24 Hour Read-a-Thon

I forgot to add in my Reading in Color news that I'm participating in my first ever 24 Hour Read-A-Thon! I'm so excited :)

I missed out on the October one so I'm participating in the one on December 5th (which is a Saturday). I hope to use it to finish up some books as well as to write some reviews. I'll probably do updates every couple of hours and try to publish one review. I've never even stayed up for 24 Hours (almost on New Year's)! It's going to be a challenge, but it sounds fun too.

For more information (and to sign up!) Check out DreadlockGirl's post And if you do sign-up leave me a comment so I know too.

Waiting on Wednesday, Awards, Reading in Color News

I think this is going to be my one of my last Waiting on Wednesday posts (I have about 2 other books that I've found to wait for) it's really hard to find upcoming YA poc books, especially when I'm too busy with school to scour publishing websites. Instead I'll start participating in Wishlist Wednesday (I'm not sure who came up with the idea of so if anyone knows pleae let me know so I can give due credit), since I have a huge wishlist!

Anyway, this week I'm waiting on (Idea of Jill at Breaking the Spine)

The World is Mine (Come Up) by Lyah B. LeFlore Illustrated by DL Warfield

Release Date: Dec. 1, 2009

Blue Reynolds has it all: money, brains, style, charisma, and the hunger to be more than what his parents have planned for him. He's a dreamer on a mission to become the world's next music business mogul. But for now he'll settle for being the youngest, hottest party promoter around...and the man on the arm of the fly and sassy Jade Taylor.

Collin Andrews is Blue's best friend, and the order to Blue's madness. Blue dreams up the ideas and Collin figures out how to make them happen; together, they make a powerhouse team that's ready to blow the roof off the music game!

Coming up is never easy. These two dreamers will have to put everything on the line and do whatever it takes to succeed. It's the new American dream, and the sky's the limit. All they need is one shot.

-Amazon lists this as 9-12, but I think it may actually be YA, but then again it's illustrated so it's either a graphic novel or for younger readers. It's something different from what I usually read.

The Awards

I apologize for the lateness in my award posting. A hearty THANK YOU to everyone who gave me an award!

From Alexa at Hooked on YA Books, I got the One Lovely Blog Award. Thanks so much Alexa, it's lovely :)

The Rules:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs you've recently discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

15?! Ok here goes. I hope everyone checks out these wonderful, lovely blogs (if you haven't already)! In no particular order and I added one more blog because there are so many great blogs out there.

1. Ah Yuan at Gal Novelty

2. Book Weirdo (She's not at all weird!) at YA Book Geek

3. Maria at Fantasy Book Ink

4. Jill (and her husband!) at RhapsodyinBooks

5. Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

6. Lee Wind at I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read?

7. Nickles at Who,What, When, Where, Why

8. Lisette at T.V. And Book Addict

9. Mariah at A Reader's Adventure

10. S.Krishna at S.Krishna's Books

11. Heather at The Maiden's Court

12. Chioma at Black and Blue Ink

13. Catt at the Dreamer Reader

14. Austenfan at Reality Bites..Fiction Does It Better

15. Lindsay at Just Another Book Addict

16. Allison at Read Into This!

This award is from Ebony at Sizzling Publications. Thanks Ebony :D

The Rules

1) Post the award

2) List 7 facts about you

3) Keep the award going. Pass it on to 7 others

4) Inform the people you give the award to

5) BE COOL!

So here we go

1. Alexa at Hooked on YA Books

2. Elnice at Ellz Readz

3. Everyone (Aline, Marjorie, Corinne, Sally, Janet and Charlotte) at PaperTigers

4. Jess at Lost in a Book

5. Liz B. at A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy

6. Paradox at Parodoxical

7. Em at Em's Bookshelf

~ETA: I forgot my 7 facts! Here we go (they are very random)

1. I love big cities, even if I've never been (New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia).

2. I'm almost done with Physics in my science class! I just have to build a bridge (any tips? I need help!) =/

3. I love historical fiction

4. I'm amazed that I found 22 bloggers to give awards to and contacted them all =)

5. I love accents (Australian, Southern, Spanish)

6. I wish I had the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off

7. I don't have enough time in the day to do all I want :(

Reading in Color News

*Sign up for the first ever Read in Color Holiday Book Exchange! Sign up by Nov. 24. For more info go here

*Vote in my poll! I have a towering tbr pile and while I intend on reading all the books sent to me to review, I also want to devote December to a certain genre. The poll features a selection of books I have the most of that need to be read/reviewed, although I recently realized I have only one controversial issue book! So anyway help me out by voting =)

*Also I despertely need a 3-column template. Unfortunately I won't have the time to find a really good one until after December 10 (I have a really hard science project to finish. Building a bridge! I'm awful at this sort of thing =/) So please excuse my cluttered sidebar, I'm going to clean it up soon! In effort to start, I may not post all my Blog Awards in the sidebar anymore, but I will do a post thanking everyone.

The Exorsistah

The Exorsistah by Claudia Mair Burney

Rating: 1.5/5

IQ "Somebody will always try to exploit you if they think they can get away with it. Unfortunately, most haters think they can."

I'm rather disappointed that I didn't enjoy this novel. The plot sounded good, an African American female demon huntress, YES! It turned out to be a book not really worth cheering about. There were clues from the synopsis that it would be Christian Lit (the back cover mentions God having a plan for the main character Emme, to 'whip some serious demon butt'), but I didn't think it would be so intense in Christian thought. I didn't know whether to laugh or frown in annoyance at certain aspects of the book. It's not very quotable either, unless you're looking for Scripture passages.

Emme Vaughn is homeless. She just left the home of the friend when the friend's husband tried to molest her (unbeknownst to her friend). Emme has been living in various homes since her mom went crazy, crazy from being able to see demons (a gift they share). She is forced to fight a demon in a Walgreens at 3 A.M. and a really cute guy (Francis) witnesses this. He wants her to join a group of demon-fighters led by his father (a Catholic priest) who is a master exorcist.

A central part of The Exorsistah is the budding romance between Emme and Francis. Except I don't think it ever bloomed or was even budding. At first, I thought OK the romance will start off slow but grow to something really passionate or just really sweet. The romance did nothing for me at the end. It was an annoyance and it didn't add much to the story. For most of the book, Emme moans and groans about the temptation of Francis and how she's trying to avoid him/it. I'm not even sure why, he's not a 'bad' kid, he hunts demons for God! He's a perfect gentlemen and I don't think God would have minded if they flirted or kissed. But there isn't really any chemistry between the two and I didn't care that it was hard for Emme to concentrate when Francis was near her, because (and this sounds a bit awful but I'll just go ahead and say it) it wasn't a believable romance, there were very few awkwardly sweet or cute encounters. There were attepmts at witty banter, but they sounded out of place. If there's going to be a romance it needs to be either cute/sweet or passionate and intense.

The religious aspect of the novel was a bit tiresome. Passages like this "I looked into his face and saw compassion in him like I saw demons in the possessed man. I wondered if that's what it looked like to be possessed by God. By love Himself. Cutie's grace touched me." Not really necessary, it doesn't do anything for me. Throughout the entire book, I felt like the author was trying to convert her readers (Disclosure: I am a Christian). The constant "b-word", cuss words, heckuva, etc. expressions were also a bit tedious. I've always felt that if people don't use the words they should just eliminate them from their vocabulary all together, there are better ways to express yourself, don't just abbreviate them. The vernacular used in the novel wasn't true to how teens today speak. "'cause Emme Vaughn imbibed not the fruits of the vine. It's not good for a sistah to have her perception altered." Yes, we use "brotha" and "sistah" sometimes, but not all the time unlike in this book, when it seemed like, whenever a teen spoke they used the words! "Imbibed the fruits of the vine."? I know what it means, but I don't think I would ever say it like that. Some of the expressions used seem old-school (which is OK I suppose, but some teens like me, may not get them) or made-up. And the Spanglish! I love hearing Spanglish, (I use it myself), but what the author uses is not Spanglish, it's a random sprinkling of Spanish words, 'morena', 'chica', 'hombre'. I've never met anyone who speaks an entire sentence in English except for one little word like 'chica'.

I thought the whole 3 AM being known as the witching hour because it's the reverse of the holy hour, 3 PM (when Jesus died on the cross) was a cool concept. There were some funny parts like "Jesus, have mercy!" 'I yelled. They probably thought I was praying for Jamilla, but I was asking for some slack on my boots! I'd prayed for weeks for Jamilla. I was the one who needed some help now!" None of the humor was laugh out loud funny, but I did smile and shake my head at a few parts.

The Exorsistah is geared toward a certain audience. A more serious, Christian, younger audience. It's Young Adult, but I think older teens and even adults may grow impatient at parts. definitely don't read it if you're not a Christian, you'll simply grow frustrated. It was fun at times and slightly though-provoking, but nothing truly deep or inspirational. However, the cover of the book is beautiful! It's one of my favorites :) 6th grade and up.

Male Monday: Who Will Tell My Brother?

Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell 2002

Rating: 5/5 :)

IQ "I look into the mirror and into my soul and I know that my strength comes not from how I look, but how I feel, and how I feel determines who I am." Evan pg. 24

Another very quotable book, every line is poetic. Who Will Tell My Brother? is written in free-verse and I think it's the best way to tell the story. Evan Hill decides to carry on the fight that his older brother, Jacob, started. Jacob is two years older than Evan and when he attended Evan's high school, he fought to have the offensive Indian chief mascot changed. However, he didn't succeed. Now Evan picks up the fight.

Free-verse is the best way to tell the story because it clearly articulates why Evan is doing what he is doing, it showcases his emotions and presents a compelling read. The free-verse narrative showcases the intense feelings and effects of alienation, determination, humiliation and ignorance. You also learn a lot more about Evan as a person from the poetic lines. Poetry and free-verse are very deep and can help paint a picture as to what a person is like. We learn that Evan is an artist "as my artist brain takes over and my hand begins to move, seemingly uncontrolled, sketching methodically, but urgently, as though the image might melt away at any moment", half-Mohawk (on his father's side, I'm unsure as to the heritage of his mother), intelligent, articulate, brave, persevering and honest. Evan is a great character. He's human with acknowledged flaws, I grew increasingly angry at the compliance of the high school students to do nothing as well as at the people who mocked Evan, calling him "timber n-", "Injun" and other awful names. The story of Butch was quite upsetting too.

The intolerance, prejudices and stereotypes made me cringe. Yet I wasn't too surprised because something similar was occurring in Illinois (read more about it here) a few years ago. The book made me think and question myself: Do I simply accept Native American images no matter how offensive? Or do I question them? I do a little of both, I wanted the Illini mascot to change, but I've never really thought of asking the Atlanta Braves to change their name. However, I do think that we also need to ask ourselves: If someone was else was fighting this battle, would I be willing to help them and take a stand? Or would I work against them, or even worse, remain passive? I would help.

This story remains as a valuable lesson to today's society. It's not outdated in the slightest, there are so many schools and sports teams that still have offensive mascots (Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, etc). I walked away from this book with the knowledge that one teenager can make a difference. Even if the change doesn't result in an actual, 'physical' change, if you change even a few attitudes for the better, than you've succeeded. Who Will Tell My Brother? is fictional but based on the real experiences of Ms. Carvell's two sons while in high school. I strongly this book be read. High school and up.

Side Note: I've been having great luck lately with Male Monday books! Mostly 5/5 or 4/5 rating, I think I may end up liking books with guy protagonists a whole lot more than books with girl protagonists!

Read in Color Holiday Book Exchange!

The Holidays are fast approaching. Sort of. Thanksgiving is two weeks away, but already stores have commercials advertising Holiday sales! And displays of holiday lights, wreaths, Santa Clauses, etc. I've decided to start getting into the spirit of things here at Reading in Color.

Introducing.....

the Read in Color Holiday Book Exchange!
How is this different from any of the other book holiday gift exchanges? It's not really. The only difference is that you can only receive a book about a poc. Therefore, no one will have an excuse about the lack of books out there featuring poc and them being hard to find, because you have the opportunity to give and get one! I'm doing this to get more books about poc into the hands of more readers. I would love if publishers saw a sizable boost in sales of books about poc during the holidays!

Open: Internationally

Sign up by Nov. 24. To sign up follow this link (I'm not sure how to embed the form in this post).

I personally celebrate Christmas, so in order to make things easier, I want to have all the books mailed out before Christmas, so that they can arrive by then. Therefore, all books MUST be mailed by Dec. 11th. The person will list 1-5 books that he/she would like. You must send at least one. If you absolutely can not find any of the books the person is asking for, email me and I will try and help (you may have to send a giftcard instead, but this shouldn't happen). Hopefully, everyone will have enough notice to start looking for the books on the list.

Any questions? Feel free to email me or leave a comment. Also, many details are explained on the form. I will email everyone on Nov. 25 with the name, address and wishlist of the person I will randomly pick. To make it fun, I would like it to be anonymous, Secret Santa-like. So don't ask me who is sending you your gift! And feel free to send a holiday card as well. Leave a comment (not necessary you could just fill out the form but it's helpful) letting me know if you're interested as well.

I highly encourage people to also participate in the Color Online Holiday Greeting Card Exchange.

Let's make the holidays colorful!

New Crayons

Yes I went to the library today! These books all look very promising. Unfortunately my library doesn't have Rain is Not My Indian Name by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Sweetgrass Basket was checked out.

Sacajawea by Joseph Bruchac

Young Sacajawea has been asked to join Lewis and Clark in their exploration of the American West. As a translator, peacemaker, caretaker, and guide, Sacajawea made the historic journey of Lewis and Clark possible. This captivating novel which alternates between the points of view of Sacajawea and William Clark provides an intimate glimpse into what it would have been like to witness firsthand this fascinating time in our history.

-I want to learn more about Sacajawea. It's classified on Amazon as 9-12 but it was in the YA section of my library, so I'm going to presume younger kids could read this. Joseph Bruchac is a very well-known writer of Abneki and Slovak heritage. Read an interview by Cynthia Leitich Smith here

Sorceress by Celia Rees

It came to Agnes unbidden: a vision of Mary Newbury, a young woman driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It is an image of a life about to change radically, as Mary defies all accepted norms — embracing independence, love, and loyalty to a Native American community that accepts her as one of their own. The two women’s lives are separated by almost four hundred years, but they are linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers — powers that Mary seeks to ensure that the rest of her story is told.

-This is the sequel to Witch Child, which I read and liked. I like Celia Rees and currently Pirates (one of my favorite and most loved books of all time) is my favorite book of hers (it's going to be reviewed here probably in the summer since I'd be re-reading it and it's older). I loved it. I've already started Sorceress and it's really good so far.

Code Talker: a Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac

The United States is at war, and sixteen-year-old Ned Begay wants to join the cause—especially when he hears that Navajos are being specifically recruited by the Marine Corps. So he claims he’s old enough to enlist, breezes his way through boot camp, and suddenly finds himself involved in a top-secret task, one that’s exclusively performed by Navajos. He has become a code talker. Now Ned must brave some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with his native Navajo language as code, send crucial messages back and forth to aid in the conflict against Japan. His experiences in the Pacific—from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima and beyond—will leave him forever changed.

-A male classmate of mine read this book and loved it. I kept meaning to read it but never got around to it. It's just what I need to read after I Am Apache, some good ol' historical fiction.

Who Will Tell my Brother? by Marlene Carvell

Evan is a typical high-school student who suffers the same worries and anxieties as his peers . . . and then some. Determined to sway high-school officials to remove disparaging Indian mascots, he assumes a struggle that spirals him onto a soul-searching journey and exposes him to a barrage of bullying, taunts, and escalating violence. Marlene Carvell’s striking first novel is a timely look at a true story of a mixed-race teen caught up in an exploration of his past, his culture, and his identity.

-Recommended read on readergirlz and I trust their judgement, so I'm eager to read this (and it reminded of me of the battle to have the Illini mascot removed, an Indian chief).

March Toward Thunder by Joseph Bruchac

Louis Nolette is a fifteen-year-old Abenaki Indian from Canada who is recruited to fight in the northern Irish Brigade in the war between the states. Even though he is too young, and not American or Irish, he finds the promise of good wages and the Union's fight to end slavery persuasive reasons to join up. But war is never what you expect, and as Louis fights his way through battle after battle, he encounters prejudice and acceptance, courage and cowardice, and strong and weak leadership in the most unexpected places.

-I'm super excited to read this since the Civil War is one of my favorite eras of history to read about and I know nothing about the history of Native Americans fighting in the Civil War (also we're starting the Civil War soon in history class so I need to be prepared!). I'm pretty sure I'm going to really like the work of Joseph Bruchac, I've read only good things about his books and they've been recommended to me many times (he has over 140 books published!).

I Am Apache

I Am Apache by Tanya Landman 2009

Rating: 1.5/5

IQ "It was as though I plunged into a mountain pool. I stopped resisting. With a deep, calming breath, I dived into the pain. I found its heart and I saw through it. And came to a place far beyond, where my body ceased to matter." pg. 79

I really like the metaphor used in the above quote to describe tolerating pain being like swimming. That's the only quote that jumped out at me. And unfortunately that's probably one of the few things I liked about the novel.

I didn't like I Am Apache very much. What I love about historical fiction is how it's entertaining while still educating you about a different time period. I'm convinced part of the reason I know so much history is from all the historical fiction reading I did as a child. I didn't get that in this book. I Am Apache is missing that crucial combination of entertainment and education. In fact it's missing both.

The author states in the historical note that "I've made no attempt to produce an accurate historical novel..I've tried to be authentic as far as period details goes, but at times I have had to stretch things in order to make the story work." While I appreciate the author's honesty, that's a problem. I was looking forward to learning about the Apache tribe, but Siki's (the main character) tribe is fictional (the Black Mountain Apache) as are all the names of places and characters. The character of Siki is very loosely based off of the woman who rode with Geronimo (I did reach this conclusion while reading). Also, to give the author credit, she used primary sources for period details and talked to Apache tribal historians (she even dedicated her book to the Apache people), but I don't want complete fiction in historical fiction, I also want some truth, some history (hence the name!). And honestly, some of the parts of the book just seemed like stereotypes. *SPOILER* (highlight the white space to read it) And I was highly annoyed that Siki turned out to not be Apache, but Mexican.
I wasn't a fan of any of the characters, but I was curious as to finding out the truth about Siki's family, that element kept me turning the pages (I also hoped the novel would get better). I didn't see Siki grow or any of the other characters (except a minor one at the very end). I'm also sure that the author's representation of the white Americans and Mexicans treatment of the Apaches is very true or closely represents the truth, it's disturbing and made me angry (actually, what the Americans and Mexicans did was probably a lot worse than what was detailed in the book). I think that the Native American tribes' culture is so beautiful and diverse, I was sorely disappointed that it was all fictional concerning the Apache.

For an excellent review of why I Am Apache should not be read go here (from Oyate, a Native American site that reviews books about Native Americans). The writers express the negative aspects of this novel much more eloquently than I can. This book left me wondering: Should I applaud the author for trying to write about a underrepresented culture? Or is it worse to write about a culture you know little about and get it wrong?

PS For some good recommendations of Native American literature check out my Native American Lit widget in my sidebar and check out Oyate and American Indians in Children's Literature for books to read and avoid. Also check out the comments on my Native American Heritage post.