Tag: Latinx Representation

80 Book Recommendations for the Latinx Book Bingo | Latinx Heritage Month 2022

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 7 Comments

My favorite time of the year aka Latinx Heritage Month is almost here, which means the Latinx Book Bingo is coming and it’s time to share some recommendations for all of the people participating and also in general for everyone looking for books by Latinx authors. Just like last year, this year I decided to only include books I have already read in this recommendations post, the only exceptions are the group book and the two recommendations for the prompt “disabled mc” because while I have read a few books with a disabled mc, unfortunately, the representation in them has not been great.

I will link my recommendation posts for previous years, which in most cases included books that I have not read, in case anyone needs more options:

For each one of my recommendations, I’m including the genre, age group (Middle-grade, YA, or adult) and if it fits other prompts besides the one I’m recommending it for. Without further ado, here are my recs:

Set in LATAM

TRANSLATED

CO-AUTHORED


ROMANCE

POETRY OR NOVEL IN VERSE

FOODIE

INDIE

NONFICTION

AFRO-LATINX AUTHOR

GROUP BOOK

Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado: YA book. Other prompts: Afro-Latinx author and horror.

HORROR

BANNED

MIDDLE GRADE

JOYFUL

PART OF A SERIES

DISABLED MC

Are you participating in the Latinx Book Bingo? Have you picked the books for your tbr?

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Latinx Book Bingo 2022: Readathon Announcement

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 6 Comments

Today I’m bringing really exciting news! Latinx heritage month is almost here and I’m really happy to share with you that the Latinx Book Bingo is officially coming back for round five! This year the readathon is going to be hosted by Paola, Cande and me.

THE BINGO

The Latinx book bingo will take place from September 15 to October 15, which is when we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. The goal of the readathon is to highlight books written by Latinx authors.

The aim of the bingo is to read as many Latinx books as you can, guided by the prompts on the bingo board.  You can also try to get a bingo (read all prompts on a single line or row — you can read horizontally, vertically, and diagonally), but it’s not necessary, we just hope you read some Latinx reads during this month.

GROUP BOOK

This year we are super excited to have a group book, which is Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado, a YA Horror book written by a nonbinary, Afro-Latine author. This book is described as Stranger Things meets Get Out and it’s Sapphic.

Synopsis:

For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention—especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.

Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York’s past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart—or die trying.

OTHER INFO

If you want up-to-date information, or to participate challenges and reading sprints, follow  @LatinxBookBingo  on Twitter or @LatinxBookBingo on Instagram. You can use the #LatinxBookBingo hashtag for all your related tweets and posts and we will be retweeting and sharing on our platforms.

  • We will also do a liveshow on October 16 at 8 pm EST where we will talk about the group book. It will be on Paola’s channel.
  • There will be weekly Instagram challenges, which will be announced on our Instagram account (@LatinxBookBingo)
  • There will be reading sprints every Tuesday during the readathon on Paola’s channel:

I hope you can join us! If you have any questions, please let them in the comments! 

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Latinx Book Bingo Wrap Up | Latinx Heritage Month 2021

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 2 Comments

Hi everyone! The fourth round of the Latinx Book Bingo has come to an end, I had so much fun hosting this year and I’m so grateful and happy becuase so many people participated. I love seeing people reading and enjoying books by Latinx authors.

For my part, I managed to read 13 books for this readathon and even if I was 3 books short of my goal, I found some amazing books and some incredible authors that I can’t wait to read more books from.

Here are some of my thoughts on the books I read for the Latinx Book Bingo:

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez (4.5 stars): This book does a good job of commenting on subjects like poverty, addiction, feminicide, police brutality, and so much more, through a gothic lens and with a touch of paranormal elements (a lot of them related to Argentinian folklore). Most of the stories are disturbing and quietly eerie, some with grotesque moments, some transmitting very well the sense of dread and fear of the characters, and a lot of them with spooky and mysterious circumstances. The author leaves the resolution of a lot of the stories up to the reader’s imagination, so it feels like they end quite abruptly, which is a bit jarring but ends up working really well to maintain the sense of uneasiness that the stories create.

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin (4 stars): This was very atmospheric, it was disorienting and trippy because the story is told by a confused, feverish woman, and the book makes the reader feel the frustration of the main character, Amanda, with this very intense and strange little kid who is very pushy and vague with his answers. Beyond that, Samantha Schweblin does a good job of commenting on the use of pesticides in Argentina and its effect on the land, the water, the animals, and the people, but adding a paranormal element that it’s never quite explained but that adds to the weirdness and creepiness of the story. 

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado (4 stars): This was such an unsettling short story collection, it was weird, unique, powerful, and thought-provoking. It was full of interesting concepts, beautiful writing, and stories that had a lot to say about the experiences of women and the bodies that they live in, the things that are done to their bodies, the way their bodies are viewed and perceived, and the meanings that are assigned to their bodies, both by themselves and others.

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (4 stars): This is a book about the varied struggles and perseverance of different Latinx undocumented Americans. It’s a book about their experiences, mixed with the author’s own experiences of being undocumented and having undocumented parents, and it’s told in a very casual tone. This book does a great of showing how wildly different the experiences of being an undocumented American are and how the effects of undocumented vary from person to person. The author talks about the undocumented immigrants’ experiences with access to healthcare, work opportunities and conditions, old age and retirement, education and so much more.My only issue with this is that there was something about the writing style that didn’t completely work for me. I think it had to do with the author’s voice.

Her Night with Santa by Adriana Herrera (4 stars): This is smut and it’s great smut. For such a short novella, Adriana Herrera manages to give us compelling characters, an instant connection and tons of chemistry between the characters, and a lot of very steamy scenes. This was a fast, fun and steamy read

One Week to Claim It All by Adriana Herrera (4 stars): This was so fun, dramatic (in telenovela style) and steamy. The main characters had a lot of chemistry and they were easy to root for. My one issue is that the heroine forgot quite easily (before she knew the truth) about what he did to her, which didn’t seem realistic when she has been angry at him for 10 years, but I didn’t mind it too much.

Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera (3,5 stars): I struggled a lot with the first half of this book because the main character, Lupe, is not necessarily a likeable character. For a big portion of this book, she is selfish, self-centred, and she steamrolls her friends and I had to keep reminding myself that she is a child who is learning about these things. Nonetheless, by the end, I appreciated her character development and I ended up enjoying the second part of the book a lot because it showed her slowly realizing the things that she had done wrong, changing her way of seeing things and working to make up for the way she had behaved. I also appreciated the way this book talked about outdated traditions that are not as inclusive as they could be and should be and how they can be changed without taking away the meaning and significance that they have for people.

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera (3,5 stars): This novella addresses immigration in a very compelling way by mixing myth and reality, the writing is good and the linguistic choices are interesting. I don’t know if it was because it was so short but something was missing for me.

Sabrina and Corina by Karla Fajardo Anstine (3,5 stars): I have mixed feelings about this collection. These are mostly stories about women suffering and going through hard things -violence, abandonment, inherited trauma, loss, grief – and it does a good job depicting these things but there was no hope here and that made me struggle reading this. Also, these were slice of life stories and I figure out while reading this that I don’t like that in short story collections, most of the time I was left feeling like there was something missing.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-García (4 stars): I ended up enjoying the way things unraveled with the mystery at the heart of this story and I appreciated the setting and context of this, in my opinion, they served as a great backbone to the story. (Full review)

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin (3 stars):I had a hard time getting into this book because the stories felt very disjointed and I wasn’t really interested in some of them. Nonetheless, the second half of the book is a lot more interesting, because you know the characters of the different stories, you see what it means to them to be a keeper or a dweller, what relationship they establish with the kentukis and the people on the other side of them, as well as broader implications of this technology. The end was very pessimistic and cynical but it seemed realistic to me and while it wasn’t entirely satisfactory, it was thought-provoking.

Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story by Lilliam Rivera and Steph C. (4 stars): I ended up enjoying this, I think it does a great job of discussing the difficulties and fears that undocumented immigrants experience and I think that’s the best part of this graphic novel. The portrait of Jessica’s emotions was very well done and her anger and despair felt very realistic after everything that she went through. My main issue with this is that it includes Mayan gods but that element didn’t really feel integrated into the story and I wish the gods played a bigger role than simply being angel and devil figures whispering in Jessicas ear in a couple of scenes and that’s it.

Eartheater by Dolores Reyes (4.5 stars): This is a powerful book mainly about the violence that women face. It has a compelling main character that felt like a real, complex, fully rounded person, a fascinating concept – a women who can see how people died or where they are and what happened to them by eating earth connected to the person – and writing that, beyond being absolutely beautiful and raw, perfectly transmits the array of feelings that the main character goes through and that the story tries to capture: anger, frustration, fear, grief, passion, indifference, love. I only docked 0.5 stars because the ending wasn’t as satisfactory as I wanted, but overall it was a fantasctic read.

What was the last book written by a Latinx author that you read? What’s your favorite book by a Latinx author?

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Upcoming Screen Adaptations of Books by Latinx Authors

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 8 Comments

Hi everyone! For the last couple years I have seen so many announcements of Latinx books being adapted as movies or series and it makes me so excited! So I decided to put together a list of upcoming screen adaptations of books by Latinx authors. I’m sure I missed some adaptations but I tried to include as many as I could and I ended up with a total of 12 adaptations of Adult, YA and Middle Grade books written by Latinx authors.

Without further ado, here they are:

Fever Dream

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin is the story of a young woman named Amanda, who lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. A boy named David sits beside her. She’s not his mother. He’s not her child. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family. (Goodredas)

The book was adapted as a movie by Netflix, and Samanta Schweblin, the author of the book, co-wrote the script. The movie is coming out on October 13th (it’s almost here!), it was shot in Northern Patagonia (Chile), the director is Peruvian, it had a largely female Chilean crew, mostly Argentine actors and it’s in Spanish.

This book it’s going to translate into a really creepy and unsettling movie, and I can’t wait to watch it. The trailer looks really good and exactly how I pictured everything when I was reading.

Mexican Gothic

Mexic Gothic is the story of a young woman called Noemi, who receives a letter from her cousin begging for someone to save her from her husband. Noemí heads to rescue her not knowing what she will find. Once there, Noemí is mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, and soon she may find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind. (Goodreads)

Mexican Gothic is being adapted as a limited series on Hulu, it’s being produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and Silvia Moreno-Garcia is also an executive producer. According to the author, it will probably have between 8 and 10 episodes. Some more information: here and here

This was my favorite book of 2020, and I think it’s going to make a perfectly suspenseful, weird, and immersive series. I’m really excited to see who gets cast in this and I hope they do the characters justice.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of the mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendiá family. It chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love. (Goodreads)

Netflix is producing a Spanish-language original series based on this novel written by Gabriel García Márquez. The author’s sons Rodrigo and Gonzalo García will serve as executive producers on the series, which will be filmed mainly in Colombia. Some more information: here

Anyone who has even attempted to read this book (like me, because I have never actually finished it) knows that it’s the type of book that it’s SO HARD to adapt, so I’m very nervous about this adaptation but I also have hope it will turn out alright.

Things We Lost in the Fire

Things We Lost In the Fire is a short story collection that brings contemporary Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land.The short story being adapted depicts the extreme actions of a group of women in response to male violence. (Goodreads)

It was announced in July 2021 that the short story Things We Lost in the Fire will be adapted as a movie. Prano Bailey-Bond has been attached to write and direct and Rodrigo Teixeira (Call Me by Your Name) and Lourenço Sant’Anna (The Lighthouse) will produce. More information: here

The short story that it’s being adapted is so disturbing and thought-provoking and I’m sure it will make a powerful movie.

Her Body and Other Parties

Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of short stories that that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies. (Goodreads)

An anthology series based on Her Body and Other Parties is in development at FX. Machado will serve as a producer. The project is headed by writer-producer Gina Welch (Feud, Ray Donovan, The Terror). It’s described as a feminist Black Mirror with fairy tale themes, its hours threaded together with a recurring ensemble of female characters. More information: here and here

I’m not sure how some of this stories are going to be adapted, in particular Especially Heinous, which is inspired by Law & Order, but I’m excited to see how they do it. I think it’s going to be a very weird show and I’m looking forward to watching it.

I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is the story of a girl who is dealing with the death of her sister who was their parent’s perfect daughter. Julia is not a perfect Mexican daughter and soon she discovers that her sister might not have been as perfect as everyone thought, so she embarks on a journey to find out the truth about her sister. (Goodreads)

It was announced on February 2021 that I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is being adapted into a movie for Netflix, the author (Erika Sanchez) will serve as a co-producer, it will be America Ferrera’s feature directorial debut and Linda Yvette Chávez, the co-creator of Gentefied, adapted the screenplay. Some more information: here

I haven’t read the book and I honestly don’t have any intention to read it, but I will watch the movie since it sounds like a good story, I want to support Latinx adaptations and I really like America Ferrera.

They Both Die at the End

In a world where people get a message the day they are going to die letting them know it’s their last day and where there’s an app called Last Friend where you can find people to spend your last day, two boys with one day left meet for one last great adventure- to live a lifetime in a single day. (Goodreads)

Entertainment One acquired the rights to develop for television and Adam Silvera will write the adaptation. More information: here

This adaptation is going to make me cry, I’m sure of it and I can’t wait.

More Happy Than Not

Aaron is struggling after a family tragedy and his new best friends, Thomas, helps him get through it. As Aaron and Thomas get closer, Aaron discovers things about himself that he wants to forget, and a revolutionary memory-alteration procedure might be the solution. (Goodreads)

HBO Max is developing a one-hour series based on More Happy Than Not and Adam Silvera will serve as executive producers on the project. The series will be developed by Creative Engine Entertainment and eOne (which is also developing Anna K). More information: here

I can’t wait to watch this, I think if they do a good job with the adaptation, it can become a beloved movie just like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is, but including Latinx and queer people, and directed at a younger audience.

With Fire on High

With The Fire on High is the story of a teen mom fighting for her dream of becoming a chef while struggling to balance being a mom, going to school, helping support her grandmother, being a friend, and falling in love with a cute boy.  (Goodreads)

In August 2019, it was announced that Picturestart (which is a relatively new company launched by the ex-film boss of Lionsgate) acquired the rights and will develop and produce a film based on this book. The author, Elizabeth Acevedo, will be writing the screenplay to adapt it. More information: here 

I really hope they don’t make this all about the hardships Emoni has to face, I know that part has to be included, but I love the fact that it’s a book about all the ways in which she continues to thrive and grow even when facing difficult decisions

Clap When you land

Clap When You Land is the story of two sisters, one living in the Dominican Republic and the other in New York, that didn’t know the other existed until their father died in a plane crash. Now they have to figure out if they can be sisters and what that will look like. (Goodreads)

In December 2020, it was announced that Made Up Stories acquired the rights to develop Clap When You Land as a television series. Emmy-winning Bruna Papandrea will executive produce and Elizabeth Acevedo will also executive produce and write the pilot. More information: here 

I’m curious about how they are going to integrate the poetry of this book into the story or if they are going to make a regular film. I’m usually not a fan of voice overs but I can’t definitely see them working for this adaptation.

Ghost Squad

Ghost Squad is a Middle-grade novel about two girls who accidentally awaken malicious spirits and have to team up with a grandma and a cat to save their town and the spirits of the dead who are disappearing. (Goodreads)

In February 2020, it was announced that Ghost Squad will be adapted as a live-action hybrid film, which will be directed by Brenda Chapman. Scholastic Entertainment, Josephson Entertainment (Enchanted, Life As We Know It), and Twas Entertainment are developing and producing the project. More information: here 

This is going to be so comforting to watch on screen, it’s such a sweet story and I can’t wait to see who is going to play Babette

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe is a middle-grade story about a boy who can open portals to other universes and who is dealing with the death of his mother, and a smart girl who is trying to discover his secrets. (Goodreads)

It was announced in September 2021 that Sal and Gabi Break the Universe will be adapted as a series for Disney Branded TV. Eva Longoria and Ben Spector will develop and produce the series. More information: here

Sal and Gabi are two of my favorite book characters of all time, so I’m both nervous and excited to see who is going to play them. I have really high hopes for this adaptation and I hope it doesn’t disappoint.

Are you planning on watching any of these adaptations? Which one are you most excited about?

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Horror Books by Latinx Authors: recommendations and a tbr

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 12 Comments

Hi everyone! I have a very exciting post today as part of my celebration of Latinx Heritage Month. I have been trying to get into horror lately and obviously I have tried to pick up horror books by Latinx authors, which is why I wanted to recommend some of them to you. Since it’s almost spooky season, I thought it woulf be a great time for this post. I am also mentioning some books that are on my tbr since I’m so new to this genre.

Since getting interested in horror written by Latinx authors, I have learned that there has been a huge boom of horror books in Latin American countries in the last few years, especially horror books written by women. That’s why most of my recommendactions are translated books and most of the books on my tbr too. Also, simply because I want to read more books set in and written by people living in Latin American countries.

First, here are my recommendations:

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans —though no one calls them that anymore. Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the “Transition.” Now, eating human meat—“special meat”—is legal. Then one day Marcos is given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he’s aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost—and what might still be saved.

This book is actually very disturbing because it makes cannibalism seem like something that could actually happen, the way the author executes the whole concept makes it seem so plausible. Bazterrica does a great job of thinking about all the things we do with animals (eat them, hunt them, use them for skins and to test drugs) and she incorporates all that to the story but changes the animals for humans. She also really goes into a lot of detail about the process of producing human meat from raising to slaughtering to processing to distribution. She explains how everything is done and it’s very unsettling because you can’t help but be repulsed and interested at teh same time.

Another thing that the author does very well is communicating the feeling of desperation, desolation, and loneliness that this society lives in even if they try to pretend they don’t. She creates the perfect atmosphere for the story, which reflects the decline of all the moral values in this society. Beyond the concept, setting, and atmosphere, the plot revolves around events of a smaller scale but it’s as disturbing as everything else

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. A boy named David sits beside her. She’s not his mother. He’s not her child. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family.

This is a short book that’s very atmospheric, the reading experience is disorienting and trippy since the story is told by a confused, feverish woman, and the author does a great job of transmiting the frustration and fear that the main character feels caused by this very intense and strange little kid who pushes her to talk and won’t answer her questions. Reading this book is a very inmersive experience because all of these elements.

Beyond that, Samanta Schweblin does a good job of commenting on the use of pesticides in Argentina and its effect on entire towns and the people who live in them, but adding a paranormal element that it’s never quite explained but that adds to the weirdness and creepiness of the story.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-García

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find. Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer but she is not afraid.

There are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness. And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

This is a creepy, atmospheric, and disturbing book that has beautiful and captivating writing. The story is so effective in being scary because even when it’s not clear if there are ghosts, magic, or other supernatural things going on, the real villains of the story are manipulative, abusive, disgusting men that you could find anywhere in the world and anytime in history. This book is creepy from very early on, Moreno-García made my skin crawl with the simplest scenes, sometimes nothing too scary was happening but with one perfectly crafted phrase, I was spooked. Also, this includes important commentary on sexism, colonialism, and eugenics that gives depth to the story.

Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez

Short story collection that brings contemporary Argentina to vibrant life as a place where shocking inequality, violence, and corruption are the law of the land, while military dictatorship and legions of desaparecidos loom large in the collective memory.

This book does a good job of commenting on subjects like poverty, addiction, feminicide, police brutality, and so much more, through a gothic lens and with a touch of paranormal elements (a lot of them related to Argentinian folklore). Most of the stories are disturbing and quietly eerie, some with grotesque moments, some transmitting very well the sense of dread and fear of the characters, and most of them revolving spooky and mysterious circumstances. The author leaves the resolution of a lot of the stories up to the reader’s imagination, so it feels like they end quite abruptly, which is a bit jarring but ends up working really well to maintain the sense of uneasiness that the stories create.

Category Five by Ann Dávila Cardinal

After the hurricane, some see destruction and some smell blood. The tiny island of Vieques, located just off the northeastern coast of the main island of Puerto Rico, is trying to recover after hurricane Maria, but the already battered island is now half empty. To make matters worse, developers have come in to buy up the land at a fraction of its worth, taking advantage of the island when it is down. Lupe, Javier, and Marisol are back to investigate a series of murders that follow in the wake of a hurricane and in the shadow of a new supernatural threat.

This is the only YA book on this list, and it’s a quick and entertaining read set in Puerto Rico about teenagers who get involved with a supernatural mystery. This is a ghost story and the really interesting thing about it is that the ghost element is deeply related to the history of Pueblo Rico, and particularly, the history of Pueblo Rico as a colonized land. There are a couple spooky ghost scenes, which was a fun element of the story. Also, the author does a great job of integrating what has happened in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria- especially the abandonment of Puerto Rico by the U.S. government – to the book

TBR

I definitely want to explore the horror genre more and specifically, horror written by Latinx authros, so here are some books that have caught my eye and that I’m hoping to read soon:

Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor: The story of a small town were the Witch turns up dead. And the discovery of her corpse propels the whole village into an investigation of how and why this murder occurred. Rumors and suspicions spread. As the novel unfolds new details, new acts of depravity or brutality are revealed.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado: A collection of short stories that that map the realities of women’s lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.

Weep, Woman, Weep by Maria DeBlassie: The story of La Llorona, who roams the waterways looking for the next generation of girls to baptize, filling them with more tears than any woman should have to hold. And there’s not much they can do about the Weeping Woman. Mercy knows this, probably better than anyone. She lost her best friend to La Llorona and almost found a watery grave herself. But she survived. Only she didn’t come back quite right and she knows La Llorona won’t be satisfied until she drags the one soul that got away back to the bottom of the river.”

The Children by Carolina Sanín: The story of a woman who discovers a mysterious young boy on the pavement outside her apartment building: Fidel, who is six years old, a child with seemingly no origins or meaning. With few clues to guide her as she tries to discover his real identity, Laura finds herself swept into a bureaucratic maelstrom of fantastical proportions.

Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin: The story of little mechanical stuffed animals called Kentukis, which have gone viral across the globe. They have cameras for eyes, wheels for feet, and are connected to an anonymous global server. Owners of kentukis have the eyes of a stranger in their home; or you can be the kentuki and voyeuristically spend time in someone else’s life, controlling the creature with a few keystrokes. These creatures can reveal the beauty of connection between farflung souls – but they also expose the ugly humanity of our increasingly linked world.

Have you read any horror books by Latinx authros? Do you have any recommendations?

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50+ book recommendations for the Latinx Book Bingo | Latinx Heritage Month 2021

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 11 Comments
Latinx Book Bingo banner photo

Hi everyone! Today, I’m bringing a super exciting post that it’s a bit late this year. In this post, I’m recommending books for the 2021 Latinx Book Bingo.

The three previous years I have written really long posts with 90 book recommendations, 100 book recommendations , and 170 book recommendations, but a lot of the books were books that I haven’t read yet, so this year I decided to do something a little bit different. I’m recommending 50+ books by Latinx authors that I have read, enjoyed and that I think you should read. I provide recs for each square in the bingo board, I share a short synopsis of the book and I added information like the genre of the books and the kind of rep they have, so you know if it works for more than one prompt in the bingo board. If you need more options or recommendations, you can always check out the lists from previous years.

If you would like to support me or compensate the work I put into running the Latinx Book Bingo each year and making recommendation lists that take a lot of work (it’s not necessary or expected, but if you want to), you could buy me a Ko-fi. 

Set in Latam

  • Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez:  A YA Contemporary about a girl who is fighting for her dream of being a soccer player despite having to deal with a lot of sexism even from her own family. It has Argentinian rep  and it’s set in Argentina
  • Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo: A YA Contemporary about two sisters that didn’t know theo ther existed until their father dies in a plane crash. Afrolatinx protagonists & author and it’s mostly set in Domican Republic.
  • Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: an adult horror book about a young woman who has to go to a creepy house in the middle of nowhere that it’s inhabited by creepy people who are keeping dark secrets to save her cousin. It has Mexican rep and it’s set in Mexico
  • Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno- Garcia: Adult Fantasy about a young woman who saves the Mayan god of death but ends up tying her fate to his by mistake and has to help him to save herself. It has Mexican rep and it’s set in Mexico.

Name in the Title

Non-fiction

Backlist title

  • Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Sosa: a YA Fantasy about a group of teens trying to pull off a quest that may cost them their lives. it has ace rep, bisexual rep, fat rep and anxiety rep.
  • Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera: A YA Contemporary about a queer Puerto Rican woman who spends a summer in Portland as an intern to a hippy white woman. It has Puerto Rican rep and lesbian rep.
  • Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa:  Adult Romance about a physical trainer and a Hollywood star falling in love. It has Puerto Rican rep, and Afro-latinx main character and author.
  • Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova: YA Urban Fantasy about a teenage bruja who wants to get rid of her magic and ends up banishing her family to a magical land and has to rescue them. It has Ecuadorian rep, and an f/f romance

Afro-Latinx

  • By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery: a YA contemporary story abouy a young man who is trying to save the bee farm his beloved uncle left him after his death while trying to start a new life at college. It has Brazilian rep, and an Afro-latinx mc & author.
  • The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: a YA Contemporary about a girl who joind her school’s slam poetry club behind her mother’s back because in a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent. It has Dominican rep and it’s a backlist title.
  • Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older: a Middle Grade Fantasy about a group of kids living in an alternative reality where there are Dinasours in New York during the Civil War. This has afrolatinx rep and it’s a backlist title.
  • Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson YA Paranormal about a girl who resurrects her best friend and 2 other girls from her school using witchcraft  to prove that they were murdered, but they only have 7 days to do it. it has Mexican rep, fat rep, Afro-Latinx mc & author and it’s a backlist title.

Intersectional MC

  • Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore: a YA story about a girl who enters a beauty pageant and asks her ex- best friend for help. To pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, they have to imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough. It as fat rep, pansexual rep and trans rep.
  • When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez: a YA Contemporary story abut two girls, who are classmates and who are dealing with depression in very different ways. It has depression rep and it’s a backlist title.
  • Analee, in Real Life by Janelle Milanes YA Contemporary about a girl dealing with the death of her mother and the popular boy who asks her to be his fake girlfriend and coax her out of her comfort zone. It has Cuban rep, social anxiety rep and it’s a backlist title.
  • More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera: a story about a teen who is struggling with family tragedy and with things about himself that he wants to forget, and a memory-alteration procedure that might be the solution. It has gay rep,, Puerto Rican rep, and it’s a backlist title.

Translated book

  • Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: an adult horror book about an alternative reality where cannibalism is socially accepted and it explores the industry of human meat. It has Argentinian rep and it’s set in Argentina.
  • Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel: a classic about a woman who isn’t allowed to marry because she has to look after her mother until she dies, but she falls in love and her lover marries her sister to stay close to her. It has Mexican rep, it’s set in Mexico and it’s a backlist title.
  • The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende: a classic magical realism book about three generations of the Trueba family, a story that addresses the personal lives of this family and big political events in Chilean history.  It has Chilean rep, it’s set in Chile and it’s a backlist title.
  • City of Clowns by Daniel Alarcon: a graphic novel about a young Peruvian journalist fwho has to confront the idea of his father’s other family after his death while chronicling the life of street clowns in Lima. It has Peruvian rep, it’s set in Peru and it’s a backlist title.

Rec’d by a Latinx Reader (my recommendations!)

  • Land of Cranes
  • Lobizona by Romina Garber: A YA Fantasy about a girl who is an undocumented immigrant and she has a distinctive eye color, which ends up connecting her to a secret magical world of lobizones (werewolves) and witches. It has Argentinian Rep.
  • You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria: an adult romance about a soap opera star and a Telenovela star, who have to work together in a tv show for the biggest streaming service in the country and end up falling in love. It has Puerto Rican Rep.
  • Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar a middle grade contemporary about a little girl whose dad gets deported and, later on, her and her pregnant mom are also taken into a deportation facility. it has Mexican rep.
  • Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova: A YA fantasy about a girl who has a magical ability that makes her feared and that has to infiltrate the palace in her kingdom to help a group of rebels that wants to save her people from persecution.

Queer Rep

  • Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: A YA fantasy about a trans boy and a ghost who are trying to solve a murder mystery and end up falling in love. It has latinx and trans rep and a m/m relationship.
  • When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore: A Magical Realism story about two best friends, a trans boy who loves the moon and a Latina who grows roses from her hands, and how they face their struggles while falling in love. It has latinx and trans rep and it’s a backlist title.
  • They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera: A YA Sci-fi story set in a world where people know when they are going to die and two teens decide to spend their last day together. It has gay rep, OCD & anxiety rep, Puerto Rican and Cuban American Rep. It has an intersectional mc and it’s a backlist title.
  • Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro: a YA Fantasy about a girl who has to listen and ,magically absorbe the stories of the people of her town that may produce bad feels because if she doesn’t the stories manifest themselves as monsters. It has a f/f relationship.

Song Title

For this prompt, you can chose a book with a title that has the word “song” in it, or a title that it’s the same as the name of a song or it’s the same as song lyrics.

  • Never Look Back by Lilliam Rivera: A YA retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, it deals withe mental illness, toxic realtionships and trauma. It has Puerto Rican Rep.
  • Dance All Night by Alexis Daria: romance novella about a broadway start and a dancer who works for a tv dance competion falling in love.
  • We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia: A YA Fantasy about a young woman forced to help a rebelious group to save herself, who learns to stand up for what she believes in. It has a f/f romance.
  • Pride by Ibi Zoboi: A YA retelling of Pride and Prejudice that focuses on gentrification. It has Haitian-Dominican Rep and it’s a backlist title.

Author’s debut

  • Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz: a YA Fantasy about a group of teens who are representing Puerto Rico in the Blazewrath games, which is an international sports tournament where teams of dragons and humans compete. It has Puerto Rican rep.  
  • Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega: A Middle Grade Fantasy about two girls who accidentally awaken malicious spirits and have to team up with a grandma and a cat to save their town. It has Dominican rep.
  • The Dream Weaver by Reina Luz Alegre: a Middle Grade Contemporary about a girl who has to go live with her grandfather and ends up joining a bowling team and trying to save here grandpa’s bowling alley. It has Cuban Rep.
  • American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera: Adult Romance about the owner of a food truck and a nerdy librarian who fall in love. It has a Afro-Latinx main character and author, it has gay rep and it’s a backlist title.

Any book by a Latinx author

  • His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras: this is an adult romance about a single dad and his daughter’s dance teacher. It has Puerto Rican & Mexican Rep and it’s a backlist title.
  • Nocturna by Maya Motayne: A YA Fantasy about a thief and a prince who have to work together to save their kingdom after freeing an ancient evil power. This is Dominican inspired.
  • Category Five by Ann Davila Madrigal:  A YA Horror about about teenagers who get involved with a supernatural mystery involving ghosts. It has Puerto Rican Rep and it’s set in Puerto Rico.
  • With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo: A YA Contemporary about a teen mom fighting for her dream of becoming a chef while falling in love with a cute guy. It has Puerto Rican rep.

Indie Published

  • The Infamous Miss Rodriguez by Lydia San Andres: Adult Historical Romance about a rebellious Afrolatinx heroine and an Argentinian hero. It’s set in the Caribbean, it has a Afrolatinx protagonist and it’s a backlist title.
  • Peluda by Melissa Lozada-Olivia: a poetry collection about the link between femininity, body hair, the immigrant experience and Latina identity. The author is Guatemalan-Colombian.

2021 Release

This is the only category where I’m recommending books that I haven’t read, because the 2021 releases that I have read are either sequels or I didn’t love them enough to recommend them. So what I’m going to do is mention the 2021 releases that are not part of a series and that I can’t wait to read.

I hope this post is useful to everyone participating in the Latinx Book Bingo or to anyone who wants to read more books by Latinx authors!
Are you participating in the Latinx Book Bingo? Have you picked the books for your tbr?
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Latinx Book Bingo Announcement | Latinx Heritage Month 2021

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 3 Comments

Hi everyone! I’m really excited to share with you all that … the Latinx Book Bingo is officially coming back in 2021! This is the forth round of the readathon and Paola and I are so happy to be hosting it again this year.

THE BINGO 

The Latinx book bingo will take place from September 15 to October 15, which is when we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month. The goal of the readathon is to highlight books written by Latinx authors.

The aim of the bingo is to read as many Latinx books as you can, guided by the prompts on the bingo board.  You can also try to get a bingo (read all prompts on a single line or row — you can read horizontally, vertically, and diagonally), but it’s not necessary, we just hope you read some Latinx reads during this month.

We always want to promote intersectional stories, so while there’s one square that says intersectional MC – which prompts you to read a book where the main character is Latinx AND is part of the LGBTQIA community or has a mental illness or is neurodivergent or disabled- we hope you try to read as many intersectional stories as you can throughout the readathon.  

OTHER INFO

If you want up to date information or recommendations, follow  @LatinxBookBingo  on Twitter or @LatinxBookBingo on Instagram. You can use the #LatinxBookBingo hashtag for all your related tweets and posts and we will retweeting and sharing on our platforms.

I will be posting a tbr and a recommendation list in the next couple of weeks in case you need help setting up your tbr. Also, my twitter and Instagram dms are always open if you need recs!

I hope you can join us! If you have any questions, please let them in the comments! 

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Latinx Book Bingo Wrap Up

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 5 Comments

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to talk about the books I read for the Latinx Book Bingo, a readathon that I host every year during Latinx Heritage Month, which goes from September 15th to October 15th. I had so much fun this year, both hosting and participating. I want to take this oportunity to thank everyone who join me and my co-host, Paola @ By My Shelf.

In this wrap up, I’ll be talking about the 16 books I managed to read for this readathon, one for each square of the bingo board.

Without further ado, here are the books I read and some of my thoughts:

YA

Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore & Tehlor Kay Mejia (5 stars): THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC!! the friends to lovers romances are adorable, the friendships healed my soul, the siblings’ relationships are wonderfully complicated, the character development is great. It addresses messed up beauty standards, xenophobia, homophobia. (Full Review)

Lobizona by Romina Garber (5 stars): the magical world is interesting and complex, the magic system is captivating, the characters are easy to root for, the Argentinian food, expressions and folklore are a wonderful addition to the story, the soccer inspired magical sport is so cool, the way it addresses immigration is very powerful… Everything about this book is just SO GOOD!! (Full Review)

Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz (4.5 stars): This book is SO GOOD! It’s action-packed, it’s entertaining and it has such a cool concept. Tee world building is fantastic, the plot is engaging and the characters are easy to root for. (Full Review)

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (4 stars): this is a quick and entertaining read. I liked all the characters and the main story about a group of girls that go from enemies to friends. This book does a great job of being humorous while still dealing with heavier topics, especially grief and bullying. The mystery was a bit predictable but it didn’t decrease my enjoyment of the story. The ending made me cry, which doesn’t happen that often.

By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery (3,7 stars): The voice of the main character is really strong in this book, it was engaging and funny and very real from the very first page. This book addresses some serious topics like racism, gentrification, and homophobia within the Black community. Also, the importance of self-care. I don’t know exactly how to put this but I think I would have liked to see a little less of the main character’s internal monologue and a bit more of him interacting with others

Middle Grade

The Dream Weaver by Reina Luz Alegre (4 stars): A very sweet middle grade that deals with hard subjects like grief, complicated family dynamics and not feeling Latinx enough. This book tells such a hopeful story about giving yourself time to figure out your dreams, fighting for them but also allowing them to change with time. This book includes a bowling team, sleepovers, friendships, a strong sibling relationship, and a lovable grandfather.

Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez (4 stars): This is cute and fun. I love Sal and Gabi, they are some of my favorite characters ever. I also liked seeing Sal’s character development in this book. I wish we got to see a bit more of Sal and Gabi work together because it felt a little bit like they had separate storylines and things they weren’t telling the other, but overall I really enjoyed it.

The Fire Keeper by J.C. Cervantes (3,5 stars): As the first book in the series, this was fun and entertaining. I really enjoyed the Mayan mythology, the different gods and magical creatures were really cool. I liked the characters in the book as well. But as with the first book, I’m a bit worried about the disability rep.

Romance

Here to Stay by Adriana Herrera (4 stars): I really enjoyed this book. The chemistry between the main characters is out of this world, the sex scenes are so hot, the friend group is amazing, I loved Julia’s family and Rocco is an adorable hero. The issue I had with this book is that the will they/ won’t they part of this book dragged a bit. (Review)

Crashing into Her by Mia Sosa (4 stars): This book is funny, entertaining and a quick read. I really liked the main characters and I enjoyed their dynamic that went from dislike to like, and their relationship that went from a one night stand to a friendship full of sexual tension to finally a romance. The banter and chemistry between them were amazing, the sex scenes were steamy, and the romance was heartwarming.

The Infamous Miss Rodriguez by Lydia San Andres (4 stars): This is short and sweet. This book has an Afrolatinx heroine and an Argentinian hero, both of them are great. There’s a marriage of convenience and that trope is well executed and the way the relationship transforms throughout the book. I would have liked to see a bit more of the main characters together, but overall this was really good.

Adult

Like Water for Chocholate by Laura Esquivel (4,5 stars): I loved the experience of reading this book, I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen next. I loved the unique structure of this book, the way the magical aspects are integrated into the story especially when it comes to the food, how atmospheric this was, and the complicated relationships between the characters.

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (4 stars): This book is very disturbing because it makes cannibalism seem like something that could actually happen, the way the author executes the whole concept makes it seem so plausible. Beyond the interesting concept, the plot revolves around events of a smaller scale but it’s as disturbing as everything else.

Journey Through the Socialist Countries by Gabriel García Marquez (4 stars): This is a very interesting account from an outsider’s point of view of what was happening in the socialist countries at the end of the 1950s. I really enjoy García Márquez’s nonfiction writing and I learned a lot reading this book.

In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (4 stars): This is really good. It has a unique structure and the writing is beautiful. Machado does an amazing job of looking into the history of abuse in sapphic relationships and also addressing her own experience. My only issue is that the unique structure of the book, as much as it is interesting, made me feel a bit distant from Machado’s personal account of the situations she lived through and I’m not entirely sure if it was intentional or not.

Lima :: Limón by Natalie Scenters-Zapico | Copper Canyon Press

Lima :: Limón by Natalie Scenters-Zapico (2 stars): this poetry collection simply wasn’t for me

Those are all the books I read for the Latinx Book Bingo. Hosting this readathon for the third time was an amazing experience and I can’t wait for next year to do it again!

What books by Latinx authors have you enjoyed lately? Have you read any of the books I mentioned?
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My Favorite 2020 Releases by Latinx Authors

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 18 Comments

Hi everyone! Latinx Heritage Month is almost over, which means my posts in celebration of it are also coming to an end. I talk about and highlight books by Latinx authors all year round, but during this month I have talked only about them, and I’m very proud of the content that I have put out. If you want to see the other posts that I have written for Latinx Heritage Month 2020, you can check them out HERE.

Today’s post is about my favorite 2020 releases by Latinx authors. I had 20 books to choose from, so I decided to do this a top 5, and they are ranked, so this list starts with my absolute favorite. It was hard to choose, but I’m happy with my selection!

1. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-García

I loved everything about this book, the writing captured me from the very beginning, I was so invested in the story, and I connected to the main character. The atmosphere and setting were perfectly creepy, the plot was so intriguing, and it kept me guessing, and the villains are so easy to hate, I had a strong negative reaction towards them. I also enjoyed the way Silvia Moreno-García included important discussions about sexism, colonialism, and eugenics. And the ending was so satisfying. (REVIEW)

2. Miss Meteor by Anna-Marie McLemore and Tehlor Kay Mejia

This book took me by surprise, and I don’t even know why since I loved previous books by both of these authors. This book is so heartwarming, I was invested in the friends to lovers romances, which were adorable, and I loved the siblings’ relationship in this book, the Quintanilla sisters own my heart. To me, this was a very magical story about two characters learning to be true to themselves, and I fell completely in love with it. (REVIEW)

3. Lobizona by Romina Garber

I have been waiting for this story for a long time. Fantasy is my favorite genre, I love reading fantasy books, and I’m so happy to finally have a book that contains so many of the fantasy elements that I love but it’s full of Latinx characters and it’s completely unapologetically about the inclusion of Argentinian culture and the Spanish language. This book delivers Argentinian werewolves and witches, a magical school, a magical sport based on soccer, a traditional Argentinian drink with magical properties and so much more. This story just made my heart so happy. (REVIEW)

4. Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz

Continuing with the trend of books that made me happy, this year we got a book by a Latinx author that includes dragons (!!), and I couldn’t be more excited. This book was fun and entertaining. There’s a sport that involves dragons, which was so cool, I was invested in team Puerto Rico, and I suffered during all their matches. The world-building was incredible, all the lore around the dragons was fascinating, the history of the Blazewrath Games was so expansive, and I’m in awe of the amazing job that Amparo Ortiz did with all that. (REVIEW)

5. You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

As someone who grew up watching telenovelas, this book felt like home and it made me nostalgic. I loved that this included behind the scenes from the show that they were recording, I found all of that so interesting. But my favorite part was obviously the romance in this book, it’s so rare for me to like both of the main characters in a book equally, but Jasmine and Ashton are both amazing and it was so easy to root for them as a couple, they had so much chemistry and a very strong emotional connection.(REVIEW)

Have you read these books and did you enjoy them? What are some of your favorite 2020 releases?
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7 Books Set in Latin America

~ Sofia @ BookishWanderess ~ 11 Comments

Hi everyone! Today, I have another post to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month!! As I have mentioned before, I’m one of the hosts of the Latinx Book Bingo and this year, one of the prompts of the bingo is to read a book set in Latin America, which inspired me to make a whole post talking about some of my favorite books by Latinx authors that are set in a Latin American country.

If you want to see the other posts that I have written for Latinx Heritage Month 2020, you can check them out HERE.

Without further ado, here are the books:

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼This book follows a young woman and the Mayan god of death as they embark on a quest, where they face all kinds of mythological creatures and deities, in order to save their lives.

🌼It’s set in 1920’s Mexico and the mix of the mythological elements and the ‘modernity’ of the Jazz Age worked well and gave this story an even more unique touch.

🌼The Mayan mythology was captivating and lush, and since it’s a mythology that it’s not often used in fantasy books, this book was full of gods and mythical creatures that felt very new and unique. Plus, the writing style makes it feel like reading a myth or fairytale.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno- Garcia

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼This book follows Noemí as she goes to a remote town after her cousin writes asking for help because her husband and his family are trying to poison her and, once there, she has to stay in an old, creepy house while she figures out what’s going on.

🌼It’s set in Mexico in the 1950’s and it explores sexism, colonialism, and eugenics since the main character encounters people who believe that they are superior because of their gender, nationality, ethnicity and that they shouldn’t mix with people of “inferior” genetics.

🌼The creepy atmosphere and the suspense make this book unputdownable. It also helps that, the real villains of the story are manipulative, abusive, disgusting men that you could find anywhere in the world and anytime in history and that’s what makes them so easy to hate.

Category Five by Ann Dávila Cardinal

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼Category Five is a quick and entertaining read set in Puerto Rico about teenagers who get involved with a supernatural mystery.

🌼The mystery, which revolves around ghosts, is very intriguing and what makes it more interesting is the fact that it involves the history of Puerto Rico and, because of that there are a lot of discussion about colonization in this book.

🌼The author does a great job of integrating what has happened in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria- especially the abandonment of Puerto Rico by the U.S. government – to the book.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼This book follows two sisters who didn’t know the other existed until their father dies in a plane crash. Suddenly they have to decide what this new sister means to them and what will it take to keep their dreams alive.

🌼 Part of this book is set in the Dominican Republic where one of the main characters lives and the other part takes place in New York. But for the most part, it is set in the Dominican Republic and it addresses poverty and gender on the Island.

🌼 This is a very emotional book full of complex characters, beautiful writing, and Dominican culture.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika & Maritza Moulite

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼This book follows Alaine, who – after a school presentation goes very wrong- finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti, working in her aunt’s nonprofit, dealing with complicated family dynamics and writing the report of a lifetime.

🌼 Most of this book is set in Haiti and we get to see the country through the eyes of Alaine, the daughter of Haitian immigrants. The book shows not only the capital, Port-au-Prince, but also some towns and areas close by.

🌼This book is told in diary entries, tweets and emails, which makes it a very quick and unique read. It includes a lot of different storylines revolving around complicated family relationships and dynamics, and there’s a heartbreaking storyline about illness.

Like Water for Chocholate by Laura Esquivel

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼This book follows Tita, who isn’t allowed to marry because she has to look after her mother until she dies. But Tita and Pedro fall in love, so he marries her sister to stay close to her, and Tita and Pedro are forced to circle each other in unconsummated passion. 

🌼 Set in Mexico mostly during different time periods but mainly in the time of the Mexican Revolution.

🌼This book has a unique structure, it integrates magical aspects – especially around food – in a very organic and captivating way, it’s incredibly atmospheric and it includes very complicated and gripping relationships between the characters.

News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez

Goodreads | Amazon

🌼This book chronicles the 1990 kidnappings of ten Colombian men and women–all journalists but one–by the Medellín drug boss Pablo Escobar. The carefully orchestrated abductions were Escobar’s attempt to extort from the government its assurance that he, and other narcotics traffickers, would not be extradited to the United States if they were to surrender

🌼 This is a fascinating and gripping account of real events and it’s incredibly well written. Garcia Marquez had access to the testimonies and accounts of a lot of important people in Colombia to write this book and it’s interesting to get to an inside look at what happened during this very well-known moment in Colombia’s history.

Have you read books in Latin America? What’s your favorite book set in LATAM?
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