06 - A Book By a Latinx Author

[Nadine in NY]

This is the sneak peek they posted.

ETA: I found this great article discussing what LatinX means: https://puentera.medium.com/what-is-l...

I love this category, there are SO MANY good authors to choose from, and of course I always read a bunch during Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as reading during the rest of the year.

I know the term "Latinx" is controversial, though, so I cringed a bit when I saw it. I'm under the impression that "Latino" or "Hispanic" are preferred terms, but there seems to be no firm consensus. I decided to stick with Popsugar's wording.

Here are all the books I was planning to read for HHM THIS year, but didn't get to (I have to laugh at myself for being so ambitious - and I still really want to read ALLLLL of these books!):

Yo! by Julia Alvarez - I've enjoyed almost every book I've read by Alvarez, and this book is billed as a sort of sequel to the FANTASTIC How the García Girls Lost Their Accents

Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza - I love dystopians and this looks fantastic!  I even love the cover.  

Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins- I mean, okay, I will ALWAYS pick up a "fake relationship" romance - it's one of my favorite tropes!

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras - I keep eyeing this book, it looks so good, but it looks like a real commitment. 

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea - I loved Into the Beautiful North and I'm interested in reading something else by Urrea.


Listopia list is Here: A Book by a Latinx author

[Ashley Marie]

ooooh yay! Maybe I'll finally read A-M McLemore's Wild Beauty this year. Or another Adam Silvera book :D

You're right Nadine, so many fantastic choices!

[Sofia]

Nadine wrote: "This is the sneak peek they posted - I'll add the category number when we know what it is.

I love this category, there are SO MANY good authors to choose from, and of course I always read a bunch ..."

Wild Beauty is one of my favorite books. It's so good!

[Sofia]

I'll probably read The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork. But I have to see the other prompts before I decide.

[poshpenny]

Since some of us already particularly look for books that would fit here each year, I already have some handy dandy links. I'll post here for anyone who wants more lists to explore.

Los Angeles Public Library
fiction & lit https://www.lapl.org/books-emedia/lap...
non-fiction https://www.lapl.org/books-emedia/lap...
cookbooks and food https://www.lapl.org/books-emedia/lap...

New York Public Library
kids books https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/nation...
bilingual kids https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/nation...

Libro.fm lists and book rec quiz
https://blog.libro.fm/quiz-latinx-her...

Audible
https://www.audible.com/ep/audiblelat...
https://www.audible.com/ep/hispanic-h...

Social Justice Books has many lists, some country specific, if you want to poke around
https://socialjusticebooks.org/bookli...

Our group's previous heritage month discussions
2021 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2020 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2019 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
2018 https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


If you are looking for a particular region, I have been working on a map showing the country where authors were born. That does not mean they have ancestral roots there but there is a good chance for most of them.
https://tagonmap.com/maps/view/2269


Remember that Hispanic refers to Spanish speaking (including Spain) and Latinx is specifically Latin American (of any gender) so double check anyone on the lists because many include both.

[Nadine in NY]

poshpenny wrote: "Since some of us already particularly look for books that would fit here each year, I already have some handy dandy links. I'll post here for anyone who wants more lists to explore.

Los Angeles Pu..."


Thanks for pulling that all together - fantastic resource for this prompt!!!

[poshpenny]

I have a special bookmarks folder in my browser. Now you know why my lists of possibilities get increasingly ridiculous each year! So. Many. Lists.

[Ellie]

Great timing, I just found out that Valerie Valdes will have a third book in her series out next year, Fault Tolerance. Just look at all those psychic space cats:

[Coleen]

I plan to read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

[Nadine in NY]

Coleen wrote: "I plan to read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter"


I really enjoyed that book!

[Harmke]

I looooove Isabel Allende, so this is an easy one. If you've never read any book of hers, The House of the Spirits was my first and I loved it.

[Michelle (RavenLily)]

Harmke wrote: "I looooove Isabel Allende, so this is an easy one. If you've never read any book of hers, The House of the Spirits was my first and I loved it."

I'm reading her book Eva Luna for the one classic a month challenge so it'll do double duty.

[Erica]

I want to read something by Elizabeth Acevedo so probably Clap When You Land.

[Rachel]

I didn't get round to reading In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado this year, so I may fit it in here.

[Christine]

Is "Latinx" controversial? I thought it was the new wave of respect for identities, since it eschews the gender coding in Spanish!

I already want to read more by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Cemetery Boys and Her Body and Other Parties have been on my list for a while, so I feel I'm ready for this one!

[Alyssa]

I'm going with Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

[Nadine in NY]

Christine wrote: "Is "Latinx" controversial? I thought it was the new wave of respect for identities, since it eschews the gender coding in Spanish! ..."


Yes! This is a definite case of "you can't please everybody." Latinx was meant to be gender inclusive. A LOT of people in the Latino community hate it. They hate that it's impossible to pronounce in Spanish (it's also impossible to pronounce in English, so ... we all agree?). They see it as white society criticizing their Spanish language. It wasn't even created by a white person! But I see how they feel that way. So I wanted to acknowledge here that I do know it's controversial and many Latinos hate the term. But I also want to acknowledge that many gender-fluid and otherwise genderqueer people do not want "Latino" or "Latina" to describe them.

but I don't have a better word.

[John]

Alyssa wrote: "I''m going with Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia"

I have read two of books including this one. Hopefully, she will come out with a new one next year.

[Nadine in NY]

John wrote: "Alyssa wrote: "I''m going with Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia"

I have read two of books including this one. Hopefully, she will come out with a new one next year."


If you like Silvia Moreno-Garcia, she's got a sizable backlist.

[cvtherin]

Nadine wrote: ... "but I don't have a better word."

Latine is an optional word that I've seen floating around as it works within the language structure; similar to "estudiante"

[Beth]

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado is amazing, and it also counts as a sapphic book.

[Nadine in NY]

Cat wrote: "Nadine wrote: ... "but I don't have a better word."

Latine is an optional word that I've seen floating around as it works within the language structure; similar to "estudiante""


Maybe that will catch on. I like it better than Latin@!!

Do you say "lah-TEEN" or "lah-TEEN-ay"?

[cvtherin]

Nadine wrote: "Do you say "lah-TEEN" or "lah-TEEN-ay"?"

It would be pronounced like the latter: lah-teen-ay.

[Patricia]

I already read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz:D

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph]

Cat wrote: "Nadine wrote: ... "but I don't have a better word."

Latine is an optional word that I've seen floating around as it works within the language structure; similar to "estudiante""

my best friend, who is Puerto Rican, strongly prefers this term. nothing is perfect, but I try to go with this when possible.

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph]

I'm probably going to read The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border for this, although I am also reading We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation, which is about autism, but by an Latine autistic author. I'm using Ordinary Girls for a different prompt, but it would count. and of course, I can never recommend Silvia Moreno-Garcia enough.

[Rachael]

I'm going for Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. It's a middle grade book, and I like reading them, sometimes for a quick read, and sometimes because they have great stories! I also know some people do the challenge along with their kids, so hopefully a good book for those people too!

[Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer]

For anyone wanting a romance option, anything by Priscilla Oliveras would work here. She also has a new book coming out next year called West Side Love Story which is a retelling of West Side Story/Romeo and Juliet.

[Virginia]

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

This one has been on my TBR list for a little. Y’all think it will work for this prompt?

[Nicole Musselman]

The House on Mango Street
Woman Hollering Creek & The House on Mango Street
The House of the Spirits
Chronicle of a Death Foretold

[Denise]

I'm going to go with Chilling Effect

[Marie-Eve]

I havent seen any Adam Silvera books on there, but I'm either gonna read one of his I havent read yet, or I'm finally gona read Mexican Gothic. <3

[Tassara]

i'll be reading The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez. this also works for #39 an #OwnVoices SFF book as the author is biracial and queer just like one of the protagonists.

[Ron]

Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza

This one has always been on my list so I'm hoping to get to it at some point.

[poshpenny]

Virginia wrote: "https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

This one has been on my TBR list for a little. Y’all think it will work for this prompt?"

Yup

[poshpenny]

Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space - Seventeen fantasy and science fiction short stories from leading voices in the Latin American diaspora

[Saraf]

Gods of Jade and Shadow is in my tbr, so I will go with this one.

[Dana]

I will get to Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.

[Mandy]

FYI Mexican Gothic is on sale today on Amazon for 2.99 kindle.

[Melissa]

I am excited for Velvet Was the Night

[Dana]

I finished Clap When You Land and I totally recommend it!

[LeahS]

I read Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story by Marie Arana, a history of Latin America focused on mining, war and religion. Not a cheerful read, but very interesting. I learned a lot.

[Ron]

I'll be reading this one for my Latinx author:

True Love

[JessicaMHR]

So I was going to go with The House of the Spirits but, I wasn't into it at the time I had it from the library but, luckily Of Women and Salt showed up as the first book expired so I am using Of Women and Salt for this prompt. I'll get back to The House of the Spirits later.

[Rachel]

I've got The Education of Margot Sánchez on my TBR shelf, so I'll read this one!

[Alyssa]

I read

[Ron]

Alyssa wrote: "I read
"

What did you think? I read it last year and it was pretty good.

[Beth]

I read Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton and highly recommend it. This book would also work for a book about a secret and would be perfect for a book with two POV’s since it is about two generations of a family with a main character in each.

[Dea]

If you like crime thrillers, I recommend The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado.

She was an FBI agent before she began writing about a Latina FBI agent. In fact, she was the first Latina to attain the rank of captain in her department.

[Nadine in NY]

Dea wrote: "If you like crime thrillers, I recommend The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado.

She was an FBI agent before she began writing about a Latina FBI agent. In fact, she was..."


This looks really good!! Thanks for posting about it, I had not heard of it.