Where:  Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St.  New York, NY, 10002, (212) 777-6028, http://bluestockings.com

When:  Saturday, March 14th, 7 p.m.

Who:  Neesha Meminger, author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON

What:  A party to celebrate the release of SHINE, COCONUT MOON!

I will be giving away very cool commuter book bags and we will eat samosas and drink wine!  I will read from my book and sign copies for anyone who wants a book signed and I will love you for making the trek .

Here is what Kirkus had to say: “This straightforward and ultimately reassuring novel reads like an older Sikh version of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and will fill a niche in any school or public library looking to beef up their YA multicultural fiction offerings.”

Hope to see you there!

Hope to see you there!

To keep from taking over the site completely, I’ve included the first half of the survey here.  If you’d like to read the rest of the questions and responses, they are up on my site at www.NeeshaMeminger.com/funstuff.

Q.  What are some of the most recent books you’ve read for fun? Which ones did you like the most?

• Chitra:     Twilight – I enjoyed it the most.
• Ritu:         The Harry Potter series seem the most fun to me but I have not read any other recently.
• Pinku:     Daughters of the Moon books & Alex Rider books. I liked them both, they were really good.
• Nikhal:     I don’t read for fun. King Lear
• Touria:     The Tweneith Wife. I love creative stylistic novels. I also enjoy autobiographies.
• Kamil:     I liked Tomorrow Never Ends, The Jester, 4^th July, Memories of Midnight, Books by Sidney Shewlon and James Patterson
• H.S.:        2pac

Q.  What are some things that make you want to buy a book?

• Chitra: Storyline
• Ritu:    The description; horror and mystery books are my favorite
• Pinku: The story
• Nikhal: Music production
• Touria: The author
• Kamil:  Nice themes, real life experiences, more non fictional theme
• H.S.:     I don’t buy books.

Q.  So, what are things that make you put a book down?

• Chitra: If its just too serious or confusing
• Ritu: Too much detail
• Pinku: The author
• Nikhal: Title, cover
• Touria: When I cannot understand it
• Kamil: Hard to understand themes, book that deals with no major topic
• H.S.: The cover

Q.  How do you feel about blunt sex talk in books for teens?

• Chitra: I think it’s disgusting, more porn than literature
• Ritu: It’s good to be aware of everything.
• Pinku: I don’t mind.
• Nikhal: Not cool
• Touria: I feel comfortable
• Kamil: No probs
• H.S.: Its alright

Q. What about swear words?

• Chitra: Depends how much and where
• Ritu: It used in everyday lives
• Pinku: I don’t mind.
• Nikhal: Just not cool
• Touria: I feel comfortable as well
• Kamil: No probs…either…
• H.S.: Its all good

Q.  Do you have a favorite genre of books, i.e. fantasy/sci-fi (like Harry Potter, Golden Compass, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, etc.), romance, action/adventure, drama, comedy? What is it/are they?

• Chitra: Twilight series, romance/adventure
• Ritu: Harry Potter, horror, romance and mystery
• Pinku: Fantasy/sci-fi
• Nikhal: Not really but I liked goosebumps
• Touria: Autobiography, Shakespeare
• Kamil: I like mystery, adventure, thriller and romance
• H.S.: Romance, action

Q.  Do you feel that there is currently an accurate portrayal of South Asians in books, TV and the media? Why or why not?

• Chitra: Not really frequently
• Ritu: No. They show them poor and the show India filled with poverty
• Pinku: No, not really. They kind of just put them in there like a joke.
• Nikhal: Yes, they offer book and media advice
• Touria: Only at times. Novels are more accurate than the media because the media is more narrow minded and stereotypical
• Kamil: I do not think so because it only shows some cultures of many existing in South Asia
• H.S.: . . .

Q.  What kind of representation would you like to see of a South Asian teen? What qualities would s/he have?

• Chitra: Normal, like any other teenager
• Ritu: A smart, educated person because not all South Asians should be portrayed as poor, living in slums.
• Pinku: Strong, kind.
• Nikhal: Someone who is straight forward, nice and kind.
• Touria: South Asian teens (girls): youthful, independent, cultured
• Kamil: I like South Asian teen trying to cope in a white American society this quality would be confident, confused and questioning.
• H.S.: . . .

Q.  What kinds of issues do the South Asian teens in your life face that are not depicted on TV, in films, or in books? What would you like to see addressed?

• Chitra: Their family lives, rules, culture
• Ritu: Prejudism
• Pinku: Peer pressure, religion vs. society
• Nikhal: Racism, how South Asians are being blamed for 9/11
• Touria: Parent/sibling conflicts; peer pressure
• Kamil: I would like to see South Asians influenced by Western lifestyle and struggling to choose the right one.
• H.S.: family problems, relationships and etc.

Neesha Meminger is the author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON, her debut novel. For more information, visit her author page.

SHINE, COCONUT MOON

• Publication Season/Year: Spring 2009
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
• Release Date: March 1, 2009
• ISBN (hardcover): 978-1416954958
• ISBN (paperback): 1416954953

Samar–a.k.a. Sam–is an Indian-American teenager whose mom has kept her away from her old-fashioned family.  It’s never bothered Sam, who is busy with school, friends, and a demanding boyfriend.  But things change after 9/11.  A guy in a turban shows up at Sam’s house–and turns out to be her uncle.  He wants to reconcile the family and teach Sam about her Sikh heritage.  Sam is eager, but when boys attack her uncle, chanting “Go back home, Osama!,” Sam realizes she could be in danger–and also discovers how dangerous ignorance is.

Kirkus Reviews: “This straightforward and ultimately reassuring novel reads like an older Sikh version of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and will fill a niche in any school or public library looking to beef up their YA multicultural fiction offerings.”

Publisher’s Weekly: “Debut novelist Meminger raises complex questions of identity, but avoids moralizing or spelling out answers for readers, who will likely be hooked as Samar takes a second look at her relationships with her boyfriend, friends and family, while seeking a better understanding of herself.”

School Library Journal: “Along the way, [the protagonist's] path to self-discovery is riddled with pain, racism, healing, love, and reconciliation. Meminger’s debut book is a beautiful and sensitive portrait of a young woman’s journey from self-absorbed naïveté to selfless, unified awareness.”

The Author: Neesha Meminger
Location: Riverdale, NY

Neesha Meminger was born in India, grew up in Canada, and currently lives in New York City with her family. All of her writing explores the inner landscape of her characters, and how it merges or conflicts with the outer. She writes stories of women and girls defining themselves and shaping their own destinies within the confines of their day to day realities.

Neesha has an undergraduate degree in Media Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School for Social Research in New York City.  Her favorite things ever are: Spring and Autumn in the north; a steaming mug of sweet, organic soy latte first thing in the morning; and listening to the orchestra of birds in the morning after dropping her daughter off at school.