Saradha Koirala

This YA novel features Paige, the bass player in a high school rock band, as she and her bandmates prepare for Rockfest, a Battle of the Bands-style competition for high school rock bands. The proverbial "musical and personal differences" threaten to derail the band and lives of Paige's friends alike, but in the end, Paige's determination to hold down the metaphorical as well as literal bottom end comes through.

Paige is the best thing in this book: likeable, determined, but far from flawless, she's a character worth identifying with. And I also really liked the balance between the joy and the tedium of building a working musical relationship with other people who never see things quite the same way as you do. Definitely a recommended read.… (altro)

This is the second collection by Wellington, NZ poet Saradha Koirala, whom I admire very much for her word choices, which always seem to be exactly right. I enjoyed her first collection, [Wit of the Staircase], and I think "Tear Water Tea" is better yet - more varied in style, more sophisticated in delivery. It's also beautifully illustrated.

You can see a sample poem, which I think captures Saradha's style well, here:

rel="nofollow" target="_top">http://timjonesbooks.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/tuesday-poem-secret-i-dont-mind-you....

and read my interview with Saradha here:

http://timjonesbooks.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/an-interview-with-saradha-koirala.ht...… (altro)