Color Online

African American Read-In

2012-01-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! It's been a while since anyone has posted here. We definitely need to change that!

In case you didn't know, yesterday I put up a post on my blog about February's African American Read-In. It's a tradition that's been going on all over the United States for the past twenty-three years. Groups all over the country get together to read and discuss a book by an African American author. Doret, Edi, and I have decided to host our own online read-in.

Six books were picked and readers can vote on which book we discuss next month. Our list:

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Good Fortune by Noni Carter
Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
Fences by August Wilson
Pull by B.A. Binns

For more information on the read-in, click here.

Lost in language & Sound - Ntozake Shange

2011-12-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

Lost in Language & Sound by Ntozake Shange
This collection of essays was released earlier this month. Essays are usually hit or miss for me,overall this collection worked very well for me. I especially loved the first half, in which much of it read like a homage to African American dance,dancers Jazz. I only recognized a few of the dancers mentioned, I did a little better with the Jazz artist (though barely). But it did not matter either way, Ntozake Shange wrote in such a way that it made me feel like I knew them, or at the very least I felt their love of movement and that was more then a enough. The author reminisces about the beginning of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered When the Rainbow is Enuf. One of the messages I got from this collection was that you can try to steal or silence the African Americans but we will always new way to speak and be heard, be it through dance, music or any other artistic avenue of our choice.

"We must sing and dance or we shall die an inert, motionless, "sin ritmo" death. "Negros muertos," killed by a culture afraid of who we are and what we have to say with our bodies, our music, and our brains. Black folks do have brains. We even have ideologists, scholars, choreographers, and always the grace of the goods. "

Reading this collection reminded me how much I love Ntozake Shange's work, there's a beautiful rhythm to her words which always have purpose. The author reveals much of herself in each piece. I truly enjoyed this lost in language & sound, though I did question the inclusion of one piece entitled "2 live crew" Black men demoralizing Black women is still an issue but I just felt the exploration of 2 live crews exploits was dated. Its in inclusion always halted a bit of the flow of the collection. However I still highly recommend lost language & sound without missing a beat.

2011 National Book Award Winners And Giller Prize Winner

2011-11-22T08:41:00.000-05:00

The National Book Award Winners were recently announced of the four winners three were female authors of color.

Jesymn Ward for Salvage the Bones (Fiction)
Nikkey Finney for Head off & Spilt (Poetry)
Thanhha Lai for Inside Out & Back Again (Young People's Lit)

Esi Edugyan, was the winner of the 2011 Giller Prize (a distinguished Canadian literary award) for Half Blood Blues. The novel was also shorlisted for Man Booker Prize. Unfortunately it won't be available in the States until March though if you can't wait you buy it now via amazon uk.

Much congratulations to Ward, Finney, Lai and Edugyan This congratulatory post is a tad late and I'd to look at it as more of a strategic delay as opposed to being too busy. I am anxiously awaiting the release of all the best of list for this year. If they are lacking in female authors of color I will be very dissappointed and will revisit this post to cheer me up and this one.

Vote For Silver Sparrow And Congratulations to Jesmyn Ward

2011-11-17T09:28:00.005-05:00

Tayari Jones novel Silver Sparrow has made it the semifinals round of Goodreads Choice Awards for Best fiction as a write in. If you loved Silver Sparrow and you haven't done so already head over to Goodreads to vote for it and please spread the word. If you are not a goodreads member it takes five seconds to join. Voting for the Semifinal round ends on November 20th.

The 2011 National Book Award winners were recently announced. Jesmyn Ward was awarded the NBA for fiction for her novel Salvage the Bones. Congratulations to Ward, Salvage the Bones is a wonderful story and this is well deserved recognition

Thoughts on Heidi W. Durrow's The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

2011-11-07T11:08:00.003-05:00

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

Heidi W. Durrow

256 pages

Publication Year: 2010

Publisher: Algonquin

Source: Bought it

It’s a funny thing to think about: moving toward extinction. And I think of how maybe I’m already extinct in a strange way – there’s no way to make another me: at least I can’t do it. But that doesn’t matter anyway because I never want to have kids.

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky is the debut novel from Heidi W. Durrow. It’s also the winner of the Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, which was founded by Barbara Kingsolver.

The story tells the life of Rachel, the only survivor of tragic, mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of her three siblings and their mother. Rachel is also biracial, the daughter of a white Danish mother and African-American father. After the death of her family members, Rachel is sent to live with her paternal grandmother and has to learn how to navigate in a country where she’s considered black, something she didn’t think much about before. Told from the perspective of Rachel, her mother Nella, and those who knew her family, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky is an engaging read of one girl’s struggle to live after the death of those she loved most.

This year I’m learning a lot about my reading. I’ve learned that I don’t read many books that feature:

· the elderly as protagonists

· mother-daughter relationships

· bi-racial characters

Where have I been? In today’s society with so many people being of several races and cultures, I can’t believe I’ve ignored this. Luckily reading this book brought it to my attention. As a young girl, not only does Rachel has to deal with everything that has happened, she also has to learn how to deal with so much attention to both who she is physically, her long fuzzy hair that makes girls in her class want to fight her, blue eyes, and light brown skin to who she is as a person, someone who loves to read and tries to understand what being black means in America during the 1980s.

The problem is that as interesting and engaging as the book was, I didn’t connect very well to Rachel. Readers understand this character through her words and interactions with others but it wasn’t enough.

I had the same problem with Rachel’s mother, Nella. Nella is a young Danish woman living in Europe when she meets Roger, an African-American man stationed at a nearby base. They soon marry and have children before Nella leaves Roger and flees to the United States with their children. She struggles with everything before she finally makes a terrifying decision.

*spoiler spoiler I need to understand her decision with the same depth that I understood a similar decision in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. *spoiler over

Though I didn’t get the connection I needed, I still think this was an excellent read. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

This review was originally posted at 1330v.

Salvage the Bones - Jesmyn Ward

2011-11-03T10:01:00.000-04:00

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
This is the story of a family in a small Mississippi town. Set 12 days before Hurricane Katrina hits. The story is told by Esch the lone female voice. Esch lives with her father and three brothers. The mother died giving birth to the youngest son. Ward's does an excellent job of building this families world. I understood where every character was coming from.

A large part of this story is the relationship Esch's older brother Skeetah has with his pit bull China. With Skeetah, Ward created a character that took part in dog fights that not only did I not dislike but cared very much for. One would have to read the novel to believe me but its obvious how much Skeetah loves China. There are moments when my heart broke watching Esch, wanting someone to love her as much as Skeetah does his dog. The family is preparing for coming hurricane but that is very much in the background. Esch voice captured me from the very beginning, there's such an honest beauty to it that I loved.

Esch is around 15 or 16 before reading Salvage the Bones, I thought it might have some YA crossover appeal. After reading it I know its true. Since it's fiction and not YA there is adult content. However, I truly appreciated how everything was a reflection of reality. The author doesn't feel the need to over do it with language or sex because the strength of the writing will entice and keep readers interest.

A 2011 National Book Award Finalists

An Unexpected Update

2011-11-01T09:44:00.002-04:00

I know its been awhile for any post but I am in the mood for a quick unexpected update. Since it's late in the evening I will just freestyle it and see what happens.
A much belated and well deserved Congratulations to Jesmyn Ward, her novel Salvage the Bones was a 2011 National Book Award Finalist. I loved Salvage the Bones. The voice of Ward's main character Esch was perfect, at times I couldn't help comparing her to the young protagonists in Toni Morrison's Bluest Eye. I usually make it a point not to do Morrison comparison, its too much to live up to plus every author has their own unique style, but in this case I believe its warranted.

Congratulations to Nnedi Okorafor, her novel Who Fears Death won World Fantasy Award for best novel. Of the six nominees in this category, three, Okorafor, Jemisin and Lord were female authors of color. The final book in N.K. Jemisin, Inheritance trilogy, The Kingdom of Gods was released in October . I am all caught up with Okorafor and Jemisin, I love Who Fears Death and the Inheritance trilogy. I just haven't gotten around to reading Karen Lord's Redemption in Indigo, even though I've only heard great things about it. Once I read it I will probably be kicking myself for waiting so long to pick it up.

One last Congrats goes out to Danielle Evans, author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self for being selected as one of 5 author under 35 by The National Book Award Foundation. Evan's short story debut collection was ridiciously good. If you haven't read Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self you are seriously missing out. If you are avoiding it because you don't like short stories, trust me you'll like this collection. Evan's Color Online Interview

Though we are still in 2011, I already know The Whole Story Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani is a favorite middle grade debut of 2012, no I am not psychic but I do use netgalley. I usually don't mention books so far from the release date, but apparently I am doing a lot of things I usually don't do. (And ladies and gentlemen that there is the beauty of freestyle) But back to Hiranandani wonderful debut.

The main character Sonia is half Indian and Jewish, her father has lost his job. She must come to terms with the changes her family must make. One of the things I loved about this novel is how current it is, many readers will be able to relate to a parent being out of work. Sonia's father also suffers from depression. A mental illness that is still taboo amongst people of color and the author handles it with the care it deserves. This could've easily become an issues novel but Hiranandani doesn't allow that to happen, yet another reason why I enjoyed this debut so much.

Vasilly another contributor will be posting a Color Online Interview in the near future. I won't say who with but I am very very excited, and if this author isn't on some 2011 best of list I will be very very pissed.

The Dark Child Winner!

2011-10-18T22:07:00.002-04:00

TEA!!!!

Congratulations Tea, I will email you asap. And I apologize 100x over for taking so long to post the winner....

Much Belated Giveaway!

2011-09-07T00:18:00.000-04:00

The Dark Child: The Autobiography of an African Boy by Camara Laye

The Dark Child is a distinct and graceful memoir of Camara Laye's youth in the village of Koroussa, French Guinea. Long regarded Africa's preeminent Francophone novelist, Laye (1928-80) herein marvels over his mother's supernatural powers, his father's distinction as the village goldsmith, and his own passage into manhood, which is marked by animistic beliefs and bloody rituals of primeval origin. Eventually, he must choose between this unique place and the academic success that lures him to distant cities. More than autobiography of one boy, this is the universal story of sacred traditions struggling against the encroachment of a modern world.

Quite some time ago a winner at the POC Reading Challenge donated her prize to CO. I am FINALLY getting around to passing the book on to be read and reviewed. Thank you so much Niranjana for your generosity!

Summary from Goodreads.com

U.S. only. All you have to do is comment with your email (feel free to share why you are interested in the book).

Giveaway ends: September 15, 2011 11:59 CT

Novels W/ Foreign Language

2011-08-22T08:32:00.002-04:00

By chance I happened to recently read three novels with sprinkles of a foreign language. It got me to thinking about my preferences for the way a another language is incorporated beside the principal one. Since my understanding of the three languages - Spanish, French and Russian, goes from passable to nothing, I figured this would be a good topic. I will begin with an example from each book.

The first one comes from a young adult novel* that will be released later in the year.

"Hola, Mrs Hernandez Hola, Mari, Coma esta? Luz's mom asked how I was doing as she opened the back door and let the smoke out. "Estoy, bien" I told her I was okay."

The second is from Paris Noire by Francine Thomas Howard.

"Non. Non. Je dois voir mon fils, mon" In her worry, she'd had spoken French.

The final one is from Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac.

Vlad straightens up, looks down at me, raises one eyebrow. "Blagodariu," I say. I thank you. "Da Eto figna," he replies. Nothing to it.

Out of these three languages Spanish is the only one I know. I think that's part of the reason I had the biggest reaction to how it was incorporated. One of my reading pet peeves is an instant language translation (ILT), especially when its greetings. Even more so when its Spanish.

I could be assuming too much here because I've studied Spanish. Not everyone learns Spanish. Or French or Italian, two similar languages that would make it easier to understand a basic phrase or two. Some study, Arabic, Chinese, German or one of the many other languages with no similarities to Spanish

Though I still have a difficult time believing American readers must be spoon fed a translation for "Coma Esta."

The use of Estoy
My Spanish is barely passable. Considering I've lived in a predominantly Spanish speaking neighborhood for the last three years it should be much better. However I am still 99.9% sure estoy is not used outside of the classroom.

I was reminded of that scene from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya Angelou is in a bar in Mexico with her father. When she starts speaking Spanish the formal way its taught in high school everyone laughs.

Paris Noire
I've never studied French but found it easy to follow. I don't know what the example says but in context I understand its meaning. Howard never stops the flow of the story to give translations. The understanding through context approach worked very well for Paris Noire since only a little French is used. Mainly greetings.

Wolf Mark
Finding out that Wolf Mark had a little Russian was a nice surprise. It also helps round out this (lengthy) post since its a language I am not at all familiar with. I found myself reconsidering my stance on instant language translation.

I did find the ILT helpful at first but I soon wanted it to stop. They started to feel clunky and not natural to the story . Even though I don't know Russian, hints would've been preferable.

One of my favorite novels last year was Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse (one of the best prologues ever) A lot of Spanish is intertwined in the novel. What I didn't understand through context I had to look up. It did slow me down a bit but I didn't mind at all, I prefer to work for it.

Instant language translations take me out of the narrative. It also implies - The reader won't know what this means, they won't be smart enough to figure it out and will be too lazy to look it up.

I like to get the gist of another language through context and with the help of a few hints. If that doesn't work I prefer to look up what I don't know.

*I felt the execution (I just finished watching Project Runway. Nina Gracia Don't Play) of including Spanish was very poor. This shouldn't to be anyone's first impression of this novel since it could turn readers off. I enjoyed the novel and don't want to do that so I won't reveal the title.

100 YA/MG Releases ABOUT poc!

2011-08-11T06:06:00.000-04:00

WE REACHED 100! If you go back to my original post to check out the full list, I admit that I didn't think we could find 100 YA/MG books about poc. But we did and I am beyond pleasantly surprised especially since we are currently at 102. I'm sure there's more 2011 releases though because we don't have any December ones and there are usually a few December releases. Now we just need to get to the point where we have at least 100 MG books about poc AND at least 100 YA books about poc. Keep those suggestions coming! Thank you so much for all your help and support.

And stay tuned for the December list of 2012 debuts, maybe I will separate them...

photo from unofficialhomeschooler.com

Martha Southgate on The Help

2011-08-10T09:51:00.008-04:00

Sometimes I will visit publisher sites to see if there's anything worth finding. Today I found my way to Algonquin Books. Author Martha Southgate's newest novel The Taste of Salt will be released at the end of September. I've had a chance to read it already. One the things I loved about it is the main characters very unexpected occupation. The writing is beautiful and many scenes broke my heart. Life is dramatic enough, the author doesn't use any tricks, simply letting it all unfold. There will be a proper review closer to the release date. Chapter One of The Taste of Salt

Though as the title states this is about Southgate on The Help. The author wrote a piece about bestselling novel turned movie by Kathryn Stockett in the most recent EW magazine.

"The current issue of Entertainment Weekly (August 12) has a wonderful cover story on The Help, the blockbuster book that was made into a movie, opening soon. As part of the photo-heavy spread, Entertainment Weekly asked Algonquin author Martha Southgate, whose new novel The Taste of Salt publishes 9/27, to write about the book. Her piece is below. Be sure to pick up a copy of the magazine–one of our favorites around here–on newsstands now."

Algonquin Books was kind enough to rerun Southgate's article, and it's worth reading. I do wonder when Southgate or any reader who thought they weren't going to read The Help changed their mind. What was the tipping point?

I am still firmly in the I will not read camp. I had many customers try to convince me otherwise but I won't budge. Part of the reason for this hard line in the sand has to do with working in a bookstore in the South and having White customers tell me every day I just must read The Help.

In my head, all I could think was no I don't. I refuse to believe the authenticity of Black voices created by a White author by White readers who don't read Black authors. These were my customers so I know what they read. Not a single White customer that requested The Help asked for a novel by a Black author.

Stockett's novel was liked by many of my Black customers as well. I was a bit more curious, but knowing that a Black author would never have this amount of success with the same story, I still can't bring myself to read The Help. Now I know how some Asian readers probably felt with the success of Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha.

2011 Decatur Book Festival

2011-08-08T09:51:00.000-04:00

The Decatur Book Festival is held every Labor day weekend. Decatur is only a few miles from Atlanta. I love this festival which started in 2006. There's always a great turn out and its put together very well.

Tananarive Due is going to be attending. OMG I am so excited. Yes, I am seriously fan gushing. The first book I read by Due was The Living Blood. I picked it up because of the cover, which screamed read me, which I did. I've been hooked ever since. The author's latest My Soul to Take comes out at the beginning of September, right on time for the festival. I've already had a chance to read it, loved it.

I've banned myself from buying any more books until I get a new job. Though I am very tempted to break that for an autographed copy of My Soul to Take. I have a job prospect so hopefully it won't be an issue.

Due will be signing with debut author Alma Katsu. Katsu's novel The Taker comes out at the beginning of September as well. I've seen the book in passing, its been getting excellent reviews. It hasn't been on my reading radar because of the romance aspect but I want to give it a try before the festival.

If I go to a panel event I like to be familiar with, if not all then most of the authors who are presenting. It can't be easy for debut authors to be on a panel. All the attention is on the established and bestselling authors. So I will do my best to get a review copy of The Taker and have a question ready for Katsu.

Elizabeth Nunez will be signing her latest Boundaries. I haven't read Nunez before but her name sounded familiar. Then I remembered why, author and educator Ashley Hope Perez's guest post on Women Writers of the Caribbean.

Tayari Jones will be signing Silver Sparrow. I haven't been enforcing my no buying book ban, and I already have a signed copy. So I probably won't go to this appearance, I don't want to be that fan that shows up every time an author is in town. Ain't nobody calling security on me.

If you live in Atlanta and haven't had an opportunity to attend one of Jones signings I highly recommend going. The author is from Atlanta and it shows in the turn out. Its nice to get caught up in that good energy and Silver Sparrow is one of the best books of the year.

Perisa Walker will be signing Black Orchid Blues, the third book in her Harlem Renaissance mystery. The book has a Lee Child blurb and I love me some Child. Mystery is my favorite genre, so I don't know how I've missed Walker. Better late then never.

There are many more authors I want to check out thanks to the Decatur Book Festival. If you plan on coming to Atlanta for the book festival or DragonCon which is also Labor Day weekend, you can get away with not renting a car for the weekend. Marta, Atlanta's public transportation system is not great but its perfect for a weekend convention or event.

All the major host hotels can be easily accessed via Marta. There's also an airport line stop which is very convenient. Towards the end of the month I may do a Marta for visitors post. It'll be fun and relevant filibuster.

The book festival is in downtown Decatur. The area is very nice and is right next to the train station. Dragon Con is in downtown Atlanta, the turn out is always huge. Sci fi/fantasy fans do it up right. I like all the detailed costumes. I remember some of my co-workers who went to Dragon Con would be working on their costumes for months.

World Fantasy Nominees/ In Honor of L.A. Banks

2011-08-05T08:36:00.007-04:00

Recently the World Fantasy Nominees were announced

Nominees for Best Novel

Zoo City, Lauren Beukes (Jacana South Africa; Angry Robot)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
The Silent Land, Graham Joyce (Gollancz; Doubleday)
Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay (Viking Canada; Roc; Harper Voyager UK)
Redemption In Indigo, Karen Lord (Small Beer)
Who Fears Death, Nnedi Okorafor (DAW)

Congratulations to N.K. Jemisin, Karen Lord and Nnedi Okorafor on their nominations.

I squealed with happiness when I saw this short list. I loved The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and Who Fears Death, and I've only heard great things about Redemption In Indigo.

Since this is a female authors of color fantasy related post, I am going to take a moment an mention a great way to remember author L.A. Banks, which I learned about via White Readers Meet Black Authors

Of course, please purchase all her books and please feel free to get them where you like to buy books. The idea with Amazon is that if everybody goes to one place at the same time, it will drive the ratings and put her book on top. As Lutishia said yesterday, she was #1 to us, let's make her #1 one more time.

In honor of L.A. Banks readers are encouraged to buy her last novel Surrender the Dark, from Amazon, today, Friday 5.

L.A. Banks - Will Be Missed

2011-08-02T17:16:00.007-04:00

Author L.A. Banks died today. Minion is the first book in her most popular series, The Vampire Huntress. I doubt it was easy for Banks to get this published but she did it. Anyone who thought Black Vampires wouldn't sell was seriously mistaken. Banks didn't have fans she had FANS. She left her mark on the literary world and will be missed.

In Remembrance of L.A. Banks , 1959 -2011 @ Tor.com

New Crayons & Borders

2011-07-31T02:15:00.003-04:00

New Crayons is a weekly meme hosted by we, the staff of Color Online. In this meme we share 1-2 titles we each got this week. We hope that you discover new titles and feel inclined to share the new titles you bought/received/traded for as well. Especially since Borders is being shutdown, we know you have some books to put on our radar!

Speaking of Borders, how do you feel about it being shutdown? Are you going to attend the sales? If you have been to Borders while it has its final markdowns, what did you think of the bargains?

Nathalie

Hush, Baby, Hush! Lullabies from Around the World by Kathy Henderson, illustrated by Pam Smy

A book of traditional lullabies with a difference. Gathered from all over the world, these beautiful, simple songs give a flavour of different parts of the world as well as showing that soothing a baby to sleep is the same the world over. With words in the original language plus the English version, together with a melody line and delightful illustrations by Pam Smy, this is the perfect gift book for parents of new babies.

The lullabies come from:

Australia (Aboriginal) Austria Bangladesh Brazil Czech Republic England France Greece Greenland Hungary India Iran Iraq Italy Jamaica Japan Korea Malawi Mexico Nigeria Norway Russia Spain Turkey USA (Hopi) Wales West Africa (Yoruba).

Terri

Pao by Kerry Young

As a young boy, Pao comes to Jamaica in the wake of the Chinese Civil War and rises to become the Godfather of Kingston's bustling Chinatown. Pao needs to take care of some dirty business, but he is no Don Corleone. The rackets he runs are small-time, and the protection he provides necessary, given the minority status of the Chinese in Jamaica. Pao, in fact, is a sensitive guy in a wise guy role that doesn't quite fit. Often mystified by all that he must take care of, Pao invariably turns to Sun Tzu's Art of War. The juxtaposition of the weighty, aphoristic words of the ancient Chinese sage, with the tricky criminal and romantic predicaments Pao must negotiate builds the basis of the novel's great charm.

A tale of post-colonial Jamaica from a unique and politically potent perspective, Pao moves from the last days of British rule through periods of unrest at social and economic inequality, through tides of change that will bring about Rastafarianism and the Back to Africa Movement. Pao is an utterly beguiling, unforgettable novel of race, class and creed, love and ambition, and a country in the throes of tumultuous change.

Doret

Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada

A year of discoveries culminates in a performance full of surprises, as two girls find their own way to belong.

Mexico may be her parents’ home, but it’s certainly not Margie’s. She has finally convinced the other kids at school she is one-hundred percent American—just like them. But when her Mexican cousin Lupe visits, the image she’s created for herself crumbles.

Things aren’t easy for Lupe, either. Mexico hadn’t felt like home since her father went North to find work. Lupe’s hope of seeing him in the United States comforts her some, but learning a new language in a new school is tough. Lupe, as much as Margie, is in need of a friend.

Little by little, the girls’ individual steps find the rhythm of one shared dance, and they learn what “home” really means. In the tradition of My Name is Maria Isabel—and simultaneously published in English and in Spanish—Alma Flor Ada and her son Gabriel M. Zubizarreta offer an honest story of family, friendship, and the classic immigrant experience: becoming part of something new, while straying true to who you are.

Ari

Till You Hear From Me by Pearl Cleage

From the acclaimed Pearl Cleage, author of What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day . . . and Seen It All and Done the Rest, comes an Obama-era romance featuring a cast of unforgettable characters.

Just when it appears that all her hard work on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is about to pay off with a White House job, thirty-five-year-old Ida B. Wells Dunbar finds herself on Washington, D.C.’s post-election sidelines even as her twentysomething counterparts overrun the West Wing. Adding to her woes, her father, the Reverend Horace A. Dunbar, Atlanta civil rights icon and self-described “foot soldier for freedom,” is notoriously featured on an endlessly replayed YouTube clip in which his pronouncements don’t exactly jibe with the new era in American politics.

The Rev’s stinging words and myopic views don’t sound anything like the man who raised Ida to make her mark in the world. When friends call to express their concern, Ida realizes it’s time to head home and see for herself what’s going on. Besides, with her job prospects growing dimmer, getting out of D.C. for a while might be the smartest move she could make.

Back in her old West End neighborhood, Ida runs into childhood friend and smooth political operator Wes Harper, also in town to pay a visit to the Reverend Dunbar, his mentor. Ida doesn’t trust Wes or his mysterious connections for one second, but she can’t deny her growing attraction to him.

While Ida and the Rev try to find the balance between personal loyalties and political realities, they must do some serious soul searching in order to get things back on track before Wes permanently derails their best laid plans.

A Great Day For A World Do Over

2011-07-23T21:59:00.003-04:00

This morning, I woke up and learned about the tragedy in Norway . A man killed over 80 people at a youth camp, after bombing central Olso. I've become immune to a lot of the awful things that happen in the world. But this broke my heart. It's so hard to process and understand this type of senseless tragedy.

Tonight I came home and learn about the train crash in China . After I got over the shock of the accident, my first thought was at least only 32 people died. And I felt guilty as hell for thinking that. It's a very sad day when such a thought is possible.

I know it could never happen but today would be a great day for a World do over. My heart goes out to Norway and China.

New Crayons, New Week

2011-07-17T21:07:00.003-04:00

We host this meme which asks you to share what new books you got for the week. Not just so we can wish you a 'Happy Reading!' but also so that we can all find new books to add onto our TBR lists. So the purpose is two-fold and a wee bit selfish ;D But we thank you for sharing your book titles with us.

Doret

Ladder to the Moon by Maya Soetoro-Ng, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

From Maya Soetoro-Ng, sister of President Obama, comes a lyrical story relaying the loving wisdom of their late mother to a young granddaughter she never met.

Little Suhaila wishes she could have known her grandma, who would wrap her arms around the whole world if she could, Mama says. And one night, Suhaila gets her wish when a golden ladder appears at her window, and Grandma Annie invites the girl to come along with her on a magical journey. In a rich and deeply personal narrative, Maya Soetoro-Ng draws inspiration from her mother’s love for family, her empathy for others, and her ethic of service to imagine this remarkable meeting. Evoking fantasy and folklore, the story touches on events that have affected people across the world in our time and reaffirms our common humanity. Yuyi Morales’s breathtaking artwork illuminates the dreamlike tale, reminding us that loved ones lost are always with us, and that sometimes we need only look at the moon and remember.

Vasilly

Push by Sapphire

An electrifying first novel that shocks by its language, its circumstances, and its brutal honesty, Push recounts a young black street-girl's horrendous and redemptive journey through a Harlem inferno. For Precious Jones, 16 and pregnant with her father's child, miraculous hope appears and the world begins to open up for her when a courageous, determined teacher bullies, cajoles, and inspires her to learn to read, to define her own feelings and set them down in a diary.

The Kid by Sapphire

Fifteen years after the publication of Push, one year after the Academy Award-winning film adaptation, Sapphire gives voice to Precious's son, Abdul.

In The Kid bestselling author Sapphire tells the electrifying story of Abdul Jones, the son of Push's unforgettable heroine, Precious.

A story of body and spirit, rooted in the hungers of flesh and of the soul, The Kid brings us deep into the interior life of Abdul Jones. We meet him at age nine, on the day of his mother's funeral. Left alone to navigate a world in which love and hate sometimes hideously masquerade, forced to confront unspeakable violence, his history, and the dark corners of his own heart, Abdul claws his way toward adulthood and toward an identity he can stand behind.

In a generational story that moves with the speed of thought from a Mississippi dirt farm to Harlem in its heyday; from a troubled Catholic orphanage to downtown artist's lofts, The Kid tells of a twenty- first-century young man's fight to find a way toward the future. A testament to the ferocity of the human spirit and the deep nourishing power of love and of art, The Kid chronicles a young man about to take flight.

What are you reading this week? Do you read lighter reads during the summer or try and tackle the 'heavy duty' reads?

Books That Would Make Great Movies

2011-07-13T14:44:00.007-04:00

I love reading enough to know, books don't need to be turned into movies to prove their worth. But since books are acquired and adapted into movies on a regular basis, four titles I think would make great movies.

1. The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter -This was a great book. Its very visual with a lot of action and suspense. I could easily see this in the style of a John Grisham movie.

2. Right as Rain by George Pelecanos (anything by the author but this would be my first choice) All of Pelecanos mysteries are set in D.C. as an author he owns that city. I am very surprised none of his novels have been turned into movies. He used to work on the HBO's series the Wire along with Denise Lehane. At least three of Lehane's novels have been turned into movies and their styles are similar.

After doing a quick search I discovered that a Right as Rain movie is in the works for 2013.

3. 32 Candles by Ernessa Carter - I know the movies rights have already been sold. So I am keeping my fingers crossed that it gets made. If you loved Davie Jones, encourage Mirmax to get on with it and not sit on the book rights. Every time you see 32 Candles mentioned in social media land, comment on how much you loved the book and can't wait to see the movie.

4. Finally I am going to go old school classic with A Confederacy of the Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. I love this book. Out of the four it would be the most difficult to turn into a movie. But if it was pulled off some how it would be amazing.

I am on fire today, A Confederacy of the Dunces movie is in the works. Starring Will Ferrell. Ferrell is great and his movies are always very funny, I just can't picture him as Ignatius. Also from director's credits, I can see David Gordon Green going too over the top to make it work.

What books would you like to see turned into movies?

Women Writers of Color: Jean Kwok

2011-07-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

Full Name : Jean Kwok
Website: Jean Kwok
Birthplace: Hong Kong
Raised In: New York City
Current Location: The Netherlands
Genre: Fiction
Most Recently Published Work: Girl in Translation

Can you tell us a little about Girl in Translation?

Girl in Translation is the story of a young Chinese immigrant girl named Kimberly Chang who starts leading a double life: exceptional school girl by day and a factory worker in the evenings. Since she needs to hide the harder truths of her life – her extreme poverty, the weight of her family’s future resting on her shoulders—she learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself, back and forth, between the worlds she lives in. In the end, she needs to choose between the worlds she straddles and the two very different young men who love her.

Girl in Translation is a work of fiction but it is based upon my own life. Like my characters Kimberly and her mother, my family and I also immigrated from Hong Kong to New York City when I was a child. We too went from being fairly well off to needing to start our lives all over again. When my family started working in a sweatshop in Chinatown to survive, I had to go along to help work, even though I was only five years old. We lived in an apartment that didn’t have any central heating, and was swarming with cockroaches and rats. The only way to have any warmth at all was to keep our oven on throughout the long bitter winters. Fortunately, like Kimberly, I also had a talent for school. Although I struggled initially, I was soon able to learn English and ultimately went on to study at Harvard.

When Kimberly and her mother moved into their first rundown apartment I could see all of its cracks and roaches. I even felt the cold. The stories visual strength is due in part to your connection to the main character. So why a novel and not a memoir?

The main reason I chose fiction rather than memoir was because I never wanted to talk about my own background. I thought I’d be able to hide behind the fact that this is a novel but when the book began to receive a great deal of international attention, it became clear that the autobiographical aspect was an essential part of my message. People wanted to know if working class immigrants could actually live under such harsh circumstances, and I understood it was important to answer, “Yes.”

The book has been received so warmly by critics and readers alike that my shame has now turned into pride. I am glad I was able to tell our story because I know there are so many other Americans in similar situations.

There's a beautiful ease to this story. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. What to you think made this story such a page turner?

I’m always so glad to hear that. I did work hard on making it that way. Another reason I chose to write a novel instead of a memoir was because in order to make the book a compelling read, I needed to experiment with language and structure in ways that are not possible in a memoir. It took me ten years to learn enough craft to write this book.

I was interested in the idea of using the first person narrator – the “I” voice– in a new way. I wanted to put the reader into the head and heart of a Chinese person and there by give readers the experience of actually becoming a Chinese immigrant for the course of my novel: to hear Chinese like a native speaker and to hear their own language as gibberish. People tell me that they’d never realized what was like to be intelligent and articulate in their own language but to come across as very simple in a foreign language. This was something that my own mother experienced every day, since she never learned to speak English properly.

Although this novel was drawn from my own life, I used everything I knew to put interesting characters in challenging situations so that the reader wouldn’tbe able to put the book down. I hoped readers would be both entertained and enlightened.

I loved Girl in Translation. I only wondered at Kimberly's straight A's. It made more sense after reading your FAQ's. Still why not one B?

This is a good point but I don’t think Kimberly would have gotten any B’s. Although she struggled with many aspects of American society, school was her gift. And she was serious about it. I felt very much the same way as a child. I took school seriously because I knew it was my only way out of the factory. I couldn’t afford to moan and groan and slack off because if I did, I’d probably be working as a seamstress in a sweatshop right now. Like Kimberly, I was also incredibly lucky to be able to do well in school. That was something I was born with and I’ve always been extremely grateful for it.

Aside from the grades I really liked that Kimberly wasn't perfect. Girl in Translation was a great debut that was well received last year. What was the first high praise review of Girl in Translation you read? Do you still have a copy of it?

I was stunned by the reaction the novel got. Most people who work in sweatshops as children grow up to be adults who work in sweatshops. They don’t generally become writers. I never expected to actually succeed as a writer, and I certainly never thought my debut novel would be published in 15 countries, become a New York Times bestseller or win awards.

The funny thing is that I’d Googled myself before the book came out and the Jean Kwok who showed up was the one who worked for the Hands On condom factory (NOT me, by the way)! I just Googled myself today in response to this question and found more than 5 million hits.

I can’t remember the very first review but I do remember being shocked as the novel kept getting chosen to be featured by publications like the New York Times, USA Today, People, and Vogue. You can see some of the reviews here

This was just my little book, which I had written all alone in the attic of my home! I kept pinching myself. I was sure for a very long time that this was one big hallucination. I still wonder sometimes.

This would make a great book club selection, especially since the paperback has just been released. Have you had an opportunity to interact with any book clubs?

I love it when book clubs choose the book. It was actually a Blue Ribbon featured pick for all of the following book clubs: Book of the Month, Doubleday, Literary Guild, Large Print, the Lifestyle Clubs, Rhapsody, and Book of the Month Club 2. I was very surprised and honored when this happened.

Many people have told me that their book clubs have chosen the book and sometimes, I talk to book clubs either in person, by phone or Skype. It’s always a lot of fun.

What's your favorite part of a book tour? What are your book tour essentials?

No question about it – my favorite part of a book tour is meeting the readers.It is so wonderful to hear from people who have read the book. Some tell me how it made them think about their own backgrounds or that of someone they know. Some just say it helped them become more aware. All of those kind words mean so much to me. It makes it all worthwhile.

I split my luggage into two smallbags: one I check and one I keep with me at all times. If my checked bag is lost, it will never catch up to me on a book tour because I’m in a different city practically every day. I would need to be able to complete the tour with the contents of the other bag alone. So if you consider that bag, the one I always keep with me, to contain my book tour essentials, then this is what is in it:

Book tour schedule (tells me exactly what to do and where to go and who to call for help) Girl in Translation (so I can read from it, the paperback because it’s lighter) Wallet, Camera, Laptop, USB stick, presenter and notes (for when I use Powerpoint slides to showphotos with my talks) Cell phone, E-book reader/Poetry (because I love poetry, and poetry books are thin) Makeup (enough to prepare for a formal, filmed event) One nice outfit, Heels (to go with nice outfit) Toiletries (in mini form, enough to get through a day) Silk scarf (for temperature changes) Solid perfume (to make me feel happy and calm)

What are you working on now?
I am hoping to finish my next book very soon! It’s set in the Chinese immigrant community and in the professional ballroom dance world. I worked as a professional ballroom dancer for about three years in between my Bachelor’s degree at Harvard and my Masters at Columbia University. My next novel will be both a Chinese immigrant story and a love story set in the dance world.

*photo by Sigrid Estrada

New Crayons, New Challenge

2011-07-10T22:32:00.000-04:00

New Crayons was created by susan, the original founder of Color Online. It's a meme in which bloggers (you don't necessarily have to be a book blogger to participate in this meme, just someone who likes to read) share what new books they received/bought/traded for the week.

Ari

The World in Half by Cristina Henriquez

Miraflores has never known her father, and until now, shes never thought that he wanted to know her. Shes long been aware that her mother had an affair with him while she was stationed with her then husband in Panama, and shes always assumed that her pregnant mother came back to the United States alone with his consent. But when Miraflores returns to the Chicago suburb where she grew up, to care for her mother at a time of illness, she discovers that her mother and father had a greater love than she ever thought possible, and that her father had wanted her more than she could have ever imagined.

In secret, Miraflores plots a trip to Panama, in search of the man whose love she hopes can heal her motherand whose presence she believes can help her find the pieces of her own identity that she thought were irretrievably lost. What she finds is unexpected, exhilarating, and holds the power to change the course of her life completely.

In gorgeous, shimmering prose, Cristina Henríquez delivers a triumphant and heartbreaking first novel: the story of a young woman reconciling an existence between two cultures and confronting a life of hardship with an endless capacity to learn, love, and forgive.

Doret

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything by Uma Krishnaswami

Eleven-year old Dini loves movies—watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own—especially Bollywood movies. But when her mother tells her some big news, it does not at all jive with the script of her life she has in mind. Her family is moving to India…and, not even to Bombay, which is the center of the Bollywood universe and home to Dini’s all-time most favorite star, Dolly. No, Dini is moving to a teeny, tiny village she can’t even find on a map. Swapnagiri. It means Dream Mountain and it only looks like a word that’s hard to pronounce. But to that open-minded person who sounds the name out, one letter at a time, it falls quite handily into place: S-w-a-p-n-a-g-i-r-i. An honest sort of name, with no surprise letters waiting to leap out and ambush the unwary. That doesn’t mean there aren’t surprises in Swapnagiri like mischievous monkeys and a girl who chirps like a bird—and the biggest surprise of all: Dolly.

So now, Dini is hard at work on a new script, the script in which she gets to meet the amazing Dolly. But, life is often more unpredictable than the movies and when Dini starts plotting her story things get a little out of control.

This is a joyful, lively Bollywood inspired story is full of colorful details, delicious confections and the wondrous, magical powers of coincidence. Uma Krisnaswami will have you smiling from ear to ear.

Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Springs into Action by Jacqueline Jules

In this sequel, Freddie has shoes that give him super speed. It's hard to be a superhero and a regular kid at the same time, especially when your shoes give you even more power! Freddie needs an on/off switch for his super speed, so Mr. Vaslov, who created the shoes, decides to invent a remote control, but he gets more than he planned. When his young neighbor's ball goes missing, Freddie uses his new powers to find it... and save Mr. Vaslov.

Diversify Your Summer Reading! by spreading the word you can win 7 books with diverse characters, ends July 31. The general challenge ends September 1. To learn more go to this post

Libraries: We invite librarians to incorporate diverse middle grade and young adult novels into your summer reading programs, whether it’s as a book display, a book club event, or a book list you’ve created to share with your patrons. Please take photos or shoot video of your display or event and share them with us!

Readers and Book Bloggers: We invite readers and book bloggers to read diverse MG and YA books throughout the summer (you choose the books!) and write an essay (at least 500 words) about your experience. You can post it on your website, Blogger, LiveJournal, Tumblr, or on Facebook; we only ask that your post be publicly readable.

What to read: You can read whichever diverse books you like! By diverse we mean: (1) main characters or major secondary characters (e.g., a love interest or best friend kind of character) who are of color or are LGBT; or (2) written by a person of color or LGBT author

Minding Ben by Victoria Brown

2011-07-07T10:54:00.005-04:00

Minding Ben by Victoria Brown
At 16 Grace, makes the trip alone from her home in Trinidad to NYC. Grace finds herself alone when her aunt doesn't show at the airport. All of that happens in the prologue. When the story really gets going, its 1991 Grace is 18yrs old, living with Sylvia, a fellow Trinidadian she meet at carnival. Grace is helping take care of Sylvia's three kids. Plus the brother, six people staying in Sylvia's rundown Brooklyn apartment. Grace is trying to find work as a nanny. Not being a U.S citizen, is making the job search very difficult.

Grace finally gets a job with the Bruckner's, a wealthy Manhattan couple. She's hired as a weekly live in for their four year old son Ben. Grace is being paid $200 a week and knows its less then average for the area, but she needs the money. The Bruckner's take advantage. The wife is always finding more tedious work for Grace.

Brown does an excellent job of showing this very unbalanced employee and employer relationship. At one point the Bruckner's even hint at being Grace's sponsor to become citizen. Making it more difficult for Grace to leave a bad situation.

Grace takes Ben out to the park and sits with some of the other Caribbean nannies. The author incorporates many Island dialects, which I absolutely loved. It was easy to visualize these women sitting around a park bench, having causal conversations to pass the time.

One of the great things about this story, every interaction served a purpose. When Grace first talks to the Bruckner's doorman it's obvious he feel above the nannies. Brown paints a full picture of Grace, with the story lines running together smoothly. I loved Grace's best friend Kathy. She is also from Trinidad and has fully embraced Jamaican style.

"Kathy shook her head. She was one of those Trinidadians of indeterminate race, a real callaloo. Her chabine hair came almost to her waist in a ponytail looked just like a real pony's tail. She was red-skinned, short and plump - or as she liked to call herself, slim thick-. Karen had taken to Jamaicans. She left Trinidad exactly three months before I did and dropped her h's as frequently as she remembered to pronounce them. Not only had she picked up the accent but she had picked up the style. Now she sported a purple sweater and tight blue jeans. Simple enough but Kathy had only last Saturday gone to the Empire Boulevard post office to pick up her very own BeDazzler. Brooklyn Jamaicans were crazy about the potential for transformation locked away in every bite of the BeDazzler. Three braclets of rhinestones sparkled on Kath's cuffs and a line of jewels dotted up each arm. From the shoulders the stones ringed the neck of her sweater in three rows to mimic the cuff effect. Kathy had repeated the triple pattern on the hem of her jeans and had studded up its outer side seams to the front pockets. This dazzling effect was completed with purple, spiny stars on both back pockets and one final oversize rinestone centered on her back loop. All in all I estimated about two and a half pounds of gems.

When the author broke out the BeDazzler, couldn't help but like the story just a little more. Minding Ben is firmly set in NYC early 90's more so Brooklyn. It was fun for me to be reminded of past trends, like Karl Kani and being able to picture much of the world Grace was living in.

Brown has created a great character in Grace. I loved her voice. Minding Ben was an easy novel to fall into. I really enjoyed it.

An excerpt

Summer Selections

2011-07-06T10:00:00.001-04:00

I thought it would be fun for some of us at Color Online to list a few recommendations for the summer. Ari's Summer Selections went up last week.

I cheated a little and didn't show covers so I could fit more titles. I also included some paperbacks since not everyone likes to travel with hardcovers.

When I go on vacation I always take one mystery, one book that will have me laughing so much it hurts and one novel that's tad on the serious side.

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke - This is perfect for fans of Lehane or Pelecanos. Or anyone that's ever lived in Houston. (paperback)

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley - The Long Fall is the first book, introducing Leonid Mcgill one of the best new mystery sleuths out. (paperback)

32 Candles by Ernessa T Carter - This story is ridiculously good and very funny. (paperback)

Waking Up in the Land of Glitter by Kathy Cano-Murillo - This is must for anyone who loves to craft or enjoys watching crafty show. Or just loves to laugh a lot. (paperback)

Pym by Mat Johnson - This is so freakin good. A must for fans of satires - One of my favorites of the year.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok -Once you start reading this you won't be able to stop. So if its the only book you have in your carry on and the plane is delayed, your good to go. (paperback)

If Son Then Heirs by Lorene Cary - I loved losing myself in this story. The writing was pure beauty.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin - Gorgeous. This is one of the few times I've read a translated novel and didn't feel like part of the story was lost in translation. One of my favorites of the year.

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones - Amazing, this story came together so well. Another favorite of the year.

New Crayons

2011-07-03T14:11:00.002-04:00

Got big plans for Independence Day? Have fun, be safe and, hopefully they include some reading. If you're looking for some inspiration, here ya go...

Natasha--

Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon

Set in a suburb of Las Vegas, Ella and Zachary, called Z, have been friends forever, but Z has always been "the weird kid" in their class. He collects stubby pencils, plays chess, and maintains an elaborate –and public– fantasy life, starring himself as a brave knight. Z's games were okay back in 3rd or 4th grade, but by now their other friends have ditched them both. Z doesn't care, but Ella longs to be part of a group of friends, even though most of the class makes fun of her. Ella's mother is black and her father (now deceased) was white, and she's the only black girl in their sixth grade class. When a new boy, Bailey, moves to town, he befriends Ella, because they are now the only two black kids in class. But Bailey is popular – popular enough to make Ella cool and give her a wider circle of friends – but only if she stops hanging out with Z. Ella's faced with a difficult decision – remain loyal to the boy who has been her best and only friend for years, or pass up the opportunity to be one of the popular kids that she has always longed to be.

Africans Thought of It: Amazing Innovations by Bathsheba Opini

Redeemers: Ideas and Power in Latin America by Enrique Krauze

Latin America has been of vital importance to the United States almost since the birth of our nation, and the significance of this relationship has only increased in recent decades. But mutual understanding between these regions is lacking, even as Latin Americans are striving to promote the values of democracy in their native countries and beyond. Why has this process proved to be such a struggle, and what does the future of the region hold?

In Redeemers, acclaimed historian Enrique Krauze presents the major ideas that have formed the modern Latin American political mind during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from early postcolonial authoritarian regimes to nineteenth-century Liberalism and Conservatism, and then the impact of Socialism and Marxism as well as nationalism and indigenism and the movement toward liberal democracy of recent years. Krauze looks closely at how these ideas have been expressed in the lives of influential revolutionaries, thinkers, poets, and novelists—figures whose lives were marked by a passionate involvement in history, power, and, for some, revolution, as well as a personal commitment to love, friendship, and family. Krauze’s subjects come from across the continents. Here are the Cuban José Martí; the Argentines Che Guevara and Evita Perón; the groundbreaking political thinkers José Vasconcelos of Mexico and José Carlos Mariátegui from Peru. Writers José Enrique Rodó, Mario Vargas Llosa, Octavio Paz, and Gabriel García Márquez reinforce the importance of imagination to inspire social change.

Redeemers also highlights Mexico’s Samuel Ruiz and Subcomandante Marcos and Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez, and their influence on contemporary Latin America.

In this brilliant and deeply researched history, Enrique Krauze uses the range of these extraordinary lives to illuminate the struggle that has defined Latin American history: an ever-precarious balance between the ideal of democracy and the temptation of political messianism. Through this comprehensive collage of the distinct but interconnected experiences and views of these twelve fascinating cultural and political figures, we can better understand how this balance continues to affect Latin America today and how its nations will define themselves and relate to the larger world in the years ahead.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.
This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia

Brought together each summer at a boarding school in Switzerland, three girls learn a lot more than just French and European culture. Shirin, an Iranian princess; Ingrid, a German-Canadian eccentric; and Vivien, a Cuban-Jewish New Yorker culinary phenom, are thrown into each other’s lives when they become roommates. This is a story of 3 paths slowly beginning to cross and merge as they spend the year apart, but the summers together. Through navigating the social-cultural shoals of the school, developing their adolescence, and learning the confusing and conflicting legacies of their families’ past, Shirin, Ingrid, and Vivien form an unbreakable bond.

Terri--

Act of Grace by Karen Simpson

Why would Grace Johnson, a bright, African-American high school senior, save the life of a Ku Klux Klansman named Jonathan Gilmore?

That question hovers over Grace’s hometown of Vigilant, Michigan, and few people, black or white, understand her actions—especially since rumor has it that many years ago, a member of the Gilmore family murdered several African-American residents. And if Grace had her way, she would not reveal the circumstances that led her to make what some deem to be a foolish sacrifice and an act of treason against her race.

The decision to remain silent, however, is not Grace’s to make, for the spirit of her ancestors have emerged and insist, in ways Grace cannot ignore, that she bear witness to the violent racial history that continues to divide the town of Vigilant. But when Grace discovers a century-old tale of a bloadsoaked, eye-for-eye vengeance that includes the mysterious death of her own father, she questions whether she has the ability and the will to accept the mind-bending spiritual challenge in front of her.

As Grace reluctantly embarks on the unlikeliest of journeys and into the magical world of the African-American traditions used by her ancestors to fight slavery and oppression, she undergoes a spiritual transformation that leads to the true nature of her calling: to lead Jonathan Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a path toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace.

Summer Selections

2011-07-01T12:53:00.001-04:00

I thought it would be a fun idea for some of us, Color Online contributors to name a few summer read picks.

Ari's Summer Selections

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins -I'm late on reading this one but I'm very glad I saved it for summer. Jazz travels to India for the summer with her family and it's the classic tale of discovering yourself in a foreign country. What makes this book really stand out is that I learned a lot about India both directly and indirectly, through conversations Jazz had with girls at her school (I know attending school in the summer, the horror!) and through her observations. While I hated her attitude towards helping others, I admired her entrepreneurial spirit and she did change :)

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson -Joshua is the narrator, he wants to "save" his old childhood friend (and crush), Maddie who has moved away from the church. Maddie challenges Joshua on his beliefs and the author challenges readers to ask themselves if everyone needs to be saved (not just in the religious sense of the word, mind you). The relationship Joshua has with his parents is rare in that his parents are a known presence in his life who both frustrate him and make him happy. His parents also grow as characters. Plus there's a sly side to the novel, it's not always clear if Maddie and Joshua are going to be romantically involved, it's tastefully portrayed. I only wish a sequel would be in the works and that the cover was more guy-friendly (although I love that lipstick shade and pretty cross!)

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves The only reason I have for making this a summer read is because it's set in Texas. Texas is hot. Therefore it's a summer read. Wonderfully bizarre, not for the faint of heart (well actually it is because I scare so easily but I was able to handle this book. Then again it's not paranormal/fantasy that scares me). Hanna is the main character and she's so bold, confident and yet vulnerable at the same time, aching for her mother's love. I adore her.

The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu - A summer in China leads to observations and knowledge being imparted on the one-child policy, surprisngly deep. A bonus is one of the minor characters being the complete opposite of the 'submissive Asian girl stereotype' and I really liked the romance (I'm a sucker for cross-cultural love yes but I also like when love interests bond over their shared ethnic culture, it's cute).

Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier -Probably one of the slowest-moving books I've ever read, but this contemporary YA is well worth a read if you ever wanted an All-You-Need-To-Know-About-South-Asian-American-Culture guide (which is both good and bad). Dimple is one of the funniest main characters I've ever come across, definitely a laugh out loud worthy book. I could really relate to Dimple for feeling left out because she didn't come from a broken home. Because her personal issues were less obvious, her best friend Gwyn dismissed her as having a perfect life and not understanding pain. But Dimple did understand pain and she wanted to be there for her friend. And Karsh actually made me think omg when I read this one scene that was about pictures of Dimple and Gwyn. Haha

Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon - A sequel to Silver Phoenix that could be read as a stand-alone but I would really recommend reading Silver Phoenix first. Less action, more character development but it's a wonderful trade-off. I'm still in awe that the author made me understand the villain. And there's some smoldering sexual tension, essential for a summer read ;)

10 Reasons to Buy 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

2011-06-28T09:47:00.007-04:00

10. Ernessa T Carter's WWOC interview.
9.You love the movie Sixteen Candles.
8.You love the book Color Purple
7. Your friends loved it so, they can't stop and won't stop talking about it
6. It's ridicuoulsy good
5. The excerpt
4. A perfect summer time read
3. You will laugh out loud a lot
2. Davie Jones will be a hit with book clubs
1. The paperback was released today

If you've already read 32 Candles tell your friends the paperback is out. Buy a copy as a gift or for your library. If you haven't read 32 Candles yet, stop trippin and go buy it this week.

I want to see 32 Candles where it belongs, on the NYT bestseller list. I want it to be on there for a long time, so I have a reason to hate on Ernessa T. Carter

New Crayons

2011-06-26T14:54:00.000-04:00

There's a great discussion going on in the comments on last Thursday's post on libraries. Please stop by and add your thoughts. With that said, were you able to score some new crayons this week from your local library, bookstore, yard sale, or wherever? Here's what our list.

Doret--

Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr

Michelle LeBeau, the child of a white American father and a Japanese mother, lives with her grandparents in Deerhorn, Wisconsin—a small town that had been entirely white before her arrival. Rejected and bullied, Michelle spends her time reading, avoiding fights, and roaming the countryside with her English Springer Spaniel, Brett. She idolizes her grandfather, Charlie LeBeau, an expert hunter and former minor league baseball player who is one of the town’s most respected men. Charlie strongly disapproved of his son’s marriage to Michelle’s mother but dotes on his only grandchild, whom he calls Mikey.

This fragile peace is threatened when the expansion of the local clinic leads to the arrival of the Garretts, a young black couple from Chicago. Betty Garrett is hired as a nurse, and her husband, Joe, works as a substitute teacher at the elementary school. The Garretts’ presence deeply upsets most of the residents of Deerfield—especially when Mr. Garrett makes a controversial accusation against one of the town leaders, who is also Charlie LeBeau’s best friend.

In the tradition of To Kill a Mockingbird, A River Runs Through It, andSnow Falling on Cedars, Nina Revoyr’s new novel examines the effects of change on a small, isolated town, the strengths and limits of community, and the sometimes conflicting loyalties of family and justice. Set in the expansive countryside of Central Wisconsin, against the backdrop of Vietnam and the post-Civil Rights era, Wingshooters explores both connection and loss as well as the complex but enduring bonds of family.

Minding Ben by Victoria Brown

At sixteen, Grace Caton boards her first airplane, leaving behind the tropical papaya and guava trees of her small village in Trinidad for another island, this one with tall buildings, graceful parks, and all the books she can read. At least that's what Grace imagines. But from the moment she touches down, nothing goes as planned. The aunt who had promised to watch over her disappears, and Grace finds herself on her own.Grace stumbles into the colorful world of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, having been taken in hand, sort of, by a fellow islander, Sylvia. Here, she's surrounded by other immigrants also finding their way in America. From her Orthodox Jewish landlord, Jacob, to her wannabe Jamaican friend, Kathy, who feels that every outfit can be improved with a Bedazzler and a low-cut top, there's much to learn about her new city.
Most challenging of all is figuring out her new employers, the Bruckners, an upper-middle-class family in Manhattan. The job is strange--Grace's duties range from taking daily nude photos of her pregnant boss (a shock to her, since she's never even seen her own mother naked) to dressing in a traditional maid's costume to serve Passover seder. But Grace loves four-year-old Ben, and she's intrigued by the alternately friendly and scheming nannies who spend their days in Union Square Park, and by their constant gossip about who's hired, who's fired, and who, scandalously, married her boss.
As the seasons change, Grace discovers that the Bruckners have surprising secrets of their own, and her life becomes increasingly complicated and confusing. But opportunities appear in the most unexpected places, and Grace realizes that she's living in a city--and a world--where anything is possible.

Just Wanna Testify by Pearl Cleage

Atlanta's West End district has always been a haven and home to a coterie of unique characters -- artists and thinkers, dreamers and doers. Folks here know one another's names, keep their doors unlocked, and look out for their neighbors. Anyone planning to sell drugs, vandalize, or rob a little old lady should think twice before hitting this part of town. And Blue Hamilton, West End's unofficial mayor and longtime protector, will see to it that you do. Blue wears many hats here, including adored husband to Regina, dear nephew to Abbey, and doting father to Sweetie and another little one on the way.
Blue is also the man you pay your respects to if you're looking to set up shop in this urban enclave -- just ask Serena Mayflower, whom Blue sees striding down Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard wearing skin-tight black leather pants, thigh-high boots, and bright red lipstick. This tall, slender, ethereally beautiful woman and her four equally striking sisters make up the Too Fine Five, a quintet of international supermodels who have arrived in town for an Essence magazine photo shoot.
But Blue's gut tells him that there's more to these Mayflower mademoiselles than their affection for full moons and Bloody Marys. With the help of his beloved Regina and their close friends and relations in West End, Blue vows to uncover the women's secret intentions -- and prove once and for all that there is no greater force on earth than the power of love.

Can I check out a book please?

2011-06-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

That's what I expect to see after committing search after search on my local library's website. Why? Because the vast majority of the time I'm searching in vain. I just don't get it. Well, I do get that funding is a major issue. However, I don't get what drives the selection that is there. Is it the same as what mysteriously drives the book selling market? I say "mysterious" because it's beyond me why nothing I and many others prefer to read is hardly ever available in a bookstore in this city.

The library has a request form that I've employed at least two dozen times to have only one request pending fulfillment. Even that one took months for a response. I've inquired a few times with various librarians at the largest branch about how books are chosen for the inventory and how quickly are new releases added. That was pretty much a bust. I got some vague, dismissive response. Honestly, I don't think she knew the answer. I know some might think it harsh I'm bitchin' about public libraries but it's because they are important to creating a vibrant image for a city and because I'm a bookhead...HELLO!

I commented earlier on a post by another book blogger that I'm given almost no choice but to purchase most of the books I read as I cannot get them from a library here. I've been asked about an interlibrary loan system. Huh? I've always only thought such a thing existed in academic libraries. This prompted me to prowl around some other cities' library systems and I was rudely awakened.

So, I called the branch closest to my home which happens to be the largest and spoke to a really kind woman who responded as best she could to my questions. Basically, as I mentioned before, it comes down to money. I did let her know that I wasn't just some griper who doesn't contribute to the pot. I've patronized every book sale for the last two or three years and the used bookstore which helps fund the library. As a matter of fact, I purchased four books from their used bookstore in the last week. She did tell me that we do have an ILL system. I asked if it's on the website anywhere and she was certain that it's not. So am I. And she seemed to get my frustration with that. However, that hasn't stopped it from amassing a high volume of requests. Now I know.

I feel like my patronage at the library's book sales is for naught. It seems to be funding the attainment of everything I don't enjoy reading. Should I just spend my money only on what I want to read and not care if the library flounders? And I'm not suggesting that my support will bring the library's demise but I know that every little bit helps.

Is the problem merely the allocation of tax dollars to or public libraries shamefully low?

How are things at your local library? Does it sufficiently feed your reading habits?

And, lastly, what trends do you see in the inventory in your libraries when it comes to literature by authors of color?

An Auction For L.A. Banks

2011-06-21T10:19:00.007-04:00

This morning I stopped by Edi's blog which lead me to White Readers Meet Black Authors where author Carleen Brice gives information about an auction to support author L.A. Banks.

Noted author L.A. Banks is in the hospital very sick. Her medical bills are quite high so beginning tomorrow Tuesday, June 21st authors and people in the book biz are auctioning items and services to raise money to help cover her expenses. If you're a writer, this is a great opportunity to have a published author or an industry professional help you with your work! There's also lots of cool stuff for readers--books, books and more books! Banks wrote a variety of genres, so there is quite a diversity of books available.

There are a lot of great items up for bid for a very good cause. Please spread the word.

The auction will run from June 21 9pm - July 1, 9pm

New Crayons

2011-06-19T09:42:00.001-04:00

This week we have a broad array of new crayons from ballerinas to lesbian vampires. You're sure to expand that summer reading list. Enjoy!

Doret--

Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole

Here's what it means to be a tortillera.It means you're a girl who loves girls.
Which means you get kicked out of Catholic school faster than Mother Superior Sicko can say "immoral."
Which means your wacko Mami finds out.
Which means you're kicked to the curb with nowhere to go, and the love of your life is shipped off to Puerto Rico to marry a guy.
But this is Miami, and if you have a bighearted best friend and a loyal puppy at your side, and if your broken heart is still full of love, you just might land on your feet.
In a first novel as crazy, joyful, hilarious, and painful as your first love, Mayra Lazara Dole goes beyond the many meanings of tortillera to paint a vivid picture of a girl who gets kicked out of home only to find a new kind of family.

Another Way to Dance by Martha Southgate

is the story of 14-year-old Vicki Harris, an aspiring ballerina who has just been accepted into the summer program at New York City’s prestigious School of American Ballet. It will be hard work and highly competitive, but Vicki feels ready. She is totally committed to dancing. But Vicki isn’t prepared to be one of only two African-American students in the program. Nor is she expecting the racism she finds within the school. And Michael, a new friend from Harlem, takes Vicki completely by surprise. He shakes up her dream world and shows her that real life is bigger than a stage.

Terri--

The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

In 1946, Hollywood’s most famous swashbuckler, Errol Flynn, arrived in Jamaica in a storm-ravaged boat. After a long and celebrated career on the silver screen, Flynn spent the last years of his life on a small island off the Jamaican coast, where he fell in love with the people, the paradisiacal setting, and the privacy, and brought a touch of Tinseltown glamour to the West Indian community.

Based on those years, The Pirate’s Daughter imagines an affair between the aging matinee star and Ida, a beautiful local girl. Flynn’s affections are unpredictable but that doesn’t stop Ida from dreaming of a life with him, especially after the birth of their daughter, May.

Margaret Cezair-Thompson weaves stories of mothers and daughters, fathers and lovers, country and kin, into this compelling, dual-generational coming-of-age tale of two women struggling to find their way in a nation wrestling with its own independence.

Grace by Elizabeth Nunez

Justin Peters is a Harvard-educated professor of British and classic literature who reads Shakespeare to his four-year-old daughter, Giselle. A native of Trinidad and the product of a strict, English-style education, Justin and his focus on the works of “Dead White Men” receive little professional respect at the public Brooklyn college where he teaches. But whatever troubles he might have at work are eclipsed when he realizes his wife, Sally, has begun to pull away from him, both physically and emotionally.
Harlem-born Sally Peters, a mother on the verge of turning forty, is a primary school teacher who believes that joy is a learned skill, and that it takes strength to be happy. After a life of tragic losses, Sally thought she had finally found that strength when she met Justin.

But now, Sally wants something more. And Justin is angered by her uncertainty about their life and frightened by the thought that perhaps Sally never stopped loving the ex-boyfriend for whom she wrote fierce poems. Is he, Justin wonders, responsible for helping Sally find meaning in her lifea life that seems to him most fortunate? If Sally and Justins union is to survive, both must face the crippling echoes of their own pasts before those memories forever cloud and alter their future.

Set in a snow-covered Brooklyn, Grace is a thoughtful and lovely meditation on trust, redemption, and family. Elizabeth Nunezs delicate prose brings the struggles, aches, and tender moments of this contemporary urban love story into vivid focus.

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

is a very American odyssey. Escaping from slavery in the 1850s Gilda's longing for kinship and community grows over two hundred years. Her induction into a family of benevolent vampires takes her on an adventurous and dangerous journey full of loud laughter and subtle terror.

All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann

was inspired by a true story. It is about Margaret Morgan, who was kidnapped in 1837, along with her free children, and sold into slavery. Although she fought hard to regain her freedom, Margaret endured tremendous loss and hardship. Her ordeal led to one of the most important yet least-known Supreme Court cases of the era, Prigg v. Pennsylvania.

Text books will have you believe the story of Prigg v. Pennsylvania is important because it ended in controversy and fanned the early embers of the Civil War. This book will have you believe the story is important because it began with Margaret.

In Honor of Caribbean Heritiage Month

2011-06-13T10:32:00.005-04:00

Educator and author Ashley Hope Perez put together this great guest post for Color Online earlier in the year. I decided to rerun for Caribbean Heritage Month.

Reading Women Writers of the Caribbean

There’s more to Caribbean literature than the (wonderful) well-known works like A Simple Habana Melody and In the Time of the Butterflies.

Come with me to discover the texts I teach as part of my college class on women writers of the Caribbean. These titles are not to be missed! I’ll discuss them, not in order of publication, but in the order in which I teach them.

“A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua). This piece is the first text I introduce students to. I start here because Kincaid issues a forceful critique against tourism, and I want to challenge my students to find ways of reading that go beyond literary tourism. This is our starting place for discussions of the connections between reading and ethics. The text often makes readers feel guilty, angry, and uncomfortable. We talk about why.

Prospero’s Daughter by Elizabeth Nunez (Trinidad). This is a fascinating adaptation and retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This is the first novel I teach in the course because Nunez’s critique of colonialism, valorization of the local and (re)appropriation of a master plot by a white writer are features that are pretty plain to students. This is what I call an “apprenticeship” novel that helps sensitize students to themes that they’ll encounter (more subtly) in subsequent novels.

I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé (Guadeloupe). Here, Condé puts Tituba, a marginal historical figure from the Salem witch trials, on center stage, tracing her travels from the Caribbean to New England and back again. In addition to her reclamation of and play with the Salem history, Condé incorporates a cameo appearance by Hester Prynne of Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, changing Hester’s fate in the retelling. Check out this blog for a subtle reading of I, Tituba

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Dominica). This classic of Caribbean literature offers yet another instance of rewriting canonical texts, for it imagines the pre-history of the Bertha character (the madwoman in the attic) from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. (Don’t worry; you don’t have to know Jane Eyre to enjoy Wide Sargasso Sea. The first time I read it, I hadn’t yet read the Brontë classic.) It also provides readers with an opportunity to reflect on madness as a product of heredity—or of manipulated circumstances. The power of men over women’s lives comes to the fore here.

No Telephone to Heaven by Michelle Cliff (Jamaica). One of my favorite books of all time, this novel explores identity and fragmentation at a number of levels from the national to the personal. Cliff’s masterful storytelling and stylistic finesse make this novel stand out, not merely in Caribbean literature, but in postmodern fiction in general. This is also a novel that the matizes gender identity and political violence.

The Youngest Doll by Rosario Ferré (Puerto Rico). This collection of short stories challenges readers with sudden (unmarked) shifts of perspective, cutting irony, and surreal elements that break through into otherwise realistic narratives. At her best, Ferré provokes fascination and compulsive re-reading with these feminist parables and experiments.

(Note: these stories are ostensibly translations of the texts collected in Papeles de Pandora, but having read the Spanish first, in teaching I discovered that many of the stories in The Youngest Doll have been substantially modified, their experimental edge toned down. This is apparently an authorial decision since Ferré co-translated most of the stories.)

The Pagoda by Patricia Powell (Jamaica). It’s hard to discuss this novel’s plot without giving things away since it is built around the concealment and revelation of a number of family secrets. In this novel, Powell places Asian experience in Jamaica at the center of her story. I love how Powell shows the damage people can do to one another and the possibility of healing.

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat (Haiti). I save this novel for last in teaching because I want my students to be maximally prepared to savor every aspect of it. Set in the Dominican Republic, Danticat’s novel dramatizes the massacre of Haitian workers in the D.R. during Trujillo’s dictatorship. Prepare yourself to gasp over Danticat’s exquisite prose.

Thanks for having me as a guest. Happy reading, everybody!

Ashley Hope Pérez is a passionate teacher and student of literature. She is also the author of two YA novels. What Can't Wait was just released by Carolrhoda LAB on March 1; look for The Knife and the Butterfly in 2012. She blogs about books, ideas, and writing. You can check her out online at Ashley Perez and find out the secret behind her tattoo, why she dropped out of high school at 16, and how she finds time to write while chasing her 11-month-old, Liam Miguel, who has an obsession with cat food and cabinets.

I loved Perez's YA novel What Can't Wait. It's one of my favorite debuts of 2011. My review An excerpt

New Crayons

2011-06-12T11:53:00.003-04:00

First I want to point out that there are a few read alongs and discussions of some POC lit. coming up in the blogosphere.

*Twitter discussion of Toni Morrison's Sula hosted by Evelyn N. Alfred begins Monday, June 27.

*Read along of Alex Haley's Roots hosted by Book Snob and Book Snob Wannabe begins Monday, June 13.

*I'm hosting a live discussion of Victor Lavalle's Big Machine at BrownGirl BookSpeak on Wednesday, June 15.

*A discussion The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson begins Wednesday, June 15.

Got any discussions or read alongs of POC books coming up? Let us know in the comments.

On to the New Crayons...

Terri--
Tropical Fish: Tales From Entebbe by Doreen Baingana

In her fiction debut, Doreen Baingana follows a Ugandan girl as she navigates the uncertain terrain of adolescence. Set mostly in pastoral Entebbe with stops in the cities Kampala and Los Angeles, Tropical Fish depicts the reality of life for Christine Mugisha and her family after Idi Amins dictatorship.

Three of the eight chapters are told from the point of view of Christines two older sisters, Patti, a born-again Christian who finds herself starving at her boarding school, and Rosa, a free spirit who tries to “magically” seduce one of her teachers. But the star of Tropical Fish is Christine, whom we accompany from her first wobbly steps in high heels, to her encounters with the first-world conveniences and alienation of America, to her return home to Uganda.

As the Mugishas cope with Ugandas collapsing infrastructure, they also contend with the universal themes of family cohesion, sex and relationships, disease, betrayal, and spirituality. Anyone dipping into Baingana's incandescent, widely acclaimed novel will enjoy their immersion in the world of this talented newcomer.

Wounded Words by Evelyne Accad

Poetical and powerful, this book is a vivid autobiographical exploration of women's issues in the political turmoil of contemporary Tunisia. Hayate's feminist ideals are put to the test during her stay in Tunisia. Her friends face the choice of leaving the Arab world to live where women can find more freedom, or stay to work for a better society. The dilemma becomes much more than theory when a crisis befalls Hayate. She is forced to consider how women can rid themselves of old ways of relating to each other and to men. Through Hayate's thought-provoking story, Evelyn Accad captures the debate about feminism, asks how women can live day-to-day by its values, and addresses the question of feminism in the Arab world.

Doret--

Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

From World War I to the 1970s, some six million black Americans fled the American South for an uncertain existence in the urban North and West. They left all they knew and took a leap of faith that they might find freedom under the Warmth of Other Suns.

Their leaving became known as the Great Migration. It brought us James Baldwin, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Richard Wright and the forebears of Michelle Obama, Toni Morrison and of most African-Americans in the North and West. It set in motion the civil rights movement and created our cities and art forms.

This is the story of three who made the journey, of the forces that compelled them to leave and of the many others—famous and not so famous—who went as far as they could to realize the American Dream.

Nathalie--

Sisters of the Sari by Brenda L. Baker

While vacationing in India, Kiria Langdon, the opinionated and driven CEO of a major company, meets Santoshi, a former slave who now works as a cleaning lady and lives in a shelter for homeless women in Chennai. Appalled by the conditions in the shelter, Kiria becomes obsessed with the idea of building decent housing for poor working women in India. Santoshi reluctantly agrees to help, even though she thinks Kiria's ideas are too crazy to succeed.

Embarking on a rich journey of personal discovery, both women will learn invaluable lessons about themselves as they forge a powerful bond of sisterhood across the barriers of language and culture-a bond that makes anything possible.

Color Me Brown (Catching Up)

2011-06-09T10:36:00.000-04:00

I'm s-l-o-w-l-y going through my Google Reader so there may be some old links but I'm trying to keep it current. Leave your own links to posts discussing books, conducting author or blogger interviews or just having general discussions about bookish topics (particularly having to do with race).

Katie from Book Love reviews Trash by Andy Mulligan

The poverty that these boys exist in is almost unthinkable. Homes are nothing more than crates piled one atop the other. From the time that they are old enough to wield their own "hook," small children are taken out of school and sent to scavenge through the trash. The government is greedy and corrupt, and it isn't at all unusual for members of the police to lock up (most likely) innocent children for years without hope of a trial. When Raphael finds the leather bag, it's no wonder that he chooses to keep his find a secret from the police.

But Raphael certainly wasn't in this story alone. Trash is told from many different points of view. In fact, pretty much everyone who was remotely involved in his story has their own chapter

Sarwat Chadda unveils the Italian cover of Devil's Kiss (PHENOMENAL book and cover to match) and shares an interview he did with his translator. The questions asked really delved into the depths of this wonderful series)

What is Hell? Hell is the cry of a starving infant. Hell is the begging for mercy then denied. Hell is the betrayals between man and wife. The lies between father and child. Hell is where the heart is.” OMG! That certainly leaves not much room for Heaven! What can we do?

Remember who you’re quoting, it was the Devil and he’ll have a fairly negative view of humanity, so I wouldn’t trust his opinion on anything.
But Devil’s Kiss is a grim, dark story. It’s not your usual paranormal romance where the girl gets the boy and they all live happily ever after. I wanted the horror and brutality of the world Billi lives in to be authentic and sincere, she’s playing for the highest stakes imaginable.
Billi and the Templars are about the struggle. They know they’ll never win, the best they can do is keep the darkness at bay for a little longer. That takes a particular type of bravery, knowing it will never end but carrying on regardless.

It’s too easy to let morality and common humanity fall by the wayside as you pursue your ambitions. The Templars are heroic because they fight to defend humanity when at times they may feel humanity is no better than the creatures they face. That’s especially true in Dark Goddess when Billi realises the enemy is just as dedicated as her, and they may be right, not her.

Khy from Frenetic Reader reviews Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Fury of the Phoenix is different than Silver Phoenix not only because Fury seems to contain less food, but also because it is not as action-oriented. There are far fewer monsters and battles in this sequel than in book one, and even though I did wish for more action, I liked the direction this book went in. Though the switches between the story of Ai Ling and Chen Yong and the story of Zhong Ye and Silver Phoenix sometimes seemed abrupt, I loved that both were included. The inclusion of Zhong Ye's rise to power was always a delight to read about, because in the last book he did not seem like he had much of a personality, just that he was all evil. However, in this book, it was proven that there is more to him than just evil, and that his reason for being so bad is valid.

Liz B reviews Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

So, while this book is about Ai Ling, it is clear that there is going to be a bigger story… especially when she meets someone who is about 19 and is part foreigner.

Ai Ling is an interesting main character. She’s a bit out of step with her society; a girl her age should be married, but she isn’t. She is also a reader and has read books her parents didn’t want her to read. This turns out to be a good thing, because reading about different demons helps her out when she actually encounters them! I misunderstood the jacket description, so at first thought that Ai Ling was going to be a fighter. The fighting is done mainly by Chen Yong and Li Rong. Ai Ling has other talents she brings to the quest. Perhaps one of my favorite parts about the way that Ai Ling’s journey is handled is that when Ai Ling runs away to find her father, she doesn’t dress herself up as a boy. She doesn’t have to hide who she is or pretend to have her adventures.

The Rejectionist interviews Marina Budhos, a writer of multiple genres (Ask Me No Questions, Tell Us We're Home, co-authored Sugar Changed the World along with a few others)

Do you think of your work as political? Do you approach writing YA differently from writing for adults?

I'm not sure I think of it as political, but I think that the larger world, the political forces that shape us, and shape young people, are vital to me. It's simply how I see things. I don't start out with an 'issue' but simply I go where my gut, my interests send me. Some of the instincts I once used as a journalist, I think, are now making their way into young adult.

I do have to approach the writing a little differently. In my early drafts of Tell Us We're Home I still had the vestiges of some adult writing that did not quite work--too much authorial, from above material, for instance. I had to find a very concrete way to get at these things, about class, about immigrants, how the kids would feel it--not their parents. So that took some digging, some refocusing. In general, I do feel that writing for ya requires one to be a bit more direct, more driven by voice. On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of ya that is too 'raw'. I am interested in the craft, just as much as I would be in adult.

BookSignings; Ereaders, Mass Market Filled Duffel Bag and More

2011-06-07T10:12:00.002-04:00

I am very excited to be going to Tayari Jones booksigning for Silver Sparrow tomorrow night. I will be leaving my ereader at home. For some reason it doesn't seem right to bring an ereader to a signing. Even if someone is buying the book to be signed and reading something else. Plus part of the fun is taking a peak at what other fans are reading and talking books.

Sheela Chari wrote a wonderful middle grade debut called Vanished that comes out in August. The book has a great cover but since I read the egalley, I couldn't show it off. And I really wanted to because the book was just so much fun. I hate not being able to show a books cover. If there's ever a time to show off covers its at a booksigning, so I will be leaving my ereader at home.

As a former bookseller one my big pet peeves is buying a book to be signed somewhere else, and not supporting the store that's hosting the event. That's just tacky. A lot of work goes into putting events together. Also it wasn't the other bookstore, amazon or walmart that made it possible for you to meet an author you like

I've never understood why some fans bring a duffel bag of mass markets to be signed.
The good authors love that you love their work and truly appreciate that you've been a fan for so long. The good authors are also too kind to say anything about the mass market filled duffel bags. So I am going to say it for them. A duffel bag is serious over kill. Please consider the authors wrist and the other fans.

If you ask an author more then two questions about getting published you need to support them and buy their book. If you can't afford the book don't ask more then two questions. The author is not there to field questions about getting published, they are their to sell their book.

One great booksigning accessory is a totebag. I will probably be using my Algonquin tote since they published Silver Sparrow.

Jones was kind enough to do the Women Writers of Color interview with Color Online. I can't wait to meet the author.

New Crayons

2011-06-05T12:17:00.000-04:00

It's time again for us to share some new reads we got this week. Don't forget you can post your New Crayons meme or share with us in the comments any new reads that were bought, borrowed, or gifted.

Doret--

Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R.L. LeFevers

In this fourth book in the series, Theodosia sets off to Egypt to return the Emerald Tablet—embedded with the knowledge of some of the ancient world’s most guarded secrets. Accompanied by her cat, Isis (smuggled along in a basket), Theo plans to return the artifact, then explore the mysteries surrounding her own birth and oh, yes— help her mother dig up treasures on her archeological expedition.

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson

Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.

It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when she encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward.

Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani’s newfound wealth brings her a prince—and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?

My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff

High school sophomore Adam Zeigler, who lost his father to a sudden accident two years ago, thinks the best way to live life is behind the spotlight. As a member of the theater crew, he believes he's achieved it all when he wins the coveted job of spotlight operator. But that was before a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he'll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don't mix.

Set against the backdrop of a high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Zadoff's latest is a bromance, a love story, and theater story in one. The politics of love and high school collide as Adam struggles to find the courage to step out of the shadows and into the light.

Nathalie--

Sisters of the Sari by Brenda L. Baker

White Water by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein

It’s a scorching hot day, and going into town with Grandma is one of Michael’s favorite things. When the bus pulls up, they climb in and pay their fare, get out, walk to the back door, and climb in again. By the time they arrive in town, Michael’s throat is as dry as a bone, so he runs to the water fountain. But after a few sips, the warm, rusty water tastes bad. Why is the kid at the "Whites Only" fountain still drinking? Is his water clear and refreshingly cool? No matter how much trouble Michael might get into, he’s determined to find out for himself. Based on a transformative experience co-author Michael Bandy had as a boy, this compelling story sheds light on the reality of segregation through a child’s eyes, while showing the powerful awareness that comes from daring to question the way things are.

Vasilly--

EAT: The Effortless Weightloss solution by Ian K. Smith

Diets are made to go “on” and “off of”, and if you’re like most people—who want to be fit, lean, alert and healthy—you don’t want to diet. You want to eat naturally and normally, in a way that helps you have the body and lifestyle you deserve to enjoy. In EAT, Dr. Ian Smith has created a blueprint for you. It’s a flexible and intelligent plan you can follow every day, in every situation—eating out, working late, traveling, cooking for the holidays—and that will urge your body to perform at its peak. You’ll drop any excess pounds you need to lose. You won’t worry about what you “can” and “can’t” eat, but will listen to yourself and eat smart.

Naipual : Women Writers Are Too Sentimental

2011-06-04T11:23:00.011-04:00

In a recent interview with Royal Geographic society author VS Naipaul said a women writer could never be his literary equal because they are too sentimental. I've never read Naipaul but when I worked at a bookstore I've always heard he's not the nicest person and wouldn't be attending any feminist rallies.

Besides talking about books, booksellers also talk about authors. Doing serious author intel before me make any assumptions. Reading interviews, paying close attention at author events, customers give great impartial info every time they tell a bookseller what they thought of an author at a book signing. There are a few other things, and its enough for booksellers to make educated guesses about an author's personality. I will admit its not always on the mark but in this case it was pretty spot on.

Many are outraged by Naipaul's comments which is as it should be. In one of the article's someone said you can't classify writing by gender. I actually think you can and there's nothing wrong with that. Women and men just write differently. A problem only arises when someone says one way is better than the other. There is no better simply different.

The Guardian UK put together The Naipaul Test: Can You Tell the Author's Sex
I got 7 out of 10 correct. If you take it come back and tell us how you did. Also do you think writing can be classified by gender?

Equailty & BookExpo America

2011-06-03T12:04:00.005-04:00

Last week BookExpo America or (BEA) was held in NYC. I've heard from a few people who attended this year and in the past that it's not a very diverse conference. Author and educator Zetta Elliott is trying to do something to change that.

Did you attend BookExpo America last week? Did you notice that stepping into the Javits Center was like leaving New York City—trading an incredibly diverse city for an astonishingly white world of publishing professionals? We can do something about that. I just sent an email to the Conference/Education Programming team (you can find their email addresses here). Do you know anyone else who can help us make this happen? If so, please email me or leave a comment and/or reach out to them yourself.

The full post

Review: Akata Witch by Nnede Okorafor

2011-05-30T12:00:00.003-04:00

Akata Witch

Nnede Okorafor

352 pages

Publication Date: April 14, 2011

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Source: Library

Age group: MG (Middle Grade)

No matter which way you look at it, Sunny is an outsider. She lives in Nigeria with her family but spent almost the first decade of her life living in the United States. On top of that she’s an albino, used to the stares and taunts from people especially her classmates. But when strange things start happening: visions in a candle’s flames and the revelation that one of her classmates have magical abilities (and she does too), Sunny’s life drastically changes. She’s introduced to magic, people, and places that she didn’t even know existed. There’s a war coming between the forces of good and evil and it seems like Sunny will be in the middle of it.

There is so much to enjoy about Akata Witch. With many novels there’s an introduction into the character’s life before the action starts. Not with this book. Right from the very beginning readers are thrown into Sunny’s story as she sits alone in her room, watching a vision so intensely in the flame that her hair catches fire. Pretty much every chapter in this book is filled with action and readers are able to see Sunny’s growth as a girl who’s already sure of herself become a girl with that same self-confidence but who’s also willing to put herself in danger to help others.

With its setting in Nigeria the magic, myths, landscape, and culture that readers encounter in the book are different and refreshing from the magic that’s usually found in fantasy novels. Learning about the different ethnic groups and languages in Nigeria was slowly embedded in the story and it didn’t feel like an anthropology lesson.

My only gripe with the book is the disappointing ending. Sunny and her friends have to battle an evil wizard to stop an ancient monster from coming back into her world. It’s something they have to do by themselves. The battle happens but there’s almost no build-up of suspense and readers are left with this flat battle in the end. Even with the ending, I’m not going to let that stop me from reading everything else by Okorafor or the next book in this new series once it’s published. Recommended read for middle grade readers.

New Crayons

2011-05-29T12:10:00.001-04:00

Happy Memorial Day for tomorrow and hope everyone enjoys the extended weekend. Kids are finishing up their school year so, let's make sure we get lots of books in their hands to keep them engaged throughout the summer. Without further ado, here are some new crayons.

Nathalie--

Superdaddies Series by Anita Tamara Gibbs

Fathers sometimes get a bad rap. Not all of them are 'deadbeats', and many really do attempt to serve and nurture their children in the way that it was intended. Superdaddies; The Series, touches on many situations from everyday/custodial weekend activities, to normal life experiences. The families' adventures are the same that most ordinary families would experience across racial and socioeconomic lines. "Daddy I broke my Snowball" is the first book of the series that discusses the relationship between a father and his daughters on one of their weekend visits together. This winter visit enables a bonding experience with the girls, the snow, and a 'Snow-woman"

'Daddy, I Can Read It For You' is the sophomore book of the 'Superdaddies the Series' children's book series. This story depicts a middle aged divorced father of two who has a very 'special' relationship with his gifted son, and precocious 'tween daughter. This "Superdaddy' did not attend college and only went to school through the eighth grade. He values healthy eating and their favorite but healthy guilty pleasure happens to be sweet potato dishes from "Sweet PotatoHeads". 'Sweet Potatoheads', is a fictional restaurant that serves many varieties of prepared sweet potatoes, and is a place they visit often. He 'discovers' the computer and with a little discussion on Nano-technology, and some new and diffferent summer activities for his children, they all DARE TO DREAM. The father, a carpenter who in the past had been very stubborn and content with his menial education, found himself vulnerable when the need finally came to learn how to use a computer and the Internet. Despite many years of resistance and requests from his growing children, he finally surrendered....to learn. This Superdaddy allowed his children to teach HIM...

Kevin and His Dad by Irene Small

A simple, graceful text and illustrations infused with warmth and love make this story of a day a boy and his dad spend together a special reading experience. Young boys and their fathers will relish this book that celebrates the ordinary things dads and kids can do together.

Doret--

Drop by Mat Johnson

Chris Jones has a gift for creating desire-a result of his own passionate desire to be anywhere but where he is, to be anyone but himself. Sick of the constraints of his black working-class town, he uses his knack for creating effective ad campaigns to land a dream job in London. But life soon takes a turn for the worse, and Chris finds himself back in Philly where his only job prospect is answering the phones at the electric company. Surounded by the down-and-out, Chris hits rock bottom. Only a stroke of inspiration and faith can get him back on his feet.

The funny and heartfelt tale of a young black man who, in the process of trying to break free from the city he dispises, comes to terms with himself.

Liliane by Ntozake Shange

Through the polyphonic voices of Liliane Lincoln's childhood friends, lovers, and conversations with her psychoanalyst, Ntozake Shange weaves the life of a remarkable young woman. Liliane Lincoln is an artist who exposes what she knows of herself to the world through her bold and colorful artwork. Gradually, however, Liliane realizes that in order to survive, she must come to terms with what she has kept hidden even from herself. Liliane is extraordinary vision of a woman learning to be who she really is.

Gil Scott- Heron

2011-05-29T00:41:00.004-04:00

Poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron died on Friday May 27
Best known for The Revolution will not be Televised.

I'd be lying if I said I truly understood Gil Scott Heron's impact. But its never too late to learn.

Part One of Six.

Women Writers of Color - Tayari Jones

2011-05-24T09:00:00.002-04:00

Full Name - Tayari Jones
Date of Birth - 1970
Location - Jersey City, NJ
Website/Blog - Tayari Jones
Genre -Fiction
Most recently published work - Silver Sparrow
How frequently to you update your site? - 3 times a week
Is your site designed for interaction? -Yes

Can you tell us a little about Silver Sparrow?

Silver Sparrow is the story of two sisters- Dana and Chaurisse. Dana has known all her life that their father is a bigamist and that her existence is his biggest secret. Chaurisse, on the other hand, is under the impression that she lives a normal life. I just had to tell the story from the point of view of both the sisters because both are victims and both are heroes. It's a coming of age story, a study of personal history and mythology, and it's an exploration of the family, love, and betrayal.

I love your opening paragraph. It's lyrical, telling and one of the best of the year. How many drafts did you go through before you got it just right?

I really can't say. I worked on this novel for five years-- it went through so many drafts and even so many titles. I don't keep count. If I had to guess, I would estimate about twenty times. But I love to write. Each new draft was an adventure. I am happiest when I am working on a story. I always want it to go on forever.

That first line, My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist. I remember that for a long time, it was on page two or three. At some point, decided to stop being coy and just come out with it, right on the first line.

Much of the stories beauty and strength lies in your three dimensional characters and their relationships. Which character came to you first, James Witherspoon or his wives and daughters? And how does Raleigh fit into this two family dynamic?

When I write a novel, I imagne a world. The characters don't really show up one by one. Instead, they tend to come to me as sort of ghostly figures and their features become more clearly as a write-- like a polaroid developing.

I firmly belive that James could not keep such a complicated web of secrets straight without a lot of help; I knew he had to have an enabler and this was Raliegh. Then, I had to ask myself why would one man dedicate his entire life to assisting another man in a lie. The answer, of course is love.

That's pretty much the motivation for all the characters. They do what they do because of love, love of their kids, love of each other.

Laverne, the first wife, is a hairdresser. One night she gets an infamous female client. I loved this surprise, the true tragedy weaved into the story line perfectly. When did you decide to incorporate it into your novel?

I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to be a spoiler. But this woman has been a symbol of black female rage, for as long as I could remember. I did a little research and found out tha tit was more than just a humorous annecdote. And even before I decided to make her into a character, she was sort of swimming under the boat for the whole story. Whenever men behave badly, people allude to her. I wanted to imagine her as a real flesh and blood woman, and you can't get much realer than when you're getting your hair done.

The publishing industry has changed a lot since your first novel was published in 2003. It's even harder for authors to make a semi living. One of the saddest things as a reader is to read a great novel by an author and never hear from them again.

Yes, it is a sad thing. It's even sadder when you discover that your favorite long-lost writer is still working, but she can't get her book published. I have read many lovely manuscripts by proven writers, yet they are unable to publish. It's sobering. I don't take anything for granted.

What can fans do to make sure the latest book they're reading by an author they love won't be the last?

Well, I guess the obvious answer is to buy books by your favorite author. But also, it matter where you buy them from. With Silver Sparrow, the independent bookstores have been so supportive. They are struggling because they can't give the 30% that the bog chains do, but I still shop indie whenever I can because these are the bookstores that support real literature, not just what they think they can make a quick buck with.

I hate to think of us all at the mercy of the big box stores.At the same time, many people, particularly working class people and people of color, do not have an independent nearby. So people have to get their books however they can. But when ordering on line, go to indiebound Support non-corporate reading

And support your favorite author by sending her a note, or posting a review on goodreads or other websites. You may not be able to directly affect her bottom line, but you can give her encouragement that could get her over the hump. Letters from readers strengthen my spirit every time.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with Color Online?

I know that there are many readers of this blog that are beginning writers. After talking about all the gloom and doom of the publishing industry, I would also like to say that people should not give up if writing is what they want to do. It's a hard business, but a beautiful life

Tayari, thank you so much for your time and writing one of my favorite novels of the year. I wish you much well deserved success and recognition for Silver Sparrow.

Read the first chapter

Full Tour Schedule - This is one autographed 1st edition you'll want to have in your collection.

Silver Sparrow - Tayari Jones

2011-05-23T09:23:00.001-04:00

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
James Witherspoon is a bigamist. This is the story of two families and one husband, told through the eyes of the two daugthers. The first daughter we get to meet is Dana. She is the secret. I loved the opening paragraph, Jones tells the reader exactly what they're are going to get.

Dana and her mother both know James is a bigamist. Dana grows up knowing James will never love or claim her in public. James, other daughter, Chaurisse and her mother are in the dark. When the sisters paths cross years of secrets are revealed.

The strength of this story lies in the complexity and ease in which the relationships are drawn. Jones has a beautiful way with words. She shows off her skills with a powerful opening paragraph.

Silver Sparrow is firmly grounded in its setting, Atlanta in the 80's. Anyone familiar with the city then or now will recognize many of the landmarks. Living in Atlanta, I've been meaning to read one of Jones novels for a long time. This was a beautiful place to begin. It could've been set any where and I still would've loved it. This is one of my favorite books of 2011.

Read the first chapter

New Crayons

2011-05-22T12:29:00.004-04:00

We've got new crayons covering everything from basketball legends to abuelitas.

Did you buy, win, or borrow any new books this week? Please share a link to your own new crayons meme in the comments. Happy reading!
(Blogger is not being nice and I can't upload images at the moment.)

Ari--

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.

When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

Vasilly--

Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong friend by Bill Russell, Alan Steinberg

When Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics in 1957 as the nation′s first prominent black basketball star, he was not expecting much from coach Red Auerbach. Despite two national college championships and an Olympic gold medal, Russell′s previous coaches-all whites-had barely spoken to him. Russell′s style was unorthodox, redefining the meaning of defense and offense, and many scouts dismissed him.

Yet Auerbach, the Jewish outsider in Irish Boston, immediately took to Russell, the African American from Louisiana and Oakland, and he was a coach like no other. Auerbach listened to his players, experimented freely, and knit together a team based only on results. Together they made sports history, winning 11 championships in 13 years. Along the way, Auerbach elevated Russell to player-coach, the first African-American coach in league history. Together, they battled prejudice both on and off the court, and created a team chemistry for the ages.

Even this glory is surpassed by another, little known aspect of their relationship: they became lifelong friends. As Russell explains, they were prepared for each other by their fathers, both strong men who loved their sons unconditionally. They both intuitively understood the dynamics of male friendship: there are many things left unsaid, but there is always understanding and respect. Over the many years since Russell retired from the Celtics and moved to the west coast, they saw each other rarely but spoke on the phone regularly. They were always there for each other. As Auerbach fell ill and declined, Russell was there, knowing how to reach out while respecting his former coach′s privacy. When Auerbach passed away in October, 2006, Russell refused to speak publicly about a relationship that was so deeply personal. Here, he offers a tribute greater than any speech.

This is a book not just for sports lovers, not just for fathers and sons, but for male friendships of all shapes and sizes.

Quarantine by Rahul Mehta

With buoyant humor and incisive, cunning prose, Rahul Mehta sets off into uncharted literary territory. The characters in Quarantine—openly gay Indian-American men—are Westernized in some ways, with cosmopolitan views on friendship and sex, while struggling to maintain relationships with their families and cultural traditions. Grappling with the issues that concern all gay men—social acceptance, the right to pursue happiness, and the heavy toll of listening to their hearts and bodies—they confront an elder generation's attachment to old-country ways. Estranged from their cultural in-group and still set apart from larger society, the young men in these lyrical, provocative, emotionally wrenching, yet frequently funny stories find themselves quarantined.

Doret--

With or Without You by Brian Farrey

Eighteen year-old Evan and his best friend Davis get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik–whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year.

Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them protection and status. Davis is swept up in the excitement, but Evan is caught between his loyalty to Davis and his love for Erik. Evan’s lied to keep his two worlds separate. Now his lies are about to implode…and destroy the very relationships he’s been trying to protect.

El Chocolate De Abuelita by Mara Price

Is the story of a girl named Sabrina who learns about the ancient origin of chocolate while she plays with her Abuelita who has come to visit from Mexico.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett has dazzled readers with her award-winning books, including The Magician's Assistant and the New York Times bestselling Bel Canto. Now she raises the bar withState of Wonder, a provocative and ambitious novel set deep in the Amazon jungle.

Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a Minnesota pharmaceutical company, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have all but disappeared in the Amazon while working on what is destined to be an extremely valuable new drug, the development of which has already cost the company a fortune. Nothing about Marina's assignment is easy: not only does no one know where Dr. Swenson is, but the last person who was sent to find her, Marina's research partner Anders Eckman, died before he could complete his mission. Plagued by trepidation, Marina embarks on an odyssey into the insect-infested jungle in hopes of finding her former mentor as well as answers to several troubling questions about her friend's death, the state of her company's future, and her own past.

Once found, Dr. Swenson, now in her seventies, is as ruthless and uncompromising as she ever was back in the days of Grand Rounds at Johns Hopkins. With a combination of science and subterfuge, she dominates her research team and the natives she is studying with the force of an imperial ruler. But while she is as threatening as anything the jungle has to offer, the greatest sacrifices to be made are the ones Dr. Swenson asks of herself, and will ultimately ask of Marina, who finds she may still be unable to live up to her teacher's expectations.

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, and a neighboring tribe of cannibals, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss. It is a tale that leads the reader into the very heart of darkness, and then shows us what lies on the other side.

If Sons, Then Heirs - Lorene Cary

2011-05-17T12:01:00.007-04:00

If Sons ,Then Heirs by Lorene Cary
At a time when African American families were discouraged from owning land from the laws, to threats, to all out violence, King Needham managed to acquire land for his family, in South Carolina. After King's death most of the family moves to Philadelphia fearing for their own lives. The only one who stays is King's widow Selma and she will not be moved. For decades Selma's carried the burden of protecting Needham's land all alone. Finally Selma allows Rayne her great grandson, who she raised to help. Rayne's in his early thirties and owns a small construction company. Lillie his girlfriend has a seven year old son named, Kahlil.

This is a gorgeous story about a family, blending the past and present. One of the stories many strengths is character development and their complex relationships I loved losing myself in this families saga.

read a sample courtesy of the Simon& Schuster

Lorene Cary's guest post @ White Readers Meet Black Authors

Interview with Farhana Zia

2011-05-16T09:34:00.007-04:00

I recently read a wonderful picture book called Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F.Zia illus. by Ken Min. It's a beautiful debut for author and artist. I wanted the chance to ask both a few questions. Hannah Ehrlich and Lucy Amon from Lee and Low books were both kind enough to make it happen. Lee and Low Books is having a great sale this month. All books are 25% off and free standard USPS shipping on all orders just over $10.

I will be posting the interview with Ken Min soon, first Farhana Zia

Hi, Farhana, congratulations on a wonderful debut. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I immigrated to the US from Hyderabad, India in 1967. My husband and I live in Framingham, Mass. We have two children and three grandchildren. Ages 5, 3 and 2. I am an elementary school teacher. I've taught the fourth grade for the past 26 years. You could say that teaching is my first passion and writing, my second. Hot -Hot Roti is my first picture book.

It's very rare for authors and illustrators to have contact while working on a project. Though its not often they debut at the same time.

Did you two exchange emails?

I was able to submit illustration notes to my editor but that was the extent of it; the publisher didn't encourage communication with the illustrator. I did send Ken an email, just to say ‘hello’. It seemed to be the proper thing to do. I am grateful to him for doing such a marvelous job of interpreting the text. I had heard that he’d do serious research before embarking on this project and knowing that really eased my mind.

Have you had the opportunity to read Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji to a group of kids yet? If so what has the response been?

So far, I have read the book in my classroom, at the India Society of Worcester in Shrewsbury and to a children’s group at my local town library. I combined the reading with a roti demonstration and a craft. The reaction was very positive. Children love the story and are particularly interested in the lad’s fantastical powers.

Some wonder if drinking milk will make them just as strong! They love to roll the roti dough, north, south, east and west with me. We also have nice discussions about grandparents and grandchildren in general and practice saying, “Arre Wah!”

When I was writing the review, I almost wrote "Aneel's grandparents were coming for a visit." but they were coming to stay.

Did you always known the grandparents would be staying?

Yes. That is the basic premise of the story….multi generations living together, somewhat like a mini joint family system. A lot of inspiration for the story comes from just such settings in the US, where aging parents have come to live with their children and grandchildren, forming three, or even four generation households.

I believe there is a great value in such a set up where everyone learns something valuable from everyone else---the old get to impart their wisdom and the young get to impart their vivacity. Each generation operates as a safety net for the other and there is a lot of sharing and giving. In actuality, Hot ,Hot Roti for Dada-ji really means to highlight and honor inter-generational family bonds.

Hot Hot Roti for Dada-ji is the blending of two cultures. Making the story backdrop as essential as the two main characters.

Was there a particular character or scene you worked around ?

Roti was foremost in my mind and I used it as the common cultural element to bridge the past and present in the story. Actually, the idea of Roti was the first thing that came to mind when I was mulling over what to write about, in the first place.

I did give weight to the roti making scenes and particularly wanted to show off Aneel’s initiative, his regard for his grandfather, and his sense of accomplishment at the end.

I love how well this story comes together. Its very seamless from the dada-ji tales wonderful tales, to the inclusion of the whole family and Hindi words sprinkled throughout.

Was it difficult to edit down?

I needed to bring two stories together, the ‘then’and the ‘now’, so to speak. I also wanted to insert cultural elements to bridge these two times. Dada ji’s storytelling and the roti making, were both appropriate common threads linking the past and the present.

The biggest challenge was to pare down the word count and get everything said in a concise manner without compromising the essence of the story.

Mango Pickle is another food dada-ji loves. What is mango pickle? Do you have a regional preference?

Pickles are popular condiments in the cuisine of the Indian sub continent and serve to enhance the taste of a meal. They are made from certain vegetables and fruits that are chopped up into small pieces and cooked in oils, brine and a variety of spices. A high concentration of oil, spices and salt acts as a preservative.

Mango pickle is made from unripe, green mangoes and is pretty popular. Other pickles include lime, carrot, radish, cauliflower, ginger, etc. The Hindi or Urdu term for pickle is achar.

Indian cuisine is regional, extensive and varied. There is something from each region that I love… deep fried puri (deep fried roti) and saag (curried greens) from the North;

a well made lamb or goat biryani (rice stewed with meat) from Hyderabad, accompanied by a dahi ki chutney(yogurt sauce with onion, coriander leaf and green chilli); crispy dosa (crepes made with fermented lentil/rice flour) from the South;

syrupy rasgolla from the East and dhokla from the West. And I absolutely love pani puri, a very popular snack.

I shouldn't have asked that last question because now I am hungry. Farhana Zia, thanks so much for your time and congratulations again on a wonderful debut.

Cross posted @ my personal blog -Thehappynappybookseller

New Crayons

2011-05-15T16:30:00.000-04:00

Color Online has a nice mix of fiction and nonfiction new crayons this week. Let's check them out...

Ari--

Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

Zahra, Kali, and Syd would never have met if their parents' marriages hadn't fallen apart. But when the three girls collide in group counseling, they discover they have something else in common: they've each been triple-timed by the same nefarious charmer, Eric, aka Rico, aka Rick. Talk about eye-opening therapy.
Cheerful, diplomatic Zahra is devastated. Rico had been her rock and sole confidant. How could she have missed the signs? Free-spirited, flirtatious Kali feels almost as bad. She and Rick hadn't been together long, but they'd felt so promising. Hardened vintage-vixen Syd is beyond tears. She and Eric had real history... Or so she'd thought. Now all three girls have one mission: to show that cheater the folly of his ways.
Project Payback is such a success, the girls soon have clients lining up for their consulting services. Is your boyfriend acting shady? Are you dying to know if your crush is into you? If you need a little help to make-up, break-up or meet someone new, look no further than Love, Inc

Doret--

Voice of America by E.C. Osondu

E. C. Osondu is a fearless and passionate new writer, whose stories echo the joys and struggles of a cruel, beautiful world. His characters burst from the page—they fight, beg, love, grieve, but ultimately they are dreamers. Set in Nigeria and the United States, Voice of America moves from the fears and dreams of boys and girls in villages and refugee camps to the disillusionment and confusion of young married couples living in America, and then back to bustling Lagos.

In "Waiting," two young refugees make their way through another day, fighting for meals and hoping for a miracle that will carry them out of the camp; in "A Simple Case," the boyfriend of a prostitute is rounded up by the local police and must charm his fellow prisoners for protection and survival; and in "Miracle Baby," the trials of pregnancy and mothers-in-law are laid bare in a woman’s return to her homeland. Each of the eighteen stories here possesses a voice at once striking and elegant, capturing the dramatic lives of an unforgettable cast of characters.

Written with exhilarating energy and warmth, the stories of Voice of America are full of humor, pathos, and wisdom, marking the debut of an extraordinary new talent.

Wading home by Rosalyn Story

When Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, chef and widower Simon Fortier knows how he plans to face the storm--riding it out inside his long-time home in the city's Treme district, just as he had through so many storms before. But when Katrina's waters rise and the city is torn apart by the storm's fury, Simon disappears.

His son, Julian, learns of the storm's impact while attempting an aborted comeback in Tokyo to his career as a jazz trumpet star, which had been interrupted by a serious facial injury. He rushes home to a New Orleans he left years before, to search for a father with whom he'd been on difficult terms since the death of his mother.

As Julian criss-crosses the city, searching for some word of his father and hoping that Simon had been able to escape his flooded home before the water overcame him, he reconnects with Matthew Parmenter, his father's erstwhile business partner and one of the most successful restauranteurs in New Orleans, and with Velmyra Hartley, the woman he left behind when he moved to New York to pursue his music career. Parmenter tells Julian it's urgent that Simon contact him, once he's found, so that he can settle old business with him--a claim Julian mistrusts. Velmyra and Julian grow close again while he continues his search for Simon back to Silver Creek, Louisiana, the small rural town where Simon grew up, and where a story of family entanglement and betrayal had played out over generations.

As his search for Simon continues, Julian is drawn deeper into the troubles of Silver Creek, and closer once again to Velmyra. As he tries to come to grips with his father's likely fate and struggles to regain his trumpet chops, Julian slowly gains a deeper, richer understanding of the father with whom he'd been at odds. In this follow up to her critically acclaimed More Than You Know, Rosalyn Story has written a vivid and compelling story of how the complex culture of New Orleans and Louisiana has been marked forever by Katrina, even as it persists.

Women Heroes of World War II by Kathryn J. Atwood

Noor Inayat Khan was the first female radio operator sent into occupied France and transferred crucial messages. Johtje Vos, a Dutch housewife, hid Jews in her home and repeatedly outsmarted the Gestapo. Law student Hannie Schaft became involved in the most dangerous resistance work—sabotage, weapons transference, and assassinations. In these pages, young readers will meet these and many other similarly courageous women and girls who risked their lives to help defeat the Nazis.

Twenty-six engaging and suspense-filled stories unfold from across Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls’ refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history.

An overview of World War II and summaries of each country’s entrance and involvement in the war provide a framework for better understanding each woman’s unique circumstances, and resources for further learning follow each profile. Women Heroes of World War II is an invaluable addition to any student’s or history buff’s bookshelf.

That Good Ole South Is No More

2011-05-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

Toni a co-worker (until the 15th) sent me a link to a recent post by author Tayari Jones, called Southern, But No Belle about this recent photograph in the April edition of Vanity Fair.

I hate the old Southern lets remember the good old days look. Jones says it best -
The women are posed in front of the Swan House which is not a plantation house, it just vibes like one. This is one of Atlanta’s hallmarks, these not-plantations. Since Atlanta was burned in the Civil War, there are no ante-bellum structures to romanticize, so the good citizens of my hometown make do with lavish Victorians. My favorite example is the Margaret Mitchell House. It was built in the 1900s, long after Rhett Butler said he didn’t give a damn, but it feels like Tara and that’s all that matters. When we agree to accept an illusion, it takes on a kind of truth and this is why the photo spread is so disturbing.

I don't know who this Vanity Fair article was for but it wasn't for me. Only one author of color is featured, Natasha Trethewey. This photograph simply perpetuates the literary racial divide. It wrong and inexcusable that Pearl Cleage isn't included. Cleage has written over eight novels all set in Atlanta. Her next book Just Wanna Tesitfy comes out this month.

Jones -" I would love to ask Kathryn Stockett, author of the blockbuster THE HELP how she feels about the problematic optics of this photo. Fans of her work say that she is an advocate for the black women who worked as maids in Mississippi. I’ve been told that she is a fierce critic of white privilege. How does she feel to be touted as leader of “Atlanta’s literary sorority” which does not include any black fiction writers. Did she say to the photographer, “Wait! Where’s Pearl Cleage?”

And of course I noticed Tayari Jones was missing. Her third book Silver Sparrow comes out at the end of the month. (Loved it) It's set in Atlanta as are her other two novels. An excerpt

I didn't think I could like the photograph any less but then I read the article Belle, Books, And Candor , which has a members only feeling. If this was in a local Atlanta magazine it wouldn't bother me as much. I know I am a bit biased and bitter but Belle, Books, And Candor reads like it should be in a local free publication. But this kind of members only article should not be allowed in a national magazine.

New Crayons

2011-05-08T07:00:00.005-04:00

We've got a nice selection of new crayons this week. From poetry to children's tales, we've got new reads for everyone.

Vasilly

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han

Clara Lee likes her best friends, her grandpa, kimchi, candy necklaces (her signature look!), and the idea of winning the Little Miss Apple Pie contest.

Clara Lee doesn't like her mom's fish soup, bad dreams (but Grandpa says they mean good luck!), speaking in public, or when her little sister is being annoying.

One day, after a bad dream, Clara Lee is thrilled to have a whole day of luck (Like!). But then, bad luck starts to follow (Dislike!). When will Clara Lee's luck change again? Will it change in time for the Little Miss Apple Pie contest?

Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000 by Lucille Clifton

Winner of the 2000 National Book Award for Poetry, Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988-2000 is the culminating achievement of Lucille's Clifton longstanding poetry career.

How Lamar's Bad Prank won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen

Thirteen-year-old Lamar Washington is the maddest, baddest most spectacular bowler ever at Striker's Bowling Paradise. But when it comes to girls, he doesn't have game—not like his older brother Xavier the Basketball Savior. And certainly not like his best friend "Spanish fly guy" Sergio. So Lamar vows to spend the summer changing his image from dud to stud by finding a way to make money and snag a super fine Honey! When a crafty teenage thug invites Lamar to use his bowling skills to hustle, he seizes the opportunity. As his judgment blurs, Lamar makes an irreversible error, damaging every relationship in his life. Now, he must figure out how to mend those broken ties, no matter what it will cost him.

Ari

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

Nathalie

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Quincie Morris, teen restaurateur and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life — or undeath.

Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love — the hybrid-werewolf Kieren — of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who “blessed” her; and keep her dead parents’ restaurant up and running.

She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature — and his flaming sword — and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before it’s too late.

Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie’s soul?

Miss New India - Bharati Mukerjee

2011-05-04T10:06:00.001-04:00

Miss New India by Bharati Mukherjee
19 yr old Anjali Bose lives is Gauripaur. Her future is already preset. Anjali father is searching for her future husband. Anjali doesn't want to get married early or have her husband selected. She's also very smart, though living in a small town and being a woman she can't be too smart. Angjali is too big for Gauripaur but she doesn't know how to get out.

Peter Champion a former teacher encourages Anjali to leave and make a life for herself in Bangalore. After an awful encounter with the chosen husband to be, she sets off for Bangalore and a new life. I really enjoyed this story and was quickly drawn in by the writing.

"Angie Bose had lived nineteen years in Gauripur and was a year and a half from graduating with a degree from the best school in town, and no one had ever spoken to her about the nature of truth or art, or assumed she cared or knew anything about it. She knew there were plenty of pretty shots of the Taj Mahal- hard to mess that one up and the Himalayas and animals and famous faces but she'd never thought of them as plotted. Truth? Context? Composition? She'd never had a serious discussion about anything. She was the second daughter of a railway clerk; she was supposed to go to school, obey teachers and parents, graduate and get married, obey her husband, and have children. Truth was what the community, teachers, parents, and eventual husband said it was."

Mukherjee created a realistic and likable character in Anjali, a young woman who simply wants to find her place in the world. Miss New India is a great coming of age story.

Announcing . . . a summer read-along

2011-05-02T19:57:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago after reading how Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns didn’t win the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction, Doret (The Happy Nappy Bookseller) and I decided that it was time to host a read-along for this sweeping work of non-fiction.

The publisher’s description:

In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves.

With stunning historical detail, Wilkerson tells this story through the lives of three unique individuals: Ida Mae Gladney, who in 1937 left sharecropping and prejudice in Mississippi for Chicago, where she achieved quiet blue-collar success and, in old age, voted for Barack Obama when he ran for an Illinois Senate seat; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, where he endangered his job fighting for civil rights, saw his family fall, and finally found peace in God; and Robert Foster, who left Louisiana in 1953 to pursue a medical career, the personal physician to Ray Charles as part of a glitteringly successful medical career, which allowed him to purchase a grand home where he often threw exuberant parties.

Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous and exhausting cross-country trips by car and train and their new lives in colonies that grew into ghettos, as well as how they changed these cities with southern food, faith, and culture and improved them with discipline, drive, and hard work. Both a riveting microcosm and a major assessment, The Warmth of Other Suns is a bold, remarkable, and riveting work, a superb account of an “unrecognized immigration” within our own land.

The book has also been named New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year, won the Indie Lit Awards non-fiction award, and the National Book Critics Award for non-fiction.

Since The Warmth of Other Suns is more than 600 pages long, we decided that we’ll host the read-along in the summer. The book is huge but unlike most non-fiction it reads like a novel.

The schedule:

· The read-along starts Wednesday, June 1^st

· Halfway-mark post on Wednesday, June 15^th,

· Wrap-up on Thursday, June 30^th

So what do you think? Would you like to join us for this summer read-along? If you’re in, let me know in the comments below.

Help Spread the LitWorld Girls Clubs for Literacy

2011-04-29T04:12:00.006-04:00

Throughout the world, 774 million people are illiterate, and 2/3 of that number are women.

Because of this, one of the biggest programs of the global literacy organization LitWorld is the LitWorld Girls Clubs for Literacy, a reading and writing program that empowers young women to tap into their extraordinary strengths and meet their personal needs. LitWorld Girls Clubs for Literacy provide support, mentorship, and a safe space for girls to learn, connect, and become part of an international network of young women, encouraging a global perspective and a global connection.

LitWorld has 20 Girls Clubs for Literacy in the U.S., Kenya, Liberia, Ghana, Iraq, and the Philippines, and would like to expand to more cities in the U.S. and to different countries. If you are interested in starting a LitWorld Girls Club for Literacy, please email girlsclubs@litworld.org. LitWorld staff provides training (via Internet video conference) and fully supports new partners as they launch this program.

Together, we can create a safe, supportive world for all girls.

[Pictures above from the LitWorld Girls Clubs in Iraq, the U.S., and the Philippines.]

Review: Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

2011-04-26T04:12:00.000-04:00

Please Look After Mom

Kyung-Sook Shin

Translated from the Korean by Chi-Young Kim

256 pages

Publication Date: April 5, 2011

Publisher: Knopf

Source: Bought it

It’s been one week since Mom went missing. . .

Park So-nyo is an elderly woman who's’ trailing behind her husband in a crowded Seoul subway station when the two become separated as it’s time to board. It should have been a routine trip to the city from the country but turns into a mysterious disappearance as hours turn into days without Park’s return. What follows is a sometimes lazy, other times desperate search for Mom by her husband and five grown children as they reflect on their lives with her.

Usually when an author uses a second-person narrative, I can’t read past the first page. I often find this point of view gimmicky and too distracting to become engaged in the book. I think it speaks volumes of not only Shin’s talent as a writer but Chi-Young Kim’s talent as a translator that PLAM doesn’t read this way.

There’s so much that I can say to describe PLAM. I can tell you that it’s about family and motherly love. I can also say that it’s about guilt and the role of mothers in any culture. As a mother, I can tell you that being a mom is one of the most rewarding roles that I have ever had but it’s also the most demanding and hardest. There’s no off-days, no breaks, and you’re “on call” for the rest of your life. Shin expertly illustrates how much women sacrifice for their children without children always being aware of it. Park is the mother who sells her wedding ring so that her child can have what they need and who’s constantly working in the fields to make sure her children have enough food to eat. I’ve read reviews about this book that described Park as a martyr and I think that shows how cynical people have become of mothers. A martyr is someone who accepts their suffering which is the opposite of this character. Park doesn’t accept her suffering but gets through it without harming others.

Shin does a beautiful job exploring the life of Park through the eyes of her family and herself. Readers learn about a woman who was slowly becoming sicker the older she became, who had headaches that were so bad she couldn’t cry when she learned that her only sister died. But readers also learn the roles about the family has played in Park’s disappearance: the husband who was so selfish that he refused to acknowledge the growing pain his wife was in; the daughter who’s also a famous writer and her inability to have a conversation with her mom about the places she travelled; or the son who was his mother’s favorite but never did enough for her.

You don’t understand why it took you so long to realize something so obvious. To you, Mom was always Mom. It never occurred to you that she once taken a first step, or had once been three or twelve or twenty years old. Mom was Mom. She was born as Mom. Until you saw her running to your uncle like that, it hadn’t dawned on you that she was a human being who harbored the exact same feeling you had for your own brothers, and this realization led to the awareness that she, too, had had a childhood. From then on, you sometimes thought of Mom as a child, as a girl, as a young woman, as a newlywed, as a mother who had just given birth to you.

Even with such a selfish family, I carried hope with each turned page that Park would be found. I hoped that her family would have a chance to write the wrongs of the past. I believe good writing does that: it makes you carry hope when there is none, it makes you even despair with characters as though they are real. I glanced through the eyes of these children as they saw their mother as a person not just a role and admitted their wrongs while wishing for a second chance.

Told with tenderness, Please Look at Mom is a story that will have readers exploring their own relationships with their moms.

Bollywood Babes - Narinder Dhami

2011-04-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Bollywood Babes by Narinder Dhami
14 yr old Geena, 12 yr old Amber and 11 yr old Jazz are sisters and very close. In Bindi Babes their Auntie from India moved to England to look after them. After the sisters stopped trying to marry Auntie off, everyone got along.

Auntie agreed to help put on a Bollywood party to raise money for the girls school. The sisters find out Molly Mohal, a former Bollywood star is living very close to them. Amber is the sister with the great ideas. These schemes never work out but the sister's still try. That's part of the fun and the charm.

This time Amber thinks it would be a great a idea to invite Molly Mohal to be a guest of honor at the Bollywood party. When they find Molly, she's about to get evicted. Amber invites her to stay with them. The former Bollywood star is still a diva, and all the women in the house want her to leave. Especially Auntie, Molly's wearing all of her good clothes. All the men are wowed by Molly. Even the girls dad is acting different.

This is the second book in this series. I enjoyed this one even more and now it's offical I love this series. Dhmai's created some wonderful characters. The sisters play off of each other very well. Auntie can hold her own with them as well.

I love that the author takes the time to develop a few secondary storylines that will continue throughout the series. Allowing for the surrounding characters to play a larger roll. When I picked up Bollywood Babes I was excited to enter the sisters world again. You can read this first but I highly recommend starting with Bindi Babes. This is great tween chick lit fun. 11up

NPR's Racially Inappropriate look at Please Look After Mom

2011-04-24T09:00:00.003-04:00

I stumbled across a critique of Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin at NPR by Maureen Corrigan There are so many unnecessary classless adjectives, it's beyond ridiculous, inappropriate and unprofessional. Corrigan tops it off with a nice little racial dig at the end. I am so disgusted and trying to calm down to start from the beginning.

Please Look After Mom is Shin's English language debut. It sold over a million copies in South Korea. A few weeks back, I told Vasilly another Color Online contributor about Please Look After Mom. Vasilly started reading it first and said it was amazing. I quickly added it to my reading queue. I finished the book in three sittings and loved it.

There's a lot of buzz around this release, so I decided to search for a few literary reviews to link to when I did my review this coming week. This lead me to the NPR, whatever that is, I refuse to call it a review and I barely want to call it a critique.

Part of me is screaming inside because I felt Please Look After Mom was so beautifully done. Though I understand everyone isn't going to feel the same way. So I can easily put that aside. Even if I hadn't yet read Shin's novel I would still take offense to what Corrigan wrote. I am not the only one. It's received 59 comments. Many have noted the line of the last paragraph.

"Having just read Patti Smith's award-winning memoir, Just Kids, for the second time, I'd urge you to pick her empowering female adventure tale about getting lost in the city instead. Smith will get your book club on its feet and pumping its collective fists in the air, rather than knocking back the wine and reaching for the cheap consolations of kimchee-scented Kleenex fiction"

How in the hell was kimchee-scented Kleenex, even allowed to see the light of day. That's some serious racial BullShit

Even before that last line there was so much bitterness and uncalled for personal jabs. As well as inaccuracies.

"Did you catch the anti-city, anti-modernist, anti-feminist messages in that passage?"The lost mother clearly stands for values that are fading from Korean culture as industrialization and urbanization triumph."

If you've read Please Look After Me, you know that's incorrect. Corrigan only shares what she hopes will prove her point. While clearly dismissing the strength of the mother and her desire for her children to have more opportunities than she did.

Corrigan and NPR also felt the need to include a photograph of the author.

Now every time Shin looks at that photo she may be reminded of this ugliness.
As far as I know neither Corrigan or NPR as issued a statement of apology. Not even a half ass one, where they simply claim ignorance.

Is the NPR Review of Please Look After Mom Racist? @ Ask a Korean (a must read)

Corriagan's critique of Please Look After Mom went up on Apr 5 the same day Kyung-Sook Shin had her American Debut Celebration. Do I think this is a coincidence? Hell NO. Just more ugliness.

Vasilly's lovely review of Please Look After Mom

Just A Reader ( Nothing More) Part I

2011-04-20T10:58:00.002-04:00

The bookstore I am working at is closing in May. We haven't gotten new releases since the closing sale started. So I not on top of the new releases and bestsellers and it feels a bit weird. I know when this is all over, I will probably be even less informed about what's coming out. I'll be dare I say it just a reader. I must admit that scares some.

I will never turn into the customer who ask for the new James Patterson (please don't do this. booksellers HATE this question)but I know I'll miss finding new authors by accident. Also its not helping that I don't have much faith in finding many books by authors of color reviewed in mainstream media.

I do like the reviews in People magazine. They are usually on point. I also enjoy publishers weekly reviews. I find the NYT Review of Books is too dry for me. Half the time I feel like I need cliff notes. All of the time I am left wondering how the reviewer felt about the book. And the reviews are the length of a novelette.

I know there are great reviews in Vogue and O magazine. Though unless someone tells me about them I won't read them. It takes forever to find the reviews. With People magazine, simply start from the back to find books reviews quickly.

Since, I will be returning to just reader status very soon, any suggestions for where I should look for book recommendations. Please include any blogs you love.

A Few Questions - I'll go first

2011-04-16T11:39:00.004-04:00

1 What are you reading now?

I finally started, If Sons Then Heirs by Lorene Cary. I had to wait because I didn't want to pick it up during my slump. I falling hard for this book. Carey writing is beautiful and well crafted.

Yesterday, I started The Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han, after reading Nathalie's review. It's an early middle grade novel, and a lot of fun

2 What have you recently finished?

Bindi Babes by Narinder Dhami. Its a middle grade novel featuring three South Asian sisters. It was so much fun.

3 What are you reading next.

I have no idea

4 Do you finish every book you start?

No, I put the bad ones down. Though I will skip to the last chapter to see how it ends. Normally, I feel justified for not finishing the book.

5 What was the last book you read because you liked the cover? Did you like it?

Learning How to Swim by Sara J. Henry. It's a mystery and I loved it. A great debut.

New Crayons

2011-04-10T16:52:00.002-04:00

It's a new week, spring finally seems to be in bloom (at least in my neck of the woods), and we've got some new books to share for your reading pleasure.

Doret

When the Thrill is Gone by Walter Mosley

The economy has hit the private-investigator business hard, even for the detective designated as “a more than worthy successor to Philip Marlowe” (The Boston Globe) and “the perfect heir to Easy Rawlins” (Toronto Globe and Mail). Lately, Leonid McGill is getting job offers only from the criminals he’s worked so hard to leave behind. Meanwhile, his life grows ever more complicated: his favorite stepson, Twill, drops out of school for mysteriously lucrative pursuits; his best friend, Gordo, is diagnosed with cancer and is living on Leonid’s couch; his wife takes a new lover, infuriating the old one and endangering the McGill family; and Leonid’s girlfriend, Aura, is back but intent on some serious conversations…
So how can he say no to the beautiful young woman who walks into his office with a stack of cash? She’s an artist, she tells him, who’s escaped from poverty via marriage to a rich collector who keeps her on a stipend. But she says she fears for her life, and needs Leonid’s help. Though Leonid knows better than to believe every word, this isn’t a job he can afford to turn away, even as he senses that-if his family’s misadventures don’t kill him first-sorting out the woman’s crooked tale will bring him straight to death’s door.

Natasha

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, the novel revolves around James WItherspoon's families-- the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other's lives.
At the heart of it all are the two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characers with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

A million-plus-copy best seller in Korea—a magnificent English-language debut poised to become an international sensation—this is the stunning, deeply moving story of a family’s search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway.
Told through the piercing voices and urgent perspectives of a daughter, son, husband, and mother, Please Look After Mom is at once an authentic picture of contemporary life in Korea and a universal story of family love.