No New Crayons, So Not the Drama Playlist, Cool Links

So I got no new books this week :( Oh well. I do have plenty to read.

Updates for next week: My contest for A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott ends Aug. 18 (this Tuesday), hurry and enter now!

I've introduced Whale Talk to a new fan! I forgot to share the link, but a little while ago Cecilia from epic rat did a post on me as a New Blogger on the Block (which I so appreciated. Thanks again Cecilia!) anyway, read the interview here, to see why Cecilia ended up reading Whale Talk. I'm pleased to say that she loved it just as much as I did!! Read her review here

Read Colleen and Susan's posts about how to recommend POC books to non-POC

Check out Steph's opinion on the new Liar cover, baby steps. Love this post and totally agree!

Oh I discovered an awesome list of YA books with Asian-American protags I want to read all the books on this list. And I thought this post on Asian-Americans on YA fiction covers was very interesting. Both links are from the YA YA YAs book blog.

Sad news: I go back to school Aug. 20 (this Thursday) *insert heavy sigh here* I've got some reviews written up and waiting to be published, but there may be a time where the reviews slow down. Be patient and bear with me! I'll type lots of reviews on holiday weekends, but my posts will probably shorten to 4 a week (I hope to keep Male Monday, Throwback Thursday, a regular review and New Crayons going).

One of my new fav poems: Doret from the HappyNappy Bookseller wrote But That's Not What This Rant is About I am so, so in love with this poem and I'm jealous becuase I can't write poetry to save my life! I totally agree with her poem and feelings. Doret you rock!

Now a request: I'm thinking of trying to (somehow, someway) create a list of contests featuring YA books with POC. There are too few contests for YA books with poc. So leave me a comment or email me if you know of a contest being held! I think that if more contests are held for teens featuring books about poc, they will read them more. After all, everyone likes free books.
Now here's my problem (and I'm sure I'm not alone in this), I have no money to spend on buying books. Not right now anyway. So how do we host YA book contests with poc, if we don't have the money to buy the books to giveaway? Thoughts and suggestions would be much appreciated!

I love making music playlists so here's mine for So Not the Drama by Paula Chase. I tried not to use all the songs featured in the book, but some of them are on the list since obviously they fit the book well.
In no particular order...

1. Just Dance by Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis. this song just reminds me of high school, at a party having fun.

2. This is Why I'm Hot-Mims "I'm hot cuz I'm fly, you ain't cuz you not." The popularity creed

3. No More Drama- Mary J. Blige feat. P. Diddy (remix) the original song is good too. The title says it all

4. Family Affair-Mary J. Blige Reminds me of hanging with your friends, basically your second family.

5. Popular-Wicked musical. Just look at the title :) The song is funny and I love this musical

6. Don't Forget About Us-Mariah Carey Ignore the love meaning, the song could be applied to friendships as well, especially Lizzie vs. Mina

7. Big Things Poppin'- T.I. Mina expects big things poppin (or good things to happen) at school.

8. Boom Boom Pow-"I'm so 3008, you're so 2008." Again reminds me of popularity, something a popular, stuck-up person (aka Jessica!) might say.

9. I Gotta Feeling- Black-Eyed Peas "I got a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night." Good song for the party at the end of the book

10. Bossy-Kelis "You don't have to love me, you don't even have to like me. But you will respect me." Jessica's theme song.

11. Break the Ice- Britney Spears. Craig meets Mina

12. C.R.U.S.H.-Ciara Mina's got a crush on Craig!

13. I Can't Leave Him Alone- Ciara Title perfectly describes how Kelly feels about Angel

14. Girl Gone Wild-Tiffany Evans. I'm relieved that the girls in this book aren't "showing skin, showing legs". This song is just fits some high school girls.

15. Thinkin' About- Tiffany Evans Mina is thinking about Craig ;)

16. Run It!-Chris Brown feat. Julez Santana Reminds me of hig school parties as well as a song that cheerleaders (Mina is a cheerleader) would dance/cheer to.

17. So What-Pink "So what, I'm still a rockstar, I got my rock moves and I don't need you." I like how SNTD focused less on relationships and more on friendships. This song is more about being strong after a break-up, but I think it works in explaining that you don't need a man.

18. When I Grow Up- Pussycat Dolls About popularity and fame.

19. Run the Show-Kat DeLuna Running the show is just another way to describe being popular!

20. Independent-Webbie feat. Lil' Boosie and Lil' Phat All the girls in the Del Rio Bay Clique are independent. Actually any song about women's independence would work (Miss Independent by Ne-Yo or Kelly Clarkson, Independent Woman by Destiny's Child)

21. Umbrella-Rihanna feat. Jay-Z Rihanna sings about always being there for her friend, she is her friend's "umbrella". The true meaning of friendship.

Feel free to comment away if I missed some songs that you think would go great with this book!

Throwback Thrusday: So Not the Drama

Throwback Thursday was thought up by Tashi at Taste Life Twice In my version I review books that came out in 2007 or before. Also, I almost lost the Blogger war. So this review disappeared. Luckily, I have it saved in Word so now it's back and I win! I'm really sorry if you left a comment on the post and I couldn't see it :( Feel free to re-comment

So Not the Drama by Paula Chase 2007 Book 1 Del Rio Bay Clique Series

Rating: 4.5/5

IQ “Why is it ok for someone from the projects to say we’re stuck up or not keeping it real? But when we say something about how they live or say they’re ghetto, everyone gets offended and says we’re stereotyping and being boogee?” -Mina

In exactly one hour, eighteen minutes, and thirty-five seconds, Mina Mooney will be dipping her pink Nellie Timbs into the infamous frosh pit...
Hoping Del Rio Bay High will live up to her greatest expectations, Mina has big plans for infiltrating the school's social glitterati. After all, she's been mad popular for as long as she can remember—and she isn't about to go from Middle School Royalty to High School Ambiguity. But Del Rio Bay is a big school, so it'll take some plotting to avoid getting lost in the crowd. Good thing she isn't afraid of a little hard work—and that her playground peeps, Lizzie, Michael, and JZ, have got her back.

But it isn't long before Mina's big plans for securing her social status take a back seat to some drama that was so not expected. Lizzie's scored an invite from the beautiful people that Mina can only dream about, and not only is Michael tripping about being back in school, but now he's beefing with JZ. Worst of all, Mina's sociology class experiment to rid the world—or at least Del Rio Bay High—of prejudice is about to backfire. Because it might just mean she'll have to rid herself of her very best friend...

I’m so glad I re-read this book. I loved it even more than I when I read it the first time. I read it in 7^th grade and I think I further appreciated the book when I entered high school. I loved So Not the Drama even more, because I saw the truth in a lot of the humorous and not so humorous situations. I gave So Not the Drama to my sister to read and she loved it, even though she’s not in high school. She found it really funny.

This book is so quotable, and I love the chapter titles (which consist of song lyrics and a funny quote) and how the song lyrics match the content in each chapter. My favorite chapter title is “It’s not stalking if he doesn’t have a restraining order.” Too funny! Another good quote from the book is about cliques “Mrs. Simms, I don’t mean any harm, but high school is a huge caste system. It’s like Cliques ‘R’ Us. We deal with it every day. And even people who claim to be above cliques are a clique!” –Mina. That is so true (at my school at least).

My least favorite character (besides the characters you’re supposed to hate) was Mina. She was so obsessed with becoming popular; it just got annoying after a while. Also all her excitement over school starting was a pain (mainly because I’m not a big fan of school so I don’t see how anyone can be excited about it starting). But Mina was really sweet and loyal. Talked a lot, but that’s better than not talking at all (in my opinion). The Incredible Quote is hers and I think she makes a valid point.

My favorite character was Jacinta. She kept it real and if I was forced to leave my neighborhood and go to a different school that everyone at my old school said was full of stuck-up white kids and ‘chocolate faces that act vanilla”, I would probably have an attitude at first as well. She was funny too. All the characters are great embodiments of high schoolers, representing their many complexities.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Anyone in high school and especially incoming freshman should read this book!

And check back here tomorrow for my interview with Del Rio Bay Clique author Paula Chase-Hyman.

One more thing. Go comment at Literanista feed the hungry post! She needs 30 comments. Read my post about it here and follow the link in that post. And I was just kidding about the whole 'tell them Reading in Color sent you'. You don't need to say that :)