Latinx Book Bingo is officially over and I had so much fun hosting for the 6th year in a row. I’m so happy because I got to read some amazing books for this readathon even if I didn’t stick to my tbr 😅 and I completed the bingo board and read one book for each prompt.
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz (5 stars): The narrative voice is distinctive and compelling, and the way the book is written fits the story perfectly with its simplicity, touches of humor, the mix of Spanish and English, and the stream of consciousness. This is a character study that shines because of the lack of artifice of the main character, who is caring and funny, but also flawed and complex, and felt like a real person. I loved how this explored the idea of letting all the pain, resentment, mistakes, and doubts out as an essential part of healing and living. The way important subjects such as unemployment, immigration, poverty, abuse, and gentrification are naturally integrated into the story was very impactful.
After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez (4.5 stars): At first, I was a bit worried about the main character in this but I ended up loving her. She is carrying a lot of anger due to past trauma as well as the systematic racism and misogyny that she experienced, so she was a bit abrasive and not the most likable character, but I loved seeing her let go of her anger and slowly let her guard down. I also appreciated that it didn’t take too long for the character growth to start taking place. Seeing the two main characters go from dislike to like was captivating and fun, and the chemistry was there from the very beginning. The romance overall was sweet but it was also very steamy. This book was well written, the tiny sprinkle of paranormal elements gave it a unique touch, the complicated family dynamics were interesting to read about, and I appreciated the way it explored gentrification as a main plot point.
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera (4.5 stars): It’s been a while since I read an Adriana Herrera book and this made me remember why I love their books so much. Luz Alana was a savvy businesswoman who faced all the obstacles in her way with courage and determination, Evan was so supportive and swoony, they had great chemistry from their first interaction, the banter was fantastic and this was so steamy. I also loved all the supportive characters and can’t wait for their books. This doesn’t get 5 stars because there were some elements of the plot at the end that didn’t come together as well as I hoped, but nothing that prevented me from loving this.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (4.5 stars): This book is a historical romance with speculative elements and strong Western vibes, while it’s very atmospheric and there are vampires, it’s not really a scary book. It’s a mix of so many different things and it executes them all so well, and the writing was fantastic. From the very beginning, I found the characters and their relationship fascinating, I was completely invested, and I loved how the angsty romance was such a big focus of the book. I also appreciated the way this explored class dynamics and imperialism. As I mentioned, there are literal vampires in the story, and I enjoyed that they were depicted differently than usual, they are much more animalistic which made them feel unique. I also loved the symbolic way vampires are used in the story, because “Vampires of El Norte” literally means “Vampires of the north”, and this takes place during the US invasion of Mexico.
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (4 stars): This is a magical realism story that follows three generations of Marte women, each of whom has a special ability. These abilities are varied and go from the bittersweet to the bizarre, and it’s delightful to slowly learn about each woman’s ability and the impacts that they have on their life. Acevedo managed to depict characters who are flawed and sometimes unlikable, but with so much depth and complexity that it’s possible to understand where they are coming from. This book does an incredible job of exploring different types of relationships between sisters, parents, and partners, and those relationships are the heart of this book and what makes it so special.
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro (4 stars): This book is sad, harrowing, and infuriating, but also hopeful. It’s incredibly well-written and it has some eerie moments. My favorite thing about it is the way it explored generational trauma and how isolating motherhood can be, through the legend of La Llorona. The author did such a good job taking the story of La Llorana, giving it her own spin, and integrating it with the story of Alejandra. This book is hard to read because Alejandra’s thoughts and emotions are conveyed so clearly that it’s easy to understand why she is struggling so much, and it is also easy to feel mad at her husband. He is selfish, manipulative, and sexist, and he gaslights Alejandra all the time and offers zero support in raising their children. The story itself of this entity haunting Alejandra and her family is captivating from beginning to end, and I loved the differences pov’s and timelines, they kept the book engaging.
Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin (3.4 – 4 stars): I appreciated that in each story Schweblin managed to make me feel uncomfortable and unsettled, but I will admit that when I finished some of the stories, I thought “That was it?”, I didn’t quite understand the point of some of them, nonetheless,I was interested and engaged while reading all of them. I appreciated the idea of taking houses, which usually represent stability and safety and exploring the idea of these spaces being invaded, haunted, or suffocating. My favorite story was Breath from the Depths, which is the longest story in the collection, it deals with grief, living with dementia, and being haunted in your own house and mind, and it’s both unsettling and heartbreaking. Another favorite was An Unlucky Man because it made me anticipate and dread what was going to happen but then it left me wondering.
Cazadora by Romina Garber (4 stars): It took me a while to get into this because it’s been a long time since I read book 1, and because the main characters are on the run at the beginning and not a lot happens while they are running, it’s just them going from one place to another. Nonetheless, once they stopped running, I got into the story and ended up really enjoying it. The inspiration this takes from Argentinian culture gives this story about werewolves and witches such a unique touch. I also liked the internal struggles that most of the characters go through, there are some interesting secondary characters and the romances were sweet. I hope someday we get the third book because the story can’t end in that cliffhanger!
The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-García (4 stars): This was a solid, and well-written novella. I loved that it was a traditional fantasy story with magic, powerful artifacts, and morally gray characters but it was infused with Aztec mythology, which made it feel unique. It was an entertaining and engaging read.
Prime Meridian by Silvia Moreno-García (4 stars): This story is more literary fiction than sci-fi, it’s a character-driven story with little plot, and it’s about a woman trapped in a bleak life that seems to be going nowhere and who wants to escape it by going to Mars. While she is not the most likable character, her growth is interesting to follow throughout the story even if it’s a quieter and slower type of character development. The writing as always with Moreno-García is beautiful.
What the Hex by Alexis Daria (4 stars): I really liked this. I loved the world-building, which was fascinating for such a short novella, I loved the writing, the voice of the characters was compelling from the first page, the cozy vibes, the witchy innuendos, and the dynamic and chemistry between the main characters. It was a bit Insta-lovey, which is my only complaint, but it wasn’t too bad.
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (4 stars): This book tells the love story between an artist from the Caribbean and a duchess who can not be more different from each other. From the start, these two women are pulled to one another and it’s such a delight seeing them verbally spar. The romance does get really angsty and I enjoyed that. My favorite thing about this book is Manuela’s character development, seeing her open her eyes to a new world and new possibilities and be brave enough to go after the life she wanted. Moreover, I really appreciated that this book depicted the queer community in Paris at the time, as well as the contributions of women to the art scene. My only issue was with the pacing, I felt it dragged a little at some points but I still really enjoyed this.
Return to Love by Leonor Soliz (4 stars): I love friends to lovers and this one delivered. The characters had so much chemistry and the steamy scenes were really good. I had some small issues with the writing but nothing that prevented me from enjoying this. It was my first story by Leonor Soliz but it won’t be the last.
One Tough Cookie by Delise Torres (3 stars): I wanted to love this, but unfortunately, I had a few issues with it. The main character is rude and mean to everyone around her. While she grows by the end, it happens almost 70% into the book, so it makes it hard to get into the story. Still, I did appreciate the work the main character put into becoming a better version of herself by the end of the book. Besides that, there was a love interest that at the beginning was basically a saint because he was patient and understanding no matter how rude and hurtful the main character was. But he didn’t have a personality beyond that, so I found him boring. And then, by the end, he became really pushy and it was annoying to see how when the main character finally started to work on herself, he wouldn’t give her the time and space to do that. Still, the writing was really good, so I definitely want to check out another book by this author in the future.
Hermosa by Yesika Salgado (4 stars): This is a beautiful collection. I loved the honest and powerful way Yesika Salgado talked about family, relationships, heartbreak, gentrification, fertility issues, and so much more. One of my favorite things is the way LA comes alive in this collection, this is definitely a love letter to the city.
Submerged by Vita Ayala (4 stars): This graphic novel has an interesting premise where the main character goes to the underworld to save her brother and throughout that journey comes to terms with her decisions in the real world. I enjoyed how the storyline in the underworld is fast-paced while simultaneously, the mystery of the character’s past is slowly revealed. That reveal was interesting and while I saw the ending coming, I still enjoyed it and it made me feel a bit emotional.
Bookish Wanderess 