New Crayons, 2011 Feature & Poetry Update

New Crayons is a meme hosted by Color Online. For this meme, all you have to do is share what new books you got for the week. Easy, yes?


Before we get to the New Crayons I wanted to thank everyone for their British poet recommendations. I should have clarified that we are not allowed to do American or Canadian poets, even though they were once colonies of Britain.


At the moment, I'm leaning towards some Roald Dahl (hilarious!), Jackie Kay (utterly moving), Grace Nicols (funny) and Benjamin Zephaniah. But feel free to continue to leave recommendations. I hope to have made my final selections in about two weeks. And of course I will tell everyone who I chose and thank the person who recommended them!

Just in Time for Halloween-From Book Fairy Numero Tres



Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love; edited by Trisha Telep

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.

Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

• Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
• Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
• Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
• Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss)
• Daniel Marks (ghost kids)
• Justine Musk (sorcerers)
• Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
• Michelle Rowen (demons)
• Carrie Ryan (zombies)
• Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
• Rachel Vincent (banshees)
• Daniel Waters (zombies)
• Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

-I want to read more paranormal stuff so these anthologies seem like a good place to start. I'm most curious about the story with banshees and the one with sorcerers (I feel like no one does those anymore for fear of being accused of being a 'HP rip-off' but I like them).

Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Within every woman there lives a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. She is the Wild Woman, who represents the instinctual nature of women. But she is an endangered species. In WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES, Dr. Estés unfolds rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, and stories, many from her own family, in order to help women reconnect with the fierce, healthy, visionary attributes of this instinctual nature. Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine. Dr. Estés has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche. Fertile and life-giving, it is a psychology of women in the truest sense, a knowing of the soul.


-I'd never heard of this book before until Sarwat Chadda mentioned it as a book he read for research for the Billi SanGreal series. Naturally I had to read it. The funny thing is, I never mentioned to my book fairy that I wanted, it was just in the back of my mind. This is my first "serious" feminist read, I'm ready to be initiated ;D


From Book Fairy #4

Boy vs. Girl by Na'ima B. Robert

Farhana swallowed and reached for the hijab. But then she saw with absolute clarity the weird looks from the other girls at school, and the smirks from the guys. Did she dare? And then there was Malik... What should she do about him?

Faraz was thinking about Skrooz and the lads. Soon he would finally have the respect of the other kids at school. But at what price? He heard Skrooz's voice, sharp as a switchblade: "This thing is powerful, blud. But you have to earn it, see? Just a few more errands for me..."

They're twins, born 6 minutes apart. Both are in turmoil and both have life-changing choices to make, against the peaceful backdrop of Ramadan. Do Farhana and Faraz have enough courage to do the right thing? And can they help each other - or will one of them draw the other towards catastrophe?

-J'adore (am I fancy or what ;) books in which stereotypes are completely broken down and this sounds like a fabulous book to do it. How many times have you read about a handsome, rebellious Muslim teen guy? Or a Muslim girl who does not want to wear the hijab? Exactly.


News

The Mysterious Benedict Society covers were un-whitewashed! Again, thank you to everyone who spoke out on this issue!!

Finally, introducing my 2011 feature titled, Elated Over Eleven =D I'm pumped for this feature. The first interview will be up this Friday, on October 29th. In this feature, I interview 2011 debut YA/MG authors of color. The interviews will run 1-2 months before their book debuts. So far I know of 9 2011 YA/MG debut authors, but feel free to email/comment with the names of any debut authors of color that fit the criteria. I haven't contacted all the authors yet (especially not the ones with summer releases), so if you're an author of color and your debut comes out in the summer and I haven't emailed you yet, that's why :)

What books did you get this week? What do you think of my new feature idea?