Autism Is Not a Disease: The Politics of Neurodiversity

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Autism Is Not a Disease by Jodie Hare. Finished 1-21-25, 4/5 stars, Neurodiversity, 160 pages, 2024

Neurodiversity is one of the most urgent political issue of our times. As the number of diagnoses of Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia rise, we are starting to understand that there is no such thing as a normal brain. But society is still organised around neuro-normalcy, and autism is treated as a social disease. Jodie Hare, diagnosed with autism at twenty-three, argues that it is time to redefine the politics of who we are.

from Goodreads

This was a very thoughtful and eye opening book about the current state of the neurodiversity fight written by a woman diagnosed with autism at 23.

It’s 120 pages of the why, the numbers, and the way the fight for neurodiversity intersects with many other groups struggling for a way to change the system we live in.

I appreciated her perspective. As a parent, I still need to process some of it. A few things I’m not sure I see the way she does and that’s okay. It still gave me a lot of new information and I’m glad that she covered how these other fights, LGBTQ and others..) intersected with the one of neurodiversity.

An interesting and current book on what’s happening in the world of autism.

“Autistic people are thought to experience a substantially increased risk of self-harm in comparison to non autistic people, studies suggesting their likelihood of self-harming is three times higher.”

“In medical settings, neurodivergent individuals are often denied access to life-saving transplants on the basis of their disability…The extent of this discrimination became so widespread that, in 2021, laws were passed in multiple US states to ensure that disabled people were eligible for organ transplants…”

“Recent studies suggest that transgender and gender-diverse people are between three and six times more likely as cisgender adults to be diagnosed as autistic.”

This Week – House of Pestilence

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Ugh. Gage still has a cough from last Friday. He went back to school on Tuesday, but the cough remains. Jason came home from work sick on Monday and didn’t talk for 3 days. He’s mending, but not 100 percent. I am having mild cold issues only. So far. This appears to be a sickly winter for us considering we’ve all already had covid.

I did manage to get myself to the Friends of the Library board meeting on Monday, but not a lot else.

On the blog

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim review

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren review

Books

I’ve finished 6 books so far this month/year.

Still reading Autism Is Not a Disease

Movies

I watched this teen movie about a girl who wants to empower herself by getting into shape and making friends at a summer camp. She does both and also manages to fall for her personal trainer. I thought it was a sweet Netflix movie about the way we see ourselves and the power we wield as we make our way through our days. But, it’s also not that deep, lol.

Plans for the weekend

I’m going to try something new on here this week. I need to find some productive way to get through the next four years.

Linking up on the Sunday Salon

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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The Unhoneymooners. Finished 1-17-25, 4/5 stars, romance, 432 pages, 2019

“the only coherent thought that comes to mind is how insulting it is that eyelashes like his were wasted on Satan’s Errand Boy”

What happens when your twin sister’s wedding ends with all attendees in the hospital with food poisoning, except for you and the best man you hate? The two of you go off on their Hawaii honeymoon of course! Once there you have to pretend to be your twin sister and married to your new brother-in-law. I’m sure everything will be fine. Oh, wait! There’s your new boss and his wife and now he thinks you’re married. As does your new ‘husband’s’ ex when she shows up. Somehow Hawaii feels like Minneapolis 2.0.

I liked this one. I thought the twin aspect was fun. A huge, close knit family always makes for story. No spoilers, but one of the main characters was a real ass, but the revenge scene was perfection. Loyalty to siblings caused many of the problems, which felt pretty true to life.

A definite beach read, or if you’re like me stuck in the frozen tundra for much of the next week, it’s a perfect escape.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

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Happiness Falls. Finished 1-16-25, 4.75/5 stars, Mystery. 387 pages, 2023

“Our brains are hardwired to want resolution, to want the answer. The bigger and broader the mystery, the deeper the satisfaction when it’s resolved (a variation on Dad’s low baseline theory). They turn the pages and join the search party, to accelerate the process of solving the puzzle, of turning it into a different kind of story.”

Why did I wait so long to read this?!

One day Eugene, a non speaking teen with Angelman Syndrome, shows up at home, agitated and without his dad. Told in first person from 20 year old Mia’s point of view, this mystery has many layers of mystery. Where is Adam and who is this mystery woman who left messages on his phone? And why are the police interested in Eugene? Mia, her twin John, her Mom, and Eugene are thrown into a world with more questions than answers and more turmoil than it first seemed. Who is this dad they are learning about it? Did they know him at all?

This is set during Covid lockdown time. Personally, learning more about Angelman Syndrome and the risks and dangers of how it’s perceived in the world outside the home spoke to me. The whole question of how much nonspeaking individuals know and if alternate ways of communicating can be found was something worth reflection. There is not enough autistic representation in stories and Kim tied Eugene into the mystery flawlessly.

The end left some questions and I loved that. It felt real.

This Week – 1000

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It’s been back to reality this week. Gage went back to school on Tuesday and by the time he came home from school on Friday he was sick. So, he’ll miss another day tomorrow. I’m hoping we can get him healed up by Tuesday. I’m still not entirely sure what kind of ick we’re dealing with.

But I was able to get some home projects done/started in the few days when I had the house to myself (Jason worked from home on Thursday and Friday so that also threw things off). And I had lunch with a friend which was nice.

Oh, and I hit 1000 followers on Instagram. I didn’t start using IG for books, but for the past few years it’s mainly been me tracking what I read. I don’t exactly feel like it’s an accomplishment because it wasn’t a goal I had, but I think it’s pretty cool. I did start noticing a few months ago when I hit the 950 mark and was only a few away at the end of the year.

On the blog

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas – book review

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve – book review

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

Books

I finished all three books above and got them reviewed! A goal of mine this year.

I’m currently reading Autism Is Not A Disease: the Politics of Neurodiversity by Jodie Hare and Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Movies

We went to the movies with friends on Monday and saw Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It was good and I loved listening to Keanu Reeves as Shadow.

I watched Lonely Planet on Netflix and liked the offbeat feel of it, just as a movie about writers should be.

Last night I watched Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. I thought it was a nice modernizing of the original. And I loved seeing most of the original Ghostbusters and where they are today. Not going to be on anyone’s favorite list but, for nostalgia, it’s a win.

This Weekend

Trying to heal up this kid and stay healthy myself!

Linking up with the Sunday Salon

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

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The Muse of Maiden Lane. Finished 1-10-25, 4.25/5, historical romance, 384 pages, 2024

“She’d been made small for so long, the words hadn’t existed to articulate the wild yearnings within her… She knew now what she wanted– what she’d always wanted… The freedom to want, to choose, to be. To live a colorful, conspicuous, unconventional life.”

The Belles of London series has come to an end as the last of the four horsewomen find love. I’ve really enjoyed this historical romance series, set in 19th century England.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Stella. She had a head full of gray hair in her 20s, a problem I am familiar with, but I could die my streak of gray away. Stella, stood out in a way that made her not marriage material for many. And her jerk of a brother made her feel like a burden. Stella deserved better. Enter Teddy, wheelchair-bound due to Scarlet Fever, who is mesmerized by her and wants to paint her portrait.

They make such an interesting pair, each conspicuous and both having limited independence. I loved seeing how they were able to come together in an unconventional way.

The themes of independence, art, and being bold made this one shine for me. As well as having a leading man in a wheelchair. I found Teddy interesting because of his struggles and his resistance to his vulnerability.

This is my favorite since the first of the series.

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve

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Body Surfing. Finished 1-7-25, 4/5 stars, fiction, 291 pages, 2007

“Sydney discovers that she minds the loss of her mourning. When she grieved, she felt herself to be intimately connected to Daniel. But with each passing day, he floats away from her. When she thinks about him now, it is more as a lost possibility than as a man. She has forgotten his breath, his musculature.”

Sydney is a widow and divorcee by the time she’s 29 years old. She’s taking a tutoring job with a family at a New Hampshire beach house (this is the 4th this same beach house has appeared in her books as part of the Fortune’s Rocks series). As she works with the daughter and enjoys a good relationship with the father, the mother is less than thrilled that a half Jewish woman has ingratiated herself with the family. And that’s before her son’s arrivals and their interest in Sydney becomes evident.

Anita Shreve’s writing speaks to me, it’s the way she puts her words together and it’s just as much of what she doesn’t say as what she does. There is a multitude said in her pauses, her silences. They always feel like they are happening to people I could know. Sydney is not my favorite character, her willingness to go with the flow frustrated me at times. It’s through her relationships with the daughter and father I was able to see her in a more favorable light.

Secrets of a Summer Night

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Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas. Finished 1-5-25, 3.25/5 stars, historical romance, 384 pages, 2004

“Having regrets is the only sign that you’ve done anything interesting with your life.”

Lisa Kleypas is a historical romance favorite. This is the first of the Wallflowers series where four ladies are having a hard time finding husbands and decide to help each other. In Annabelle’s case, she is beautiful, but without a dowry. But she doesn’t want just any rich husband, she wants a title too.

I appreciated the challenges Annabelle faced, but never really warmed up to her. She never really took on her mother’s big problem and she was willing to entrap a man into marriage just because he had a title.

This wasn’t my favorite book of hers, but it was a solid start to the series. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to the rest of the Wallflowers.

This Week – New

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It’s that time of year that I’ve made some goals, including being more mindful with reviewing book and being more active with my blogger friends.

As a family we made vison boards together yesterday, a first. This morning Jason was in his first pickleball tournament at the new club in town and he WON! Gage and I checked out a new church based on the recommendation of a friend. It was decidedly different, but not in a bad way. The jury is still out. We recorded the results of Gage’s science fair project which involved him counting and trying to sprout various fruit seeds. So no we have a lot of sprouts and he wants to grow them all, lol. That’s a project for later.

On the blog

My 2024 favorite books

My 2024 favorite movies and shows

My first book of the year

Books

I finished my first book of the year yesterday, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

and my second one this morning, Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas.

Movies

We had a fairly chill New Year’s, all of us had covid over Christmas so we’re just getting back on track, and we watched JAWS with Gage. After we were a bit into the movie, he said he wasn’t a fan because they were gaslighting everyone about sharks, lol. He made it to the end, but described it as mid.

Shows

Jason and I started season 3 of The Diplomat this week. That marriage is a train wreck I can’t look away from.

Plans for the weekend

I hope we don’t don’t do much of anything else today, but Gage’s last day of winter break and we’re meeting friends for the movies.

What are your plans for the rest of the day?

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

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First Lie Wins. Finished 1-3-25, 4/5 stars, thriller, 340 pages, 2024

“There’s an old saying: The first lie wins. It’s not referring to the little white kind that tumble out with no thought; it refers to the big one. The one that changes the game. The one that is deliberate. The lie that sets the stage for everything that comes after it. And once the lie is told, it’s what most people believe to be true. The first lie has to be the strongest. The most important. The one that has to be told.” Chapter 5

Evie makes her living lying and she’s good at it. She makes her way through the world conning people into believing she is someone that she’s not. Her name isn’t even Evie. She left her real name behind long ago. Until. Until the day that someone shows up while she’s deep into a con using the name she was born with.

This was a twisty one. I liked ‘Evie’ and the confident way she handled herself. She had been working on her shady skills since high school and I was a little jealous at how well she could read people!

As much as I liked ‘Evie’ the plot became overly complicated by the end and it stretched how far I was willing to suspend disbelief. But, it was fun, fast, and had a satisfying ending, so I’d still say it’s a win for thriller lovers.

It was a Reece’s Book Club Pick last year and I received it in my Book Club Christmas exchange.