Most Anticipated February 2026 Releases

Love is in the air! Why not fall in love with one of the titles from our most anticipated February releases? Check out our list for your next favorite read. ✨

I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy by Mychal Threets | Illustrated by Lorraine Nam | CHILDREN’S

Welcome to the library!

It’s a place just for you! There are activities, movies, games, and SO. MANY. STORIES. Best of all, it’s a place where you will always belong.

Take a tour of the library with the internet’s favorite librarian, Mychal Threets! This heartwarming debut picture book from Mychal extends an invitation to anyone who could use a little library joy and a reminder that libraries are for everyone.

Autobiography of Cotton by Cristina Rivera Garza | Translated by Christina MacSweeney | FICTION

In 1934, a young José Revueltas traveled to Tamaulipas to support the cotton workers’ strike in Estación Camarón, which became the basis of his landmark novel Human Mourning. In her own groundbreaking novel, Autobiography of Cotton, Cristina Rivera Garza recounts her grandparents’ journey from mining towns to those same cotton fields as it intersects with Revueltas’s life in a vivid and evocative history of cotton cultivation along the Mexico-US border.

Through archival research and personal narrative, Rivera Garza chronicles the way cotton transformed the borderlands by reconstructing the cotton workers’ strike and reveals how cycles of deprivation and ecocide persist across generations. Deeply personal and politically acute, Rivera Garza crafts a new kind of border novel that tells how a brittle land radically altered her grandparents’ lives and the territories they helped develop. An intimate fictionalization, Autobiography of Cotton reveals a rich social history of agricultural colonization, labor activism, environmental degradation, and cross-border migration.

Maria the Wanted by V. Castro | FICTION

Maria is a wanted woman. She’s wanted by an Aztec trafficker, a cartel boss, the people she fights for, and now the devil she can’t resist. A would-be immigrant turned vampire, Maria is forced to leave her home and family and embark on a journey across Mexico. She learns to fight, becoming an unlikely bad-ass enforcer of justice. Then an encounter with a violent, ruthless vampire boss leads her to find her creator. Drawn into a world of ancient vampires, deadly conspiracies and a dangerously seductive devil, Maria must find a way to fight for herself and all humankind. 

A fierce and seductive horror thriller, pulsing with rage, fear and desire, that explores a vampire woman’s determination to find her place in the world.

Lithium by Malén Denis | Laura Hatry & John Wronoski | FICTION

Malén Denis's Lithium is a novel about what cannot be fully named or pinned down. "Language in this book," the author notes, "acts as a pharmakon--both poison and remedy--inviting the reader to navigate its ambivalence. I wrote it by following the golden thread of poetry and the echoes of psychoanalysis, letting the images lead rather than the plot." Lithium employs an especially potent, poetic language to convey love found and love lost (I'm waiting for news from you). It is a book blazing with bruised perceptions of the precarity of a life lived between jobs and between homes; it's a feverish work swinging from hope to despair, about trying drugs both prescribed and not, about migration, about cat-sitting, and about isolation, about the search for meaning and for happiness when both prove so elusive, and it is about summoning the strength to wrench oneself from indecision to action.

Only Friends by Lydia San Andres | FICTION

After being fired from her day job, unceremoniously ghosted, and facing a bad case of writer’s block, twenty-six-year-old aspiring screenwriter Mariel Rivera is one spilled coffee away from crying on the subway. When she’s rescued from a Times Square kerfuffle by a very handsome model dressed in regency costume, Mariel has no idea her life is about to change.

Dashwood Bennet has been modeling for years, though recently, his current portfolio includes some more risqué shots. However, he never imagined that after his encounter with Mariel, he’d be putting on his regency breeches just to take them off again…in front of the camera.

Dash is the answer to Mariel’s prayers in more ways than one. First, he saved her from an unruly mob. Second, he’s the perfect person to play the Duke of Harding, a character she’s created that captured her attention and won’t let go. Third, he’s more than game to be the face of her spicy historical shorts. And last but not least, he’s her perfect partner both in business and in the bedroom. But being work-partners-with-benefits can complicate things. Will their partnership survive or are Mariel and Dash doomed to not have their happily ever after?

The Invisible Years by Rodrigo Hasbún | Translated by Lily Meyer | FICTION

Andrea and Julián haven't seen one another in twenty-one years--not since that tragic, fateful night their senior year of high school that marked their group of friends forever. A shocking phone call brings the two together again in Houston, where they begin to unravel the truth of that year, picking open long scabbed-over wounds from their upper-class adolescence in 1990s Bolivia and the scandal that ripped them apart.

A writer unhappy in his career and his marriage, Julián has been novelizing the past for his next book, trying to make meaning out of the events that changed the course of their lives forever. "I'd thought that writing about that time would free me, relieve the burden of the invisible years," he writes, "but often it seems that it's done the reverse." Juxtaposing the naïve invincibility of adolescence with the grasping uncertainties of adulthood, The Invisible Years deftly weaves a coming-of-age tale that leaves the reader hanging on every word, even as they know how the cards fall in the end.

February 2026 Latinx Releases

On Sale February 3

Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya | YOUNG ADULT

Welcome to the Carnival Fantástico, a spectacle of magic and mischief, and the perfect haven for a runaway. Using her tricks and razor-sharp wit, Esmeralda becomes the carnival's resident fortune-teller, aiming for the lead role in the Big Top Show. Success would mean freedom from her former employer, the commander of the King’s army.

Ignacio has defected from the army and is on the hunt for evidence of his father’s corruption. But the last thing he expects to find on his father’s trail of lies is the only girl he's ever loved, spinning false fortunes at a traveling carnival.

Perhaps fortune has thrown them together for a reason. They strike a deal: she’ll help him expose his father if he helps her secure the main act. But old feelings don’t die easily, and the commander’s secret isn’t the only thing they'll need to confront.

Few Blue Skies by Carolina Ixta | YOUNG ADULT

Paloma Vistamontes is heartbroken. A year ago, her ex-boyfriend, Julio Ramos, broke up with her after his father’s death, a tragedy that drove Paloma and him apart. Ever since then, the mountains have felt flatter, the sky farther away.

Now, her hometown of San Fermín, a place where honest people work on farms and in factories, is in danger. Selva, a massive e-commerce conglomerate, threatens to open one of their warehouses beside her high school.

This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. Since Selva arrived, they’ve opened warehouses everywhere where there used to be green spaces. Because of them, the air pollution is so bad that school is often canceled. Many people, including Paloma’s ever-practical Ma, want to leave.

But Paloma wants nothing more than to stay. Because when the smog clears, there is still hope. That hope drives Paloma to reconnect with Julio to expose and challenge the dangers that Selva introduces to communities like their own. Can they stop Selva from destroying everything they know? Is there still a chance for their budding romance?

Autobiography of Cotton by Cristina Rivera Garza | Translated by Christina MacSweeney | FICTION

In 1934, a young José Revueltas traveled to Tamaulipas to support the cotton workers’ strike in Estación Camarón, which became the basis of his landmark novel Human Mourning. In her own groundbreaking novel, Autobiography of Cotton, Cristina Rivera Garza recounts her grandparents’ journey from mining towns to those same cotton fields as it intersects with Revueltas’s life in a vivid and evocative history of cotton cultivation along the Mexico-US border.

Through archival research and personal narrative, Rivera Garza chronicles the way cotton transformed the borderlands by reconstructing the cotton workers’ strike and reveals how cycles of deprivation and ecocide persist across generations. Deeply personal and politically acute, Rivera Garza crafts a new kind of border novel that tells how a brittle land radically altered her grandparents’ lives and the territories they helped develop. An intimate fictionalization, Autobiography of Cotton reveals a rich social history of agricultural colonization, labor activism, environmental degradation, and cross-border migration.

Sink or Burn by Cristy Road Carrera | FICTION

In Sink Or Burn, the year is 2121, and fascism has overthrown a once-thriving utopia. Amid the ashes of a fallen nation, Cheap Glitter—a queer, punk rock band—becomes the voice of resistance. As they tour across a fractured America, raising funds for the fight against a brutal regime, they navigate wildfires, sunken landscapes, and the terrifying laws of a collapsing society.

At the heart of their journey is CT, a lovelorn survivor whose romantic entanglement with a fellow bandmate—a survivor of a different war—complicates their quest for both personal healing and social revolution. As the band balances the weight of trauma with the urgency of their fight, they discover that love, however chaotic, may be their greatest weapon.

A punk rock anthem and a manifesto for the broken-hearted, Sink Or Burn tells the story of a tortured artist’s evolution into a divine healer. Cristy Road Carrera, a punk rock icon and Latinx artist, weaves together individual survival with the broader struggle for liberation.

I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy by Mychal Threets | Illustrated by Lorraine Nam | CHILDREN’S

Welcome to the library!

It’s a place just for you! There are activities, movies, games, and SO. MANY. STORIES. Best of all, it’s a place where you will always belong.

Take a tour of the library with the internet’s favorite librarian, Mychal Threets! This heartwarming debut picture book from Mychal extends an invitation to anyone who could use a little library joy and a reminder that libraries are for everyone.

On Sale February 10

Lithium by Malén Denis | Laura Hatry & John Wronoski | FICTION

Malén Denis's Lithium is a novel about what cannot be fully named or pinned down. "Language in this book," the author notes, "acts as a pharmakon--both poison and remedy--inviting the reader to navigate its ambivalence. I wrote it by following the golden thread of poetry and the echoes of psychoanalysis, letting the images lead rather than the plot." Lithium employs an especially potent, poetic language to convey love found and love lost (I'm waiting for news from you). It is a book blazing with bruised perceptions of the precarity of a life lived between jobs and between homes; it's a feverish work swinging from hope to despair, about trying drugs both prescribed and not, about migration, about cat-sitting, and about isolation, about the search for meaning and for happiness when both prove so elusive, and it is about summoning the strength to wrench oneself from indecision to action.

Only Friends by Lydia San Andres | FICTION

After being fired from her day job, unceremoniously ghosted, and facing a bad case of writer’s block, twenty-six-year-old aspiring screenwriter Mariel Rivera is one spilled coffee away from crying on the subway. When she’s rescued from a Times Square kerfuffle by a very handsome model dressed in regency costume, Mariel has no idea her life is about to change.

Dashwood Bennet has been modeling for years, though recently, his current portfolio includes some more risqué shots. However, he never imagined that after his encounter with Mariel, he’d be putting on his regency breeches just to take them off again…in front of the camera.

Dash is the answer to Mariel’s prayers in more ways than one. First, he saved her from an unruly mob. Second, he’s the perfect person to play the Duke of Harding, a character she’s created that captured her attention and won’t let go. Third, he’s more than game to be the face of her spicy historical shorts. And last but not least, he’s her perfect partner both in business and in the bedroom. But being work-partners-with-benefits can complicate things. Will their partnership survive or are Mariel and Dash doomed to not have their happily ever after?

Maria the Wanted by V. Castro | FICTION

Maria is a wanted woman. She’s wanted by an Aztec trafficker, a cartel boss, the people she fights for, and now the devil she can’t resist. A would-be immigrant turned vampire, Maria is forced to leave her home and family and embark on a journey across Mexico. She learns to fight, becoming an unlikely bad-ass enforcer of justice. Then an encounter with a violent, ruthless vampire boss leads her to find her creator. Drawn into a world of ancient vampires, deadly conspiracies and a dangerously seductive devil, Maria must find a way to fight for herself and all humankind. 

Leo's Lobo by Melissa Cristina Márquez | Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama | CHILDREN’S

Leo is thrilled when he and his family enter a shelter so he can adopt a new pet, but after searching for a while, Leo doesn’t feel the connection he had hoped for and leaves feeling disappointed. On the way home, he and his family see a busy marketplace and find another shelter hidden inside: one for magical creatures! There Leo connects with an alebrije, their bond forming before they can even leave the shelter. But he quickly learns just how much responsibility comes with raising a pet.  

Witchycakes #3: Puddles and Potions by Kara LaReau | Illustrated by Ariane Moreira | CHILDREN’S

In a magical bakery called Witchycakes there's a young witch-to-be named Blue. Blue's Mama bakes with magic and Blue makes the deliveries! Blue is good at problem-solving but they want everything to be perfect. So they "borrow" a magic potion from Mama Moon. Does everything go perfectly? Not so much. But magic makes perfect. . . right?

Cook up some love with Blue as they use magic and problem-solving to be the best helper they can be in their whimsical little town. And there's a special magical recipe at the end of each book!

Cocina Puerto Rico: Recipes from My Abuela's Kitchen to Yours by Mia Castro | NONFICTION

Mia spent her early career working under prestigious chefs such as José Andrés, Thomas Keller, and Wolfgang Puck, and later cooked for exclusive clients worldwide as a private chef. In 2020, unexpectedly grounded in New York City, she found herself craving the foods of her native Puerto Rico. Over daily FaceTime calls (that sometimes stretched for hours) with her beloved Abuela Sara in San Juan, Mia collected the time-honored recipes that represent her family's homeland. Now, applying her professional knowledge, she has expertly adapted these dishes for you to re-create in any American home kitchen.

Cocina Puerto Rico covers everything from salads, fritters, and soups to seafood, meat, and rice dishes to sweets, including re-creations of favorites from the island's traditional panaderías (bakeries).

On Sale February 17

Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself by David Archuleta| NONFICTION

At just seventeen, David Archuleta rose to national fame as the runner-up on American Idol season seven, captivating millions with his angelic voice. Behind the scenes, however, he was struggling with a truth he feared would destroy everything: he was attracted to men—and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In Devout, David takes you inside his deeply personal journey as a closeted Mormon teen turned international pop star, torn between faith, fame, and identity. From dealing with the pressures of being on a hit television show to a domineering father who controlled every aspect of his career—even being banned from the show’s set—David reveals the emotional abuse and inner turmoil that he says plagued his childhood.

This searing memoir reflects on David’s ventures with American Idol, a tour with Demi Lovato, and a two year sabbatical as a missionary in South America, charting his path through heartbreak, estrangement, three engagements, thoughts of suicide, and finally, his courageous decision to leave the Mormon Church in order to live authentically as a queer man. Featuring never-before-seen photos, Devout is a must-read for fans of pop culture, American Idol, and anyone deconstructing their religious upbringing, or who’s ever wrestled with who they are versus who they’re told to be.

The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo | FICTION

Maria “Marianto” Camacho is a planner. At twenty-seven, she has her life perfectly mapped out. Her long-term boyfriend, Alejandro, is perfect on paper, and she's expecting a proposal any day now. She has a stable job as a lifestyle columnist at Ellas, one of Latin America's biggest digital magazines. Her future is set; she's sure of it.

Until everything falls apart overnight: Marianto loses her boyfriend and her job. But she's determined to get them both back with an idea that is either delusional or ingenious—a juicy new article for Ellas that documents a series of romantic experiments to get her ex back. Thus begins The Ex-Perimento. With her bank account dwindling, however, Marianto lands a temporary gig on Venezuela's hottest new singing competition show. Her job? Personal assistant to Simón Arreaza, the lead singer of her favorite indie band.

It's only her second day on the job when Simón discovers Marianto's list of romantic experiments, striking her ideas and replacing them with his own better ones. Out of desperation, she offers a proposition: Help her win back Alejandro, and she'll give Simón's band a profile in the magazine once she returns to Ellas. But between the close quarters on set and the blurred lines of a budding friendship, Marianto and Simón find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other, caught in a whirlwind of unexpected romance.

On Sale February 24

A People's History of Portugal by Raquel Varela & Roberto Della Santa | NONFICTION

A People's History of Portugal reconstructs the last two hundred years of class struggle in Portugal. Raquel Varela and Roberto della Santa examine the material conditions of its people - examining the real causes of the revolutionary waves and counter-revolutionary backlash.

Starting in the early nineteenth century, the theme of colonialism and its antithesis runs through the narrative, as working-class life was closely entwined with Portuguese colonial exploitation. Despite relatively slow industrial development, Portuguese people spearheaded a surprisingly vigorous radical culture of dissent, eventually sparking a social and political revolution in 1974. More recently, Portugal's inclusion in the European Union has put its people in a neoliberal stranglehold that stifles democracy to this day. Are the working people of Portugal able to carry the memory of the revolutionary past into its future? This is a history of, and for, the people.

JOTA: A Queer Latina y Latinx Anthology edited by Rita E. Urquijo-Ruiz, Anel I. Flores, and T. Jackie Cuevas | ADULT ANTHOLOGY

JOTA: A Queer Latina y Latinx Anthology is a landmark collection of over 70 queer writers and artists. Building on the foundation of Chicana Lesbians: The Girls Our Mothers Warned Us About (1991) and Compañeras (1987), JOTA shares a new addition to the queer Latinx literary and artistic canons with stories, poems, essays, plays, art, and music. JOTA arrives at a critical moment when political systems threaten queer communities once again—yet contributors now have more tools to resist. We will resist! JOTA’s movement promises to illuminate generational shifts from fear and silence to bold and brazen declarations of identity, honoring the radiant visual and written stories of our ancestors of the past, present, and future.

The Invisible Years by Rodrigo Hasbún | Translated by Lily Meyer | FICTION

Andrea and Julián haven't seen one another in twenty-one years--not since that tragic, fateful night their senior year of high school that marked their group of friends forever. A shocking phone call brings the two together again in Houston, where they begin to unravel the truth of that year, picking open long scabbed-over wounds from their upper-class adolescence in 1990s Bolivia and the scandal that ripped them apart.

A writer unhappy in his career and his marriage, Julián has been novelizing the past for his next book, trying to make meaning out of the events that changed the course of their lives forever. "I'd thought that writing about that time would free me, relieve the burden of the invisible years," he writes, "but often it seems that it's done the reverse." Juxtaposing the naïve invincibility of adolescence with the grasping uncertainties of adulthood, The Invisible Years deftly weaves a coming-of-age tale that leaves the reader hanging on every word, even as they know how the cards fall in the end.

La Golondrina by Sonia De Los Santos | Illustrated by Teresa Martínez | CHILDREN’S

Based on Sonia De Los Santos's popular song "La Golondrina," this joyful story captures a young girl's fascination with the migratory swallow that sings in the trees outside her grandmother's home in Mexico. With dreamlike wistfulness, she speaks to the bird about the long journey northward that it is about to undertake to find food and a new home--much like the one her own father is making, and the one she will someday make too.

La Golondrina captures Sonia De Los Santos's signature spirit and joy and celebrates love, family, migration, and belonging. Bilingual English-Spanish text is complemented by Teresa Martínez's vibrant and accessible artwork to create an unforgettable celebration of the journeys that shape our lives and our communities.

I Give You My Silence by Mario Vargas Llosa | Translated by Adrian Nathan West | FICTION

Toño Azpilcueta, writer of sundry articles, aspirant to the now defunct professorship of Peruvian studies, is an expert in the vals, a genre of music descended from the European waltz but rooted in New World Creole culture. When he hears a performance by the solitary and elusive guitarist Lalo Molfino, he is convinced not only that he is in the presence of the country’s finest musician, but that his own love for Peruvian music, as he has long suspected, has a profound social function. If he could just write the biography of the man before him and tell the story of both the vals and its attendant inspiring ethos, huachafería (Peru’s most important contribution to world culture, according to Toño), he might capture his country’s soul and inspire his fellow citizens remember the ties that bind them. Through music, the populace might unite and lay down their arms and embrace a harmonious and unified Peruvian culture.

Tumbleweed Underworld: A Saga of Morphine and Mayhem in the Arizona Territory by Eduardo Obregón Pagán | NONFICTION

Georgie Clifford appears briefly in the annals of American history as an 1894 inmate of the Yuma Territorial Prison, one of two female prisoners among hundreds of hardened, violent men. A denizen of an Old West underworld of prostitution and narcotics, she had been convicted of murder for giving a lethal dose of morphine to a client. Telling Georgie's story in Tumbleweed Underworld, Eduardo Obregón Pagán exposes a dark underside of the turn-of-the-century American West, where attorneys, soldiers, doctors, miners, well-off women, and Chinese immigrants were caught up in the country's first opioid epidemic.

Georgie Clifford began life as Minnie Eichler in the small mining town of Clifton, Arizona Territory. After being raped by her mother's boyfriend and testifying in the subsequent trial, Minnie fled Clifton, taking with her a taste for the morphine given her for her trauma. Tumbleweed Underworld follows Minnie through brothels, mining camps, and logging towns, through shifting personas and deeper dependency, to the trial in Flagstaff, Arizona that ultimately landed her in prison. The story continues after her release and sees Georgie descend into a true addiction hell--in and out of jail cells, cribs, ditches, and the state asylum--before finally recovering and finding a measure of redemption in reconnecting with her family.

Aztec Culture, Language, and Heritage: 'A-Ztec - A Bilingual Alphabet Book' by Emmanuel Valtierra

Author and Illustrator Emmanuel Valtierra’s picture book, A-Ztec: A Bilingual Alphabet Book (Levine Querido, 2025), delivers a beautifully artistic introduction (with pronunciation guides) to the A-Ztec: A Bilingual Alphabet Book. Written and drawn in dual form (English and Spanish), readers are introduced to Aztec words in an artform inspired by Aztec codex-style imagery. Alongside the already cool concept, audiences will learn more about Aztec and Mexican culture.

YVONNE TAPIA: Hey Emmanuel! Thank you for being here, we’re so excited to learn more about your work and journey as an author. How did the Aztec culture become a part of your everyday?

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: Hi Yvonne! Thank you for meeting with me. My parents are from Mexico, and when I was in elementary school, I came across an Aztec codex. I wasn’t really excited about it at first because, as a kid, you don’t always pay attention to details. Kids usually care about topics like Bugs Bunny. (both laugh) I was a huge fan of Bugs Bunny and Dragon Ball Z [back in the day]. However, the Aztec codex stayed in the back of my mind, it was pretty cool to me and at that age you’re like a sponge and everything tends to [stay with you].

YVONNE TAPIA: Definitely, I loved watching those shows too and codices are cool tools – A codex is a manuscript book, often written in papyrus or parchment – serving as the historical ancestor of the modern book format. To our readers, if you haven’t learned about codices yet, we invite you to find out more information about them!

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: Haha, exactly. As I grew older, when I was around 15 or 16, one of my good friends came up to me with this book, it was called “Aztec”, an old novel by Gary Jennings – great novel – and that is when I actually fell in love with the Aztec culture. It’s still my favorite book of all time to this day.

When I reached my early 20s, I started wanting to do something related to the Aztecs. So I started drawing, mixing the Aztec concepts with pop culture. I started a Facebook page and as I continued to post my artwork, eventually I had about 7,000 new followers! I had drawn a Dragonball Z image, gymnastics style. About a year and a half later, I self-published a book focused on what would’ve happened had The Aztecs won the war against the Spaniards – alternative history. I illustrated that book and a friend of mine wrote it, and we won the Sidewise Award – which is an award for alternative history books.

YVONNE TAPIA: Congratulations! You were just beginning your journey through these historical civilizations. Mexico City was known as Tenochtitlan back then.

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: Yep, many thanks! A few years later I met with Vivian Mansour, the writer of Codice Peregrino (Pilgrim Codex in English). We met and she gave me the concept of a “peregrino”, and then it started evolving as my editor and I discussed an alphabet book introducing the Aztec language, Nahuatl, through Aztec codices. I believe it’s very important to continue showcasing past civilizations [for a better tomorrow]. Recently, there was some backlash on the film “Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires”, which is actually a very cool movie. So this further inspires the need for these works.

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

YVONNE TAPIA: I agree, it’s so awesome and inspiring to highlight the beauty of past civilizations for a better understanding of what came to be today. A Batman with Aztec lineage? YES! Bring it haha.

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: Haha, yes and it is fun! Got to work with other artists like Omar Chaparro.

YVONNE TAPIA: I know his comedic work, que padre! It’s a really wondrous moment when veteran artists work with new artists and uplift them in the mantel.  

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: Absolutely – y me encanta mi cultura, mis raices. Somos una gran variedad – Mixtecos, Mayas, etc.

YVONNE TAPIA: Igualmente, si es una alegria! The book’s artwork is beautiful as it highlights so much Aztec and modern Mexico’s environment; how did you develop it?

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: I’ve been drawing all of my life, my oldest memory is me drawing on the walls and filling in coloring books. Back in the day (laughs) we also used to write phone numbers or check them out through the “yellow pages” book. Very specific drawing memories were when my grandmother would give me a unique drawing proposition, to draw letters such as X or Y. She chose those since there aren’t a lot of words with those letters as starters, to make it challenging and get me to really think about what could inspire those less common letters. I would also draw characters like the Batman and The Joker.

Years later, I went to the university for graphic design while infusing my own knowledge of the culture. So when the book idea for A-Ztec: A Bilingual Alphabet Book came along, it was great and also a challenge because in Aztec vocabulary, some English-alphabet letters do not exist. For example, K or W. My editor was a huge help [inserting words for letters that do not exist in the Aztec alphabet].

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

YVONNE TAPIA: I love to hear it! It’s essential to remember our roots and a lot of the vocabulary we use today originates from Nahuatl culture, like “chocolate” (xocolatl or chocolatl) and “elote” (elotl). You also include historical Aztec Gods, the artwork being so detailed, from the legendary feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl to Huitzilopochtli. It’s beautiful! Each god represents something unique and connected to nature.

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: Thank you! Yep it is important to honor these wonderful masterpieces past civilizations provided.

YVONNE TAPIA: I second that! It was also great to see the wondrous pictionary included, glyphs specifically. It helps make learning something new even more fun.

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: It should be called Glyphonary haha. Yep, the Aztecs used glyphs to communicate in writing. Glyphs are symbols or images that represent different sounds, symbols, or concepts. It was beautiful to transfer that to this book.

Photo credit: Yvonne Tapia

YVONNE TAPIA:. What do you hope readers will get from this book?

EMMANUEL VALTIERRA: I hope they love the Aztec culture and share their reading excitement with family or friends. To enjoy reading about a different culture and setting. I want to bring something new and interesting to the table, for the [existing] and new generations – for them to discover something they might have never seen or heard before.

For more updates on his latest works: follow author and illustrator Emmanuel Valtierra on:

Website: https://emmanuelvaltierra.com/

Instagram: @emmanuelvaltierraillustrator

Publisher: Levine Querido

---

Mexican-American artist Emmanuel Valtierra studied Graphic Design in the University of Nuevo Leon (UANL) and Photography in San Antonio College. After some time, he adopted the aztec codex style for most of his works bringing him attention from the public and press. To stablish himself as a "tlacuilo", he released a series of pop culture images, playing cards, and book. All with Aztec style.
The love Valtierra has for history has influenced him on all his projects. The goal is to keep teaching new generations about our past in a fun way in every media possible.
Some of his most populare releases are: Codex Valtierra (sidewise award), Codice peregrino (white raven award), Aztec tarot, Blue beetle #1 (DC comics variant cover art),

Yvonne Tapia, a Mexican-American professional, has an extensive background in marketing, education, and media, supporting both large enterprises and small businesses. Yvonne focuses on raising brand visibility and community engagement, particularly within marginalized sectors. She currently serves as a Senior Instructor at COOP Careers, where she mentors through hands-on digital marketing training while partnering with businesses from different industries. Outside of work, Yvonne is an avid reader and is involved in supportive causes.

Most Anticipated January 2026 Releases

Check out our list of most anticipated Latinx books coming this January. Take a look and find a good book to kick off your 2026 reading goals!

Apapacho Love by Cynthia Harmony | Illustrated by Erika Meza | CHILDREN’S

Every day for Luna starts and ends with Mami’s apapachos—hugs that come from Mami’s soul. Her warm cuddles fill Luna's heart, like stars fill the sky. They make her feel safe. They make her feel seen. But, oh no, Mami has to take a trip! What will Luna do without Mami's hugs?

Maybe…apapachos can come from other people, too.

Like Abue’s, which makes Luna feel brave. And Daddy’s, which makes her giggle. Not to mention her dog, Benito’s wet nuzzle which tells her to rise and shine with a smile. It turns out even when Mami’s far away, her love is all around.

Apapacho love is everywhere!

The Magic of Untamed Hearts by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland | FICTION

Like her sisters, Sage and Teal, Sky Flores has a touch of magic, and it’s caused nothing but heartache. Not only did she disappear into the woods years ago and reappear with no rational explanation, she’s also more comfortable talking to animals than to people. Different and misunderstood, Sky is shunned in the small town of Cranberry.

Sky’s neighbor, Adam Noemi, has his own problems. After being laid off from a prestigious newspaper, Adam, ever the ambitious reporter, needs a big headline to redeem his career. Enter Sky, a girl with a story that news outlets have been chasing for years. Sky agrees to grant Adam an exclusive interview on one condition: that he befriend Sky, in a very public way, to prove to everyone in Cranberry that she’s not an outcast.

As Sky shares her experiences with Adam, something much bigger than a simple agreement begins to grow between them. But for love to take root, Adam will have to take a leap towards a life that defies expectations, and Sky must open her heart – full of flora and fauna and mystical energies – to his curious mind.

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez | FICTION

As a sculptress, Ravenna Maffei has always shaped beauty from stone but she has a terrible secret. Desperate to save her brother, she enters a competition hosted by Florence’s most feared immortal family, revealing a dark power in a city where magic is forbidden.

Now a captive in the cutthroat city of Florence, Ravenna is forced into a dangerous task where failure meets certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the immortal family's mesmerizing but merciless heir. But as he draws her closer, Ravenna realizes the true threat lies beyond Florence’s walls.

The Pope’s war against magic is closing in, and Ravenna is no longer just a prisoner but a prize to be claimed. As trusting the wrong person becomes lethal, Ravenna must survive the treacherous line between a pope's obsession and the seductive immortal who might be the end of her ― or surrender her power to a city on the brink of war.

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura | FICTION

Daniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember—until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well.

An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone—the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.

Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real.

Pedro the Vast by Simón Lopez Trujillo | Translated by Robin Myers| FICTION

In the disorienting, devastatingly tense world of López Trujillo, a eucalyptus farm worker named Pedro starts coughing. Several of his coworkers die of a strange fungal disease, which has jumped to humans for the first time, but Pedro, miraculously, awakes. His survival fascinates a foreign mycologist, as well as a local priest, who dubs his mysterious mutterings to be the words of a prophet. Meanwhile Pedro's kids are left to fend for themselves: the young Cata, whose creepy art projects are getting harder and harder to decipher, and Patricio, who wasn't ready to be thrust into the role of father. Their competing efforts to reckon with Pedro's condition eventually meet in a horrifying climax that readers will never forget.

Eating Ashes by Brenda Navarro | Translated by Megan McDowell | FICTION

Alone and adrift in Barcelona, an unnamed narrator is haunted by the death of her teenage brother, Diego. Diego, the little boy she helped raise in Mexico while their mother struggled to make a living in Spain. Diego, who loved Vampire Weekend and dreamed of becoming a pilot. Diego, who hated Madrid as much as she did.

Now, his ashes in hand, she must return to Mexico. Plagued by memories, she recounts their young lives leading up to tragedy in blistering detail: the acute loneliness that accompanied their emigration; the siblings' first separation, when she left for Barcelona to make her own way in the world; her activism against labor abuses, which is threatened by her tumultuous relationship with an entitled lover; and the final, heavyhearted confrontation with her brother. Caught between rage and heartbreak over the loss of Diego, she pieces together a story of alienation, but also of surprising courage and hope.

Aaniin: I See Your Light by Dawn Quigley | Illustrated by Nanibah Chacon | CHILDREN’S

Each of us has an inner light that might not always be seen by others. Aaniin (ah-NEEN) is a greeting in the Ojibwe language for hello and can also be translated as “I see your light.”

With the help of the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings—Love, Respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom—we can learn to see this brilliance shining through everyone and express our appreciation for one another’s light.

The Demon of Beausoleil by Mari Costa | GRAPHIC NOVEL

Helianthes is a Cambion—a child born touched by demons. Horned, clawed, and tailed, Helianthes—Hell for short—is a devil-may-care exorcist whose devil-may-care attitude has succeeded in alienating those closest to him—all save for his long-suffering bodyguard, Elias, who sees him as less a strange, mythical being and more just a . . . nuisance.

Together, the two venture into the streets of this psuedo-remix of Victorian London to exorcise demons (and maybe cause a little mischief on the way). But as Hell becomes increasingly drawn to his enigmatic bodyguard—and as Elias becomes increasingly aware of his feelings for his trouble of a charge—the two find themselves faced with a growing, chaotic dark that might threaten everything they’ve been working toward . . .

P Fkn R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance by Vanessa Díaz & Petra R Rivera-Rideau | NONFICTION

Global superstar Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, like many other Puerto Ricans, has lived a life marked by public crises-blackouts, hurricanes, political corruption and oppression, among others-that have exposed the ongoing impacts of colonialism in Puerto Rico. Offering a portrait of the past and future of Puerto Rican resistance through one of its loudest and proudest voices, P FKN R draws on interviews with musicians, politicians, and journalists as well as ethnographic research to set Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican resistance in a historical, political, and cultural context. Authors Vanessa Díaz and Petra Rivera-Rideau-creators of the "Bad Bunny Syllabus"-demonstrate Bad Bunny's place in a long tradition of infusing both joy and protest into music and honor the many evolving forms of daily resistance to oppression and colonialism that are part of Puerto Rican life.

January 2026 Latinx Releases

ON SALE JANUARY 6

Tana Cooks for Field Day Fun by Stacy Wells | Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama | CHILDREN’S

Tana and her friends are excited about their upcoming field day!

Her class will be a team and work together, competing against the other second-grade classes.

There's just one thing she is nervous about: the egg-and-spoon race.

She dropped the egg five times the last time she raced!

But maybe, with her friends' help, this year will be different.

Tana Cooks a Show-And-Tell Brainstorm by Stacy Wells | Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama | CHILDREN’S

Tana's class is going to start having show-and-tell.

Tana wants to bring something that tells her classmates something about who she is, but she's have a hard time deciding.

There's her journal or her special necklace, but neither feels quite right.

What is the show-and-tell item that symbolizes Tana best?

Pencil & Eraser: New Friends Rule! by Jenny Alvarado | GRAPHIC NOVEL

Pencil and Eraser complement each other perfectly, like any best buds should. Who else could help Pencil when she messes up her drawings in art class? But what if she didn't make any mistakes? Enter Ruler, a new friend who can easily help Pencil keep her lines straight, without any need to ever erase again...

When these school supplies learn a green crayon has gone missing, Pencil insists her new bud Ruler join their quest to save them. The two hit it off immediately, building off each other’s wacky ideas. And as the sole voice of reason, Eraser quickly starts to feel like the odd one out. With Stella and the rest of the students due back form lunch any minute, and each of their plans to rescue Green a bigger disaster than the last, can our dynamic duo learn to work as a trio before it’s too late?

Sweet Valley Twins: Three's a Crowd by Francine Pascal | Illustrated by Claudia Aguirre | Adapted by Nicole Andelfinger | GRAPHIC NOVEL

The Sweet Valley Twins have a lot of work to do. Between Elizabeth's newspaper articles and Jessica's new celebrity cook book project, there's barely any time for anything else! When their friend Mary decides to help them both, the twins are relieved—but Mary seems more determined to help their mom around the house than them with their work!

Jessica is suspicious that Mary is more interested in Mrs.Wakefield being her new mom than in actually being friends with the twins, but Elizabeth isn't so sure. There has to be a reason why she'd rather be with the Wakefields than at home, right?

Do I Love You? Yes I Do! by Ruth Forman | Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa | CHILDREN’S

Do I love you?

Love shapes every moment in our lives. From a morning sunrise with colors bold to dandelion wishes carried on the wind to an evening sunset with shades soft and cool, the world is made of love.

Here is a book that asks and answers the most important question loved ones can ever share: Do I love you? Yes, I do!

ON SALE JANUARY 13

Apapacho Love by Cynthia Harmony | Illustrated by Erika Meza | CHILDREN’S

Every day for Luna starts and ends with Mami’s apapachos—hugs that come from Mami’s soul. Her warm cuddles fill Luna's heart, like stars fill the sky. They make her feel safe. They make her feel seen. But, oh no, Mami has to take a trip! What will Luna do without Mami's hugs?

Maybe…apapachos can come from other people, too.

Like Abue’s, which makes Luna feel brave. And Daddy’s, which makes her giggle. Not to mention her dog, Benito’s wet nuzzle which tells her to rise and shine with a smile. It turns out even when Mami’s far away, her love is all around.

Apapacho love is everywhere!

The Magic of Untamed Hearts by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland | FICTION

Like her sisters, Sage and Teal, Sky Flores has a touch of magic, and it’s caused nothing but heartache. Not only did she disappear into the woods years ago and reappear with no rational explanation, she’s also more comfortable talking to animals than to people. Different and misunderstood, Sky is shunned in the small town of Cranberry.

Sky’s neighbor, Adam Noemi, has his own problems. After being laid off from a prestigious newspaper, Adam, ever the ambitious reporter, needs a big headline to redeem his career. Enter Sky, a girl with a story that news outlets have been chasing for years. Sky agrees to grant Adam an exclusive interview on one condition: that he befriend Sky, in a very public way, to prove to everyone in Cranberry that she’s not an outcast.

As Sky shares her experiences with Adam, something much bigger than a simple agreement begins to grow between them. But for love to take root, Adam will have to take a leap towards a life that defies expectations, and Sky must open her heart – full of flora and fauna and mystical energies – to his curious mind.

A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez | FICTION

Rune Ryker has nothing left to lose. Everything’s been stolen by the Immortals—her family, her home, her freedom. But she’s done playing by their rules.

Each year, humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but twenty-year-old Rune orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family and destroy anyone who stands in her way. Rune is used to doing whatever it takes to survive, and now she must endure the Forge, a cutthroat college for the Immortal druids’ elusive tarot magic. When Rune’s magic reveals itself to be the rarest and most powerful, she must live with its only other wielder—Prince Draven. As arrogant as he is ruthlessly ambitious, he’s the last person she can trust.

Rune’s abilities also draw the eyes of the most dangerous druids in the realms. Some want to use her. More want her dead. Draven offers to train her . . . for a price. As Rune becomes ensnared in Draven’s dangerous games, she learns there are secrets at the heart of the kingdom that some will kill to protect.

And Rune and Draven’s growing attraction may be the spark to ignite a brewing war.

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez | FICTION

As a sculptress, Ravenna Maffei has always shaped beauty from stone but she has a terrible secret. Desperate to save her brother, she enters a competition hosted by Florence’s most feared immortal family, revealing a dark power in a city where magic is forbidden.

Now a captive in the cutthroat city of Florence, Ravenna is forced into a dangerous task where failure meets certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the immortal family's mesmerizing but merciless heir. But as he draws her closer, Ravenna realizes the true threat lies beyond Florence’s walls.

The Pope’s war against magic is closing in, and Ravenna is no longer just a prisoner but a prize to be claimed. As trusting the wrong person becomes lethal, Ravenna must survive the treacherous line between a pope's obsession and the seductive immortal who might be the end of her ― or surrender her power to a city on the brink of war.

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura | FICTION

Daniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember—until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well.

An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone—the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.

Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real.

Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories: A Tall Tale Based on the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston by Giselle Anatol | Illustrated by Raissa Figueroa | CHILDREN’S

Small-girl Zora knows her stories are going to change the world. Although her neighbors might not believe her outlandish tales, she's sure they're the key to ending the drought in her town. If she can make people laugh at her stories, she'll be able to gather enough tears to bring back her mama's garden and more. But when things don't go exactly as planned, Zora learns that with creativity, determination, and faith, a little magic might be possible.

Filled to the brim with references to Zora Neale Hurston's classic characters and details from her own life, Small-Girl Zora and the Shower of Stories is a joyful tribute to an icon of American literature and the everlasting power of storytelling.

Pedro the Vast by Simón Lopez Trujillo | Translated by Robin Myers| FICTION

In the disorienting, devastatingly tense world of López Trujillo, a eucalyptus farm worker named Pedro starts coughing. Several of his coworkers die of a strange fungal disease, which has jumped to humans for the first time, but Pedro, miraculously, awakes. His survival fascinates a foreign mycologist, as well as a local priest, who dubs his mysterious mutterings to be the words of a prophet. Meanwhile Pedro's kids are left to fend for themselves: the young Cata, whose creepy art projects are getting harder and harder to decipher, and Patricio, who wasn't ready to be thrust into the role of father. Their competing efforts to reckon with Pedro's condition eventually meet in a horrifying climax that readers will never forget.

ON SALE JANUARY 20

Just Right by Torrey Maldonado | Illustrated by Teresa Martínez | CHILDREN’S

Toby’s mom always says there are people that make you feel just right. And while his dad can be hard to please, it’s a different story with his amazing uncle. Uncle showers Toby with smiles, hugs, and kind words, and his garage is like a second home to Toby—there’s even a chair with Toby’s name on it next to Uncle’s desk! Yes, Toby can always count on Uncle to step up and make him feel just right.

Eating Ashes by Brenda Navarro | Translated by Megan McDowell | FICTION

Alone and adrift in Barcelona, an unnamed narrator is haunted by the death of her teenage brother, Diego. Diego, the little boy she helped raise in Mexico while their mother struggled to make a living in Spain. Diego, who loved Vampire Weekend and dreamed of becoming a pilot. Diego, who hated Madrid as much as she did.

Now, his ashes in hand, she must return to Mexico. Plagued by memories, she recounts their young lives leading up to tragedy in blistering detail: the acute loneliness that accompanied their emigration; the siblings' first separation, when she left for Barcelona to make her own way in the world; her activism against labor abuses, which is threatened by her tumultuous relationship with an entitled lover; and the final, heavyhearted confrontation with her brother. Caught between rage and heartbreak over the loss of Diego, she pieces together a story of alienation, but also of surprising courage and hope.

Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe by David Petersen | Illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez | GRAPHIC NOVEL

Eisner Award–winning creator David Petersen joins forces with Eisner-nominated artist Gabriel Rodríguez to bring a brand new prequel chapter in the epic Mouse Guard saga to life—just in time to celebrate the series 20th anniversary!

Set at the earliest point in the series’ timeline, this epic reveals the origin of the legendary weapon and the courageous mouse to first wield it—Bardrick. As darkness encroaches and monstrous serpents threaten the fragile peace of the Territories, Bardrick must rise to a duty greater than himself and embark on a perilous journey of sacrifice, bravery, and legacy. But with such immense stakes at hand, can the first Black Axe survive the toll of his quest?

Magick Hoodoo Child by Amber McBride | Illustrated by Violeta Encarnación | CHILDREN’S

Summer for Juniper has finally arrived, which means rootwork with Grandma can finally begin! It’s time to collect healing herbs into protective mojo bags; to fill mason jars with all the love, history, dirt, and magick one can fit. It’s time to talk to the tranquil willow trees and feel the soft earth between one’s toes; to hear Grandma share their ancestors’ stories, with her dog Shiloh underfoot.

From National Book Award finalist Amber McBride comes a loving story about rootwork, a powerful African spiritual practice, and the significance of familial connections and traditions, reminding us how sacred it is to reconnect with the people we love, the earth, one’s heritage, and the healing power that provides.

Blood City Rollers: Move It or Bruise It by V.P. Anderson | Illustrated by Tatiana Hill | GRAPHIC NOVEL

Mina is ready to roll...but her new team is nowhere to be found. After a summer skating around town looking in every dark corner for the Blood City Rollers, Mina and her other human teammate Swan are finally reunited with their squad at an abandoned asylum. It's old, creepy, and has a basement full of zombies...perfect. 

But if the asylum is going to be the new freaky forever home for the Vamps, they'll have to fight for it. A new team of outcast monsters are also looking for a new home, and the only solution to a turf war this bloodthirsty is a Sudden Death Scrimage. 

Mina just wants to help her team win, but she can't help but feel like she still has to prove she belongs. And when the competition with Swan heats up, she'll have to learn that being a teammate isn't about being the best player...it's about being the best friend.

ON SALE JANUARY 27

Trilce by César Vallejo | Translated by William Rowe & Helen Dimos | POETRY

César Vallejo's Trilce, first published in 1922, transformed poetry in Spanish utterly, remaking the substance of verse from the word up. Rich in startling neologisms and other forms of verbal play, Trilce is a blazingly vivid revelation of what poetry can be, at once a love poem, a poem of erotic urgency and frustration, a poem of family life, of political fury, a lament for the dead, a work of intense privacy and an address to the world. As a whole, the work may be said to constitute a profound reckoning with time—the time of literary forms and their conjunctions with social and political time; the time of indigenous and traditional cultural forms—which also works to create a new poetic now. Haunting and incantatory, Vallejo's complex set of poems speaks powerfully to us, as we in our time seek to find what needs to be made present.

Aaniin: I See Your Light by Dawn Quigley | Illustrated by Nanibah Chacon | CHILDREN’S

Each of us has an inner light that might not always be seen by others. Aaniin (ah-NEEN) is a greeting in the Ojibwe language for hello and can also be translated as “I see your light.”

With the help of the Ojibwe Seven Grandfather Teachings—Love, Respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom—we can learn to see this brilliance shining through everyone and express our appreciation for one another’s light.

The Demon of Beausoleil by Mari Costa | GRAPHIC NOVEL

Helianthes is a Cambion—a child born touched by demons. Horned, clawed, and tailed, Helianthes—Hell for short—is a devil-may-care exorcist whose devil-may-care attitude has succeeded in alienating those closest to him—all save for his long-suffering bodyguard, Elias, who sees him as less a strange, mythical being and more just a . . . nuisance.

Together, the two venture into the streets of this psuedo-remix of Victorian London to exorcise demons (and maybe cause a little mischief on the way). But as Hell becomes increasingly drawn to his enigmatic bodyguard—and as Elias becomes increasingly aware of his feelings for his trouble of a charge—the two find themselves faced with a growing, chaotic dark that might threaten everything they’ve been working toward . . .

Tell Me in Secret by Mercedes Ron | YOUNG ADULT

Kamila Hamilton has her two best friends back in her life. The problem is that Taylor and Thiago Di Bianco aren't just friends anymore. They're so much more.

Thiago takes her breath away.

Taylor will never let her down.

The brothers have grown up, and with them, what Kamila feels for them. And now that her life is falling apart, her family is disintegrating, and her friends are turning their backs on her, she'll need them more than ever... both of them.

But when Thiago kisses someone else, desire turns to devastation.

Taylor is falling for her, and she isn't sure she can protect him from her feelings.

And the past is a ticking time bomb, ready to shatter everything.

Run Home by Alyssa Bermudez | GRAPHIC NOVEL

It’s 2002, and 14-year-old Alyssa is a freshman at a new high school where she knows NO ONE and the uniforms are hideous! What a disaster...

Even worse? Her parents are forcing her to join the cross-country team. No one needs to run, or sweat, this much!

Over time though, Alyssa actually starts to like running. She’s getting better with practice, and some of the girls on the team are really nice. Alyssa begins to find a steady rhythm with high school, cross country, and her new stepfamily.

But Alyssa’s dad is sick, and she doesn’t know what to do. When the worst thing imaginable happens, Alyssa will need to count on her friends, family, and herself to keep running forward.

P Fkn R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance by Vanessa Díaz & Petra R Rivera-Rideau | NONFICTION

Global superstar Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, like many other Puerto Ricans, has lived a life marked by public crises-blackouts, hurricanes, political corruption and oppression, among others-that have exposed the ongoing impacts of colonialism in Puerto Rico. Offering a portrait of the past and future of Puerto Rican resistance through one of its loudest and proudest voices, P FKN R draws on interviews with musicians, politicians, and journalists as well as ethnographic research to set Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican resistance in a historical, political, and cultural context. Authors Vanessa Díaz and Petra Rivera-Rideau-creators of the "Bad Bunny Syllabus"-demonstrate Bad Bunny's place in a long tradition of infusing both joy and protest into music and honor the many evolving forms of daily resistance to oppression and colonialism that are part of Puerto Rican life.

The Beasts of Winter: A Daggers of Ire Novel by J. C. Cervantes | CHILDREN’S

Fetch the fox is on his own.

Fetch is a weaver of magic, gifted with immense powers—but there is no one left to teach him how to master them. And no one to share his life with since the cruel Winter Queen, Celeste, cursed Fetch into a fox and abducted his beloved younger sister, Violet.

As Celeste awakens from her slumber to usher in Winter once more, she makes a stunning announcement: the Winter Palace—the very place where Violet is being held captive--will host a festival. With the palace's spelled protections down for just one evening, the opportunity to save his sister might finally be in Fetch's grasp. And so, with only Beckblade, a tiny yet fierce bone dragon, for company, he sets off on a treacherous rescue mission.

But what Fetch doesn't realize is that a dark and mysterious secret lies buried within him, one that could unravel everything. Can Fetch discover what plagues him before it leads to his ruin, and he loses Violet and their magic forever?

The Snips: Enter the Wigmaster! by Raul the Third & Elaine Bay | Illustrated by Raul the Third | GRAPHIC NOVEL

The Snips aren't your average heroes - Casco, Patty, Letty, Nubes, and Flealix the Dog make up Scissor City's beloved crew of crime-fighting, mystery-solving barbers! In their latest comic caper, The Snips take on the dastardly Wig Master and his wignions who are intent on nothing less than world domination, of course. Things start to look hairy, when Patty, Letty, and Nubes fall under the Wigmaster's hypnotic control. But never fear -- Casco and Flealix are on the case!

The Best Books of 2025 According to Latinx in Publishing

This challenging year we have found solace, escape, and inspiration in reading. Latinx authors brought it, and we’re excited to share our favorites of the year. Be sure to check out these titles and to look back through our blog for more incredible reads!

ART ABOVE EVERYTHING: ONE WOMAN’S GLOBAL EXPLORATION OF THE JOYS AND TORMENTS OF A CREATIVE LIFE BY STEPHANIE ELIZONDO GRIEST | ADULT NONFICTION

“Chicana author Stephanie Elizondo Griest traveled the world to bring us 100+ bold, stunning and gripping tales from artists around the world who talk intimately about their art—what it requires, what it gifts them and what art costs. No two are alike. They are writers, visual artists, dancers and musicians. Art is inheritance, dissent, devotion, revenge, celebration and more. Amazing read.”—Maria Ferrer, Events Director

MY TRAIN LEAVES AT THREE BY NATALIE GURRERO | ADULT FICTION

“A story about grief and rediscovering yourself. Xiomara Sanchez unexpectedly loses her sister and becomes numb to life. Then she comes across an amazing opportunity to audition for the Broadway Director of the moment, Manny Santos. This leads her through a series of events where she must face herself and the emotions that she has buried deep within her. I thought Guerrero did a beautiful job of depicting the messiness of pain and the difficult road towards healing. A love letter to Washington Heights, the dreams we all have within us, and the rough edges that make us human.”—Tiffany Gonzalez, Treasurer

THE UNWORTHY BY AUGUSTINA BAZTERRICA | ADULT FICTION

“Sequestered in a protective and violent convent, a member of the Sacred Sisterhood writes the story of her life and hides the evidence in her breast. Meanwhile, over the walls, the world is said to be ravaged and diseased, offering no salvation. Bazterrica writes a punishing novella for the times, expounding on our basic instincts for preservation, what pushes us to extremism. Perhaps most unsettlingly, she confirms I’m more than likely to end up in a cult.”—Andrea Morales, Writers Mentorship Co-director

THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ BY ISABEL CAÑAS | ADULT FICTION

“This historical gothic romance novel whisks you to 18 th century Zacatecas, México and then to a mysterious silver mine, where two compelling characters each searching for freedom from their families find themselves inexorably drawn to each other, even as it’s forbidden. It’s full of pining and lush, visceral prose. This wonderfully creepy tale is one you’ll want to cuddle up with on a cold, dark night.”—Toni Kirkpatrick, Chair

THIS IS THE ONLY KINGDOM BY JAQUIRA DÍAZ | ADULT FICTION

“Jaquira Díaz’s debut novel had me engrossed from the very first page, when a cane cutter discovers a body in the cañaverales. So begins an immersive and affecting origin story about one Puerto Rican family. Set between a working-class barrio on the island and Miami, the book largely follows Maricarmen and her daughter Nena as they struggle through a new reality in the aftermath of a murder. What I love most about this novel is how tenderly Díaz treats her characters. They make mistakes and are imperfect people, as we all are. Love itself is imperfect. A bonus is that each chapter in the book is also the title of a salsa song. As a reader, they felt like an invitation into the richness and power of the music genre’s storytelling.’’—Amaris Castillo, Volunteer and blogger

SILENCED VOICES: RECLAIMING MEMORIES FROM THE GUATEMALAN GENOCIDE BY PABLO LEON | YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL

“Guatemalan animator and author Pablo Leon’s action-filled graphic novel bridges two generations impacted by the Guatemalan genocide that took place from 1960-1996. Told through multiple first-person narratives, two US born brothers explore their heritage and family history while their immigrant mother who has hidden her traumatic past eventually shares her story. The alternating storylines and beautiful cinematic artwork work masterfully together, weaving in historical research and memories. I had never heard of this genocide that took place only a few decades ago, and it is an important reminder of how history (and genocide) repeat itself. Pablo Leon’s author-artist debut is a timely and historic story that I will never forget.”—Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel, Board Member

Author-Illustrator Jarod Roselló on Adventurous ‘Super Magic Boy’ series

Jarod Roselló’s adventure-filled graphic novel series Super Magic Boy centers two main characters. An energetic boy named Hugo, and his loyal best friend, Dino. Yes, a dinosaur named Dino. 

In I Am a Dinosaur — the first installment of the series for early readers — Hugo transforms into a dinosaur and wreaks havoc with Dino until it’s time to clean up their mess. In I Am a Space Tiger, the boy with a dark mop of hair crashes onto a strange new planet with Dino, in part to find the best birthday present for his mami. And in the latest installment, Hugo embarks on yet another adventure. This time, though, it’s to save his local library which has fallen under attack by an alien slime monster. Super Magic Boy: I Am a Slime Monster was just released from Random House Graphic.

In each Super Magic Boy book, this zany and adorable duo bring readers high energy, fun, and humor. Roselló told Latinx in Publishing that the idea behind the series actually began with his youngest son. “He was a very active, rambunctious kid,” the Cuban American author-illustrator recalled. “And he used to play this game where he would transform into things.” That game became a spark in Roselló’s mind. The cartoonist then began sketching a boy with a dinosaur puppet on his hand. Another version had the boy playing with a dinosaur. Yet another had the same character transforming into a dinosaur.

“I just started iterating off those ideas and landed on this idea — kind of a Calvin and Hobbeesque storyline about this boy and his stuffed dinosaur,” Roselló said. “And so I pitched it as: ‘Boy transforms into a dinosaur to play with his best friend dinosaur, and they go on rampaging adventures.’”

“For me, this (series) was a way to build a throwback to, ‘Hey, what about having fun?’ There’s still important, meaningful stuff taking place, but enjoying reading again, having fun, laughing with characters again.”

With Hugo’s transformations and the creatures he and Dino meet along the way, Super Magic Boy feels a bit fantastical. In the first installment, Hugo is at home minding his business when he comes across a blue stuffed dinosaur. He picks up the stuffed animal and gives it a tight hug. All of a sudden, the dinosaur appears to come alive and speaks. 

“You are a dinosaur!” Hugo cries.

“I am a dinosaur!” Dino replies. “And I can talk!”

From that point on, Dino speaks to and interacts with Hugo. In that way, the series feels a bit fantastical. Dino feels very much alive. Or not?

“This has come up a couple of times,” Roselló admits. “Kids are like, Is it imagination? Is it real? And I feel like when you’re a young kid, there’s no difference between those two things. When you’re playing, it feels real. You’re acting it out. So I kind of was like, ‘Let me just blur the line and not really explain it, and it’ll be fine.’”

In choosing a dinosaur for Hugo to be paired with, Roselló said he wanted to explore the idea that young boys are often thought of as monstrous and destructive. For Hugo, the transformation into a dinosaur is a way for him to embody his dinosaur-like self.

“That whole first book is really about how he’s more than one thing: he is a sweet kid who cares about his family, and he’s a dinosaur who rampages and destroys his own home,” Roselló spoke in reference to I Am a Dinosaur. “It’s not about suppressing his dinosaur self, but embracing the fact that he is both of those things at the same time. It was a little bit my attempt to think about: How do I materialize a metaphor for boyhood a little bit?”

One thing I loved about Super Magic Boy are the conversations between Hugo and Dino. Hugo is always asking Dino if he knows what certain words or concepts mean, like “rampage” and “mystery.” The answers are often funny. For example, in I Am a Space Tiger, Hugo defines the word “birthday” to Dino. “It means everyone you love gives you presents because you are still alive!” Hugo explains.

These nuanced explanations from the young boy were inspired by Roselló’s day job as a professor at the University of South Florida, as well as his role as a literacies researcher who has worked with children from 3 years old all the way through high school.

“I spend a lot of time with young kids, telling stories and drawing. Kids have a conceptual sense of what words are, and they understand them in a particular context,” he said. “My idea for those definitions was (that) Hugo would define them not like a dictionary, but in the context that made sense for his life. This is just how he understood what these words mean. So ‘transform’ means ‘you turn into a dinosaur,’ because that’s what he’s doing when he transforms in that book. That’s not what ‘transform’ always means, but in this context. That’s how I think kids come to learn word knowledge early on, is understanding it within a particular context as they perform it.”

In I Am a Slime Monster, Hugo heads to his library, eager to read the third book in a series he loves. But when he arrives, he finds his library soaked in green slime. A slime monster from outer space has taken over.

“Books help human brains grow!” the monster yells when confronted. “Without big brains, humans will be easy to conquer!”

Roselló lives in Florida, which was recently named No. 1 for book removals and restrictions in public schools for the third year in a row according to a report by PEN America. The author-illustrator said conversations about access to books for children had begun to take shape by the time he started writing I Am a Slime Monster. “I’m sure some of that just sort of seeped in, this idea that in order to take over humans and to make their brains smaller, he would destroy all the books to keep them from it. So it’s a little bit of a love letter to books.”

There’s an endearing sincerity that runs through Super Magic Boy. At its core, it’s about friendship, childhood adventures, and the beauty of one’s imagination. Roselló said he hopes the series shows children that reading can be fun, too. The publishing industry has seen a lot of adults’ hands in children’s books lately, he said, which make for beautiful books for grownups to read. But they’re maybe not as fun for kids to read. 

“For me, this (series) was a way to build a throwback to, Hey, what about having fun?” he said. “There’s still important, meaningful stuff taking place, but enjoying reading again, having fun, laughing with characters again.”

---

Jarod Roselló is a Cuban American writer, cartoonist, and teacher. He is the author of the middle-grade graphic novel Red Panda & Moon Bear, a Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library best book for young readers and a Nerdy Award winner for graphic novels. Jarod holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction, both from the Pennsylvania State University. Originally from Miami, he now lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, kids, and dogs, and teaches in the creative writing program at the University of South Florida.

Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist and writer. Her debut book, Bodega Stories, will be published in September 2026 from the University Press of Florida.

Zeke Peña on Depicting the Desert in Author-Ilustrator Debut, ‘Sundust’

Zeke Peña’s author-illustrator debut, Sundust, begins with the image of two siblings jumping over a rock wall to the other side.

He writes: “Where the rock wall ends, the desert beyond begins.”

Their adventure in the desert begins, over a bulldozer and an abandoned pickup truck, over ocotillos with their tall, spiny stems. The siblings climb and jump in el desierto, following their curiosities. They notice an old nopal tree and liken it to their mother, who they say is tough and prickly, too. They marvel at an ancient looming rock. They “feel the Sun’s tough love on our skin.”

In Sundust, Peña, the award-winning illustrator of Isabel Quintero’s My Papi Has a Motorcycle tells an immersive and fantastical tale of the connection between people and place. The inspiration behind the book is Peña’s own love for the desert that he grew up around. “I think it’s such a unique region, and it’s an area that requires resilience to live in,” he told Latinx in Publishing. “I wanted to honor that.”

Peña spoke with us about creating his highly anticipated author-illustrator debut, depicting the desert as its own character, and much more. Out now, Sundust and the Spanish edition, Polvo Solar, were published simultaneously.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Amaris Castillo: Congratulations on Sundust. I understand you grew up around a desert. What inspired this book?

Zeke Peña (ZP): The main thing is love for the desert, for the place that I came from, and for my people that come from there and people who live in desert areas. I think it’s such a unique region, and it’s an area that requires resilience to live in. I wanted to honor that.

On a personal level, being able to play in the desert when we were kids was a really special time. As I’ve gotten older, I realize how special that time was to learn things from being outside, and walking and running around. Even if you’re not from the desert and you’re from a different area and climate, there’s something there about how the places we come from shape us, and how they provide us with a sense of belonging that I think young people now are sometimes a little distant from. 

I’ll speak specifically to my community. As El Paso gets more developed and as things continue with what’s going on in the country, a lot of the focus is on the border. Everything is centered around that, so all of the attention is centered around that — not only for people who are outside of our community, but for our young people inside our community. I’ve gone into schools and I’ve talked with young people about our river. Their only understanding of the river is of it being a border. What does that do to our person? And what does that do to our community and our relationship with the place that we’re from? Unfortunately, it sometimes distances us. While I’m proud of being from the border, I also think it’s really important to remind ourselves that the place that we’re in existed before there was a border there. And so how does that place — with the animal and plant friends that live there as well — shape us?

AC: As a child growing up in El Paso who played in the desert, how did you view the desert as a child?

ZP: I haven’t had the opportunity to elaborate on this yet since making this book, so I appreciate the question. As most young people who have the opportunity and the privilege of living in one place, I don’t think that I had the objectivity to know anything else. What I knew was dirt and rocks, and it being very hot — and running around in a place where there’s a lot of sky. That was something that I was really aware of: the sky and how big the sky is. The sky, for me, was really a place for imagination. Early drafts of the story focused on this idea of being bored of the place that I am from. It can be a really boring place. So that idea of the sky being a place where you’re encouraged to imagine, I think, was special. 

A moment in the book that comes later is around sunset… it’s a quiet time. As people living anywhere, we acknowledge sunset in a special way that makes us inherently feel more quiet and calm. That was something that always stayed with me and resonated throughout my life, was spending time around sunset to be quiet and to acknowledge the beauty that is in the sky.

“Even if you’re not from the desert and you’re from a different area and climate, there’s something there about how the places we come from shape us, and how they provide us with a sense of belonging that I think young people now are sometimes a little distant from. ”

AC: You have illustrated books by notable authors like Isabel Quintero and Jason Reynolds. But this is your debut as the creator of both the text and the illustrations. How was it to be in charge of both, and in ushering this book to life?

ZP: It was really difficult for me. It took me a long time to adjust my frame of thinking. It was like double pressure: I was creating my second picture book, and there was the pressure of following up something that was received really well by the community and by publishing in general. It was also the first time that it would be my voice in the book. Having worked with other creatives, I have the skill of being able to prioritize someone else’s voice. It’s a good trait to have as an illustrator. But it took me a little bit to make that adjustment of centering my own voice. Personally, I had a hard time with getting to that place of being confident with what I was putting on the page. 

I’ve been writing comics and writing poetry for a really long time, but it wasn’t necessarily something that I was focused on. It was also work that I would often self-publish… So it was nice to revisit that thinking and find the workflow. That was the most difficult thing; I was so used to having Isabel in the room because we had worked on a couple of things before. It’s very collaborative and conversational, and we’re bouncing ideas off of each other… After getting to a place where I felt confident, after rewriting so many different drafts and redrawing things, I was able to get good with what’s on the page. I feel like I was able to work through that so that I can continue doing it and make more books.

AC: The desert, of course, is its own character in Sundust. What considerations did you make when figuring out how to depict it on the page? The desert is such a big character. It’s like a third character.

ZP: That was the tough part. There are so many different characteristics to the desert. Obviously, not every desert looks the same. I’m from what’s referred to as the Chihuahuan Desert, and there are specific plants that grow there. Because this book is fantastic, I stretched it; some of the plants that are in the book don’t look like where we’re from. It’s an exaggerated kind of reality in the book. Some of those plants are really unique to the area. For example, creosote, also referred to as “gobernadora,” is used as a sacred plant. It’s utilized in different ways, but it’s also the plant that gives the rain a very special smell. If you have people from El Paso, they’ll know the smell.

The considerations I made were including things that would have that special memory or that special connection to the place. Or things that are not alive, like the rock wall; we have really unique walls that look a very particular way in that area. And so how do I summon something that’s going to resonate with the people who are also where I’m from? That was the main consideration.

AC: What do you hope readers take away from Sundust?
ZP: To have the curiosity to get outside of where you are on a daily basis — if you’re inside and have space where you can be outside, because some folks live in areas that are mostly city or they don’t have access to outdoor spaces. Try to slow down a little bit, go for walks and pay attention to the things that are around us. We all have access to the sun. To pay attention to where the sun comes up and where the sun goes down. But I think just wild imagination, to dream wildly and to think of fantastic things.

---

Zeke Peña is a Xicano storyteller and professional doodler from Sun City, TX. Sundust, his author-illustrator debut, hits shelves in Summer 2025. He recently illustrated the New York Times bestselling Miles Morales Suspended: A Spider-Man Novel. Zeke was awarded the Ezra Jack Keats and the Pura Belpré Illustration Honor for My Papi Has a Motorcycle. He also received the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for his illustrations in Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide. He is currently drawing more books in his tiny studio that used to be a mop closet in NW Arkansas.

Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist and writer. Her debut book, Bodega Stories, will be published in September 2026 from the University Press of Florida. 

Most Anticipated December 2025 Releases

Here it is, our final list of most anticipated books for 2025!🪩 As our days slow down and we take a moment to unwind and reflect, consider picking up any of these December releases for the final read of the year. ( If you’re still completing your holiday shopping, make sure to check out this and all our monthly lists for the perfect gift.🎁) Happy reading!

Marayrasu by Edgardo Rivera Martínez | Translated by Amy Olen | SHORT STORIES

The stories in Marayrasu stage fantastical, mysterious encounters that belie the characters' often harsh economic and political realities as they seek belonging in modern Peru through art, music, and relationships. Depicted in poetic prose, these characters are loners, orphans, and outcasts experiencing quiet, tender encounters with other people and animals, the creative arts, and the land they find themselves depending on. Living vibrantly within these stories, the leviathan of Inca lore considers its own form, a young boy moves to a mining town and gets involved with a local union leader's fight for worker rights while feeling the powerful pull of a large mountain overlooking the town, and a Persian cat captures the attention of a family down on its luck. Amy Olen's translation smoothly captures Rivera Martínez's impressive stories, offering a unique lens into the region at the heart of this canonical author's inimitable work.

The Jaguar's Roar by Micheliny Verunschk | Translated by Juliana Barbassa | ADULT FICTION

In 1817, two German scientists traveled across Brazil and into the Amazon gathering flora and fauna to study and display in Europe. Among the collection they brought to the Bavarian court were two Indigenous children.

The children's images became widespread, satisfying European curiosity about the distant land they came from. But little was known about the children themselves. Despite the scientists' detailed records about many of the plant and animal specimens, they only noted the children's tribes: the girl was a Miranha, and the boy, a Juri. After a few months, the children died in Germany, far from anyone who knew their names.

The Jaguar's Roar, a spellbinding poetic novel told in many voices, imagines the children's journey and a modern Brazilian woman's effort to counter their disappearance from history.

In her award-winning fifth novel, Micheliny Verunschk inhabits the fictional perspective of the Miranha girl, of the jaguar she conjures for protection, of the German scientists who determine her fate, and of the two rivers that frame her life. Intertwined in this narrative is a story of Brazil's suppression of its Indigenous history, and of a young woman named Josefa, a newcomer unmoored in the megacity of São Paulo, who identifies with the girl after seeing her image in an exhibit and tries to recover the child's voice and story.

In Juliana Barbassa's vivid translation, Verunshuk's lyrical sentences carry the reader through a powerful exploration of memory, colonialism, and belonging, and make a lasting contribution to world literature.

Galápagos by Fátima Vélez | Translated by Hannah Kauders | ADULT FICTION

Lorenzo is a painter who doesn’t paint. He spends his days watching Jeanne Moreau films, luxuriating in his partner Juan B’s bed, and swapping letters with his lovers. Then, one day, his nail falls off. Then another nail, then all of them. Thus begins a journey of decomposition that carries him from Colombia to Paris, from Paris to the French countryside, and on a final journey to the Galápagos Archipelago.

As they cruise the islands on a custom-made ship, Lorenzo and his friends and lovers drink, swap stories, and feast gluttonously, even as their bodies succumb to an unspeakable disease. In this contemporary plague novel, rife with pathos and humor, ailing bodies are torn between desire and decay, lust and friendship, creativity and destruction. Vélez revolutionizes the novel form, pushing language to its extreme as she tests the limits of how we understand illness, sexuality, the body, and what it means to make art in the face of our own mortality.

We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope Edited by Malka Older, Annalee Newitz, Karen Lord | SHORT STORIES

In this collection, editors Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older champion realistic, progressive social change using the speculative stories of writers across the world. Exploring topics ranging from disability justice and environmental activism to community care and collective worldbuilding, these imaginative pieces from writers such as NK Jemisin, Charlie Jane Anders, Alejandro Heredia, Sam J. Miller, Nisi Shawl, and Sabrina Vourvoulias center solidarity, empathy, hope, joy, and creativity.

Each story is grounded within a broader sociopolitical framework using essays and interviews from movement leaders, including adrienne maree brown and Walidah Imarisha, charting the future history of protest, revolutions, and resistance with the same zeal for accuracy that speculative writers normally bring to science and technology. Using the vehicle of ambitious storytelling, We Will Rise Again offers effective tools for organizing, an unflinching interrogation of the status quo, and a blueprint for prefiguring a different world.

Sea Salt and Coffee Beans by Grace Santamaria | ADULT FICTION

When Sofia loses her coveted job, her American dream is on the line. With her U.S. work visa hanging by a thread, a job interview at a top Miami marketing firm is her last shot at staying in the country. But as she navigates the high-stakes competition, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her chief rival for the position—charming and ambitious Esteban.

Esteban embodies the glamorous Miami lifestyle Sofia has always admired, and he's unbothered by their rivalry. But for Sofia, everything is at stake. She can’t bring herself to tell him how much this job means to her, nor that her future depends on securing it. With her visa expiring, mounting family pressures, and bills piling up, Sofia faces an impossible choice: win the job, or risk returning to a life she fought so hard to leave behind.

Can Sofia claim the career—and the love—she longs for, or will her dreams slip through her fingers just as they're within reach?

December 2025 Latinx Releases

ON SALE DECEMBER 2

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal | ADULT FICTION

When Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party but bails at the last minute, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, they realize they don’t have protection and Stella, taking it as a sign this wasn't meant to be, flees.

Frustrated in more ways than one, Stella is shocked to learn that the digital media website where she works is partnering with an AI company. She's even more shocked when the alluring man from the previous night walks in. Max Williams is the CEO's brother and the creator of the AI program now threatening her job. 

Despite the conflict of interest, Stella and Max can't resist their magnetic attraction toward each other, and agree to keep their personal lives separate from what’s happening at work. But the more similarities they discover at home—both Black, book smart, and bisexual—the more they butt heads at work. Stella and Max must decide whether to think with their heads and walk away from their budding relationship, or follow their hearts and take a chance on love, no matter the cost.

The Jaguar's Roar by Micheliny Verunschk | Translated by Juliana Barbassa | ADULT FICTION

In 1817, two German scientists traveled across Brazil and into the Amazon gathering flora and fauna to study and display in Europe. Among the collection they brought to the Bavarian court were two Indigenous children.

The children's images became widespread, satisfying European curiosity about the distant land they came from. But little was known about the children themselves. Despite the scientists' detailed records about many of the plant and animal specimens, they only noted the children's tribes: the girl was a Miranha, and the boy, a Juri. After a few months, the children died in Germany, far from anyone who knew their names.

The Jaguar's Roar, a spellbinding poetic novel told in many voices, imagines the children's journey and a modern Brazilian woman's effort to counter their disappearance from history.

Galápagos by Fátima Vélez | Translated by Hannah Kauders | ADULT FICTION

Lorenzo is a painter who doesn’t paint. He spends his days watching Jeanne Moreau films, luxuriating in his partner Juan B’s bed, and swapping letters with his lovers. Then, one day, his nail falls off. Then another nail, then all of them. Thus begins a journey of decomposition that carries him from Colombia to Paris, from Paris to the French countryside, and on a final journey to the Galápagos Archipelago.

As they cruise the islands on a custom-made ship, Lorenzo and his friends and lovers drink, swap stories, and feast gluttonously, even as their bodies succumb to an unspeakable disease. In this contemporary plague novel, rife with pathos and humor, ailing bodies are torn between desire and decay, lust and friendship, creativity and destruction. Vélez revolutionizes the novel form, pushing language to its extreme as she tests the limits of how we understand illness, sexuality, the body, and what it means to make art in the face of our own mortality.

Meet the Smushkins by Claudia Rueda | Illustrated by Claudia Rueda | PICTURE BOOK

The Smushkins are looking for a house, but what makes a good house for the Smushkins? They all agree: there must be lots of light, a big table everyone can sit on to look out the window, and an apple tree for making pies. Oh, and a playground, puddles to jump in, an ice cream cart, and so much more! But most of all, a good house for the Smushkins is a house full of Smushkins! Kicking off a delightful concept board book series, this boldly illustrated, giftable picture book introduces a family of characters so adorable, so goofy, and so lovable that readers of all ages can’t help but feel that they’ve known them forever.

The Last Vampire by Romina Garber | YOUNG ADULT

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?

We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, and Hope Edited by Malka Older, Annalee Newitz, Karen Lord | SHORT STORIES

In this collection, editors Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, and Malka Older champion realistic, progressive social change using the speculative stories of writers across the world. Exploring topics ranging from disability justice and environmental activism to community care and collective worldbuilding, these imaginative pieces from writers such as NK Jemisin, Charlie Jane Anders, Alejandro Heredia, Sam J. Miller, Nisi Shawl, and Sabrina Vourvoulias center solidarity, empathy, hope, joy, and creativity.

Each story is grounded within a broader sociopolitical framework using essays and interviews from movement leaders, including adrienne maree brown and Walidah Imarisha, charting the future history of protest, revolutions, and resistance with the same zeal for accuracy that speculative writers normally bring to science and technology. Using the vehicle of ambitious storytelling, We Will Rise Again offers effective tools for organizing, an unflinching interrogation of the status quo, and a blueprint for prefiguring a different world.

Sea Salt and Coffee Beans by Grace Santamaria | ADULT FICTION

When Sofia loses her coveted job, her American dream is on the line. With her U.S. work visa hanging by a thread, a job interview at a top Miami marketing firm is her last shot at staying in the country. But as she navigates the high-stakes competition, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her chief rival for the position—charming and ambitious Esteban.

Esteban embodies the glamorous Miami lifestyle Sofia has always admired, and he's unbothered by their rivalry. But for Sofia, everything is at stake. She can’t bring herself to tell him how much this job means to her, nor that her future depends on securing it. With her visa expiring, mounting family pressures, and bills piling up, Sofia faces an impossible choice: win the job, or risk returning to a life she fought so hard to leave behind.

Can Sofia claim the career—and the love—she longs for, or will her dreams slip through her fingers just as they're within reach?

ON SALE DECEMBER 9

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures--The Training Sessions by Dave Scheidt & Daniel José Older | Illustrated by Andy Duggan, Dan Jackson, Comicraft | CHILDREN’S

In a galaxy far, far away, three Jedi younglings travel the stars in search of adventure….

Follow Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs as they set off on missions across the galaxy to learn the ways of the Force! Aboard the Crimson Firehawk — piloted by their friend, Nash Durango, and her trusty droid companion RJ-83 — the younglings seek out new missions and challenges that require their Jedi skills!

In this volume, Kai, Lys, and Nubs race Wookiees to climb the tallest trees on Kashyyyk; Nubs and Jedi padawan Qort rush to rescue a Republic ship from disaster; and the younglings go on a scavenger hunt in a stinky swamp full of monsters!

ON SALE DECEMBER 16

Marayrasu by Edgardo Rivera Martínez | Translated by Amy Olen | SHORT STORIES

The stories in Marayrasu stage fantastical, mysterious encounters that belie the characters' often harsh economic and political realities as they seek belonging in modern Peru through art, music, and relationships. Depicted in poetic prose, these characters are loners, orphans, and outcasts experiencing quiet, tender encounters with other people and animals, the creative arts, and the land they find themselves depending on. Living vibrantly within these stories, the leviathan of Inca lore considers its own form, a young boy moves to a mining town and gets involved with a local union leader's fight for worker rights while feeling the powerful pull of a large mountain overlooking the town, and a Persian cat captures the attention of a family down on its luck. Amy Olen's translation smoothly captures Rivera Martínez's impressive stories, offering a unique lens into the region at the heart of this canonical author's inimitable work.

ON SALE DECEMBER 23

Human Agency in a Digital World: Understand technology and make it work for you by Marcus Fontoura | NONFICTION

Human Agency in a Digital World is a book about reclaiming our role—not as passengers, but as pilots—in the fast-moving journey of technological change. Written by a computer scientist who is also a father, a teacher, and a lifelong student of how things work, this book is a deeply personal and accessible guide to the systems shaping our lives—and how we might shape them back.

We are surrounded by digital agents. They suggest the next song, answer our questions, sort our emails, recommend what to watch, and—often invisibly—shape what we think. But what do we know about them? And how much power do we really have to question, understand, or even redirect their impact?

In this book, Marcus Fontoura explores the hidden architectures of modern life—from social media and search engines to cloud computing, AI, and quantum technologies—uncovering both how they work and what they mean. Drawing from decades of experience building the backbone of the internet and cloud platforms, he demystifies the core concepts that govern today's systems and offers readers a way to develop digital fluency without needing a computer science degree.

ON SALE DECEMBER 30

Song of Ancient Lovers by Laura Restrepo | Translated by Caro De Robertis | ADULT FICTION

Retelling the mythical love story between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon in the refugee camps of the present day, Song of Ancient Lovers is a sublime ode to love and desire as forces shaping human history, with power that rivals forces of destruction.

Ethereal in its weaving of the real and the mythical, the contemporary and the ancient, this is the story of Bos Mutas, a young writer traveling from South America to northern Africa in search of traces of his obsession. His research unveils the Queen of Sheba as unyielding and committed to her independence, with remarkable influence both in her time—over Solomon and all the subjects in her expansive kingdom—and on thinkers and artists across the centuries, from Thomas Aquinas to Gérard de Nerval, Frida Kahlo to Patti Smith. He also finds traces of her influence in the magic made of devastating circumstances by women he meets on his journey, especially Zahra Bayda, a Somali midwife who has taken it upon herself to show him around.