprising warmth. Every page is a gentle nudge toward being a better ally. A more thoughtful friend. A more responsible citizen. And isn’t that what reading is really about?

So why these five?

Because they’ll take you into lives we don’t live, challenges we don’t face, but the humanity we all share. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to pick up something real, raw, and necessary, then this is it. Even if this isn’t your usual genre, give it a try. There’s a first time for everything. Let the reading begin.

Atypical Advantage is India’s largest livelihood platform for Persons with Disabilities(PWD). Whether it is a singer looking for a show, a visual artist looking to sell their paintings, or job seekers with disabilities looking for career opportunities, it bridges the supply & demand side inefficiencies so that Persons with Disabilities can earn a dignified income. We have a large pool of 40,000+ talents with disabilities and have worked with 450+ corporates within a short span of 4 years. We were also featured on Shark Tank Season 2 and were declared the winner of the prestigious National Startup Award for Social Impact, and the National Award for Best Organization empowering persons with disabilities in 2024, conferred by the Union Government. For more information, visit our website here.