#Ash Van Otterloo

[transbookoftheday]

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo

Full of humor and heartbreak, this story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world is perfect for fans of Alex Gino and Kyle Lukoff.

It’s exhausting trying to be the perfect daughter. Still, getting good grades without making any waves may be the only way to distract from the fact that Sparrow Malone’s mother is on the verge of falling apart. Which means no getting upset. No being weird. No standing out for the wrong reasons.

But when Mom’s attempts to cope spiral out of control, Sparrow is sent to live with Aunt Mags on a sprawling estate full of interesting, colorful new neighbors. And for the first time, trying to fit in doesn’t feel right anymore. Even Sparrow’s shadow has stopped following the rules.

As Shadow nudges Sparrow to try all the scary, exciting things Mom has always forbidden, Sparrow begins to realize something life-changing: They don’t feel like a girl. Or a boy. And while this discovery is exciting, now Sparrow must decide whether to tell everyone—their new family and friends, not-so-secret crush, and, most importantly, their mom—the truth, especially if it means things change forever.

#the beautiful something else #ash van otterloo #nonbinary #trans book of the day #trans books #queer books #bookblr #booklr

[nonbinaryresource]

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo coming out May 16th! Middle grade fiction!

Full of humor and heartbreak, this story about a nonbinary character navigating a binary world is perfect for fans of Alex Gino and Kyle Lukoff.

It’s exhausting trying to be the perfect daughter. Still, getting good grades without making any waves may be the only way to distract from the fact that Sparrow Malone’s mother is on the verge of falling apart. Which means no getting upset. No being weird. No standing out for the wrong reasons.

But when Mom’s attempts to cope spiral out of control, Sparrow is sent to live with Aunt Mags on a sprawling estate full of interesting, colorful new neighbors. And for the first time, trying to fit in doesn’t feel right anymore. Even Sparrow’s shadow has stopped following the rules.

As Shadow nudges Sparrow to try all the scary, exciting things Mom has always forbidden, Sparrow begins to realize something life-changing: They don’t feel like a girl. Or a boy. And while this discovery is exciting, now Sparrow must decide whether to tell everyone—their new family and friends, not-so-secret crush, and, most importantly, their mom—the truth, especially if it means things change forever.

#book recs #nonbinary representation #nonbinary #ash van otterloo #trans #coming of age #middle grade fiction #middle grade #books #the beautiful something else

[qbdatabase]

In the town of Howler’s Hollow, conjuring magic is strictly off-limits. Only nothing makes Delpha McGill’s skin crawl more than rules. So when she finds her family’s secret book of hexes, she’s itching to use it to banish her mama’s money troubles. She just has to keep it quieter than a church mouse — not exactly Delpha’s specialty.

Trouble is, Katybird Hearn is hankering to get her hands on the spell book, too. The daughter of a rival witching family, Katy has reasons of her own for wanting to learn forbidden magic, and she’s not going to let an age-old feud or Delpha’s contrary ways stop her. But their quarrel accidentally unleashes a hex so heinous it resurrects a graveyard full of angry Hearn and McGill ancestors bent on total destruction. If Delpha and Katy want to reverse the spell in time to save everyone in the Hollow from rampaging zombies, they’ll need to mend fences and work together.

#Cattywampus #Ash Van Otterloo #teen books #teen fiction #fantasy #intersex #intersex rep #witches #curses #zombies #daily book #fiction #lgbt fiction #lgbtqia #bookblr

[the-final-sentence]

'It's perfect.'

Ash Van Otterloo, from Cattywampus

#Ash Van Otterloo #Cattywampus

[theobviousparadox]

Review: Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo

Review: Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo

CattywampusAsh Van OtterlooScholasticPublished August 4, 2020 Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads About Cattywampus The magical story of a hex that goes haywire, and the power of friendship to set things right! In the town of Howler’s Hollow, conjuring magic is strictly off-limits. Only nothing makes Delpha McGill’s skin crawl more than rules. So when she finds her family’s secret book of hexes,…

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#androgen insensitivity #Ash Van Otterloo #Cattywampus #enemies #friendship #Magic #North Carolina #small town #southern #transgender #Zombies

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Queer Books for May 2023

🦇 Good morning to my lovely bookish bats, goddess, babes, and dragons! There are so many diverse, entertaining queer books coming out (hehe) this May! I've only listed a few, so feel free to give a shout-out to others you've read this month!

✨ Books Listed: ❤️ Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey 🧡 Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 💛 Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli 💚 Dragonfall by Laura Lam 💙 I Like Me Better by Robby Weber 💜 The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom by Allison L. Bitz 🖤 Lose You to Find Me by Erik J. Brown ❤️ Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl by Sara Waxelbaum and Brianna R. Shrum @sarataylorwoods 🧡 Solitaire by Alice Oseman 💛 Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn 💚 Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa 💙 Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst 💜 Chasing Pacquiao by Rod A. Pulido 🖤 A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair ❤️ Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian 🧡 You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie 💛 Breakup, Makeup by Stacey Anthony 💚 They Hate Each Other by Amanda Woody 💙 If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude 💜 The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz 🖤 The Problem With Perfect by Philip William Stover ❤️ Paper Planes by Jennie Wood 🧡 Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee 💛 Transmogrify!: 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic by (Anthology) 💚 The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo 💙 As Long As We’re Together by Brianna Peppins 💜 Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliott McLemore 🖤 Always Emilie by Alyson Root ❤️ Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan 🧡 If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So 💛 The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes 💚 City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn 💙 The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse 💜 Forever Is Now by Mariama J. Lockington 🖤 That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey ❤️ Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

#queer books #books #book lovers #pride #book recommendations #batty about books #battyaboutbooks

[lgbtqreads]

hi! i’m looking for some nonbinary/trans books. preferably middle grade, maybe younger YA. queer joy is a bonus!

You got it! There are all MG, with asterisks signifying books coming later in the year:

Trans Boys:

Obie is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

Trans Girls:

Zenobia July by Lisa Bunker

Joy, to the World by Lisa Bunker and Kai Shappley

Melissa by Alex Gino

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith (Graphic Novel)

The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio (text) and Jenn St-Onge (illustration) (Graphic Novel)

Nonbinary MCs:

*Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge

Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

*Green by Alex Gino

*The Lonely Book by Meg Grehan

Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon

*Elle Campbell Saves Their Saturday by Ben Kahn

Both Can Be True by Jules Machias (Genderfluid)

The One Who Loves You Most by medina – A

Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensée and K.C. Oster (Graphic Novel)

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo

Spin With Me by Ami Polonsky

Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley

Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass

Ellen Outside the Lines by AJ Sass

Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby and AJ Sass

The Fabulous Zeb Watson! by Kevin Sylvester and Basil Sylvester

The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson

The House that Whispers by Lin Thompson (Amz)

*The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans

There is also very significant nonbinary representation in Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff, Twelfth by Janet Key, and A Touch of Ruckus by Ash Van Otterloo.

In younger YA, there's not a ton, but I'd definitely give a shout to the genderqueer paranormal Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve, and I think the trans girl graphic novel romance Cheer Up! could work too!

(If you want all these links on one page, and/or to track ones coming up even further in the future, here's the MG page: https://lgbtqreads.com/middle-grade/)

#lgbtqreads #MG #TransLit #Nonbinary

[nevinslibrary]

Comic Book Saturday

Effie’s Mom has recently died, and, so, she must move to live with her two aunts (who are both a bit eccentric) in Brooklyn. Then, strange things start happening. And then, she learns that her family has magic. Does that mean that she has magic?

There’s so much going on in this delightful middle grade graphic novel. There’s the magic of course, but, there’s also some loss, and so so so so much family in there too. And, it’s a series that has three, going on four soon, books. Always a plus!

You may like this book If you Liked: Snapdragon by Kat Leyh, Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo, or The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse

#comicbooksaturday #nmlRA #nevins memorial library #witches of brooklyn #Sophie Escabasse

[thain1982]

If you need some exceptional middle grades or YA books, I can't recommend these 4 highly enough.

Cattywampus, by Ash Van Otterloo, is a witchy coming of age story set in the fictional Appalachian town of Howler's Hollow, where the descendants of a magical legacy to rival the Hatfields and McCoys must set aside their differences and work together to undo the damage caused by their family rivalry.

Middle grade readers will love this adventure. Trigger warnings for death of a grandparent, zombies, and non-lethal peril to young children

A Touch of Ruckus, also by Ash Van Otterloo, is a story of family secrets, struggles, and confronting the ghosts of the past, both literally and figuratively. Also set in the Appalachian mountains, a tween dealing with an unwanted power that allows her to see memories connected to inanimate objects goes to spend a few weeks with her grandmother (also in Howler's Hollow) while her family tries to find their footing. While there, she meets a friend who is fascinated with haunted objects, and she has to navigate the secrets she knows and the weight of the unearned responsibility she feels to solve all her family's problems.

Told from a tween-eye view, there are frank discussions of poverty, generational squabbles (especially between grandparents and parents), and the ecological devastation caused by the irascible greed of company owners of the coal industry.

Our whole family has fallen in love with Ash Van Otterloo's alternate Appalachia, and their writing is sure to leave you wanting more.

Meanwhile, for the YA crowd, Maya Evan MacGregor's "The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester" and "The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will" are absolutely stunning.

"The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester" follows the titular Sam as they move to a new home in the Pacific Northwest. As a queer, autistic student, they haven't had the easiest life so far, outside of the love and support of their adopted father. As they settle into their new home, they begin uncovering the truth behind a tragic death that occurred in their own house many years before.

Trigger warnings for anti-queer violence, murder (both attempted and actual), violent bigotry

And last, but certainly not least, "The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will" is a heavy read centered around Will, an agender teen whose abusive mother's death at the beginning of their tale threatens to upend the life they have scrabbled together since their mother pulled them away from the only kind guardian they ever experienced in the foster system. It's a story of found family and the fear of navigating a system that is meant to care for kids, but so often devastates them instead.

Trigger warnings for parental death, child abuse, discussions of drug overdose, drug dealing, bullying, frank discussions of the foster system.

Both Ash and Maya understand the value of stories not just ABOUT queer kids, but written BY queer authors. Ash imagines a world where the bigotries we know aren't here to crush the spirits of our children, while Maya writes with unwavering honesty about the world as it too often is, but still maintains the determined optimism of those who have been forced to build their own better world. The optimism not that things are good, not that they CAN be better, but that they WILL be better, because we will make them better.

Both types of stories are absolutely vital, and each one of these books is simply phenomenal

[siliquasquama]

So I read this book called “Cattywampus” by Ash Van Otterloo and I was getting major Romeo And Juliet vibes from it even though there’s no actual romance in the book, because it’s still about two young’uns getting into stuff that’s way too dangerous for their age and everyone coming to grief for it because the parents who should have been teaching their kids how to do that stuff safely would rather let old grudges keep going. So yeah, like I said, major Romeo and Juliet vibes, minus the tragic ending.

I also thought it was a decent basic portrayal of life in the Appalachians, although if this wasn’t a middle-grade book I might have expected the town to have some relationship with coal mining because, you know, it’s the Appalachians. Maybe this is a town that never shook the Devil’s hand. Maybe there are a fair few towns like that. I don’t know. All I know is that whatever magic you get from a coal mine would be a hell of a lot nastier than a pack of zombies, and probably not fit for children’s literature. It wasn’t God that invented coal.

#Cattywampus #Ash Van Otterloo #appalachian #conjure

[transbookoftheday]

Leave Trans Kids Alone

Inspired by David Tennant's "Leave Trans Kids Alone You Absolute Freaks" shirt, here are some amazing trans middle grade and picture books you should read:

Book titles:

99% Chance of Magic by Amy Eleanor Heart, Abbey Darling and Luna Merbruja

Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith

Jamie by L.D. Lapinski

Camp QUILTBAG by Nicole Melleby and A. J. Sass

Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Moonflower by Kacen Callender

Joy, to the World by Kai Shappley and Lisa Bunker

Ana on the Edge by A.J. Sass

Girl Haven by Lilah Sturges, Meaghan Carter and Joamette Gil

Obie Is Man Enough by Schuyler Bailar

Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino

The House That Whispers by Lin Thompson

Both Can Be True by Jules Machias

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff

Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley

Tiger Honor by Yoon Ha Lee

The Ship We Built by Lexie Bean

Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth Lapensee, KC Oster and Aarin Dokum

Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon

Tally the Witch by Molly Landgraff

The Beautiful Something Else by Ash Van Otterloo

The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith

The Fabulous Zed Watson! by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester

The Ojja-Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge

Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff

The One Who Loves You the Most by medina

Me and My Dysphoria Monster by Laura Kate Dale and Hui Qing Ang

When Aidan Became A Brother by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita

Calvin by J.R. Ford, Vanessa Ford and Kayla Harren

#trans books #middle grade books #picture books #trans book of the day #queer books #transmasc #transfem #nonbinary #david tennant #good omens #leave trans kids alone

[fixyourwritinghabits]

how do i practice getting better at writing setting? Prompted by that anon asking about writing descriptions of location. But with setting you have to get both location and atmosphere well. How do I practice that?

You're going to hate this, because I'm going to give you homework. Pick a few of your favorite books - preferably in the genre and age group you're writing for, but it's always helpful to compare vastly different books as well. Pick a favorite scene in each, and take notes according to character, plot, mood/tone, and action.

Let’s look at how that works with a paragraph from Lee Mandelo’s adult novel Summer Sons. For context, the main character’s best friend died, and he’s inherited his car:

Slickly grim in the gold afternoon light, the black chrome and black detailing and cherry-red rims struck him to the core. The morning Eddie’s trust fund spilled open, the pair of them had driven two hundred miles to pick up the absurd beast. More muscle than the Aventador went Eddie’s argument; Andrew responded and so American it hurts. But the Hellcat fit him, reckless and extravagant, made to measure straight off the line. The brash white of Eddie’s toothy smile and his muscled arm hanging out the window, gunning the brutal roar of the engine at the first stoplight they’d coasted up to together, had lit him on fire.

This paragraph does a lot of work - it tells us all about Andrew’s grief and what kind of person Eddie was, all while framing it around the description of a car. Notice that Mandelo doesn’t worry too much about grammar or run-on sentences - he’s trying to pull you on an emotional journey where thoughts don’t stop crashing into each other. In that aspect, you can also use sentence structure to convey mood and meaning. Short, choppy sentences can be used in moments of panic or anger. Longer sentences woven together with multiple commas can take you on a journey, like a dream - or a nightmare.

Here’s another paragraph from Ash Van Otterloo’s Middle Grade Cattywampus:

Half a heartbeat later, a prism of smoke and shadow erupted from the mirror and tore through the room, knocking Katybird back on her throw pillows with a squeak. The candles toppled, and hot wax spattered Katy’s foot in angry droplets. Deep, guttural groans crescendoed, then filled the room so loudly, the shelf of knickknacks on the wall shook. Terrible silhouettes crouched and leaped, springing from wall to wall like enormous frenzied crickets in a fishing bait box. Under the bed, Podge growled a low warning and Fatso scrambled around in a panic.

Here we have an action scene with magic and chaos, using a lot of action words while making use of items in the environment (the candles, the pillows, the pets). Because it’s Middle Grade, we don’t have to describe this room with every detail - any kid can imagine a bedroom they’re familiar with and picture this scene happening in it. Your audience, therefore, will also determine how much goes into the description.

After doing your homework and figuring out what kind of description appeals to you and why, do not be afraid to go overboard on describing your setting. Spent three paragraphs describing that shack on a hill, it’s fine! In editing, you’ll be able to cut it down to the core of what appeals to you the most.

If you’re the opposite kind of writer and find your descriptions sparse, go back to that homework. Where can you insert emotion, think about how to use things in the environment (a favorite chair, a hated jacket) to do it. When you need to convey mood, consider lighting - is it dim or bright? Cloudy in a way that brings your character comfort or gloom? Does an event that happens in a particular room change how it feels (i.e. being attacked in what previously felt like a safe space).

Also don’t be afraid to physically sit in a place and imagine how your scene would feel there. This might feel silly, but ignore it. You’re a writer, you’re allowed to do absurd things. Now, you may not have a grand fantasy forest, but you might have a park with nice trees. Spend some time noting how the air feels while walking around them, what feeling you get when you hear the leaves crunch underfoot. You might not be able to visit that big cathedral that your fight scene is set during Covid times, but you can google enough pictures and use street view to get a lay of how it looks. Not old enough to go to a bar and don’t want to rely on TV stereotypes? Googled images, videos, and hell, Tiktoks are your friend.

Setting is not easy, but it is conquerable. The more you push yourself, the easier it’ll get.

#description #setting

[qbdatabase]

Do you guys have any more intersex rep books? There's only like 5 on here and it's hard to find anything ;w;

Main Characters:

Pantomime by L. R. Lam - bisexual intersex genderfluid MC

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E. K. Johnston - poc queer female x bisexual intersex female x male

None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio - intersex female

Golden Boy by Abigail Tartellin - intersex male

Annabel by Kathleen Winter - trans-femme intersex male

Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides - Greek-American intersex transgender male

Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo - intersex female

Double Exposure by Bridget Birdsail - intersex female

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire - intersex female

Miss Jane by Brad Watson - intersex female MC born with vaginal agenesis that causes incontinence and prevents penetrative sex

An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon - Nigerian intersex female MC forced to live as a boy

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon - black albino bisexual intersex MC who is partially blind and has chronic pain

The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett - intersex female questioning her gender identity

Lord of the Last Heartbeat by Mary Peterson - non-binary intersex MC (he/him)

Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski - intersex female

Just Ash by Sol Santana - intersex male

Trans Liberty Riot Brigade by L. M. Pierce - queer intersex female with a fantasy-drug addiction

Side Characters / World Building:

Temper by Nicky Drayden - intersex SCs in a world where everyone is born with a twin, and sometimes the genitalia gets "mixed" between them

2313 by Kim Stanley Robinson - intersex female MC due to future scientific advancements in a society without gender norms, where intersex / nonbinary seems to be the default

The Pursued and the Pursuing by A. J. Odasso - intersex female prominent SC (adopted daughter of main mlm couple)

Manywhere: Stories by Morgan Thomas - intersex prominent SC, but gender identity unknown

full notes on representation and publishing info at qbdatabase.com

#intersex #intersex rep #lgbtqia #queer fiction #queer books #anon #ask #answered

[diversereadingchallenge]

Prompt 2 Rec List

Here are some recs for prompt 2 of the Diverse Reading Challenge 2022. Full prompt list is here

Prompt 2 -  A book with an intersex protagonist

Pantomime - Laura Lam

A YA fantasy novel, where the protagonist, after discovering they have magical powers, flees home to join a circus. It has some great imaginative worldbuilding, and the circus setting is very interesting. 

An Unkindness of Ghosts - Rivers Solomon

A sci-fi novel, it is set on a generation ship run by slave labor. It follows an enslaved woman, trying to solve the disappearance of her mother and discovering more than intended. It is a dark, brutal book, but it is is very powerful and thoughtfully explores issues of race, gender, and sexuality. 

Note: The following books I have not personally read but are on my to read list

Cattywampus - Ash Van Otterloo

A middle-grade fantasy, where two young witches from rival families accidently unleash a dangerous hex, and must work together to stop it from destroying the town.

Double Exposure - Bridget Birdsall

A YA book, focusing on an teen girl, who after her secret is revealed must fight for her place on her school’s basketball team. 

None of the Above - I.W. Gregorio

A YA novel, after a teen girl, goes to the doctor she is told she is intersex, and she must deal with the fallout after it is leaked to her school, while discovering her true self. 

#intersex books #diverse books #book recs #prompt 2 2022

[nonbinary-knight]

Books Read in July 2021

RR means re-read and S means straight I’m also posting my reviews on Nonbinary Knight Reads and Reviews if anyone wants to read them. I also now have a Linktree that has links to all my other social media accounts where I am posting about the books I’m reading. I only read 5 books this month, but here they are.

A Touch of Ruckus by Ash Van Otterloo

Pitfall by Kelli Jae Baeli

Painted Moon by Karin Kallmaker

Going Viral by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc

Wildfire by Toni Draper

My review for Going Viral doesn't go up until September unfortunately. I also made a TikTok for A Touch of Ruckus. Check it out here.

#bookblr #booklr #book lover #nonbinary knight reads #bookworm #book worm #lgbt books #sapphic books #queer books #wlw books

[nonbinaryknight-reads]

Books Read in July 2021

RR means re-read and S means straight

I’m also posting my reviews on Nonbinary Knight Reads and Reviews if anyone wants to read them. I also now have a Linktree that has links to all my other social media accounts where I am posting about the books I’m reading.

I only read 5 books this month, but here they are.

A Touch of Ruckus by Ash Van Otterloo

Pitfall by Kelli Jae Baeli

Painted Moon by Karin Kallmaker

Going Viral by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc

Wildfire by Toni Draper

My review for Going Viral doesn't go up until September unfortunately.

I also made a TikTok for A Touch of Ruckus. Check it out here.

#bookblr #booklr #booktok #wlw books #book worm #bookworm #sapphic books #lgbt books #queer books #book reviews #book blogger #booklover #books read #books read 2021 #nonbinary knight reads