Category Archives: AUTHORS
Puerto Rican Young Writers: Mario L. Vázquez
The 2011 Reading Challenge: Puerto Rican Young Writers is a book reading challenge created to spread Puerto Rican literature outside our 100 x 35 miles island. You can sign up on ThirtyCreativeStudio at any time.
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THE BOOK
TITTLE: The Color of my Paint
AUTHOR: Mario L. Vázquez
ISBN: 978-1-4392-0511-2
NUMBER OF PAGES: 118
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2009
DATE READ: May 1, 2011 (finished)
THE AUTHOR
According to the author’s website ”It all started in the year 1976 when Luis and Maria had their last baby boy. Mario was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico and lived during his childhood years in Cidra. This town is located in the center of the island. One hour south of the capital San Juan. Both of his parents grew up in Cidra and notably on the same street (Read more here).
THE REVIEW
My Story with the Book:
For this book I had to do some research. I was trying to see what information I could get on the internet about young Puerto Rican writers. I was glad I found a couple of them, but not as many as I was hoping for. From the options I found, this book sounded like it was the perfect one to start the second quarter of this reading challenge. I was able to look into the author’s website and learn more about him and the book.
My Kind of Summary:
The Color of my Paint is a collection of short stories that are easy to read and written in a familiar tone. It feels more like conversations between friends than a non-fiction book. The author talks about some of his life experiences, friends, teachers and family.
There are a total of ten stories and he summaries his learning experiences as: (1) Learning from your mistakes; (2) Discovering the artist within; (3) Persistence and responsibility; (4) The value of family; (5) Honesty; (6) Family rituals; (7) Friendships; (8) Never give up; (9) The true meaning of competition; and, (10) The pursuit of my dreams.
If you want to learn more about growing up in Puerto Rico during the eighties, this is a must read. Vázquez experiences are and the descriptions bring you back in time. Since I am from the same generation as the author (a little younger…lol) I enjoyed the trip back into memory lane.
The majority of the stories are from his time in school and the influences in his life. Only the last story shows how his decisions during his senior year shaped his future. At the same time, that could be the story of any adolescent trying to figure out what to do after graduation and how to reach his or her dreams.
THE GIVEAWAY
You will have the opportunity to win a copy of the book in English.
How to Win:
Simple, just fill this FORM.
Guidelines:
1. Anyone can participate. There is no need to have a blog; you only need a valid email & postal address.
2. Only one form per person necessary.
3. You have from now until May 12th to fill the entry form.
4. The winner will be selected using Random.org and will be announced May 13th.
5. The winner will receive an email with further information on how to receive the giveaway. A new winner will be selected if no answer is received within 72 hours from email.
MORE TO READ
If you want to read more about this author, please visit his official website http://www.mariolvazquez.com/ or join his Facebook page.
OUR NEXT SELECTION
To learn more about our fifth featured book click here! We hope you enjoy our selections. Please feel free to leave your comments and join our mailing list. Also, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter! I will leave you with a little sample of our next book.
“Uno que otro viejo bien bragado se abría el paso entre la pequeña legión de cegatos varicosos con la ayuda de escobas y mapos que encontraban en los baños o en los pasillos, para conseguir una mejor visión del viejo protagonista.”
Puerto Rican Young Writers: May Torres
The 2011 Reading Challenge: Puerto Rican Young Writers is a book reading challenge created to spread Puerto Rican literature outside our 100 x 35 miles island. You can sign up on ThirtyCreativeStudio at any time.
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THE BOOK
TITTLE: Enchanted Island
AUTHOR: May Torres
ISBN: 978-0-9844532-0-7
NUMBER OF PAGES: 317
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2010
DATE READ: April 9, 2011 (finished)
THE AUTHOR
MAY TORRES is a freelance writer born in New York City. She currently resides in New York with her children. At a young age she became fascinated by all things supernatural, as well as unexplained phenomena. She cites Stephen King as her favorite author, heavily influencing her love of the written word. After completing her first novel she was faced with the arduous task of getting it published. She struggled with the fear of her work being turned into something she would not recognize, in order to conform to a publisher’s strict guidelines. She made the decision to self publish; and, with a friend and fellow writer, started a company aimed at preserving the integrity of the author’s work.
THE REVIEW
My Story with the Book:
I learned about this book through its author. She left a comment on one of my postings about the Puerto Rican Young Writers challenge and introduced the book and herself. I am glad she did. Since then, we had kept in contact using Facebook and her group Effective Networking Now. I was even the Member of the Month last period.
My Kind of Summary:
As I mentioned in other posts, Young Adult (YA) literature is not normally my first pick. I did enjoy the book and recommend it to those of you that read YA often. The story has many secondary topics which are integrated nicely, but in some cases were too strong for a prune like me.
The author presents great [detail] descriptions about Puerto Rico; everything from its typical meals to its flora and fauna. When you read them, you will want to go and visit, and if you live on the island you will learn to appreciate your surroundings and its history.
As you read the book, you will not believe this is May’s first novel. The structure & language are well selected and the characters, plot and settings are nicely written. The sequence of events are developed properly and no questions is left unanswered.
The sense of familiarity, karma and reincarnation are present in the events and the characters interactions. The story is a mix of fantasy and reality with a trip back in time at the same time than a visit to the future. It is all at once, but in an organized manner. All these characteristics are knitted into a great story.
THE GIVEAWAY
You will have the opportunity to win a copy of the book in English.
How to Win:
Simple, just fill this FORM.
Guidelines:
1. Anyone can participate. There is no need to have a blog; you only need a valid email & postal address.
2. Only one form per person necessary.
3. You have from now until April 20th to fill the entry form.
4. The winner will be selected using Random.org and will be announced April 21st.
5. The winner will receive an email with further information on how to receive the giveaway. A new winner will be selected if no answer is received within 72 hours from email.
MORE TO READ
If you want to read more selections from this author, please visit her at Come What May. You can subscribe to her blog here. She also created Effective Networking Now and Touché Publishing.
OUR NEXT SELECTION
To learn more about our four featured book click here! We hope you enjoy our selections. Please feel free to leave your comments and join our mailing list. Also, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter! I will leave you with a little sample of our next book.
“Minutes later, the same recruiter approached me and asked if I wanted to take the entrance exam. I inquired about the requirements and benefits, and soon after our brief discussion, he signed me up to take the test.”
