Sunday, July 12, 2009

Summer Madness: Multi-Book Giveaway!

One of the best things about summer is curling up with a good book and a glass of ice tea. And at Color Online, it's also about color. Yes, lets' get brown in the sunshine. Let me help you out with a good summer read. The following authors have donated a copy of their books. Tell me which book(s) you'd like to win and why and your name is entered in Color Online's Summer Madness Giveaway. Commit to review the book and you earn 5 extra entries. Yes, this is a promotion. These authors don't get enough exposure. Blog about the contest including Twitter or linking on your sidebar and you earn an additional 2 entries. I use random.org to select winners. Contest is open until July 30th. Winners announced July 31st. Books will be mailed immediately. Enter for one or all books. Repeat, you can enter for all, but you can only win one. You can respond in a single comment. Just do me a favor and list the points you rack up and do include your email address. If you tweet or link, provide the link in your post. Happy reading. Pick among these:

Children In The Waters by Carleen Brice.
...Billie, an earthy type who communes with her ancestors through the aid of herbs and essential oils, suffers from Lupus, an autoimmune disease that she keeps in remission with healthy eating, exercise, acupuncture and meditation. She’s just found out she’s pregnant but knows that her long-time partner—a marginally employed jazz musician—doesn’t want kids. Mall cops single out Trish’s son and accuse him of shoplifting, evidently because he’s biracial, sending him into an adolescent identity tailspin, complicated because he has a white mother. Trish, a junk-food eating homebody who is lonely and yearns for family, wants to make Billie into her instant sister when she discovers her, but Billie is taken aback, not wanting to accept a white person as a relative. Read more at Multi-Cultural.

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott
Any book where a black teenage girl travels back to the time of slavery is likely to face comparisons with Octavia Butler’s Kindred. Elliott is telling a very specific story here though -- one about Brooklyn and what it faced during the 1863 draft riots and also what it would mean to be a young black person alive in that specific place and time. Genna does suffer horribly when she travels back and Elliott doesn’t flinch from the realities of slavery. But more importantly, readers will find not a historical tale so much as a story about how a very contemporary teen would see that time and how she would react to it. Read more at Bookslut.

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
As Samar gets to know her uncle, she begins to learn about Sikhism and gets to know her grandparents. She even visits a gurdwara, Sikh temple, for the first time in her life. This prompts her to start questioning her mother’s decision to raise her to think of herself “like everyone else.” She begins to question her identity; wondering whether she is a coconut — someone who is brown on the outside and white on the inside—someone who may physically appear to be Indian but doesn’t know who she really is. Read more of this review at Literary Safari.

Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole
...a wickedly funny and smart LBGT teen novel. It is a welcomed and needed addition to a genre that is sorely under represented in the media, libraries and book blogs. The issue of who we love is front and center here, and the writer doesn't deviate from the issue. That said this book isn't for gay teens only (I really wish we wouldn't overlook books just because they address a marginalized group). It is for everybody who knows and loves someone who is LBGT and I hope that people who judge members of this community will read it, too.
Read more of my review at Black-Eyed Susan's.

Apologies to An Apple by Maya Ganesan
Maya Ganesan’s poetry reveals a sensibility keen with joy at the world around her and of being alive in it—the changing of leaves on the trees, the sudden meeting of eyes through the window of a crowded restaurant, the sense of being in motion alone through the streets when nobody else knows where you are, the need to apologize to an apple sitting on a desk. Her perceptions are oblique and unexpected—her delightfully quirky worldview bespeaks great promise as a poet.
~ Carolyne Wright, Author of A Change of Maps and Seasons of Mangoes and Brainfire

White Bread Competition and The Throwaway Piece by Jo Ann Hernandez
Fiction. Latina American Studies, This novel takes place in the picturesque city of San Antonio, Texas, with its rich Mexican-American culture providing the ideal backdrop for the interconnected stories in this intriguing novel for young adults/teenagers. Luz, the young Latina protagonist, will represent her state in the upcoming national spelling bee and her participation signifies a substantial milestone of her community's sense of pride and achievement. However her success triggers a variety of emotions from her family and community as they come to terms with how they feel about Luz as a Latina participating in a national spelling bee. from Small Press Distribution.

The Rock And The River by Kekla Magoon
When they were children, Stick would reread Sam’s favorite story about the rock and the river. As a boy, Sam was certain who was the rock in their relationship, but when Stick joins the Panthers, Sam is no longer sure about anything. The more Stick closes him off, the more Sam pushes back. Sam is driven to prove he is his brother’s peer, that he, too, can affect change. But Sam struggles to find his way. In fact, his growth comes at significant costs. Read more at Black-Eyed Susan's.

First Daughter: An American Extreme Makeover by Mitali Perkins
Sameera, known as Sparrow, is the adopted daughter of diplomatic parents. She has lived all over the world but now she is headed back to America because her father is running for president. However, Sameera's Pakistani origins are seen as a bit of a headache for her father's entourage, who are determined to accentuate her American-ness, with the result that she becomes a cardboard cut-out of herself, a simpering pawn for the media - some of whom nevertheless continue to use her origins as food for negative publicity. Read full review at Paper Tigers.

Kinky Gazpacho by Lori L. Tharps
Review
From a young age, Tharps became infatuated with Spain; knowing that Spain was her destiny and that she would someday live there. While in college, she traveled to Morocco with the American Field Service, but later studied abroad in Spain, where she came face to face with the culture she never knew Spain to have. See review at MenstrualPoetry.


*Regrettably, contest is limited to US and Canada.

75 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would like to win A Wish After Midnight because (1) the plot sounds wonderful (and I loved Kindred); (2) because I want to read Zetta Elliott!; and (3) because I want to expand my reading of multicultural YA. So please enter me!

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

Lesley (aka Upper West Side Writer) said...

I think I would like to win Apologies to An Apple, because I need more poetry. It's very hard picking, though! I also Tweeted about this amazing giveaway:

http://twitter.com/uwsreader/status/2599449613

Oh, and I would definitely review it--I need to use my blog for something good!

Thank you so much!

lesleymfan(at)gmail(dot)com

Color Online said...

Lesley,

You can enter for all of the titles. You can only win one. Increases your odds.

Thanks for coming by.

Beverly said...

I would be interested in winning:

A Wish After Midnight
The Rock and the River

Thanks

beachlover20855[AT]yahoo[DOT]com

Color Online said...

Hi Beverly, you forgot to say why. Thanks.

Beverly said...

Sorry about that

A Wish After Midnight because Kindred is one of my fav books and I am a big history fan.

The Rock and the River because of the mention of the Black Panther Party and always interested in how siblings choose different paths in life

Readingjunky said...

+1 - I would love to win DOWN TO THE BONE. I agree this is an under-represented area of YA lit. Many of my students are at the point in their lives where they are questioning their sexuality, and books like this can help them feel that they are not alone.

+5 - I would more than happy to post a review after finishing the book!

RJ

shkruger@hotmail.com

JennyBHammond said...

Hi,

Love the new look for Color Online!

I'm entering for : First Daughter: An American Extreme Makeover

Reason: I'm a multiracial adopted daughter! I would love to see how this plays out in a YA novel!

http://theheartofdiversity.blogspot.com/

Jenny

Vasilly said...

I would love to win A Wish After Midnight, The Rock and the River, Shine, Coconut Moon, or Apologies to an Apple. I tweeted about the giveaway (twitter name: Vasilly), and I'm committed to reviewing any book I win.

Memory said...

I'd love to win A WISH AFTER MIDNIGHT. I recently read a glowing review on A Striped Armchair and have been interested in the book ever since. If I win, I'll definitely review it on my blog, Stella Matutina.

-- Memory
xicanti AT gmail DOT com

Color Online said...

Thanks Vasilly,

You write great reviews. Common reason why you chose the books you did?

Color Online said...

Memory,

Will be by to check you out. AWAM rocks. While, yes, I am biased, the reviews back me up. Good luck.

Sandra K321 said...

A Wish After Midnight sounds like a good book. I enjoy reading historical fiction.

Unknown said...

I'd like to enter for Shine, Coconut Moon and Apologies to an Apple.

I would gladly review both :D

Monique said...

I would like to win A Wish After Midnight because I read a wonderful review over at A Striped Armchair and thought that the book would be really interesting. I would also like to expand my YA reading but have found it hard to find reviews on fiction involving people of color.

Ali said...

What a great giveaway! Thank you.

I'd love to win either of the following

Children In The Waters by Carleen Brice.
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger

Erica said...

I would love to win Shine or Coconut Moon, Down To The Bones. They both sound like great reads - and I've heard many great things about them :)

I'd definately review it if I won.


:) Erica
thebookcellar@wi.rr.com

Shawna L. said...

I would love to win "Children In The Waters "by Carleen Brice.
I have suffers from Lupus, and it is autoimmune disease, Just like the person in this book & my Daighter has it also.
This is somthing i can relate to.
Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com

Color Online said...

Lori L. Tharps is offering Kinky Gazpacho! Better get back and request it now.

Nickolay said...

I am out of books to read. Any of these would be great, but I think I would pick

A Wish After Midnight
The Rock and the River

jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

Color Online said...

Hi Jason, you can choose as many as you like. Let me know if there are others. I'll note that AWAM is your first choice.

Katherine said...

I would like to win A Wish After Midnight or Apologies to an Apple. I don't think that we can have too many books of poetry, because it is through poetry that we can feel music in our lives. The other book appeals to me because I know people with lupus, and therefore can relate to some of what the main character is experiencing.
Great idea, BTW, to give the authors publicity this way.

Mishia said...

I'd love to read all of these!

Color Online said...

Mishia,

Please say why you are interested in the books of you choice. How do I reach you?

Keshalyi said...

I'd love to win Down to the Bone - the mix of different social groups is interesting to me (and living in San Antonio, pretty relevant).
Also, I'd never heard of Apologies to an Apple, or Ms Ganesan, but the description of her poetry sounds beautiful, and reminds me of Dickinson, with her oblique look at the world, so I'd love to try it - I read a lot of old poets, and need to try some new ones :). I'll be thrilled to review either one, and mentioned this giveaway on my blog at http://mooredatsea.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-giveaway-at-color-online.html, so other people could hear about it too :).

Color Online said...

Thanks, Jason!
Good luck in the giveaway.

Anonymous said...

I would love A Wish After Midnight, because it sounds like a great read and I would love to support a black author, since I plan to be one one day. I will definetely review it on my blog
--Tashi
Also, I came this close to reading Kindred but never quite got to it because the school year ended and I had to give it back to my school library. I think I'll just go buy it.

Color Online said...

Hi Tashi,
I'll happily send you Kindred and other YA novels by people of color. Interested in guest reviewing for us?

jemscout425 said...

children in the waters
thanks
pksanddancer(at)yahoo(dot)com

Amanda said...

I am interested in three books: Down to the Bone, because I have particular interest in GLBT lit and GLBT issues in general, the Jo Ann Hernandez books, because I'm from San Antonio and grew up among hispanic culture, so that it's also a very important thing to me, and Kinky Gazpacho, just because it sounds fascinating.

+5 - I review every book I read, and if I win any of these books, I'll make it a priority to read/review right away.

My address is amandagignac[at]gmail[dot]com

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Wow this is a great contest! Very generous offers. I will tweet and blog about it. I have already read & reviewed several of these titles so I am going to just mention two:

Children In The Waters by Carleen Brice. I've heard a lot about this and it looks great. I am particularly drawn to the multiracial family aspects, and the adoption element. This is my first choice.

The Rock And The River by Kekla Magoon. I'm interested in the civil rights era, the Panthers, and the nonviolent movement. Seeing two brothers live in the heart of this is interesting to me.

I'd love to review either one of these!

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Forgot to say i think I earned 8 points by listing choices & why, tweeting the contest, and offering to review a book. Email me cloudscome AT yahoo DOT com.

Shellshock said...

What an interesting list. I would love to read any of them because of the diversity represented, but specifically I would love to read Children in the Waters because Brice has such a knack for really bringing the reader into her stories and I'm anxious to see where she takes us this time.
A Wish After Midnight sounds really intriguing. I would love to travel back in time through the eyes of a modern era teen, viewing history. What a concept!
Learning more about other cultures is interesting and Shine, Coconut Moon sounds like a wonderful book to learn more about Indian culture and the challenges faced when assimilating into a new country and culture.
Well, I hope I'm chosen. Thanks for the opportunity.

Color Online said...

Fantastic! Good luck to all.

MissA said...

I would love to read them all! I have a blog http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/ so I will review any of the books I read. However, I will only review a book with an African American main character,I would especially like to have A Wish After Midnight (because I've never read a sci-fi book featuring an African American female), Kinky Gazpaucho (because as a teenage surbabnite who would love to go to Spain I think it would be an interesting and entertaining read), the Rock & the River (because I'm interested in the Black Panthers and haven't found many fictional books about them).
+2 blogged about it http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/
+5 I will review it

MissA said...

forgot the email
willbprez@aol.com
Thanks for having this contest!

Ali said...

Wow! I want to read every single one of these books except I already have some of them so I'll just list 7:
Children In the Waters, because I love Carleen's blog and I enjoyed her first book.
A Wish After Midnight because I've been wanting to read it for months and I'm too lazy to order it online.
Shine, Coconut Moon because I love the cover.
Apologies to an Apple because I love discovering new poets.
The Rock and the River, for my boys to read.
First Daughter, because Mitali is awesome and I haven't read it.
Kinky Gazpacho because the premise totally hooked me the first time I read of it and I haven't gotten around to getting the book yet.

If I win any of these I'll definitely review it, and I blogged about it on Diversity Rocks and Twittered about it tonight. This is an amazing giveaway, thank you!

mrhpotter001@hotmail.com said...

I would like to be entered to win Shine, Coconut Moon as I have read several adult books around similar themes and enjoy the added perspective of YA literature. I will definitely review it for 5 more entries! Thanks so much!

Unknown said...

I'd like to read/review The Rock and the River. There is something about that cover that keeps calling me and I keep resisting. Don't know why. Will comeback when I link/twitter your contest. I already re-tweeted.

evelyn.n.alfred said...

I would like to win A Wish After Midnight because I am a fan of Octavia Butler and the author must be too. I also feel like young adults living in the age of Obama may forget the tragedy of slavery in the U.S. so it's great to see YA titles that feature it.

Color Online said...

Hi Evelyn,
I follow you on Twitter. Glad to finally connect.

Check out Susan's Unofficial Great YA List, too.

evelyn.n.alfred said...

I would also like to win and review Down to the Bone, for research purposes and see how the author deals with the LBGT community.

I added a link to the contest on my blog: http://evelynnalfred.blogspot.com/2009/07/color-online-book-give-away-contest.html

evelyn.n.alfred said...

I didn't realize you were following me too...I thought I was just following you. :) You have a wealth of information. I'm soaking it up like a sponge.

Diana Dang said...

The ones I want to win are:

Shine, Coconut Moon - Because I've seen this one around and is curious about it

White Bread Competition and The Throwaway Piece - It seems interesting to see how being a certain culture could shun you from participating something like a spelling bee

First Daughter: An American Extreme Makeover - I would like to see how the protagonist develop

Kinky Gazpacho - Curious on what the protagonist learns about Spain

I have linked to the sidebar! www.orientaldesires.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Color Online said...

Hi Diana. Glad you came by. Thanks for posting the giveaway on your blog.

Good luck.

Color Online said...

Thanks, Evelyn.

Truth is I hang around very smart women. I had the good fortune of working with librarians and educators while I worked for a premier reference publisher.

evelyn.n.alfred said...

I went through the list again and found two more books I would like to win.

1. Apologies to An Apple
2. Kinky Gazpacho

#1 because it's about poetry (and the cover looks nice).
#2 mostly because of the title. I like kinks, having plenty of my own.

felix said...

What a wonderful thing!

I would love to participate.

I will 'Twitter' and review, if I have the chance.

My first choices would be:

Kinky Gazpacho (I have a God-daughter headed to Spain!)

The Rock and the River (cause it sounds great) and

Wish after Midnight (read Octavia Butler's book where she and her mixed race lover travel back to slave times.....)

thank you

Color Online said...

Thanks Felix,

In Kindred, Dana is African American and her husband is white. Is there another book?

Good luck.

Melissa said...

I would love to win Maya's book, Apologies to An Apple. I've been a subscriber of Maya's blog for a few months now, and her writing is exquisite. I'd like to win this because I'd love to read more of her work.

And I would be honored to review this on my blog.

Anidori-Kiladra said...

I would like win Apologies to An Apple. I'm Maya's friend/follower on the book site Goodreads, and I would love to actually read her book. I've read one sample poem and loved it!

I don't have a blog, but I'd certainly be willing to post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

My email is wind.speaker(at)yahoo(dot)com, and I've racked up 6 entries. :)

Thank for the opportunity!

Hailey said...

I would like "Children In The Waters" by Carleen Brice. Because it reminds me of a book I read some time ago and loved (ARGH! I can't remember the name!! I'll have to try to find it out when i have time)

Shadowofwonder47@yahoo.com

Debbie Barr said...

I'd love to win "Apologies to An Apple" since I've heard lots of good things but have not yet been able to read it!

nerdgoddess (dot) etsy (at) gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I would love to win "Apologies to an Apple"; I've read some of Maya's poetry, and her poems are amazing! I would definitely review it!

lady(dot)dashti(at)gmail(dot)com

wheresmyrain said...

I must say that First Daughter sounds really interesting. the adoptive aspect makes it even more so. would love to see what this book has to say.

JAMIE said...

i think Shine, Coconut Moon, and Apologies To An Apple are my top choices.

(1) sometimes i feel like a coconut, too. i've never been able to fully immerse myself into my mexican heritage and i worry that it might be too late to try.
(2) i think it's amazing that maya ganesan is so young. quirky and non-cliche poetry is my favorite.

yay for summer giveaways!!

jamminjame@aol.com

Nicole said...

I would l♥ve to win Kinky Gazpacho for the following reasons:
a). It has been on my reading list forever.
b). I am a woman of color who has been involved with a man from Spain.
c). Spain is one of my destinations in the future.
d). It just sounds like a really good read!

pinklady357@mailcity.com

Alyce said...

I'd like to read A Wish After Midnight because I love anything with time travel and people dealing with life in a different time.

I'd also love to read First Daughter. It sounds like a fun read and I'm sure it represents at least a small part of what would happen if that was a real situation. I know that perception in politics is everything and people get made over all of the time. (I'm thinking about all of those critiques of Hillary Clinton's hair.) The multi-cultural aspects would definitely be interesting.

+5 I would review either on my blog.

akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

rubynreba said...

I would pick A Wish After Midnight because I like to read about that period of time in history.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Oyceter said...

I'd love A Wish After Midnight; I'm a big fan of SF/F and historical fiction, and this sounds like a great combination of both.

I'm also interested in Down to the Bone because yay intersectionality, as well as White Bread Competition for the spelling bee!

I'll definitely review them; I try to write up everything I read (YA book write ups here).

oyceter at gmail

Brittany said...

+1I would love to win Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole, I'm always looking for new LBGT lit.

+5 I would definitely review this because I review whatever I read. Heck I'll probably have others reviewing it because I loan out my books all the time.

+2 linked on my sidebar

total +8

THANKS! teensatthelibrary[@]yahoo[.]com

Allison said...

I think the book I'm most interested in would be First Daughter: An American Extreme Makeover by Mitali Perkins because it sounds like an interesting story. I can't imagine being forced to suppress who I am for someone else's benefit.

+5 I review all the books I read.
+2 I linked on my sidebar (http://readintothis.blogspot.com).

-Allison
love-adelaide(at)live(dot)com

Color Online said...

Ah, I have the spreadsheet filled in to date.

Good luck all.

jackeline r. said...

I would love to try and win Apologize to an Apple and Shine, Coconut Moon.

tink122595(at)hotmail(dot)com

Lost in a Book said...

I would really like to win Shine, Coconut Moon!

I blogged about it here:http://jessloovesagoodstory.blogspot.com/2009/07/diversity-challenge.html

Thanks!
Jess
Lost_inabook88@yahoo.com

Color Online said...

Jess,

Thanks for blogging about the giveaway.

Good luck!

Jackie,

Good luck!

GypsiesThread said...

I would love to read Children In The Waters by Carleen Brice!!!

I would be thrilled to review it as well!!

gypsiesthread@yahoo.com

Color Online said...

Hi GypsiesThread,

Welcome to Color Online and good luck in the giveaway.

Gaby317 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gaby317 said...

I would love to win First Daughter or Kinky Gazpacho. They both sound like interesting and fun reads!

+5 I'd commit to reviewing the book and posting the review on my blog, Amazon, LibraryThing, Goodreads, etc.

gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com

ShadowsTomes said...

It's so hard to pick which book out of this lot I'd like to read! They all sound so good! If I have to choose though I'd like Children In The Waters by Carleen Brice.
-I promise to review it if I win it!
-I tweeted about this too!
http://twitter.com/lexley/status/2852735163

Awesome contest! Thanks!

must.read.faster@gmail.com

Color Online said...

3 days left!

Bianca said...

I would love to win either Down To The Bone, because I love reading LBGT books, I think we need more of those!

Or Apologies to An Apple, because it is in poetry form and I would love to read more of that.

Or The Rock And The Rive because it looks like an incredible read!!

+5 I would definitely review the book if I won!!

I'm twittering about this contest @bianca1946


infinitemusic19 AT gmail DOT com

Color Online said...

One day left. Get your name in the hat.

Paradox said...

I would like to read A Wish After Midnight because I LOVE speculative fiction with POC protagonists! I'm planning a blog event about books like this, and this one would be perfect for it!

+5 I commit to reviewing it on my blog if I win.
+2 I linked to the contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ParadoxRevealed/status/2918718316

paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com