Spoonie Reads discussion

Hi everyone. I'm the founder and moderator of Spoonie Reads! I'd like to welcome you all to the group. I thought we could start off by introducing ourselves, letting us know a little bit about the people we will be reading with. I'll start off:

I'm Brittany! I study political science and I currently work as a blog contributor and social media manager. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, dysautonomia, and celiac, among others. I will read anything, but I really love fantasy and sci-fi. Feel free to ask me anything or suggest ways that I can make this group better for you.

Hi! I've been getting back into reading regularly just lately (brain fog and cognitive issues ahoy), so this group appeared at the perfect time!

I'm Amy. I'm a makeup artist (which stretches into other kinds of art, too, which is what I'm doing these days) with a connective tissue disorder, dysautonomia, and ME/CFS among other things. My reading tastes are suuuuper wide. I just love good fiction in general.

Twitter - @AmyLiz_W

Hi! I'm Renée (you may know me as blitheslife on tumblr). I have chronic pain from cervical kyphosis and hypermobility.

I just got back into reading after almost a decade away from it. Since I've acquired an ereader I can't be stopped! I really like science fiction and fantasy and I have a strong preference to books authored by women and POC and to books that feature women and POC protagonists.

Thanks for starting this group, Brittany!

Hi, I'm Samanta! I'm @smnta02 on Twitter with the username Undiagnosable.

I have Celiac Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, POTS, Dysautonomia/Autonomic Neuropathy, Gastroparesis... And I can't remember the rest of my diseases. I am struggling with my Health Policy major, but I hope to work in the ministry of health to make changes from a patient perspective!

I've gotten back into reading lately to help me cope with the struggle of my conditions, so I am very excited about this! I love books from most genres, regardless of if they connect with illness/life struggles or not.

Hi, I'm Rachel! I'm thatweirdredhead on tumblr.

I have fibromyalgia, scoliosis and undiagnosed dysautonomia and Ehler Danlos. Currently on the search for a doc who will get me some answers :) I was going to school for my multimedia design degree, but had to stop due to my health issues.

I'm also getting back into reading to deal with the struggle. I'm a big fantasy fan, but I read a lot of nonfiction too. I'm lucky enough to live near a good library that makes it possible :) Thanks for starting this group!

Hi! :) I'm Elisa (supersecretlisy on tumblr). I have chronic fatigue syndrome. I am studying Business and Psychology at university which doesn't leave me a lot of time for reading but I'm trying really hard not to stop!

I've always been an avid reader but it's been made difficult since I got sick. I'm eager to discuss books in an environment that's supportive of how hard it can be to read and focus when you're sick. :)

I love love love anything post-apocalyptic or dystopian. I read mostly sci-fi as a result but I am open to pretty much anything.

Thank you for organising this group, it's such a great idea.

I'm Shayla, otherwise known as LadyPoetess pretty much everywhere on the internet (twitter, Tumblr, LJ, etc.). I have Ehlers-Danlos and a primary immunodeficiency called IgG selective subclass deficiency, which causes me to get sick with respiratory ailments frequently, and consequently makes my asthma worse.

I love reading, I love writing, but frequently not at the same time. When I am less brain fogged, I spend more time trying to write and end up reading less - but if I'm too brain fogged, I can't focus on books, either!

I adore the Wheel of Time books, and often daydream meta for them when I am not up to actually reading. :)

Hello I'm a Brittany also! My tumblr is brittieslifeasiknowit

I am a cancer survivor and currently being diagnosed for an autoimmune illness. I have many long term side effects from the chemotherapy.

I love reading mysteries and thrillers. Something to stimulate my brain. and of course spoonie books. I also like to read light YA books to cleanse the "palate".

I am a foodie and a spoonie.

Hello I'm Jess (blue-jessica on tumblr). I have ME/CFS and am pretty much bedbound from it. Reading is one of the things I can still do


I read mostly fantasy and sci fi. Though don't much like dystopian books. I'll read other genres occasionally as well to spice things up but mainly stick to adventure.

Hello people I'm Lisa (misterlisa on tumblr). I have ME/CFS and undiagnosed dysautonomia. I'm still in the process of finding out what's wrong basically.

I don't know if I have a strong preference for a specific genre but I tend to read (or listen to as I find audio books easier to handle at the moment) mostly fiction and non fiction.

This group is a great initiative and I look forward to be challenged with books I wouldn't usually have picked myself and to have people to discuss them with!

Hey yall! I'm Devin (tumblr/IG handle is @fatceliac). Currently fighting lyme disease and secondary arthritis, and more or less living casually with celiac, PCOS, fibromyalgia, disk issues, and whatever gut stuff is going on I can't quite figure out or fix yet… I'm 22, go to community college part time as an IT major(practicality), but hoping to eventually be able to go to grad school for acupuncture and eastern medicine.

I don't really have a genre or anything in particular, all over the place. I always like fantasy and dystopian with worlds I can fall into the pages of. I like 'classics' and seeing why they managed to hang around so well. I like gloomy angsty fiction I can relate to. I like books on feminism, and healthcare, and spirituality. I like memoirs and essays and poetry and whatever wisdom people feel the need to share. Lately I've been going through a lot of YA fluff and comic books as self care I guess, I've been in a weird funk and everything else is kind of heavy emotionally it seems, though I'm ready to pull myself out of that anytime now.

I've always really loved reading but symptoms/side effects always have seemed to damper it as a hobby more than I'd like, and when I'm not too foggy or having I'm normally catching up on atrocious textbooks it feels like. I love being able to write in my paperbacks but ebooks and audiobooks have been saviors, I don't have to explain that to y'all I guess. Boyfriend got me a kindle this year so I've been extra inspired to put more effort in and have quadrupled my book list average recently- fingers crossed I can manage keeping it up! It feels really good to be back really into something. Really looking forward to being able to get ideas for new reads from people I can relate to and whatnot!

Hi I'm Lois. Tumblr not-having-any-of-it.
I have Arthritis/Lupus.
I'm currently in University p/t and working p/t.
I'm the coordinator/organizer in my neighbourhood library and seniors centre. I also volunteer coordinate the seniors BookClub.

Hi in Jesse- theagliophobe on Tumblr. I am 20, a second year English Literature and Philosophy student at University of Birmingham. I am really excited to get started on some reading!

Hi! I am Analisa. I am not on Tumblr. I had a hemorrhagic stroke in 2004, age 49, left me paralyzed. I have fibromyalgia. I had a colostomy, after years of IBS, etc., in 2009. So, now I have an ostomy in my belly, on my paralyzed left side, making pain worse. I am diabetic, and suffered a seizure in 2010. My spine is compressed in so many areas, I am in constant pain. My left arm hangs, pulling on my neck. My husband takes care of me: he is a 4-time heart attack survivor!
I was a writer, and teacher, pre-stroke. I lost my creativity... until last August, after SOMETHING stimulated new brain cells, I was able to write a fiction novel, somewhat based on my experiences.
CALL ME... VELVETTE is available on Kindle at Amazon, on Nook at B&N.
It chronicles how the narrator, Lovey, is confused about what happened to her; and Velvette, who seduces men clients with erotic tales, a'la Scheherazade.
This book is for adults, includes sexual content.
However, the story is multi-layered, with clues hidden where least expected.
I hope you all will consider reading it!
Call Me... Velvette

Hey Guys, I'm Lella, you can find me on Tumblr as Lella Princess Pants. I've Fibro, two breaks in my spine, two bulging discs and a bunch of lovely familiar issues.

I have always been a prolific reader, but recently I've found it so damn hard to pick up a book. I'm hoping this will help me get back to a passion of mine.

I'm interested to see how we all plod together and manage.

Hey I am Kitty and I am 18. I don't want to put too much detail of my conditions here (sorry I worry a lot a lot about internet safety) but one aspect of it is fatigue and another is vision impairment. But I love reading! I'm currently in Sixth Form college here in the UK doing maths, further maths, chemistry and physics. My tumblr is justarocknrollsuicide.tumblr.com

Hi everyone!! My name is Echelle, I'm 25 years old, and you can find me on Tumblr as kingdomupforsale. I have fibromyalgia and most recently, anemia and arthritis.

I'm currently working on getting my bachelors degree online, but it's a work in progress. I've been reading since I was a kid, and I'll read just about anything, as long as it interests me.

I can't wait to meet some of you guys, and see how we can connect!

Hi! I'm Molly, I'm on tumblr as gretamorgane and everywhere else (twitter/instagram) as mollyifitz.

I have dysautonomia, POTS, hoshimotos, chronic migraines, psoriasis, and ocd. Recently I've been having pretty bad joint swelling that I haven't had in the past, so I'm not sure what that's about. I'm a student finishing my last semester of my BFA degree in art/art history, though with all of my issues it's taking me longer to finish up my thesis than I would have wished. I hope to get a combination art history/library science masters degree in the future.

I, recently, really enjoy the ease and general positivity in a lot of YA (especially fantasy). I've been rereading a lot of Diana Wynne Jones lately, and am always looking for new books especially when the world building is well done.

This is such a great idea, and I'm so thankful that someone thought of it! :)

Hi! I'm Eve, 23 years old and from Finland. You can find me from Tumblr as shineaddict. I have asthma and fibromyalgia and several other diseases, but the names are hard to remember even in Finnish :D

I'm currently on a looong sick leave due my horrible chronic pains, but I'm hoping I could start my art studies at a university next fall.

I've always loved reading (my mom is a librarian) and I read all kinds of books. Fantasy is closest to my heart, but lately I've been into sci-fi too. Especially dystopia.

This seems like a really cool idea, I hope I fit into the group even though English is not my first language :)

hi, i'm chrys. i'm 34 and from the us. much of my time is spent doing non-profit work (some of it for a living, some of it out of passion). i primarily have fibromyalgia, dermatitis herpetiformis, and anxiety disorder. i use to read a lot, but i find reading to be difficult so i don't do it as much as i'd like. i've started trying to read more lately, though! i think this is a fantastic idea :)

Hello! My name is Kai (tumblr user: cloudnein). I'm a 22 year old college student studying Early Childhood Education. I work as a preschool teacher as well. Currently diagnosed with CFS.

Reading and writing have been my passion since I was a child, and I love the idea of spoonie-related books!

I'm Meredith, I'm 28, I have full body RSD/CRPS, fibromyalgia, and chronic migraines. I'm no longer able to work a normal job so I have kind of endless time for reading. I mostly listen to audiobooks due to the difficulty of holding print books and multitasking ability.

I read a wide variety, though find it hard to find books I love in fantasy or sci-fi and horror/thriller stuff just bores me. History is my favorite thing to read, but I like to read a of non-fiction in general. This year I've set a high reading goal so I've added a lot of children's and YA novels to my list (mostly children's, as the last time my body was healthy was when I was a teenager and that has cut me off from wanting to read anything focused on normal teen problems). I used to manage a bookstore with my sister and I really miss it.

On Tumblr and almost every site everywhere I'm mabith. I actually use LibraryThing more than Goodreads, in terms of communities.

Hi :) I'm Cristina, I'm 17 (almost 18), and a senior in high school. On Tumblr I'm in-tensityy and I was diagnosed with Lupus a little over a year ago.

I've always loved reading and lately I've been thinking about becoming an editor. I'll read just about anything that's fiction, but I tend to gravitate towards the romance (how cliche!).

Hi, I'm Anjelica (celiacgirl on tumblr). I was diagnosed with celiac and Hashimoto's almost 4 years ago. The celiac was undiagnosed for ten and led to me having osteoporosis at 20, and adrenal damage from malnourishment. I was very recently diagnosed with lupus. I have an MFA in creative writing and lit, and I am a writer and a total bookworm. Looking forward to making some like-minded spoonie friends!

Hi :) I'm Elizabeth, my tumblr is Chronic_Frustration_Syndrome, and I have ME/CFS.

I will read pretty much anything, although I have a slight preference for fantasy. I've gradually got back into reading over the last few months although I'm still mostly reading children's books because my ability to concentrate varies quite a lot.

Hi, I'm Elizabeth, (or Dibbzy, CaptainDibbzy on tumblr). I was diagnosed with Depression last August, but I've suffered with it on and off for years. Finished university last June, but because of the depression haven't had enough of a grasp on my life to do anything since then till recently.

My favorite kind of books are Urban Fantasy, but I usualy strugle to find good ones, and have yet to find one with a female protagonist that doesn't involve "Will she find her true love!" in the blurb.

I also write.

Hi everyone! @justagoodlife aka Julie aka Juls aka itsjustabadday.com

psoriatic arthritis, avascular necrosis, CRPS among other stupid little things. I'm the type of reader who reads the books everyone's talking about. I want to read more regularly and would love to join in on some great discussions!

Hi I'm Amber diagnosed with a few chronic illnesses including fibromyalgia and endometriosis

I love reading and outside of the illnesses I am in school studying for a doctorate in social work

Hi, I'm Megan (@ChronicMeg on Twitter, blog - mychroniclifejourney.com).

I've just recently gotten back into reading and finished my first book in over a year (David Attenborough - Life on Air)! I read almost everything but love fantasy, crime, and anything I can learn from really.

My career path so far has been related to Environment and Sustainability (been on longterm sick leave for the last year though). I've studied arts/science (majoring in Environmental Studies, Environmental Biology and Zoology) and I'm part way through a Bachelor of Education (Primary) which got put on hold when I got sick.

I'm currently learning to live with Fibromyalgia, ME/cfs and Pelvic Congestion Syndrome.

Hi all! I'm Kimberly Rae and I have Addison's disease, hypoglycemia, asthma, scoliosis and a cyst on my brain. I used to live overseas and now write from my home in North Carolina. I have a series of Christian suspense/romance novels on international human trafficking, and also the Sick & Tired series on living joyfully with chronic illness (we all know how hard that can be!). I'm excited to be part of the group and get to know you and hear about great books.
Kimberly Rae
Hold Out Hope
www.kimberlyrae.com

Hello lovely people, I have been prowling in this group for a while without commenting so I feel it is about time I introduce myself.
I'm Emilie and I live in Australia. I am a 19 year old uni student and I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, costochondritis and I am also coeliac. I have always been a huge reader (usually fiction) and I am not ashamed to admit that my favourite genre is usually YA fiction however I am also a fan of many other genres.
I hope to discover some great new books through this group and it would just be nice to discuss great books with people with similar issues as myself. :)

Hi. I'm Claire and keep epilepsy, migraine and a few other brain issues in my medicine cabinet. Reading is my favourite treatment for whatever happens to be ailing me at the time.

Hoping to be introduced to great books and their equally great readers.

Hi all,

My name is Talitha, I'm 24 years old and from the Netherlands. I have late stage Lyme disease (neuro-lyme), and as a result I'm bedridden in a dark room, because my brain has a hard time handling light, sound and smell. Well, so much for light introductions ;-).

Anyway, on my mobile I have this screen filter apps, so I can still be a little part of this world. I can't read normal books, but fortunately there's this amazing thing called audiobooks :-D.

I like all kind of books, anything that's good, really. My favourites are (at the moment):
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Thousands splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini
- Fight club by Chuck Palahniuk
- I never promised you a rose garden by Joanne Greenberg

I'm curious to learn what your favourite books are!
Greetings from another spoonie.

I really enjoy YA fiction. It's often better written and has a lot of substance.I like some of the old favorites, especially Newberry Medal winners like The Giver and Number the Stars. A really sweet one I read was The Boy on the Porch about foster parenting. For adults, my all time favorites are Redeeming Love and the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.

P.S. Welcome, Talitha!!! So sorry for your Lymes, that's an awful disease. Isn't it great that thanks to computers and the internet we can all be friends without having to leave home and use up extra energy. I hope that in your dark room today is a joyful inner light (but not a painful one).

Welcome Talitha! What a great attitude you have - even finding a way to inject humor into your introduction. I'm not an avid reader but my favorite book of the past few years is "Cutting for Stone." I also really enjoyed Roger King's "Love and Fatigue in America."

Hi fellow spoonies
My name is Leanne , I'm 19 years old from the UK .I have had severe M.E for almost 8 years ,finally gotten medication for my POTS after over 5 years and recently diagnosed with PCOS . I'm TheChronicallyInvisibleGirl on tumblr.

I love to read lots of different genres and discovering new literary worlds to escape to.
I'm glad to have found this group :)

Welcome Leanne! I'm so sorry you have severe ME and POTS but glad you at least got some medication for the POTS as I've heard it is quite disabling on it's own. I'm not familiar with PCOS.

Betsy wrote: "Welcome Leanne! I'm so sorry you have severe ME and POTS but glad you at least got some medication for the POTS as I've heard it is quite disabling on it's own. I'm not familiar with PCOS."

Hi Betsy
PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome I was diagnosed a few months ago .I had shown a lot of the symptoms over the last couple of years but just recently got it checked out.

Hello everyone! I guess I haven't done an introduction yet. Brain fog got in the way of that one :) My name is Will, I have inflammatory arthritis (i carry the HLAB27 gene) and Chiari Malformation, and some other things i won't bore you with. My tumblr page is http://wdoregon.tumblr.com/ please visit it if you'd like! I am originally from Portland, Oregon, but currently living in North Carolina (heading back to the west at some point!). Happy to be here with y'all :)

Will, your tumblr page is awesome!

Emilie, One YA fiction I really enjoyed was Johnny Tremain." I was disappointed to learn he was fictional - since I got a Johnny Tremain hat when I was 4 or so, had always thought he had really lived back in the time of the Revolutionary War.

Betsy wrote: "Will, your tumblr page is awesome!"

Thanks...I'm glad you like it!

Talitha wrote: "Hi all,

My name is Talitha, I'm 24 years old and from the Netherlands. I have late stage Lyme disease (neuro-lyme), and as a result I'm bedridden in a dark room, because my brain has a hard time h..."

Welcome Talitha! It's great to have you join our club. I have too many favorite books to list, but I tend to enjoy YA fiction and politic- related nonfiction- probably because I was a polisci major. :)

Leanne wrote: "Hi fellow spoonies
My name is Leanne , I'm 19 years old from the UK .I have had severe M.E for almost 8 years ,finally gotten medication for my POTS after over 5 years and recently diagnosed with ..."

Leanne, I have POTS too! It's rough to deal with sometimes, but I'm glad to hear you have gotten medication to help with it! The right medication changed my life.

I'm Doug. I'm 28. I have chronic migraines. It is a somewhat new condition that I am still learning to accept. I have had migraines 6-7 years, but only had chronic migraines for 8 months. I am in pain and nausea every day. I am realizing how much the symptoms and the resulting isolation can take their toll on your emotions over time.

I need to find a way to get my mind off the pain. Reading can help if I find the right books and have the push to get through them. My favorite novels are 1984, The Great Gatsby, Fight Club, The Hobbit, Brave New World, The Fault in Our Stars, and Looking for Alaska. I also have an obsession with American history books and like a lot of non-fiction including history, economics, politics, psychology, etc.

I have been sort of blogging about my condition on tumblr, but that is not always very interactive. I am starting to realize that my condition is less temporary than I had hoped, and it is time that I reach out and talk to other people with chronic illnesses and learn how to cope with it. There are so many things that the current people in my life do not understand and cannot possibly understand, so I am trying to take a few more steps online to talk with other people who can relate to what I am going through. I think that talking about books is a really cool way to do that! The July book, I Am Malala, is something I have been interested in reading, so I will try to pick it up and start it soon.

Hi Doug :) Nice to see you on here. Although I am sorry that you have entered the world of chronic illness, I think you will find it to be a really strong community with amazing people and incredible support, which makes it suck just a teensy weensy bit less. It looks like a lot of people on here have tumblr pages as well, which also may be helpful to you. Nice to meet you!

Hi Doug,

I'm so glad you decided to reach out to others with chronic illness. I think it's impossible for others, family included, to really "get it." How could they? You also might get ideas on treating them too. I think you really have to be your own advocate. My brother was helped by oxygen for his cluster headaches, which it is targeted for.

Douglass wrote: "I'm Doug. I'm 28. I have chronic migraines. It is a somewhat new condition that I am still learning to accept. I have had migraines 6-7 years, but only had chronic migraines for 8 months. I am in p..."
Hi Doug! It's nice to have you in our group. Many of us here, including me, have chronic migraine as well. I hope that you can find support in our group as well as on tumblr!

Feel free to take your time with the monthly books and read them at your own pace! There is no pressure here! :)

Hi Spoonies!
My name is Anjelica. I'm 24, and live on Long Island, NY. I have Celiac, Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism, and SLE (lupus).
I was doing an internship in sustainable farming in Hawaii when I started to become symptomatic and flew home to be diagnosed with lupus, amongst other things. I was undiagnosed with celiac for ten years, and almost died from malnourishment, osteopenia at 20, etc. I've been gluten free for 4 years, and have had hypothyroidism since I was a teenager, though it was never bad enough to medicate until recently.
I'm on social media! On tumblr, I'm celiacgirl, on twitter and Instagram I'm @alwhitehorne.
I have an MFA in Creative Writing and Literature, and am finishing my memoir on life with chronic illness. I love to read fiction, usually YA. I have an especial love for dystopian fiction. And Star Trek for life. I love connecting with people (in fact all of my friends live in my phone/computer), so let's be friends!