Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2019 Read Harder Challenge
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Task #7: An #ownvoices book set in Mexico or Central America
I read when I wear my alligator boots for class. it was written by an anthropologist during her time in Mexico https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Hafsa wrote: "Karen wrote: "Does this category need to be novels or can it be nonfiction? I’d like to read America Ferrera book [book:American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures|39939..."I hope so! I'm going to use Tell Me How It Ends because I just read it. I will probably pair it with another book, but I thought this book was perfect and want to include it.
Lavanya wrote: "Does 2666 by Roberto Bolano count in this category? https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..."Not so much. Bolano was Chilean, which is in South America. The challenge is for Mexico &/or Central America.
Bolano did live in Mexico for a while, but he mostly lived in Spain. As a Caucasian (or otherwise light-skinned) man, he would have been in a position of greater privilege. This is also evidenced by the sheer quantity of books he wrote that were published. The point of #ownvoices is to lift up authors who otherwise aren't heard. Bolano had a soap box & megaphone for much of his life.
Thank you Mya.. I am planning to read "The president" by Miguel Angel Asturias here.
Kerenza wrote: "I read when I wear my alligator boots for class. it was written by an anthropologist during her time in Mexico https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..."
Since the author is Canadian, I don't think it would count...
This prompt is more than a little frustrating. A large number of the authors suggested are not from the country they are writing about. Those that are of that country's descent are often born or at least lived a large part of their lives in the U.S. Also it was my understanding that #ownvoices is fiction and many of these suggestions are nonfiction. I was happy to see the Book Riot post, except the post starts out saying that there is more to the prompt than just Mexico and then lists mostly books set in Mexico. It's very difficult to find authors from Panama or Belize with books in English and still in print for a reasonable price. I guess if people are using nonfiction for this prompt, I could use The Country Under My Skin: A Memoir of Love and War by Gioconda Belli, about a rebel leader's life in Nicaragua. I was already planning to read that this year for ATW.
Does this author fit the task? Her bio says she is Candadian by inclination. She went to college in British Columbia.Virginia wrote: "Ann wrote: "This one - Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - looks intriguing. "A literary fantasy about love, music and sorcery, set against the background of ..."
Virginia wrote: "Ann wrote: "This one - Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - looks intriguing. "A literary fantasy about love, music and sorcery, set against the background of ..."
Jessica wrote: "Does this author fit the task? Her bio says she is Candadian by inclination. She went to college in British Columbia.Virginia wrote: "Ann wrote: "This one - Signal to Noise by [au..."
Yes, she's from Mexico, she's writing about Mexicans.
I suggested a book by an another born in Mexico, but because she went to school in the U.S. everyone said no. That's why I asked.
Jessica wrote: "I suggested a book by an another born in Mexico, but because she went to school in the U.S. everyone said no. That's why I asked."It would depend on what they're writing about. Are they telling their own story, and is it set in Mexico? If they're writing about Mexicans in New York, it's #ownvoices, but it's not set in Mexico or Central America.
No it was set in Mexico. I am just doing my own thing now. just want to read.
Jessica wrote: "No it was set in Mexico. I am just doing my own thing now. just want to read."Good on ya. I looked up the discussion in question, Prayers for the Stolen looks great. I think it may be over-policing to deny it as own voices, go with your heart.
Would The Hummingbird's Daughter work?
Stine wrote: "Mercedes wrote: "Stine wrote: "Could One Hundred Years of Solitude fit in this category?"If you're interested in Nobel laureates, Octavio Paz from Mexico and Miguel Ángel Asturias from..."
I read Luisa in Realityland, written by a Salvadoran who grew up in Nicaragua, and it reminded me a lot of 100 Years of Solitude, actually! It's a series of essays/vignettes and poems, wrapped up in a deliciously semi-fantastical narrative, set against the backdrop of the Salvadoran civil war. I loved it.
I read Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate for this, because I can't resist a book stuffed with recipes. Those cream fritters, especially, look like something I really want to try.
I read The She-Devil in the Mirror by Horacio Castellanos Moya. Translated by Katherine Silver. I used it for an #own voices book set in Mexico or Central America. Set in San Salvador. It fits the prompt fewer than 100 reviews on GoodReads. Has 51 reviews. It is translated by a woman.
Hafsa wrote: "I want to read Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue... I know that that author is Mexican, however, I'm not sure if the book is set in Mexico, if anyone has read it, let me know!"To my knowledge, this one is set in Rome!
Dana wrote: "Would Next Year in Havana count? I'm not sure if Cuba is considered part of Central America or not."I'm going to say no, mostly because while the author's family is from Cuba (I think it was her grandparents), she has never been herself. So that makes me feel like that's more of an American voice than a Cuban voice.
Our Word is Our Weapon: Selected Writing So Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos by Subcomandante Marcos --- just found this --- I believe it fits this category.
Karen wrote: "Our Word is Our Weapon: Selected Writing So Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos by Subcomandante Marcos --- just found this --- I believe it fits this category."I think it's pretty much the definition of this category.
I ended up reading Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell, recommended by someone else on this thread, it seems to fit (about a young Belizean girl with a chance at an education even as she sees other young girls of her same class/socioeconomic standing cast out, by an author from Belize who grew up during the same time period this was set in). I recommend it.
I read Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros. She's Mexican American, but grew up in both the US and Mexico and the setting of the book is in both counties.
I wish this challenge extended into South America. I've had Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre on my eReader for ages, but that's based around Chile. Suggestions? I don't want to rely on the Book Riot rec list if I can help it.
Alexis wrote: "I wish this challenge extended into South America. I've had Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre on my eReader for ages, but that's based around C..."I am over half way through The Devil's Highway: A True Story and it's amazing, but I'm trying to decide if it qualifies. Much of it is about Mexico, but the main incident that inspired it took place in the Arizona desert, so that's where most of the action is.
I know you said you're trying to avoid the BR list, but Signs Preceding the End of the World really is fantastic; especially if you like books that take no notice of what genre they're supposed to be.
Whitney wrote: "Alexis wrote: "I wish this challenge extended into South America. I've had Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre on my eReader for ages, but that's..."I'll have to look into that one. Thanks!
I did a little bit of research today and found these books (if anyone is having trouble)....Pedro Páramo
Aura
Cartucho and My Mother's Hands
The Death of Artemio Cruz
Also for those looking for Mexican women writers, here's an entire article about some: https://theculturetrip.com/north-amer...
Does anyone know if The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia counts for this challenge?
It doesn't say anywhere that the author has to be from Mexico/Central America. I don't know if Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club features a gay male character (like Aristotle and Dante), but if it does it should count, since Benjamin Alire Sáenz is a gay man.
Siobhan wrote: "It doesn't say anywhere that the author has to be from Mexico/Central America. I don't know if Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club features a gay male character (like Ar..."it's implied in the tag #ownvoices that the author be from Mexico or Central America. this is a quote from Blue Crow Publishing that explains it clearly: " “Own voices” means that if you are writing a main character who is part of marginalized group, you are part of that marginalized group. If you are writing a trans* main character, you are a trans* person. If you are writing about an American Indian main character, you are American Indian. If you are writing about a disabled main character, you are disabled. And so on." Saenz is own voices if he's writing a gay character, but he's not from Mexico/Central America, so he wouldn't be own voices in this case.
Siobhan wrote: "It doesn't say anywhere that the author has to be from Mexico/Central America. I don't know if Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club features a gay male character (like Ar..."If he's a gay hispanic man writing about gay hispanic characters, and it takes place in Mexico. I'd say that's about as #ownvoices as it gets. This is not some outsider appropriating someone else's culture, which is the entire point of ownvoices.
April wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "It doesn't say anywhere that the author has to be from Mexico/Central America. I don't know if Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club features a gay male ch..."This feels like some sort of math problem. Try to think of this prompt (and the Oceania one) as having two essential parts
1) is set in Mexico/Central America
2) is #ownvoices
Therefore, if a gay woman writes a book about a gay woman going on vacation in Mexico (not a book I know of, but an easy example) it would theoretically count. I think in this case (and in the Oceania case), we should try to read books from non-white voices, and voices from the place in question, but the #ownvoices doesn't Necessarily refer to "born in Mexico/Central America"
ed: because Saenz is of Mexican heritage, it seems especially useless to split hairs unless Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club isn't #ownvoices at all
April wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "It doesn't say anywhere that the author has to be from Mexico/Central America. I don't know if Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club features a gay male ch..."i'm just stating my understanding of the prompt. in the recommendations on the book riot list, they're listing authors from Mexico/Central America, rather than just having Mexican/Central American heritage, so that leads me to believe that's the intent of the prompt, but YMMV. if Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club fits your understanding of the prompt, then go for it.
I'm about to conquer The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait for this prompt because, somehow, I've never read it.
Like Water for Chocolate. Liked the book, liked the movie, thought Pedro was a horrible person.
Doe this have to be fiction?I have just read Tell Me How It Ends and would love to include it here - it is own voices in so many ways - nationality and experientially
but it is non-fiction
Well first off, people in this thread are awfully feisty about this topic. So I'm hesitant to even write what I counted. I read I am Not Your Perfect Mexican daughter. Sanchez is the daughter of undocumented mexican immigrants, as is Julia, the MC. This entire book is not set in Mexico, but parts of it are. But this was a tough prompt to find a book for, and I think this is as about as close as I'm going to get!
Kim wrote: "Doe this have to be fiction?I have just read Tell Me How It Ends and would love to include it here - it is own voices in so many ways - nationality and experientially
but it is non-fiction"
Hi Kim! Good question! I've assumed #ownvoices refers to fiction as it concerns accurate representation of non-majority characters.
Of course, Valeria Luiselli wrote the novel Lost Children Archive based on her experience gathering the information chronicled in Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions So....
BTW, what did you think of "Tell.."
Ooh Melissa, I came here to ask if Lost Children Archive would count... I'll be reading it for my office book club and hoped it would count for Read Harder!
Sarah wrote: "Ooh Melissa, I came here to ask if Lost Children Archive would count... I'll be reading it for my office book club and hoped it would count for Read Harder!"Hi Sarah! Lost Children Archive would fit the #ownvoices prompt as it is a work of fiction written by a Mexican author writing about Mexican characters, but it takes place in the United States, not Mexico or Central America.
Has it won any awards? If so, it would satisfy prompt number three: "A book by a woman of AOC that won a literary award in 2018."
Hope you enjoy it anyway!
thanks Melissa. I couldn't work out from the summaries I've read if parts of it were set in Mexico / central America.
Thanks to whoever recommended Signal to Noise... I ended up reading that and it was great
Dana wrote: "Would Next Year in Havana count? I'm not sure if Cuba is considered part of Central America or not."I believe Cuba is considered part of the Caribbean and Latin America.
Elena poniatowska and Carlos Fuentes are great choices for authors set in Mexico. Mostly fiction, but they use real events.
I’m hoping Iguana Lady works for this! I’m enjoying the Graphic novels I have been able to read this year
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Gods of Jade and Shadow (other topics)The She-Devil in the Mirror (other topics)
Dance With Snakes (other topics)
The Murmur of Bees (other topics)
Gods of Jade and Shadow (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Sofía Segovia (other topics)Simon Bruni (other topics)
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (other topics)
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (other topics)
Simon Bruni (other topics)
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Agreeing with Rae that while Clement may be a worthwhile author, and was raised in Mexico, she appears to be white, she was born in the US, & has had the privilege of moving back & forth between the two countries. She already has a large voice. The *intent* of #ownvoices, as I understand it, is to seek out people who aren't commonly represented.