Saturday, July 10, 2010

On My Soap Box... On My Wishlist... and Giveaway!

First, I'll start on my soapbox. As I posted in the last review that I had something more to say. Well, as I first started this book, Katiebabs of Babbling about Books and More had a post about Cindy Pon's book, The Silver Phoenix. It was about book whitewashing of the covers and how both Borders and Barnes and Noble either had no books in stock or very little so they could state that it needed a new cover to do better at their stores. The complete and well thought out post and subsequent discussion is HERE. In the past I admit I didn't pay attention to this type of problem out there in the industry. I mostly bought or read books based on suggestions before I started blogging. As I started to do more blogging and finding lots more books because recommendations grew, I noticed that, like others, I gravitated toward certain covers and away from others. In fact, I often mention the covers in my reviews now. So, for a company to deem that I just couldn't handle a cover with someone of color on it is just horrible. It's almost like saying that we only find beauty in such a small definition. Yes, they are more concerned with the bottom line, but by actually making up your "facts" in this way is just wrong. Plus, it's not very flattering to the rest of us book buyers out there. 

Personally, I'm a bit confused. I was one who just loved the cover. If you look at the other comments in Katiebab's post, people who were less thrilled about it usually complained about the color (anti-pink girls) but not about the race. Look on Goodreads reviews and you will see that most were attracted to the cover. So, I charge Borders and B&N with being total snooty snots with their choice of not carrying the book with that cover. While I do not think there is enough evidence to charge with racism, there is enough to charge them with not believing that their buyers have intelligence. So, do I suggest buying this book with all the controversy? (Young people close your eyes) HELL YEA! (okay, you can open them now) It's a great book and didn't deserve the treatment it received. Plus, the more we buy books with characters with color in them, that itself will, I believe, start to send a good message to those snooty snots. :)

Oh, and speaking of books that have characters with color... Cindy Pon, herself, is having a giveaway of several books like this. Just comment at her blog. What a wonderful idea! Also, take a look at her list and put them on your own wishlist. I know I have. ;)

Which brings me to my Wishlist...
Fury of the Phoenix is #2 by Cindy Pon (to be published in April 2011)

From Goodreads:


When Ai Ling leaves her home and family to accompany Chen Yong on his quest to find his father, haunted by the ancient evil she thought she had banished to the underworld, she must use her growing supernatural powers to save Chen Yong from the curses that follow her.

Well, now for the giveaway...

I'm going to giveaway a necklace that I made with the cover on it. I had two main reasons for making this necklace. One is protest. I want to protest the practice of whitewashing our covers. The second is to promote this great book without having to give up my copy (hey, it was signed specifically to me... and well, I'm a greedy snot). So, I made a pendant like I had blogged about here. This is the cover of the book on one side and the jade pendant on the other. Obviously, the pictures are not mine, and I am giving this away FREE. So, if you wanna... you got to leave a comment. Please leave your e-mail addy if it's not in your profile. I'll end this on Friday July 16, 2010. It's 15 1/2 inches long, with pendant, it's 17 1/2 inches. Doesn't need a clasp, it should just slip over your head. Hope you think it's worth a comment. :) US addys only, please.

20 comments:

  1. Entresting never though of butting some thing like that on a neckless cool Idea.
    sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
    PS.Not sher if I'm spelling Things right read better then i spell

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  2. Wow- how did you make the cover like so!?


    I agree! I am so sick of all these covers that is inaccurate of the contents within just to sell the book or change the cover for the same desired effect.

    To my hubby, I was just pointing out something on a cover of a recent read and explained how covers can be misleading to make the sell.

    I am really bummed because the original cover (btw, thx for lining the other post) is gorgeous!



    lllinthe808[at]gmail[dot]com

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  3. !=) Love the way you rock the soap box! and lovely jewelry piece!

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  4. Thanks Chas. :) Good point about the covers being misleading.

    @Stacey... LOL I so agree with that. I'm the same. :)

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  5. Those necklaces are gorgeous! Loveee <3

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  6. Gorgeous necklace! Though I haven't seen this book, I must agree about covers being misleading many times.

    Thanks for showing off your wonderful eye-candy necklace.

    mrsthestandman@gmail.com

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  7. I am embarrassed to say I have yet to read Cindy Pon! And I would love to win, though that's not entirely why I'm commenting. Ugh, I hate whitewashing, especially because I AM Asian. Pink on a cover bothers me more than people of any other ethnicity. :(

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  8. I haven't read the book but thought the cover was beautiful. Hopefully, with enough press and attention, the whitewashing is becoming less.

    Great post and lovely necklace. I'd love to be in the contest. demonicattractions@gmail.com

    Came over from the Saturday Network.

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  9. Beautiful necklace! And I hate the "whitewashing" of covers, and covers in general that are misleading!!

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

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  10. OMG! Those are so pretty! Thanks for the giveaway!

    This is me:
    missie at theunreadreader dot com

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  11. Okay, I want, I want, I want that necklace!!!!!

    The Book Smugglers had an excellent post on the whitewashing of this book as well which I think references Katiebabs's post. The original cover is just so beautiful and original whereas the new and subsequent ones are...dull by comparison. Big, stupid, stupid mistake on somebody's part to do this. Like you said, do they think that book buyers are ignorant and small-minded???

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  12. oh, I LOVE it! I have always loved that cover, but I just ordered the book (with original cover) last week!

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  13. I have to say this thing of color on the covers is insane. It doesn't matter to me what color the person on the front is or even of the character in the book. Its the content I enjoy. Yes, don't get me wrong I do get pulled to certain covers, although lately it has been men in cloaks with hoods where you can't see their faces... hmmm, I may have to think on that one - it doesn't sound good. ;) But it shouldn't matter.

    The necklace is amazing looking. And you made it! Wow! Great job!

    Thanks!

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  14. That's such a beautiful necklace! You did a fabulous job!

    And ugh! I'm so tired of the whitewashing! My only problem w/ the one cover is the pink. I hate pink, but I still think the cover is beautiful. *sigh* Some day I keep thinking we'll just be able to see and enjoy a book without controversy.

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  15. The necklaces are all beautiful! I also think that the original cover was better.

    Skk25@aol.com

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  16. LOL! I completely agree and I can't believe you made those ! Wow.

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  17. I like the original cover better, too, and I love your necklace!!

    choco223@aol.com

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  18. you have such talent - that is a gorgeous necklace!

    k_sunshine1977 at yahoo dot com

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  19. You did a great job on the necklace and I would like to enter to win it!
    cherylbaryl@hotmail.com

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  20. Well I think the original cover was just gorgeous. Covers can be like works of art and that one was.

    Please enter me - Tammie.King@gmail.com

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Thanks for commenting! I ❤ comments!