I realize given the economy I should not complain about my job but it is seriously putting a cramp in my blogging life. The upside is that I ride the bus to work so I am reading. Here's a rundown of what I've read for my challenges. With an any luck, I'll spend the remainder of the weekend writing reviews and other blog posts in advance. YA challenge Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan GLBT Say The Word by Jeanine Garsee South Asian Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama (Pakistan) Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman Women Unbound Grafitti Women: Street Art from Five Continents by Nicholas Ganz Nancy MacDonald, Swoon Beneath My Mother's Feet by Amjed Qama (Pakistan) Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman (India) Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan (Afghanistan) Reading The World Challenge Faith by Maya Amjera 14 Cows Carmen Agra Deedy, Thomas Gonzalez, Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah Social Justice Faith by Maya Amjera That's 8 books. Loved them all! Thanks to Edi at Crazy Quilts for turning me on to 14 Cows and Faith. Both books are beautifully illustrated. They inspire and remind us that we our faith and hope in our children is well placed. Thanks to Akilah for When You Reach Me. I haven't read A Wrinkle in Time but Stead's book took me to a place I wanted to linger. I suppose time travel is technically sci-fi, but the book felt like magic and the writing caught me up;I refused to let go. I was so frustrated with Shawna in Say The Word and every time I thought about why, I knew Jeanine had created realistic characters. A good read about how mixed up, complex and flawed we are and how we can draw on the good in us to do the right thing. While reading Beneath My Mother's Feet, Wanting Mor (see interview with author, Rukhsana Khan at Paper Tigers.) and Climbing the Stairs, I couldn't stop asking myself how do we impart to our girls in this instance, a love for education, to get them to understand that an education not a man or fame is the means to opportunity, personal choice and freedom? The main characters, all young girls in each book, were desperate to complete their education and they knew their chances at a life beyond servitude, abuse and dependence were inscrutably tied to being educated. For so many women outside of our country, education means an independent life. Graffiti Women is kickass. The writers are diverse. Their stories and perspectives vary but all the writers exude self-confidence, they are clearly are committed to their art and there is undeniable power in their messages. Each writer had a voice and she uses it not only to express herself but to encourage others to find their voices and speak up.