Okay, so here are the holiday book recommendations, whether you pick them up at my house this afternoon, or online:
– A Feast of Serendib: great for the foodie in your life, esp. if you add in some homemade Sri Lankan curry powder; I also have tea towels, if you want more of a package gift
– Bodies in Motion: Sri Lankan-American immigrant stories, literary fiction — think The Joy Luck Club, but with Sri Lankans. Lots of mother-daughter stories, so a lovely gift for your mother or mother-in-law, assuming they’re not going to be bothered by adult material; one of the stories is a little sexually explicit. Finalist for the Asian American Book Awards.
– The Stars Change: Brown folks, many of them queer, in space. When war breaks out and the alien ghetto is threatened by racists (speciests?), the humans of Kriti must decide how they will respond; inspired by the events of Black July in Sri Lanka in 1983. This novella-in-stories is a little smutty, please note. Finalist for the Lambda Award, Bisexual Book Awards, and Rainbow Award.
– Joker Moon: Want superheroes? We have superheroes! Also supervillains. 
My protagonist is on the cover of this Wild Cards book, and I rather adore her; she’s a complex woman, with fabulous powers, and it was great fun writing her story. This novel works as a stand-alone; you don’t need to read any other Wild Cards books to enjoy it.
– Perennial: A sweet romance set in Oak Park, featuring a young woman who’s just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and a handsome Scottish-Indian florist, struggling to keep his business going in an economic downturn. It’s a story about light in the darkness and finding community, and even though the protagonists are in a het relationship, there’s some queer community that’s integral to the story. It’s also a bit experimental, as I wove the poems I wrote throughout my own year of breast cancer treatment through the text. A good gift for a friend recently diagnosed with cancer — it’s not a downer, I promise you; I wrote it in part to be a hopeful, lovely thing to read in a difficult time. Also available, my coordinating Perennial scarf, which uses floral (and subtle cancer) motifs that I drew while working on the book.
If you want a signed and/or personalized copy from me, please let me know ASAP, as I’ll be leaving town for the holidays on Saturday. I can’t guarantee it’ll arrive in time for Christmas, but I’ll do my best.
