#ReadLatinx

[2021ya]

WHEN WE MAKE IT

by Elisabet Velasquez

(Dial, 9/21/21)

9780593324486

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Summary TW: sexual assault

An unforgettable young adult debut novel-in-verse that redefines what it means to make it, touching on themes of mental illness, sexual assault, food insecurity and gentrification, in the Nuyorican literary tradition of Nicholasa Mohr and the work of contemporary writer Elizabeth Acevedo. Sarai is a first-generation Puerto Rican eighth grader who can see with clarity the truth, pain, and beauty of the world both inside and outside her Bushwick apartment. Together with her older sister Estrella, she navigates the strain of family traumas and the systemic pressures of toxic masculinity and housing insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn. Sarai questions the society around her, her Boricua identity, and the life she lives with determination and an open heart, learning to celebrate herself in a way that she has been denied. When We Make It is a love letter to girls who were taught to believe they would not make it at all. The verse is evocative and insightful, and readers are sure to be swept into Sarai's world and rooting for her long after they close the book.

[boricuareads]

NEW LIST ALERT! SUMMER 2021 LATINX BOOK RELEASES! AROUND 200 BOOKS!

[amanecerentrepalabras]

Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Title: Cemetery Boys

Author: Aiden Thomas

Genre(s): YA Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Paranormal

Rating: 5/5

CW//: homophobia, transphobia, blood, death, misgendering, dead naming (implied), mention of physical abuse, abandonment, loss of parent

Cemetery Boys is an Own Voices story about Yadriel, a young trans teenager, who wants to become a brujo. Because his family and the other brujx firmly hold on to their traditions, Yadriel is denied as a brujo and thus takes it upon himself to prove them wrong, but when he accidentally summons the ghost of Julian Diaz and not his cousin, proving himself becomes far more difficult than he originally thought. 

This book and these characters tore my soul apart and stitched it back together. I absolutely loved this story and not just because this is a Latinx book filled with Latinx characters and traditions, but because it shows just how difficult it can be to want to be seen and accepted for who you are.

The main character, Yadriel, is trans and gay and his family doesn't fully accept him. As much as I hate to say it, homophobia and transphobia are hugely embedded in the Latinx community. It's something that the older generations, and some of the newer, have a difficult time wanting to understand and that's something that we see with Yadriel and his family. They're so set on the old ways that they don't even consider the possibility that he can exist as himself. Later on in the story, we get to see his family realize how much they've hurt Yadriel and we even see his father outwardly and vocally support him, which is such an important moment for so many reasons. I think Thomas does a wonderful job showing that it's possible to appreciate tradition and still allow room for change and differing experiences. Not only do we see this development with Yadriel's family, but we also see it with Yadriel. A lot of the story really delves into his own inner turmoil with accepting himself and wanting the people he cares for to accept him as well, but that's not something that's explicitly clear at first. It's explored the deeper we dive into the story. I absolutely loved all the characters. Maritza is by far my favorite. She's witty and funny and super supportive of Yadriel. She's the type of person I would have wanted to be friends with in high school. Also her comebacks had me ROLLING. Her relationship with Yadriel is absolutely top tier. Not only do we get los primos who always get in trouble together, we also get a super loving and supportive relationship. I would die for these two. AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON JULIAN DIAZ. This boy, I freakin' swear. He's a soccer dude. That's all you need to know and you'll know. This boy constantly gets into trouble and has anger problems, but he's funny, supportive, and protective. He acts like he doesn't give a shit about anything, but he's definitely ride-or-die for those he cares about and we get to see all these pieces of him throughout the story. Not only is this boy a joker, but he's smooth af. I mean...

"¿Me dejas robarte un beso?" he said softly, in the most agonizingly beautiful Colombian accent Yadriel had ever heard. It was pure and melodic, like a song. Ch. 20, p. 274 This boy had me rooting for him. I just wanted a HEA for him and Yadriel, spoiler, they get one. You'll just have to read to find out how. Another thing I really liked about this book is that each character introduced also has something they're dealing with, be it an abusive household, the loss of a parent, homelessness, differing values and morals, the need to be accepted, etc., and I think Thomas does a really good job showing that what we see and think we know isn't always the truth. I also think recognizing that these issues exist is important, especially for young readers who may be experiencing similar situations. Representation will always matter. In terms of representation, Latinx culture was heavily embedded in everything, which I absolutely LOVED. It felt like being with my own friends and family and I love that people who are unfamiliar with these traditions get to see a piece of it. I also loved that Spanish was incorporated into the dialogue. For people who are unfamiliar with the language, I could see how not having the english translations could make things a little difficult to understand since some meanings could be lost in translation, but that's what Google is for. I think this was a really great example that shows what being bilingual is like and how much our language means to us.

I also appreciate that there were a lot of LGBTQ+ Latinx characters. In the words of Julian, "Queer folks are like wolves...we travel in packs." I loved that Thomas showed there's no one way to be gay, everyone has their own experience, and there will always be people in your corner who will love you, support you, and appreciate you despite.

In terms of the writing and the plot, this book was fairly fast-paced. It took place over the course of a few days approaching Dia de Muertos. I don't think there were any areas that dragged on. If anything, I wanted more interactions between characters, especially Julian and his friends and then Julian and Yadriel. I really hope Thomas continues with this world and these characters because I NEED MORE. As for the storyline, I absolutely LOVED it. Those twists were so good and basically the worst thing you could think that could happen happened, which made me feel so many things all at once. I was relieved but angry and ngl, I cried a few tears, but in my opinion, what happened needed to happen. I ended up guessing part of the major twist toward the end, which just goes to show how great Thomas's foreshadowing was throughout the book. Major plot points were only predictable if you knew what you were looking for. I, for one, really enjoy guessing what's going to happen next so I really enjoyed this aspect. All the major events in the story also made sense and were pretty much resolved. There wasn't anything that stuck out too much.

Overall, I really enjoyed everything about this book, especially the characters. I would 100% die for them and I will definitely be reading everything Aiden Thomas publishes ever. Read this book.

[2020ya]

JULIET TAKES A BREATH

THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

by Gabby Rivera, Celia Moscote (Illustrations)

(BOOM! Box, 12/1/20)

9781684156115

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A NEW GRAPHIC NOVEL ADAPTATION OF THE BESTSELLING BOOK! Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But don’t worry, Juliet has something kinda resembling a plan that’ll help her figure out what it means to be Puerto Rican, lesbian and out. See, she’s going to intern with Harlowe Brisbane - her favorite feminist author, someone’s who’s the last work on feminism, self-love and lots of of ther things that will help Juliet find her ever elusive epiphany. There’s just one problem - Harlowe’s white, not from the Bronx and doesn’t have the answers. Okay, maybe that’s more than one problem but Juliet never said it was a perfect plan... Critically-acclaimed writer Gabby Rivera adapts her bestselling novel alongside artist Celia Moscote in an unforgettable queer coming-of-age story exploring race, idenrity and what it means to be true to your amazing self. even when the rest of the world doesn’t understand.

[davidsotojr]

Ok just lowered the ebook prices help do my part and hopefully provide some entertainment for all the #quarantine-d readers. Starting tomorrow, Los Chocolates will be free and the rest of the series will be $.99. Link in bio. #corona #authorlife #authorsofinstagram #readlatinx https://www.instagram.com/p/B9_y_emgf0u/?igshid=y3jjc83s4j66

[theatricalreader]

What’s one book that you want to get to before the end of the year? I have so many tbh but I am very much looking forward to reading The Tenth Girl. Now, this book is described as a Gothic, psychological thriller and while I don’t typically read those types of books, the premise just sounded so amazing that I knew I HAD to pick it up! . . . #bookstagram #TheTenthGirl #SaraFaring #bookish #books #newlyreleased #bookworm #booklover #tbrpost #booktuber #yathriller #ireadya #yahorror #readlatinx #latinxreader #latinxbooks #bookshelf #theatricalreader #latinxbookstagram @sarafaring https://www.instagram.com/p/B5IrbBIAWBa/?igshid=szg3643m0z18

[thebookdragon217]

Congratulations to one of Bushwick's finest @elisabetvelasquezpoetry. If you didn't pick up a copy yet, what are you waiting for? Here is a little preview from "The Daily News Says" The people at The Daily News have a story to print. The people in the streets have their own story to tell. And I'm writing my own story so that I can remember it accurately in case someone tries to tell it for me. Elisabet Velasquez has a story to tell about: 🇵🇷 what it means to come from broken places and survive daily 🇵🇷 what it means to be boricua, Nuyorican, Puerto Rican and from Bushwick 🇵🇷 the beauty of community 🇵🇷 navigating identity through mixed messaging 🇵🇷 coming of age and womanhood while surviving misogyny 🇵🇷 what it means to make it when society says we shouldn't 🇵🇷 what it means to never lose hope and keep dreaming 🇵🇷 the importance of taking control of our personal narratives Run and get this book. Don't walk! Pick one up for yourself and bless someone else. #WhenWeMake #ElisabetVelasquez #penguinteen #novelsinverse #books #YAbooks #ReadPuertoRican #readCaribbean #poetry #boricua #boricuabooks #boricuaAuthors #latinxbookstagram #readLatinx #ownvoices #boricuabookstagram #Nuyorican #latinxbooks #bookish #newrelease #bookdragon #YArecs #bookworm #bibliophile #bookrecs #bookphotos #booksandflowers #bookfeature #Bushwick #Brooklyn (at Little Island NYC) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUF_i3VrQtH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[novelnoviceya]

How do you diversify your reading? 📚 Today is the start of Latinx Heritage Month, and the wonderful @tomesandtextiles has a wealth of information & recommendations for Latinx books featuring middle grade, YA and adult titles. She even has a carousel post with book recommendations AND a list of Latinx-owned bookstores to buy from. I put together this little stack for myself after seeing her post a couple weeks ago. I'm #currentlyreading YOU HAD ME AT HOLA, and it is such a delight. . . #bluelovesbookishsept20 - best quarantine read . . #bookstack #stackofbooks #tbrstack #toberead #latinxbooks #readlatinx #latinxheritagemonth #latinxbookstagram #diversereads #readdiversebooks #bookstoread #ireadbooks #mybookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKuX2-g0J4/?igshid=6u9l2iund54c

[amparoortiz]

hi hello yes the lovely people working hard over at @socialdistancebookfest have invited me to participate in my very first panel along with some of my faves nbd. ⠀ ⠀ join us on April 25th! ✨⠀ ⠀ #books #bookstagram #bookfestival #youngadultbooks #yabooks #yalit #kidlit #middlegradebooks #mglit #authorsofinstagram #authors #authorlife #latinx #readlatinx #latinxcommunity #latinxbooks #fiction https://www.instagram.com/p/B--RT0qgCnI/?igshid=1m522vz4fjl3h

[writersalley]

#Repost @tomesandtextiles with @make_repost ・・・ I appreciate all the love for yesterday’s iconic outfit! It really brightened my day for you to all laugh along with me🤣🤣🤣🤣⁣ 🌹⁣ I hope you don’t mind, but I was inspired by last night’s #pinkmoon full moon and decided to continue that theme as well as the cemetery theme into today’s post.⁣ 🌹⁣ It’s #waitingonwednesday and I am thrilled to finally announce that I am part of the #cemeteryboysstreetteam!! I will be talking about this book nonstop over the next three months. ⁣ 🌹⁣ Today, I will tell you about the premise and I have a special surprise if you keep reading. Be sure to also check out the preorder incentives in my stories!⁣ 🌹⁣ If you’re not familiar, Cemetery Boys is an upcoming fantasy that features: ⁣ 🌹⁣ ✨trans main character⁣ ✨gay romance⁣ ✨brujeria⁣ ✨set on Dia de los Muertos⁣ ✨ghost love interest⁣ 🌹⁣ The whole synopsis can be found in the first comment below ⬇️ but finish reading this post for a SURPRISE 😉 ⁣ 🌹⁣ Are you interested in winning an advanced copy of Cemetery Boys and reading it before everyone else?⁣ 🌹⁣ All you have to do is follow me and @aidenschmaiden, like this post, comment by answering the QOTD. Open internationally. Tag a friend or 3 in separate comments for additional entries.⁣ 🌹⁣ QOTD: what book by a #latinx author are you most looking forward to releasing later this year? ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #cemeteryboys #aidenthomas #swoonreads #fiercereads #lgbtqreads #readlatinx #latinxreads #weneeddiversebooks #lgbtqbooks #lgbtqya #gayya #gayfiction #bookaesthetic #beautifulbooks #booktography #bookishlife #copythatcover #bookstagranmer #bookcommunity #newbookstagram #textstyles #tomesandtextiles #bookphotogrqphy #bookishfeatures #bookgiveaway https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uXHBEFLtk/?igshid=1fr08fwlm88lx

[2021ya]

UNEARTHED: A JESSICA CRUZ STORY

by Lilliam Rivera & Steph C. (Illustrator)

(DC Comics, 9/14/21)

9781779500519

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Acclaimed author Lilliam Rivera and artist Steph C. reimagine one of DC's greatest Green Lanterns, Jessica Cruz, to tell a story about immigration, family, and overcoming fear to inspire hope. Jessica Cruz has done everything right. She's a dedicated student, popular among her classmates, and has a loving family that has done everything they can to give her a better life in the United States. While Jessica is a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, allowing her to go to school and live in the U.S., her parents are undocumented. Jessica usually worries for her parents, but her fears and anxiety escalate as a mayoral candidate with a strong anti-immigration stance runs for office. As the xenophobia in Coast City increases, Jessica begins to debate whether it's worth renewing her status to stay in the U.S., or if her family would be safer and better off moving back to Mexico. And despite her attempts to lean on her friends and family, she finds herself constantly visited by visions of Aztec gods, one pulling her towards hope and the other towards anger. But when her father is detained by I.C.E., Jessica finds herself being pulled into an abyss of fear. With her father gone and feeling helpless, Jessica must find her way out of her fears and ultimately become a voice for her community.

[boricuareads]

Fall 2020 Latinx Books list is up!

[theheartofabookblogger]

I’m excited to be a part of @theffbc blog tour for THE LIBRARY OF LOST THINGS! Be sure to head over to the blog today (link in bio) to see the fashion collages author @laura_namey has created + for a chance to enter to win a copy of this beautiful debut full of complex family relationships and a slow-burn romance! • • Which bookstores and/or libraries are your favorite? • • • #thelibraryoflostthings #laurataylornamey #inkyardpress #azulfordarcy #yabooks #yabookstagram #yabookstagrammer #booklove #igreads #debutauthor #debutnovel #weneeddiversebooks #diversebooks #diversereads #readlatinx #latinxreads #latinxbooks #yacontemporary #yaromance #copythatcover #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #coverlove #yareads #bookworm #bookobsessed #booklover #yalit #theffbc #booksbooksbooks

[2020ya]

A CUBAN GIRL’S GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW

by Laura Taylor Namey

(Athenum, 11/10/20 10/6/20)

9781534471245

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Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town. For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart. Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell. A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.

[davidsotojr]

#Repost @tomesandtextiles ・・・ “Reading would make me brilliant, but writing would make me infinite.” Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera 📚 Happy Tuesday, my friends! I can’t think of a caption, so please ignore me as I try to pull it together. I can’t be the only person this happens to... 📚 Today’s #JulyBookstagram19 prompt is autobuy authors and I’ve noticed more and more that if it’s a Latinx YA author, I am more likely purchase the book or audiobook. Also, I have found that supporting smaller bookstores on the author’s book tour and purchasing signed copies directly from those stores. I think I research upcoming releases more than the average person, so I wanted to share a few ways that I find out and support authors I want to support: 📚 ➖This platform/social media: It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to write a quick tweet, take a quick book photo, tag an author in POSITIVE REVIEWS or comments, mention a book in your stories—those small ➖Book reviews: YOUR BOOK REVIEWS ON RETAIL SITES MATTER—NO MATTER HOW SHORT--THEY MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING ADDITIONAL MARKETING FROM THOSE SITES ➖Hand selling and talking about books to friends and family—you don’t know how many times people have asked about books we’ve discussed for other people. Word of mouth really works! 📚 QOTD: What are ways you support your favorite authors and books that are free? 📚 NOTE: The #ReadLatinx hashtag was originated by the amazing @boricuareads. Don’t forget it 😘 📚 #bookreadhappyhour because because because 📚 #readlatinx #booksbooksbooks #beautifulbooks #yabookstagram #bookcrown #bibliophile #bookshimmy #reader #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #youngadult #bookaholic #bookster #lasmusas #bookdragon #yalovin #booklion #bookstagrammer #bookaesthetic#yabookstagram #epicreads #fiercereads #allthebooks #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookcollection #humansofbookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TdCeVg9jR/?igshid=t3ri3zzlvqtl

[theatricalreader]

“One of the secrets of the universe was that our instincts were sometimes stronger than our minds.” -Benjamin Alire Sáenz What is one of your favorite books from this year? I finally read Aristotle and Danté Discover the Secrets of the Universe and I absolutely ADORED it! . . . #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookishfeatures #bookish #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookquotes #ireadya #yareader #lgbtbooks #AristotleandDanteDiscovertheSecretsoftheUniverse #AriandDante #ownvoicesbooks #books #yabooks #latinxbooks #readlatinx #latinxreads #favoritebooks #bookquotes #latinxauthors https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BNA5NgEc2/?igshid=yaf1um29368p