Illness Fiction

Twelve-year-old Al Schneider is too scared to talk about the two biggest things in her life: 1. Her stomach hurts all the time and she has no idea why. 2. She’s almost definitely 100% sure she likes girls. So she holds it in…until she can’t. After nearly having an accident of the lavatorial variety in gym class, Al finds herself getting a colonoscopy and an answer—she has Crohn’s disease.

After receiving the news that in vitro would be her only hope for biological children, award-winning poet Emily Adams had to learn to live in a new world of needles, embarrassing tests, long waiting periods, and expensive doctor appointments.

Amy and Matthew didn't know each other, really. They weren't friends. Matthew remembered her, sure, but he remembered a lot of people from elementary school that he wasn't friends with now. Matthew never planned to tell Amy what he thought of her cheerful facade, but after he does, Amy realizes she needs someone like him in her life. As they begin to spend more time with each other, Amy learns that Matthew has his own secrets and she decides to try to help him in the same way he's helped her.

Ava Lee has lost everything there is to lose: Her parents. Her best friend. Her home. Even her face. She doesn't need a mirror to know what she looks like - she can see her reflection in the eyes of everyone around her. But when Ava meets a fellow survivor named Piper, she begins to feel like maybe she doesn't have to face the nightmare alone. Sarcastic and blunt, Piper isn't afraid to push Ava out of her comfort zone. Piper introduces Ava to Asad, a boy who loves theater just as much as she does, and slowly, Ava tries to create a life again. Yet Piper is fighting her own battle.

The Hope Juvenile Treatment Center is ironically named. No one has hope for the delinquent teenagers who have been exiled there; the world barely acknowledges that they exist. Then the guards at Hope start acting strange. And one day...they don't show up. But when the teens band together to make a break from the facility, they encounter soldiers outside the gates.

After a hard-fought battle in the heart, Progen has defeated the agents of the entity that wants to destroy the body he is determined to control. It was a temporary defeat, however, as the entity retreated up into the body’s brain, safely entrenched behind the blood-brain barrier that is preventing the dungeon crystal from accessing the coveted home base of the central nervous system. As he further establishes his control over the different systems that he can access, a grievous wound to the body creates a problem that could spell the end of his objective.

Noblewoman and cultivator Li Yao is called to a small village to investigate a mysterious illness that has drained residents of their chi. Accompanying her are her suitors, Xiang An and Shen Wei, both more trouble than they're worth in Li Yao's eyes. Perhaps not all is as it seems.

What if the one person you could talk to was also the one person that you were battling against? In this unforgettable and uplifting story, 14-year-old Max is consumed by Ana - also known as anorexia, his eating disorder. And as Max writes to Ana every day, Ana feeds on his fears, encouraging him to lose more and more weight. But when Max’s brother gifts him a geocache for Christmas, Max soon discovers a new world and way of conversation.

The notorious baby boomers - the largest age cohort in history - are approaching the end and starting to plan their final moves in the game of life. Now they are asking: What was that all about? Was it about acquiring things or changing the world? Was it about keeping all your marbles? Or is the only thing that counts after you're gone the reputation you leave behind?

Listeners are introduced to Sage's sisters - both aliens - who help a young boy named Theo who has lost all of his hair due to medical treatments. There is a surprise ending and the sisters reinforce empathy, esteem, and equity.

Brayden and I have everything going against us. There was a time when we were madly in love. Our laughter still echoes in my ears. They say marriage is built on trust. They said love is the foundation. I wonder if we have either of those now. And what's worse? I've been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Divorce or death. I have no clue what comes first. But they both feel the same. Brayden still has my heart. And I have a feeling that he wants to keep it.

In medical school, Paul Farmer found his life’s calling: To cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Tracy Kidder’s magnificent account shows how one person can make a difference in solving global health problems through a clear-eyed understanding of the interaction of politics, wealth, social systems, and disease.

World-renowned pianist Gloria Banderas is at the height of her career when a curious ailment forces her to cancel a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. The same day, she befriends one of the many free-spirited artists inhabiting the warren of apartments above the theater. With her career and marriage at a standstill, Gloria moves into an empty studio and convalesces among the poets, photographers, and dancers who eke out a living with total dedication to their art. As a return to her old routine beckons, Gloria must decide which parts of her life are worth fighting for.

What would you do if the sun became your enemy? That’s exactly what happens to Viola Li after she returns from a trip abroad and develops a sudden and extreme case of photosensitivity — an inexplicable allergy to sunlight. Thanks to her crisis-manager parents, she doesn’t just have to wear layers of clothes and a hat the size of a spaceship. She has to stay away from all hint of light. Say goodbye to windows and running outdoors. Even her phone becomes a threat when its screen burns her.

Althea Carter and Oliver McKinley have been best friends since they were six; she's the fist-fighting instigator to his peacemaker, the artist whose vision balances his scientific bent. Now, as their junior year of high school comes to a close, Althea has begun to want something more than just best-friendship. Oliver, for his part, simply wants life to go back to normal, but when he wakes up one morning with no memory of the past three weeks, he can't deny any longer that something is seriously wrong with him. And then Althea makes the worst bad decision ever, and her relationship with Oliver is shattered.

Harry Posehn is the best dad, the best husband...well, maybe not. Detective Teaghan Beaumont is getting closer and closer to discovering the truth about Harry Posehn. But there's a twist that she - and you, dear listener - will never see coming.

In this compelling novel, Caleb recounts his childhood experiences dealing with the enduring trauma caused by mental illness. This poignant and deeply personal narrative delves into Caleb’s experience growing up with a loved one battling mental health issues. With raw honesty, a touch of satire, and compassion, the book illuminates the silent struggles, hidden pain, and enduring hope that define life in the shadow of mental illness.

Ettie is trying to figure out her future. Dominic’s just trying to forget his past. But with the help of some unlikely friends, young and old, a secret lake hidden in the grounds of a beautiful estate and a scruffy dog, a new community is formed–right when they all need each other the most.

Virginia Hendricks, a beautiful country girl from Millry, Alabama, was swept off her feet at the age of 19 by a handsome and charming preacher’s kid. As they build a life around the military, Virginia is forced to test her unconditional love for Franklin as his genetic inheritance of bipolar disorder seeks to destroy their family. By God’s grace, they fight to persevere through tragedy, illness, despair, and heartbreak during a long battle with the ups and downs of manic love.

Will Daughtry is a late bloomer - at least, that's what everyone tells him. On his 16th birthday, Will is just shy of five feet, and he is bitterly resigned to being tiny forever. His only comforts are his best friend and stepbrother, Drew (six-foot-three), and their pal Monica (five-foot-10), the girl Will's been quietly pining for since fifth grade. Everyone else literally overlooks him. But with them, he feels whole. That is, until things take an unexpected turn, and he realizes he's really and truly on his own. That's when he starts to grow. And grow fast. Astonishingly fast.