July is here and so are some good reads. Below are the latest additions to my reading list; each one with it’s one unique attraction. Whether a memoir that touches on the supernatural or a fiction read that is far from the ordinary, this list is my idea of a summer party.
THE MAN WHO COULD MOVE CLOUDS: A Memoir | by Ingrid Rojas Contreras | On Sale July 12, 2022
A good memoir is a staple for every reading list, so when I heard about The Man Who Could Move Clouds, it was an instant add to my TBR. This is a story about magic and not just figuratively. Rojas Contreras was raised amid the political violence of 1980s and ’90s Colombia, in a house filled with her mother’s fortune-telling clients. Her maternal grandfather was a well-known curandero with the power to talk to the dead, tell the future, treat the sick, and move the clouds. Yes, this is NOT a fiction book. —Rojas Contreras always felt distant from this part of her history, until a head injury left her with amnesia. After having only regained partial memory, she goes on a journey to Colombia with her mother, who to her surprise experienced a very similar path. In her quest to relearn her past, she uncovers a family divide that dates back to her Indigenous and Spanish roots. A story about the power of storytelling and healing; with the help of not only the past, but also the unimaginable. This is a book that is sure to leave the reader enchanted with every turn of the page.
CRYING IN THE BATHROOM: A Memoir | by Erika L. Sánchez | On Sale July 12, 2022
I know, another memoir, but after the high acclaim of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (currently being adapted for the screen by America Ferrera,) this is simply a must read. In a series of essays, Sánchez writes about topics that are of great interest to me: sex, self-awareness, mental health, feminism (with very blunt thoughts on white feminism…I’m here for it) and many more insightful ideas that I’m curious to dive into. A book that will have you feeling like you’ve been having conversations with Sánchez for years.
THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU | BY Silvia Moreno-Garcia | ON SALE JULY 19, 2022
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia brings us yet another story that is bound to be a page-turner. I’ve been anticipating this for quite awhile as it is different from anything that I’ve read before. Set in nineteenth-century Mexico, in a distant and luxuriant estate, away from the Yucatán peninsula, a mad scientist, Dr. Moreau, his daughter, his assistant and the people he genetically engineered live in harmony. —That is until the abrupt arrival of the careless son of Dr. Moreau’s patrons, Eduardo Lizalde. Monsters, history, action, romance; a total blend of genres, this without a doubt will be a wild ride.
Twice a Quinceañera: A Delightful Second Chance Romance | by Yamile Saied Méndez | ON SALE July 26, 2022
I am a firm believer in always having a romance book accessible, for the days when the world becomes a little too heavy. Cue in the upcoming release from the author that brought us Furia, Yamile Saied Méndez. —Let me set the scene: a woman is about get married and turn 30, but turns out her fiancé is a cheater. Womp. The good thing is that instead of drowning in sorrow, she decides to celebrate her birthday by using her already paid for wedding venue to throw herself a Quinceañera! Genius. Single, making moves and living her best life, until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than her college fling. Uh oh (or is it?!) Lighthearted, fun and filled with good energy. This is just what the doctor recommends on a rainy day.
Why Didn't You Tell Me?: A Memoir | by Carmen Rita Wong | On sale July 12, 2022
Okay, so maybe I have a thing for memoirs but I really enjoy reading about people’s journeys. Especially, a journey that leads to self-discoveries and revelations. —A former national television host, advice columnist, and professor, Carmen Rita Wong has written about her search for answers and quest to belong. Torn between identities and deciphering her new White suburban American life, Wong’s relationship with her mother becomes full of tension and conflict. Much later in life secrets are revealed that unravel Wong’s life. Though filled with clarity, she’s still left with many more questions, upon her mothers death. A story about identity and what defines us. This one that will leave us all in deep thought.
Tiffany Gonzalez is the Marketing Manager at Astra House. She previously worked in Production at HarperCollins Publishers. She has worked on the Publicity and Marketing campaign for Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva and on the Marketing campaigns for Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell, The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekiyamah and The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela. She has earned her Bachelors and Master's degrees from Rutgers University - NB. She is Dominican-American and fluid in Spanish. You can follow her on Instagram @wandering_tiff_ or visit her website at wanderingtiff.com
