#SalaSundays with Nicolette Izquierdo

Nicolette Izquierdo hosted our Instagram on July 24th for our weekly #SalaSundays series.

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

Nicolette Izquierdo (NI): I'm a Senior Sales Business Development Analyst at Penguin Random House. I create business intelligence tools to leverage our data for leadership and key stakeholders. Creating flexible and time-saving analyses allows us to identify areas of opportunity and drive decision-making across publishing. My day-to-day has me supporting Sales. But I work with various teams, like IT and data groups, for end-to-end product and data visualization development.

LxP: How did you get started?

NI: Definitely in a full circle way! I graduated with an English bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin (hook 'em!). After graduating, I worked in reporting for legal companies and Am Law 100 and international law firms back home in Austin, TX. Initially, I intended to go to law school. But I pivoted as I gained experience managing analytics and business intelligence projects. In my prior roles and with some self-guided learning, I discovered I enjoyed data. So as an English major and lifelong reader and writer, I decided to combine my experience in the data field with my passion and love for books. PRH's mission aligned with my career goals and skill in creating engaging, data-driven insights through visual storytelling. As a bonus, deep down, I knew I wanted to stick to my love for books. Plus, I was already a giant PRH fangirl. So, I perused data roles in publishing and landed a position.

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

NI: First, about all the career opportunities outside of editorial. There are roles in Sales, Data, IT, and other corporate sectors. If you're trying to break into the industry, my advice is to pursue a position that interests you and aligns with your experience, skillset, and long-term goals. And be persistent! Knowing there are options outside editorial opens many career doors for varying skillsets. Second, before joining, I wish I had known about the industry's DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) facets. As a Latina woman from outside the industry, I felt a bit blindsided about how far publishing needed to go in hiring and retaining BIPOC employees and reaching diverse readers. In my Board role on our POC@PRH employee resource group, I've fostered a network of other racially and ethnically underrepresented employees. With their endless support, and through my personal experience and actual data backing me, I've grown more empowered to have critical, inclusive, cohesive conversations and to support our mission of creating an inclusive culture and welcoming workplace for BIPOC employees and connecting with readers universally.

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

NI: So, so many (heavily skewed towards fantasy)! I recently finished: Silvia Moreno-Garcia's The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faerie by Heather Fawcett, In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power, The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, and Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid. I've been into dark fairy tales lately! I'm working through Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse in prep for the sequel, Fevered Star, Severance by Ling Ma, and NK. Jeminsin's The City We Became. My TBR for fiction is: Isabel Cañas’ The Hacienda, Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Maria, Maria: Other Stories by Marytza K. Rubio, and Eka Kurniawan’s Kitchen Curse. For non-fiction, up next on my list is Maverick Books' Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico, George Saunder's A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, and Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein's Data Feminism. Also, if you're into data viz, Nadieh Bremer and Shirley Wu are doing some amazing things with their Data Sketches project! Phew, that's a lot (and by no means all-encompassing!). I could talk about books endlessly, but I think we're at the end of our chat!

Nicolette Izquierdo is a Senior Analyst at Penguin Random House. She collaborates with cross-divisional stakeholders to deliver actionable, data-driven insights. Besides being a data geek, she’s also a voracious reader. You can catch her binge-reading the next epic Science Fiction/Fantasy book series or on a hike with her rescue dog.

#SalaSundays with Natalia Ruiz

Natalia Ruiz hosted our Instagram on July 17th for our weekly #SalaSundays series.

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

Natalia Ruiz (NR): I am an assistant editor at Holt for adult fiction and nonfiction, so I assist two editors and am just now starting my own list.

LxP: How did you get started?

NR: I attended CPC in 2019 and received a direct referral to the editor who hired me. Prior to CPC, I interned for a semester at Folio Literary Management and had a couple of journalism internships under my belt as well.

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

NR: On the application/entry front, to relax and have fun with the process! Because it's difficult and time-consuming to get that first job in publishing, and, from what I can tell, a lot of hiring decisions are heavily influenced on personality matches. So being able to ease up during the interviews goes a long way in terms of preserving your personal mental health AND in helping you be a more competitive applicant.

On the long-term front, with a grain of salt as I'm only 3 years in, I've found that it helps to be conscientious about developing my interests and hobbies that don't pertain to my job to prevent burnout.

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

NR: Shameless plug here, I'm working on THE CROW VALLEY KARAOKE CHAMPIONSHIPS, a super fun, pacey romp through small-town Canada. This is the first book I edited, and it's coming out in July 2023!

For personal reading, I like to have a couple of books in the works. Right now, they are THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas, NEVADA by Imogen Binnie, and THE MONK by Matthew Lewis.

Natalia Ruiz is an assistant editor at Holt, where she has worked on a wide range of adult fiction and nonfiction since August 2019. She grew up in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.

#SalaSundays with Cathy de la Cruz

Cathy de la Cruz hosted our Instagram on July 10th for our weekly #SalaSundays series.

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

Cathy de la Cruz (CdlC): I am a Metadata Manager on the corporate metadata team at Penguin Random House. The metadata team is part of the PRH Online & Digital Sales department. While I primarily focus on titles for the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, I also work on special metadata projects and initiatives that can be applied company-wide. Additionally, I am a PRH Inclusion Partner, which means I work with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team to facilitate small employee group conversations related to DEI. I am also an Uncovering Bias facilitator, and co-lead workshops with members of our Human Resources team to my fellow employees.

LxP: How did you get started?

CdlC: I actually got started as a Temp! I was interviewed by a recruiting agency and placed in a temporary role as a Copywriter on a big metadata project at PRH—based solely on my resume and writing samples. My temporary role lasted about 9 months and I loved it. When my PRH supervisors asked me if I was interested in a permanent position, I said “Yes!” and began the role of Department Coordinator for PRH Publisher Services, the distributor of over 50 client publishers. I had that role, where I learned so much about the business side of publishing, for exactly two years before transferring to my current role as Metadata Manager.

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

CdlC: That getting my foot in the door was even possible! As someone who grew up in San Antonio, Texas in the 80s and 90s, I could not even fathom what a publishing house looked like. I didn’t visit New York until after college and publishing remained a mystery to me until that temp job six years ago.

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

CdlC: I am currently working on many things ranging from optimizing metadata for backlist KDPG titles, reviewing and fine tuning some of our metadata best practices, collaborating with metadata analysts on some of my nerdiest metadata dreams, etc, etc. The book I am currently reading is the upcoming Clancy Martin memoir, which is SO GOOD. It’s called How Not To Kill Yourself and it is slated to come out in March of 2023.

Cathy de la Cruz is a Brooklyn-based writer and artist originally from San Antonio, TX. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Creative Writing MFA program and UC San Diego’s Visual Arts MFA program. She was a member of Sister Spit’s 20th anniversary tour.

August 2022 Latinx Releases

On Sale August 2, 2022

Coming Up Cuban by Sonia Manzano | Middle Grade

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.

INVISIBLE: A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Christina Diaz Gonzalez | Middle Grade

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.

PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE SANCTUARY OF SHADOWS by Tehlor Kay Mejia |Middle Grade

Paola Santiago has recently returned from Oregon, where she defeated the Hitchhiker ghost and saved her father from the vengeful spirit that was possessing him. The poor girl deserves a rest! But first she has to rescue Dante from the void, where he’s been imprisoned by some unknown force. Even though Dante has turned against Pao, she can’t just leave him there–they’ve been friends for too long.

Paola’s prophetic dreams seem to have dried up, so she has to find other ways to locate a new rift where she can enter the void. Signs point to Texas–but how is she going to get there from Arizona? It just so happens that Emma’s new group of politically active friends, the Rainbow Rogues, are planning a field trip to San Antonio. It’s the perfect ruse for Paola, if she can stand being with the judgmental girls for that many days. . . .

Relying on her wits, training from the Ninos de la Luz, and the emotional support of her best friend Emma, Pao makes it into the void. Once there she must face down not just one but two enemies: El Cucuy, the bogeyman . . . and someone even scarier who looks a lot like Pao herself.

A GIRL’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MAGIC by Debbie Rigaud | Young Adult

Perfect for fans of The Sun Is Also a Star and Blackout, this YA novel from Debbie Rigaud is a celebration of Haitian and Caribbean culture, and a story of first love, vodou, and finding yourself, all set against the backdrop of the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.

Cicely Destin lives for the West Indian Day Parade, the joyous celebration of Caribbean culture that takes over the streets of her neighborhood. She loves waving the Haitian flag, sampling delicious foods, and cheering for the floats. And this year? She'll get to hang with her stylish aunt, an influencer known for dabbling in Haitian Vodou.

And maybe spot her dreamy crush, Kwame, in the crowd.

But fate has other ideas. Before the parade, a rogue, mischievous spirit seems to take possession of Cicely's aunt during a spiritual reading. Cicely hardly knows anything about Vodou, or how to get someone un-possessed. But it's up to her to set things right--and the clock is ticking. She'll have to enlist the help of her quick-thinking best friend, Renee, and, as luck would have it...Kwame.

Cicely, her friends, and the reckless spirit who is now their charge set off on a thrilling scavenger hunt to gather the ceremonial items they need. And along the way, will Cicely discover surprising powers of her on?

Bestselling author Debbie Rigaud infuses this novel with sparkling wit, romance, and nuance that will keep readers riveted and enchanted.

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias | Thriller

Buried in debt due to his young daughter's illness, his marriage at the brink, Mario reluctantly takes a job as a hitman, surprising himself with his proclivity for violence. After tragedy destroys the life he knew, Mario agrees to one final job: hijack a cartel's cash shipment before it reaches Mexico. Along with an old friend and a cartel-insider named Juanca, Mario sets off on the near-suicidal mission, which will leave him with either a cool $200,000 or a bullet in the skull. But the path to reward or ruin is never as straight as it seems. As the three complicated men travel through the endless landscape of Texas, across the border and back, their hidden motivations are laid bare alongside nightmarish encounters that defy explanation. One thing is certain: even if Mario makes it out alive, he won't return the same.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS by Anna Meriano |Young Adult

Yasmín Treviño didn’t have much of a freshman year thanks to Hurricane Humphrey, but she’s ready to take sophomore year by storm. That means mastering the marching side of marching band—fast!—so she can outshine her BFF Sofia as top of the flute section, earn first chair, and impress both her future college admission boards and her comfortably unattainable drum major crush Gilberto Reyes.

But Yasmín steps off on the wrong foot when she reports an anonymous gossip Instagram account harassing new band members and accidentally gets the entire low brass section suspended from extracurriculars. With no low brass section, the band is doomed, so Yasmín decides to take things into her own hands, learn to play the tuba, and lead a gaggle of rowdy freshman boys who are just as green to marching and playing as she is. She’ll happily wrestle an ancient school tuba if it means fixing the mess she might have caused.

But when the secret gossip Instagram escalates their campaign of harassment and Yasmín’s friendship with Sofia deteriorates, things at school might be too hard to bear. Luckily, the support of Yasmín’s new section—especially introverted section leader Bloom, a sweet ace and aro-spectrum boy—might just turn things around.

On Sale August 9, 2022

THE NEAPOLITAN SISTERS by Margo Candela | Fiction

Three sisters. Three vastly different lives. A maelstrom of family secrets. For fans of María Amparo Escandón and Laurie Frankel, Margo Candela pens a riotous, provocative tale of family and sisterhood.

Growing up with a kind but alcoholic father and a suspicious, passive-aggressive mother, the Bernal sisters each developed their own way of coping: Dulcina had her art and drugs and alcohol, Claudia plunged into her studies and fled to Princeton, and Maritza watched one Disney movie after another in between devouring romance novels.

Now all grown up, the sisters are reunited at last for Maritza's dream wedding. But they are no less different than they were growing up: Maritza is a princess bridezilla, Claudia is the family "fixer," and Dulcina "Dooley" is finally sober. With all three Bernal sisters back in their East L.A. home, each begins to take steps to come to terms with each other, their parents, and the secrets from their shared past. While their lives may have taken different paths, they are still sisters at heart.

Told in alternating points of view, The Neapolitan Sisters is a humorous yet moving look at what it means to be a sister, daughter, and ultimately, your own self, despite the pressures that come with being part of a family.

ABUELITA AND I MAKE FLAN by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom | Picture Book

Anita loves to bake with her abuela, especially when they are using her grandmother's special recipes for Cuban desserts like flan!

Anita is making flan for Abuelo's birthday, but when she accidentally breaks Abuelita's treasured flan serving plate from Cuba, she struggles with what to do. Anita knows it's right to tell the truth, but what if Abuelita gets upset? Worried that she has already ruined the day, Anita tries to be the best helper. After cooking the flan, they need a serving dish! Anita comes up with a wonderful solution.

Complete with a glossary of Spanish terms and a traditional recipe for flan, Abuelita and I Make Flan is a delicious celebration of food, culture, and family.

THE MEMORY INDEX by Julian Ray Vaca |Young Adult

In an alternative 1987, a disease ravages human memories. There is no cure, only artificial recall. The lucky ones–the recollectors–need the treatment only once a day.

Freya Izquierdo isn’t lucky. The high school senior is a “degen” who needs artificial recall several times a day. Plagued by blinding half-memories that take her to her knees, she’s desperate to remember everything that will help her investigate her father’s violent death. When her sleuthing almost lands her in jail, a shadowy school dean selects her to attend his Foxtail Academy, where five hundred students will trial a new tech said to make artificial recall obsolete.

She’s the only degen on campus. Why was she chosen? Freya is nothing like the other students, not even her new friends Ollie, Chase, and the alluring Fletcher Cohen. Definitely not at all like the students who start to vanish, one by one. And nothing like the mysterious Dean Mendelsohn, who has a bunker deep in the woods behind the school.

Nothing can prepare Freya and her friends for the truth of what that bunker holds. And what kind of memories she’ll have to access to survive it.

LOLA OUT LOUD: Inspired by the Childhood of Activist Dolores Huerta by Jennifer Torres | Picture Book

Her grandpa calls her “Lolita Siete Lenguas”—Little Lola, Seven Tongues, all fighting to be heard. Lola is trying not to make so much noise, but when she witnesses injustices in her own neighborhood, she knows she can’t keep quiet.

Can Lola find a way to use her voice for change? ¡Sí, se puede! Inspired by the real-life civil rights activist and labor leader Dolores Huerta.

On Sale August 16, 2022

CITY WITHOUT ALTAR by Jasmine Mendez | Poetry

City Without Altar is a poetry collection and play in verse that explores what it means to live, love, heal and experience violence as a Black person in the world. The titular play in verse that sits at the center of the book seeks to amplify the voices and experiences of victims, survivors and living ancestors of the 1937 Haitian Massacre that occurred along the northwest Dominican/Haitian border during the Trujillo Era. Between the scenes of the play are “interludes” that explore a different kind of “cutting” and what it means to feel othered because of illness, disability and blackness. Ultimately, City Without Altar is a meditation on being/feeling “blacked out” by the archive, on the world stage and in one’s daily life.

TUMBLE by Celia C. Perez | Middle Grade

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.

ECHOES OF GRACE by Guadalupe García McCall |Young Adult

In this triumphant new novel, Pura Belpré Award-winning author Guadalupe García McCall explores sisterhood, family secrets, intergenerational trauma, life, and love in a modern Gothic setting with a magical realist twist.

In Eagle Pass, Texas, Grace struggles to understand the echoes she inherited from her mother--visions which often distort her reality. One morning, as her sister, Mercy, rushes off to work, a disturbing echo takes hold of Grace, and within moments, tragedy strikes.

Attending community college for the first time, talking to the boy next door, and working toward her goals all help Grace recover, but her estrangement from Mercy takes a deep toll. And as Grace's echoes bring ghosts and premonitions, they also bring memories of when Grace fled to Mexico to the house of her maternal grandmother--a woman who Grace had been told died long ago. Will piecing together the truth heal Grace and her sister, or will the echoes destroy everything that she holds dear?

On Sale August 23, 2022

IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA by Ana Siqueira |Picture Book

On the night before Halloween, a new babysitter might be more than she appears. If she wears a black sombrero and cackles like a crow, she might just be a bruja! One little girl is determined not to fall victim to an evil witch or her cats. She knows bath time is really the bruja’s way of putting her in a boiling cauldron, and the only way to keep her at bay is with a magic potion—or is it?

With a boundless imagination and plenty of tricks up her sleeve, the young protagonist may just have the best night ever!

The Coquíes Still Sing / Los Coquíes Aún Cantan by Karina Nicole González | Picture Book

A powerful story about home, community, and hope, inspired by the rebuilding of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017, written by debut author Karina González and illustrated by Krystal Quiles.

This book is more than beautiful. - Yuyi Morales, Caldecott Honoree and New York Times bestselling creator of Dreamers

Co-quí, co-quí! The coquí frogs sing to Elena from her family's beloved mango tree--their calls so familiar that they might as well be singing, "You are home, you are safe." But home is suddenly not safe when a hurricane threatens to destroy everything that Elena knows.

As time passes, Elena, alongside her community, begins to rebuild their home, planting seeds of hope along the way. When the sounds of the coquíes gradually return, they reflect the resilience and strength of Elena, her family, and her fellow Puerto Ricans. The Coquies Still Sing is also available in Spanish.

This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves | Young Adult

This fun, irreverent summer romp is Netflix's Never Have I Ever meets What If It's Us about a high school senior determined to get over his unrequited feelings for his best friend by getting under someone else.

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 LA 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; straitlaced 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.

THE TREE OF HOPE by Anna Orenstein-Cardona | Picture Book

The true story of a beloved banyan tree and a community that fought to save it in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

On the tropical island of Puerto Rico, there was an ancient banyan tree. His enormous twisted trunk rose up beside the San Juan Gate. Long roots hung from his wide-spreading branches and his emerald, leafy crown greeted all who passed by. This beloved tree stood on the shore of the island for over a hundred years--until the fateful time when the biggest hurricane in Puerto Rico's history slammed into the island, devastating communities and uprooting that very tree.

This lushly illustrated and evocatively written picture book tells the story of the majestic jagüey blanco, one of the most beloved trees in the city of Old San Juan. Puerto Rican author Anna Orenstein-Cardona weaves an epic tale based on the true story of this bearded watchdog of the island, how the tree was impacted by Hurricane Maria, and how a group of people rallied together to save it. With gorgeous illustrations by Juan Manuel Moreno, this picture book serves as an account of the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria and the strength of the people who continue to rebuild to this day.

Azar on Fire by Olivia Abathi | Young Adult

Fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi's first year of high school has mostly been silent, and intentionally so. After a bad case of colic as a baby, Azar's vocal folds are shredded--full of nodules that give her a rasp the envy of a chain-smoking bullfrog. Her classmates might just think she's quiet, but Azar is saving her voice for when it really counts and talking to her classmates is not medically advisable or even high on her list.

When she hears about a local Battle of the Bands contest, it's something she can't resist. Azar loves music, loves songwriting, but with her vocal folds the way they are, there's no way she can sing her songs on stage.

Then she hears lacrosse hottie, Ebenezer Lloyd Hollins the Fifth, aka Eben, singing from the locker room. She's transfixed. He's just the person she needs. His voice + her lyrics = Battle of the Bands magic. But getting a band together means Azar has a lot of talking to do and new friends to make. For the chance to stand on stage with Eben it might all just be worth it.

Lightlark by Alex Aster | Young Adult

Welcome to the Centennial.

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons--a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm's curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.

Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling--a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray...even as love complicates everything.

On Sale August 30, 2022

BAD AT LOVE by Gabriela Martins | Young Adult

This fun and flirty romance follows a teen rocker with a bad boy reputation and the aspiring journalist who's determined to dig up the dirt on him . . . if they don't fall for each other first.

Ever since Daniel moved to L.A. from Brazil to join the band Mischief & Mayhem, he's become the tabloids' bad boy. Paparazzi follow him and girls swoon over him . . . except for Sasha, who hates bad boys. When a chance encounter brings them together, Sasha sees an opportunity to get close to Daniel and write a story that will make a name for herself at the celebrity gossip magazine where she interns. But Daniel is surprisingly sweet and extremely cute--could she be falling for him?

The truth is: Daniel is hiding something. When Sasha discovers his secret, will she follow her heart or deliver the hottest story of the summer?

Note: An earlier version of this post mistakenly included the title “The Spear Cuts Through Water” and was subsequently removed as the author is not of Latinx/e descent.

Exclusive Cover Reveal: LOS MONSTRUOS FELICE AND THE WAILING WOMAN by Diana López with Cover Art by Pablo Leon

Latinx in Publishing is thrilled to exclusively reveal the cover for the new middle grade novel by beloved Tejana author Diana López, LOS MONSTRUOS: FELICE AND THE WAILING WOMAN, coming from Kokila Books/Penguin in April 2023. The fantastic cover artwork is by Guatemalan comic and animation artist Pablo Leon.

When twelve-year old Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she stows away and lands in the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river. Growing up with her uncle Clem in Corpus Christi, Felice knew that she had been rescued from drowning—it’s where her intense fear of water comes from—but she had no idea her mother remained trapped between worlds, looking for her. Guided by the town’s eccentric mayor, Felice vows to help her mother make peace with events that have turned her into the most famous monstruo of US-Mexico border lore. Along the way, she meets the children of other monstruos—like La Lechuza and The Dancing Devil—and together, they free Tres Leches from magical and metaphorical curses that have haunted them all for generations.

The first in a series, Felice and the Wailing Woman brims with high stakes adventure, Mexican folklore, and a dash of magic that will have you staying up all night to finish reading. Diana López reframes lore with a positive feminist representation of the La Llorona myth, a perfect conversation starter for book clubs and classrooms. And there will be more books to come --subsequent books will follow the children of other monstruos, La Lechuza and The Dancing Devil.

Cover design by Kaitlin Yang with art direction by Theresa Evangelista.

Diana López

Diana López is the author of the adult novella Sofia’s Saints and numerous middle grade novels, including Confetti Girl, Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel, Nothing Up My Sleeve, and Lucky Luna. Her debut picture book, Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla, is available in English and Spanish. She also wrote Coco: A Story about Music, Shoes and Family, the novel adaptation of the Disney/Pixar film Coco. Diana retired after a career in education at both the middle grade and college levels, but she still enjoys meeting with students when she visits schools to chat about books and writing. She is a past mentor in the Latinx in Publishing Writer Mentorship Program, and currently serves as the President of the Texas Institute of Letters. Diana lives in her hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Pablo Leon

Pablo Leon is a Guatemalan author and artist. He currently lives in Los Angeles, jumping between working in the TV animation industry and comics. His original comic “The Journey,” about the true accounts of people migrating from Central America to the U.S., was a 2019 Eisner Award nominee. Some of his clients include Warner Brothers Animation, OddBot Inc, DreamWorks Animation, Bento Box Entertainment, and more. He is the illustrator for the bestselling and award nominated Miles Morales: Shock Waves for the Marvel/Scholastic partnership, and its sequel, Miles Morales: Stranger Tides. His forthcoming YA graphic novel, Silenced Voices, about two sisters during the Guatemalan civil war, comes out with Harper Alley in 2024.

Most Anticipated July 2022 Releases

July is here and so are some good reads. Below are the latest additions to my reading list; each one with it’s one unique attraction. Whether a memoir that touches on the supernatural or a fiction read that is far from the ordinary, this list is my idea of a summer party.

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THE MAN WHO COULD MOVE CLOUDS: A Memoir | by Ingrid Rojas Contreras | On Sale July 12, 2022

A good memoir is a staple for every reading list, so when I heard about The Man Who Could Move Clouds, it was an instant add to my TBR. This is a story about magic and not just figuratively. Rojas Contreras was raised amid the political violence of 1980s and ’90s Colombia, in a house filled with her mother’s fortune-telling clients. Her maternal grandfather was a well-known curandero with the power to talk to the dead, tell the future, treat the sick, and move the clouds. Yes, this is NOT a fiction book. —Rojas Contreras always felt distant from this part of her history, until a head injury left her with amnesia. After having only regained partial memory, she goes on a journey to Colombia with her mother, who to her surprise experienced a very similar path. In her quest to relearn her past, she uncovers a family divide that dates back to her Indigenous and Spanish roots. A story about the power of storytelling and healing; with the help of not only the past, but also the unimaginable. This is a book that is sure to leave the reader enchanted with every turn of the page.

CRYING IN THE BATHROOM: A Memoir | by Erika L. Sánchez | On Sale July 12, 2022

I know, another memoir, but after the high acclaim of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (currently being adapted for the screen by America Ferrera,) this is simply a must read. In a series of essays, Sánchez writes about topics that are of great interest to me: sex, self-awareness, mental health, feminism (with very blunt thoughts on white feminism…I’m here for it) and many more insightful ideas that I’m curious to dive into. A book that will have you feeling like you’ve been having conversations with Sánchez for years.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU | BY Silvia Moreno-Garcia | ON SALE JULY 19, 2022

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia brings us yet another story that is bound to be a page-turner. I’ve been anticipating this for quite awhile as it is different from anything that I’ve read before. Set in nineteenth-century Mexico, in a distant and luxuriant estate, away from the Yucatán peninsula, a mad scientist, Dr. Moreau, his daughter, his assistant and the people he genetically engineered live in harmony. —That is until the abrupt arrival of the careless son of Dr. Moreau’s patrons, Eduardo Lizalde. Monsters, history, action, romance; a total blend of genres, this without a doubt will be a wild ride.

Twice a Quinceañera: A Delightful Second Chance Romance | by Yamile Saied Méndez | ON SALE July 26, 2022

I am a firm believer in always having a romance book accessible, for the days when the world becomes a little too heavy. Cue in the upcoming release from the author that brought us Furia, Yamile Saied Méndez. —Let me set the scene: a woman is about get married and turn 30, but turns out her fiancé is a cheater. Womp. The good thing is that instead of drowning in sorrow, she decides to celebrate her birthday by using her already paid for wedding venue to throw herself a Quinceañera! Genius. Single, making moves and living her best life, until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than her college fling. Uh oh (or is it?!) Lighthearted, fun and filled with good energy. This is just what the doctor recommends on a rainy day.

Why Didn't You Tell Me?: A Memoir | by Carmen Rita Wong | On sale July 12, 2022

Okay, so maybe I have a thing for memoirs but I really enjoy reading about people’s journeys. Especially, a journey that leads to self-discoveries and revelations. —A former national television host, advice columnist, and professor, Carmen Rita Wong has written about her search for answers and quest to belong. Torn between identities and deciphering her new White suburban American life, Wong’s relationship with her mother becomes full of tension and conflict. Much later in life secrets are revealed that unravel Wong’s life. Though filled with clarity, she’s still left with many more questions, upon her mothers death. A story about identity and what defines us. This one that will leave us all in deep thought.

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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

Latine Bookstores to Shop this Summer

Is there anything better than sitting poolside with a good book? Check out these latine bookstores across the US to find your next great summer read.

Cafe con Libros - Brooklyn, nyc

Cafe con Libros is an intersectional Feminist community bookstore and coffee shop located in the heart of Brooklyn, New York

“Through our choice of books, programming and great coffee, we endeavor to create a vibrant community space where everyone; specifically womxn-identified folx, feel centered, affirmed and celebrated.”

Stop in and enjoy a nice iced coffee while you browse for your next feminist read in this beautiful, cozy shop. Don’t forget to snag a cute tote while you are there!

Palabras Bilingual book store - pheonix, az

Palabras is a local community and cultural hub with a specially curated diverse collection of books, an art gallery, a workshop and event space and small mutual aid garden.

This full service bookshop has events constantly, from their Missed Education book club, to their night market and open mic nights, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.

La Librería - Los Angeles, CA

La Librería is a woman owned children’s bookstore with a focus on young readers improving their Spanish language skills. This cutesy shop sends educational bilingual books to schools and programs across the country, along with hosting virtual book fairs and co-creating the Los Angeles Libros Festival!

Epilogue- Chapel Hill, NC

Epilogue is an an independent bookstore & Spanish-style chocolatería that aims to be a place for people to gather and connect with each other.

One of the few, if not only bookstore where you can find a good book while enjoying craft brews, a glass of wine, or churros and a cup of chocolate! And don’t forget to check out their queer reader book club!

The Lit Bar- Bronx, NY

Opening its doors in 2019, the Lit Bar is the only bookstore in the Bronx borough. This a bookstore/wine bar/community center aims to bring the diverse community together with the power of a good book, and an even better drink.

With patrons such as Barack Obama and Jennifer Lopez, this historic “bookstore and chill” location is definitely a place to visit.

Where are you buying your next summer read from?

Best Books of 2022 (So Far) According to Latinx In Publishing

It’s been an amazing year so far for books published by Latinx persons and we are so excited to share staff picks for our best of the year (so far) selections! Scroll on to read the full list and let us know on social what books are on your best of list this year.

BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN | YOUNG ADULT 

by Natalia Sylvester

“Breathe and Count Back from Ten is stunning. Not only is it, I think, the first YA novel ever about a character with hip dysplasia, but Natalia Sylvester seems to be incapable of writing a story that's not gorgeously phrased and emotionally devastating. Highly recommended.”  

— Sophia Jimenez, Writers Mentorship Program Co-Director, Latinx in Publishing

A WOMAN OF ENDURANCE | Historical Fiction

by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

“A WOMAN OF ENDURANCE brings Puerto Rico's slave trade front and center. It's wrenching and profound, and full of horrors. But, it is also a novel about survival, endurance, healing, and the triumph of the human spirit.”

— Maria C. Ferrer, Interim Treasurer & Events Director Latinx in Publishing

MISS QUINCES | GRAPHIC NOVEL

by Kat Fajardo

“My 9-year-old and I read Miss Quinces together and we bonded over our love of Sue’s awesome fashion and her sense of humor, and I so appreciated how perfectly the story captures that feeling of being deeply connected to a place and also feeling like an outsider in it at the same time. I’m especially thrilled that we are now reading Srta. Quinces, the Spanish version, and so we have another opportunity to experience the book. What a gift! I wish more graphic novels were available in English and Spanish.”

—Nancy Mercado, Programs Co-Director, Latinx in Publishing

MARIA, MARIA | SHORT STORIES

by Marytza K. Rubio

"Marytza K. Rubio's gorgeous debut is unique, funny, and utterly immersive. A must read if you love magical realism, stories about brujeria, and animals!"

— Toni Kirkpatrick, Board Secretary, Latinx in Publishing

DIARIES OF A TERRORIST | POETRY

by Christopher Soto

“Soto is a queer Salvadoran poet and activist from Los Angeles, whose identities are the heart of their debut poetry collection. Calling for the abolition of policing and human caging, this collection dares to imagine a future in a better world, to look towards brighter existence for underprivileged communities, towards freedom. A rebel with a cause, we benefit to read everything Soto writes.”

— Andrea Morales, Communications Co-Director, Latinx in Publishing

THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL | YOUNG ADULT

by Sonora Reyes

"Sonora Reyes's debut is a love letter to every former and present queer Latinx Catholic schooler. Witty, heartfelt, and vulnerable, it's the perfect read for lovers of Gabby Rivera, Jonny Garza Villa, and Adam Silvera."

— Carolina Ortiz, Writers Mentorship Program Co-Director, Latinx in Publishing

PILAR RAMIREZ AND THE ESCAPE FROM ZAFA | MIDDLE GRADE

By Julian Randall

Julian Randall's page-turning middle grade fantasy debut, PILAR RAMIREZ AND THE ESCAPE OF ZAFA, seamlessly combines non-stop adventure with Dominican mythology and the history of the Trujillo dictatorship. Readers will fall for powerhouse filmmaker Pilar's vibrant voice and will be glad this is the first book in a new series!

—Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel, Board Member, Latinx in Publishing

July 2022 Latinx Releases

On-Sale July 5, 2022

Wilds of the United States by Alexander Vidal | Illustrated Nonfiction

Alexander Vidal tells the story of the wild creatures of the United States, offering accessible and fun visual cues like flags and badges to identify particular features in a gamified, graphic, and eye-catching way.

Put on your best pair of hiking boots, grab a sturdy walking stick, and explore the wild places of the United States with this stunning guidebook! Soak up new and shocking facts about this unexpected world of ours; pore over captivating, detail-rich illustrations; and discover surprising new creatures (some may be closer than you think!) every time you open the book. From glistening, snow-packed mountain ranges to searing deserts, this immersive and accessible guide is a one-stop shop for outdoor adventurers, animal enthusiasts, inquisitive minds—and anyone who listens to the call of the wild.

On-Sale July 12, 2022

The Last Beekeeper by Pablo Cartaya | Middle Grade

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?

Half Outlaw byAlex Temblador | Fiction

After the tragic death of her parents when she was just four years old, Raqi is sent to live with her uncle Dodge in Escondido, California. Taking after her Mexican father, Raqi immediately faces hostility from the members of Dodge's all-white, 1 percenter motorcycle club, the Lawless, and from her uncle himself. Being raised by a drug addict is no picnic, and Raqi must quickly learn how to survive. She manages to form a few friendships. Still, as soon as she can, she leaves the violence and bigotry behind and doesn't look back.

Years later, Raqi is a successful partner at a law firm in Los Angeles. She gets a call from Billy, the leader of the Lawless. Dodge is dead, and Billy wants her to go on the Grieving Ride, a special ride taken for all deceased members, and one that strictly follows the deceased's wishes. There is no way Raqi would ever attend, except for one thing: Billy promises to give her the address of her grandfather if she goes on the ride. It's the address of her father's father, her Mexican grandfather. Learning for the first time that she has other family and desperate to connect, she agrees. But this will be no ordinary Grieving Ride. Raqi is reacquainted with her old bike and with the various club members. During the cross-country trek, she will learn more about her uncle, and about herself, than she ever imagined possible.

Alternating between Raqi's childhood and a present 90s setting, and accented by moments of magical realism, Half Outlaw is the story of one woman's quest to find a better future while still wrestling with a tumultuous past. In her first adult novel, Alex Temblador gives readers an immersive look into a dangerous subculture at the end of an era, and a powerful and heartfelt story that explores self-knowledge, acceptance, and the meaning of family.

THE MAN WHO COULD MOVE CLOUDS by Ingrid Rojas Contreras | Memoir

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.

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.

CRYING IN THE BATHROOM by Erica L. Sánchez | Memoir

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.

On-Sale July 19, 2022

Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo & Ren Graham| YA Graphic Novel

Riverdale meets Stranger Things in this debut queer YA graphic novel, developed from a hit webcomic. Set in the haunted town of Blackwater, Maine, two boys fall for each other as they dig for clues to a paranormal mystery.

Tony Price is a popular high school track star and occasional delinquent aching for his dad’s attention and approval. Eli Hirsch is a quiet boy with a chronic autoimmune disorder that has ravaged his health and social life. What happens when these two become unlikely friends (and a whole lot more . . .) in the spooky town of Blackwater, Maine? Werewolf curses, unsavory interactions with the quarterback of the football team, a ghostly fisherman haunting the harbor, and tons of high school drama.

A Monster Is Eating This Book by Karen Kilpatrick and German Blanco | Picture Book

For fans of The Book With No Pictures and The Monster at the End of this Book, this funny and interactive picture book showcases a word-eating monster and the (adorable) surprise behind this frightful creature.

Beware: There is a sleeping monster within these pages. But this is no ordinary monster. This monster eats words. And when the monster is awake, it gets HUNGRY. So you have to be very careful and very quiet while reading. If you hear a growl--run fast.

Oh no, what's that? The monster's woken up! How are we supposed to finish this book when all the words are being eaten? And who--or what--is this fearsome creature exactly? The answer to that question, I'm afraid, is totally . . . adorable.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Historical Fiction

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor's labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau's patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and, in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

On-Sale July 26, 2022

OFF-KEY (Catalina Incognito #3) by Jennifer Torres | Chapter Book

One Day at a Time meets Mindy Kim in this third book in a charming new chapter book series about Catalina Castaneda, a Mexican American girl with a magical sewing kit who wants to start a band.

Catalina can't wait for the upcoming school talent show! Along with some of her classmates, they decide to rock out and form a band for the big day. But Catalina has some...specific ideas on how the band should look and sound. Can Catalina learn to be part of the band, or will she find herself working on a solo act?

Twice a Quinceañera by Yamile Saied Méndez |

Full of exuberant heart, Twice a Quinceañera is a pure delight for every woman who needs to be her own biggest fan—and who dreams of a second chance at first love.

One month short of her wedding day—and her thirtieth birthday—Nadia Palacio finds herself standing up to her infuriating, cheating fiancé for the first time in . . . well, ever. But that same courage doesn’t translate to breaking the news to her Argentinian family. She’s hyperventilating before facing them when she glimpses a magazine piece about a Latina woman celebrating herself—with a second quinceañera, aka Sweet 15! And that gives Nadia a brilliant idea . . .

With a wedding venue already paid for, and family from all over the world with plane tickets, Nadia is determined to create her own happily-ever-after. Since the math adds up perfectly, she’ll celebrate her treintañera, her double quinces. As the first professional in her family, raising a glass to her achievements is the best plan she’s had in years. Until she discovers that the man in charge of the venue is none other than her college fling that became far more than a fling. And he looks even more delicious than a three-tiered cake…

Charlie Hernández & the Golden Dooms: Volume 3 by Ryan Calejo | Middle Grade

Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this third book in the Charlie Hernández series follows Charlie as he fights against an army of the dead.

After hitchhiking across Central and South America to rescue the Witch Queen and face off against La Mano Peluda, Charlie Hernández is pretty much grounded for life. But after all he's been through, some quiet time at home with his parents might be nice. Though it would be better if he didn't have to share his room with his obnoxiously perfect cousin Raúl, who's staying with them.

But quiet is hard to come by when you're the fifth and final morphling, and it's not long before death walks back into Charlie's life. Or at least, the dead do, starting with a mysterious young calaca who corners him at school, dropping cryptic hints about trouble brewing in the 305. With the League of Shadows focused on repairing fractured alliances and tracking gathering armies, this one's up to Charlie to solve.

Following the clues only leads to more questions, and not even teenage investigative journalist extraordinaire Violet Rey can figure out how a sudden rooster infestation, earthquakes, missing persons, and a pet-napping gang of lizard-men--whom Charlie doesn't recognize from any legend--are all connected. Most concerning of all is when they learn a map has been stolen that reveals the locations of the Golden Dooms, the twelve ancient calaca watchmen who form the magical barrier between the realms.

To stop the impending invasion, Charlie and Violet must outwit an ancient evil and unravel the most sinister of schemes. That is, unless they'd rather watch the Land of the Living get overrun by the dead.

Review: How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories by Daniel A. Olivas

How to Date a Flying Mexican: New and Collected Stories is a collection of stories written by Daniel A. Olivas and contains fables of Chicano/a and Mexican culture. He is the grandson of Mexican immigrants and his parents, being proud Chicano themselves, encouraged him to explore the dynamics of Mexican and Chicana/o culture. Olivas is what you’d call a ‘triple threat,’ being that he is an author, playwright, and senior attorney with the California Department of Justice. You can find more work written and edited by Daniel Olivas on his website. 

Olivas intertwines Chicana/o and Mexican culture and history such as gods, curanderismo, education, immigration, and many other important factors into each story. The flawless incorporation of these two identities mixed with the peculiar characters in magical plots makes for memorable and quirky tales. Olivas also uses his artistic voice, and I’m sure some of that attorney-like quip, to confront the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies. The story that stuck with me is titled, “The Fox” because the ending was far from happy and I took away an interesting cautionary tale. Some of my honorable mentions are “After the Revolution,” “La Queenie,” and “Los Otros Coyotes.”

In “The Fox,” we follow a woman who happily lives by herself caring for her goat on her farm. The townspeople at the other end of the peninsula view this woman as strange. They are aghast at her preference to not interact with them and remark that one day she will need someone to make her happy. After the murder of her goat, the grief-stricken woman is forced to go into that town to barter for a new one. She succeeds while also catching the eye of the man she bartered with, and they eventually marry. Everyone is happy that the woman integrated into their town and they chided themselves for thinking such cruel things about her. However, this happiness is temporary.

Her marriage heads into a rapid decline and her husband becomes cruel. As you can imagine, the townspeople revert back to gossiping; this time, about the woman’s failing marriage. The woman reminisces about the times when she felt less lonely living by herself with her goat, a time when she was also safer. Marriage can be a type of death for women, but a happily single woman is hardly ever accepted by society either; even when she does marry, the judgment and gossip only evolve. In the Latina/o/e/x community, there is a lot of pressure and expectations for women to marry and that they should want to go into motherhood. Some women don’t see that life for themselves, so when being forced or expected to, it is like a death of her individuality and the life she originally envisioned for herself. In another life, I hope the woman in “The Fox” is happily living back on her farm with just her and her goat.

Something I found very endearing about How to Date a Flying Mexican is the fact that Olivas chose the title partially because it is one of his late father’s favorite stories. He speaks highly of his father, who also had literary ambitions, and how ecstatic they both were with Olivas’s success as an author. It’s really heartwarming to see others honor their family members through their accomplishments. The realization your parents had dreams of their own always comes with the wonder if they were able to accomplish them or set them aside in order for you to reach yours. That being said, the fact that his stories are filled with rich, cultural history and identities mixed with an homage to his father makes reading this novel a little more special. It was an honor to step into his strange, little world. 

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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