iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 17/10/2026

Got a full flask of coffee and ready to chat about radical history in LGBTQ+ children's fiction 🌈📚

Table covered with a rainbow flag and books by SF Layzell

040 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 11/10/2026

Greetings Womble, currently reading Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor

Front cover of Filthy Animals, the text is alternating blue and black and runs in wiggly lines down the front cover

061 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 06/10/2026

Every day I scroll past @trueref.bsky.social thinking wouldn't it be great if I started drawing again? Cosy autumn guy finally got me drawing! 🍂🎃

Drawing of a cosy autumn person, sitting cross legged, holding a book in one hand and a mug of something cosy maybe mulled wine in the other

040 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 04/10/2026

Following your aquatic theme, I'm reading Kayak by Kristal Stittle, but in this case the horror is on the land

Front cover of Kayak by Kristal Stittle. Illustration of an orange kayak on the water close to shore, seen from overhead

081 8

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 01/10/2026

Throwback Thursday! One year ago I had the joy of joining fellow Little Rebels shortlistees @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social @ellemcnicoll.bsky.social & Cathy Jenkins to talk radical children's fiction, chaired by @darrenchetty.bsky.social, hosted by @theclpe.bsky.social @littlerebsprize.bsky.social 💙📚🌈

Smiling people holding books in front of a screen displaying the same books.
Left to right: Sarah Hagger-Holt, Elle McNicoll, SF Layzell, Cathy Jenkins & Darren Chetty.

274 7

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 17/09/2026

Choosing what to read next... 📚💙

Book stack guarded by resin house crow. Books are: Boglands by Merritt Turetsky, Elizabeth and Ruth by Livi Michael, and The Storm Keeper's Island by Catherine Doyle

010 1

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 03/08/2026

Sat down on the first morning of my week off to do a jigsaw from the library and someone has removed every edge piece except one????!!!! Why would someone do this?! I am very tempted to write a villain based on them. Or maybe I will be the villain, behold, this is my origin story.

Photo of Sarah's hand holding a single edge piece of a jigsaw, over a box entirely of non-edge pieces

020 2

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 02/08/2026

Love this #WritingPrompt from @sundresspub.bsky.social #PoetSky Here's my effort (cont'd in comments) **The Martindale Test** Look let me show you The sandpaper goes here And I go there Put me in position And flick the switch.

Photo of a Martindale testing machine from the Walmart website. It tests the rub count of different fabrics by repeatedly rubbing them against an abrasive surface.

121 2

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 02/08/2026

Just finished The Passion by Jeanette Winterson. Short and bittersweet 💙📚

Coffee cup and book. Book is The Passion by Jeanette Winterson. The front cover shows a masked figure in Venice.

061 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 26/07/2026

Greetings Womble, enjoy the movie! I'm reading I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany by Samuel Clowes Huneke 🌈📚

Book cover showing art deco style image of two women and the title I Will Not Abandon You: Queer Women in Nazi Germany by Samuel Clowes Huneke

061 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 25/07/2026

It's my face! Proud to help carry the trans unity quilt at London Trans+ Pride 🏳️‍⚧️

Sarah's face. They are a white person with short hair wearing a black mask and wearing a shirt in baby blue and pink

040 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 19/07/2026

Treated myself this year to small press subscriptions from @cipherpress.bsky.social & @flyonthewallpress.bsky.social and would very much recommend it! Latest is A Pizza Hut A Pizza Hut Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut by Hannah Levene, about smalltown butch life, a subject close to my heart ❤️

Book by Hannah Levene: title is A Pizza Hut A Pizza Hut Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut, appears in bright red lettering on pale blue background. There is a photo presumably of Watford town centre.

061 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 26/05/2026

If the heat is getting you down, may I offer you a hopeful short story about community climate action inspired by my lovely g'dad, who knows a lot about steam engines and has lived long enough to attain a knitted form

A knitted version of my favourite grandfather. Somewhat egg-shaped with a red jumper and black and white trousers. He has a white moustache and tufts of hair.

011 1

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 24/05/2026

Hello Womble, I just finished Carrie Kills a Man and it was 🌈beautiful🌈. The queer memoir of my dreams and highly recommended for anyone who's ever had to throw a hand grenade into their own "perfect" life, or anyone seeking to understand why that's sometimes the only option.

Front cover of Carrie Kills a Man by Carrie Marshall, bright pink with a light pink hand grenade

151 5

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 16/05/2026

Pick a Bond from photos you already have in your phone.

A Barbie doll dressed in a tartan minidress and cape

010 1

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 09/05/2026

Finally got round to reading Keedie by @ellemcnicoll.bsky.social - a gorgeous justice-driven prequel to A Kind of Spark that gave me all the feelings 🦈 #kidlit #booksky @littlerebsprize.bsky.social

Front cover of Keedie by Elle McNicoll, showing an illustration of a girl side-on in blue, hello and purple. She has headphones, a piggy bank, shark stickers and a flower in her hair, plus sparks all over and around.

171 7

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 25/04/2026

It's Independent Bookstore Day 2026! I've treated myself to a stack of books from Afrori Books in Brighton, would highly recommend: afroribooks.co.uk 💙📚 #BookSky #IndieBookStore

Book stack!
The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe
The 7-10 Split by Karmen Lee
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberley Lemming
Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
Escaping Mr Rochester by LL McKinney

081 8

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 22/04/2026

Here he is in all his glory (he's also alive and well in human form but isn't much of a one for socials)

A knitted version of my grandfather, the Platonic ideal of granddads. He has side tufts of white hair, a white moustache, a red jumper and black-and-white trousers

010 1

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 19/04/2026

Ey up Womble, I'm reading Love That Journey for Me by Emily Garside, the perfect follow-up to a schitts creek rewatch

Front cover of Love That Journey For Me: The Queer Revolution of Schitt's Creek, by Emily Garside, published by 404 Ink. Front cover shows a red TV on a pink background.

021 2

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 05/04/2026

Greetings Womble, I have just finished Erased by Miha Mazzini about a woman who is erased from Slovenia's computer system just after giving birth. Highly recommend!

Front cover of Erased by Miha Mazzini, translated by Gregor Timothy Ceh. Image shows a woman's head and shoulders in shadow from the side, with a large blue cross covering her eyes

031 3

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 15/03/2026

How do Womble, I am putting my feet up with Across the Universe by Natan Last

Front cover of Across the Universe: the Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle by Natan Last, the cover features black and white squares that look like a crossword grid

141 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 22/02/2026

Catching up on the best in children's and YA from Patrice Lawrence by reading People Like Stars, about family secrets, and Needle, about knitting and anger 🧶

Two books side by side, one is People Like Stars and the other is Needle, both by Patrice Lawrence

041 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 15/02/2026

Hola Womble, currently reading Meet Me at the Surface by Jodie Matthews (Cornish, witchy, queer horror), then I need to choose my next read from this stack of new and new-to-me beauties:

Book stack sitting on top of a London tube map jigsaw. The books are:
Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata
Elizabeth and Ruth, by Livi Michael
Kayak, by Kristal Stittle
Switch, by Ann McMan
The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters

161 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 12/01/2026

The Healthcare in Children's Media online book launch is on Mon 9 Feb! Editors & contributors to this essay collection will discuss NHS nostalgia, Artificial Life, surgery in verse novels, substance use disorder representation & more. All welcome. @upmississippi.bsky.social #KidLit #EduSky #BookSky

072 7

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 11/01/2026

The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan - brilliant short interactive fiction set in a near-future London from Emma Press

Cover of The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan, depicts human figures falling into holes in the ground

031 3

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 11/01/2026

The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tan - brilliant short interactive fiction set in a near-future London from Emma Press

000 0

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 09/01/2026

First delivery from @flyonthewallpress.bsky.social ! Looking forward to digging in 💙📚

A book on a tote bag on a table, also featuring an orange-shaped pepper shaker. The book is "These are the things we have lost" by Janice Warman, and the tote bag says "Reading is resistance"

143 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 23/12/2025

Post a book you love from the 80s. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. #BookSky #bookchallenge #readingchallenge #readingcommunity #booktok #bookish #books

Front cover of The Gathering by Virginia Hamilton. Main image shows different groups of people in futuristic settings.

020 2

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 17/12/2025

This feels like a queer author milestone somehow...

Screenshot of Amazon product page for Sarah's book. The text says "Customers who bought this item also bought" and the picture shows a 6-pack of oat milk

140 4

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 14/12/2025

Hello Womble! I'm reading Trade Wars are Class Wars. Just finished a section on corporate tax avoidance and growing increasingly enraged.

Book on a plaid blanket. Trade Wars are Class Wars by Matthew Klein and Michael Pettis

091 9

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 10/12/2025

The special section of @ijyalnews.bsky.social on diversity and inclusion in young adult sports fiction is now live + open access (all essays free to download) at ijyal.ac.uk Paging academic sports fans! @bssh.bsky.social @footycon.bsky.social @kaseysymons.bsky.social @garyjames.bsky.social ⚽🏀🥊🤺

Screenshot showing the special section on diversity and inclusion in international YA sports fiction on the IJYAL website: https://ijyal.ac.uk/

353 5

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 03/12/2025

My most-used emojis in 2025: anisota.net/harvest

Emoji bubble chart for 2025 showing 50 different emojis used 278 times total, visualized as bubbles sized by frequency. Top 10: 📚 (68×), 🌈 (36×), 💙 (29×), 👀 (13×), 🏳‍🌈 (13×), 🥹 (12×), ❤ (10×), 🌻 (9×), 😊 (7×), 😍 (5×) (from Anisota's Annual Bluesky Harvest)

120 2

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 01/12/2025

A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer 🕵️‍♂️🎄

162 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 25/11/2025

A pre-festive thread of my favourite Northodox titles plus a couple on my TBR... All of these are 25% off with the code NORTHODOXMAS 🎄📚

A helpful crow holding a lightbulb (he is a lamp), sitting on a stack of glorious northern books

2117 11

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 22/11/2025

Up next on my TBR is a bisexual chaos rom com by Lily Lindon 🌈📚 💙📚

Cover of Double Booked, a woman sits in the foreground while in the background a man and woman sit on opposite sides of a weighing scale

010 1

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 20/11/2025

One for kidlit academics, teachers & librarians! Join me, Tammy Mielke & Michelle H. Martin discussing our co-edited book Song of the Land: Celebrating the Works of Mildred D. Taylor Thurs Dec 4, 11:30 Pacific Free & open to all Register: bit.ly/47JHJjH #kidlit #yalit #mglit #literature #academia

Book launch poster for Song of the Land: Celebrating the Works of Mildred D. Taylor. The poster shows the book cover with a sprawling tree over a creek. The poster also shows the event info: Thursday December 4, 11.30am Pacific, 2.30pm Eastern. Register in advance: https://bit.ly/47JHJjH
Questions? Email: mildredtayloranthologyeditors@gmail.com

172 7

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 27/10/2025

My books are in a Halloween sale til 1 Nov! 👻🏳️‍🌈 Cottonopolis is a queer historical novel. Shortlisted for the 2025 #LittleRebelsAward 🎪 www.northodox.co.uk/product-page... The Ballad of the Fen Violets combines history, folklore & adventure. Coming out in 2026 🦢 www.northodox.co.uk/product-page...

A graphic showing the cover of Cottonopolis on the left (one white girl and one Black girl in 1800s dress against a background of stars in the colours of the lesbian pride flag). On the right is some descriptive text: Little Rebels Award 2025 shortlist, a magical middlegrade full of marvel and mischief

1118 11

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 11/10/2025

Happy Bookshop Day! Last week I visited my book Cottonopolis at radical booksellers Housmans nr Kings Cross London. If only I could stretch big enough to hug the whole shop. If you're after a historical LGBTQ novel for readers young and old, find it here ❤️🏳️‍🌈 housmans.com/product/cott...

Image shows the front window of a small but perfectly formed bookshop. There is a book trolley in the foreground, and behind the book trolley is a smiling person in a blue coat, stretching their arms wide to showcase the window display.

3369 36

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 27/09/2025

I was moving boxes of books around today and found one of my stacks of research reading for Cottonopolis.

A stack of books including titles such as Michael Armstrong by Fanny Trollope, The Whispering Road by Livi Michael, Smith by Leon Garfield, and The Peterloo Massacre by Joyce Marlow

130 3

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 25/08/2025

My book is in the Northodox Summer Sale! Use code SUMMER25 for 25% off *any* title. Cottonopolis is a queer historical children's novel set in Manchester and shortlisted for the 2025 #LittleRebelsAward Ebook: www.northodox.co.uk/product-page... Paperback: www.northodox.co.uk/product-page...

065 6

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 09/08/2025

Ready for #ElyPride! I'll be signing books in the community tent 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

051 5

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 13/07/2025

Hello Womble, I just finished Model Home by Rivers Solomon. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a creepy but heartbreaking read.

Cover of Model Home by Rivers Solomon. The title is black text on bright red background, the picture is what looks like a dolls house with a spider crawling along the roof

0101 10

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 25/06/2025

Ah yes, famously terrible London

London underground poster from the mayor of London, the text says "in London, I feel free to live and love out loud", underneath it says "you are loved and wanted in London"

030 3

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 15/06/2025

Time to choose a Sunday read, then all I need is coffee and a cool breeze 💙📚 🌈📚

Books! The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey, Adelphi by Carol Maginn, Meet me at the Surface by Jodie Matthews, and Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis

074 7

SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 26/05/2025

Next up on the TBR pile is Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. I *loved* How Much of These Hills is Gold and I love books about food so I have high hopes!

Cover of Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang, showing a hand holding a golden apple plucked from a display of golden fruits

031 3