Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15th - October 15th. I am Cuban-American so I like to show my appreciation to Latino authors during this month. I'm not planning on reading anything heavy so no nonfiction or memoirs. I'm here to have a good time. I have a romance on this list that can go either way for me, a horror I do no know if I'll like, and two middle-grade reads that sound right up my alley. If you are reading any books for Hispanic Heritage Month I'd love to know what they are!
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Montserrat has always been overlooked. She's a talented sound editor, but she's left out of the boys' club running the film industry in '90s Mexico City. And she's all-but-invisible to her best friend Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, even though she's been in love with him since childhood.Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives—even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend . . .As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristan might find out that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies . . .
Thoughts: I have not been interested in Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books like everyone else in the world has. I only generally like to read books set in the past if it's the 1800s but I'm willing to give Silver Nitrate a chance because of that beautiful cover and the plot being centered around a movie. It sounds like a horror movie I'd watch so why not read it?
Lotería by Karla Arenas Valenti
The turn of a card could change your destiny… The Phantom Tollbooth meets Coco in this captivating magical realist adventure based on the Lotería card game.A perilous game of chance.A journey among myths and monsters.A girl whose fate hangs in the balance…It is the hottest hour of the hottest day in Oaxaca City when Life and Death walk into town, ready to begin a new game of la Lotería. But first, they need a pawn, a child whose fate will be determined by the winner of the game: a long and prosperous life or an untimely death. Fate finds this child in a robin-egg blue house, tucked beneath a massive jacaranda tree. And so, the game begins.Every card reveals a new twist in Clara’s fate: a tree, a scorpion, a fateful arrow, a mermaid, a deer, a treacherous rose. But Clara knows none of this. All she knows is that her cousin Esteban has vanished, and she’ll do whatever it takes to save him, traveling to the mythical Kingdom of Las Pozas in her search. And although it seems her fate was sealed as soon as the cards were dealt, Clara just might have what it takes to shatter the game and choose a new path.
Thoughts: I love the concept of Life and Death walking into town to play a game of cards. I don't know anything about the game of Lotería but I am ready to find out! This magical card game being tied to the main character's fate and Clara going on a journey to change it sounds like the perfect fantasy.
The Do-Over by Rodrigo Vargas
Shy Mariana is looking for her chance to shine. She's having trouble making friends after a cross-country move to Ohio, plus, her dad refuses to let her help out at his hair salon, despite the fact that she's a social media expert!So when she meets science whiz Zoe and creative maven Everly, and the three decide to start their own hair styling studio, she finally finds the friends—and the calling—she’s been searching for. The trio's studio, True Colors, is a smash hit, and the girls are having a blast. Not to mention, Mariana loves helping her fellow middle-school clients express themselves.But with the town Harvest Fest on the horizon and a line of customers always at the door, the friends have to scale up quickly, and they don't always agree on how. Can Mariana find the courage to speak up for what she wants? And does True Colors have what it takes to succeed in business and friendship?
Thoughts: This honestly reminds me of Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin but without the supernatural elements. Mariana is shy so that's an additional difference. I wanted to add a graphic novel to my list because I thought it would be an easily enjoyable read. This wasn't on my radar before trying to find books to read for Hispanic Heritage Month but I'm increasingly excited to see if I enjoy it or not.
Wonder Girl: Homecoming by Joëlle Jones
The story of Yara Flor starts here!Raised in the faroff land of Boise, Idaho, Yara Flor has always felt something was missing from her life—and now she is headed to Brazil to find it. Little does she know her arrival will set off a series of events that will change the world of Wonder Woman forever. Her return has been prophesied, and with that prophecy comes the undivided attention of benevolent gods from pantheons beyond. Danger lurks around every corner-but is this young hero ready for her journey? Find out in a debut issue you absolutely cannot miss!This collection, featuring the stunning work of writer/artist Joëlle Jones, includes Yara Flor’s initial appearances as the Wonder Woman of tomorrow in the world of Future State, plus her initial appearances that trace the earliest steps of her heroic destiny!
What Latino books would you recommend?
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