BrownGirl Speaks

That is not a typo or drunk typing. That stands for National Buy A Book By A Black Author And Give It To Someone Not Black Month. This is author Carleen Brice's call to action to get non-black folks more acclimated to books in the African American section of the bookstore. See, first we gift them a book by a Black author, they love it and, now, that AA book section isn't so intimidating anymore. If you really wanna take this gift to the next level include her  "I <3 Black Authors" tee. All December long, buy books by Black authors and give them to someone not Black.

Here are just a few suggestions:
Slumberland by Paul Beatty
Let the Lion Eat Straw by Ellease Southerland
Children of the Waters by Carleen Brice
Sugar by Bernice L. McFadden
Kinky Gazpacho by Lori Tharps
Leaving Cecil Street by Diane McKinney-Whetstone
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Woman At Point Zero is a classic novella by Egyptian doctor and feminist writer, Nawal El Saadawi. She tells the story of an Egyptian prostitute, Firdaus, sitting on death row for murder. Firdaus endures a cruel childhood and sexual abuse by an uncle. She desperately wants to do something with her secondary education, but the prospects for women are few. When her uncle and his wife try to marry her off, she runs away and here begins her journey of self discovery. Firdaus' life remains mired by an abusive relationship and then, prostitution. She's your typical woman scorned one too many times and driven to the ultimate vindication. The story focuses on how she arrived at death row and why she chooses not to appeal her sentence. She views her actions as truth, "and truth is savage and dangerous."

Woman At Point Zero is well written in accessible language and sometimes gut punching truths: "That men force women to sell their bodies at a price, and the lowest paid body is that of a wife. All women are prostitutes of one kind or another." Nawal El Saadawi paints a vivid picture of the marginalization of women and how the legal system can often perpetuate violence against women.

I was so glad to finally read this book. At once I felt disgusted and angry then, empowered to, like Firdaus, raise my hand to smash against the face of those who brutalize women.

Challenges:
November Novella
Women Unbound
Reading Africa

Yes, I'm slowly becoming a bit of a challenge junkie. But, can you blame me? This one is very much in line with my blog's purpose to promote writers and literature about people of color. The voluminous reader of S. Krishna's Books is hosting this year long challenge to read books written by authors and about south Asian countries which are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

I'm not making a list up front this time as I hope some new authors just fall into my lap. I do, however, plan to read Jhumpa Lahiri's latest book, Unaccustomed Earth, because I loved Interpreter of Maladies. I do have one recommendation if anyone needs it: Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James. I read this very recently and think it's fabulous. Of course, Swapna has tons of recs on her site which I'll probably pull from heavily.

Finally, my commitment is to read 5 books, for now. I certainly hope I read more, but I don't know what other challenges 2010 has in store and I have a few things up my sleeves. 2010 is already stacking up to be a great reading year, but then again, so does every year.

Mitch Albom's latest nonfiction book examines faith via the sometimes parallel and sometimes paradoxical lives of two men of God. Rabbi Albert Lewis had lead a life on the straight and narrow and very willing to be of service to others. Henry Covington had been a selfish criminal most of his life until he felt he was being given his last chance by God to get his act together. The author is inserted in their personal lives for different reasons. Albom is asked to complete what seems for him a very intimidating task: eulogizing Lewis, his rabbi. Covington is the pastor of a Christian church that Albom, at first, visits to hopefully make a financial contribution to its homeless shelter.

From start to finish this story moved me. Albom is gifted at endearing his subjects to the readers. I found Rabbi Lewis to be a sweet, humorous man so devoted to others and selfless in a way that's rarely seen. Meanwhile, Pastor Covington is close in age to Albom and their backgrounds are sometimes compared. The differences are at once apparent. Albom is from a Jewish middle class family from New Jersey and he went on to college and has had a successful writing career. Covington is Black from a working class family of New York and he turned to a life of crime at an early age then became a minister of a crumbling inner city church in Detroit.

Both Lewis and Covington's journeys are presented in short, effective vignettes. Albom captures the essence of both of these extraordinary men.  Albom absolutely leaves the reader questioning what faith means to them and concluding that religion is not the big deciding factor. Faith transcends religion. Have a Little Faith is a great, heartwarming story that everyone can gain something from, no matter what their belief system may be and I think it's a perfect holiday gift.

This book was sent to me by the publisher.

This is my second read for the November Novella challenge.

Night is a book that seems to defy labels. There's apparently been much debate on whether this work is a novel or memoir or some combination of the two. We'll just call it a memoir. At age 16, Orthodox Jew Eliezer is forced from his home and sent first to Auschwitz then death marched to Buchenwald. We see the Hungarian government takeover and the initial disillusionment of the Jewish people as to what is happening to them. Then Wiesel takes us through his stint with his father at an Auschwitz concentration camp and the fate of his mother and youngest sister. Although not overtly descriptive, I was able to hear and see and smell everything which is a testament to his writing and his wife's translation. The most important element is the demise of this young man's faith in God. To "see" this once devout teenager, and even a rabbi, just give up on their spiritual beliefs is heartbreaking. But even in the midst of Eliezer questioning his faith, he has this fire burning in him to survive.  More than just a holocaust story, Night makes the reader ponder their own strength of will and faith.

Choices is the story of five girls growing up in York, Pennsylvania dealing with the issue of teen sex. Sex affects them each differently as some have chosen to engage in it without regard to repercussions, others have chosen to remain chaste until they are married as this is in line with their Christian beliefs. The five central characters are developed only from socioeconomic and faith based perspectives. None are described in terms of more relatable characteristics like studious, athletic, artsy, etc. The dialogue seems to be approachable for today's teens. The inclusion of subplots becomes a little messy at times but lend themselves to understanding each girl's perspective of pre-marital sex. For a couple of the girls, their choices regarding sex are in direct correlation to the type relationship, or lack thereof, they have with their parents. Choices is a very preachy work of young adult fiction. Christian principles and biblical scripture abound throughout the entire novel. This often overshadows the sound advice the story presents which is: life is easier if you abstain from sex until marriage but if you choose not to, protect yourself. Though, young readers will learn that nothing can safeguard the heart from the emotional effects of a sexual relationship.

This book was sent to me by the author.