BrownGirl Speaks

I should have posted this a few weeks ago. Things have been a bit hectic, though it's not an excuse. So, the very cool  J.T. aka Bibliofreak totally gave me the G for Gorgeous in the BINGO award. My blog, gorgeous? Hell ya! I am feeling so loved by my book blogging family. So what is BINGO?

B-Beautiful
I-Informative
N-Neighborly
G-Gorgeous
O-Outstanding

And now I pass this on to...
B:Ari @ Reading In Color
I:Susan @ ColorOnline
N:Gavin @ Page247
G:Rhapsody In Books
O:In Spring It Is the Dawn

This one was shared with me by Tea at Summer Travel and Reading Fun and Grace at Books Like Breathing and Nikola at Nikola's Book Blog. I'm passing this on to...

Elena @ WithExtraPulp
Susan @ Black Eyed Susans
Jodie @ Book Gazing

Thanks for sending me more love that I can spread around.

Thanks to Jill of Rhapsody In Books I finally got a copy of Say You're One of Them. It's been on my wish list for a year and I won her BBAW giveaway. It's a pleasure getting to know her blog.

A few weeks ago I received an ARC of Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith.. I won this as an Early Reviewer for LibraryThing. So, expect that review in about a week.

Me and my mailbox are grinning!

In Atlas of Unknowns, first time novelist Tania James, tells the funny and honest story of two sisters trying to find their places in this world amidst betrayal and haunting secrets. The older sister, Linno, is scarred by an unfortunate accident and the truth behind her mother's death. She's a gifted artist, yet does not shine the way her younger sister, Anju,  does academically. Anju is so successful in school that she applies for and receives a scholarship to attend an elite private school in New York. Though she wins the scholarship under false pretenses, she thinks this will be her opportunity to improve her family's situation. There's also a good supporting cast of characters. These include Anju's Hindu host family, the Sankalis, whose matriarch is a cohost on an American talk show that seems to be a caricature of a real life four woman hosted show and a son who defers college to pursue documentary film making. Then there's Bird, who brings Anju some semblance of comfort in the midst of culture shock and has a secret tie to her. Set in Kerala, India and New York, we see two sisters navigate issues like marriage, family, post 9/11 immigration, and self-discovery.



"For such a small world, the space from person to person can span a whole sea."
This describes the relationship between Anju and Linno both emotionally and physically. However, the emotional divide lessens once the spatial divide becomes a factor.

I absolutely loved this book! At first, I thought this was going to be a story about one fortunate, scheming sister and the other talented and woeful. But, this isn't the case. Even though Linno lacks self-confidence early in the story, when Anju stabs her in the back, Linno calls her out. And like you would hope sisters would do, Linno still supports Anju's temporary success and she desperately tries to get to her when everything falls apart. I cheered Linno on through her self discovery and all but spewed venom at Anju, even after she loses everything. I did, however, sympathize with their father Melvin once he finds himself working for the wealthy man who was once betrothed to his deceased wife. James has a keen sense of narrative. Her characters are well developed, relative, and recognizable. She handles the issues of immigration in a post 9/11 America and a young Indian woman challenging marital customs with honesty. I felt very satisfied once finished with this. A small part of me didn't want it to end, and that's when you know you've read something really special.

I'm so excited about this new literary magazine created by a fellow Thingamabrarian (that's LibraryThing speak). Lois Ava-Matthew, Managing Editor, has put together a bi-monthly, nonprofit e-zine that's a global showcase of women writers. I can see the summit of mount TBR rapidly rising.  Now scoot on over to Belletrista so you can add lots of fabulous reads to your infinite TBR piles. Like any of us needed another reason, but a good one it is.

I stumbled across a post mentioning this at White Readers Meet Black Authors. I also want to say congratulations to one of my favorite writers on being a "genius". If you're not familiar with Edwidge Danticat's works, do yourself a favor and recognize her magnificence by reading Breath, Eyes, Memory or The Dew Breaker just to get your feet wet. Check out the full story in the Miami Herald. And in other bookish news...

I read on B&N's website this morning and on the NY Times arts beat blog this afternoon that the public will be allowed, for the first time, to vote on the best book to ever win the National Book Award since its inception 60 years ago. NYT is comparing this open forum to American Idol.  I'm not sure how I feel just yet, but I will vote. It feels a bit like a consolation prize. We don't get to vote on the next winner of the prize, but instead, we get to vote for the best amongst six finalists with previous wins. It's like an all-star challenge. It's still an opportunity to hear from regular, everyday readers and not just leave it up to a "panel of experts".

Of course, many will surely find the this shortlist flawed. It's mostly white and/or male for starters. I don't have the energy today to say more than that regarding what's wrong with this list. But, like I said, I'll still throw my vote in the ring.

Will you vote on popularity or merit?

Let me know what you think of this "people's choice award" then, head over here to vote.

Today, I'm delighted to share this Q&A I did with the author of Megan's Way, Melissa Foster. You may remember I reviewed her novel a few weeks ago. so, let's see what Melissa had to say about her book and being a writer.

BGBS: Megan's Way is brimming with so much emotion. It really had me engaged because of its realness. Did you revisit past experiences to achieve this or solely rely on imagination ?

Melissa Foster:That's a great question. I pulled from all aspects of my life. In fact, when writing, I had to act out a few scenes (weird, I know), to make sure I was writing everything I felt the character would feel. Olivia's emotions were raw and I pulled some of that from the episode with my mother's surgery, even though I wasn't a teen at the time, but I also pulled a lot of the push-pull from my experiences with our teens.

BGBS: Spirituality is almost like a fifth character in the novel as we see it expressed through Megan's connection to her daughter, a ritual, meditation, etc. Why was this element significant to the story?

Melissa Foster: When Megan came to me, she had this connection already in place. It surprised me as much as everyone else, I think, but it wasn't something I could dissolve - it was too strong. In fact my editor, Dominique, who I adore, wrestled with me about taking it out and I felt it was too powerfully a part of Megan, that it had to be kept in. I think the connection made Megan's relationships even stronger-it gave piece to her friends after her death-just by her wisping by, touching an arm, her smell lingering. It gave them comfort.

BGBS: In the book, Megan has a near epic friendship with her best friend Holly. What inspired this sisterly bond?

Melissa Foster: I have six brothers and no sisters! I had a best friend when I was growing up, and many really close girlfriends that I grew up with who were almost best friends, but there's always that one that knew all (or most) of my secrets. I loved that relationship, the security of it, and the comfort of knowing that I could turn to her for anything. As a grown woman, our lives have taken us in different directions, although we do keep in touch. As a grown woman, I have a few close friends that I feel just as close to, even though we don't have the same history. I wanted to let Megan have the carry-over and security of that one sister-like friend who would always be there.

BGBS: Many first time authors are opting to self-publish. How has that experience been and will you choose this means of getting published for any future work?

Melissa Foster: The experience has been interesting and a learning process. I chose to self-publish because the publishing industry as a whole had cut back due to the poor economy, as did most businesses. I wanted to get Megan's story out there for readers and move on to my next book. The publishing part of the process was actually not difficult, though when you self-publish, you climb mountains rather than hills. Around every corner is a face of doubt because self-publishing has had such a negative stigma associated with it in the past. I am a strong-willed woman and believe in the power of Megan's Story, so rather than shrivel away, I push forward and show people Megan, I ask for comments and feedback, and welcome both negative and positive. Marketing when you are self-published is a battle in-and-of itself, and I'm not sure how self-published authors who don't have that skill succeed. I am a marketer by trade, so to me, this is another chance to succeed-and hopefully my readers will feel as if they've gained something valuable by reading Megan's Way.

That being said, although it's enjoyable having full control over my writing, distribution, etc., I do very much hope to be picked up by a literary agent. There are many more readily-available opportunities for agented-writers.

BGBS: What can we expect from you in the future?

Melissa Foster: A lot! I am currently working on rewriting my second novel, The Knowing. It is a mystery with a paranormal twist (of course!) about a seven-year-old girl who is abducted. It is set in the small town of Boyds, Maryland, and during the search, long-held secrets of residents are exposed.

I really appreciate your time Melissa and look forward to what you bring us in the future.

Melissa is more than happy to respond to any future questions my readers may have. So, just leave a comment and I'll make sure that she provides a response.

Presently, I like being the new kid on the block. I like navigating my way through a myriad of directions to take my blog. However, I am hoping that in a year I'm an integral part of the reading and book blogging community. Stay tuned, I've got a few things up my sleeves...

For today's BBAW activity, I'm sharing a bit about my reading habits.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack? Yes, cashews.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of
writing in books horrify you? Writing in books is punishable by law...

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both? Both.. I don't discriminate.

Hard copy or audiobooks? hard copy. Audiobooks are like an oxymoron.

What are you currently reading? Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over? Let The Lion Eat Straw by Ellease Southerland

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)  Too many books, Too little space, there is currently no method to the madness. In my dream space it will be by author.

I'm so delighted to be apart of the BBAW interviews this year. It was a pleasure interviewing manga and YA fiction fan, Diana of Stop, Drop, and Read! Let's see what Diana had to say...

I love the name of your blog, Oriental Desires, and the blog design. What's the story behind the name?
Why thank you Terri! For my domain name, I actually struggled to figure out what I wanted. It was a little hard. Oriental Desires came to me when I thought to try something that would relate to my personal interests. I really admire oriental-related things, be it designs or stories. And there are times where I would see something oriental and desire it, hence my domain name is born. But actually, my blog's name is Stop, Drop, and Read!, which I came up with after. By the time my review blog was well established, orientaldesires.blogspot.com already stuck before I could switch it to stopdropandread.blogspot.com. There are times where I wonder if I should change it but in the end, I'm too used to it and it gives it a flare.

How long have you been blogging and what got you started?
I did a couple of reviews back when I was in elementary for a kid's newspaper called The Brand New Planet. It discontinued awhile but I always wanted to do something like that again. Ever since I discovered review blogs, I thought it would have been a great idea. It also kept track of what I have read and improved my English ever since I started last August.

I see you're a fan of manga which, based on my limited knowledge, seems to be very similar to anime. Can you tell me the difference between the two?
Anime is basically Japanese animation, like Pokemon and Sailor Moon that you see on TV. Manga on the other hand is Japanese graphic novels. Like comics, but instead of Marvel stuff, you get stories of all kinds by Japanese artists. (You would have to read backwards!) Since mangas have become widely popular, you have other Asian countries doing their own comics too. (Korean = manhwa, Chinese = manhua, etc).

Anime and mangas have generated millions of fans across the globe and many have adapted their own drawing style to "manga". It's something that pretty much anyone can enjoy because like stories, mangas' limit is sky high. 

What's your favorite book and who's your favorite author?
I can't really decide on only one favourite book and one favourite author! I have so many! But if I have to say my favourite novel at the moment, then it would be Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert. And favourite author is Maryrose Wood!

Real books or e-books?
I can not stand e-books. Real books for me because they are more authentic and I would be in a better mood to read it. Not stare at a screen, no siree.

Do you read in silence or have some background noise?
Silence for sure. If the book doesn't capture me completely and I'm trying to read it with background noises, I tend to skim over. It gets a little frustrating.

If you had to give up something to support your reading habit, what would it be?
Whoa, that's a little hard when you are asking Miss Indecisive here. Hm, I don't think I will be able to answer this one, sorry!

If you were going to venture outside of reading YA fiction and manga, what genre would you try?
Well, I do read adult novels because I review for the Hachette Book Group. But something I haven't read yet but really want to check out are those Harlequin novels. I want to see how cheesy or possibly how erotic they are haha.


Thanx, Diana!

So, everyone be sure to check out Diana's spot: Stop, Drop, and Read!

In celebration of Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, I will be doing several posts this week for the occasion. Today, I'm spotlighting ColorOnline via an open letter...

Dear ColorOnline,
When I started my book blog just six short weeks ago, I was on a mad hunt for other book bloggers of color or that, at least, had a propensity towards writers of color. Needless to say, within a couple of weeks I finally stumbled across your blog and was so relieved. I'm grateful I discovered a kindred spirit in the book blogging family. It is so true that POC writers don't get nearly the attention that they often should. I'm on a mission to propel more of them to tops of bestseller lists and having their works revered and become required reading academically. I'm glad to know that I'm not in that mission alone.

When the BBAW shortlists were revealed, I found myself feeling disheartened that you were not in your most appropriate category: Best Cultural Blog. Altruistic you are and that's even a just nomination. So, cheers to you ColorOnline and the wonderful presence you've created in the blogosphere.

Sincerely,