Author: Zakiya N. Jamal

Zakiya N. Jamal was born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she’s a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. She has been published in Romper, BuzzFeed, People.com, Thought Catalog, and more. Her non-fiction essay about her "Cuban Impostor Syndrome" can be found in the Latinx anthology, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed. You can find her on Twitter at @ZakiyaNJamal.

Man Crush Monday: Cinna

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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I just went to The Hunger Games exhibit and I realized I haven’t talked about Cinna yet which is a crying shame. I love Cinna and if you don’t love Cinna we can’t be friends.

First of all, I always imagined Cinna as a cool, swagged up guy from the Capitol. I was not disappointed when the first movie came out and Lenny Kravitz was cast to play him. That was perfect casting to me.

Cinna was one of, if not the only person in the Capitol that made Katniss feel comfortable. He treated her with respect and acknowledged the fact that the hunger games actually sucked and shouldn’t be praised. When he told Katniss he would bet on her if he could I swooned (although unlike some fans I never actually shipped them).

More than that it was Cinna that first made Katniss into a symbol by turning her into the girl on fire and later an actual mockingjay. His keen eye for fashion wasn’t just a game but was his own personal way of rebelling. Unfortunately it inevitably got him killed.

I loved Cinna and more than anything I wanted a better ending for him but unfortunately it is what it is. This is why fanfiction exists, so Cinna can live forever.

I’ve said this a million times but I’ll say it once more. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games yet please do so as soon as possible.

“Remember, girl on fire,” [Cinna] says, “I’m still betting on you.” – Catching Fire

POLL: Are You a Borrower or a Buyer?

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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Are more comfortable in a library or a bookstore? Is it all about books for your shelf or just reading the story? If I was rich I’d probably buy every single book I could but since I’m not the library and I are best friends. Do you prefer to just borrow your books or buy them for keeps? Let me know why in the comments below.

 

Results of last week’s poll:

Which one of Kiera Cass’ Novels Has The Best Cover

With 44.44% of the votes the winner is The Heir, my personal favorite. Thanks to everyone who voted and stay tuned next week to see the results of this week’s poll.

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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My first giveaway was such a success and I’m super excited to be doing another one. This one is a bit smaller than my first but still pretty exciting. Here’s what the prize pack includes:

Looking at it now I’d say that’s a lot of stuff. To enter click the link below. The giveaway closes on September 3 and winners will be announced on September 4. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Woman Crush Wednesday: Effie Trinket

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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Effie always kills the fashion game, except in Mockingjay but that’s not her fault. She’s got the style of the Capitol but a heart of gold. Of course, not at first.

Living in the Capitol Effie only made her way out to District 12 for the reaping but otherwise lived a sheltered life. What’s wonderful is once she starts to actually care about the people she’s working with (Peeta, Katniss, and even Haymitch) she stops seeing them as just people she has to work with and make civil but actual people.

I would love a book where we learned more about Effie and her background and honestly what happens to her in and after Mockingjay. The movies have been good about including her and I hope this remains true in the next (and final!) film but I wanted to know what happened to Effie in the books. Did she survive? What did she do after President Snow’s reign ended? I’m sure the Capitol wasn’t the same after all the destruction that happened there. Did she have to get a new job? What was it? The list goes on.

The point is at first I was indifferent towards Effie and just saw her as a byproduct of the Capitol’s making but then, especially in Catching Fire, you can see that she’s beginning to realize everything isn’t really perfect and something is wrong with the Capitol. That’s when I started to love Effie.

If you haven’t heard of Effie before, honestly you must’ve been living under a rock for years. Please read these books if you haven’t already. The movies are great but the books are always better. Well, except maybe with Mockingjay. The movie (at least part one) I definitely enjoyed more than the book. Regardless, read the books.

Although lacking in many departments, Effie Trinket has a certain determination I have to admire. – The Hunger Games

Book Review: How to be Brave

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Books to Borrow

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Synopsis from Amazon.com:

Reeling from her mother’s death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave – all the things she’s wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she’s always been afraid to do – including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most – and you learn that you’re stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

*I received this book as a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be released on November 3, 2015.*

I wanted to like this book. I truly did but I just could not.

The author’s style of writing infuriated me to no end. To be fair, it’s quite possible this type of book is just not my cup of tea but it wasn’t for me at all.

First my biggest issue was at least once every chapter E. Katherine Kottaras would write, “This is what it’s like,” and then proceed to have the character tell us what it indeed was like. I cannot stand this type of writing. Why do this? Why not just write what it is like? There’s no need for a preamble.

To me, this book felt more like a journal. It felt as if the main character, Georgia, was writing in her journal about her experience but she wasn’t the best writer so she would sometimes just stop and do a flashback and say, “This is what it was like,” or tell a story about the present and say, “This is what it is like,” and then proceed to say so. Maybe the book is meant to feel that way but I didn’t like this style.

Moreover, I struggled to like any of the characters. I couldn’t feel sympathetic for Georgia because she switched between being a sad girl to cursing and doing out of line things. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to get from her character. At the beginning she seems to have a low self-esteem and needs her bestie, Liss, to step in for her but then also in the beginning of the novel she feels confident enough to make fun of another girl for being fat. This happens within the same part (the book is broken up into two parts). It’d be one thing if this was a character development over time but it just seemed like Georgia (or the author) didn’t know what kind of person Georgia was.

Her Liss didn’t seem like a good friend at all. The crush, Daniel, was okay but not swoon worthy. Georgia’s Dad infuriated me with his lack of understanding and then his ridiculous quick change in personality that seemed very unrealistic. And Georgia’s teacher, Marquez, seemed okay but would sometimes be so rude I’d question if a teacher would really say those things to a student and if so, would that even be considered okay.

Additionally, because of the ways in which Georgia chose to “be brave” I couldn’t find sympathy for her. Maybe Georgia and I just have widely different definitions of what makes a person brave but I just thought a lot of things on her list were just reckless behavior.

Lastly, there’s a lot of events in the book that don’t make a lot of sense to me and just seemed to come out of nowhere. I won’t spoil the book but I will say is someone goes through a serious mental health issue and the way in which it was handled in this book didn’t sit well with me. It felt like the root of the issue was just glossed over and I think if the author was going to touch on that it shouldn’t have been something that just happened but something that had a bigger effect and meaning in the book.

Overall, I think I get what the author was trying to do with this book and as I said I did want to like it but there’s just too many issues with it, plot and style wise, for me to recommend it.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow.

Stars

2 stars

Man Crush Monday: Eikko (Erik)

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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I don’t care what anyone says, if Erik doesn’t end up with Eadlyn in the next Selection book I’m going to be the most upset. I don’t think I’ll forgive Kiera Cass. I really don’t think I could.

Erik is fantastic. He speaks both English and Finnish and he just gets Eadlyn better than anyone. He’s cute and kind of shy and always knows the perfect thing to say. Did I mention he’s cute?

Unfortunately we didn’t get to see a lot of him in The Heir because technically he’s not a part of Eadlyn’s selection but I saw enough of him to fall head over heels. Honestly, he made the book for me and I hope to see plenty more of him in the next one.

If you have no idea who Erik is please do yourself a favor and read The Selection series. I’m pretty sure I talk about this series at least once a week so if I haven’t convinced you to read it yet I don’t know what will.

If you have read the books vote in my poll for who you think Eadlyn should end up with (*cough* Erik *cough*). Also if you have a book hottie you think should be next week’s Man Crush Monday let me know in the comments below.

I remembered the feeling of my first date with Hale, how I felt when I was sure he’d peeled everything back and had seen the real me. This time, I felt like I was on the other side of that, looking past duty and worry and rank, seeing the true heart of a person. 

And [Erik] was so beautiful. – The Heir

My Summer At HarperCollins Publishers

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

In the second semester of my senior year at Georgetown I had no idea what I was going to do after college. The only thing I did know was I wanted to move to L.A. I totally blame my friend for getting this idea in my head in the first place but still. I knew what I wanted and that’s where I wanted to go. I still do actually but maybe next year I’ll make the big move.

The point is I had no intention of going back home to New York. I knew if I had to I would but it wasn’t my first choice. Additionally, neither was publishing. I’ve never had anything against publishing. If you haven’t noticed yet I really love books. Like a lot. I just never thought of being an editor before.

I wanted to write. Either books or articles or something. I love to write. That’s what I do. What in the world does an editor do? I thought at the time. Just edit? I had no clue. It had never occurred to me before. However, I think a lot of recent grads can attest to the fact that when it’s getting down to the wire and you still don’t have a job you start looking everywhere. Suddenly I wasn’t just applying for journalism positions, I was trying for publishing too. I figured, what do I have to lose?

Thinking along those same lines I figured go big or go home, so I applied strictly to the big five: HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Simon and Schuster. Macmillian and Hachette somehow slipped my mind so I missed those two.

At first when I was applying everything just blurred together. Editorial Assistant, Editorial Intern, Assistant Editor, Associate Editor, blah blah blah. It all sounded the same to me just different types of books. So, of course, I applied to them all.

It wasn’t until I already applied to five different types of internships at HarperCollins that I stumbled upon the Editorial Intern position at the Dey Street Books imprint. Qualifications? Loves books? Check. Obsessed with pop culture? Check. Keeps up to date on celebrity news and culture? Triple check.

And suddenly I found the perfect job for me. You know how you apply for something and you’re just going through the motions? You think, “I guess this job sounds okay,” and you write your generic cover letter along with the same copy of your resume you’ve already sent everywhere. Well, this was nothing like that.

Writing this cover letter came easy. I knew exactly what I wanted to say because I actually really wanted to get this job. But this job wasn’t in L.A. and I was in the process of being interviewed for a BuzzFeed fellowship in L.A. which I also really wanted.

Therefore when I was offered the internship at Dey Street Books (in New York, by the way) I hesitated. I wanted it but I also wanted L.A. Thankfully the decision was made for me when BuzzFeed turned me down for the position. Even though I was excited to work at Dey Street I was still devastated. A part of me knew my BuzzFeed interview didn’t go as well as I would’ve liked but I was still hoping it would happen.

Truthfully though, I’m glad it didn’t.

My friend oddly enough put it perfectly although at a much later time when I was applying for the BuzzFeed fellowship for the second time. He said I should leave room for the possibility that maybe there was something better for me out there.

I think this was the case this summer. Had I gotten into BuzzFeed L.A. I probably would’ve had a great time and it would’ve been awesome. But then I would’ve missed so much.

I would’ve missed the opportunity to see how a big name book publisher really works. I would’ve never got to pitch my ideas for books or help edit manuscripts and give my opinions on proposals. I wouldn’t have made all the connections I made with editors, marketers, and publicists. I definitely wouldn’t have had workshops that talked about applying for jobs in publishing or listen to an author and agent discuss the process of making a book into an actual book.

More importantly I wouldn’t have met some of the most amazing and creative people I’ve ever known. I wouldn’t have gotten to work with an amazing team of people who are so dedicated and passionate about their books they’ll fight for them. And my fellow interns who came from not just across the U.S. but across the globe as well who were friendly, funny, and shared my insane passion for books. Especially, my friends in the fish bowl where we had some of the strangest conversations in my life and then some more serious ones too. These are the people I would’ve never met if one door hadn’t closed and another opened. And for that I am most grateful.

HarperCollins wasn’t just the place I worked for the summer; it was my home. I will miss being surrounded by books and wonderful people each day but I’m excited for what’s to come next. Thank you Carrie and Sean for everything I learned from you. Thank you Chloe for helping me be Sean for my last week. Thank you Emily for getting me so many free books; I plan to read each and every one. Thank you to the interns for making this internship so much fun! And lastly thanks to Carolyn and the whole HR team who made this internship the best internship program I’ve ever been a part of. It was a blast!

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POLL: Which One of Kiera Cass’ Novels Has The Best Cover?

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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The cover of Kiera Cass’ newest (actually rereleased) novel, The Siren, was revealed yesterday and it’s just as gorgeous if not more so than all The Selection series covers. Actually is it more gorgeous? Vote in the poll to cast your vote for the best cover. If I had to choose I’d go with The Heir but that’s just my personal opinion. What’s yours?

 

Results of last week’s poll:

Which book character did Shailene Woodley play best?

With 50 percent of the vote the winner is Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars. I don’t know though. I really liked her as Aimme in The Spectacular Now. But you guys chose the winner so I won’t argue. Stay tuned next week to find out the results of this week’s poll.

Book Review: Dark Places

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

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Synopsis from Gillian-Flynn.com:

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived–and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details–proof they hope may free Ben–Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club… and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members–including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started–on the run from a killer.

After reading Gone Girl, much like most people I wanted to see what else Gillian Flynn had to say. Apparently it was another crazy story. This one I didn’t like as much as Gone Girl but I still enjoyed it.

The story follows Libby, the sole survivor of the murder of her family. Well excluding her brother, Ben, who’s been locked up for life for the murders and her father, Runner, who was never really part of the family to begin with. Similar to Gone Girl, the deaths of Libby’s family is really a mystery.

Although at the start of the novel Libby wholeheartedly believed her brother was responsible for the murders, after meeting the Kill Club, a group of somewhat strange people who make it their mission to solve crime mysteries, and hearing other people’s thoughts on the murders and what happened that night, Libby starts to question herself and her memories. She knows she lied about seeing Ben actually commit the murders but could there be more she was wrong about?

It took me a second time getting this book from the library before I actually finished it. It starts pretty slow and despite all that Libby’s been through it’s hard to sympathize with her. She’s not a pitiful character that needs to be comforted. She’s an adult with hard edges who steals, lies, and does whatever it takes to survive.

The way the story is written is what really pulled me in. It alternates between Libby’s point of view in the present, Ben’s in the past, and their mother, Patty’s, also in the past. As Libby digs deep deeper and deeper in the mystery of the murders, the past is moving closer and closer to the actual morning of the murders.

It was interesting to read what leads up to the murders and how both Patty and Ben’s actions got misconstrued into something dark and terrible. I found the resolution of the mystery a little lackluster and was hoping for a bigger twist but it was still unexpected and still interesting. I definitely think the gotcha moment in Gone Girl was much bigger and more exciting.

Overall, Flynn once again dragged me into a murder mystery that once I was sucked in I couldn’t be pulled out of.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. It was good but it wasn’t rock my socks good. I wanted more from the ending. I’m not sure what exactly, but more.

Favorite Line: 

“The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty – we all have it.”

Stars

4 stars

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Woman Crush Wednesday: Suzume “Zu”

Posted on by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

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Zu was the bright little dot of sunshine in The Darkest Minds trilogy. That’s not to say she didn’t have her own issues and problems. She doesn’t speak and has seen her fair share of darkness. Even so, the fact that she’s pretty young compared to everyone else and the crew (Ruby, Chubs, and Liam) feel responsible makes Zu one of the key elements that keeps this little family together.

I really liked the journey Zu goes on in the books. Spoiler if you haven’t read the series yet! Zu eventually does speak and when she does she has a lot to say. Being quiet, she’s a great listener and has seen and heard things no child should have to witness. She hates what the dystopian America she lives in has done not only to the children that have abilities but also to the adults that have turned to drastic measures to survive.

Zu wants to live in a better world. A safer world where she and her friends don’t need to be afraid anymore. Where they don’t have to run and hide? I think the fact that Zu, who believe is only seven in the books, can eloquently say what everyone is saying and thinking.

She’s brave, a little funny, and wise beyond her years. She’s an adorable little girl and one of my favorite characters in this trilogy. Also, there’s apparently novellas centered around Zu that I haven’t read yet but I’ve heard are really good so check them out as well.

“Everyone is so afraid of each other,” Zu continued. “I don’t want to look at a grown-up and assume they’re thinking of how much they can get for me. I don’t want them to look at me and think of how badly I could hurt them. Too many…too many of my friends are in pain. They’ve been hurt very badly by what they’ve been through, but they’ve taken care of me. That’s the other side of everything. Because there are people who are afraid, and then there are people who are so brave. We only survived being hungry and scared and hurt because we had each other.” – In the Afterlight