Little Lov'n Monday

Little Lov'n Mondayis a day we celebrate the work of fellow bloggers. Between now and Wednesday, post a link to an article, contest, interview, poem- anything you think deserves a little lov'n. Leave a link and be entered in LLM Giveaway. Deadline is December 4th. I'll leave this open to readers outside of the US and Canada, but instead of shipping a book, I'll email you a gift card. It's too costly for me to ship beyond Canada.

I'm going to make things a little simpler. Winner can choose any title from the Prize Bucket at Color Online. This week, my links include issues that warrant public discourse so speak up people.

Drop those links & check out these :

Reinforcing the Purity Myth: Twilight @ Racialicious
A Student's Vignette @ Thinking Aloud
Meshell Ndegeocello’s music @Feminist Review
Women Writers of Color: Tara Betts @ Color Online
Global Domestic Violence Epidemic @Change.org
Interview with January O'Neil @ Poefrika

YA 2010 Reading Challenge

I've chosen to join this challenge because it aligns with my reading habits but more because I like group activities; they're opportunities to discover new reads.

There are four levels:

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

3. Audio, eBooks, paper all count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

I'm going for Stepping It Out. I normally read YA. In 2010, I'm going to spend some time reading adult so I'll stick with 50 for this. I'm adding my short list for now:

Magic or Misery by Peter Marino
The God Box by Alex Sanchez
Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee
Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger
M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin
Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama
I Wanna Be Your Shoebox by Christina Garcia
Climbing The Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Blessing's Bead by Debby Dahl Edwardson
Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai
A Mesquite in the Rose Garden by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Indie Girl by Kavita Daswani
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan

Ash: Love, Empowerment and Happiness

Ash
Malinda Lo
Little, Brown
2009

A fresh, imaginative retelling of a classic fairy tale, this is how most reviews lead off, but this lead falls short of what a fantastic, modern tale of resilience, growth, loss and love this is. In the classic tale, Cinderella is forced into servitude. She grieves. Blah, blah, blah. She meets a handsome prince and lives happily ever after. Snooze. Yes, I was not enthralled with the fairy tale as a child and as an adult I am not impressed with women being swept off their feet by perfect men who are the key to our ultimate happiness. Blame it on my politics.

So why did I give Ash a chance? Because despite my prejudice, I knew a little about the writer and I felt reasonably sure that if I were going to appreciate fairy tales, Lo was my evangelist. She doesn’t disappoint. Ash is provocative. It is empowering. It provides intriguing twists to a classic. It’s a love story but this one is tender, intimate and the lover doesn’t swoop in and save the poor girl. Poor girl saves herself and the girl chooses who she loves.

This retelling of Cinderella is far better than what I remember of the original fairy tale. In Lo's version, Ash falls in love with the King's Huntress. The main character is fond of fairy tales and she recounts many for Kaisa, leader of the King’s hunters. What I know is a staple in the fairy tales and fantasy is that imaginary worlds are described in detail and these descriptions significantly lengthen the story; the details help the reader fully immerse herself in the world. Well, I’m not a big fairy tale fan and this element doesn’t appeal to me. If Lo had written long passages describing the history, landscape and inhabitants, I would have likely been bored. I’m glad that writer opted instead to use Ash’s interweaving story telling as a way to inform the reader.

Ash’s story telling allows us to gradually learn about the mores and history of the two different societies. I am far more interested in the development of relationships and deliberate though subtle revelations of character. Through Ash’s interactions with her stepfamily, Kaisa, and Sidhean, Lo examines gender roles, power hierarchies and autonomy.

Lo makes decisive breaks from the traditional story: There aren’t drawn out descriptions of history and clans, Ash falls in love with a woman and there is no matronly fairy godmother. The latter is the most intriguing element for me. Sidhean, a fairy, is dark but not campy b-movie creepy. He is closer to the archetype. He isn’t cute or sparkly. And while his skin is pale almost translucent, he is not beautiful; beauty isn’t his allure. He is an enigma, dark and menacing, a sensual being whose charms could easily seduce all others, except Ash the daughter of the human he loved. This departure from the original yields the greatest effect for me. There is palpable tension between Ash and Sidhean and despite the clear power and influence he has over her, he cannot conquer his desire for her.

Sidhean is more than someone who could help Ash; he is her companion. Their relationship is unconventional, far more complicated than the budding relationship between Ash and Kaisa. Because of their relationship, Ash learns about boundaries and acceptance, and her ability to embrace or reject her circumstances. Over time she stops trying to figure out what’s between them and accepts it for what it is. Ultimately, she learns the power of choice and rejects what Sidhean wants.

I am not sure if Lo anticipated a reader like me who would see a love triangle, one that is complex and unsatisfying. Despite Sidhean’s feelings (won’t debate the magic) for her, there is the inequality of power; the inequality in part speaks to what love is not while the slow, mutual desire building between Ash and Kaisa represents what love can be. I am glad that Ash unlike another character in a hugely popular work, moves beyond infatuation and makes an informed decision to pursue a relationship where she is an equal partner. Cinderella falls in love with a handsome man she knows nothing about. Ash spends a fair amount of time getting to a know a woman who she is not only attracted to, but a woman who accepts her and cares about what matters to her. That’s the kind of love that leads to happily ever after.

Regardless if you see what I see in the book, Ash is a good story. Good story telling has layers. I hope you take the time to discover what Ash has to offer you.

I'm participating in Women Unbound. Visit the WU blog to find more reviews spotlighting women's literature.

Weekly Geek: A Reader's Top 10

For the second year in a row, we're asking book bloggers to help put together a top 10 list of books published in 2009.

You'll have two weeks to come up with your list before I begin compiling the voting booths. Then we'll put it to a vote. Last year, we ended up with over 1300 individual voters and I know we can make it just as big this year.

So what are your top 10 books of 2009?

I'm addicted to creating lists, that and I cannot pass up an opportunity to introduce readers to writers who don't get enough promotion (in my opinion). Here's my top ten. To the writers, thank you for an incredible year.

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott (YA)
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger (YA)
Mare’s War by Tanita S. Davis (YA)
Ash by Malinda Lo (YA)
Jumped by Rita Williams Garcia (YA)
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (YA)
Liar by Justine Larbalestier (YA)
A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar (contemporary fiction)
The Other Side of Paradise by Staceyann Chin (memoir)
Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice (contemporary fiction)

Find more lists at Weekly Geeks. Submit your own list.

CORA Diversity Roll Call: Early Readers

Twice a month, Ali at Worducopia and I host CORA Diversity Roll Call. Our aim is to introduce readers to books that celebrate diversity. We aren't limited to race though ethnicity and race are major for us. We're also interested in other ways we are different. Our current assignment was inspired by a note from Mary Ann:

I loved discovering Nikki & Deja last year, but I find it very hard to find either early readers or early chapter books with kids from different backgrounds. There are lots of picture books out there, but not many books that young kids can read for themselves.

So, you're assignment is one of the following:

1) Find a book for Mary Ann's library
2) Write the blurb for the book you'd like kids of that age to see on the shelves, or
3) Was this an issue for you when you were first reading books on your own? Tell us about it.

Doret raised a point about how African American picture books could easily be formatted as early readers. She asked if others noticed that AA pictures books are longer and written at a level that an early reader could read alone. Personally, I've wondered the same.

To build on what Doret asks, I wonder if more African American children would be reading earlier on their own if the books marketed to them were formatted as early readers instead of picture books. I have also wondered if other adults' have observed the high number of historical books aimed at African American children. So many of the books with African American titles for children sent to me for review are historical non-fiction or fictional stories based on historical figures. While I appreciated these books as a child, as an adult I've noticed a resistance or lack of enthusiasm for these books among young children. My nephew and niece don't always want a book about black heroes. They want light, fun books with main characters their age who enjoy the same kind things they do. They want contemporary stories.

I checked out a handful of books for the challenge. One was actually a picture book about adoption and the other struck me as rather long for an early reader. I'll focus on the two: Amy Hodgepodge: All Mixed Up by Kim Wayans and Keena Ford and the Second Grade Mix-Up by Melissa Thompson.

The first volume in the Amy Hodgepodge series is about a young girl going to school for the first time in the fourth grade. She's been homeschooled and she lives with her parents and grand parents. Amy has to learn how to make friends, deal with bullies and figure out where she fits in a group. What I liked most about Amy Hodgepodge was the positive portrayal of her family, add the mix of ethnicity and race and it was well off to a good time. I liked how Amy grew and faced her challenges in spite of her doubts and fears. I liked that the school was chock full of diversity but for me, someone whose own circle of family and friends is a lovely mix, I thought the number of mixed race kids at Amy's school was a little much. Despite the mix being less than real for me, I liked the story's take on family, friendship and facing personal challenges. The series is something I'd share with early readers.

Keena Ford and the Second Grade Mix-Up is hilarious. Keena is as I'd like to say, a hot mess. Think Lucille Ball funny only she's much shorter, darker and in grade school. Keena and Eric are best friends, and they are excited about being in the same class (They are very disappointed when they learn the girls and boys are being placed in separate classrooms). Keena prefers Eric and building a homework hangout to sipping paper bag tea with another little girl.

I liked Keena from the start. And there are some choice, funny lines like when Keena says her dad asks her to try harder in school so teachers won't call him during the day using up his daytime minutes. I was close to falling to the floor laughing. Of course on the first day of school, Keena sets an episode into motion. She mistakenly writes her birthday wrong on the board and it only snowballs from there. Keena means well but like most of us at her age, we'd rather try to find a way out of mess instead of confessing. Keena and I share a birthday, too. What's not to love about a girl who shares your birthday, makes you laugh and reminds you of your younger self?

I highly recommend both titles.

Can you recommend any early readers with children of color? What did you read as a child? Was there diversity in the selections available to you?

Little Lov'n Monday

Little Lov'n Monday is a day we celebrate the work of fellow bloggers. Between now and Wednesday, post a link to an article, contest, interview, poem- anything you think deserves a little lov'n. Leave a link and be entered in LLM Giveaway. Deadline is November 26th. I'll leave this open to readers outside of the US and Canada, but instead of shipping a book, I'll email you a gift card. It's too costly for me to ship beyond Canada.

I'm going to make things a little simpler. Winner can choose any title from the Prize Bucket at Color Online. This week, my links are about issues that warrant public discourse so speak up people.

Commit to visiting 5 blogs and leaving comments. Drop those links & check out these :

"And If I Am Gay...." at If you Want Kin
Reading In Color Holiday Book Exchange
Definitions for the Perplexed: Self-Publishing at Editorial Anonymous

Color Online Holiday Greeting Card Exchange

Color Online Holiday Greeting Card Exchange
Sign-up is open till December 5th. Let us celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Eid, Kwanzaa and Solstice together.

Saturday Six Sentences

Great week for reading and picking up new books. If you don't know, Saturday Six Sentences originally appeared at Mr. Maurer's Coffee For the Brain. The idea is to discuss everything you read in the week in six sentences. For those who habitually write in a truncated manner, this could be real challenging, but for those of us who marvel at Faulkner's six line single sentences, this is a fun and doable exercise. On to the books.


This week I finished Paper Towns by John Green and I can officially say the man rocks. I really love that is Margo is complex, daring and flawed, and Green is laugh out loud hilarious, I'm talking kickass funny (sorry for the swearing but it is so appropriate here). I'm finishing up Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen, a great memoir set in Michigan (my home state) in the 80s detailing a young girl's insatiable appetite to fit in. If you're a foodie, love memoirs and coming of age stories, pick this up. Lastly, picked up several early readers for CORA Diversity Roll Call: Amy Hodgepodge: All Mixed Up by Kim Wayans and Kevin Knotts, Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury and Keena Ford by Melissa Thompson, which I have started and I'm loving it.

Six sentences to whet your appetite; check in later this week to read more.

Confession Tuesday

It's Tuesday and that means confession time. Let's start with me putzing around for almost two hours Monday night surfing (my rationale was I was hoping to get inspired) and not being able to decide just what I wanted to blog about. Worse, let me confess I had a few ideas but I felt inadequate about my ability to write a good piece so I kept abandoning meatier topics I'd like to talk about.

Moving on- reviews. I love, love, love reading. And I love talking about my latest good read. Reviewing- don't love that so much. What's insane is that I spend whole days writing in my head what I would say in a review. Does anyone else do this? I've read no less that four really good books recently and by now you know not to ask how many of them I've reviewed. I feel pathetic but not enough to do exactly what would eradicate my guilt. Maude help me.

I wish I could afford therapy. Then again, if I could bend a therapist's ear, my resistance and fear of getting the reviews out of my head and onto the screen wouldn't exactly be at the top of my priority list.

Let's move on to what I have accomplished. Tonight I met with my new trainer. This chica is not waiting for the New Year. I'm fat now and my new gig reimburses employees who make an effort to get fit so off to the gym I went. My trainer, Robyn is a young woman who was fat no so long ago, too, and she's a teacher. She so works for me.

DQ made the cheer team today and wants to run track. After learning that I have to pay for her to participate, you can believe she will be sticking these latest interests out for the remainder of the school year. I'm still light-headed not from my workout but at the idea of me having to pay (no small amount either) for my kid to participate in school sports.

Okay, so nothing brilliant or sage here, still I'm feeling good. How was your day?

2010 Challenges

I'm participating in the following challenges between now and the end of 2010. Check back periodically. This list is going to grow:

Women Unbound
My reading list
November 2009-November 2010
Join us.






January 2010-December 2010
My reading list





The Challenge That Dare Not Speak Its Name
My reading list
January 2010-December 2010

J. Kaye's YA Challenge
January 2010-December 2010
My reading list

Reading The World Challenge at Paper Tigers

Little Lov'n Monday

Little Lov'n Monday is a day we celebrate the work of fellow bloggers. Between now and Wednesday, post a link to an article, contest, interview, poem- anything you think deserves a little lov'n. Leave a link and be entered in LLM Giveaway. Deadline is November 11th. I'll leave this open to readers outside of the US and Canada, but instead of shipping a book, I'll email you a gift card. It's too costly for me to ship beyond Canada.

I'm going to make things a little simpler. Winner can choose any title from the Prize Bucket at Color Online. This week, my links are about issues that warrant public discourse so speak up people.

Commit to visiting 5 blogs and leaving comments. Drop those links & check out these :

The Spectacle of the Abused Black Woman at ABW
Sexting at Your Ink
Juan Williams tries to explain "Precious." (This fool needs a smackdown and afterwards actually read the book)
Michelle Obama honors Girls Write Now

Morality and Young Adult Literature

The following is my response to an article at She Writes. I was able to edit my off-the-cuff post here though that doesn't mean this piece is error-free.

Let me open by saying I'm a vocal, very active literacy advocate and I focus on YA literature. I founded and ran a real life group for teens as well as built a library collection and ran the library for years so when I speak I'm pulling on experience with real teens. I'm also the mother of two daughters ages twenty-four and fourteen. I don't censor their reading and neither of them is scarred from their choices of reading material. Now the music and entertainment influences, that's a discussion for another time.

Do writers have a moral duty to protect the young minds of their readers?

Define young. And who determines what is appropriate and moral? Usually the drinking, drugs and promiscuity in most YA books are not there for a titillation solely. On the other hand I could rant for days how Twilight is soft chaste porn and this is read by mothers and daughters. All the titillation you could want, but that's okay because they get married before they do the deed. Mothers, teachers and other adults lavish praise on Meyer. I digress.

Back to your question about responsibility. No, it's not the writers' responsibility it's mine, the parent. Frankly, I'm tired of parents abdicating their responsibility and screaming everyone else should be held accountable for their children's moral and social development. A writer's responsibility is to write authentically. She should be neither condescending nor preachy. Tell the story as she knows it and respect the reader to draw their own conclusions. I loathe those simplistic, overtly didactic stories.

I'm a literacy advocate and while there is something to be said for morality and responsibility, there is also something very dangerous about censorship. Don't think something is appropriate for your child, by all means don't allow them to read it. But I don't want someone else (and those others rarely bother to ask or educate themselves about what I value) dictating what is appropriate for my child or anyone else.

Regarding your point about the vast age range and diversity of what is being marketed as YA, it falls back to parents and readers to educate themselves about the genre. Educators and librarians are trained to know standards and to shelve books based on them. Since it is their business to know, I trust their assessments as a benchmark and then it's up to me to decide what is appropriate for a particular child.

Today's YA has evolved in significant ways from the days when I was a young reader. In fact, if what is available today had been available when I was younger, I would have read more of it.

For me, the media and entertainment industry is where I'd like hold folks feet to the fire because in these arenas gratuitous sex, negative body images and misogynistic messaging is the norm.

Literature more often than not at its core is an examination of who we are, what we want and value and how we correct or embrace what we think of ourselves and our societies.

I'm not arguing anything goes. I am arguing responsibility rests first with the parent not the writer. No writer sets out to corrupt children.

Saturday Six Sentences

I am following Mr. Maurer's, of Coffee for the Brain, lead. The idea is to talk about what I've read for the week regardless of how many books in six sentences. Love this. Thanks, MM.

Last week when I visited my stylist to get my locs tightened I had copy of Liar with me so I shared it with my stylist's daughter who was very interested in it. Of course, I let her keep it. In the meantime, I've been reading Paper Towns by John Green and just like Doret said, I am enjoying it. A few times, I've laughed out loud on the bus on my way to work.

According to very credible sources: my nine-year-old neighbor and my co-worker's eight-year-old daughter, Testing the Ice, is fantastic. Both young readers loved it.

Women Unbound: My Shortlist

Below is my tentative reading list. When I'm not reading YA with strong female leads, I'm reading women's lit with the same. This challenge came right on time. I'm participating at the highest number of books level, suffragette. This means committing to read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones. To learn more about the challenge, visit the Women Unbound.



Non-fiction

Graffiti Women by Nicholas Ganz, Nancy Macdonald and swoon.
A Burst of Light by Audre Lorde
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
Some of Us Did Not Die by June Jordan
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins
Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen

Fiction

Corregidora by Gayle Jones
Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall
Runaway by Alice Munro
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Children of The Waters by Carleen Brice
The Untelling by Tayari Jones
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amar Qamar
Ash by Malinda Lo
Climbing The Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

Women Unbound: Meme & Recommended List

A group of women have taken on the task of hosting a challenge that examines and celebrates women in literature and non-fiction. There are 3 levels of participation. The challenge will run one year including memes and other fun activities. For details visit Women Unbound. The first meme asked participants to address the following questions:

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act? 2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Do you mean to say that you don’t believe in working in the interest of women? That’s what feminism is: It’s working to assure that women are not limited in their options and opportunities by virtue of their gender.~Faye Wattleton

I am a feminist. I am committed to speaking out against all forms of oppression. I believe the personal is political. I believe writing is political and a form of activism. I believe in a woman’s right to decide what is done with and to her body, her right to equal opportunity in employment and representation. I speak out for the liberation, protection and empowerment of all women especially those who are marginalized and disenfranchised. I argue that all people deserve access to health, safety, food, shelter, education and the opportunity to pursue the means necessary to support them without regard to gender or station.

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today?

Is there ever a single obstacle when discussing a complex issue? Major obstacles include but are not limited to:

1) Restriction or non-access to education, employment, mobility.
2) Threats of physical harm, lack of safety and protection
3) Restricted or non-existent legal rights/protections and legal representation.
4) Second class status
5) The psychological onslaught of misogynistic and sexist behaviors and attitudes that compromise a woman’s ability to become a fully self-actualized human being.

Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

The question is very broad and therefore difficult to answer with a single response. It depends on what obstacle we're talking about, what time period and what culture. There are too many places and too many obstacles facing women worldwide. There is more wrong than right.

We were also asked to share our reading lists. I haven't finished my list but I do want to share a list of recommended titles as others have done.

Fiction

In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (historical fiction) This is a fictional account of the Mirable sisters who lost their lives rebelling against an oppressive regime. Told in alternate narrations from each sister. This is what hooked me on historical fiction and its power to teach.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (speculative fiction). I can't think of any other writer who challenges a reader like Butler does. All of her work is a critique and examination of accepted social mores and behaviors. All of her women leads and all of her books I've read have women leads are complex, flawed and often problematic. They refuse to conform to convention.

No Laughter Here by Rita Williams Garica (YA) Young girl suffers the cultural practice of FGM.

Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins (YA). A fantastic look at culture, gender and family.

A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott (YA) an impressive blend of historical and speculative fiction. An accessible, noteworthy examination of race, racism, history and terrorism.

Non-fiction

The Skin Between Us by Kim Regusa (memoir) Moving, well-written work about 3 women of 3 different generations, cultures and race.

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. One woman's criticism of Islam, multiculturalism and her campaign to bring attention to a myriad of issues including female circumcision.

The Other Side of Paradise by Stacy Ann Chin (memoir) A young artist describes her difficult years and triumph. Chin is a writer, activist, lesbian poet.

Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja One woman's detailed account of seeking asylum in America to escape the horrific practice of FGM.

The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde. (essays) One of the most important and respected intellectual among her peers. She was brilliant, an iconic figure. You don't have a full picture of feminism without reading the Lorde.

Sex for One: The Joy of Self-Loving by Betty Dodson (sexuality) I think this should be required reading in Women's Studies.

My Secret Garden by Nancy Friday (sexuality) A classic. For the progressive woman and for the woman who wants to explore who she is.

Why do we have to wait until we're young adults before we discover women's studies? Wouldn't it help if we educated our young girls about their bodies, body image and biology before they go off to college?

Body Drama Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers by Nancy Amanda Redd Give me a 'V' for vulva. Say it like you're proud.

33 Things Every Girl Should Know: Stories, Songs, Poems and Smart Talk edited by Tonya Bolden (self-esteem)

Things I have To Tell You: Poems and Writings by Teenage Girls edited by Betsy Franco and Nina Nickles (body image/identity/self-esteem)

Plays

Flying West by Pearl Cleage. I think plays are Cleage's strength. This volumes contains plays that center on strong women if different places and different time periods. Strong emphasis on migration and place. Solid work.

For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Was Enuf by Ntozake Shange I don't a woman or girl who has read or seen a production of the seminal work that was not moved by it. Another work that should be required for any serious women's studies program.

Poetry

Like The Singing Coming Off The Drums by Sonia Sanchez. A true poet/activist. Sanchez embodies what it means to tap the feminine energy and power.

The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1995 by Nikki Giovanni Ms. Giovanni is old-school, the real deal poet/activist. She's been penning about social, political and feminist issues her entire writing career.