2022 Latinx Romance & Women’s Fiction to Add to Your TBR

It’s February, which means amor is in the air. For me, love and romance is an intricate part of Latinidad. We are romantic people. It’s in our music, telenovelas, epic novels. Here are some adult romance & women’s fiction novels to look forward to this year.  Happy reading and make sure to support Latinx Romance!

THE WEDDING CRASHER by Mia Sosa (Avon - April 5, 2022)

Mia Sosa’s follow up to The Worst Best Man has been highly anticipated by fans (it me). The Wedding Crasher follows two strangers who get trapped in a lie and have to fake date their way out of it. Solange Pereira is a romantic at heart, and gets roped into helping her wedding planner cousin on a stranger’s big day. Dean Chapman’s big day, to be exact. Dean’s life is about to be perfect–make partner, start a family, and all that. But when the wedding goes up in smoke, thanks to Solange, the pair end up entangled in a fake-dating lie. But what started off as self-preservation is becoming so much more. Mia Sosa writes with the perfect mix of humor, and won’t disappoint the rom-com lovers.

A PROPOSAL THEY CAN'T REFUSE by Natalie Caña (Mira - May 24 , 2022)

This is a debut I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced. This rom-com follows a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller forced into a fake engagement by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers. In order to uphold their family businesses, and legacies, Kamilah and Liam agree to an engagement. One that will end once they outwit their families. But the more time they spend together, and work toward winning big at the Fall Foodie Tour in Chicago, they start to realize maybe they’ve bought into their own bargain.

WEST SIDE LOVE STORY by Priscilla Oliveras (Montlake - June 1, 2022)

USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras brings us a tale of two families, rival mariachi bands, and swoony romance. Mariana Capuleta and her sisters are determined to win the Battle of the Mariachi Bands. Unfortunately, that means competing against the Monteros, her father’s arch-nemesis. The families, both alike in dignity and all that good stuff, have had an escalating decades-old feud that sees no end. Angelo Montero and Mariana Capuleta know that nothing can happen between them, but love isn’t rational and their attraction is undeniable. As their secret affair intensifies, so does the mariachi competition. Can their romance heal old wounds and make beautiful music together?

RUNNING FROM THE BLAZE by Ofelia Martinez (Reading Cactus Press, January 11, 2022)

If you’re looking for a super steamy romance with unapologetically Mexican-American women at the forefront, then Ofelia Martinez is your girl. Book one in the series follows a bar owner and a rock-star. In Running From the Blaze, the companion novel, we keep getting to know the members of the band, Industrial November. Here we meet Lola, a young woman who cleans mansions for a living. That’s how she meets Karl Sommer, a notorious heavy metal guitarist who is trying to prove he’s more than a party boy. Falling for the lead singer's sister-in-law was not on the plan, but they strike an indecent proposal that shakes up both their lives and views of love. *All the chili pepper emojis*

TWICE A QUINCEAÑERA by Yamile Saied Méndez (Kensington - July 26, 2022)

I’m so excited for Yamile Saied Méndez’s adult debut. If you’ve followed her kidlit career, then you know to expect fierce heroines and big family dynamics. In Twice a Quinceañera, a jilted bride decides to throw herself a quinceañera (times two) for her 30th birthday. When Nadia Palacio’s dream wedding is called off, no thanks to her cheating ex, instead of losing the deposit on her venue she decides to throw the biggest bash imaginable to celebrate herself. After all, her family is already flying over from Argentina. Everything is scheduled to go according to plan until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than a college fling who might just be her second chance at first love.

OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA by Chanel Cleeton (May 24, 2022)

I got to read an early copy of this book and it was a beautiful journey. Chanel Cleeton has been writing about the women of the Perez family since her smash hit and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year In Havana, which was inspired by her Cuban roots. In Our Last Days in Barcelona, straight-laced Isabel Perez travels to Barcelona to save her rebellious and independent sister Beatriz from political dangers. Alternating between 1964 and 1936, we see the aftermath of the Cuban revolution, and toggle back to the rising fascist threat in Spain. The more Isabel digs, she discovers a shocking family secret that sheds light to her elusive mother. There's mystery, romance, and political intrigue. It is a perfect read.

THE REBEL'S RETURN by Nadine Gonzalez (Harlequin Desire - February 22, 2022)

I know sometimes it’s hard to make the time to read. But these bite sized novels by Nadine Gonzales are like delicious little bon bons. In this installment of the Texas Cattleman’s Club, a hotshot hotelier returns home to discover whether or not love at first sight really is for suckers. This world is luxe, lavish, and sexy. Eve Martin’s one night stand with Rafael Wentworth turns into something more as they’re unable to deny their chemistry. But is Eva an asset to his business or a danger to his heart?

RAMÓN AND JULIETA by Alana Quintana Albertson (Berkley Books - February 1, 2022)

Alana Quintana Albertson is no stranger to romance. She’s penned over thirty spicy novels as Alana Albertson. In Ramón and Julieta she loosely retells Romeo and Juliet with the Day of the Dead and rival food empires as the backdrop. When fate and tacos bring them together, the titular star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them.

A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera (Hqn - May 31, 2022)

This is the historical romance I’ve always wanted to read, and Adriana Herrera constantly delivers what I want. There’s a sexy Scottish Duke, fierce rum heiress, La Belle Époque in Paris, and a marriage of convenience. The novel follows Luz Alana, who hails from the Dominican Republic. She’s on her way to find partnerships to expand Caña Brava, the rum business her family built over three generations. Her father’s untimely death has made this expansion top priority, since she discovers she can’t access her trust fund until she marries. But when she lands in France, she finds that the buyers and shippers dismiss her, and won’t do business with a woman, let alone an Afro-Latina from the Caribbean. Enter James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, an infuriatingly handsome Scot with secrets of his own, who makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Luz Alana went in search of new beginnings, but she might have found love along the way.

BIG CHICAS DON’T CRY by Annette Chavez Macias (Montlake - August 9, 2022)

You might already know her contemporary romance as Sabrina Sol, but with Big Chicas Don’t Cry Annette Chavez Macias pens a family saga that pulls at the heartstrings. Four cousins, Mari, Erica, Selena, and Gracie, navigate love, loss, and family bonds. As kids they were inseparable. But when Mari’s parents divorced, she got shipped away to another part of the country. Fifteen years later, their lives intersect once again when tragedy strikes and they have to deal with the heartbreaking loss of a loved one. Can they pick up where things left off, or has time pulled them too far to bring back together? I can’t wait to read this and become part of this beautiful family.

AFTER HOURS ON MILAGRO STREET by Angelina M. Lopez (Carina Trade - July 12, 2022)

Professor Jeremiah Post loves the quirky town of Freedom, Kansas that has been his home for five years. But for Alex Torres, returning to the place where her sprawling Mexican-American family has lived for generations isn’t quite the homecoming she imagined. She’s got plans to revamp her grandmother’s bar and actually save the business, but the hot brainiac who rents the room next door is getting in the way. When an old enemy threatens the town, Alex and Jeremiah must combine forces. It will take her might and his mind to save the home they both desperately need.

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Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than two dozen novels and short stories, including the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate, and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.  In addition to writing novels, she's the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, as well as the cohost of the writing podcast, Deadline City. She writes romance novels as Zoey Castile. Zoraida was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and calls New York City home. When she’s not working, she’s roaming the world in search of magical stories. For more information, visit her at zoraidacordova.com.

February 2022 Most Anticipated Books

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

Ophelia after All - February 8, 2022 

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

No Filter and Other Lies - February 8, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With Lots of Love - February 8, 2022

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

Rima’s Rebellion - February 15, 2022

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

Reclaim the Stars - February 15, 2022

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

The Turning Pointe - February 22, 2022

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

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

Black Latinx Bookstores to Shop this Month

As we observe Black history month, let’s also celebrate Black joy, culture and perseverance.

Below are 5 Black Latinx bookstores to support this month.

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THE LIT. BAR (Bronx, NY)

Opened April 27, 2019, the only indie bookstore in the borough of the Bronx. Owned by Bronx Native Noëlle Santos.

BRONX BOUND BOOKS (BRONX, NY)

Launched in May of 2019, Latanya DeVaughn started the first mobile bookstore in The Bronx

CAFé CON LIBROS (Brooklyn, NY)

An “Intersectional Feminist Bookstore & Coffee Shop” owned by Kalima Desuze and husband Ryan Cameron.

TAINO STUDIOS (DOVER, DE)

Founded in 2021 and owned by Justin Williams. “An independent socially conscious book store & creative studio.”

ESTELITA’S LIBRARY (Seattle, WA)

Opened in 2018, a “Justice focused community library” owned by Edwin Lindo and his partner, Dr. Estell Williams.

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Know of any other Black Latinx Bookstores in the US and Puerto Rico? Let us know in the comments or email latinosinpub@gmail.com.

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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

Review: Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the first horror novel by the author. After writing about female spies and Latinx contemporary, Rodriguez Wallach took a stab at horror. The novel is an incredibly fast read that keeps you on the edge of your seat — a perfect mix for a scary story. For me, the cherry on top was the characters and events that are reminiscent of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the paranormal investigators that inspired The Conjuring cinematic series. 

The book follows Vera Martinez and Maxwell Oliver in the coastal town of Roaring Creek. Vera is the town outcast simply for the fact that her parents are demonologists. Maxwell, or Max, is part of the popular crowd who finds himself in need of Vera’s help when his mother begins acting strange (or, one might say, demonic). Roaring Creek is reeling from an accident that rocked the whole town. In times of loss and grief, the town turns to the Sunshine Crew, a self-help group created after the accident. As they try to save his mother, the duo quickly realizes the sinister nature of the Sunshine Crew. 

Vera’s life with demonologist parents isn’t as glamorous as you think. They constantly travel to perform exorcisms, she isn’t clairvoyant like her mother, and let’s not forget the room in their house filled with cursed objects. Although, she isn’t ashamed of her parents no matter how much Roaring Creek ostracizes her because of them. She doesn’t treat her fellow citizens as they treat her, in fact, she is often the bigger person. Vera stands tall against the dark force that inhabits her town, despite the fact that they have labeled her as an “Other.” That is what drew me to her character. Vera wants to be clairvoyant like her mother, she wants to perform exorcisms like her father. The town’s mistreatment of her doesn’t make her hateful or resentful — even if she had every single right to be. To a small extent, I know of the loneliness she felt being labeled as an “Other.” The loneliness of people looking at you differently or treating you a certain way. The constant thoughts of, “I can’t wait to leave this place.” I can understand some of what she feels and this type of feeling is not uncommon. 

On the outside, Max is a popular, athletic student and is well-known by the town. With his family-owned restaurant and overall positive reputation, it seems he has it all. However, you never know what goes on behind closed doors. Raised in a single-parent household, Max wears the badge of a second parent to his little sister, Chloe. We see him struggle to make her food, make a dash to the grocery store, and even struggle to brush her hair. We are witnessing a teenager take on adult responsibilities and rely on another teenager for help. I feel a kinship with Max. There’s a tale as old as time in Latin American families that the oldest daughter (or child) is another parent to her siblings, even while a child herself. My older sister cared for my brother and me, and I followed suit. In middle school, I took care of my younger brother while a teenager myself. When my second brother was born, he had me as his second mother. Now, my mother may not have become possessed by a supernatural force, but I know what it’s like to take care of your siblings while watching your parents go through tough times. Especially when you’re still only a child. 

Diana Rodriguez Wallach explores multiple themes in this book such as religion and faith, death, and a scarier take on coming of age. Her inspiration from real-life cults, the Warrens, and the overall exciting plotline with equally interesting characters make for an incredibly addicting read within young adult fiction and horror fiction.

Book content warnings: death, cults, implied mass suicide, demonic worship, and possession.

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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

February 2022 Latinx Releases

On-Sale February 1st, 2022

RAMÓN AND JULIETA by Alana Quintana Albertson | Adult Romance | 2/1/2022

When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!

Ramón Montez always achieves his goals. Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father’s fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again. 
 
Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life’s work—and the one man who tempts and inspires her. 
 
As San Diego’s outraged community protests against the Taco King takeover and the divide between their families grows, Ramón and Julieta struggle to balance the rising tensions. But Ramón knows that true love is priceless and despite all of his successes, this is the one battle he refuses to lose.

On-Sale February 8th, 2022

OPHELIA AFTER ALL by Racquel Marie | Young Adult | 2/8/2022

A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie.

Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.

So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love—and sexuality—never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.

JAWBONE by Mónica Ojeda | Translation | 2/8/2022

Fernanda and Annelise are so close they are practically sisters: a double image, inseparable. So how does Fernanda end up bound on the floor of a deserted cabin, held hostage by one of her teachers and estranged from Annelise?

When Fernanda, Annelise, and their friends from the Delta Bilingual Academy convene after school, Annelise leads them in thrilling but increasingly dangerous rituals to a rhinestoned, Dior-scented, drag-queen god of her own invention. Even more perilous is the secret Annelise and Fernanda share, rooted in a dare in which violence meets love. Meanwhile, their literature teacher Miss Clara, who is obsessed with imitating her dead mother, struggles to preserve her deteriorating sanity. Each day she edges nearer to a total break with reality.

Interweaving pop culture references and horror concepts drawn from Herman Melville, H. P. Lovecraft, and anonymous “creepypastas,” Jawbone is an ominous, multivocal novel that explores the terror inherent in the pure potentiality of adolescence and the fine line between desire and fear.

NO FILTER AND OTHER LIES by Crystal Maldonado | Young Adult | 2/8/2022

Twenty one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and a glittering life filled with adventure. With tons of followers on Instagram, her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.

Except it’s all fake.

Max is actually 16-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic teenager living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous in her existence—just sprawl, bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with her best friend Hari’s unrequited love.

But while Kat’s life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. The closer Elena and “Max” get—texting, Snapping, and even calling—the more Kat feels she has to keep up the façade.

But when one of Max’s posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she’s been stealing photos from, her entire world – real and fake — comes crashing down around her. She has to figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she’s created without hurting the people she loves.

But it might already be too late.

UNBETROTHED by Candice Pedraza Yamnitz | Young Adult | 2/8/2022

Around Agatha Sea, princesses are poised, magically gifted, and betrothed.

 So, when seventeen-year-old Princess Beatriz still fails to secure a betrothal, her parents hold a ball. Forming an alliance could mean the difference between peace and war, but Beatriz doesn't want just any suitor.She's in love with her best friend, Prince Lux. Marrying Prince Lux will always be a silly dream as long as she has no magical gift.

Princess Beatriz will do whatever it takes to obtain a touch of magic, including making a deadly oath to go on a quest to Valle de Los Fantasmas. A valley where no one comes out alive.

If she can manage to succeed, Princess Beatriz could have everything she desires and secure peace for her kingdom. If she fails, she’ll lose not only her greatest dream but also her kingdom, and maybe even her own life.

On-Sale February 15th, 2022

RECLAIM THE STARS: 17 TALES ACROSS REALMS & SPACE edited by Zoraida Córdova | Young Adult | 2/15/2022

From stories that take you to the stars, to stories that span into other times and realms, to stories set in the magical now, Reclaim the Stars takes the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world.

Follow princesses warring in space, haunting ghost stories in Argentina, mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean, swamps that whisper secrets, and many more realms explored and unexplored; this stunning collection of seventeen short stories breaks borders and realms to prove that stories are truly universal.

Reclaim the Stars features both bestselling and acclaimed authors as well as two new voices in the genres: Vita Ayala, David Bowles, J.C. Cervantes, Zoraida Córdova, Sara Faring, Romina Garber, Isabel Ibañez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Yamile Saied Méndez, Nina Moreno, Circe Moskowitz, Maya Motayne, Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez, Daniel José Older, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro and Lilliam Rivera.

RIMA’S REBELLION: COURAGE IN A TIME OF TYRANNY by Margarita Engle | Young Adult | 2/15/2022

An inspiring coming-of-age story from award-winning author Margarita Engle about a girl falling in love for the first time while finding the courage to protest for women’s right to vote in 1920s Cuba.

Rima loves to ride horses alongside her abuela and Las Mambisas, the fierce women veterans who fought during Cuba’s wars for independence. Feminists from many backgrounds have gathered in voting clubs to demand suffrage and equality for women, but not everybody wants equality for all—especially not for someone like Rima. In 1920s Cuba, illegitimate children like her are bullied and shunned.

Rima dreams of a day when she is free from fear and shame, the way she feels when she’s riding with Las Mambisas. As she seeks her way, Rima forges unexpected friendships with others who long for freedom, especially a handsome young artist named Maceo. Through turbulent times, hope soars, and with it…love.

On-Sale February 22nd, 2022

HOW TO DATE A FLYING MEXICAN: NEW AND COLLECTED STORIES by Daniel A. Olivas | Adult Fiction | 2/22/2022

How to Date a Flying Mexican is a collection of stories derived from Chicano and Mexican culture but ranging through fascinating literary worlds of magical realism, fairy tales, fables, and dystopian futures. The characters confront—both directly and obliquely—questions of morality, justice, and self-determination.

The collection is made up of Daniel A. Olivas’s favorite previously published stories, along with two new stories—one dystopian and the other mythical—that challenge the Trump administration’s anti-immigration rhetoric and policies. Readers will encounter a world filled with both the magical and the quotidian: a man with twelve fingers who finds himself on a mystical date with a woman, God who appears in the form of a scrawny chicken, a woman who bravely fights back against her abuser, and Aztec gods searching for relevance after the Spanish conquest—just to name a few of the unforgettable characters populating these pages. The book draws together some of Olivas’s most unforgettable and strange tales, allowing readers to experience his very distinct, and very Chicano, fiction.

THE BOOK OF WANDERERS by Reyes Ramirez | Adult Fiction | 2/22/2022

What do a family of luchadores, a teen on the run, a rideshare driver, a lucid dreamer, a migrant worker in space, a mecha soldier, and a zombie-and-neo-Nazi fighter have in common?

Reyes Ramirez’s dynamic short story collection follows new lineages of Mexican and Salvadoran diasporas traversing life in Houston, across borders, and even on Mars. Themes of wandering weave throughout each story, bringing feelings of unease and liberation as characters navigate cultural, physical, and psychological separation and loss from one generation to the next in a tumultuous nation.

The Book of Wanderers deeply explores Houston, a Gulf Coast metropolis that incorporates Southern, Western, and Southwestern identities near the borderlands with a connection to the cosmos. As such, each story becomes increasingly further removed from our lived reality, engaging numerous genres from emotionally touching realist fiction to action-packed speculative fiction, as well as hallucinatory realism, magical realism, noir, and science fiction.

Fascinating characters and unexpected plots unpack what it means to be Latinx in contemporary—and perhaps future—America. The characters work, love, struggle, and never stop trying to control their reality. They dream of building communities and finding peace. How can they succeed if they must constantly leave one place for another? In a nation that demands assimilation, how can they define themselves when they have to start anew with each generation? The characters in The Book of Wanderers create their own lineages, philosophies for life, and markers for their humanity at the cost of home. So they remain wanderers . . . for now.

Review: Olga Dies Dreaming

Earlier this month, Xochitl Gonzalez’s debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, was released to the world. Now a New York Times Best Seller, this proud Puerto Rican story about two siblings, in gentrifying Brooklyn, is making its way through countless media publications, while leaving readers with plenty to discuss. 

Gonzalez depicts a striking portrait of Latine family dynamics, along with powerful complexities that are so often hidden beneath the surface, stressing many of the emotional dilemmas that are frequently buried within. Though apart from the overarching plotline of familial strife and complicated relationships, plus emotions, there is undoubtedly something unique for each reader to gravitate towards. In just under 400 pages, there’s plot lines tackling subjects that range from loss, abandonment, identity and trauma to capitalism, elitism, privilege, corruption and radical revolution.  

Olga Dies Dreaming starts off in 2017 with Olga Acevedo, a Nuyorican Brooklyn native, discussing napkins. In what feels like a political statement wrapped in satirical prose, the reader learns that Olga is a prominent wedding planner that has made a name for herself by using what the elite has to offer her, money and status. As we continue to dive further into Olga’s journey, we come to discover that she suffers through her traumas in silence, and that her life decisions are shaped by her past. 

Shortly after meeting Olga, we are introduced to Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, her brother. Prieto has lived his entire life living the role of the ‘golden child;’ the one who makes minimal mistakes and has everyone’s admiration. However, just like his sister, we learn that Prieto dwells alone, with secrets that haunt him and baggage that weighs him down. A once well supported congressman in his community, now finds himself struggling to keep the support of his constituents. With Prieto’s story, Gonzalez shows us that nothing is ever what it seems to be in America. 

The Acevedo siblings were abandoned by their mother Blanca, and shortly after had to endure the loss of their father. However, with the love of their grandmother they weathered the storm. Though despite Blanca’s abandonment to pursue her own aspirations, she never seemed to be too far away; managing to keep an eerie and toxic hold on her children. A hold that throughout the years strongly affects them both.

Olga Dies Dreaming is a compelling debut with surprises at every turn of the page. The multifaceted characters in this bold plot line will have you in a constant state of shifting emotions. If you haven’t read this yet, you might have just found your next binge read! 

“Olga Dies Dreaming is a compelling debut with surprises at every turn of the page.”

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Xochitl Gonzalez received her M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow and the recipient of the Michener-Copernicus Fellowship for Fiction. Olga Dies Dreaming is her debut novel. Prior to writing, Xochitl wore many hats, including entrepreneur, wedding planner, fundraiser and tarot card reader. She is a proud alumna of the New York City Public School system and holds a B.A. in Art History and Visual Art from Brown University. She lives in her hometown of Brooklyn with her dog, Hectah Lavoe.

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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

Review: My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes

My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes is a unique memoir that utilizes the concept of language as a framework to explain her life story and the development of her identity. Growing up in Philadelphia with a Jewish father and Puerto Rican mother, Hudes organizes the two halves of her cultural identity by associating her father with English and associating her mother with Spanish. Hudes explains the juxtaposition that is created from her parent’s differing backgrounds by highlighting the different interactions she has with each parent. The juxtaposition is introduced through the discussion of religion. Her father deems religion as the root of all evil, which could be linked to the violence of the Holocaust and the experiences his ancestors had, while her mother is spiritual due her upbringing and supernatural experiences she had in Puerto Rico. Hudes begins to question if her mother is evil given her father’s view on religion. This comparison exposes the confusion first generation children can experience and the difficulty of growing up with multiple cultural backgrounds in one household. As a biracial reader, Hude’s use of language to differentiate her experiences with her parents is refreshing. In my experience, I never knew how to explain the different relationships I have with my Mexican father and Korean mother.  

Although the novel begins with Hudes explaining her different experiences and conversations with her parents in a rural horse farm, the pace of the book quickly pivots due to her parent’s divorce. Hudes begins to feel an increase of disconnect between the two halves of her identity as she processes her parent’s divorce. From this point on, the memoir tends to focus on her mother’s side of the family and Puerto Rican family dynamics. Hudes continues to weave the theme of language into her life stories by explaining instances in which language has affected her the most. 

The most relatable example was her experience in school. When Hudes sees her mother in an American setting, her cultural differences are even more so highlighted. However, this time, instead of comparing her mother to her father, Hudes is now comparing her mother to her third culture of living in the States. Many of her classmates were very confused about the difference of skin tones between Hudes and her mother, as well as her mother’s broken English. This becomes more emphasized when Hudes has friends over. Her friends’ parents quickly notice the cultural difference with the presence of Hudes’ altar. This makes the parents uncomfortable, which ultimately leads them to forbid their children from having playdates with Hudes. I related to this as a reader. My mother is Korean and I would often feel embarrassed by her broken English and our Asian furniture. I always wished I could blend in with my classmates and felt ashamed when I was reminded that I was different. Looking back now as an adult, I feel even more ashamed that I was embarrassed of my mother’s dedication to being involved in my American life, even if she could not relate. 

Hudes also unpacks how silence equals death. Although she was never directly told, Hudes inferred that many of her family member’s deaths were due to HIV or addiction. Hudes disagreed with her family’s coping mechanism of not discussing the tragedies and became president of her school’s Peer Education Against Contracting HIV (PEACH) and led STD prevention as well as opportunities for grieving. Hudes’ discussion of silence creates a full circle on the impact language has had on her life. If you’re looking for a lyrical memoir, this one will leave you speechless.

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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

Our Most Anticipated 2022 Latinx Books (So Far!)

We asked the Latinx in Publishing board and volunteers to tell us some of their most anticipated Latinx books releasing this year, and they delivered! Here’s the list of 47 titles, spanning genres and reading levels, to keep on your radar. We’re confident there’s something for everyone. Read through the publisher synopses and add your favorites to your TBR! You can also pre-order them here.

1. OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xóchitl Gonzalez | Adult Fiction | 1/4/2022

A blazing talent debuts with the tale of a status-driven wedding planner grappling with her social ambitions, absent mother, and Puerto Rican roots—all in the wake of Hurricane Maria

It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers.

Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1 percent but she can’t seem to find her own. . . until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets.

Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives.

Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, Xochitl Gonzalez’s Olga Dies Dreaming is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife, and the very notion of the American dream—all while asking what it really means to weather a storm.

2. HIGH-RISK HOMOSEXUAL by Edgar Gomez | Memoir | 1/11/2022

Gomez’s witty memoir follows a touching and often hilarious spiralic path to embracing his gay, Latinx identity against a culture of machismo—from his uncle’s cockfighting ring in Nicaragua to cities across the U.S.—and the bath houses, night clubs, and drag queens who helped him redefine pride.

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

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

3. VIOLETA by Isabel Allende | Historical Fiction | 1/25/2022

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

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

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

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

4. STAR CHILD: A BIOGRAPHICAL CONSTELLATION OF OCTAVIA ESTELLE BUTLER by Ibi Zoboi | Middle Grade | 1/25/2022

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

5. OPHELIA AFTER ALL by Racquel Marie | Young Adult | 2/8/2022

A teen girl navigates friendship drama, the end of high school, and discovering her queerness in Ophelia After All, a hilarious and heartfelt contemporary YA debut by author Racquel Marie.

Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.

So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love—and sexuality—never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.

6. JAWBONE by Mónica Ojeda | Translation | 2/8/2022

Fernanda and Annelise are so close they are practically sisters: a double image, inseparable. So how does Fernanda end up bound on the floor of a deserted cabin, held hostage by one of her teachers and estranged from Annelise?

When Fernanda, Annelise, and their friends from the Delta Bilingual Academy convene after school, Annelise leads them in thrilling but increasingly dangerous rituals to a rhinestoned, Dior-scented, drag-queen god of her own invention. Even more perilous is the secret Annelise and Fernanda share, rooted in a dare in which violence meets love. Meanwhile, their literature teacher Miss Clara, who is obsessed with imitating her dead mother, struggles to preserve her deteriorating sanity. Each day she edges nearer to a total break with reality.

Interweaving pop culture references and horror concepts drawn from Herman Melville, H. P. Lovecraft, and anonymous “creepypastas,” Jawbone is an ominous, multivocal novel that explores the terror inherent in the pure potentiality of adolescence and the fine line between desire and fear.

7. NO FILTER AND OTHER LIES by Crystal Maldonado | Young Adult | 2/8/2022

Twenty one-year-old Max Monroe has it all: beauty, friends, and a glittering life filled with adventure. With tons of followers on Instagram, her picture-perfect existence seems eminently enviable.

Except it’s all fake.

Max is actually 16-year-old Kat Sanchez, a quiet and sarcastic teenager living in drab Bakersfield, California. Nothing glamorous in her existence—just sprawl, bad house parties, a crap school year, and the awkwardness of dealing with her best friend Hari’s unrequited love.

But while Kat’s life is far from perfect, she thrives as Max: doling out advice, sharing beautiful photos, networking with famous influencers, even making a real friend in a follower named Elena. The closer Elena and “Max” get—texting, Snapping, and even calling—the more Kat feels she has to keep up the façade.

But when one of Max’s posts goes ultra-viral and gets back to the very person she’s been stealing photos from, her entire world – real and fake — comes crashing down around her. She has to figure out a way to get herself out of the huge web of lies she’s created without hurting the people she loves.

But it might already be too late.

8. RECLAIM THE STARS: 17 TALES ACROSS REALMS & SPACE edited by Zoraida Córdova | Young Adult | 2/15/2022

From stories that take you to the stars, to stories that span into other times and realms, to stories set in the magical now, Reclaim the Stars takes the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world.

Follow princesses warring in space, haunting ghost stories in Argentina, mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean, swamps that whisper secrets, and many more realms explored and unexplored; this stunning collection of seventeen short stories breaks borders and realms to prove that stories are truly universal.

Reclaim the Stars features both bestselling and acclaimed authors as well as two new voices in the genres: Vita Ayala, David Bowles, J.C. Cervantes, Zoraida Córdova, Sara Faring, Romina Garber, Isabel Ibañez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Yamile Saied Méndez, Nina Moreno, Circe Moskowitz, Maya Motayne, Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez, Daniel José Older, Claribel A. Ortega, Mark Oshiro and Lilliam Rivera.

9. RIMA’S REBELLION: COURAGE IN A TIME OF TYRANNY by Margarita Engle | Young Adult | 2/15/2022

An inspiring coming-of-age story from award-winning author Margarita Engle about a girl falling in love for the first time while finding the courage to protest for women’s right to vote in 1920s Cuba.

Rima loves to ride horses alongside her abuela and Las Mambisas, the fierce women veterans who fought during Cuba’s wars for independence. Feminists from many backgrounds have gathered in voting clubs to demand suffrage and equality for women, but not everybody wants equality for all—especially not for someone like Rima. In 1920s Cuba, illegitimate children like her are bullied and shunned.

Rima dreams of a day when she is free from fear and shame, the way she feels when she’s riding with Las Mambisas. As she seeks her way, Rima forges unexpected friendships with others who long for freedom, especially a handsome young artist named Maceo. Through turbulent times, hope soars, and with it…love.

10. THE BOOK OF WANDERERS by Reyes Ramirez | Adult Fiction| 3/1/2022

What do a family of luchadores, a teen on the run, a rideshare driver, a lucid dreamer, a migrant worker in space, a mecha soldier, and a zombie-and-neo-Nazi fighter have in common?

Reyes Ramirez’s dynamic short story collection follows new lineages of Mexican and Salvadoran diasporas traversing life in Houston, across borders, and even on Mars. Themes of wandering weave throughout each story, bringing feelings of unease and liberation as characters navigate cultural, physical, and psychological separation and loss from one generation to the next in a tumultuous nation.

The Book of Wanderers deeply explores Houston, a Gulf Coast metropolis that incorporates Southern, Western, and Southwestern identities near the borderlands with a connection to the cosmos. As such, each story becomes increasingly further removed from our lived reality, engaging numerous genres from emotionally touching realist fiction to action-packed speculative fiction, as well as hallucinatory realism, magical realism, noir, and science fiction.

Fascinating characters and unexpected plots unpack what it means to be Latinx in contemporary—and perhaps future—America. The characters work, love, struggle, and never stop trying to control their reality. They dream of building communities and finding peace. How can they succeed if they must constantly leave one place for another? In a nation that demands assimilation, how can they define themselves when they have to start anew with each generation? The characters in The Book of Wanderers create their own lineages, philosophies for life, and markers for their humanity at the cost of home. So they remain wanderers . . . for now.

11. BLESS ME, ULTIMA by Rudolfo Anaya, foreword bf Erika L. Sánchez | Adult Fiction | 3/8/2022

Although only six years old, Antonio Marez is perceptive beyond his years. He was brought into the world with the help of Ultima, a curandera, or folk healer, in touch with nature and the spirit world. Revered by some as a wisewoman but rebuked by others as a witch, Ultima has now come back to stay with Tony’s family in New Mexico. As Tony seeks out his destiny—torn between his mother’s farming forebears and his father’s wandering vaquero roots, between Spanish Catholicism and the gods of his indigenous ancestors—Ultima’s loving tutelage will help him navigate questions of life and death, good and evil, and reveal to him the vastness of the heritage that shapes him, in this pioneering work of literature.

Penguin Vitae—loosely translated as “Penguin of one’s life”—is a deluxe hardcover series from Penguin Classics celebrating a dynamic and diverse landscape of classic fiction and nonfiction from seventy-five years of classics publishing. Penguin Vitae provides readers with beautifully designed classics that have shaped the course of their lives, and welcomes new readers to discover these literary gifts of personal inspiration, intellectual engagement, and creative originality.

12. THE TOWN OF BABYLON by Alejandro Varela | Adult Fiction | 3/22/2022

A debut novel about domestic malaise and suburban decline, following Andrés, a gay Latinx professor, returning to his hometown for a twenty-year high school reunion.

When his father falls ill, Andrés, a professor of public health, returns to his suburban hometown to tend to his father’s recovery. Reevaluating his rocky marriage in the wake of his husband’s infidelity and with little else to do, he decides to attend his twenty-year high school reunion, where he runs into the long-lost characters of his youth.

Jeremy, his first love, is now married with two children after having been incarcerated and recovering from addiction. Paul, who Andrés has long suspected of having killed a man in a homophobic attack, is now an Evangelical minister and father of five. And Simone, Andrés’s best friend, is in a psychiatric institution following a diagnosis of schizophrenia. During this short stay, Andrés confronts these relationships, the death of his brother, and the many sacrifices his parents made to offer him a better life.

A novel about the essential nature of community in maintaining one’s own health, The Town of Babylon is an intimate portrait of queer, racial, and class identity, a call to reevaluate the ties of societal bonds and the systems in which they are forged.

13. WHEN WOMEN KILL by Alia Trabucco Zerán | Translation | 3/24/2022

Novelist Alia Trabucco Zerán has long been fascinated not only with the root causes of violence against women, but by those women who have violently rejected the domestic and passive roles they were meant by their culture to inhabit.

Choosing as her subject four iconic homicides perpetrated by Chilean women in the twentieth century, she spent years researching this brilliant work of narrative nonfiction detailing not only the troubling tales of the murders themselves, but the story of how society, the media and men in power reacted to these killings, painting their perpetrators as witches, hysterics, or femmes fatales . . . That is, either evil or out of control.

Corina Rojas, Rosa Faúndez, Carolina Geel and Teresa Alfaro all committed murder. Their crimes not only led to substantial court decisions, but gave rise to multiple novels, poems, short stories, paintings, plays, songs and films, produced and reproduced throughout the last century. In When Women Kill, we are provided with timelines of events leading up to and following their killings, their apprehension by the authorities, their trials and their representation in the media throughout and following the judicial process. Running in parallel with this often horrifying testimony are the diaries kept by Trabucco Zerán while she worked on her research, addressing the obstacles and dilemmas she encountered as she tackled this discomfiting yet necessary project.

14. THE WEDDING CRASHER by Mia Sosa | Adult Romance | 4/5/2022

Just weeks away from ditching DC for greener pastures, Solange Pereira is roped into helping her wedding planner cousin on a random couple’s big day. It’s an easy gig... until Solange stumbles upon a situation that convinces her the pair isn’t meant to be. What’s a true-blue romantic to do? Crash the wedding, of course. And ensure the unsuspecting groom doesn’t make the biggest mistake of his life.

Dean Chapman had his future all mapped out. He was about to check off “start a family” and on track to “make partner” when his modern day marriage of convenience went up in smoke. Then he learns he might not land an assignment that could be his ticket to a promotion unless he has a significant other and, in a moment of panic, Dean claims to be in love with the woman who crashed his wedding. Oops.

Now Dean has a whole new item on his to-do list: beg Solange to be his pretend girlfriend. Solange feels a tiny bit bad about ruining Dean’s wedding, so she agrees to play along. Yet as they fake-date their way around town, what started as a performance for Dean’s colleagues turns into a connection that neither he nor Solange can deny. Their entire romance is a sham... there’s no way these polar opposites could fall in love for real, right? 

15. MISS QUINCES by Kat Fajardo | Middle Grade | 4/5/2022

Rising star Kat Fajardo's debut middle-grade graphic novel about a girl who would rather do anything other than celebrate her quinceañera! A funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about navigating the expectations of family and cultural tradition.

Sue just wants to spend the summer reading and making comics at sleepaway camp with her friends, but instead she gets stuck going to Honduras to visit relatives with her parents and two sisters. They live way out in the country, which means no texting, no cable, and no Internet! The trip takes a turn for the worse when Sue's mother announces that they'll be having a surprise quinceañera for Sue, which is the last thing she wants. She can't imagine wearing a big, floofy, colorful dress! What is Sue going to do? And how will she survive all this quality time with her rambunctious family?

Miss Quinces is the first graphic novel published by Scholastic/Graphix to be simultaneously released in English and Spanish editions!

16. HORSE COUNTRY #1: CAN'T BE TAMED by Yamile Saied Méndez | Juvenile Fiction | 4/5/2022

Welcome to Paradise Ranch, where everyone can get a second chance.

Carolina Aguasvivas grew up on the newly renamed Paradise Ranch, which she knows down to every last pony. But things are sure to change when the new owner's daughter, Chelsie Sánchez, sweeps in with an attitude and a feisty Thoroughbred named Velvet. The mare is skittish, headstrong -- and Carolina is determined to ride her.

Chelsie, who considers herself too good to clean stalls, certainly doesn't seem like a real horse girl. Somehow, she thinks the same of Carolina. But Caro knows she's more worthy than Chelsie to help Velvet recover, and she's ready to prove it.

The girls may discover they have more in common than they think... including a passion for bringing the healing power of horses to every kid.

17. WITCHLINGS by Claribel A. Ortega | Middle Grade | 4/5/2022

Every year, in the magical town of Ravenskill, Witchlings who participate in the Black Moon Ceremony are placed into covens and come into their powers as full-fledged witches.

And twelve-year-old Seven Salazar can't wait to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend! But on the night of the ceremony, in front of the entire town, Seven isn't placed in one of the five covens. She's a Spare!

Spare covens have fewer witches, are less powerful, and are looked down on by everyone. Even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares perform the magic circle to seal their coven and cement themselves as sisters, it doesn't work! They're stuck as Witchlings—and will never be able to perform powerful magic.

Seven invokes her only option: the impossible task. The three Spares will be assigned an impossible task: If they work together and succeed at it, their coven will be sealed and they'll gain their full powers. If they fail... Well, the last coven to make the attempt ended up being turned into toads. Forever.

But maybe friendship can be the most powerful magic of all…

18. THE DO-OVER by Jennifer Torres | Middle Grade | 4/5/2022

The Mendoza sisters need a do-over!

Raquel and Lucinda used to be inseparable. But ever since their parents split, Raquel has been acting like editor-in-chief of their lives. To avoid her overbearing sister, Lucinda spends most of her time with her headphones on, practicing her skating routine.

Then a pandemic hits, and the sisters are forced to spend the lockdown at their dad’s ranch house. Suddenly Raquel sees a chance to get back everything they’ve lost. If they can convince their mom to come along, maybe they can get their parents to fall in love again and give their family a second chance, a do-over.

But at the ranch, they get a not-so-welcome surprise: their dad’s new girlfriend and her daughter are already living there! Lucinda finds she actually likes them, which only makes Raquel more desperate to get rid of them. And as Raquel’s schemes get more and more out of hand, Lucinda starts to wonder what they are really fighting for. Is trying to bring the Mendoza family back together really just tearing them further apart?

19. PART OF YOUR WORLD by Abby Jimenez | Adult Romance | 4/19/2022

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

20. PARADAIS by Fernanda Melchor | Translation | 4/26/2022

Inside a luxury housing complex, two misfit teenagers sneak around and get drunk. Franco Andrade, lonely, overweight, and addicted to porn, obsessively fantasizes about seducing his neighbor—an attractive married woman and mother—while Polo dreams about quitting his grueling job as a gardener within the gated community and fleeing his overbearing mother and their narco-controlled village. Each facing the impossibility of getting what he thinks he deserves, Franco and Polo hatch a mindless and macabre scheme.

Written in a chilling torrent of prose by one of our most thrilling new writers, Paradais explores the explosive fragility of Mexican society—with its racist, classist, hyperviolent tendencies—and how the myths, desires, and hardships of teenagers can tear life apart at the seams.

21. MARIA, MARIA: OTHER STORIES by Marytza K. Rubio | Fiction | 4/26/2022

Conjuring entrancing tales of Mexican American mystics and misfits, Marytza K. Rubio shatters the boundaries of reality with this fiercely imaginative debut. Set against the tropics and megacities of the Americas, Maria, Maria takes inspiration from wild creatures, tarot, and the porous borders between life and death.

Motivated by love and its inverse, grief, the characters who inhabit these stories negotiate boldly with nature to cast their desired ends. As the enigmatic community college professor in “Brujería for Beginners” reminds us: “There’s always a price for conjuring in darkness. You won’t always know what it is until payment is due.” This commitment drives the disturbingly faithful widow in “Tijuca,” who promises to bury her husband’s head in the rich dirt of the jungle, and the sisters in “Moksha,” who are tempted by a sleek obsidian dagger once held by a vampiric idol.

But magic isn’t limited to the women who wield it. As Rubio so brilliantly elucidates, animals are powerful magicians too. Subversive pigeons and hungry jaguars are called upon in “Tunnels,” and a lonely little girl runs free with a resurrected saber-toothed tiger in “Burial.” A colorful catalog of gallery exhibits from animals in therapy is featured in “Art Show,” including the Almost Philandering Fox, who longs after the red pelt of another, and the recently rehabilitated Paranoid Peacocks.

Brimming with sharp wit and ferocious female intuition, these stories bubble over into the titular novella, “Maria, Maria”—a tropigoth family drama set in a reimagined California rainforest that explores the legacies of three Marias, and possibly all Marias. Writing in prose so lush it threatens to creep off the page, Rubio emerges as an ineffable new voice in contemporary short fiction.

22. INHERITANCE by Elizabeth Acevedo | Visual Poem | 5/3/2022

In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpré-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the complexities of Black hair and Afro-Latinidad—the history, pain, pride, and powerful love of that inheritance.

Paired with full-color illustrations by artist Andrea Pippins in a format that will appeal to fans of Mahogany L. Browne’s Black Girl Magic or Jason Reynolds’s For Everyone, this poem can now be read in a vibrant package, making it the ideal gift, treasure, or inspiration for readers of any age.

23. BAD GIRLS by Camila Sosa Villada | Translation | 5/3/2022

Gritty and unflinching, yet also tender, fantastical, and funny, a trans woman’s tale about finding a community on the margins.
 
In Sarmiento Park, the green heart of Córdoba, a group of trans sex workers make their nightly rounds. When a cry comes from the dark, their leader, the 178-year-old Auntie Encarna, wades into the brambles to investigate and discovers a baby half dead from the cold. She quickly rallies the pack to save him, and they adopt the child into their fascinating surrogate family as they have so many other outcasts, including Camila.

Sheltered in Auntie Encarna’s fabled pink house, they find a partial escape from the everyday threats of disease and violence, at the hands of clients, cops, and boyfriends. Telling their stories—of a mute young woman who transforms into a bird, of a Headless Man who fled his country’s wars—as well as her own journey from a toxic home in a small, poor town, Camila traces the life of this vibrant community throughout the 90s.

Imbuing reality with the magic of a dark fairy tale, Bad Girls offers an intimate, nuanced portrait of trans coming-of-age that captures a universal sense of the strangeness of our bodies. It grips and entertains us while also challenging ideas about love, sexuality, gender, and identity.

24. TRUST by Hernan Diaz | Historical Fiction | 5/3/2022

Even through the roar and effervescence of the 1920s, everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask. He is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; she is the brilliant daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together, they have risen to the very top of a world of seemingly endless wealth. But the secrets around their affluence and grandeur incites gossip. Rumors about Benjamin's financial maneuvers and Helen's reclusiveness start to spread--all as a decade of excess and speculation draws to an end. At what cost have they acquired their immense fortune?

This is the mystery at the center of a successful 1938 novel entitled Bonds, which all of New York seems to have read. But it isn't the only version.

Hernan Diaz's Trust brilliantly puts the story of these characters into conversation with other accounts--and in tension with the life and perspective of a young woman bent on disentangling fact from fiction. The result is a novel that becomes more exhilarating and profound with each new layer and revelation. Provocative and propulsive, Trust engages the reader in a quest for the truth while confronting the reality-warping gravitational pull of money and how power often manipulates facts. An elegant, multifaceted epic that recovers the voices buried under the myths that justify our foundational inequality, Trust is a literary triumph with a beating heart and urgent stakes.

25. THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas | Historical Fiction | 5/3/2022

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to battle the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

26. BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN by Natalia Sylvester | Young Adult | 5/10/2022

Verónica, a Peruvian‑American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body, in this gorgeously written and authentic novel.

Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability. The best form of rehabilitation is swimming, so she spends hours in the pool, but not just to strengthen her body. Her Florida town is home to Mermaid Cove, a kitschy underwater attraction where professional mermaids perform in giant tanks . . . and Verónica wants to audition. But her conservative Peruvian parents would never go for it. And they definitely would never let her be with Alex, her cute new neighbor. She decides it’s time to seize control of her life, but her plans come crashing down when she learns her parents have been hiding the truth from her—the truth about her own body.

27. CAFE CON LYCHEE by Emery Lee | Young Adult | 5/10/2022

Sometimes bitter rivalries can brew something sweet

Theo Mori wants to escape. Leaving Vermont for college means getting away from working at his parents’ Asian American café and dealing with their archrivals’ hopeless son Gabi who’s lost the soccer team more games than Theo can count.

Gabi Moreno is miserably stuck in the closet. Forced to play soccer to hide his love for dance and iced out by Theo, the only openly gay guy at school, Gabi’s only reprieve is his parents’ Puerto Rican bakery and his plans to take over after graduation.

But the town’s new fusion café changes everything. Between the Mori’s struggling shop and the Moreno’s plan to sell their bakery in the face of the competition, both boys find their dreams in jeopardy. Then Theo has an idea—sell photo-worthy food covertly at school to offset their losses. When he sprains his wrist and Gabi gets roped in to help, they realize they need to work together to save their parents’ shops but will the new feelings rising between them be enough to send their future plans up in smoke?

28. THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL by Sonora Reyes | Young Adult | 5/17/2022

A sharply funny and moving debut novel about a queer Mexican American girl navigating Catholic school, while falling in love and learning to celebrate her true self. Perfect for fans of Erika L. Sánchez, Leah Johnson, and Gabby Rivera.

Sixteen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers to be known for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new, mostly white, very rich Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she’s gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way. 

After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend before transferring to Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: keep her brother out of trouble, make her mom proud, and, most importantly, don’t fall in love. Granted, she’s never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami. 

The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. So cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do? 

Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.

29. NERUDA ON THE PARK by Cleyvis Natera | Adult Fiction | 5/17/2022

An exhilarating debut novel following members of a Dominican family in New York City who take radically different paths when faced with encroaching gentrification

The Guerreros have lived in Nothar Park, a predominantly Dominican part of New York City, for twenty years. When demolition begins on a neighboring tenement, Eusebia, an elder of the community, takes matters into her own hands by devising an increasingly dangerous series of schemes to stop construction of the luxury condos. Meanwhile, Eusebia's daughter, Luz, a rising associate at a top Manhattan law firm who strives to live the bougie lifestyle her parents worked hard to give her, becomes distracted by a sweltering romance with the handsome white developer at the company her mother so vehemently opposes.

As Luz's father, Vladimir, secretly designs their retirement home in the Dominican Republic, mother and daughter collide, ramping up tensions in Nothar Park, racing toward a near-fatal climax.

A beautifully layered portrait of family, friendship, and ambition, Neruda on the Park weaves a rich and vivid tapestry of community as well as the sacrifices we make to protect what we love most, announcing Cleyvis Natera as an electrifying new voice.

30. JOIN THE CLUB MAGGIE DIAZ by Nina Moreno | Middle Grade | 5/17/2022

A humorous and heartfelt middle-grade debut by Nina Moreno with illustrations by Courtney Lovett, perfect for fans of One Day at a Time and Invisible Emmie.

Everyone in Maggie Diaz's life seems to be finding their true passion. The one thing that defines them as a person. Her best friends Zoey and Julian are too busy to spend time after school thanks to band and comics club. Mom is finishing her last semester in college. And of course, perfect older sister Caro has her sports and tutoring club.

So Maggie cooks up a plan to try all the clubs she can! But trying to fit in with type-A future leaders, gardening wizzes, and the fearless kids in woodshop is intimidating, exhausting, and seriously confusing. And when Maggie ends up disappointing her friends, she realizes that juggling school, friends, and all of her after-school activities isn't what she expected. Finding herself might just require some surpr

31. THIS IS WHY THEY HATE US by Aaron Acedes | Young Adult | 5/24/2022

Enrique “Quique” Luna has one goal this summer—get over his crush on Saleem Kanazi by pursuing his other romantic prospects. Never mind that he’s only out to his best friend, Fabiola. Never mind that he has absolutely zero game. And definitely forget the fact that good and kind and, not to mention, beautiful Saleem is leaving L.A. for the summer to meet a girl his parents are trying to set him up with.

Luckily, Quique’s prospects are each intriguing in their own ways. There’s stoner-jock Tyler Montana, who might be just as interested in Fabiola as he is in Quique; straight-laced senior class president, Ziggy Jackson; and Manny Zuniga, who keeps looking at Quique like he’s carne asada fresh off the grill. With all these choices, Quique is sure to forget about Saleem in no time.

But as the summer heats up and his deep-seated fears and anxieties boil over, Quique soon realizes that getting over one guy by getting under a bunch of others may not have been the best laid plan and living his truth can come at a high cost.

32. WEST SIDE LOVE STORY by Priscilla Oliveras | Adult Romance | 6/1/2022

Two familias in Texas, both alike in dignity, rivalries, and passion…

Having grown up in the nurturing household of Casa Capuleta, Mariana will do anything for familia. To solve her adoptive parents’ financial problems amid their rapidly changing San Antonio comunidad, Mariana and her younger sisters are determined to win the Battle of the Mariachi Bands. That means competing against Hugo Montero, their father’s archnemesis, and his band and escalating a decades-old feud. It also raises the stakes of Mariana’s forbidden attraction for a certain dark-eyed mariachi who sets her heart racing.

To Angelo Montero’s familia, Mariana is also strictly off-limits. But that doesn’t stop him from pursuing her. As their secret affair intensifies and the competition grows fierce, they’re swept up in a brewing storm of betrayals, rivalries, and broken ties. Against the odds, they vow to bring peace. But sacrifices must be made and consequences weighed for two star-crossed lovers to make beautiful music together.

33. BROWN NEON by Raquel Gutiérrez | Nonfiction | 6/7/2022

A meditation on southwestern terrains, intergenerational queer dynamics, and surveilled brown artists that crosses physical and conceptual borders.

Part butch memoir, part ekphrastic travel diary, part queer family tree, Raquel Gutiérrez’s debut essay collection Brown Neon gleans insight from the sediment of land and relationships. For Gutierrez, terrain is essential to understanding that no story, no matter how personal, is separate from the space where it unfolds. Whether contemplating the value of adobe as both vernacular architecture and commodified art object, highlighting the feminist wounding and transphobic apparitions haunting the multi-generational lesbian social fabric, or recalling a failed romance, Gutiérrez traverses complex questions of gender, class, identity, and citizenship with curiosity and nuance.

34. WOMAN OF LIGHT by Kali Fajardo-Anstine | Historical Fiction | 6/7/2022

A dazzling epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award finalist Sabrina & Corina.

Luz “Little Light” Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930s Denver, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors’ origins, how her family flourished, and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

Written in Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s singular voice, the wildly entertaining and complex lives of the Lopez family fill the pages of this multigenerational western saga. Woman of Light is a transfixing novel about survival, family secrets, and love—filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, all of whom are just as special, memorable, and complicated as our beloved heroine, Luz.

35. Horse Country #2: Friends Like These by Yamile Saied Méndez | Juvenile Fiction | 6/28/2022

Trouble in Paradise? In this second installment of Horse Country, critically acclaimed author Yamile Saied Méndez welcomes readers back to the ranch.

Carolina's hope of opening up Paradise Ranch to everyone is coming true: the Unbridled Dreams program is ready to welcome its first sponsored student!

Gisella Bassi seems like the perfect fit -- on paper, that is. When she arrives at Paradise Ranch, she's not as excited as everyone expects. She might even be... scared of the horses? But if their first student isn't a success, there's no way the program will continue. Can Caro and her new friend, Chelsie, agree on how to rope Gisella in?

36. VALENTINA SALAZAR IS NOT A MONSTER HUNTER by Zoraida Córdova | Middle Grade | 6/28/2022

An adventure about a trio of tight-knit, monster-loving siblings.

It takes a special person to end up in detention on the last day of school.

It takes a REALLY special person to accidentally burn down the the school yard while chasing a fire-breathing chipmunk.

But nothing about Valentina Salazar has ever been “normal.” The Salazars are protectors, tasked with rescuing the magical creatures who sometimes wander into our world, from grumpy unicorns to chupacabras . . . to the occasional fire-breathing chipmunk.

When Val’s father is killed during a rescue mission gone wrong, her mother decides it’s time to retire from their life on the road. She moves the family to a boring little town in upstate New York and enrolls Val and her siblings in real school for the first time.

But Val is a protector at heart and she can’t give up her calling. So when a mythical egg surfaces in a viral video, Val convinces her reluctant siblings to help her find the egg before it hatches and wreaks havoc. But she has some competition: the dreaded monster hunters who’ll stop at nothing to destroy the creature . . . and the Salazar family

37. THE LAST BEEKEEPER by Pablo Cartaya | Middle Grade | 7/12/2022

Facing a world dually altered by climate change and those who profit from it, Yolanda Cicerón will have to fight to save the last known beehive from extinction in this stirring new adventure by award-winning author Pablo Cartaya.

In a future shaken by climate disasters, Yolanda Cicerón knows that nature is something to be feared. While life in the Valley is brutal and harsh, Yoly dreams of leaving her farm to live in Silo—the most advanced town for miles around. But first, Yoly will need to prove she belongs in a place where only the smartest and most useful are welcomed.

Between her razor-sharp smarts and sheer determination, Yoly is well on her way until she discovers her family can no longer afford her schooling. When forced to take matters into her own hands, the closer she gets to securing her future, the more she uncovers the dangers lying inside Silo’s walls—ones that threaten the entire Valley. 

As she cracks long-guarded secrets, Yoly, along with those closest to her, is put in grave peril and the only chance of surviving may lie in the rediscovery of a long-extinct species—the honeybee. Can the last surviving beehive be the key to pulling the Valley out from under Silo’s thumb, or will they destroy what remains of Yoly’s future?

38. THE MAN WHO COULD MOVE CLOUDS by Ingrid Rojas Contreras | Memoir | 7/12/2022

For Ingrid Rojas Contreras, magic runs in the family. Raised amidst the political violence of 1980s and ‘90s Colombia, in a house where “what did you dream?” was the preferred greeting in place of “how are you?,” very little was out of the ordinary. Her maternal grandfather, Nono, was a renowned curandero, a community healer gifted with what the family called “the secrets:” the power to talk to the dead, tell the future, treat the sick, and move the clouds. As a young girl Rojas Contreras spent her days eavesdropping on her mother’s fortune-telling clients and eagerly waiting for the phone calls from relatives reporting that her mother’s apparition had, yet again, visited them thousands of miles away from where Mami stood in the family’s kitchen.

So when Rojas Contreras, now living in the United States, suffered a head injury in her twenties that left her with amnesia—an accident eerily similar to a fall her mother took as a child, from which she woke not just with amnesia, but also the ability to see ghosts—the family assumed “the secrets” had been passed down once again.

Spurred by a shared dream among Mami and her sisters, and her own powerful urge to relearn her family history in the aftermath of her memory loss, Rojas Contreras joins her mother on a journey home to Colombia to disinter Nono’s remains. With her mother as her unpredictable, stubborn, and often hilarious guide, Rojas Contreras traces her lineage back to her Indigenous and Spanish roots, uncovering the violent and rigid colonial narrative that would eventually break her family into two camps: those who believe “the secrets” are a gift, and those who are convinced they are a curse.

Interweaving family stories more enchanting than those in any novel, resurrected Colombian history, and her own deeply personal reckonings with the bounds of reality, Rojas Contreras writes her way through the incomprehensible and into her inheritance. The result is a luminous testament to the power of storytelling as a healing art and an invitation to embrace the extraordinary.

39. CRYING IN THE BATHROOM by Erica L. Sánchez | Memoir | 7/12/2022

Growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants in Chicago in the nineties, Erika Sánchez was a self-described pariah, misfit, and disappointment—a foul-mouthed, melancholic rabble-rouser who painted her nails black but also loved comedy, often laughing so hard with her friends that she had to leave her school classroom. Twenty-five years later, she’s now an award-winning novelist, poet, and essayist, but she’s still got an irrepressible laugh, an acerbic wit, and singular powers of perception about the world around her.

In these essays, Sánchez writes about everything from sex to white feminism to debilitating depression, revealing an interior life rich with ideas, self-awareness, and perception. Raunchy, insightful, unapologetic, and brutally honest, Crying in the Bathroom is Sánchez at her best—a book that will make you feel that post-confessional high that comes from talking for hours with your best friend.

40. COMING UP CUBAN by Sonia Manzano | Middle Grade | 8/2/2022

From Pura Belpré Honoree and Emmy-award winning actor Sonia Manzano--best known as "Maria" from Sesame Street--comes the expansive and timeless story of four children who must carve out a path for themselves in the wake of Fidel Castro's rise to power.

Fifteen-time Emmy Award winner and Pura Belpre honoree Sonia Manzano examines the impact of the 1959 Cuban Revolution on four children from very different walks of life. In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting effects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Through these snapshot stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity.

41. INVISIBLE: A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Christina Diaz Gonzalez | Middle Grade | 8/2/2022

For fans of Twins and Allergic, a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service... and may just have more in common than they thought.

How can you be yourself when no one sees the real you?

Five students meet in the school cafeteria when they’re forced to complete their school community service hours.

There’s George: the brain

Sara: the loner

Dayara: the tough kid

Nico: the rich kid

They immediately know that they have nothing in common with each other... even though their school administration has decided that they all belong together.

None of the kids wants to be there, and each has their own issues they're dealing with in their life outside of school. But when they encounter someone who truly needs their help, they might just be able to come together to work as a team—and help their community—after all.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of The Red Umbrella, and Gaby Epstein, illustrator of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptations, have created a vibrant and relatable graphic novel about unexpected friendships and being seen for who you really are.

42. ¡ÁNDALE, PRIETA! : A MEMOIR by Yasmin Ramirez | Memoir | 8/3/2022

After the passing of her grandmother, Yasmín writes about her family’s history as a way to hold on to their memories. Yasmín does not fit in, she is not “güerita” like her sister nor does she have a conventional family, and her plans never go as expected. Her skin is darker and shows her Mexican heritage, so her grandmother calls her Prieta. While it can be an insult, when it comes from her Ita’s mouth Prieta means love, a love that helps Yasmín accept herself and her history, which is inextricably linked with the strong grandmother that helped raised her while Yasmín’s mother worked as a Customs and Border Protection officer. Yasmín admires the scars that showed who Ita was―scars from breast cancer, scars from breaking up fights, even scars she’s painted on husbands who thought they were stronger than her. The exploration of Ita takes Prieta on a journey of her own past, full of ups and downs. Bars that felt like home, rebel teenage years, trying on different dreams and career paths that eventually lead her to writing. Set in El Paso, Yasmín shares her experience in the border and how that shaped her as a person. The border city has a diversity of cultures and a sense of home she cannot find anywhere else.

¡Ándale, Prieta! shows the bond between a grandmother and granddaughter, and explores the grief of losing it. Yasmín’s experience is something that readers looking for a multicultural book can relate to. Adult and young adult readers alike can identify with her journey to find her identity and the struggle of growing up between two cultures as a Mexican American, with a story that brings comfort through the loving words of a grandmother and characters that feel like your own family. This autobiography presents a story of living on the border, first love, and the connection between women through generations.

43. TUMBLE by Celia C. Perez | Middle Grade | 8/16/2022

Twelve-year-old Adela “Addie” Ramirez has a big decision to make when her stepfather proposes adoption. Addie loves Alex, the only father figure she’s ever known, but with a new half brother due in a few months and a big school theater performance on her mind, everything suddenly feels like it’s moving too fast. She has a million questions, and the first is about the young man in the photo she found hidden away in her mother’s things.

Addie’s sleuthing takes her to a New Mexico ranch, and her world expands to include the legendary Bravos: Rosie and Pancho, her paternal grandparents and former professional wrestlers; Eva and Maggie, her older identical twin cousins who love to spar in and out of the ring; Uncle Mateo, whose lucha couture and advice are unmatched; and Manny, her biological father, who’s in the midst of a career comeback. As luchadores, the Bravos’s legacy is strong. But being part of a family is so much harder—it’s about showing up, taking off your mask, and working through challenges together.

44. MY NEW GIFT edited by Yamile Saied Mendez and Aida Salazar | Juvenile Fiction | 9/13/2022

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

For Angela, it came on the basketball court--while playing on the boys' team. For Penny, it came on a school field trip to the lake (making for some cringeworthy moments of humor). And to Layla's disappointment, it came at the start of her first fasting Ramadan, meaning that she won't be able to fast after all. Whether it spurs silence or celebration, whether the subjects are well prepared or totally in the dark, the young people in these sixteen stories find that getting a period not only brings change to their bodies, it also brings joy, sorrow, self-discovery, and yes, sometimes even gifts.

Edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Méndez and featuring BIPOC contributors who are some of the most talented authors in middle-grade fiction today--including two-time 2021 Newbery Honoree Christina Soontornvat, Erin Entrada Kelly, Ibi Zoboi, and Saadia Faruqi--My New Gift offers coming-of-age stories and poetry ranging from funny to heartbreaking to powerful, all of them reassuring readers that they are not alone in their period journey.

45. A SEED IN THE SUN by Aida Salazar | Juvenile Fiction | 10/25/2022

A young girl with big dreams meets activist Dolores Huerta and joins the 1965 protest for migrant workers' rights in this tender-hearted middle grade novel in verse, perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia and Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Lula Viramontes dreams of one day becoming someone whom no one can ignore: a daring ringleader in a Mexican traveling carpa, like the one she saw years ago while her family was working a harvest in Texas. But when the Teatro Campesino (the official theater company of the United Farm Workers) comes to their encampment in Delano, California, Lula meets activist Dolores Huerta and discovers an even more pressing reason to raise her voice: the upcoming farm workers' strike, an event that will determine her family's future—for better or worse.

46. WHERE THERE WAS FIRE by John Manuel Arias | Adult Fiction| 11/15/2022

Publisher description to come. This is the debut novel from the author!

47. BORDERLESS by Jennifer de Leon | Young Adult | 2022

Publisher description to come. This is the next YA novel from the author and releases this year!

Editor’s Note: Since we’ve published this list, we’ve learned that the author of #19, Part of Your World, is not Latinx or of Latinx descent. We’re sorry for not catching this earlier.

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Andrea Morales is a junior contracts associate at Macmillan and the Communications Co-Director for Latinx in Publishing. She comes from Los Angeles, where she interned for Red Hen Press as an editorial assistant and for a literary agent, and graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Psychology. A daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, her special mission is to boost the number of Central American professionals and writers in the industry and uplift Central American literature. Her book reviews and recommendations can be found on Instagram and Twitter at @guatemalcriada.

Winner Announced for Books Like Us First Novel Contest from Gallery Books

Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, recently announced the winner of their BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest winner Elba Pérez, a writer from Río Grande, Puerto Rico. The contest was created to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation strives for progress, Gallery Books and Simon & Schuster aim to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. In future seasons, the Books Like Us First Novel Contest will rotate among other Simon & Schuster adult imprints. Pérez will be awarded the opportunity to enter into a $50,000 book deal with Gallery Books. Full rules for the BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest from Gallery Books can be reviewed at SimonAndSchuster.com/p/Gallery-First-Novel-Contest.

Read on to learn more about the winner of the contest. Elba Iris Pérez spent her early childhood in the company town of Woronoco, Massachusetts, and returned to Puerto Rico at the age of twelve. In 2002, when she visited Woronoco and found that the company town had been torn down, she was inspired to write about the Puerto Rican families who once lived there.

As a tenured professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo, she taught Western Culture and Theatre. She is the founder of a student theatre group at UPRA, Teatro Universitario de Histriones, and a community theatre group, Taller de Teatro del Tanamá. Elba, who was a mime in Teatro Ikaro (the Sir Icarus Circus) for four years, is the author of El Teatro Como Bandera, a history of street theatre in Puerto Rico, published in 2010 by Centro de Estudios Iberoamericanos, UPRA & Librería La Tertulia.

Elba has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Puerto Rico, an MA in Theatre from the University of Michigan, and a PhD in History from the University of Puerto Rico. Additionally, she studied creative writing at the UCLA Writers’ Extension Program. Elba has two adult children and lives in Houston with her husband. Congratulate Elba on Twitter! @elbaip.

GALLERY BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, is an imprint dedicated to publishing a variety of must-read books on a wide array of topics. Launched in 2010, Gallery is designed to showcase established voices and to introduce emerging new ones—in both fiction and nonfiction. Gallery Books is the publisher of Five Presidents by Clint Hill, The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe, Beautiful Things by Hunter Biden, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer, One by One and The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, The Problem with Everything by Meghan Daum, American Like Me by America Ferrera, The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.

SIMON & SCHUSTER, a ViacomCBS Company, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at  www.simonandschuster.com.

January 2022 Latinx Releases

On-Sale January 4th, 2022

PAULI MURRAY: THE LIFE OF A PIONEERING FEMINIST AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST | MIDDLE GRADE NON-FICTION

by Terry Catasús Jennings and Rosita Stevens-Holsey

This biography of Pauli Murray is a groundbreaking new nonfiction book intended for the middle grade audience written in verse.

Pauli Murray was a thorn in the side of white America demanding justice and equal treatment for all. She was a queer civil rights and women's rights activist before any movement advocated for either--the brilliant mind that, in 1944, conceptualized the arguments that would win Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and in 1964, the arguments that won women equality in the workplace.

Throughout her life, she fought for the oppressed, not only through changing laws, but by using her powerful prose to influence those who could affect change. She lived by her convictions and challenged authority to demand fairness and justice regardless of the personal consequences. Without seeking acknowledgment, glory, or financial gain for what she did, Pauli Murray fought in the trenches for many of the rights we take for granted. Her goal was human rights and the dignity of life for all.

SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND | YA SCIENCE-FICTION

by David Valdes

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

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

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

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

OLGA DIES DREAMING | FICTION

by Xochitl Gonzalez

A blazing talent debuts with the tale of a status-driven wedding planner grappling with her social ambitions, absent mother, and Puerto Rican roots--all in the wake of Hurricane Maria

It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro "Prieto" Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan's power brokers.

Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1 percent but she can't seem to find her own. . . until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets.

Olga and Prieto's mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives.

Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico's history, Xochitl Gonzalez'sOlga Dies Dreamingis a story that examines political corruption, familial strife, and the very notion of the American dream--all while asking what it really means to weather a storm.

VELORIO | FICTION

by Xavier Navarro Aquino

Set in the wake of Hurricane Maria, Xavier Navarro Aquino’s unforgettable debut novel follows a remarkable group of survivors searching for hope on an island torn apart by both natural disaster and human violence.

Camila is haunted by the death of her sister, Marisol, who was caught by a mudslide during the huracán. Unable to part with Marisol, Camila carries her through town, past the churchyard, and, eventually, to the supposed utopia of Memoria. 

Urayoán, the idealistic, yet troubled cult leader of Memoria, has a vision for this new society, one that in his eyes is peaceful and democratic. The paradise he preaches lures in the young, including Bayfish, a boy on the cusp of manhood, and Morivivi, a woman whose outward toughness belies an inner tenderness for her friends. But as the different members of Memoria navigate Urayoán’s fiery rise, they will need to confront his violent authoritarian impulses in order to find a way to reclaim their home.

Velorio—meaning “wake”—is a story of strength, resilience, and hope; a tale of peril and possibility buoyed by the deeply held belief in a people’s ability to unite against those corrupted by power. 

On-Sale January 11th, 2022

HIGH-RISK HOMOSEXUAL | MEMOIR

by Edgar Gomez

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

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

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

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

WHO WAS THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE?: CESAR CHAVEZ | MIDDLE GRADE BIOGRAPHY

by Terry Blas; illustrated by Mar Julia 

Discover the story behind Cesar Chavez and the Delano Grape Strike in this moving graphic novel -- written by award-winning author Terry Blas and illustrated by Ignatz-nominated cartoonist Mar Julia.

Presenting Who HQ Graphic Novels: an exciting new addition to the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series!

Follow Cesar Chavez and the National Farm Workers Association, as they set out on a difficult 300-mile protest march in support of farm workers' rights. A story of hope, solidarity, and perseverance, this graphic novel invites readers to immerse themselves in the life of the famous Latino American Civil Rights leader -- brought to life by gripping narrative and vivid full-color illustrations that jump off the page.

On-Sale January 25th, 2022

VIOLETA | HISTORICAL FICTION

by Isabel Allende

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

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

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

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

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

STAR CHILD | MIDDLE GRADE BIOGRAPHY

by Ibi Zoboi

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

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

TÍA FORTUNA'S NEW HOME | PICTURE BOOK

by Ruth Behar; illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

A poignant multicultural ode to family and what it means to create a home as one girl helps her Tía move away from her beloved Miami apartment.

When Estrella's Tía Fortuna has to say goodbye to her longtime Miami apartment building, The Seaway, to move to an assisted living community, Estrella spends the day with her. Tía explains the significance of her most important possessions from both her Cuban and Jewish culture, as they learn to say goodbye together and explore a new beginning for Tía.

A lyrical book about tradition, culture, and togetherness, Tía Fortuna's New Home explores Tía and Estrella's Sephardic Jewish and Cuban heritage. Through Tía's journey, Estrella will learn that as long as you have your family, home is truly where the heart is.