#Natalia Sylvester

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - December 21st - Hello Winter Summer

feat. Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester

[desdasiwrites]

– Natalia Sylvester, Breathe and Count Back from Ten

[read-alert]

Happy Disability Pride Month! 📚📖♿️ Full titles under the cut

I did also consider including House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski because it was a 5 star read and had multiple disabled characters, but I wouldn't call it good representation. In fact, I'd call it actively ableist, so it was excluded.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester

The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God by RF Kuang

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

When it All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw

Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, and The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

Ellen Outside the Lines by AJ Sass

[shorlibteens]

The month of July is a great time to celebrate the disabled community and to reflect on how to make our communities more accessible. Check out one of these disability-themed reads this month and help us celebrate disability pride!

Fiction

Give Me A Sign / Anna Sortino

The Fall of Whit Rivera / Crystal Maldonado

Tilly in Technicolor / Mazey Eddings

I Am Not Alone / Francisco X. Stork

Breathe and Count Backwards from Ten / Natalia Sylvester

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses / Kristen O'Neal

Comic & Graphic Novel

Hawkeye, Vol. 1 / Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido

Brooms / Jasmine Walls

Last Pick, Vol. 1 / Jason Walz

The Oracle Code / Marieke Nijkamp and Manuel Preitano

Archival Quality / Ivy Noelle Weir

Nonfiction & Short Stories

Disability Visibility: 17 First-Person Stories For Today / edited by Alice Wong

The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression / Katherine Speller

Unbroken: 13 stories starring disabled teens / edited by Marieke Nijkamp

(Don't) Call Me Crazy: 33 voices start the conversation about mental health / edited by Kelly Jensen

Just Peachy / Holly Chisholm

Check them out today at your local library!

[richincolor]

[The six images above are the covers of the books that are featured in the post and are described below after each of the titles.]

Disability Pride Month

For Disability Pride Month we gathered a few titles that we have enjoyed and/or hope to read in the near future. If you know of others that shouldn't be missed, please let us know. 

The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown Levine Querido [Cover is painted and shows three young people sitting near water with a bright sun up above. They're wearing shorts and have long dark hair.]

THE BSE (Best Summer Ever) LIST!

1. Blueberries 2. Art show in ShoeHorn 3. Lizzo concert 4. Thrift shop pop-up 5. Skinny Dipping at the lake house 6. Amusement Park Day! 7. Drew Barrymarathon 8. Paintball day

Oh, and ….

9. Fall out of love with Hailee

Andrea Williams has got this. The Best Summer Ever. Two summers ago, she spent all her time in bed, recovering from the latest surgery for her cerebral palsy. She’s waited too long for adventure and thrills to enter her life. Together with her crew of ride-or-die friends, and the best parents anyone could ask for (just don’t tell them that), she’s going to live it up.

There’s just one thing that could ruin it: Her best friend, Hailee, finding out Andrea’s true feelings. So Andrea WILL fall out of love with Hailee – even if it means dating the cute boy George who keeps showing up everywhere with a smile.

Do we want Andrea to succeed? No! Does she? We’re not telling!

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester Clarion Books [Cover has a young woman swimming in water. She is wearing a bikini and there are scars visible on her back.]

In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.

Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability. The best form of rehabilitation is swimming, so she spends hours in the pool, but not just to strengthen her body.

Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks . . . and Verónica wants to audition. But her conservative Peruvian parents would never go for it. And they definitely would never let her be with Alex, her cute new neighbor.

She decides it’s time to seize control of her life, but her plans come crashing down when she learns her parents have been hiding the truth from her—the truth about her own body.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes Balzer + Bray [Cover shows four brightly dressed young people in a narrow passageway or hallway. They are leaning in towards each other to pose together for the picture.]

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers, despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.

Disability Visibility Adapted for Young People edited by Alice Wong Delacorte Press [Our review] [The cover has several geometric shapes and bright colors on it along with the title.]

The seventeen eye-opening essays in Disability Visibility , all written by disabled people, offer keen insight into the complex and rich disability experience, examining life's ableism and inequality, its challenges and losses, and celebrating its wisdom, passion, and joy.

The accounts in this collection ask readers to think about disabled people not as individuals who need to be “fixed,” but as members of a community with its own history, culture, and movements. They offer diverse perspectives that speak to past, present, and future generations. It is essential reading for all.

Something More by Jackie Khalileh Tundra [The cover shows three students in uniform near a school sign. One is standing in front and the other two people are sitting on top of the sign.]

Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp Farrar, Straus and Giroux [This cover features two people hugging with their eyes closed on the cover. One has long hair and the other has very closely cut hair on one side with longer hair on the top. The one with short hair has a cane in one hand.]

This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today's teen readers a glimpse into the lives of disabled people in the past, present, and future.

The contributing authors are awardwinners, bestsellers, and newcomers including Kody Keplinger, Kristine Wyllys, Francisco X. Stork, William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Heidi Heilig, Katherine Locke, Karuna Riazi, Kayla Whaley, Keah Brown, and Fox Benwell. Each author identifies as disabled along a physical, mental, or neurodiverse axis―and their characters reflect this diversity.

[loudwolftraveler]

𝔒ℭ'𝔖 𝔑𝔞𝔪𝔢 𝔏𝔦𝔰𝔱 (Pt.1?)

A/N: Hello, hello! these are the OC's Name List, specifically the names of the original characters i have in my fanfic works so far that may publish here soon. I won't add the main cast of the MFJINX SERIES here yet. There will be more to go but these are the focusing OC that will play a role. More characters will also appear in the future ongoing series. 

OC = Original character.

WORDS: 672

---------  -------------  ----------------

In another life & history repeat itself characters.

The Main Cast: Husband and wife.

First name of the husband: Amillo Angles Bernadotte.

: The heir of the Bernadotte family.

: The future emperor of Bernadotte Empire.

: The lover of Sophia.

Second name of the husband: Chester Elsher.

: The reincarnation of Amillo Angles Bernadotte.

Wife's name: Sophia Herbert → Sophia Bernadotte.

: The illegitimate child of the duke Herbert from Herbert Household.

: Empress of Bernadotte Empire.

: The lover of Amillo.

The second name of the wife is based on the reader's name.

—------------

MFJINX SERIES: Mystery or Reminiscence?

.

World 1 (Arc 1): An Ideal Love For Flawed Pair.

-Main Cast of the Arc 1:

Heroine, Employee: Evelyn Wilson → Hero: Elise Wilson.

1st ML, CEO: Zian Hart

2nd ML, COO (MC): Anthony Mitchell

Antagonist?, Chairman: Cyrus Elrod 

.

World 2 (Arc 2): The Mafia's Darling And Her Desires.

-Main Cast of the Arc 2:

Heroine: Natalia Anderson

ML: Liam Ross (R.) Albrecht

ML's Fiance's (MC): Rachel Paterson

.

World 3 (Arc 3): On earth, You're Ours to Claim.

-Main Cast of the Arc 3:

Heroine: Eleanor Scott (Got a nickname of "Ellie")

Heroine's Brother: Jacob Scott (Got a nickname of "Caleb")

1st ML (Pride): Ashmit or "Ash" by Eleanor.

2nd ML (Gluttony): Gaurava or "Raj" by Eleanor.

3rd ML (Envy): Livius or "Livi" by Eleanor.

4th ML (Lust): Sharnaz or "Arna" by Eleanor.

5th ML (Greed): Isidore or "Isis" by Eleanor.

6th ML (Sloth): Morey or "rey-rey" by Eleanor.

7th ML (Wrath): Ursula or "Silas" by Eleanor.

.

World 4 (Arc 4): A world without you.

-Main Cast of the Arc 4:

Heroine: Diana Winfred

ML: Jeremiah Stewart (Subject-099, Nicknames: "Jerry" or "Jeremy")

Side character & The Villain? (MC): Emrin Reid (Subject-0100)

—-----------------

Your heart never belongs to anyone, not even me & A weird dream upon knowing everything.

Hellion Bruesewitz

Liliya Chiara (Cherly Rae possessed this character's body)

Eloise Chiara (step sister)

Isaac Ryder

Winter Grace

Xianna Bruesewitz (The Novel Mc, the daughter of both Eloise and Hellion)

Cheryl Rae (Mc)

—--------------

Sweet Lies (Ocs x oc) (SERIES)

Mentioned:

Ezra Darius

Sylvia Hensley

Cosette Hwang (Mc)

Characters will introduce later:

Ethan Colton

Luka Thomson

Amir Hansley (Older brother of Sylvia)

—-------------------

I would fall in love with a dominant woman like you. (M!Oc x Reader)

Huizhong Asrava

—------------------

The world I never wanted to be (Hsr SERIES) (X Gn!reader)

Benjamin Sylvester

Shin Keiko

Ji-hun

—-------------------

The old tale about once heroes. (SERIES, Miraculous ladybug concept idea) (Ocs x Oc)

Daughter: Magdalena or "Lena" Beaumont (Mc)

Papa: Zion Beaumont

Mama: Madeleine Wynn → Madeleine Beaumont.

Death son?: Theodore or "Theo" Beaumont

And more...

—-----------------------

Reincarnated as a love interest but I dislike the heroine. (Ocs x M!Oc) (SERIES)

Heroine: Daphne Swega

1st ML: Dylan "Sullivan" (The character the mc possessed.)

2nd ML: Isaac Lyle

3rd ML: Mike Andre

4th ML: Max Cecilia (C.) Adonis

5th ML: Helen Henry *Also known as "kierian"

6th ML: Alastair Raven

MC's Family

Older Brother: Chris Adler a.k.a Xavier Zack [Chris Z. Adler] (The mc)

Sister: Kristen Z. Adler

Father: Elijah Zack (Z.) Adler

Mother: Iris Z. Adler

Scarlett Thatcher (Chris' female best friend, also his close confidant in both his model and YouTube/Steamer career.) 

------------------------

That's all, as i told you on my conversation, there's more but i stil don't feel shy to publish those :') Hopefully if I am able to complete those and have a little confidence, i might be able to share those. Btw One is full of scenarios from the romance manhwa while the other one has parts.

Also from the sweet Lies, the prologue is done, probably around corner :)  

Yesterday i was scrolling to the youtube watch few videos here and there, then one of the video make my brain have a new idea 💀 PleAse T-T I can't have more ideas cuz my works will pile up T-T 

(I will write that idea now--)

- July 5

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Young Adult Books for Latin and Hispanic Heritage Month 🦇

📚 It's the beginning of Latin & Hispanic Heritage Month, and I hardly know where to begin! Here are just a FEW of the amazing stories written by Latin and Hispanic authors to read in celebration of the culture!

✨ I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez ✨ Running by Natalia Sylvester ✨ It's All Love by Jenna Ortega ✨ Finding Miracles by Julia Alvarez ✨ Suncatcher by Jose Pimienta ✨ Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa ✨ Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older ✨ Mexican White boy by Matt de la Peña ✨ Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez ✨ Fire With Fire by Destiny Soria ✨ You Don't Have a Shot by Racquel Marie ✨ Wings in the Wild by Margarita Engle ✨ Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore ✨ We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez ✨ The Turning Pointe by Lauren Yero ✨ Under This Forgetful Sky by Vanessa L. Torres ✨ A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban ✨ This is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves ✨ Secret of the Moon Conch by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall ✨ Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra ✨ Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira ✨ Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz ✨ No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado ✨ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo ✨ Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera ✨ The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes ✨ The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo ✨ Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

[displayheartcode]

Hi i ate up your recommendations lists and added so many books to read!!! But do you have any female empowerment book recs? I’m looking for fantasy but non fiction is fine too.

thanks for reading the lists! i'm glad you found more books to add to your tbr!

books about women and girls who battle terrible systems (internalized issues, society, etc.) and find themselves along the way!

*Please check content warnings for several of these books beforehand*

adult

The Haunting of Alejandra by V Castro (horror)

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson (horror)

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (contemporary/romance)

The Roommate by Rosie Danan (contemporary/romance)

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (urban fantasy/mystery)

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson (horror)

Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher (fairytale)

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (historical/romance)

Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai (urban fantasy/romance)

Sitting Pretty by Rebekah Taussig (non-fiction)

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole (contemporary/romance)

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (horror)

young adult

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (contemporary/thriller)

When Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah (urban fantasy/horror)

Required Reading for Disenfranchised Freshmen by Kirsten R Lee (contemporary)

Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah (fantasy)

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore (magical realism)

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore (magical realism)

Legendborn by Tracey Deonn (urban fantasy)

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters (mystery/urban fantasy)

Strictly No Heroics by BL Radley (superhero)

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett (contemporary)

Breathe and Count Down From Ten by Natalia Sylvester (contemporary)

Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest (contemporary)

[defixntgxmer]

Updated Current Reads:

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan

Something More by Jackie Khalilieh

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas

TBR:

Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance by Jennieke Cohen

I Guess I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins

Love and War by Melissa de la Cruz

All For One by Melissa de la Cruz

The Maze Runner books by James Dashner

Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

XOXO by Axie Oh

Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach

Divergent books by Veronica Roth

Skyward books by Brandon Sanderson

By the Book by Amanda Sellet

The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester

Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen

[cheesybadgers]

Taking advantage of your post about being able to send questions about your fics, I've always wanted to know if you have books that inspire you to write OHDH.

You know it's a statement for me to talk about how much I love what you do, but I think your narrative bias is impeccable! Not to mention the references you use in the story which are great.

Ahhh Maria, bless you and thank you so much for your kind words 🥺 And wow thank you for asking such a great question ❤️

I'll put this below the cut, because it got a bit long lol.

I've read a lot of books specifically as research for OHDH, in the sense of knowing my next chapter was going to be about X subject/place etc. but I didn't know anywhere near enough to be able to write about it well without researching first. I've mentioned a few of the books (fiction and non-fiction) I've used for this in my OHDH trivia post.

One of those books listed in that post, Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester, was also a big inspiration for including Día de los Muertos in OHDH. The book is set in a Texas border town, follows a Mexican family and covers parental loss and grief (the main character's father-in-law is dead and his ghost visits her every Día de los Muertos to try and fix unresolved conflict with his son), cultural identity, and also the realities of crossing the US-Mexican border. So, it was a bit of a goldmine when I found that lol.

I also read a couple of books by Colombian authors: Like This Afternoon Forever by Jaime Manrique and Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. They both follow Colombian characters living in Colombia during the 80s. I found these stories really useful in giving context that Narcos just doesn't give, because obviously Narcos isn't told from a Colombian POV. The first one mentioned also has two gay priests who fall in love, but their ending is a sad one (I understand why though, as the author is a gay man who lived through the HIV/AIDS crisis but their partner didn't, so I think this book was him processing his own grief).

In fact, most of the LGBTQ+ books I've read since starting OHDH had sad/bittersweet endings (including Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, which gets referenced a couple of times in OHDH). I know that's not surprising in the slightest...but in a way, I think reading those books inspired me NOT to do that? There are enough tragic stories about gay/bi men (especially in the 80s/early 90s) already...and whilst they are absolutely valid and serve a purpose and are often based on the author's own experiences, I didn't want to add another.

There are a few books about/set in Madrid I've read for chapter 18 that have been really useful in providing historical context I wasn't aware of, but I don't want to give away spoilers lol, so I'll talk about that in my trivia post once the chapter is done and dusted!

I know you asked specifically about books, but film and TV inspire me a lot as well. Huge shout out to two gay films that have spookily similar premises but very different endings: God's Own Country and A Moment in the Reeds. They're both really atmospheric (God's Own Country is also aptly set on a farm, albeit in England rather than on a ranch in Texas lol) and the way they capture m/m intimacy made me YEARN.

As for TV...I know this is a bit random but Buffy the Vampire Slayer, purely for the way that show uses tropes. I know it's absolutely not the only show to do this, but I did a Buffy re-watch at some point during the pandemic (so probably not long after I started writing OHDH) and remember being impressed by the tools they used to tell stories, particularly dreams/foreshadowing/objects of significance (hello cross necklace, my beloved). I ended up including stuff along those lines in OHDH after I did that re-watch.

I also really wish I'd been able to watch The Last of Us before I started writing this fic lol...I don't think I've ever experienced such extreme writer envy as I did after episode 3 😂 It won't be part of OHDH, but after that episode I was daydreaming about looking in on Javier and Horacio when they're that age and then I made myself cry 😭

By the way, I do know this is all going waaaaay beyond what anyone needs to do to write a fic lol. But in my defence, it serves me right for writing about places/people/events I didn't know much about beforehand lol. And I also love learning new things! And this has been the perfect opportunity to learn but in a more fun way than my school days ever allowed. I've also read a lot more books than I had done in years, so who said pushing your favourite fictional men together like dolls and making kissing noises had to be a shallow hobby? 😂

Thank you once again for sending this, Maria! It's been fun to respond to 😘

[hannahsliteraryhaven]

Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester

& To Kill a Mockingbird

& a very big ghost story book that will take forever to finish.

I’m bored and nosy. Please reblog this with the book you’re currently reading.

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - Feb 15th - Love Yo’ Self

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester, a beautiful book about a disabled girl learning to love and take charge of her disabled body, by a disabled author <3

[kappabooks]

New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023 | Top Ten Tuesdays

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was previously hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is “New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023!” All of these authors I read for the first time last year and plan on reading from in the future! Allison Swift Cynthia So Claire Kann Natalia Sylvester Tasha Suri Diana Wynn Jones T.…

[read-alert]

Another crosspost from my Instagram! Happy Latine American Heritage Month! Full titles under the cut!

Cantoras by Caro De Robertis

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

The Ghosts of Rose Hill by RM Romero

Turtles of the Midnight Moon by María José Fitzgerald

In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado

Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester

We Set the Dark on Fire duology by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

[shorlibteens]

Check out these mermaid-themed reads from your local library, today!

The Girl from the Sea / Molly Knox Ostertag

A Song Below Water / Bethany C. Morrow

Out of the Blue / Jason June

Skin of the Sea / Natasha Bowen

Breathe and Count Back from Ten / Natalia Sylvester

The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea / Maggie Tokuda-Hall

The Language of Thorns / Leigh Bardugo

[everythingyaattlls]

Election Day Reads: You Say It First by Katie Cotugno, The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert, Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed, and Running by Natalia Sylvester