Most Anticipated November 2023 Releases

What better way to kick off the holiday season than with a new batch of Latine releases! Time to grab a blanket and unwind with these great new reads. Check out the four newest additions to my TBR this November!

The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez | On Sale November 7

In this, her ninth novel, Sigrid Nunez takes us to a time and place full of loneliness and fear: the early days of the 2020 lockdown. A bird, a writer, and a student find themselves sharing an apartment; initially strangers, the writer and student soon settle into their roles as roommates, sharing the responsibility of taking care of the bird, Eureka, and leaning on each other during an uncertain time. Throughout the novel, the development of relationships between the three serves as a vessel for the exploration and understanding of time, memory, and writing within such a defining moment of history.

Pedro and Marques Take Stock: A Picaresque Novel by José Falero| Translated by Julia Sanches | On Sale November 7

Set in Porto Alegre, Brazil, this modern picaresque novel follows Pedro and Marques, supermarket stock clerks who dream of something bigger and better than the lives of poverty and hardship they are acquainted with. Noting the shortage of weed-dealers and taking this knowledge as an opportunity, Pedro talks Marques into creating their own weed-dealing business. Quickly their business rises and their riches grow until their newfound empire is threatened by outsiders, ending in a final showdown.

Through a humorous and adventurous narrative, Falero shares a deep insight into the ethics of drug dealing and low-wage labor, urging us to think of the complexities of poverty and class.

Ready Player Juan: Latinx Masculinities and Stereotypes in Video Games by Carlos Gabriel Kelly González | On Sale November 14

By no means do I think of myself as a gaming fanatic, but I do consider myself a pop culture enthusiast and am always curious about how Latine culture manifests itself in these spaces.

Carlos Gabriel Kelly González tackles a very interesting subject: video games. He takes on an intersectional approach to study the representation and experience of Latinx masculinity, analyzing the digital object’s ability to construct and deconstruct the perceptions and expectations placed on Latinx masculinity and identity. This book presents a deep and thoughtful analysis beyond the realm of video games that we can all learn from.

Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games | Edited by Carmen Maria Machado & J. Robert Lennon | On Sale November 21

What are the odds that two books about video games would make the most anticipated list in the same month? It's definitely a rarity I’m excited about.

Taking a different approach to video games and culture, Critical Hits collects the voices of writer-gamers as they muse on their relationships and experiences with the medium. With an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado, who edited the anthology alongside J. Robert Lennon, this anthology explores an extensive set of themes ranging from illness and grief to race and language, all connected through the universal experience of gaming. Contributors include Elissa Washuta, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Jamil Jan Kochai, Alexander Chee, Hanif Abdurraqib, Larissa Pham, and many more.

Most Anticipated September 2023 Releases

September brought us some exciting book releases! Between picture books, fun and heartfelt romances, or a memoir that redefines the American Dream, there is something for everyone. Scroll below for a list of my most anticipated reads for September.

¡1,2,3 Baila! Series by Delia Ruiz | Illustrated by Graziela Andrade | On Sale September 5

Ever since I caught a glimpse of this series at the LA Times Festival of Books, I’ve been so excited for the official release! The ¡1,2,3 Baila! Series is a trio of bilingual books that teach children primary concepts through Latin music and dance. Merengue introduces Latin instruments and the sounds they make, Salsa teaches to count to 10, and Cumbia explores common manners like consent. 

I might not be a child, but the series features adorable illustrations and is such a creative and refreshing way to teach these concepts, and also introduce diverse settings and characters to kids.

First Gen: A Memoir by Alejandra Campoverdi | On Sale September 12

Sometimes I’m drawn to memoirs because the story seems so different from my own, other times it's the similarities in someone else’s tale that lure me in. With First Gen, it's a bit of both—it’s the familiar themes that draw me in to read about a story so unlike my own. In the same lifetime, Alejandra Campoverdi has been a child on welfare, a White House aide, a Harvard graduate, a gang member's girlfriend, and a candidate for U.S. Congress. Sharing her experience as a first generation Latina navigating social mobility, Campoverdi lays out a personal and intimate story of her journey though a life of contradictions. Always the trailblazer, Camporverdi redefines the narrative of the American Dream and brings to light the struggles of what it means to be a “First and Only.”

As Long as You Love Me by Marianna Leal |On Sale September 12

Long-term school nemesis, Catalina Diaz Solis and Gabriel Cabrera, find themselves in the biggest competition yet: the battle for a full-time job offer. Cata is desperate for the job, hoping it will guarantee her visa renewal; meanwhile, Gabriel finds himself preoccupied elsewhere, desperate for a date to his brother’s wedding. The solution? Gabe offers to step aside from consideration of the full-time job if Cata will be his plus-one. As Catalina grows closer to Gabe, she discovers there is more to him than she ever imagined. When things become complicated, she must decide what she is willing to do to make her dreams come true. 

Academic rivals? Enemies to lovers? Fake dating? Marianna Leal has got it all in this fun and emotional romance.

A British Girl's Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey | On Sale September 26

The beauty of a good YA book is that it can carry so much depth and maturity while still maintaining a fun and accessible read. Laura Taylor Namey’s newest novel seems to be on this exact path. 

After losing her mother, Flora finds herself struggling with her grief, unable to control the inner chaos. While her family expects her to apply to university and take on more responsibility at their tea-shop business, Flora decides to head to Miami without telling anyone. There she finds a safe space in her surroundings, the Cuban-American culture of the city, and Baz Marín, a Miami Cuban who shares her love for photography. When her best friend, Gordon also finds his way to Florida, Flora realizes she must confront the “hurricane” of emotions, unable to hide in a city full of them. 

Most Anticipated August 2023 Reads

August is almost ending but what better way to make the best of the remaining sunny summer days than with a few new additions to our ever-growing TBR’s! Below are my most anticipated reads for the month, expect to find lots of magic, female empowerment, and self-discovery.

Family Lore: A Novel by Elizabeth Acevedo | On Sale August 1

National Book Award winner Elizabeth Acevedo has graced us with her first adult novel—a much anticipated read on my list this year! Acevedo is a great storyteller and has a way of writing such lyrical and intimate stories that have made me a huge fan, no doubt Family Lore will be another emotional and unforgettable read. In her newest novel, Acevedo unravels the family history of the Marte women, weaving the past and present, from Santo Domingo to New York City, spanning the three days before a living wake requested by Flor, the Marte sister with a gift for predicting death. Family secrets, magic, and sisterhood are just some of the elements you can expect from this novel.

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel | Translated by Rosalind Harvey | On Sale August 8

When I think of women’s fiction, I think of books like Still Born. When friends, Alina and Laura, find themselves at opposite ends of parenthood—while Laura makes the decision to have her tubes tied, Alina pursues her desire to be a mother—both are forced to confront their notions of childbirth, family, and friendship. Nettel is "one of the leading lights in contemporary Latin American literature" (Valeria Luisell, author of Lost Children Archive) for a very clear reason, her novel explores one of the most lived experiences for women: the societal pressures and expectations of motherhood. Human experiences are universal no matter the language and thanks to translators like Rosalind Harvey, we get to explore stories like this one.

Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women Edited by Sandra Guzman | On Sale August 15

I love anthologies, especially ones that feature such a diverse set of contributors. The talented multimedia storyteller Sandra Guzman brings together 140 literary voices to form a strong collection of poems, speeches, letters, essays, memoirs, short stories, songs, chants, and novels to highlight and celebrate the work of Latine women of our past, present, and future. I’m excited to read works from some of my favorite writers like Elizabeth Acevedo (see above), Jamaica Kincaid, and Karla Cornejo Villavicencio; I’m equally excited to discover and familiarize myself with new voices and genres. 

Contributors also include Julia Alvarez, Norma Cantú, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Angie Cruz, Edwidge Danticat, Lila Downs, Conceição Evaristo, Sonia Guiñasaca, María Hinojosa, Celeste Mohammed, Cherrié Moraga, Angela Morales, Nancy Morejón, Anaïs Nin, Julia Wong, and many more.

A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban | On Sale August 29

Initially, it was the purple and pink of the cover that drew me in, but it was the synopsis that sealed the deal. Set throughout two timelines, one in contemporary Miami and the other in 1980s Cuba, we witness how magic and family secrets have intertwined the lives of Lela, Delfi, and Anita. When they receive premonitions of a killer targeting brujas, twins Lela and Delfi, are forced to defy the order from their mother to stay away from magic; meanwhile, in Cuba, Anita is desperate to escape the magic that surrounds her thanks to her mother’s cult. This exciting YA fantasy is set to be a promising page-turner I can’t wait to get a hold of.

Most Anticipated September 2022 Releases

Fall is finally just around the corner and with it some great reads. From retellings to The Parent Trap level antics, there is something for everyone being released this month from Latine authors. Here are the four books I am most looking forward to. 

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Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore | On sale September 6, 2022 

Ever since The Great Gatsby became public domain at the end of 2020, there has been an influx of retellings of the dazzling 1920s classic. None of which have grabbed my attention quite like this one. Nicolás Caraveo, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Wisconsin travels to New York for the summer to establish himself as a young professional to set up his life as a man. When he arrives, he sees his cousin Daisy has erased her Latine heritage to pass as a white woman and befriends Jay Gatsby, a trans man who wants nothing more than to reconnect with Daisy. And is Nick developing feelings for Gatsby?!  Blending the themes of the original, with Latine culture and queerness, this has been one of my most anticipated books of the year!

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas | On sale September 6, 2022

Ever since reading his debut novel Cemetery Boys, I have been obsessed with everything Thomas releases and I doubt this one will be any different. The first book in The Sunbearer Duology, combines Mexican fantasy with teens competing in a fight to the death for glory and honor. And in true Aiden Thomas fashion, the characters are queer, complex, and just a little (okay.. A lot) flawed. Comped to “Percy Jackson meets Hunger Games”, this book is poised to be the next YA obsession. 

Meet Me Halfway by Anika Fajardo | On Sale September 13, 2022

I love seeing middle-grade novels and immediately saying, “younger me would have loved this!” then remembering that I can still read it and love it as an adult! In a Parent Trap-esque adventure, Mattie and Mercedes discover that they have the same Columbian father that neither of them has ever met. While the two are polar opposites (and don’t really like each other), they must work together to find this elusive shared dad. This sounds like a perfect coming-of-age story and just look at the cover! Beautiful!

How Not To Drown In A Glass of Water by Angie Cruz | On sale September 13, 2022

Critically acclaimed for her 2019 novel Dominicana, Cruz is back with another strong female character we can’t help but root for. The story of late 50s, recently laid-off Cara Romero is told through her conversations with her job counselor. Over the course of their twelve sessions, Cara recounts her tempestuous love affairs, her alternately biting and loving relationships with her neighbor Lulu and her sister Angela, her struggles with debt, gentrification, and loss, and, eventually, what really happened between her and her estranged son, Fernando. I can’t wait to read these conversations that Kirkus Reviews said were “A poignant portrait of one fallible, wise woman and a corner of one of New York’s most vibrant immigrant communities.”

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Sabrina Moorer (she/her) is a senior at Towson University double majoring in English and Mass Communications. Even though she works at the library, she still spends all her free time there, searching for the next 5-star read to obsess over.

February 2022 Most Anticipated Books

Happy February! With a new month, comes new and exciting releases! We put together a list of our most anticipated books that will be released in February. We hope you enjoy and please let us know if any of these are on your TBR!

Ophelia after All - February 8, 2022 

Ophelia’s whole family knows her as a boy crazy type of girl. However, Ophelia begins to explore her sexualitiy when she develops a crush on Talia Sanchez. With the impending doom of the end of high school, as well as a broken friend group, Ophelia begins to feel a loss of control.

No Filter and Other Lies - February 8, 2022

Kat Sanchez is a seventeen year old liar. Through pictures, she has created twenty one-year-old, Max Monroe, who has it all. Not only is she stunning but she has lots of friends and an adventurous life that her loyal followers love. Little do these followers know that Kat Sanchez is a quiet teenager living in Bakersfield, California living the complete opposite life. Instead of adventure, she has bad house parties, a bad school year, and an uncomfortable situation as she deals with her best friend’s unrequited love. Therefore in order to escape her drabby life, she thrives as Max by giving advice, networking with influences, and even making a real friendship with a follower named Elena. The longer they stay connected through texting, snapchatting, and even phone calls, the harder it is for Kat to keep up her lie. It becomes even harder when one of Max’s posts goes viral and the person she’s been stealing pictures from realizes it. From here, Kat must figure out how to get herself out of this mess without hurting anyone she loves but is it already too late?

Lulu and Milagro's Search for Clarity - February 8, 2022

 Luz “Lulu” Zavala not only perfect grades and attendance but she also has a set ten-year plan. Although her first step is to crush her interview for an internship at Stanford, her older sister in college, Clara, launches a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mother and convinces her that out of state college will destroy their family. Therefore, maybe Lulu’s next step is to fix their issues so her ten-year-plan can come true. 

Unlike her older sister, the middle sister, Milagro, has no attraction towards college and much less a nerdy class field trip. However, when a spot opens up on the trip, Milagro is more concerned about getting back at her ex. On this trip, she realizes maybe there is more than boys. 

From Baltimore to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro bond as sisters to unpack family expectations, discover Clara’s secrets, and discover the value in sisterhood.

Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist - February 8, 2022

Pauli Murray is a queere civil rights and women’s rights activist. During her lifetime, she conceptualized arguments that would win Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1944 and the arguments that won equality for women in the workplace in 1964.

Murray dedicated her life to fight for those that are oppressed by using her powerful prose to influence change. She consistently dismissed the consequences that would come with challenging authority to gain fairness and justice for others. 

With Lots of Love - February 8, 2022

Her whole life, Rocio has grown up in Central America, but her life quickly changes when her and her family move to the United States. With so many differences, Rocio is doing her best to adapt but she can’t help but miss her beloved memories with her Abuela. She misses her cooking, piñata creations, affection. However, on her birthday, abuela is able to bring Rocio a special gift that is filled with lots of love. 

Rima’s Rebellion - February 15, 2022

This is a coming of age story, which we learn about the women’s suffrage movement in the 1920s in Cuba through Rima. While she loves riding her horse with her abuela and Las Mambisas, a fierce group of women veterans, Rima is bullied for being an illegitimate child. Rima dreams of her freedom on her horse rides until she is met with an unexpected friendship and potential romance. 

Reclaim the Stars - February 15, 2022

This is a collection of stories from multiple bestselling acclaimed YA authors that take the Latin American diaspora out of this world. There are stories that cover a wide range of topics from princesses, climate change, to even ghost stories and mermaids. This science fiction and fantasy novel breaks down reality to prove that stories are truly universal.  

The Turning Pointe - February 22, 2022

Sixteen year old Rosa Dominguez is a master in pointe shoes. Rosa would do anything to dance for an hour in the dance studio where Prince, the Purple ONe himself, is in the house. Fortunately, her father, who is also a ballet master, announces upcoming auditions for an opportunity to dance in Prince’s concert. Rosa is determined to nail her audition to land that spot until Nikki, a cross-dressing boy who works in the dance shop, comes into her life. Rosa is quickly stuck at a crossroads due to her family’s expectations. She quickly learns her value outside her pointe shoes and is ready to take a chance to break away from the traditional ballet life to groove to that unmistakable Minneapolis sound.

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Mariana Felix-Kim (she/her) lives in Washington, D.C. with her lovely cat, Leo. When she is not working in the environmental science field, Mariana is constantly reading. Her favorite genres include non-fiction, thrillers, and contemporary romances. Mariana is half Mexican and half Korean. You can find her on Instagram: @mariana.reads.books

January 2022 Most Anticipated Books

STAR CHILD | MIDDLE GRADE BIOGRAPHY

by Ibi Zoboi

From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler.

Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler experienced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death.

HIGH-RISK HOMOSEXUAL | MEMOIR

by Edgar Gomez

This witty memoir traces a touching and often hilarious spiralic path to embracing a gay, Latinx identity against a culture of machismo--from a cockfighting ring in Nicaragua to cities across the U.S.--and the bath houses, night clubs, and drag queens who help redefine pride.

I've always found the definition of machismo to be ironic, considering that pride is a word almost unanimously associated with queer people, the enemy of machistas. In particular, effeminate queer men represent a simultaneous rejection and embrace of masculinity . . . In a world desperate to erase us, queer Latinx men must find ways to hold onto pride for survival, but excessive male pride is often what we are battling, both in ourselves and in others.

A debut memoir about coming of age as a gay, Latinx man, High-Risk Homosexual opens in the ultimate anti-gay space: Edgar Gomez's uncle's cockfighting ring in Nicaragua, where he was sent at thirteen years old to become a man. Readers follow Gomez through the queer spaces where he learned to love being gay and Latinx, including Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, a drag queen convention in Los Angeles, and the doctor's office where he was diagnosed a "high-risk homosexual."

With vulnerability, humor, and quick-witted insights into racial, sexual, familial, and professional power dynamics, Gomez shares a hard-won path to taking pride in the parts of himself he was taught to keep hidden. His story is a scintillating, beautiful reminder of the importance of leaving space for joy.

SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND | YA SCIENCE-FICTION

by David Valdes

From lauded writer David Valdes, a sharp and funny YA novel that's Back to the Future with a twist, as a gay teen travels back to his parents' era to save a closeted classmate's life.

All Luis Gonzalez wants is to go to prom with his boyfriend, something his "progressive" school still doesn't allow. Not after what happened with Chaz Wilson. But that was ages ago, when Luis's parents were in high school; it would never happen today, right? He's determined to find a way to give his LGBTQ friends the respect they deserve (while also not risking his chance to be prom king, just saying...).

When a hit on the head knocks him back in time to 1985 and he meets the doomed young Chaz himself, Luis concocts a new plan-he's going to give this guy his first real kiss. Though it turns out a conservative school in the '80s isn't the safest place to be a gay kid. Especially with homophobes running the campus, including Gordo (aka Luis's estranged father). Luis is in over his head, trying not to make things worse-and hoping he makes it back to present day at all.

In a story that's fresh, intersectional, and wickedly funny, David Valdes introduces a big-mouthed, big-hearted queer character that readers won't soon forget.

VIOLETA | HISTORICAL FICTION

by Isabel Allende

This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta Del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family with five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling.

She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics.

Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.