YA Book Review - If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Shop Indie BookstoresEvery time I go to BEA (BookExpo America) I come out with an unfathomable pile of books to read, but within those piles there are a few titles that scream to be pulled first. This year If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan was one of those books.

About The Book 

I first heard about If You Could Be Mine in the YA Editor Buzz Panel on May 30, 2013. Elise Howard from Algonquin Books began her presentation with the following compelling factoid:

Many people are aware that, in Iran, it's a crime to be gay. In fact, it is a crime that is sometimes punishable by death. What they're usually a little shocked to find out, though, is that gender reassignment is not only legal, it's supported by the state medical system.

This is a pivotal point of introduction to this book because it underlines the conflict at the core of If You Could Be Mine. In Farizan's debut novel, her protagonist, Sarah, is seventeen years old, living in Iran and in love with her best friend, Nasrin. Both Sarah and Nasrin think they have found a way to move forward in their lives while keeping their love intact. Written in the first person, from Sarah's perspective, this book is a heart-break from page one, being that universal story of love that you can't have.

My Review

I enjoyed so many aspects of this book. First of all, it is always refreshing to read an ethnically diverse protagonist, but this book delivers an entirely Iranian cast in a book set in present day Iran. It was interesting to see the places where Iran and the Western culture collide and to read Sarah's perspective of Western culture. I was frustrated by Sarah's misguided attempt to keep Nasrin's love, but could completely understand how a teenager in Iran might seek this route as a viable solution. In reading other reviews I have seen a couple of people complain about how Sarah spoke about Nasrin (i. e. calling her a "spoiled brat") and claiming that, in their eyes, it did not echo the sentiment that Sarah loved Nasrin. I disagree. I did not read these comments in a way that felt insulting. It felt more like a sign that she knew her best friend very well and loved her - faults and all. Sarah's cousin, Ali, is a fun and dangerous character that always lifted up a scene whenever he showed up, and Sarah's father, Baba was a sad and compassionate man that I truly felt for.

In the world of YA LGBT books, I think If You Could Be Mine is an important read. LGBT teens come from all different cultures and families with varying beliefs or systems of ethics based on where they come from, some stricter than others. This continues to echo the diversity of the rainbow that we so appropriately use to represent the LGBT community.

Whether you typically read LGBT or not, I think you should check out If You Could Be Mine as it raises many questions about the struggles and sacrifices that come along with love, patriotism, family and self-preservation. It is a quick read and though Sara Farizan says she does not want to be the authority on the going-ons in the Iranian LGBT culture, she is at least giving us a sneak peek.

If You Could Be Mine ARC GIVEAWAY!!


I finished my advanced reader copy (ARC) of If You Could Be Mine and I'm ready to share it with another willing reader - is that you? If so, use the widget below to enter. (This giveaway is open to the US only.)


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Good luck! 

Book Review and Giveaway: Big Nate Flips Out by Lincoln Peirce

Shop Indie BookstoresI was really happy that I got the opportunity to meet Lincoln Pierce and get a copy of Big Nate Flips Out. Having never read any Big Nate or Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, I was curious to see what all the hubbub was about these books that lived somewhere in between a middle grade novel and a graphic novel. I have to admit, my expectations were low. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into.

Big Nate Flips Out is the fifth of the Big Nate books, but I was able to jump right in - learning quickly about Nate, his friends, teachers and enemies. This book is a fun read, filled with jokes, a secret code to crack (you better keep page 13 bookmarked like I did!) and an awesome message about friendship. As I read through the book I was not only struck by how much I was enjoying the book, but also by how deeply I wished this book was out when I was in middle school. This is the exact kind of book and series I would have devoured the moment each was released. 

About The Book (from the back cover)

Everyone knows N-A-T-E does NOT equal N-E-A-T! And when Nate's sloppiness gets out of hand, Francis is in serious trouble. Can Nate clean up his act, or will he flip out first?

My Review

I can only imagine that Big Nate fans are already sold on this latest release, but for those of you who haven't tried him out, this is a great book to start with. This book will appeal to all types of readers. Reluctant readers will be drawn in by the intermittent comics splitting up what might feel like "too many words," while the more advanced readers will love trying to master the special code Nate and Francis write in! I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers - it is a fantastic reminder of how FUN books can be!

WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY!!

Lincoln Pierce was signing copies of Big Nate Flips Out when I was at BookExpo America this month, so I got a copy for YOU. Interested in grabbing up this book?

Now's your chance!

Use the widget below to enter to win your autographed hard-covered copy of Big Nate Flips Out by Lincoln Pierce.

Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to US residents only!

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Why Fiction Is Dangerous

In celebration of tomorrow's release of Neil Gaiman's latest novel The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, I thought I would finally take a moment to share his thoughts from BEA on why fiction is dangerous.

On the last day of BookExpo America 2013, Neil Gaiman held a panel and Q&A session called "Why Fiction Is Dangerous" It was one of the major highlights of my trip this year. After speaking to us, at length, about what inspired his two new books, Mr. Gaiman said, "So those are the two main books I have coming out and that has nothing to do, at all, with why fiction is dangerous." The audience laughed because, I suppose, they were as engrossed as I was with everything he had told us and had completely forgotten about the promise of this panel's title.

While the rest of the talk was filled with laughter and frivolity, the crowds offered up a respectful silence interrupted only by murmurs of consent as Neil Gaiman told us why fiction was dangerous. He said,

• "Fiction is dangerous because it lets you into other people's heads,"
• "Fiction isdangerous because it gives you empathy,"
• "Fiction is dangerous because it shows you that the world doesn't have to be like the one you live in, which is incredibly dangerous for the world."

In 2007 Neil Gaiman was invited to the first officially recognized science fiction convention in China. He was curious about the country's sudden embrace of the genre, so he pulled aside one of the party officials to ask, "Science fiction has been very much frowned upon and regarded as dangerous and subversive for a very long time in China... Why have you said yes to this?" According to Gaiman, this was the man's response, "In China we are really good at making things that people bring to us... but we don't come up with them, we don't invent, we don't innovate. We went to America recently and we talked to the people at Apple, at Google, the people at Microsoft and one of the things we asked all of these people who invent and innovate was What did you read as children? And they all said, 'We read science fiction. We read fantasy. We read this stuff and thought, The world doesn't have to be like the one we are in right now. We can change it.'"

I sat there listening to Neil Gaiman and realized how beautiful danger can be. I understood how make-believe is the gateway to possibility and I remembered how closely linked imagination is to intelligence. Fiction is dangerous, in the same way our lives are: they are both unpredictable and take us down roads we may never have dreamed of traveling. 

I was so inspired by this talk, I created a Facebook cover to share this sentiment with all my facebook friends. Here it is, in case you wish to do the same (you can click on it so you can see it clearly without the sidebar interruption):

What are your thoughts on the danger of fiction?

How has fiction inspired you to think differently about your own world?

Randi Zuckerberg's 10 Upcoming Trends in Social Media

Social Media isn't new anymore. It isn't the shiny new toy that only some people were lucky enough to get a hold of when it first came out. It's out there, everyone's involved (even those who have been trying to resist for so long) and now it is evolving. Which leads to a big scary question: Evolving into WHAT?

 At the BEA Bloggers Conference Randi Zuckerberg (yes that Zuckerberg - she's facebook family) presented what she has observed as ten upcoming trends in social media today.

1. You Are More Than What You Write

This was primarily geared toward bloggers, in recognition that while we started out blogging with a "niche" in mind, there is undoubted more to the writer than interest in that one topic. What's more is that Randi believes our audiences are interested in that back story, the "human side." Revealing to readers what causes you are in support of, for instance, is something that will probably increase popularity, even if it isn't exactly in your niche.

2. Brands Are Now Media Companies

This same comment was made at another panel at BEA.  All brands are becoming media moguls on their own. Randi presented us with a screen shot of the Red Bull Facebook page pointing out how they create, or curate, their own media content daily to keep their customers entertained. This may seem ordinary to you, but step back for a moment, think about that: Red Bull is a beverage company. They are supposed to focus on making DRINKS, not videos!

3. People Will Pay For Premium Content

With the over saturation of information on the Internet, it is oftentimes difficult to find the high quality something you are looking for. High quality, premium content has suddenly become quite valuable. So valuable, in fact, people are willing to pay for it. Whether you decide to transform your informative blog into an eBook people can purchase, or, if you are ready to design a course of instruction, then you can check out Udemy.com to host your course.


4. More Signal, Less Noise

This goes out to the curators. In other words, all of us. We each curate the stuff that is of interest to us. Those who come before us and have curated it already are godsends. Randi pointed to her favorite blog, Red Tricycle, which lists family friendly activities for her. Now she doesn't have to search all over the Internet looking for them herself, she just goes to one site that curated for her. Ask yourself: What can you be a curator of so that others can just seek you out?

5. Images Speak Louder Than Words

Don't worry readers and writers, I'm not saying that images replace words here, but in the big wide world of the Internet, they do stand out. Even if you are a writer, you need to embrace this. Get on Instagram and use some images to draw readers in. Post your links in the descriptions.

6. Think Of Yourself As An Entrepreneur

Randi said that even large companies are giving their employees some time to think this way during regular work hours. There is something rewarding about working for yourself and designing your own projects. The Internet is full of passionate people working on projects they are interested in.

7. The @reply is the new autograph

I can attest to this myself. I nearly flipped my lid last week when @neilhimself (Neil Gaiman) tweeted me. The same thing happened earlier this year when @realjohngreen (John Green) tweeted me. For the twenty seconds it took each of them to write to me, they knew I existed. This is the equivalent of the autograph experience. Take a screen capture of the event and you're golden! For those of you who are published authors, please don't undervalue the impact of a simple @reply to one of your readers!

8. Gamification of Everything

I've been on board with this for awhile. In my classroom, I tried to change as many things into a game for my students as I could tolerate. There were some people who would criticize me for this practice since I was teaching high school. They'd say my students were "too old" for that. Now I sit back and laugh as I see the APPs created for adults which reward you for going for your run or shame you when you don't go to the Gym.

9. Video for Storytelling

I am very new to Vine, but I can see the draw. You are put to the task of telling a story in six seconds. It is highly addicting to watch because you don't think you are wasting any time just watching six seconds of video, and it is fascinating to see what people do with it. One blogger said she made six second books reviews on her Vine account.

10. Etiquette and Digital Detox

As much as we all love the Internet, social media and all of hour connections, part of the evolution is recognition of the fact that there is a time and a place. We love our modern day conveniences, yet long for an unplugged life. There are hotels that will lock up your cell phones while you are on vacation (not sure how I would take pictures!) and other services you can hire to help your family with a digital detox. However you choose to do it, the fact is, if you are thinking about it, you are not alone.

IWSG: The Reality Behind The Fiction

One of the amazing perks of spending time at BEA (BookExpo America), is the opportunity to meet authors, see them speak and to learn from them. Last week I tried to get to as many panels with authors speaking as possible. On this trip there appeared to be one main lesson the fates wanted me to learn: most fiction (if not all) is born out of reality. I suppose this is something I knew one way or another, but I had deluded myself in the sense of how much of a reality can still be alive in the words and worlds of a fictional tale once it is done.

Sara Farizan is the author of a YA novel called If You Could Be Mine that is coming out this August. This will be her novel and while I have not started reading my copy of it, I am looking forward to it. It is the story of a seventeen year old Iranian girl, Sahar. Sahar is gay and has been in love with her best friend since she was six years old. The story centers around her family dealing with this reality, while also trying to protect her, in Iran where homosexuality is a crime, but sex reassignment is legal and accessible.

When Sara introduced herself to the crowd who came to see her speak, she began with, "I'm super gay," and, as you may have already guessed, she is Iranian. Sara wrote the story of what could have been her own life if her parents hadn't moved to America. She went back to Iran to research the world she could have lived in and wrote what could have been her life story.

When it came time for me to see the author I waited all week for, the lesson sang true again as Neil Gaiman spoke about the inspiration for his new novel, The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. This was particularly compelling to me, as I tend to think of Mr. Gaiman as a fantasy writer. Again, the idea that works of fiction are based in reality is not one that is new to me, but when Neil spoke of the farm down the lane from his childhood home, the secrets his father kept from him and the family he always dreamed of writing about - all of these things that didn't just feel like the shadow of a basis for a story, but true stories in their own rights, I began to see how much one's reality can safely bleed into their work without it being memoir. I began to understand that one's story can mark the first steps in the "once upon a time..."

I started to wonder why I have been working so hard to try and make stuff up. I began to wonder what about my ordinary life could be transformed into extraordinary fiction. Is there something in my past? Something I observed, or lived, that is waiting to be fictionalized?

The answers to those questions are, of course: yes and yes. The bigger question this insecure writer has to ask herself, then, is, Am I ready to tell those stories? That is the hard part.

I am nervous about diving into that end of the pool, but when I think of those I saw this week, I realize that this leap of courage can come at any moment. Sara Farizan is a debut novelist who used her life as inspiration for her MFA thesis. Perhaps she was brave enough because she didn't think it would reach a public audience. Neil Gaiman, on the other hand, has had this family in his head for years. He mentioned them in Stardust and The Graveyard Book before bringing their full story to life now. So I don't know if my reality will make its way to my fiction yet. I don't even think I am ready for it. However, I am worried that my fiction will continue to fail until the day I am courageous enough to fully embrace the reality that belongs there.

When you are writing fiction, how close to your reality does your writing get?

BEA 2013 - Time to Pay It Forward!

Have I told you how much I love you? Yes, you, reading these words right now on Rivera Runs Through It. If it were not for you, not for this blog, there would be no way for me to have experienced the magnificent weekend I just did at the BEA13 (BookExpo America 2013) in the Jacob Javits Center.

With that said, I understand that I owe you. BIG TIME.

It's coming. Very soon. In the form of book reviews, book giveaways and sharing of knowledge bestowed upon me over the last four days.

I hope you're ready.

I wish I was ready to start right now, but as I am exceedingly grateful that my body did not freak out at all during the hours of the convention as I feared (we had a couple of flare ups at night, at home, but - hey - I'll take it), I owe my body too. A long night of lazy morning Sunday kind of rest.

But, Cynthia, who commented on the blog yesterday pointed out, I need to share pictures as well. To keep you sated for awhile, here is a link to my Instagram account (I'm fairly new to Instagram) where I tried to share as much as possible while at the convention this week (I only wish I thought of doing this sooner!):

I hope you enjoy that for now. I know it isn't enough. You deserve so much more. You should check out the pictures to see what's on its way! Happy reading. Happy writing. And, as always, thank you for reading Rivera Runs Through It!

BEA Announces Livestreaming for 2013

Great news for all you book lovers out there that won't be able to make it into New York City at the end of this month for BookExpo America. They have announced that they will be livestreaming a number of the author events for you to tune in to.

The BEA Live streaming program, which was launched last year to enormous success, utilizes the technology of Livestream, a leading company in the streaming technology field and a premier platform for producing live events online.  This year, an estimated 250,000 people will be able to view a huge range of authors as a result of the Sony partnership which is providing considerable underwriting for the initiative.

Last year I was able to embed the livestream screen right here on Rivera Runs Through It, and hope to do the same again this year for your convenience, so be sure to check back during the event on May 29 – June 1, 2013. Here's some of what BEA is planning to share:

A few of the authors whose participation will be available for viewing to the public through BEA Live include Doris Kearns Goodwin, Chelsea Handler, Octavia Spencer, Ishamel Beah, Rick Riordan, Chris Matthews, Helen Fielding, Neil Gaiman, Robbie Robertson, and Amy Tan to name just a few.  Other programming which will be captured for viewing include all the BEA Editor Buzz panels as well as author interviews from the ABA’s Celebration of Bookselling and Awards Luncheon.     Both the live programming and the recorded programming will be archived and will be available for viewing on demand during the show as well as after.  

 In the meantime, if you are looking for more information about BEA, please visit www.bookexpoamerica.com and connect with BEA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Free Reads from BEA

Last year was the first year I registered to attend the BookExpo America (BEA) held here in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. It was the first time I was able to attend all of the panels and events held there and I must say that some of the most exciting information poured out of the "Book Buzz" panels.

What Is Book Buzz?

For the uninitiated, the Book Buzz events are panels where you get to hear about the most exciting books that will be making their way to bookstores this year. One of my favorite Book Buzz books from last year from the YA Book Buzz panel was Skinny by Donna Conner. There are numerous Book Buzz panels because they are separated by genres and also by those delivering their favorites (ie. Librarians' Book Buzz).  For those who can attend BEA, once you get out of a Book Buzz panel you essentially make it your life's mission to gather up as many of the Buzz-ed about books from the Exhibition floor so you can sink your teeth into them right away! But Thursday, BEA released a special surprise so we don't have to wait until the end of the month for our teasers.

Download Book Buzz 2013 for FREE!

BEA announced the digital release of Book Buzz 2013 Thursday morning on their Facebook page. What does this mean? Well, right now YOU can download a book full of exclusive excerpts from over 25 of this years biggest books to come (for readers outside of the US, it includes 11 of the titles)! The book is available for the Kindle, the Nook, Apple devices, Sony and Kobo. Here is the link to get you started: FREE Book Buzz 2013. I downloaded mine to my nook this morning and I am already excited by some of the author names I recognize (Michael Pollan, Joe Hill, Sarah Dessen) and by the debut authors I have yet to discover!

Come To BEA

After you've read the excerpts and got yourself really excited for all of the new titles heading to your bookshelves, why not come on down to the biggest book party New York has to offer? If you are going to be in the New York area on June 1st, BEA opens its doors to the public with what they call the Power Reader ticket. Here's what BEA has to say about the offer:

With a Power Reader ticket to BEA 2013, available for only $49, you will…

• Discover new and upcoming books before they hit the stands
• See and meet the hottest authors
• Talk to publishers about favorite books
• Mix and mingle with other book lovers and share your passion for reading
• Get autographs and advanced reads of unique books (quantities limited)
• Get tons of giveaways from exhibitors
• Enjoy a day in New York City!

And if you can get a group of 3 or more to join you, BEA is offering a special discount for you if you register before May 17th:

Grab your book-loving friends and head over to BEA as Power Readers. The more friends you invite, the bigger the savings! Bring your book club or just make it a girls day out in New York City!
Receive the following discounts on your group of at least 3 or more: 10% OFF groups of 3 or more, 15% OFF groups of 5 or more, and 20% OFF groups of 10 or more.
Group discounts will expire on May 17. Don’t miss out on these great savings—Order your tickets today! To purchase your discounted group tickets, please contact Diana Press at dpress@reedexpo.com.

I highly recommend this event to all book lovers and, to my writer friends out there, I shouldn't have to tell you why you should be there: books are your business!

So, if you have the date available, and you can afford the admission, let me know when you'll be there. I plan to be there for the entire event providing my Rivera Runs Through It readers with all of the latest Buzz and news straight from the floor!

 Thanks for reading!

Do you have a favorite local book event you like to attend?

Do you enjoy reading the "buzzed about" books each year, or do you prefer making your own discoveries?

  For those who have been to BEA before, what tips to you having for maximizing one's enjoyment of the event?

Writing A Novel - Promotion

When I picked the theme of "Writing A Novel" for this month's A to Z Challenge, I was thinking of the first stage of writing a novel and all that it entails, but as the month has progressed, I have started thinking more and more about the entire process. One part of the process (that I extremely far away from) that I dread is PROMOTION. While I have gotten into a rhythm with blog promotion - publish article, send to Google+, post to the RRTI Facebook page, send to Twitter and post on my tumblr - I still don't feel ready for what is necessary to promote a novel.

Why Promotion?

Here's why it is on my mind. First of all, as I posted earlier today, over at StoryDam we are going to start doing interviews of the published authors in our community. I figured, These are cool people, I don't like the idea of promotion, maybe they don't either. Let's do a shout out for them! Of course, this is ONE THOUSAND times easier for me to do for someone else than for myself.

The second reason why this is on my mind is because of a strangely wonderful phone call I had last night. A former coworker of mine, Anthony, who I have not spoken to in about five years, called me out of the blue. As we caught up on things, he told me he had just published a book! He is donating all of the proceeds to charity and he said, "I just hope it sells." I thought to myself, I have to help! He needs promotion!

How Can I Do This?

The thing is, I am no expert. I'm just someone who has been on the internet the last couple of years, learning as she goes. So what have I learned? 

The Internet Is Powerful 
One major drawback my friend Anthony has is that he is not on the Internet. Due to his own medical issues, he couldn't even type his own book. So what can he do? Well, step one is getting someone like me to read and review his book. Let the people on the Internet speak for you! (I will be reviewing his book here soon; I read it last night!) 

The Internet Isn't The Only Answer
For the last two years I had the extreme pleasure of going to BEA (BookExpo America) and I am planning on going again at the end of next month (In fact, stay tuned, because I am going to start posting stuff about this year's BEA soon). This is a place for authors. I told Anthony about it and I told him to see if he can get to the Javitz Center, even if only for one day.While this is probably the biggest of its kind, every community has some place where writers and readers congregate - find it!

Talk Is Cheap
The amazing thing about last night's phone conversation was the simplicity of it. Anthony called me because he ran into a mutual friend of ours and my name came up. He was curious about how I was doing. He was laughing when he said, "I wrote a book." He had no idea that I - the person he knew as a math teacher obsessed with numbers, patterns, shapes and all things mathy - had been online talking about books, with plans to roll out a bunch of book reviews in the month ahead. With that mere mention of his book, one that he initially felt awkward about, lead to his book's first read on goodreads!

My Final Thoughts

The fact is, as much as I dread the idea of promotion, I'm beginning to learn that it doesn't have to be complex. And I don't think it will have to thrust me too far out of my comfort zone when the time comes. It is seeming a little less daunting as I look for ways to help others. That's always the way for me, I guess it is part of my teacher-spirit. I learn through lesson planning. When teaching others, I finally understand. (Top secret inside information: that's why I picked "writing a novel" as my theme this month. I figured it would force me to dissect aspects of this journey for my blog readers that I had been ignoring for myself!).

How do you feel about promotion?

What are some promotion tips or tricks you know of?

 Do you feel more comfortable handling your own promotion, or handing it off to others?

Thanks for reading! 

__________

Just A Tiny Promo:
And just in case you don't feel like waiting around for my review of Anthony's new book, here it is: Finding a Path through Difficult Times by Anthony L. Sardella:

Everyone at some point in his or her life will experience some kind of life-changing event. Although there might not seem to be any light when faced with adversity at first, there will be better days ahead. It will take time, patience, courage, and strength to be able to find a path that will open our hearts and allow us to find peace within.