Book Review: Chingona by Alma Zaragoza-Petty

Chingona: Owning Your Inner Badass for Healing Justice is the self help book that latinx women, non-binary, and female identifying people have needed. It weaves together the history of a derogatory term with lessons on how to unlock your inner badass to reclaim the term “chingona”.

Historically, “chingona” is a vulgar term that is used to degrade women for being too aggressive or out of control. This word highlights the juxtaposition of gender roles as the masculine version of this word, “chingon,” is actually a compliment for men that describes them as intelligent, cool, and even a badass. There has been a movement to reclaim “chingona” and reassign its meaning to a positive one.

Zaragoza-Petty provides context of this empowering self help journey by explaining chingona history. This valuable history lesson sets the stage by highlighting how far back gender roles date in history and the tie to colonialism. La Malinche was a Nahua woman and a prominent historical figure due to her role as Hernan Cortes’ translator. Zaragoza-Petty recognizes her as the first chingona. Although La Malinche was a valuable asset to the Spaniards because she was fluent in Maya-Yucaeca and Nahuatyl, which were the two major languages in the region at that time, she was gifted to Cortes. At this time Spainards were doing everything they could to destroy indigenous land and traditions and replace them with their own. So when La Malinche gave birth to her son, Martin Cortes, he inherited two new titles; mestizo and chingon. Mestizo is a label for people that are mixed race (Spanish and Indigenous) while chingon, in this context, means fatherless (similar to “bastard”). The roots of these words were labels that became verbal weapons to other people.

““Chingona: Owning Your Inner Badass for Healing Justice” is the self help book that latinx women, non-binary, and female identifying people have needed. It weaves together the history of a derogatory term with lessons on how to unlock your inner badass to reclaim the term “chingona”.”

There are consistent history lessons embedded into the book that provide context for the healing that one needs to have before unlocking their inner badass or chingona. My favorite part of the book is that Zaragoza-Petty closes a gap by directing the self help lessons towards the BIPOC community. This is done by acknowledging that labels such as chingona have a hurtful history that represents colonialism and racism from the past. This is different from many self help books as they typically are geared towards white populations. Therefore, the advice in these books are not relevant to BIPOC communities, which ultimately excludes a major population that are in need of healing and self help content.

As a Mexican cis woman, I related to this self help book so much. One of the most important and valuable messages Zaragoza-Petty delivered was the need to heal before working on yourself. There is generational trauma that gets passed down because our ancestors have had to survive to pave a path forward, during a time that was heavily based on colonialism, patriarchal norms, and racism. This is a battle that is still ongoing today and can be exhausting for BIPOC communities. Therefore, hearing that it’s okay and even necessary to heal before embarking a self help journey is extremely comforting. Zaragoza-Petty also acknowledges that anyone can be a chingona. In fact she claims that nonbinary, femme identifying, and queer folks are “some of the baddest chingonas; they’ve had to be.” I love the inclusivity of this statement because these are other populations that self help books tend to exclude, especially when discussing feminism.

The meat of this book are the lessons on how to be a chingona. These lessons are drilled in by repeating the phrase “To be a chingona means to be ____”. Zaragoza-Petty fills in the blanks with words like “authentic”, “finding another way to be a leader”, “noticing deep spiritual wounds from our childhood”, “reclaiming your roots by telling your own story”, and more. There are a wide range of lessons in this book that factor in healing and growth. 

Zaragoza-Petty is a talented chingona who was able to join a historic movement of reclaiming the term and changing the direction towards empowerment. This is a great book to read to start off the new year and a great guide on how to own your identity.

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Alma Zaragoza-Petty, PhD, is a Mexicana social justice advocate and scholar who teaches equity to create change. Born in Los Angeles but raised in Acapulco, Mexico, for much of her childhood, she is the daughter of immigrant parents and a first-generation high school and college graduate. Zaragoza-Petty has a master's degree in counseling and a doctorate in education and has worked in higher education for more than twenty years. She has served as an academic advisor, as a professor, and in research and evaluation for a nonprofit organization. She is co-founder of Prickly Pear Collective, a trauma-informed, faith-based community organization and cohost of The Red Couch Podcast with her partner, hip-hop artist Propaganda.

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

Book Review: The Neapolitan Sisters by Margo Candela

The Neapolitan Sisters by Margo Candela is a character study on how culture and trauma shapes women. A dissection into the strained but loving family dynamic between three adult sisters who have long grown apart, the women are brought together again for the youngest’s wedding. As they spend time together in their childhood home the sisters’ separate lives become more enmeshed, mirroring their girlhood. Candela excels at painting clear portraits of each protagonist, all of whom glow with unique voices, views, and spirits while maintaining the unified characteristics of sisters raised in the same bedroom.

The novel opens on the youngest Maritza, on the cusp of 30 and determined to be married to her disinterested finance. Strong willed and opinionated, Maritza’s life working at a beverage company and living with her parents is contrasted by that of middle sister Claudia. The most successful of her family, Claudia is a movie producer buckling under the weight of her relationships, newly emerging health issues, and role as the surrogate head of the family. Claudia convinces their flighty and untethered eldest sister Ducina to travel in from San Francisco for the wedding, despite Ducina’s tense relationship with the family. Now a recovered alcoholic, Ducina sets out on a road trip home, intent on proving herself a newly self-sustainable woman.

The novel explores themes of renewal, with each sister having to contend and break out of the preconceived judgements they hold against each other as they begin to see one another in new light. The chapters alternate between their perspectives, which strengthen their identities as well-rounded characters. In comparison the novel’s extended cast, such as the sister’s parents, Claduia’s boyfriend, and Maritza’s fiance and his family, feel one dimensional in view of the protagonists. Often the side characters function as caricatured hurdles for the sisters to overcome—an overbearing mother, a jealous mother-in-law, a slimy finance—then as characters with internal lives and struggles. As a consequence, more morally ambiguous actions made by the protagonists are often left unmarred by deeper criticism by anyone but the sisters, causing their world to feel condensed to only their judgments and opinions.

While the sisters do contend with relationships outside of the ones they have with each other, the true love story of the novel is between the three women, whose distinct and often contrasting personalities find refuge in their unconditional love. The novel is at its best when the sisters are all together, capturing the wonderful playfulness of adult siblings’ habit of age regressing when together. Scenes of Maritza, Claudia, and Ducina crowded in their childhood bedroom as adults shine the brightest.

Overall, The Neapolitan Sisters succeeds as a love letter to sisterhood, womanhood, and the journey of breaking out of familial expectation. Biting and funny, it’s carried by its main trio of complex and unapologetic women.

“Overall, “The Neapolitan Sisters” succeeds as a love letter to sisterhood, womanhood, and the journey of breaking out of familial expectation. Biting and funny, it’s carried by its main trio of complex and unapologetic women.”

Access the book club kit here.

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Margo Candela was born and raised in Los Angeles and began her writing career when she joined Glendale Community College’s student newspaper. She transferred to San Francisco State University as a journalism major, and upon graduation began writing for websites and magazines before writing her first two novels, Underneath It All and Life Over Easy. She returned to Los Angeles to raise her son and wrote More Than This and Good-bye to All That. The Neapolitan Sisters is her fifth novel and her first after a decade-long hiatus from writing. She now lives in San Francisco. Learn more at MargoCandela.com.

Nikkia Rivera is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. She has previously been published in Thriller Magazine and Scarlet Leaf Magazine.

March 2023 Latinx Releases

ON SALE MARCH 7

Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter by Aida Salazar; Illustrator Molly Mendoza| PICTURE BOOK

Jovita dreamed of wearing pants! She hated the big skirts Abuela made her wear. She wanted to scale the tallest mesquite tree on her rancho, ride her horse, and feel the wind curl her face into a smile

When her father and brothers joined the Cristero War to fight for religious freedom, Jovita wanted to go, too. Forbidden, she defied her father's rules—and society's—and found a clever way to become a trailblazing revolutionary, wearing pants!

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez | FICTION

The Ramirez women of Staten Island orbit around absence. When thirteen-year-old middle child Ruthy disappeared after track practice without a trace, it left the family scarred and scrambling. One night, twelve years later, oldest sister Jessica spots a woman on her TV screen in Catfight, a raunchy reality show. She rushes to tell her younger sister, Nina: This woman's hair is dyed red, and she calls herself Ruby, but the beauty mark under her left eye is instantly recognizable. Could it be Ruthy, after all this time?

The years since Ruthy's disappearance haven't been easy on the Ramirez family. It's 2008, and their mother, Dolores, still struggles with the loss, Jessica juggles a newborn baby with her hospital job, and Nina, after four successful years at college, has returned home to medical school rejections and is forced to work in the mall folding tiny bedazzled thongs at the lingerie store.

After seeing maybe-Ruthy on their screen, Jessica and Nina hatch a plan to drive to where the show is filmed in search of their long-lost sister. When Dolores catches wind of their scheme, she insists on joining, along with her pot-stirring holy roller best friend, Irene. What follows is a family road trip and reckoning that will force the Ramirez women to finally face the past and look toward a future—with or without Ruthy in it.

ON SALE MARCH 14

Amcient Night by David Bowles; Illustrator David Alvarez | PICTURE BOOK

Ancient Night is a twist on two Nahuatl traditions: the rabbit which the Feathered Serpent placed on the moon, and Yaushu, the Lord Opossum who ruled the earth before humans came, and who stole fire from the gods to create the sun. David Bowles displays his immense talent with full-color illustrations for the first time.

Will also be available in Spanish: Noche Antigua [9781646142545]

Aniana Del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez | MIDDLE GRADE

Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani's stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most--and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.

ON SALE MARCH 21

Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia | YOUNG ADULT

A scorned god.
A mysterious acolyte.
A forgetting drug.
A dangerous forest.

One girl caught between the freedom she always wanted and a sister she can't bear to leave behind.

An edge-of-your-seat fantasy about a girl who will do anything to protect her sister—even if it means striking a dangerous bargain. Dark forces, forgotten magic, and a heart-stopping queer romance.

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores | YOUNG ADULT

A queer Rapunzel retelling. Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava has been trapped in her house. Her mother Eugenia needs her: Ava still has her witch powers, and Eugenia must take them in order to hide that she's a vampire as well. Desperate to escape her confinement and stop her mother's plans to destroy the town, Ava must break out, flee to the forest, and seek help from the vampires who live there. When there is another attack, she sees her opportunity and escapes.

Kaye, now at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing any vampires that threaten the town, including Ava. On the night that Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces her to travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in. Ava agrees, hoping to rekindle their old friendship, and the romantic feelings she'd started to have for Kaye before that terrible night.

But with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other's greatest threat―and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed.

Too Soon for Adiós by Annette Chavez Macias | ADULT

No one expects to meet their father at their mother's funeral. But for Gabby Medina, that's exactly what happens. Her dad abandoned her when she was a baby, and now he's back.

And he wants to give her a house.

Gabby doesn't want the house—or him. But she could use the money. So Gabby agrees to take it under two conditions: First, she can sell the house whenever she wants. Second, accepting it doesn't mean she accepts him.

After they strike a deal, Gabby hires a contractor in preparation for a quick sale. But as she gets to know the town and these two new men in her life, she learns more about herself than she ever dared to think possible.

But is she ready to open herself up to the truth of what happened—and the promise of what could be?

Brighter Than the Sun by Daniel Aleman | YOUNG ADULT

Every morning, sixteen-year-old Sol wakes up at the break of dawn in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico and makes the trip across the border to go to school in the United States. Though the commute is exhausting, this is the best way to achieve her dream: becoming the first person in her family to go to college.

When her family's restaurant starts struggling, Sol must find a part-time job in San Diego to help her dad put food on the table and pay the bills. But her complicated school and work schedules on the US side of the border mean moving in with her best friend and leaving her family behind.
With her life divided by an international border, Sol must come to terms with the loneliness she hides, the pressure she feels to succeed for her family, and the fact that the future she once dreamt of is starting to seem unattainable. Mostly, she'll have to grapple with a secret she's kept even from herself: that maybe she's relieved to have escaped her difficult home life, and a part of her may never want to return.

ON SALE MARCH 28

Into the Light by Mark Oshiro | YOUNG ADULT

It's been one year since Manny was cast out of his family and driven into the wilderness of the American Southwest. Since then, Manny lives by self-taught rules that keep him moving and keep him alive. Now, he's taking a chance on a traveling situation with the Varela family, whose attractive but surly son, Carlos, seems to promise a new future.

Eli abides by the rules of his family, living in a secluded community that raised him to believe his obedience will be rewarded. But an unsettling question slowly eats away at Eli's once unwavering faith in Reconciliation: Why can't he remember his past?

But the reported discovery of an unidentified body in the hills of Idyllwild, California, will draw both of these young men into facing their biggest fears and confronting their own identity and who they are allowed to be.

Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz | YOUNG ADULT

Seventeen-year-old goth Sevim Burgos hates elves. Everyone else on earth loves the elves (especially their handsome princes) and would give anything to participate in Eterna's annual Exchange, where three teens can trade their dreams for a week of elven magic.

But Sevim knows things most people don't. She can see through the illusions the elves use to conceal their crimes. Ever since elves killed her father, Sevim has longed for revenge. So to help support her single mother, she has been selling abandoned elf corpses on the black market.

But it turns out that the elf prince Aro has noticed Sevim bodysnatching, so he kidnaps her mother in retaliation. To get her mother back, Sevim must participate in the Exchange.

In the home of the elves, Sevim will have to surrender her dreams and put her trust in the charming prince who took the last family member she has in order to master the art of elf magic. And in working with him, she will discover how the royal elves might be more tied to her own history than she ever suspected.

Saints of the Household by Ari Tison | YOUNG ADULT

Max and Jay have always depended on one another for their survival. Growing up with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned that the only way to protect themselves and their mother is to stick to a schedule and keep their heads down.

But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, instinct takes over and they intervene, breaking up a fight and beating their high school's star soccer player to a pulp. This act of violence threatens the brothers' dreams for the future and their beliefs about who they are. As the true details of that fateful afternoon unfold over the course of the novel, Max and Jay grapple with the weight of their actions, their shifting relationship as brothers, and the realization that they may be more like their father than they thought. They'll have to reach back to their Bribri roots to find their way forward.

Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees by Lulu Delacre | PICTURE BOOK

As he works with his young granddaughter to nurture a potted sapling, a Latino landscaper shares his love and admiration of trees. From the extraordinary rainbow gum tree to the mighty, towering redwood, each of the thirteen specimens he tells of is a miracle of the natural world—and some are strange beyond the wildest imagining. Brimming with exuberance and color, this ode to trees of the world—and the vast knowledge of landscapers and gardeners—offers a feast for the eyes.

Right Girl, Wrong Side by Ginny Baird | ADULT

Busy flower shop manager Evita Machado can't wait to get to Nantucket. With a bad breakup behind her, relaxing at the shore with her folks and her brothers and their families sounds like the sure cure for heartache, and their vacation destination looks like an amazing place! But when they arrive at the quaint rose-covered cottage, another group has already put down stakes: the Hatfields.

Ryan Hatfield was Evita's former crush from high school, but their business rival moms refused to let them date. Now history professor Ryan is here for a week with his parents, who won them this oceanfront rental in a society silent auction. Once it's clear there's been a double-booking due to a bidding mistake, Ryan's mom digs in her heels, meaning to stay. When Evita's mom won't back down either, both sides tepidly agree to share the luxury accommodations by dividing the cozy space.

With the boisterous Machados livening things up and the strait-laced Hatfields tamping them down, can Evita and Ryan keep the peace between the warring factions while fostering a growing chemistry between the two of them?

Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from Bipoc Authors Edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Mendez | MIDDLE GRADE

An essential, highly relatable collection of short fiction and poems around the topic of menstruation, written exclusively by authors who are Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color

For Angela, it came on the basketball court—while playing on the boys' team. For Penny, it came on a lakeside field trip, inspiring some cringeworthy moments of humor. And to Layla's disappointment, it came at the start of her first fasting Ramadan, mandating that she take a "holiday." Whether their period's coming spurs silence or celebration, whether they are well prepared for it or totally in the dark, the young people in these sixteen stories find that getting a period brings not only changes to their bodies, but also joy, sorrow, and self-discovery. Featuring BIPOC contributors who are some of today's most talented authors in middle-grade fiction, from funny to heartbreaking to powerful, all of them reassuring readers that they are not alone in their period journey.

Review and Excerpt: Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air: A Collection of Poems

Note: The review and poems associated with this post majorly focus on author Ayse Guvenilir

Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air is an anthology written by six Muslim women and it is about how they view culture, identity, womanhood, and so much more. Afeefah Khazi-Syed, Aleena Shabbir, Ayse Guvenilir, Maisha M. Prome, Mariam Dogar, and Marwa Abdulhai are a dynamic group of women of various backgrounds who met as undergrads at MIT. Not only do they share a love of STEM, but they also have a passion for poetry. Aside from their studies, they spent their days discussing their shared love of the art form and that love proved to be strong as even COVID-19 couldn’t deter them from continuing what they dub their “grounding medium.” 

The poems “when i think sunshine” and “comb through from root to end” are written by Ayse Guvenilir. Ayse Guvenilir was born in Austin, Texas to a Venezuelan mother and a Turkish father. When I read her poems, I found them to be relatable and very interactive, which added to the experience of her serene and powerful writing. On their website, Ayse says that she sees poetry as, “a form of writing that can surpass the bounds of what words are expected to be.” I truly believe readers will find that sentiment in her entries as well as in the poems of Afeefah, Aleena, Maisha, Mariam, and Marwa.

Reading “when i think sunshine” felt like I was reading about almost every memory I have of enjoying the summertime when I was a kid. Remembering those feelings of running around with my siblings and many cousins, enjoying the hot weather, and feeling like stress didn’t even exist during summer. With being written in haibun, a combination of prose and haiku, there was that added emphasis on those endless summer days that always ended as quickly as they started. Ayse perfectly captured that with the haiku at the conclusion, which only further showcases her strong writing style.

I found “comb through from root to end” to be another powerful entry, not just because of the message but also because of its format. Some lines are written to the left, some to the right, with the last few lines placed in the middle. It felt like I was moving my head back and forth between a conversation of people giving their perceived notions of a person, how they think someone should present themselves based on their identity (or identities), and almost making that person feel less than in terms of who they are. When the format ended in the middle, it felt like a powerful stop to the side comments. Like going in the middle and forging your own path in terms of who you are and who you want to be.

There are many other entries that are uniquely written in terms of format and various poetry styles, making them incredibly immersive. What’s also noteworthy about this collection is that some of the poems come with notes containing extra information, personal and not, about the entry. The additional knowledge makes them even more captivating because readers get to see the inspiration behind the story.

Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air has many poems written by Ayse and her fellow co-authors that are incredibly immersive, captivating, and beautiful to read. They are multi-layered and there is always something to take away from their writing. It is a wonderful collection that contains their experiences and explorations into the many facets of their identity.

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Enough

Ayse Guvenilir

I have never been where

I will never go stuck

in this house with a heavy ceiling

reaching for the truth of what

I was trying to do

with you when I said

that I had to go

book the next flight out

would they ever trust me

a gringa—as Abuela dutifully reminds me—

otherwise?

Not that

given the current state of affairs

they would ever trust anyone

outside of whom could fix

every one of their problems bringing

them light

in the middle of the night

it’s so hot

they can hear

their brain sweating feel

their sense slipping waiting

hours upon hours for gas shifts switching

in a car that is going to burn

anyways

the ground beneath my feet has never

felt more unstable than it feels right now

kids in CAGES the world AVOIDING

the humanitarian CRISIS—

like they avoid every crisis—

does anyone hear their cries into the echo

of the storage building

is it real? Does it matter?

How can I be

and not be saving

my home once-removed y

gente who I feel are my gente

bonded by lengua y risas y cultura

rooted in over exaggerations y bendiciones y

Dios te cuide y no te amo te adoro y

seemingly excessive abrazos y besos

that keep us whole.

Will I ever be enough

to save them all?

Enough: The two crises referenced are the immigration deportation and detainment along the border in the United States, and the continued political and economic hardships faced by many in Venezuela.

Excerpted from “Our Ancestors Did Not Breathe This Air: A Collection of Poems,” used with permission from Beltway Editions. (c) Ayse Guvenilir.

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Ayse Angela Guvenilir was born in Austin into a family with a Turkish father, a Venezuelan mother, and three older brothers. Growing up in Texas, France, and various parts of upstate New York, Ayse has always used reading and writing for connection, reflection, and relaxation as she moved from place to place. She sees poetry in particular as a form of writing that can surpass the bounds of what words are expected to be, in turn connecting her with others. Ayse got her bachelor’s degree in biological engineering with a minor in creative writing from MIT and is currently a master’s student in the Biomechatronics Group at the MIT Media Lab. Through her work, Ayse aims to empathize, educate, and inspire, the way that the works of others have always done for her.

Melissa Gonzalez (she/her) is a UCLA graduate with a major in American Literature & Culture and a minor in Chicana/o & Central American Studies. She loves boba, horror movies, and reading. You can spot her in the fiction, horror/mystery/thriller, and young adult sections of bookstores. Though she is short, she feels as tall as her TBR pile. You can find Melissa on her book Instagram: @floralchapters

Book Review: Secret Identity by Alex Segura

“This book spans genres and has something for every type of reader: historical fiction, mystery, romance, and murder, all interwoven in Segura’s fast-paced and electric style.”

Secret Identity by Alex Segura is definitely one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. This book spans genres and has something for every type of reader: historical fiction, mystery, romance, and murder, all interwoven in Segura’s fast-paced and electric style.

Set in 1970s New York City, Carmen Valdez is just an assistant at the low-budget and struggling Triumph Comics, but she has dreams of becoming more. She has loved comics since she was a kid in Miami, and is in New York to make something of herself. When she finally gets a chance to co-write a female superhero, the Lethal Lynx, with her coworker Harvey, he is murdered before giving her any of the credit. Carmen starts on a quest to find out what happened to Harvey and trying to save the Lynx from being put in the hands of lesser writers while being haunted by the life she left in Miami. Segura keeps readers hooked from every angle. Will Carmen get the credit she deserves with the Lynx? Will she clear her name in Harvey’s murder case? What made Carmen leave Miami so quickly?

As someone with a moderate interest in Marvel and other superhero franchises, it was interesting to learn so much comic industry history in this book. The comic strips between chapters were unique and added an extra layer to the story, with the Lynx’s struggles coinciding with Carmen’s journey throughout the book.  

If you are looking for a page-turning read that will keep you hooked until the very last page, Secret Identity by Alex Segura is the pick for you.

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Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, which The New York Times called “wittily original” and named an Editor’s Choice. NPR described the novel as “masterful,” and it received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. It was also listed as one of the Best Mysteries of the Year by NPR, Kirkus, Booklist, LitReactor, Gizmodo, BOLO Books, and the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

His upcoming work includes the YA superhero adventure Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow, the spiritual sequel to Secret Identity, Alter Ego, and the sci-fi/espionage thriller, Dark Space (with Rob Hart). Alex is also the author of Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, the Anthony Award-nominated Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series, and a number of comic books – including The Mysterious Micro-Face (in partnership with NPR), The Black Ghost, The Archies, The Dusk, The Awakened, Mara Llave – Keeper of Time, Blood Oath, stories featuring Marvel heroes Sunspot, White Tiger, Spider-Man and DC’s Superman and The Question, to name a few. His short story, “90 Miles” was included in The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories for 2021 and won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story. Another short story,“Red Zone,” won the 2020 Anthony Award for Best Short Story.

A Miami native, he lives in New York with his wife and children.

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

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience by Raj Tawney

Latinx in Publishing is pleased to exclusively reveal the cover for COLORFUL PALATE written by Raj Tawney, publishing October 3, 2023 from Empire State Editions/Fordham University Press. Read on for the official book synopsis and to view the gorgeous cover!

A timely self-examination of the "mixed" American experience featuring exclusive recipes and photographs from the author’s multicultural family.

Designer: Mark Lerner; Photo: Jeppestown

As citizens continue to evolve and diversify within the United States, the ingredients that comprise each flavorful household are waiting to be discovered and devoured. In Colorful Palate, author Raj Tawney shares his coming-of-age memoir as a young man born into an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American family, his struggles with understanding his own identity, and the mouthwatering flavors of the melting pot from within his own childhood kitchen.

While the world outside can be cruel and unforgiving, it's even more complicated for a mixed-race kid, unsure of his place in the world. Turning to his mother and grandmother for guidance, Tawney’s assistance in the kitchen provided intimate moments and candor as he listened to the tales behind each culinary delicacy and the women who perfected them. Each lovingly prepared meal offered another opportunity to learn more about his extraordinary heritage. The ability to create delicious fare with his family wasn’t just a duty for the grand ladies who raised him; they were a survival tactic for navigating new and unknown cultures, not always willing to accept them at first or even a hundredth glance. As Tawney examines both himself and his loved ones through the formative stages of his life, from boyhood through adulthood, he begins to realize, through all of the chaos and confusion, just how "American" he actually was. 

In this contemporary coming-of-age tale, Tawney tackles personal hot-button issues about race and identity through poignant, heartfelt moments centered around delicious meals. From succulent tandoori chicken to delectable arroz con habichuelas to scrumptious spaghetti and meatballs, Tawney shares his family recipes along with the intimate stories he overheard in the kitchen as he played sous chef to hundreds of recipes that not only span continents but come with their own personal histories attached. Colorful Palate is a tale of the mixed experience, one of the millions that rarely gets told, undefined by a single group or birthright, and unapologetic about its lack of classification. 

Raj Tawney is a writer and journalist whose work largely reflects his New York upbringing and sensibility. Raised in an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian-American household, Tawney has explored his own race and identity through stories published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, USA Today, Smithsonian Magazine, and many other outlets throughout the country.

February 2023 Latinx Releases

On Sale February 7

A Crown For Corrina by Laekan Zea Kemp and Elisa Chavarri | PICTURE BOOK

Today is Corina's birthday, and she's excited to wear the biggest crown with the most beautiful flowers picked from her abuela's garden.

Each flower tells a special story about all the ways Corina is rooted in the family she loves.

With elegant and eye-catching illustrations from award-winning artist Elisa Chavarri, this charming story shares a beloved family tradition through one girl's journey of self-discovery as she learns about the symbolism behind the Mexican flower crown.

When Trying To Return Home by Jennifer Maritza McCauley | SHORT STORIES

Profoundly moving and powerful, the stories in When Trying to Return Home dig deeply into the question of belonging. A young woman is torn between overwhelming love for her mother and the need to break free from her damaging influence during a desperate and disastrous attempt to rescue her brother from foster care. A man, his wife, and his mistress each confront the borders separating love and hate, obligation and longing, on the eve of a flight to San Juan. A college student grapples with the space between chivalry and machismo in a tense encounter involving a nun. And in 1930s Louisiana, a woman attempting to find a place to call her own chances upon an old friend at a bar and must reckon with her troubled past.

Forming a web of desires and consequences that span generations, McCauley's Black American and Afro-Puerto Rican characters remind us that these voices have always been here, occupying the very center of American life--even if we haven't always been willing to listen.

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, Illustrated by Pablo Gerardo Camacho, and translated by Megan McDowell | FICTION

A young father and son set out on a road trip, devastated by the death of the wife and mother they both loved. United in grief, the pair travel to her ancestral home, where they must confront the terrifying legacy she has bequeathed: a family called the Order that commits unspeakable acts in search of immortality.

For Gaspar, the son, this maniacal cult is his destiny. As the Order tries to pull him into their evil, he and his father take flight, attempting to outrun a powerful clan that will do anything to ensure its own survival. But how far will Gaspar's father go to protect his child? And can anyone escape their fate?

Moving back and forth in time, from London in the swinging 1960s to the brutal years of Argentina's military dictatorship and its turbulent aftermath, Our Share of Night is a novel like no other: a family story, a ghost story, a story of the occult and the supernatural, a book about the complexities of love and longing with queer subplots and themes. This is the masterwork of one of Latin America's most original novelists, "a mesmerizing writer," says Dave Eggers, "who demands to be read."

No Place Like Home (Horse Country #4) by Yamile Saied Méndez | MIDDLE GRADE

Carolina Aguasvivas's oldest friend, Vida Jones Castillo, has never been interested in riding horses—until now! Carolina is thrilled for her BFF to join Paradise Ranch, along with new sponsorship student Brielle Stuart. The barn is a full, happy house!

But the girls' perfect summer falls apart when they find out that one of the horses might be sold -- Carolina's favorite riding buddy, Shadow. Can Carolina and her friends save her beloved horse... and the future of the Unbridled Dreams program?

On Sale February 14

Promises of Gold by José Olivarez; translated by David Ruano | POETRY

Love is at the heart of everything we do, and yet it is often mishandled, misrepresented, or narrowly defined. In the words of José Olivarez: "How many bad lovers have gotten poems? How many crushes? No disrespect to romantic love—but what about our friends? Those homies who show up when the romance ends to help you heal your heart. Those homies who are there all along—cheering for us and reminding us that love is abundant."

Written in English and combined with a Spanish translation by poet David Ruano, "Promises of Gold explores many forms of love and how "a promise made isn't always a promise kept," as Olivarez grapples with the contradictions of the American Dream laying bare the ways in which "love is complicated by forces larger than our hearts."

He writes, "For those of us who are hyphenated Americans, where do we belong? Promises of Gold attempts to reckon with colonial legacy and the reality of what those promises have borne out for Mexican descendants. I wrote this book to imagine and document an ongoing practice of healing—healing that requires me to show up for myself, my community, my friends, my family, and my loves every day."

Whether readers enter this collection in English or Spanish, these extraordinary poems are sure to become beloved for their illuminations of life—and love.

Everything Within and in Between by Nikki Barthelmess | YOUNG ADULT

For Ri Fernández's entire life, she's been told, "We live in America and we speak English." Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has never been allowed to learn Spanish.

What's more, her grandma has pulled Ri away from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up trying to fit in among her best friend's world of mansions and country clubs in an attempt try to live out her grandmother's version of the "American Dream."

In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try to turn her into someone she's never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: her heritage and her mom. But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn't who Ri imagined she would be and finding her doesn't make Ri's struggle to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is—not even Ri herself.

Everything Within and In Between is a powerful new young adult novel about one young woman's journey to rediscover her roots and redefine herself from acclaimed author Nikki Barthelmess.

The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo | FICTION

In an alternate 2009, the United States has been a second-rate power for a quarter of a century, ever since Argentina's victory in the Falkland's War thanks to their development of "psychopigments." Created as weapons, these colorful chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs. Black market traders illegally sell everything from Blackberry Purple (which causes terror) to Sunshine Yellow (which delivers happiness).

Psychopigment Enforcement Agent Kay Curtida works a beat in Daly City, just outside the ruins of San Francisco, chasing down smalltime crooks. But when an old friend shows up with a tantalizing lead on a career-making case, Curtida's humdrum existence suddenly gets a boost. Little does she know that this case will send her down a tangled path of conspiracy and lead to an overdue reckoning with her family and with the truth of her own emotions.

Told in the voice of a funny, brooding, Latinx Sam Spade, The Shamshine Blind is "a rip-roaring beautifully crafted mash-up of cop noir, sci-fi, and alt-history that left me dazzled by its prescience and literary zing" (Leah Hampton, author of F*ckface).

On Sale February 21

The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejía by Alexandra Alessandri | MIDDLE GRADE

Twelve-year-old Valentina wants to focus on drawing the real world around her and hopefully get into art school in Bogotá one day, but Papi has spent his life studying Colombia's legendary creatures and searching for proof of their existence. So when Papi hears that a patasola—a vampire woman with one leg—has been sighted in the Andes, Valentina and her younger brother Julián get dragged along on another magical creature hunt.

While they're in the Andes, a powerful earthquake hits. Valentina and Julián fall through the earth...and find an alternate Colombia where, to Valentina's shock, all the legends are real.

To get home, Valentina and Julián must make a treacherous journey to reach this land's ruler: the madremonte, mother and protector of the earth. She controls the only portal back to the human world—but she absolutely hates humans, and she'll do anything to defend her land.

Lotería by Cynthia Pelayo | SHORT STORIES

The Mexican board game of Lotería is a game of chance—similar to bingo. However, in Lotería instead of matching up numbers on a game board, players match up images.

There are 54 cards in the Lotería game, and for this short story collection you will find one unique story per card based on a Latin American myth, folklore, superstition, or belief—with a slant towards the paranormal and horrific. In this deck of cards you will find murderers, ghosts, goblins and ghouls. This collection features creatures and monsters, vampires, werewolves and more.

Many of these legends existed long before their European counterparts—passed throughout the Americas via word of mouth, collected just like the tales the Brothers Grimm. These are indeed fairy tales—Latin American fairy tales--but with a horrifying slant.

On Sale February 28

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Nova | MIDDLE GRADE

On Mar León de la Rosa's sixteenth birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father, and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship.

When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up their soul to save their father by the harvest moon, or never see him again. The task is impossible—Mar refuses to make a bargain, and there's no way their magic is a match for el Diablo. Then Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate—and the captain's son; and Dami, a gender-fluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear.

For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption—or it could mean certain death.

Gato Guapo by Anika Aldamuy Densie and illustrated by Zara Gonzalez Hoang | PICTURE BOOK

Nine kittens follow Gato Guapo around, but when it's time to count them, one by one, they go missing, along with a piece of Gato Guapo's clothes!

Young readers will love all the silliness that ensues as each naughty gatito dons a disguise and declares "Yo soy Gato Guapo!".

Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos | FICTION

As a reality TV producer, Ana Karina orchestrates extravagant marriage proposals that always (well, mostly) go as planned. When they don't, she's not afraid to cut and paste scenes to make the moment picture-perfect. If only Ana's own life was as simple to direct. Her colleagues are getting promotions. Her best friend and her younger sister are both getting married. Everyone is moving forward—except Ana.

Sick of feeling stuck, she decides to start living with no regrets. She's going to pitch all her ideas at work, no matter how unlikely. She'll take a chance on a guy even if he doesn't check all her boxes for Mr. Right. Soon, she's swept up in a roller coaster of exhilarating dates—a comedy show, a Jane Austen reenactment, a rave pool party, and a whirlwind trip to Vienna. With all this excitement, Ana should be on her way to her own happily-ever-after, but instead her life is getting messier by the second.

Yet throwing caution to the wind may still bring Ana more than she hoped for as she begins to listen to her heart and realizes the life—and man—truly meant for her might be the one she never saw coming.

Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza | NON-FICTION

September 2019. Cristina Rivera Garza travels from her home in Texas to Mexico City, in search of an old, unresolved criminal file. "My name is Cristina Rivera Garza," she wrote in her request to the attorney general, “and I am writing to you as a relative of Liliana Rivera Garza, who was murdered on July 16, 1990." It's been twenty-nine years. Twenty-nine years, three months, and two days since Liliana was murdered by an abusive ex-boyfriend—and Cristina knows there is only a slim chance of recovering the file. And yet, inspired by feminist movements across the world and enraged by the global epidemic of femicide and intimate partner violence, she embarks on a path toward justice. Liliana's Invincible Summer is the account—and the outcome—of that extraordinary quest.

In luminous, poetic prose, Rivera Garza tells a singular yet universally resonant story: that of a spirited, wondrously hopeful young woman who tried to survive in a world of increasingly normalized gendered violence. Following her decision to recover her sister's file, Rivera Garza traces the history of Liliana's life, from her early romance with a handsome but possessive and short-tempered man, to that exhilarating final summer of 1990 when Liliana loved, thought, and traveled more widely and freely than she ever had before.

Using her remarkable talents as an acclaimed scholar, novelist, and poet, Rivera Garza collected and curated evidence—handwritten letters, police reports, school notebooks, interviews with Liliana's loved ones—to render and understand a life beyond the crime itself. Through this remarkable and genre-defying memoir, Rivera Garza confronts the trauma of losing her sister and examines from multiple angles how this tragedy continues to shape who she is—and what she fights for—today.

Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon by Julian Randall

After being magically transported to the mythical island of Zafa and rescuing her long captive cousin Natasha, Pilar is back in Chicago . . . and hiding the shocking truths about Zafa and Natasha being alive. So, when she and her family are invited on a trip to Santo Domingo, Pilar welcomes the distraction and the chance to see the Dominican Republic for the first time.

But when Ciguapa and close friend Carmen magically appears in the DR searching for help, Pilar is soon on the hunt for the escaped demon El Baca and his mysterious new ally. Now, with a cursed storm gathering over the island to resurrect an ancient enemy, Pilar will have to harness her newfound bruja powers if she has any hope of saving her own world, Zafa, and most importantly her family before the clock runs out and ushers in a new era of evil.

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

Book Review: The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

““The House in the Pines” is a fast-paced powerful thriller that really pulls the reader unlike anything I have read before. ”

I love thrillers. The way my heart races as the main character starts putting together the clues, the gasps when new suspects arise, the way I will be on the edge of my seat waiting for the big reveal at the end. The House in the Pines checked all of my boxes.

The eerie backdrop of a small New England town with a mysterious toxic lake is atmospheric and pulls the reader in from the first page.

I really enjoy an unreliable narrator, and Maya is as unreliable as it gets. She witnessed her best friend die a sudden and mysterious death and has been trying to forget it ever since. Everyone says the death was natural, but Maya knows that it was Frank, her mysterious summer fling. Seven years later, Maya is still running from her past and her drug dependency, suppressing it all. But she has no choice but to confront the past when she sees a viral video of another woman dying suddenly and mysteriously in the same way as her friend. Maya knows Frank is somehow responsible for both deaths, but no one believes her. With large gaps of time slowly coming back to her, while also fighting drug withdrawal, Maya must go back to her hometown to find the truth of what happened to both girls and find evidence that Frank is to blame.

The dual timeline from the summer her best friend died to the present day made for a trippy and compelling story that went perfectly with our unreliable narrator putting the pieces together. The House in the Pines is a fast-paced powerful thriller that really pulls the reader unlike anything I have read before. 

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Ana Reyes has an MFA from Louisiana State University and a BA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her work has appeared in Bodega, Pear Noir!, The New Delta Review, and elsewhere. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and teaches creative writing to older adults at Santa Monica College. The House in the Pines in her first novel.

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

Book Review: Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes, her second Caribbean Kitchen mystery, returns to Coral Shores, Miami to pick up where Miriam Quinones-Smith left off after her last mystery. With the Halloween season upon the small town, when a body is found among the tombstones on Miriam’s front yard, it seems that her decorations are in the spirit. That is until see realizes that it is not a decoration, but an unconscious woman, and from that moment forward, the bodies keep popping up. Miriam struggles to balance the bodies that keep appearing, no matter what she does, on top of her mother in law’s expectations for the Women’s Club annual gala, which is shortly approaching.

Despite the stressors going on in Miriam’s life, she tries to focus on her everyday activities: taking care of her young son and working on her cooking show segments, on the local Spanish television network. However, Miriam, Coral Shores very own Veronica Mars, cannot stop stumbling onto tiny hints and information that she wants to puzzle together, in order to solve the mystery that seems to be surrounding her.

Visits from her old partner Detective Pullman go from collaborative, to warnings, to stay out of it. But wherever Miriam stumbles, chisme follows or appears at her door unexpectedly. Even her prep for the Women’s Club gala grows dangerous as hints keep appearing. But will Miriam’s “luck” finally catch up to her and leave her in a less than warm embrace?

Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking is a fun and light mystery that takes the reader on a fast pace adventure, filled with the smells and tastes of delicious cultural food (Miriam’s anthropology degree never fails to inspire new information.) Guided by the planning and execution of the Women’s Club gala, the reader works in tandem with the shifting social hierarchy of Coral Shores, in hopes of solving who is behind these sudden murders, before more bodies can be found. Reyes writes in a delightful fashion making the reader fall in love with Miriam and those close to her, no matter how many sticky situations arise. Even though the story is lighthearted, Reyes does address discrimination and stereotypes that Latinx individuals face in a thought-provoking way, without being heavy headed.

“Reyes writes cultural love letters to Latinx communities.”

Miriam consistently stumbles into places she shouldn’t be, but she also shows incredible kindness to those around her, sees the best in people, and is delicate with the cultures around her. This book, while having the perfect dashes of Halloween shivers and mysterious fun, manages to feel like a warm hug. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking holds community, family, and the joy of food at the heart of it; keeping it immensely joyful, while being an incredibly fun read. For readers that want something a little different, dashes of fun and spooky, to diversify their TBR lists, Reyes and her Caribbean Kitchen Mysteries are perfect. Reyes writes cultural love letters to Latinx communities.

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RAQUEL V. REYES writes Latina protagonists. Her Cuban-American heritage, Miami, and Spanglish feature prominently in her work. Mango, Mambo, and Murder, the first in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series, won a LEFTY for Best Humorous Mystery. It was nominated for an Agatha Award and optioned for film. Raquel’s short stories appear in various anthologies, including The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022. Find her across social media platforms as @LatinaSleuths and on her website LatinaSleuths.com

TEREZA LOPEZ (she/her) is a recent graduate from Clark University with a double major in English and history. She attended Clark University again in Fall 2021 and obtained a Master’s in communication. When she is not studying, you can find her obsessively reading or taking care of her new kitten.

Book Review: This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves

In this incredible Young Adult novel, we follow our protagonist, Enrique or Quique, as he navigates his teenage life as a bisexual latine. He’s hopelessly in love with one of his best friends, Saleem, but is 99.9% positive that the feeling is not mutual and that Saleem is straight. Thankfully his best friend (Fabiola) is determined to give Quique a hot girl summer and encourages him to explore different prospects. Quique has a wide range of people to pursue. Through each new interaction, Quique learns about himself and his resilience to overcome the challenges of being bisexual.

I loved this book for so many reasons. The cast of characters are so loveable and were each uniquely flushed out. Their personalities really added to the plot and fed different perspectives to the reader. It was heartwarming to see young adults come together to learn from extremely difficult challenges.

In addition, I thought that the plot was extremely well thought out. Aceves does an amazing job portraying the difficulty of exploring one’s sexuality and the different perspectives people can have. Enrique is put into very challenging scenarios that make him feel ashamed about his sexuality and even objectified. As a reader, it was extremely painful to see Enrique be treated so badly but it was heartwarming to see his growth and realization of the relationship he deserves.

“It was heartwarming to see young adults come together to learn from extremely difficult challenges.”

Contemporary young adult books are some of my favorites to read because it’s so exciting and refreshing to see the increasing diversity in characters and experiences that authors are capturing in the present day. As a half Mexican and half Korean teen, I remember feeling distant from books. However, looking back, I realize it’s because there was nothing connecting me to the characters. I could enjoy reading books but there was always the barrier of not seeing myself in the characters and being able to relate to them. That’s why I’m so happy that there is another book that depicts the strength of a YA latine bisexual character. Bisexuality is not typically represented in LGBTQIA+ books and there is even less representation of the intersectionality of being a bisexual latine teenage male. As painful as some of these scenes were to read, it’s so important to be aware of these uncomfortable possibilities to learn how to stand up for yourself, give yourself grace, or be a better ally, friend, sibling, parent, neighbor, etc.

This will be a great resource for current and future young adult generations but also current older generations that didn’t have this type of book available during their young adult chapter. I hope that Aaron Aceves writes more novels to continue to add representation and help many communities.

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Aaron H. Aceves is a bisexual, Mexican American writer born and raised in East Los Angeles. He graduated from Harvard College and received his MFA from Columbia University. His fiction has appeared in jmww, Epiphany, and them., among other places. He currently lives in Texas, where he serves as an Early Career Provost Fellow at UT Austin. He can be found at AaronHAceves.com or @AaronAceves on Instagram or @AaronHAceves on Twitter and TikTok.

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