Sunday Salon: Welcoming the Sun and leisure

I hope everyone is enjoying the extended holiday. For those who have friends and family in the military, I suspect today strikes a special chord. Prayers and gratitude to all those who serve.

While I'm not in school, I need school to be over. This school year has been a pivotal year for our family. I need some r&r. How about you? Do you have plans for the summer? Do your reading habits change during the summer? Special summer reading list? Vacations?

I've been working hard at home and work. I'm looking forward to resuming my blogging life this summer. Now where is the lemonade?

Let's Talk: Self Publishing

I was thinking about waiting to post this since it's a holiday weekend and BookExpo America week in NYC. So many people won't be near their computers but I figured why not. This has been in my head waiting patiently to get out. I've been hearing alot about self publishing lately. So, I thought we could talk about it a bit.

Earlier in the week I posted a Women Writers of Color feature by author Kyra Davis. Instead of allowing her Sophie Katz series to come to an end the author plans to look into self publishing. I was suprised but I shouldn't have been. Davis isn't the only author to consider self publishing recently. Author John Edgar Wideman, PW article on his decision to self publish. Author Cory Doctorow is conducting an experiment, With A Little Help. The book will be available in many formats including print form courtesy of Lulu.com.

With publishers only putting advertisting money behind a few titles, more established authors will consider self publishing. This year I read Erica Kennedy's newest release Feminista . I loved it so much I requested in 8 copies. The book made was placed on staff picks, another co-worker blurbed it and it sold out. Hopefully a few mother's got it as a gift. Though imagine how many more sales Feminista could have if only there was some talk behind it.

Yes, I know many many books are published in a year and publishers must be very smart about which titles they back financially. It is a business after all. But, does James Patterson really need another NYT print ad for his newest release?

I am still very wary of self published titles. If not for Zetta Elliott's A Wish After Midnight, which was originally self published, I would not be writing this. I subscribed to something, now every day or so I get emails asking if I want a review copy. All of the books are self published. I've been getting them for about 4 months now. They all look and sound very bad. I have yet to unsubscribe, 1) I don't know where to do that at. 2) If I knew I probably wouldn't, I am still hoping to find one good book.

Ari of Reading in Color, and fellow Color Online contributor has reviewed about 6 self published titles. (Ari, what is the exact number?) She loved A Wish After Midnight and really enjoyed Asleep by Wendy Raven Mcnair. Everything else got a 2 or 2.5 rating.

Would I read or give a self published title a chance? Yes. Though this is what I would need first.

1)If an author is going to self publish, they need to have a presence online. At least a one chapter or two excerpts of the book available to preview. Two excerpts so I know the first one isn't a fluke. If I am going to take a chance on a self published title, I think its only fair that I get a look inside.

2)Spell check and edit please. If you visit my personal blog, you know this is ironic since I am not very good at either. But, my blog is free. When someone sells a product they should do their best to make sure its as good as it can be.

3)Covers that don't look like they've been made at kinkos. I will not look twice at a self published title has a kinko looking cover with crooked wording.

There are probably more things but that's all I can think of right now. Would you consider reading or buying a self published title? Why or why not?

Women Writers of Color: Kyra Davis

Full Name - Kyra Davis
Birth Date - August 22nd
Location - Los Angeles
Website/blog - KyraDavis.com and Kyra's Web Log
Genre- Chick Lit/Women's Fiction

Most recently published work
Vows, Vendettas & A Little Black Dress

Writing Credits
I've had six books published. Five within the Sophie Katz Mystery Series and a novel called So Much For My Happy Ending

How frequently do you update your site?
I try to update my blog three-four times a week

Is your site designed for reader interaction?
I encourage readers to leave comments on my blog (or on my Facebook or Twitter page to which the blog is linked) and I try to respond to reader's questions promptly.

Post of note or something in particular you want readers to check out.
"Yesterday's news," probably isn't as irrelevant in the world of blogging as it is in the world of newspapers but I do think that last week's news lacks...well, if nothing else, immediacy. So rather than point to a blog post that is important to me at this particular moment I would rather encourage readers to check in every few days to see what's going on in the present

How would you describe your work?
The Sophie Katz mysteries feature Sophie who is a hip, multiracial, quick-witted novelist who is constantly stumbling into the path of danger. With the help of her eccentric and diverse group of friends Sophie investigates the crimes that are happening around her and finds ways to bring the bad guys down. It's Sex And The City meets Murder She Wrote. So Much For My Happy Ending is about a woman who discovers that her new husband has a serious psychiatric disorder. It’s the story of her path to self-discovery as she learns to cope with the ramifications of that.

I love your Sophie Katz books. I was very sad there wouldn't be any more. How does an author say goodbye to a series that ends too early?
Well, you don't say goodbye. Shortly before I got the news from my publisher I was talking about the series to this guy I was on a date with. He was a bit of a jerk on a whole but also a VERY successful business man. I joked that I would probably be more financially successful if I started self-publishing the series and he looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "Well of course you would be. You may hold on to your readership for several more books but you're not going to grow it by a significant percentage at this point in the series nor is any publisher going to dedicate a meaningful marketing budget to promote the 6th book in a series that hasn't yet made The New York Times list. If you self publish you'll lose a lot of readers but with social networking you should be able to keep your base and you'll keep one hundred percent of the profits which should make up for the lower circulation. That's obvious." At the time I was slightly (and perhaps unjustly) offended by his intimation that I was being dense for not having already realized all that. Then a month later I got the news that my publishing house was going in a different direction and, out of necessity, I found myself thinking about that conversation again. The reality is that bookstores are, in the face of a tough retail environment, cutting inventory and as a result publishers are focusing all their attention on trying to get as many of their blockbuster books into the stores as possible and are giving less and less attention to driving up the sales for their midlist authors. But with the Internet making up more and more of the market share and with this new ebook revolution (iPad, Kindle, Nook, Google's upcoming ereader and so on) midlist authors may not need to be so reliant on traditional publishing anymore, particularly if they already have a loyal fan base. Of course it's a lot more work that way. You're essentially going into business for yourself. You have to be your own art department (for the cover), editor, publicist, salesperson and so on and so forth. But it's absolutely doable. Since my announcement last week that Mira will no longer be publishing Sophie I have received just under three-hundred emails from readers pledging to purchase the next Sophie book regardless of whether or not I choose to publish it myself or even as an ebook exclusive. With support like that I should be able to keep Sophie alive for a little longer.

Can you tell us a little about Vows, Vendettas and a little Black Dress ?
Sophie Katz attends the engagement party of her best friend Dena Lopiano's cousin, Mary Ann. But the party takes an ugly turn when someone shoots Dena. She was shot in the back while alone in a room and there were no witnesses. Dena survives the assault but it's questionable if she'll ever walk again.

Enraged, Sophie vows to find Dena's attacker. Sophie's boyfriend Anatoly, who is a P.I., tries to convince her to leave the investigating to the police but to no avail. Sophie has known Dena since high school and she's sure she knows everything there is to know about her: her likes and dislikes, her friends, her lovers (past and present) her habits and hobbies, her missteps and successes. Now, as Sophie's loathed to admit, she even knows the color of Dena's blood. Yet Sophie is shocked to find that there actually are an enormous number of people who have a motive for trying to kill Dena. With more suspects than she knows what to do with Sophie sees that she has her work cut out for her. But she won't be deterred even if it means facing down a killer on her own.

Thanks Kyra. I must confess I checked out your blogs for the first time and will probably become a lurker. I am very happy to hear we haven't heard the last of Sophie Katz. Vows Vendetta and a Little Black Dress is out now and its soooo good. My review

Tortilla Sun

Tortilla Sun
Jennifer Cervantes
ARC

Tortilla Sun tells the story of twelve-year-old Isadora (Izzy) Roybal and what happens to her one summer. Izzy finds an old baseball belonging to her father with the words "because...magic". Izzy is on a mission to figure out the two missing words in the phrase. She never met her father, who died before she was born, and she hopes that filling in the phrase will help her to learn more about her father and to connect with him. Izzy's mother doesn't talk about her father, but when she sends Izzy to New Mexico to stay with her Nana, Izzy learns about her family, magic, friendship and how to make tortillas.

This is another one of those books where you need to eat while you read. Preferably, Mexican food. You should also eat tortillas when writing your review of Tortilla Sun. OK ok, I'll stop talking about food (now I'm hungry). Anyway, Tortilla Sun really is a cute, magically delicious read. Izzy is a kind main character and you will be anxious for her to discover the truth about her father, including how she died. While I read the book I grew frustrated at Izzy's mom for keeping secrets from Izzy and refusing to tell her how she died, however by the end of the book I understood why she kept it a secret. Besides being kind, Izzy is a good athlete and tough. She's got a good arm and she can run very fast. While she doesn't play on any teams she does play sports for fun and I enjoyed reading about a girl athlete in a middle grade book :) Mateo was sweet as well. My only complaint was that he wasn't really necessary. I liked him, but he could have easily been a girl friend of Izzy's, but then again, twelve is the age when you start to figure how "being in like" and having crushes. The cutest character though is Maggie and her cat, Frida. Maggie is six and an orphan, she loves with her grandmother and is utterly precocious. Her cat Frida is having an identity crisis and thinks she's a dog. Finally, Nana is the piece de resistance (I will continue to make food metaphors throughout this review because I can *evil cackle*). She's the typical Mexican grandmother; small, wise and loving. She also likes to tweak known sayings "But I am just pink and joy that you are here for the entire summer."
"You mean tickled pink?"[Izzy asks]
"No. [....] Those cliches are just for unoriginal people. I use words that feel right, not sound right." (pg. 43). The other characters are lovely as well, they add humor (especially Mateo and his mother, Mrs. Castillo), sadness, magic and even more heart to the story.

I admit, at first I wasn't so sure how I would like magic being inserted in Tortilla Sun. But it works. The magic has more to do with the works of curanderas and legends being passed down along with listening to ancestors. I grew to really enjoy the magic scenes, especially as the mystery of Socorro (a curandera with white streaks in her hair who can see a tortilla in the moon) unravels. I also really wanted to know the missing words and I began guessing along with Izzy and the clues are all there as to the missing words, but I somehow managed to overlook them. Izzy is also an aspiring writer and I think the advice she received on writing is quite useful, we both struggle with finishing a story and I just may take the advice Izzy receives about writing down an idea and powering through to the end.

Tortilla Sun is a savory story that brims with family, friends, fun, magic, tortillas and baseball, this combination makes for a very satisfying read. With a genuine group of characters, the beautiful setting of a New Mexican village and lots of food, this book left me eager to read more by Jennifer Cervantes. She is a very talented debut author who manages to cleverly weave together a few different storylines and the result is heartwarming.

Disclosure: Received from publisher. Thank you!

A San Fransisco Sleuth

Vows Vendetta & A Little Black Dress by Kyra Davis

Sophie Katz is a mystery author living in San Fransisco. She can easily find trouble and would be killers. Sophie is also very observant making for a great accidental sleuth. Sophie is celebrating the engagement of her friend Maryanne when her best friend, Dena (Maryanne's cousin) is shot. She is determined to find the person responsible. Sophie's secretive and sexy P.I. boyfriend Anatoly has agreed to help. This is the fifth Sophie Katz novel and my favorite. I loved the dialogue and banter between Sophie and her small circle of friends, who have been with her since Sex Murder and A Double Latte. Through their conversations it easy to feel the history of their friendships.

This book is some serious fun and joy. I laughed a lot. One scene in a park had me laughing so hard it hurt. I tortured myself by reading it again. Sophie is worried about are best friend, Dena's recovery so its not all laughter.

" I shook my head fiercely. I couldn't repeat it again. The words were like small fish bones scratching against my throat"

There are a few suspects to keep things interesting. Though, when the shooter is revealed it read a little flat. The author gave so much before that moment, I didn't bother me. It picks up again when the shooter is caught.

I highly recommend the Sophie Katz novels, they are laugh out loud funny and entertaining. Vows Vendetta & A Little Black Dress works very well as a stand alone. It would be a great addition for bridesmaid's gift bags.

"The Book Spine Was So Beautiful, I Had To Buy It"

I've been working at a bookstore so long, looking at displays at other bookstores and libraries is second nature. When I was at the library about two months back I was very happy to see Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich, debut middle grade novel Eighth-Grade Superzero on display. It's a great book, and I was excited to see that my local library added it to their collection, especially since all libraries are hurting financially. Not only do they have it but it was there for everyone to see. When a patron (I believe that's what library users are called) walks in, it doesn't matter if they haven't heard of Eighth Grade Superzero because its there waiting to be picked up and glanced at. I took the long way but I've finally getting to the point. Books on display. Its so important for books to be featured throughout bookstores. Books that stay in section do not sell. Customers can't browse book spines. I have seen some nice ones but I have yet to hear anyone say "the book spine was so beautiful, I had to buy it"

When in other bookstores or libraries one of the many things I notice is how many books by authors of color do they have on display in the store, especially in the front. I've actually been checking for Black authors since high school. Back then it was a question of how far back do I have to go before I hit Baldwin, Morrison , Shange or Wright. Now, since I've broaden my reading I do it for everyone.

The next time you go to the bookstore take a moment to notice what is and isn't on display. How many female authors of color do you see? You can take it a spent further, how many of these authors aren't well known? Please comeback and tell us what you noticed.

Let's Talk eReaders

I know many people have ereaders and others are considering investing in one. So I figured we could discuss ereaders for a bit. Amazon's Kindle - Sony's Reader Barnes & Noble's Nook and Borders Kobo. Apple's iPad isn't an ereader though ibooks is one of its many functions.
The Kindle and Sony readers are both second in second generations. The B&N's Nook was released earlier this year. Engadget's review Borders Kobo will be released in June Engadget's review I decided not to link to any review of Kindle and Sony readers, since they have both been on the market for awhile. Besides reading up on the Nook, Kobo and iPad has started to make my eyes gloss over. Please mention any ereaders I missed in the comment box.

I don't have an ereader, I work at a bookstore, it's not in my budget. If it was I probably still wouldn't buy one now, though I would consider one in the future. It would actually come in handy for reviews. If I am like a book I want the actual book in hand. But if I was reading something for review, I'd be okay with a electronic copy. I wonder if could claim a tax right off for an ereader. Since blogging is not a job probably not but its a nice thought. Though I do work at a bookstore and reading books is a part of the job description. Maybe a nice IRS person would understand.

One of my co-workers has a Kindle, another one has a Sony reader (both gifts). They are happy with their ereaders. So, I suppose it simply a matter of choosing an ereader that works best for you.

If I was going to get one the above, I'd go with the Kobo. I like the low price point of $149. It's strictly no frills (no Wifi), but I am okay with that. I've never been a stranger to the no frill aisle in the supermarket. With the Kobo, it looks like the only thing you can do with it is read books. that would be perfect for me, other wise I would get easily distracted.

Three questions for people have ereaders

Do you like your ereader? Why or why not?

What should someone who is looking to buy an ereader pay close attention to?

Do you still buy books?

Two questions for people without ereaders

Would you consider buying one? Why or why not?

If you are in the market for an ereader which one are you considering?

I am hoping everyone with an ereader or an extensive knowledge of them will help educate the rest of us.

From Hong Kong to Brooklyn

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
This debut has been getting a lot of great reviews. It didn't get on my radar until the author stopped at the bookstore I work at, to sign stock. She was very nice and took the time to tell me what the story was about. It sounded like something I would like, so I decided to give it a go.

Set in 1980's. 11 yr old Ah Kim and her mother immigrant from China to the United States. Ah Kim's westernized name is Kimberly. Mother and daughter must live and work in awful conditions . Kimberly's aunt Paula paid for their trip, now they are in her debt. Kimberly's mother works at aunt Paula's sweatshop factory in Chinatown. She is paid by the piece. Thanks to aunt Paula, they live in very poor neighborhood in Brooklyn. There are no other tenants in their run down building unless you count the roaches, rats and mice.

When Kimberly understands English better she starts to excel at school again. Though, I found it hard to believe she got a perfect score on a standardized test in high school. She had mastered English by than and students do get perfect score but its very rare. I didn't need perfection to believe in Kimberly's intelligence, I was actually thrown off by it. Kimberly's mother doesn't speak English. So, its up to Kimberly to improve their situation. She must balance her two worlds, top student at a private school and child worker.

Girl in Translation very readable. I couldn't put it down. Kwok didn't do anything special, that's part of its appeal. There's something to be said for a well told story that is what it is without trying to be more. Kwok has created a well rounded and believable protagonist in Kimberly.

If you read my personal blog, you know I read a lot of young adult fiction. Girl in Translation is fiction but it could've easily been YA. Since it is a coming of age story. Either way its a very good.

New Crayons: What's New On Our Shelves

Remember when you were a kid and getting new crayons was a big deal? Getting new books holds the same kind of magic for some of us big kids. Every week on Sunday, I post what's new in our box. I think crayons is a pretty cool metaphor for multicultural lit. Every week we receive a book at Color Online is a good week.

This week we received:

Thanks to Debbie Rigaud for Perfect Shot. Adding this copy to our Prize Bucket. Check out Doret's review and interview.

Thanks to Jill for Forest Gate by Peter Akinti. The author is compared to Richard Wright. How do you not check this out? I'm happy to say I have been doing better checking out male leads.
This is a story about two teenage boys who try to kill themselves and what happens afterwards. Just as important, though, is what happened before they try to kill themselves. They go to the top of two adjoining tower blocks and tie nooses around their necks. Then they jump off the sides of the buildings. It's midnight. We are in outer east London. One of the boys dies instantly. His neck breaks. The other survives. He swings for a while, terrified. Then he gets his hand between the rope and his neck and he screams and someone hears him.Full review at the Guardian

Author and friend, L.M. Preston sent us her latest, The Pack. My neighbor loved her first book. This time though I get the first read.

What did you get in the mail, at the library or the store? Post a link to your new crayon post here.

Sunday Salon: A Garden of Our Own

Today’s salon is about what are we doing to be healthy and happy. At forty-five, my body no longer tolerates abuse: not enough sleep, poor diet and running around as if I could go 24/7. Today, I have allergies. I suffer sinus headaches that come close to what I know about migraines. I have low iron, I’m at-risk for diabetes and more than thirty pounds overweight. After years of overuse of antibiotics, my natural bacteria are out of whack and I am prone to yeast infections.

Okay, not an ideal segue but our query is about taking caring our bodies and emotional health. Are you committed to living a healthy lifestyle? What does your diet look like? Are you currently dealing with any health challenges? How do you care for your emotional and mental health? Do you meditate, pray, practice yoga, take long walks or listen to ocean sounds? Have you recently made changes to take better care of you? What can you share with us that have helped you live a healthier, saner life?

I’m currently participating in a 12-week weight loss challenge. Each week we have an exercise, lifestyle and food challenge. The weight is coming off slowly and I mean very little. According to nutritionists, given my age, activity level and metabolism, I’m losing at a healthy rate. I’ve worked my way up to exercising 5-6 days a week. I read food labels and I’ve improved significantly in eating only the recommended serving amount.

Regarding my emotional health, well that’s different. I’m in Michigan. I know more people unemployed than employed. Among those of us employed, we’re underemployed. My family has been affected economically and with a teen at home, I can’t stop thinking about how we will meet our needs. And then there is the matter of routine and my role as a mom, spouse, friend and blogger. Like getting too fat for my clothes, nothing fits. I am uncomfortable.

Today I am here though trying to create a life that is simpler and fulfilling. What are you growing today?

Favorite Movie Soundtracks

From Doret

Some publishers send advance reader copies or ARCs to the bookstore I work at. There is no reasoning behind what comes, though once in a while we get something really good. A few weeks ago a copy Terry McMillan’s upcoming new release Getting to Happy arrived. Thankfully it was two and not one, otherwise my co-worker would have fought me for that single copy. It could have gotten ugly. Getting to Happy is the sequel to Waiting to Exhale. Fifteen years later, the four friends still make me smile. I love losing myself in characters I never really forget.

Before I started Getting to Happy, I got the brilliant idea to play Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, as backdrop music. This never happened, the song didn’t fit these new stories, but what a soundtrack! All the songs were written and produced by Babyface. When I think about movie soundtracks, I consider Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale turning points. The powers that be realized it was worth putting a little effort behind soundtracks because they will sell.

Though it was only side A of the Bodyguard soundtrack (had the cassette), that was good. Side A was Whitney Houston, side B was everyone else. Some of my other favorite soundtracks of all time are Dead Presidents, Love Jones, and Jungle Fever. Yes, I have seen movies in this decade, but I simply can’t think of any other soundtracks that I loved.

What are some of your favorites? And yes, musicals count.

Women Writers of Color at the Asian Festival of Children's Content

I was in Singapore last week for the inaugural Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC). The AFCC consisted of four programs: the Asian Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference, the Asian Children's Publishers Symposium, the Asian Primary and Preschool Teachers Congress, and the Asian Parents Forum. I attended events for the Asian Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference and the Asian Children's Publishers Symposium and learned SO MUCH about Asian children's and young adult books.

I'd like to share pictures I took of some of the women writers of color who were speakers, presenters, and panel moderators at the AFCC.

First up are pictures of popular Indian children's book writer Anushka Ravishankar. Anushka has won national and international acclaim for her verse-tales published by Tara Books. Rights to her books have been bought for the US, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Korea, Italy, Japan, and Spain.



Rukhsana Khan is an award-winning Pakistani Canadian author for young readers. Her books include stories set in India and the Middle East.


Uma Krishnaswami is an Indian American author for young readers. She is part of the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.













Author/illustrator Naomi Kojima was born in Japan and grew up in the US. She currently resides in Japan. Her picture books have been published in the US and Japan, and have been translated into French, Swedish, and Indonesian.







Dr. Murti Bunanta is the author of fifty children's books in Indonesia, five of which have won international awards. She is the president and founder of the Society for the Advancement of Children’s Literature and the Indonesian Board on Books for Young People.



Misako Ohnuki is the director of the culture division of the Asia/Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO (ACCU). She has written picture books and textbooks for children, and is a professor of children's literature at Japan Women's University.



Mita Kapur is a freelance journalist and literary agent in India. She is the founder and CEO of Siyahi, a literary consultancy.



Teri Tan is an international correspondent for Publishers Weekly. She has worked for Simon & Schuster (Singapore), Prentice Hall (Malaysia), Thomson Learning (Singapore), and Pearson Education Asia.






Shamini Flint writes children's books with cultural and environmental themes and crime fiction for adults.


Daphne Lee is a children's book writer and editor in Malaysia. She has a weekly column on children's and young adult books in The Star. She also heads The Dram Projects, a non-profit organization that uses bibliotherapy to reach out to marginalized youth.




For more about the AFCC, check out my blog posts:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

If you have any questions about the AFCC, please leave them in the comments below. It was an incredibly inspiring conference and I would love to discuss it with all of you!

The Sunday Salon: How We Cope With Grief

Last night I watched “A Single Man,” starring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult. This is a first film for photographer, Tom Ford. If you know Ford, you will recognize his signature style. The people are beautiful, the scenes are beautiful but the main character is filled with grief and loss. In a tragic accident, Firth’s lover was killed. Close to a year later, George (Firth) decides he can’t continue his orderly and empty life. He can’t believe he can be happy again and so he prepares his suicide. Through a series of flashbacks we come to know George’s life with John. The movie doesn’t make any judgments and the synopsis suggests more than the film does. The film presents a series of events and leaves it to audience to interpret the relationships and outcomes.

With the movie fresh on my mind, today’s celebration creates an odd juxtaposition. It’s Mother’s Day and like many hallmark holidays, I am ambivalent. Familial relations are intractably tied to holidays and so often these days are tainted because they remind us of our estranged relationships or the loss of those we loved.

Most of the day, I’ve been trying to write a cohesive query. By my estimation this is clunky but we’re past midday so here it is: Are days like today more often celebratory or mournful for you? Have you had to deal with the loss of a lover or family member? How do you cope with grief? Have you ever tried to you explain to others why you struggle to move on? Have you ever tried to explain your sadness to yourself?

Color Online Quiz: Literature & Women's Studies

Quiz #99

Answer the question and your name will be entered in a monthly drawing. Post your reply to the comment box. Must include your e-mail to be eligible to win. Winners choose their own book from our Prize Bucket.

The book is a classic. It follows the quest of several women, a quest for freedom, for a life more fulfilling. One ran away from domestic abuse, from a husband and child who physically threatened her life. Another is a young girl in a difficult relationship with her mother. Another one, Mother, is considered a saint. Grace and Divine are some of the characters' names.

A town only populated by Black people, and two families clashing over a power struggle.

Do you have a title in mind?

PARADISE, by Toni Morrison. Congratulations to Bonnie and Kim for finding the title!

Don't Wish Me A Happy Mother's Day*

Mothers always impress me, be it, breaking down a stroller in a parking lot with the quickness - one handed, because they're holding baby with the other one or multitasking while watching their children. I really don't know how mother's do it. From the outside looking in, I will simply never get it. When Mother's Day comes around, it's difficult not to think about the relationship I have with mine. Today, after someone wished me a happy early Mother's day and I wanted to scream. I've never brought a Mother's day card in my life. A few years back, I went to the mall for an Auntie Anne's pretzel (they have the best pretzels) on Mother's day, big mistake. When I realized what day it was (I've never marked it on my calendar), I should've left but I got very I every right to be here stubborn. I was all twisted up inside that day and it was my fault. But when a stranger wishes me a happy Mother's day it's out of my hands.

I am not looking forward to working on Sunday because I know customers will wish me a happy Mother's day. All I can do is fake smile and say thanks. For the past few months I have been contributing YA suggestions to a site called Flashlight Worthy Books. This month's theme YA books featuring a mother/daughter relationship. I almost took a pass since than I remembered Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves. Now, mothers and mental illness that I get but Reeves great YA debut is much more fun than the real thing.

On Sunday unless you know the person is celebrating Mother's Day, please do not wish them a happy Mother's Day.




*I blame this too honest post on the hour. I had actually meant to do something on the economy. In the daylight I will probably have to resist the urge to take it down.So read it while you can.

Color Me Brown Links

Every week you will find Color Me Brown Links. Happy to be home and happy to be bringing you links to great books. Hope you check these out. If you read a review of book you think is slipping under the radar, drop me an email.

First up is The World Unseen by Shamim Sarif. Niranjana at Brown Paper always has great reviews of very interesting books. I confess, I might cheat and look for the movie first on this one.
A queer brown mixed-race woman in apartheid-era South Africa befriends an oppressed Indian housewife.

Yes, no cause is left unturned in Shamim Sarif’s The World Unseen. But Sarif has a lightness of touch that has the story chugging along briskly;

Next is Monkfish Moon: short stories. Review by Mrs. Burns at Gig Harbor High School. New blog for me. Will be going back for more.
All of the stories deal with the conflict between the peaceful beauty of the place juxtaposed with the reality of the warring factions in the country.

Last is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin. The author is no stranger here. Mary at Beach Reading is a new blogger for me. Another place I plan to visit again as well.
This book was amazing in so many ways. I'll start with the cover. It exudes the anger and power of Yeine, and the palace of Sky is beautifully portrayed. I also appreciate that it shows Yeine's dark skin is shown on the cover.

The story is perfectly convoluted and complex, with a number of surprises throughout the book. I tend the figure out stories quickly, and this one definitely had surprises for me all of the way though.

Tell us what you're reading. Drop a link or two.

Happy reading,
S