Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity is a book by Devon Price.

I didn’t think I would find a book I loved as much as Neuroqueer Heresies, but here we are. Price explores the experience of masked autistics (those who hide their neurodivergent traits) in depth.

Neurodivergence is often defined by how much it impacts neurotypical people. For example, a children that can often be noisy or moving around in class might be described as “very” ADHD. Whereas another child who hides their kinetic traits and experiences a large amount of mental health issues and exhaustion as a result might be described as less ADHD, or not ADHD at all, even though their internal experience is the same.

Price goes on to describe how the messages we receive in a childhood can often lead to opposing reactions. For example, a child who is told they are too needy and intense may become hyper independent, emotionally avoidant, and struggle to ask for help. Those told they are selfish and robotic may become overly helpful people pleasers, unable to assert their own needs.

Engagement in interests is also defined in terms of its ability to make money or fit in with society. If someone spends all day playing with trains, they might fit an autistic stereotype. But what about individuals who are obsessed with work, spending 80 hours a week at the office? Many people in tech are self-taught having spent their entire teenage years sitting in front of a computer. Others spend their teenage years studying people: fashion, makeup, conversation, social dynamics, treating learning to fit in as a science.

All of this, and much more detailed in the book, leads to much of autistic experience being hidden.

The Children of Men is a dystopian novel by P. D. James. The book tells the story of British society after the world enters a state of complete infertility. No baby has been born for 26 years and the country, now run by a small council under the leadership of the Warden of England, has to cope with an aging population.

It differs from the film, which was also excellent but much more action and violence oriented. The book is slower, more exploratory of the impact on society. Less happens and it is more interesting for it.

Never Let Me Go is a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. There are a couple of mild spoilers in this post. The book was originally unimpressive according to the critics, but has since been shortlisted for multiple prizes and appeared on lists of the best novels of the year, and even all time. And rightly so.

The book is a fictional memoir written by a woman who recounts her time at an elite boarding school. It tells of the friendships the students make, and how they make sense of their world and what it means to be alive. Also, everyone is a clone being raised for organ harvesting. While that is integral to the plot, it is not really what the story is about though.

I was a little unsure at first but soon found myself hooked and excited to read more. That stayed with me the whole way through the rest of the novel and I was surpised at how gripping it was. The only thing I wasn’t so sure of was the big reveal style section with Miss Emily at the end. But that is a minor complaint in a novel that was otherwise excellent.

The Eyre Affair is a novel by Jasper Fforde. It follows a literary detective as she chases down a supernatural criminal through various novels including, as you might guess, Jane Eyre. Also there is some time travel and England is still fighting the Crimean War.

It’s not as world building as Early Riser and Shades of Grey, but it is still a fun read. Many readers, may in fact prefer the fast moving narrative in comparison, especially if you enjoy ther literary references.

The Forensic Records Society is a novel by Magnus Mills. Claude recommended Mills, specifically some of his other books, but they weren’t available as audiobooks so I gave this one a go. It around four hours of reading, it was time well spent.

The book tells the story of two friends who establish a society for listening to music. Rival societies then spring up and the novel examines group formation, normalisation of rules, and movements splinter in different directions.

The City & The City is a novel by China Miéville. It’s an alternative history wrapped up in a police procedural. As far as I can tell, it’s very clever. But I found it too hard to keep up with and gave up after the first two chapters.

Red Side Story is the second novel in Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey series and follows directly on from it. It’s a great sequel. Sometimes sequels are a bit slow moving, especially the second in a trilogy. But this one has some serious plot. And continues Fforde’s captivating ability to create such cool alternative histories. Well worth a read.

Shades of Grey is a dystopian novel Jasper Fforde. The story revolves around a society that has largely abandoned technology and now lives in a strict hierarchy where your class is determined by your colour perception, which most people have lost.

It is the third Fforde novel I have read, and it is once again excellent. I don’t know if I love it quite as much as Early Riser, but that quickly rocketed up to one of my favourite fiction books, so tough competition. This one is part of a series and I’m going straight on to part two.

Menopause and ADHD: How to navigate hormone flux and neurodivergence is a book by Helen Wall.

Wall is a GP and menopause specialist, and this book shares her professional expertise in an accessible wall. It is written with an ADHD/menopause brain in mind: under 200 pages divided into eight chapters, each one with a summary at the start and a bullet pointed summary at the end. It is written from a medical perspective and talks a lot about hormones and their impact, but in a way that is easy to follow and includes practical advice on identification, speaking to your GP, diagnosis and treatment options.

It doesn’t have the same depth as Autistic Menopause, which is based on lived-experience research and participant stories, and also provides a comprehensive introduction to menopause if you are new to the topic. But given how easy to read this book is, it is well worth getting both.

Early Riser is a fantasy novel by Jasper Fforde, set in an alternative history where the climate is much colder over winter and humans hibernate. The story follows the protagonist as he joins the Winter Consul Service who stay up through the winter to and keep everyone safe.

This is the second Jasper Fford novel I have read, after The Constant Rabbit, and I enjoyed this one even more. In fact, I think this is pretty high up my all time favourite fiction reads. Great storytelling and great world building in a place that feels very familiar but also intriguing. Well worth a read.