6 Must Reads This Pride Month

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes | Young Adult

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.

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?

No Filter and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado | Young Adult

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 17-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.

The Insiders by Mark Oshiro | Middle Grade

Perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Meg Medina, this debut middle grade novel from award-winning author Mark Oshiro is a hopeful and heartfelt coming-of-age story for anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t fit in.

San Francisco and Orangevale may be in the same state, but for Héctor Muñoz, they might as well be a million miles apart. Back home, being gay didn't mean feeling different. At Héctor's new school, he couldn't feel more alone.

Most days, Héctor just wishes he could disappear. And he does. Right into the janitor's closet. (Yes, he sees the irony.) But one day, when the door closes behind him, Héctor discovers he's stumbled into a room that shouldn't be possible. A room that connects him with two new friends from different corners of the country--and opens the door to a life-changing year full of friendship, adventure, and just a little bit of magic.

Mariposas: An Anthology of Modern Queer Latino Poetry by Emanuel Xavier | Poetry

Emanuel Xavier is the author of two collections of poetry, Pier Queen and Americano, and a fiction novel, Christ Like. He also edited Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry and selected finalists for Best Gay Erotica 2008. His work has appeared in many publications including The James White Review, Genre, Long Shot, Virgins, Guerrillas & Locas, and Queer & Catholic. He is the recipient of the Marsha A. Gomez Cultural Heritage Award and a New York City Council citation for his many contributions to gay and Latino culture. 

Born Both: An Intersex Life by Hida Viloria | Memoir

From one of the world's foremost intersex activists, a candid, provocative, and eye-opening memoir of gender identity, self-acceptance, and love.

My name is Hida Viloria. I was raised as a girl but discovered at a young age that my body looked different. Having endured an often turbulent home life as a kid, there were many times when I felt scared and alone, especially given my attraction to girls. But unlike most people in the first world who are born intersex--meaning they have genitals, reproductive organs, hormones, and/or chromosomal patterns that do not fit standard definitions of male or female--I grew up in the body I was born with because my parents did not have my sex characteristics surgically altered at birth.

Born Both is the story of my lifelong journey toward finding love and embracing my authentic identity in a world that insists on categorizing people into either/or, and of my decades-long fight for human rights and equality for intersex people everywhere.

One of a Kind, Like Me/Único Como Yo by Laurin Mayeno and Robert Liu-Trujillo | Picture Book

Tomorrow is the school parade, and Danny knows exactly what he will be: a princess. Mommy supports him 100%, and they race to the thrift store to find his costume. It's almost closing time - will Danny find the costume of his dreams in time? One of A Kind, Like Me / Único como yo is a sweet story about unconditional love and the beauty of individuality. It's a unique book that lifts up children who don't fit gender stereotypes and reflects the power of a loving and supportive community.

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Abuela's Super Capa by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

Latinx in Publishing is pleased to exclusively reveal the cover for ABUELA’S SUPER CAPA written by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri; publishing January 17, 2023 from HarperCollins. Read on for the official book synopsis and to view the gorgeous cover!

A heartwarming picture book about a young boy who learns how to accept that Abuela needs to retire her super capa. 

Saturdays are superhero days. Equipped with their milkshakes and capas, Luis and his abuela can turn anything into una aventura. But when Abuela gets sick, Luis has to learn a new way to be a hero. With some help from his sister, Luis learns that change isn’t all that bad and there are so many new aventuras to have, even if they look a little different.

Illustrator Elisa Chavarri, Designer Rachel Zegar

Ana Siqueira is a Spanish-language elementary teacher and an award-winning children's book author based in Tampa, Florida. She is the author of Bella's Recipe for Success (2021) and If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja (2022). Ana has published children's books in Portuguese in Brazil and in Spanish for the foreign language educational markets. She is also a global educator, a PBS Media innovator, and an SCBWI member. You can follow Ana on Twitter @SraSiqueira1307 or on her website: www.anafiction.com.

Elisa Chavarri is a Pura Belpré Honor-winning illustrator from Lima, Peru. She grew up in Northern Michigan, where her family kept their Peruvian culture and Latin roots alive. Some of her books include the Pura Belpré Honor-winning Sharuko, written by Monica Brown, and I’ll Hold Your Hand, written by Maggie C. Rudd. Elisa lives in Alpena, Michigan, where she now resides with her husband and two kids.

June 2022 Latinx Releases

On-Sale June 1st, 2022

WEST SIDE LOVE STORY by Priscilla Oliveras | Adult Romance

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.

On-Sale June 7th, 2022

WOMAN OF LIGHT by Kali Fajardo-Anstine | Adult Fiction

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.

BROWN NEON by Raquel Gutiérrez | Adult Nonfiction

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.

MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW by Katie Gutierrez | Adult Thriller

In 1985, Lore Rivera marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, even though she is already married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo, Texas, and they share twin sons. Through her career as an international banker, Lore splits her time between two countries and two families—until the truth is revealed and one husband is arrested for murdering the other.

In 2017, while trawling the internet for the latest, most sensational news reports, struggling true-crime writer Cassie Bowman encounters an article detailing that tragic final act. Cassie is immediately enticed by what is not explored: Why would a woman—a mother—risk everything for a secret double marriage? Cassie sees an opportunity—she’ll track Lore down and capture the full picture, the choices, the deceptions that led to disaster. But the more time she spends with Lore, the more Cassie questions the facts surrounding the murder itself. Soon, her determination to uncover the truth could threaten to derail Lore’s now quiet life—and expose the many secrets both women are hiding.

Told through alternating timelines, More Than You’ll Ever Know is both a gripping mystery and a wrenching family drama. Presenting a window into the hearts of two very different women, it explores the many conflicting demands of marriage and motherhood, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone—especially those we love.

On-Sale June 14th, 2022

MI CIUDAD SINGS by Cynthia Harmony, illustrated by Teresa Martínez | Picture Book

After experiencing a devastating earthquake, the spirit of a charming and vibrant Mexican neighborhood might be shaken, but it cannot be broken.

As a little girl and her dog embark on their daily walk through the city, they skip and spin to the familiar sounds of revving cars, clanking bikes, friendly barks, and whistling camote carts. But what they aren’t expecting to hear is the terrifying sound of a rumbling earthquake…and then…silence.

With captivating text and lively, beautiful illustrations, this heartwarming story leaves readers with the message that they can choose to be strong and brave even when they are scared, and can still find joy and hope in the midst of sadness.

THE GIRLS IN QUEENS by Christine Kandic Torres | Adult Fiction

Best friends growing up along Clement Moore Avenue in Queens, Brisma and Kelly will do anything for each other. They keep each other’s secrets, from their mother’s hidden heartbreaks to warding off the unwanted advances of creepy neighbors. Their exclusive world shifts when they begin high school and Brisma falls deeply in love with Brian, the local baseball legend. Always the wallflower to the vibrant and alluring Kelly, Brisma is secretly thrilled to be chosen by the popular athlete, to finally have someone that belongs to her alone. But as she, Brian, and Kelly fall into the roles that have been set before them, they ignite a bonfire of unrealized hopes and dreams, smoldering embers that finally find some oxygen to burn.   

Years later, Brisma and Kelly haven’t spoken to Brian, ever since a backyard party that went wrong, but their beloved Los Mets are on a historic run for the playoffs and the three friends—no longer children—are reunited. Brisma finds herself once again drawn to her first love. But when Brian is accused of sexual assault, the two friends must make a choice. At first, both rush to support and defend him. But while Kelly remains Brian’s staunch defender, Brisma begins to have doubts as old memories of their relationship surface. As Brisma and Kelly face off in a battle for what they each believe they are owed, these two lifelong friends must decide if their shared past is enough to sustain their future.  

Told in alternating timelines, The Girls in Queens is a novel for and of our time—a skillful exploration of the furious loyalty of young women, the complications of sexual abuse allegations within communities of color, and the danger of forgetting that sometimes monsters hide in plain sight.

On-Sale June 28th, 2022

VALENTINA SALAZAR IS NOT A MONSTER HUNTER by Zoraida Córdova | Middle Grade

It takes a special person to end up in detention their first week at a new school.

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

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

When Val’s father is killed during a rescue mission gone wrong, her mother decides it’s time for the family to retire from their life on the road. She buys a house in the suburbs and enrolls Val and her siblings in real school for the first time.

But Val is a Guardian at heart and she can’t give up her calling. So when a mythical egg surfaces on a YouTube 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.

TREASURE TRACKS by S.A. Rodriguez | Young Adult

A debut middle-grade adventure about a young teen who goes on a treasure hunt for undersea riches to help his ailing abuelo.

Twelve-year-old Fernando “Fin” joins his grandfather on a secret quest to find a long-lost treasure swept to sea. But when their first mission takes a near-deadly turn, leaving his abuelo weak and unable to speak, Fin’s left to navigate the hunt alone. Well, not exactly alone—his boring, totally unadventurous dad agrees to help out. With danger lurking at every turn, Fin dives into the mission in order to save Abuelo's life. But between Dad’s constant worrying, unwanted diving babysitters, and harrowing encounters in the deep sea, the boy finds himself in a race against time to locate the treasure. If he can’t succeed? He fears he might lose Abuelo for good.

Treasure Tracks is a fast-paced story filled with heart and humor about the bonds of family, the meaning of a legacy, and most of all, the discovery of true treasure.

HORSE COUNTRY #2: FRIENDS LIKE THESE by Yamile Saied Méndez | Juvenile Fiction

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?

Review: THE LESBIANA'S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL

In The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, Yamilet, or Yami, is a high school student who is trying to make the best of high school. This is interrupted when she mistakenly comes out to her best friend, Bianca, who ultimately betrays her by outing her. Yami is also trying to steer her younger brother, Cesar, from trouble as he keeps getting jumped by his peers. Yami and Cesar begin a new chapter at a new catholic school to hopefully escape their turbulent pasts. At their new school, they may be able to meet new friends and a potential love interest for Yami – except she already committed to acting as straight as possible to avoid any new complications. She constantly asks herself WWASGD: what would a straight girl do?

Reyes does a spectacular job unraveling the complexity of an identity as a young adult through multiple characters. Though the book’s main focus is Yami’s coming to terms with her sexuality, she also discusses her Mexican heritage and the macro and microaggressions she experiences by her new white schoolmates. Yami refuses to be silenced about the racism she experiences, which attracts other like minded friends. 

In addition, Reyes expands this conversation to other characters. One of my favorites is Bo, Yami’s new love interest. Bo is a proud lesbian with a Chinese background. Her two parents are white but celebrate Bo’s background by frequently dining at authentic Chinese restaurants and decorating their home with Chinese furniture and decor. One of my favorite moments was when Bo confided in Yami and expressed how even though she loves her adopted parents and their enthusiasm to celebrate Bo’s ethnicity, she still questions their authenticity and if it is performative. This is an relatable train of thought as I often question this from my peers. It’s easy to throw up some decorations or rave about the cuisine of a culture but it’s rarer to have someone genuinely interested in the culture for the right reasons. It also highlights how one’s identity has many components to it. While one might be more comfortable and confident in one component, there are others that can still cause insecurity and discomfort. I absolutely loved Reyes’ discussion about this topic and know many BIPOC readers will also relate to it. 

I found the writing to be so captivating. The writing style combined with the fully developed characters made the book impossible to put down. There were numerous moments where I wanted to hug many of the characters as they struggled with common high school problems, and Reyes allowed me as a reader to be proud of them when they emerged from their journeys. Reyes did a fantastic job embedding absolutely adorable high school romantic moments in the book that made me gush. Being able to gush like this is one of my favorite feelings when I read young adult and I’m impressed Reyes was able to invoke a wide range of emotions in her readers. This was my top anticipated release for 2022 and it certainly did not disappoint. In fact, it has become a new favorite that I will be recommending to everyone!

Content Warning: racism, homophobia, immigration, suicide ideation, and hospitalization of a character.

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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

‘You Sound Like A White Girl’ Review and Interview with Julissa Arce

You Sound Like A White Girl: The Case For Rejecting Assimilation by Julissa Arce is an empowering, revealing, bold and most importantly, necessary book. It is a perfect book club selection filled with many points of discussion. — In just about 200 pages, the author uses this book to present the case that assimilation is a trap, “a matter of survival,” that is by no means meant for our liberation. It’s a reminder to the reader that Latino history is American history.

As a formerly undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who arrived to San Antonio, Texas, in 1994, Arce uses her life journey and her path to citizenship, to recount historical events. By doing this, she outlines the deep rooted racism in America and how this has shaped the Latino culture.

Arce does a beautiful job of writing history in a digestible and engaging way. It does not only educate but leaves the reader wanting more; our histories have been blurred for far too long. Just in the first few pages, you learn about the Mexican-American War and how that later shaped what is today Texas, California and New Mexico, Segregation cases like Roberto Alvarez v. the Board of Trustees of the Lemon Grove School District, where race and language questioned the identity and the belonging of Mexican-Americans, and how The Great Depression and World War II can also serve as points of reference to the disadvantage, exploitation and mistreatment that overshadow people of color.

Our systems are flawed and Arce believes that the only way to see true change is by imaging and implementing completely new systems, devoid of racist and discriminatory foundations. Once we start seeing true justice with “representation, equality, intersection and freedom” then we can start believing in an America that’s for the people.

I left this book with this notion: Leaning into ideals of “whiteness” will only keep people of color in an ongoing journey to “prove themselves.” Rejecting assimilation is embracing the uniqueness in our heritages; our greatest strength.

“…one of the most painful aspects of assimilation: the loss of our heritage, language, and family” —Julissa Arce, You Sound Like A White Girl

I had the opportunity of asking Julissa Arce a few questions about her book. She discusses the ideas of colonization that are still present today in our communities, the importance of speaking our truth and of course provides us with some great recommended reads.

TG: One of my favorite parts about reading this book was how you intertwined your personal experiences with historical events, in order to give context, further elevate a point and/or for educational purposes. With the vast Latinx history that exists, how did you decide which ones to highlight? And how difficult was it conducting all of the research? You mentioned that many events aren't digitized and are only available through printed records.

JA: The history that I share in the book barely begins to scratch the surface of the history of Latinos in the United States. One of the hardests things to do was to decide what to keep in and what to leave out. Ultimately, it was my personal experiences that informed what historical stories I should include to make a point that the issues that impact our communities have deep roots. 

At first, it was challenging to find books that discussed American identity through the lens of Latinos. Oftentimes books only included a paragraph, or a chapter, but then I looked at their notes sections and found source material. It was a journey! 

And now I have material for many more books!

TG: You discuss the complexity in Latinidad and how white supremacy has made it so that we are constantly against each other; aspiring and measuring the amounts of whiteness that one can possess, whether physically, materialistically or idealistically. You wrote, "We have to face the fact that a Latino doesn't exist without the violence, rape, and genocide of Indigenous peoples carried out by European colonizers. A Latino doesn't take shape without the brutal history of slavery." How does one start breaking away from this type of thinking that has been passed down for generations; sometimes it being so ingrained in us that we are blinded to it.

JA: It is a long process to unburden ourselves from the ideas of colonization that are very much still alive in our communities. For me, a starting point was learning the history-- that’s why it takes up so much space in the book. To understand, and then breakaway, we have to start at the beginning. It was also helpful to uncover the history behind phrases we hear every day- like “marry someone who is lighter skin para mejorar la raza.” That was a literal way, the only way, people in colonial times could have access to better opportunities. But if colonial times are technically over, why are we still subjecting ourselves to those harmful systems? 

It’s a process-- but we have to start somewhere.

TG: You have moments where you talk about confronting a racist or a friend who makes a racist remark. You talk about how hard it feels because we are conditioned to feel uncomfortable for the privileged. What's your advice for situations like this? Many people want to speak up to loved ones, friends, that frustrating neighbor but are unsure of how to; one thing that I am learning is that silence and avoidance gets us nowhere.

JA: Exactly- silence gets us nowhere. So my best advice is short and simple- speak up! It is going to be uncomfortable, you might lose some people, but that’s ok! The more we speak truth, the easier it gets.

TG: The census. I was so happy to see you brought it up. I found your idea of having "Latino" as a race so interesting. What I appreciated the most about this was the fact that you were making it a point to explain that a system that was created can also be altered to better accommodate the needs of the people. How can we organize to make changes to something as important as the census? Though enraged by it, the only reason that I filled it out was because I learned how it helps our communities and neighborhoods to obtain the proper federal funding and representation for our needs, but if every Latino/a/x is putting "other" or "white," we will never truly see the changes that are needed.

JA: Elections matter. I didn’t know this until I finished writing the book. But the 2020 Census was supposed to have a “Latino” race option. And the former President nixxed it, along with adding the citizenship question that was ultimately taken out. But we have to keep pushing our elected officials so that we are more accurately counted. So our issues are more present.

TG:Educating ourselves to break away from assimilation, approval and acceptance from white people; to ultimately "rejecting the notion that success is found in whiteness" is a central theme in YOU SOUND LIKE A WHITE GIRL. Apart from this wonderfully written text, what other books do you recommend?

JA:

• A Latinx and African American History of the United States

• I am Joaquin

• Manifest Destinies & Inventing Latinos

• Finding Latinx

• A Wicked War

• A Ballad of Love and Glory

• Olga Dies Dreaming 

• Citizen Illegal

• The Likeability Trap

…… There are so many!!

TG: With all of the great learnings from this book, what is the one thing that you wish for readers to walk away with?

JA: I want them to walk into every room in their gorgeous Brown bodies and know that they deserve to be there. I hope they start conversations with their families and friends and get curious to learn more about our history.

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Julissa Arce is a nationally recognized author, sought-after speaker, producer, and social changemaker. She is the best-selling author of My (Underground) American Dream and Someone Like Me. Arce is a Crooked media contributor and a frequent writer for TIME Magazine, and has provided political commentary across numerous TV networks including NBC News, Bloomberg TV, CNN, and MSNBC. She is the cofounder of the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students regardless of their immigration status. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

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

#SalaSundays with Renate Chalk

Renate Chalk hosted our instagram on May 22nd for our weekly #SalaSundays series.

Latinx in Pub (LxP): What do you do?

Renate Chalk (RC): I work with a team to create marketing strategies and plans for HarperCollins Focus’ books and authors. These strategies are tied to tangible KPIs that we aim to hit prior to the launch of a title as well as after launch. I love using data to make informed marketing decisions that are specifically catered to an author’s target market, and historical data and benchmarking analysis are really important to my work. Each author and their audience are so wonderfully unique, that each one requires a unique approach.

LxP: How did you get started?

RC: I got started in publishing by simply taking a change on myself and applying online to a job that seemed interesting to me and one in which I had most of the skills for. While I had never worked in marketing books or their related podcasts, tv shows, and other items, I had previously worked in marketing and knew I could learn the nuances of the publishing industry.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

RC: I can’t think of anything I wished I knew. I am okay with not knowing and learning along the way. One thing that did surprise me and I LOVE is how collaborative it is. I am highly extroverted and love the opportunity to work with our editors and public relations team, and enjoy all the partnerships that come along with being in this industry.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

RC: I am working on “How am I Doing?” by Corey Yeager, and a book with Reba McEntire whose title will be released soon! I am currently reading Finding Me by Viola Davis, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, and Violeta by Isabel Allende. I’m also looking forward to Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Natera.

Renate Chalk is a Senior Marketing Manager at HarperCollins Publishers on the HarperCollins Focus imprint. She has been in publishing for about 2 years, but a marketer for 10 years. She did her undergraduate work at NYU where she majored in Economics. After beginning her career in operations, she returned to NYU for a graduate certificate in Marketing and Brand Management as she transitioned to marketing.

Review: The Book of Wanderers by Reyes Ramirez

The Book of Wanderers by Reyes Ramirez is a debut collection of short stories that follows those of Mexican and Salvadoran descent living in Houston and beyond. The Houstonian writer, who is also Mexican and Salvadoran, is no stranger to the art of writing. Reyes has been the recipient of fellowships, received grants, and has been the finalist in various contests, all of which you can find on his website. His collection of short stories is a testimony to these well-deserved recognitions. 

The debut is composed of 10 unique worlds and characters across three chapters. These wanderers consist of laborers, a renowned curandera, a driver, a zombie-and-neo-Nazi fighter, and more. Something that stands out about Reyes’ debut is that almost every story is presented in a different genre. Readers are able to digest many categories while Reyes is able to introduce his many strengths as a writer. Two stories that stood out to me the most were “Lilia” and “An Adventure of Xuxa, La Última.” An honorable mention is “Ximena DeLuna v. The New Mars Territory. 

In “Lilia,” we meet a rideshare driver in mourning. Layla was partying with her friends when they called the driver to take her home. They get stuck behind a train and, from here, an honest conversation is exchanged. Layla catches him in a lie (or in his words, a “half-truth”) and when he tells her his true sorrows, she stays silent. In turn, when he tells the truth that Layla needs to hear about these “friends” that dumped her in his car, she again goes silent. There’s something about sharing your story with a stranger that you’ll know for a very short time that feels… freeing. In that short time, there’s no room for judgment. They don’t know enough about you to be critical. All they can do is listen, just like Layla. We can only guess the fateful day that the driver is mourning and we may never truly know the details of Layla and who she is. As readers, we may never be able to receive closure on these characters. And that’s what sticks with me. 

“An Adventure of Xuxa, La Última” is an action-packed story with two coinciding fights: one against a zombie overlord and one against a Nazi general. Xuxa wanders from settlement to settlement warning them about the impending arrival of Mil Fuegos, a zombie overlord committing genocide against the human race. However, the next group she encounters is also ensuring the erasure of certain groups of people. A Nazi general and his camp capture Xuxa and force her to rewrite history books to fit their racist agenda of a Whites Only society. With the inevitable arrival of Mil Fuegos, instead of warning the entire camp, she helps plan the escape only for the “brown and black and varying shades of both” who have been oppressed by the hand of the Nazi General. I love a good zombie story, and with the added conflict of fighting racists and keeping the true history of your culture alive? I’m all in.

Reyes Ramirez has said before that multiple sources of inspiration were found for his stories. It shows through his excellent execution of these otherworldly dimensions. While these two stories stuck with me the most, there are more unique plots and genres that can appeal to a lot of readers. The Book of Wanderers has left me with a sense of longing for wanderers that we are honored with meeting for only a few pages.

Book content warnings: death, murder, violence, genocide

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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

#SalaSundays with Ruben Reyes

Latinx in Pub (LxP): What do you do?

Ruben Reyes (RR): I'm an editorial assistant at Flatiron Books, working on non-fiction titles.

LxP: How did you get started?

RR: After graduating from my MFA program, I started looking for jobs in New York City and landed at Flatiron at a friends' recommendation. I did some freelance research and fact-checking work in college which gave me some of the skills I use now.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

RR: I've learned A LOT about the market in my first year--and I wish I had thought a bit more about how and why I picked up books before I started this job.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

RR: I'm working on a wild but amazing collection of essays by actress Betty Gilipin called ALL THE WOMEN IN MY BRAIN: AND OTHER CONCERNS, which comes out in September. I'm currently reading PILAR RAMIREZ AND THE ESCAPE FROM ZAFA by Julian Randall, which I'm also loving.

Ruben Reyes is the son of two Salvadoran immigrants. Prior to joining Flatiron in 2021, he taught literature and creative writing at the University of Iowa. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a bachelor's in History & Literature from Harvard College.

May 2022 Latinx Releases

On-Sale May 3rd, 2022

INHERITANCE by Elizabeth Acevedo, illustrated by Andrea Pippins | Visual Poem

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.

BAD GIRLS by Camila Sosa Villada |Translation

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.

TRUST by Hernan Diaz | Historical Fiction

A timely story of two teenagers who discover the power of friendship, feminism, and standing up for what you believe in, no matter where you come from. A collaboration between two gifted authors writing from alternating perspectives, this compelling novel shines with authenticity, courage, and humor. 

Malena Rosario is starting to believe that catastrophes come in threes. First, Hurricane María destroyed her home, taking her unbreakable spirit with it. Second, she and her mother are now stuck in Florida, which is nothing like her beloved Puerto Rico. And third, when she goes to school bra-less after a bad sunburn and is humiliated by the school administration into covering up, she feels like she has no choice but to comply.

Ruby McAllister has a reputation as her school's outspoken feminist rebel. But back in Seattle, she lived under her sister’s shadow. Now her sister is teaching in underprivileged communities, and she’s in a Florida high school, unsure of what to do with her future, or if she’s even capable making a difference in the world. So when Ruby notices the new girl is being forced to cover up her chest, she is not willing to keep quiet about it.

Neither Malena nor Ruby expected to be the leaders of the school's dress code rebellion. But the girls will have to face their own insecurities, biases, and privileges, and the ups and downs in their newfound friendship, if they want to stand up for their ideals and––ultimately––for themselves.

THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas | Historical Fiction

During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz's father was 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 that 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 the 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 save 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 fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

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

DIARIES OF A TERRORIST by Christopher Soto | Poetry

This debut poetry collection demands the abolition of policing and human caging. In Diaries of a Terrorist, Christopher Soto uses the “we” pronoun to emphasize that police violence happens not only to individuals, but to whole communities. His poetics open the imagination towards possibilities of existence beyond the status quo. Soto asks, “Who do we call terrorist, & why”? These political surrealist poems shift between gut-wrenching vulnerability, laugh-aloud humor, and unapologetic queer punk raunchiness. Diaries of a Terrorist is groundbreaking in its ability to speak—from a local to a global scale—about one of the most important issues of our time.

VALLEYESQUE: STORIES by Fernando A. Flores | Adult Fiction

Psychedelic, dazzling stories set in the cracks of the Texas-Mexico borderland, from an iconoclastic storyteller and the author of Tears of the Trufflepig.

No one captures the border—its history and imagination, its danger, contradiction, and redemption—like Fernando A. Flores, whose stories reimagine and reinterpret the region’s existence with peerless style. In his immersive, uncanny borderland, things are never what they seem: a world where the sun is both rising and setting, and where conniving possums efficiently take over an entire town and rewrite its history.

The stories in Valleyesque dance between the fantastical and the hyperreal with dexterous, often hilarious flair. A dying Frédéric Chopin stumbles through Ciudad Juárez in the aftermath of his mother’s death, attempting to recover his beloved piano that was seized at the border, while a muralist is taken on a psychedelic journey by an airbrushed Emiliano Zapata T-shirt. A woman is engulfed by a used-clothing warehouse with a life of its own, and a grieving mother breathlessly chronicles the demise of a town decimated by violence. In two separate stories, queso dip and musical rhythms are bottled up and sold for mass consumption. And in the final tale, Flores pieces together the adventures of a young Lee Harvey Oswald as he starts a music career in Texas.

Swinging between satire and surrealism, grief and joy, Valleyesque is a boundary- and border-pushing collection from a one-of-a-kind stylist and voice. With the visceral imagination that made his debut novel, Tears of the Trufflepig, a cult classic, Flores brings his vision of the border to life—and beyond.

BURN DOWN, RISE UP by Vincent Tirado | Young Adult Fiction

Mysterious disappearances. An urban legend rumored to be responsible. And one group of friends determined to save their city at any cost. Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele in this utterly original debut from an incredible new voice.

For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize's cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention―especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.

Raquel and Charlize team up to investigate, but they soon discover that everything is tied to a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game. The game is rumored to trap people in a sinister world underneath the city, and the rules are based on a particularly dark chapter in New York's past. And if the friends want to save their home and everyone they love, they will have to play the game and destroy the evil at its heart―or die trying.

On-Sale May 10th, 2022

GROWING AN ARTIST: THE STORY OF A LANDSCAPER AND HIS SON by John Parra | Picture Book

From award-winning artist John Parra comes a touching and deceptively simple picture book based on his childhood experience about the bond between a father and son, hard work, and the links between nature, art, and creativity.

Today is a big day—the first time Juanito gets to help his papi on the job as a landscape architect! Throughout the day, Juanito sketches anything that catches his eye: a nest full of baby birds, a nursery with row upon row of plants and flowers, and more. Father and son travel from house to house, pruning, weeding, mowing, and turning overgrown and chaotic yards into beautiful spaces.

A few of the clients don’t appreciate Papi’s hard work, like Juanito’s classmate who pretends not to see him. But Papi always feels pride in owning his own business and in a job well done. And at the end of the day, Juanito may get the chance to turn his artistic eye toward landscape design—just like his papi.

BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN by Natalia Sylvester | Young Adult Fiction

In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, 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.

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.

CAFE CON LYCHEE by Emery Lee | Young Adult Fiction

Theo Mori and Gabriel Moreno have always been at odds. Their parents own rival businesses—an Asian American café and a Puerto Rican bakery—and Gabi’s lack of coordination has cost their soccer team too many games to count.

Stuck in the closet and scared to pursue his own dreams, Gabi sees his parents’ shop as his future. Stuck under the weight of his parents’ expectations, Theo’s best shot at leaving Vermont means first ensuring his parents’ livelihood is secure. 

So when a new fusion café threatens both shops, Theo and Gabi realize an unfortunate truth—they can only achieve their goals by working together to cook up an underground bakery operation and win back their customers. But can they put aside their differences long enough to save their parents’ shops or will the new feelings between them boil over?

Linea Nigra by Jazmina Barrera | Translation

An intimate exploration of motherhood, Linea Nigra approaches the worries and joys of childbearing from a diverse range of inspirations and traditions, from Louise Bourgeois to Ursula K. Le Guin to the indigenous Nahua model Luz Jiménez. Part memoir and part manifesto, Barrera’s singular insights, delivered in candid prose, clarify motherhood while also cherishing the mysteries of the body.

Writing through her first pregnancy, birthing, breastfeeding, and young motherhood, Barrera embraces the subject fully, making lucid connections between maternity, earthquakes, lunar eclipses, and creative labor. Inspired by the author’s own mother’s painting practice, Linea Nigra concludes with an impassioned call: childbearing is art, and art is childbearing.

On-Sale May 17th, 2022

THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL by Sonora Reyes | Young Adult Fiction

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.

NERUDA ON THE PARK by Cleyvis Natera | Adult Fiction

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.

JOIN THE CLUB MAGGIE DIAZ by Nina Moreno | Middle Grade Fiction

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 hang out after school thanks to band and comics club. Mom is finishing her last semester in college. And Maggie's perfect older sister Caro is perfectly-perfect at sports and tutoring.

So Maggie cooks up a plan to join every club she can! But trying to fit in with type-A future leaders, gardening whizzes, and the fearless kids in woodshop is intimidating, exhausting, and seriously confusing. And juggling homework, friends, and all of her after-school activities is way harder than it looks.

Seventh grade is all about figuring out who you are -- good thing Maggie Diaz has the perfect plan!

On-Sale May 24th, 2022

THIS IS WHY THEY HATE US by Aaron Acedes | Young Adult Fiction

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.

Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster by Andrea Mosqueda | Young Adult Fiction

Growing up in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, Maggie Gonzalez has always been a little messy, but she’s okay with that. After all, she has a great family, a goofy group of friends, a rocky romantic history, and dreams of being a music photographer. Tasked with picking an escort for her little sister’s quinceañera, Maggie has to face the truth: that her feelings about her friends—and her future—aren’t as simple as she’d once believed.

As Maggie’s search for the perfect escort continues, she’s forced to confront new (and old) feelings for three of her friends: Amanda, her best friend and first-ever crush; Matthew, her ex-boyfriend twice-over who refuses to stop flirting with her, and Dani, the new girl who has romantic baggage of her own. On top of this romantic disaster, she can’t stop thinking about the uncertainty of her own plans for the future and what that means for the people she loves.

As the weeks wind down and the boundaries between friendship and love become hazy, Maggie finds herself more and more confused with each photo. When her tried-and-true medium causes more chaos than calm, Maggie needs to figure out how to avoid certain disaster—or be brave enough to dive right into it, in Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster.

On-Sale May 31st, 2022

ISLANDS APART: BECOMING DOMINICAN AMERICAN by Jasminne Mendez | Young Adult Nonfiction

Jasminne Mendez didn’t speak English when she started kindergarten, and her young, white teacher thought the girl was deaf because in Louisiana, you were either black or white. She had no idea that a black girl could be a Spanish speaker.

In this memoir for teens about growing up Afro Latina in the Deep South, Jasminne writes about feeling torn between her Dominican, Spanish-speaking culture at home and the American, English-speaking one around her. She desperately wanted to fit in, to be seen as American, and she realized early on that language mattered. Learning to read and write English well was the road to acceptance.

Mendez shares typical childhood experiences such as having an imaginary friend, boys and puberty, but she also exposes the anti-black racism within her own family and the conflict created by her family’s conservative traditions. She was not allowed to do things other girls could, like date boys, shave her legs or wear heels. “I wanted us to find some common ground,” she writes about her parents, “but it seemed like we were from two different worlds, and our islands kept drifting farther and farther apart.”

Despite her father’s old-style approach to raising girls, he valued education and insisted his daughters do well in school and maintain their native language. He took his children to hear Maya Angelou speak, and hearing the poet read was a defining moment for the black Dominican girl who struggled to fit in. “I decided that if Maya Angelou could be the author of her own story and rewrite her destiny to become a phenomenal woman, then somehow, so could I.” Teens—and adults too—will appreciate reading about Mendez’s experiences coming of age in the United States as both black and Latina.

#SalaSundays with Kayah Hodge

Latinx in Pub (LxP): What do you do?

Kayah Hodge (KH): I am a Marketing Assistant for Tor Books (an imprint at Macmillan Publishers). I work with YA and middle-grade science fiction and fantasy titles.

LxP: How did you get started?

KH: I started interning at Scholastic (2019) during undergrad. The following summer (2020), I interned at Simon & Schuster where I received grants from WNDB and The Romance Writers of America. After graduation (2021), I participated in a tuition-free publishing course for BIPoC called Inkluded Academy (applications for this summer are now open). My final internship before my current role was with Publishers Weekly.

LxP: What do you wish you knew before getting into the industry?

KH: I wish I truly understood how low the starting salaries are in comparison to other industries.

LxP: What book are you currently working on or reading?

KH: I'm currently reading Heavy by Kiese Laymon; it's so good!!

Brooklyn native, Kayah Hodge is a recent alumna of Hamilton College. There, she specialized in Creative Writing, interned at the largest national publishers, and honed her voice as a literature lover. Outside of writing mixed genre material, Kayah enjoys spending time cooking and learning new recipes. Her favorite authors include Jacqueline Woodson, James Baldwin, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She particularly appreciates work that sheds light on immigrant experiences and the vastness of underrepresented cultures.