Recommded Summer Vacation Reads

A few months back, someone sent me a copy of Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson (See Ari's review). I carried the book with me on my bus commute with the intent to read it over a couple of rides and lunches at work. Well when I got to work, I shared the book with a co-worker whose son is a reluctant reader. She's always looking for something for him. Without thinking, I offered the book. Later when I asked her if he liked it she told me her son started reading it but she could tell he was reading it because she wanted him to so she gave it to her niece (she wasn't happy about the girl's normal reading choices). She said her niece immediately got into the book so much so she apparently told her cousin about the story then he wanted it back. When the niece finished the book, my friend asked if her son could finish reading it. This go round he, too, became engrossed with the book staying up late to read, something my friend says never happens. When he was done with the book, his younger sister wanted to read it so he gave it to her without telling his mom he had finished. In the end my gifted, soft cover book endured a real good wearing from three teens. My co-worker felt so bad about the condition of the book, she got me a hard cover. So to Varian, I apologize for not reviewing your latest but I hope you and other readers will appreciate how well received the book was among these teens, two of whom are preacher kids.

Before summer I read Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes. I wrote about it though not a full review. Loved it. Before I went on leave I shared this book with the same co-worker mentioned above. I'm pretty sure I know what she's going to say.

Next is One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia. I love this author's work and this book is no exception. Do check out the video clip at Zetta Eliott's blog. I was twenty pages shy of finishing when I made the same mistake of sharing a book too soon. I told a friend of my daughter's how much I enjoyed it. Actually, she had come to see my daughter and while waiting she noticed the book on the hallway bookcase ( my daughter's friends often eye my books and then shyly they will sometimes ask to borrow one). I watched her her read the book titles and I knew she was going to ask. I started to say let me finish but I couldn't risk her not coming back (she's actually a regular reader and likely would ask) but I seize all opportunities to give kids books.

Last book is Elizabeti's Doll by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen. I received this book from the publisher. It's a lovely book about a little girl who wants to emulate her mother. Her mom recently had a new baby and Elizabeti wants one to care for, too. The story takes place in Tanzania. The little girl doesn't own a doll so she searches for something to be her baby. She settles for an oval not to heavy or large rock. She takes good care of her baby. She makes the sweetest comments such as she's relieved her baby doesn't make the same mess in her cloth like her new baby brother does. Really enjoyed this. Look for it.

It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read.

Read:
Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan. This has been on my tbr for a while. I needed to change things up. I started this last night and finished it on my commute coming home. Blake is funny. Marissa and Shannon are believable and make a good argument that guys are not attracted to one kind of girl.

Love the humor, realism, the pacing and the author's writing style. I plowed through this almost like hurtlers (you have to read the book to know what hurtle means).

Still Reading:
Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki. Fits my South Asian and Women Unbound challenges. I almost always love Doret's recommendations but this one is just okay for me. There is nothing wrong with the writing. The problem for me is that nothing about the storyline or writing stands out. The characters aren't that complexed, the writing is competent and the book is moving at a good pace. I think my lackluster interest is that the story holds no surprises. Maybe something will happen to change my mind.

Yes, still reading Last Night I Sang To The Monster. Great writing and it was only this week that I figured out why I'm dragging on this. This resonates with me. The darkness of the book is a little too close to home. Zach, the main character has serious issues to work out and this work is hard. I know what that is like so this is no easy read.

Picked up several titles from the library that I have wanted to read so maybe this week will be better. Next up:
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
After Xing Xing's beloved father dies, she is left to the custody of his second wife, her cruel stepmother. Stepmother has just one goal: to help her only daughter Wei Ping marry well. Although Wei Ping is already fifteen years old, Stepmother decides to bind her feet, a process that was usually begun in early childhood. Stepmother is convinced that this horrific process, which her late husband frowned upon, will make Wei Ping more attractive to potential suitors. Instead, it gives the girl debilitating pain and a life-threatening infection.

Wait For Me by An Na. I loved A Step From Heaven so I have high hopes for this one.
The pack of lies about her academic achievement that Mina has told to satisfy her mother's high expectations (she has her heart set on her daughter going to Harvard) is unraveling as her senior year approaches. Jonathon Kim, a Stanford-bound teen and the son of her mother's best friend, has helped with the deception by forging Mina's report cards and backing up her many fictions. He asks too much of her, though, while Ysrael, the attractive new employee in the family cleaning business, encourages her to follow her own dreams–and him–to San Francisco.

Find more WAYR hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey.

Girl Power List: Celebrating Women's History Month

For me, it's about girl power 365 a year and during March my fanaticism- eh, my passion is deemed appropriate. I wanted to put this up earlier but life with a female teen is uh, well, let's say, requires spending less time here.

With the exception of the adult sisters in the first title, the others have girl leads. Some show how girls from different cultures find a way to affect their own destinies within the culture they live in and the beliefs they hold while other main characters are openly rebels. Many of these books I have talked about previously and likely will be talking about again. Each title is followed by a brief annotation with the main genre identified. I've link to reviews when I readily knew who and where.

In The Time of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Three sisters rebel against a corrupt and oppressive regime. The fictional account of the real Mirable sisters is told in alternating voices of the sisters. The sisters were brave, flawed and committed to what they believed in. I recommend this book every chance I get. It made that kind of impression on me. Historical fiction.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. A young woman leads a small group out of a dystopian community to build a new one based on a new religion she reluctantly accepts as her destiny. Lauren is fifteen. To lead any group is a daunting task for any leader. Imagine being fifteen, the world is pretty close to hell on Earth and then you get visions that you are to start a new way of life in the middle of chaos. Butler is brilliant in how she challenges the reader with her critiques of our society. Science Fiction

Down To The Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole. A young woman grapples with her sexual orientation and identity.Laura is funny, honest and authentic. Her denial and missteps are frustrating but they also make her believable. Soli is kickass. And the food references- I was always hungry, wishing I was at their table. YA. GLBT. My review.

M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin. Opal and Miriam have been friends forever. Marianne spins out of control while Opal attaches her dreams and hopes on a future life with Marianne. Interwoven is the story of Hannah, a runaway slave who chooses to risk her life for freedom, unexpectedly falls in love and ultimately loses her life on her own terms. YA. GLBT


A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott. Genna is fifteen. Life at home is rough. She's not happy with her looks or place in any group. Then she meet Judah and things are looking up. Life isn't suddenly perfect and that's why she makes a wish. She couldn't have thought a wish could transport to 1863 Brooklyn. Historical/sci-fi. YA. Read Neesha's review at Cynical, Ornery and Sublime.

Does My Head Look Big In this? by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Amal is Muslim. Home is Australia. When she decides to wear the hijab she has to contend with a variety of reactions. Amal is a teen and like most teen girls, she's concerned about her looks, how she is perceived and boys. Now balance all that and religion. YA. Multicultural. Read Allison's review at Read Into This.

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. 15-year-old Vidya has plans: college and a career. Her progressive father supports her. Her family is very different from her father's conservative, tradition family in Madras. When tragedy strikes, Vidya's family has to move to Madras. It's 1941, the war is on everyone's mind and Vidya is determined to still realize her dreams even in a house where girls aren't allowed upstairs. YA. Multicultural. Read Natasha's review at Maw's books.

Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar. Nazia is pulled from school to help her mother find work when her father doesn't return to work after an accident. Cleaning houses compromises Nazia's marriage prospects. The setting is modern Pakistan. Ultimately, Nazia chooses a life for herself on her own terms. Highly recommend reading this and Wanting Mor. Both are modern stories with young girls who do not romanticize the West or its culture. Read review at Regular Rumination.


Mare's War by Tanita Smith. Octavia and Tali take a road trip with their colorful grandmother, Mare. Just before turning 18, Mare joined the Women's Army Corps during World War II. Told in alternating points of view from Mare, Talia and Octavia. YA. Read Ari's review at Color Online.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. Ida Mae has to make tough decisions like choosing to pass for white in order serve in Women Airforce Service Pilots. See Akilah's review at the Englishist.

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan. A young woman in the wake of the conflict in Afghanistan has to grow quickly when her mother dies unexpectedly and her irresponsible father moves her to Khabul so he can find his opportunity to improve his lifestyle. He marries a widow and Jameela's life becomes even bleeker. Jameela, a conservative, religious girl learns to be less judgmental while remaining true to the religion and beliefs she shared with her mother. YA. Multicultural. Read Edi's review at Crazy Quilts.

What's on your girl power list?

Sweet, Hereafter: A Reader's Response

sweet, hereafter
Angela Johnson
Simon & Schuster
2010

Having read the other titles in the trilogy, I think sweet, hereafter is a deft closing. This final installment is about Sweet, a young girl we meet through Marley in Heaven. Sweet is odd; she wears knee high rain boots, isn’t obsessed with ipods or Facebook, drives a truck dubbed Alice and likes feeding ground hogs apple peels. She doesn’t fit in with her perfect, beautiful family. In this closing book, it’s a few years later and Sweet, a senior, is still odd but popular. When her relationship with her family reaches her breaking point, she moves in with Curtis, another quiet but friendly young man enlisted in the Reserves home after one tour in Iraq. Their connection is both tender and tenuous.

The story unfolds slowly. The commentary is sparse and even the most dramatic scenes are subdued. This is however a poignant read. Johnson renders a short, but memorable story about how we find meaning and make connections in the lives we lead. There’s no happy ending but there is resolution. There is some peace. To paraphrase one of the characters, there is enough. We don’t get a lot of time with the characters, we don’t get lengthy histories or long passages of dialogue but we do get enough. We get a mother connecting with a daughter in a way I think the daughter understands. We get a young girl and young man loving for a time. We see friends doing what they can. We get enough.

In a culture where communication is a juxtaposition of multi-tasking and texting, I think this kind of brevity matches teens' modern sensibility without compromising the art. This is life distilled in a meaningful way.

The length of the book works. This book is small but powerful. Yes, it is a good for a reluctant reader and a broader audience as well. My experience is that most teens want everything from food to entertainment to get to the point and get there fast. No, we don’t get 400 pages of pining or violence. It’s not an epic tale of adventure. It is what I think the author intended: an intimate close to a series that has looked at relationships the way they really happen.

For me the read is seamless; elegant in sparse prose lines that feel like poetry. The depth of the work is understated but potent.

Have you read any Johnson? How do you feel about slim volume YA titles? What elements do you need in a work to keep you interested: dialogue, action, fantasy, humor?

It's Monday: What Are You Reading Now?

Each week readers share what they are reading for the week. I joined because there is no way I can review every book I read. Up this week:

Finished:

M+O 4EVR by Tonya Cherie Hegmain. This fits my LGBT challenge but when is any book, when are we ever just one aspect of our identity? This book is about friendship, the awakening of romantic and sexual desire, love, loss and yes, identity. This is the kind of story I wish teens were swept up in because it is complex, tender and real. It's about family and how you can feel both grounded and uprooted at the same time. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend you do.

Read One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss. Lots of facts that culminate into a call of action. Written simply but the message is powerful. Read this for Social Justice: Water.

Next up:

Sweet Hereafter by Angela Johnson. This is the final book in the Heaven triology. I've read and loved both First Part Last and Heaven. If you don't know these books, do check them out.

In the mail:

Arc & Hue by Tara Betts. I've been reading Tara for a few years. In fact, in my former life, I published an e-zine and I was stoked when Tara submitted a piece at my request. I didn't know at the time that Tara was a mentor, educator and Cave Canem fellow. I did know I liked her work. Support a poet. Pick up her collection.

Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson. I enjoyed My Life As A Rhombus. I really appreciate that Mr. Johnson didn't play predictably into stereotypes, that his main character is a smart girl who made a mistake but she learned how to move on with her life. This time, we're getting the male's point of view and we're looking at preacher's kids. Very interested to see how this turns. See an interview with the author at In The Author's Tent and a review at Reading In Color.

Still reading:

Awakening Iran by Shrin Ebadi. I've stalled on this one. It is good but there are some really good YA and MG distracting me at the moment.

Last Night I Sang To The Monster by Benjamin Alire Saenz. See review at La Bloga. Hope to finish this soon.

Find more posts here at One Person's Journey.

GLBT Reading: Jacqueline Woodson

GLBT Reading: Guest Post: Jacqueline Woodson

I'm a guest blogger at the GLBT Challenge and yes, talking about my girlcrush, Ms. Woodson. Please come by.

When Ms. Woodson explores race and sexual orientation, it’s always in the context of personal relationships. Her language and the dialogue between characters aren’t political but intimate and this matters. It is much easier to examine social mores and societal norms in the context of our personal lives.

Wanting Mor: Is This Freedom?

Wanting Mor
Ruhksana Khan
Groundwood Books
2009

After reading Zetta Eliott’s review of Wanting Mor and reading another mention of the book at GA Novelty, I thought, Once again, a book I’ve read and enjoyed and not reviewed. I’m writing now though because Zetta and I have divergent views on the book. We’re both feminists and we share a lot of the same views but this time, we see culture and faith differently.

Wanting Mor is akin to a Cinderella set in Afghanistan based on a true events in 2001. There is no prince but there is maturation and freedom though I think in this book, it's not freedom in the way many of us would define it. I see women making choices and exerting themselves while Zetta questions why women willingly embrace restrictions placed on them by their religion and culture. Like Zetta, I’m very interested to learn how teen girls would interpret this story. There are great comments and observations at Fledgling. Do check them out.

I read this and like Doret, I see Jameela in the context of her circumstances and culture. I think the writer gives an honest and realistic, and in a modern setting by the way a view of how some Muslim women see themselves. I prefer this to a version that is more aligned with my Western views. This is Kabul after the Taliban and during an established US presence.

I concede Jameela is judgmental towards other women, but she does mature. She comes to love and care for her friend who does not share her conservative values or adherence to their religion. Jameela also breaks from her father and chooses an alternative life as a single, employed woman. Jameela chooses her destiny.

I see Jameela and her religious views very much in the way I know Christians have very different views of what it means to be Christian. Many follow Christianity but we all do not interpret our faith and live our lives the same way, and among ourselves we are judgmental. There are many of us who are Christian, but we are also pro-choice, we reject homophobia and we are Democratic and Republican. I think Khan presents different shades of culture and faith, a view of women who live in a Muslim country and how they unapologetically live and practice and reject it, too. I think this story reflects how some women see themselves. That is valuable to see.

Jameela emulates the strongest, most positive figure in her life. Her mother believed in modesty but that didn't mean her mother believed in abuse or that she didn't think for herself. She married a non-practicing Muslim but she didn't abandon her faith. She did not live as her husband did. Mor believed and practiced what mattered most to her and that is empowering.

I think that if we're going to use our own measuring stick for what it means to be empowered then we inevitably are going to find others coming up short often.
Many of us have rejected parts of our mother's thinking and living but many of these same women were also the strongest women we knew and we drew on their strength. Sometimes we saw how limiting a woman's life could be and we were steadfast in having a different life.

In much of the multicultural literature I read, I discover girls and women who find ways to exert themselves within the context of their culture and circumstances. They find purpose, love and happiness within what they know and I find that empowering. And as undesirable as we may find some customs, there are women who find comfort and joy in their traditions. Jameela liked how she looked in the mirror. She also liked being free of being looked at. There was no reason to cover her lip after the surgery but she felt wearing the burka was her way of choosing who and when others had access to her.

I don’t think it serves us to think women have to reject culture or religion completely in order to live a life a woman finds fulfilling. And I can respect and celebrate a life a woman chooses for herself in spite of finding aspects of that life personally objectionable.

I read Wanting Mor for Women Unbound and J. Kaye’s 2010 Young Adult Challenge. I also think this fits Social Justice: Religious Freedom. I encourage you to read this book. You might also be interested in Climbing The Stairs and Beneath My Mother’s Feet. These are stories about girls growing up in traditional, conservative cultures yet they make breaks as well.

What are your thoughts about the restrictions or freedom of culture and faith? Have you read stories that elicit similar conflicts for you?

2010 Challenge Update

I realize given the economy I should not complain about my job but it is seriously putting a cramp in my blogging life. The upside is that I ride the bus to work so I am reading. Here's a rundown of what I've read for my challenges. With an any luck, I'll spend the remainder of the weekend writing reviews and other blog posts in advance.



YA challenge
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan

GLBT
Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee

South Asian
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama (Pakistan)
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman

Women Unbound
Grafitti Women: Street Art from Five Continents by Nicholas Ganz Nancy MacDonald, Swoon
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama (Pakistan)
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman (India)
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan (Afghanistan)

Reading The World Challenge
Faith by Maya Amjera
14 Cows Carmen Agra Deedy, Thomas Gonzalez, Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah

Social Justice
Faith by Maya Amjera

That's 8 books. Loved them all! Thanks to Edi at Crazy Quilts for turning me on to 14 Cows and Faith. Both books are beautifully illustrated. They inspire and remind us that we our faith and hope in our children is well placed.

Thanks to Akilah for When You Reach Me. I haven't read A Wrinkle in Time but Stead's book took me to a place I wanted to linger. I suppose time travel is technically sci-fi, but the book felt like magic and the writing caught me up;I refused to let go.

I was so frustrated with Shawna in Say The Word and every time I thought about why, I knew Jeanine had created realistic characters. A good read about how mixed up, complex and flawed we are and how we can draw on the good in us to do the right thing.

While reading Beneath My Mother's Feet, Wanting Mor (see interview with author, Rukhsana Khan at Paper Tigers.) and Climbing the Stairs, I couldn't stop asking myself how do we impart to our girls in this instance, a love for education, to get them to understand that an education not a man or fame is the means to opportunity, personal choice and freedom? The main characters, all young girls in each book, were desperate to complete their education and they knew their chances at a life beyond servitude, abuse and dependence were inscrutably tied to being educated. For so many women outside of our country, education means an independent life.


Graffiti Women is kickass. The writers are diverse. Their stories and perspectives vary but all the writers exude self-confidence, they are clearly are committed to their art and there is undeniable power in their messages. Each writer had a voice and she uses it not only to express herself but to encourage others to find their voices and speak up.

South Asian Author Challenge

S. Krishna is hosting this challenge for 2010. She writes:

This challenge is to encourage people to read books by South Asian Authors – South Asia being India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Please not that it does not include the Middle East! The books can be from any time period, contemporary or classic.

There are four different commitment levels: 3, 5, 7 or 10. There will be prizes. Find details here. I'm in with 10. I've opted for mostly YA but would love some adult title suggestions. Would love to have women writers or titles that address social justice themes so I can have crossover with the other challenges I'm participating in. Any suggestions? Are you joining in challenges in 2010.

My reading list:
The Weight of Heaven by Thrity Umrigar
The Space Between Us: A Novel by Thrity Umrigar
bitter sweets by Roopa Farooki
Indie Girl by Kavita Daswani
Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos
Climbing The Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
Shooting Khabul by N.H. Senzai

My recommended YA list:
Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
Sadika’s Way by Hina Haq

strike through= completed read.

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.