If any of the books below interest you, check your local library! Here’s a handy and free browser extension that shows you which titles are available at branches near you.
If you’d rather buy it, consider supporting an indie bookstore through Bookshop.org for online orders, eBooks or audiobooks (which also direct funds to indies)
Personal Recommendations:
A fascinating bit of literary fiction about suburbia, the immigrant experience, rejoining a previous life and sexuality. I enjoyed the prose so much in this book
“Neither he nor Rosario had considered the long-term effects of living in this country. How it might deplete one’s resolve. How for one person to succeed, many would have to fail. How this country’s religion was one of lofty expectations and unattainable goals. How dreams were just that, dreams.”
A trans-masc pirate fantasy about making deals with the devil. There’s also a budding romance and elemental magic.
I enjoyed the premise of this so much that I requested the DC Public Library order some copies when it first came out.
A Puerto Rican young adult fantasy about an international dragon riding competition and a girl who wants to represent her country on the world’s biggest stage. Along the way, conspiracy and corruption unravel an exciting, fast-paced world. This is the first book in a series.
A Mexican girl comes to terms with her sexuality in a predominantly white Catholic school. It’s funny and insightful. Reyes has published several other books since and they’re all on my TBR.
An emotional story of a Colombian girl who moves to the U.S. with her family and all the adjustments that come with that. Her mother makes her get involved in a local church, hoping to help her assimilate. Then the preacher’s daughter gives her another reason to never miss service.
This book is also ~40% in distinctly Colombian Spanish, which I liked but may not be for everyone. I learned a lot of expletives and phrases as I read.
My personal (SFW) favorite is “No hay mal que por bien no venga = every cloud has its silver lining.”
I would definitely check the content warnings before reading this. It’s a lot (in a good way), but definitely know what you’re signing up for.
A fun romance about an Argentinian woman who, after catching her fiance cheating, uses her wedding deposit to throw herself two quinces (treintañera). Also the person running the venue was a former college fling. It’s a story about remembering to celebrate yourself and being your own biggest fan.
A Día de los Muertos story of a trans boy who inadvertently summons the wrong ghost, Julian, trying to prove himself. The pair try to solve Julian’s murder and learn a lot about themselves along the way.
A delightful collection of essays about being gay, Mexican, growing up in Oklahoma and a million other things.
J.P. is hilarious. I’d highly recommend his review of Emilia Pérez
Wired did a write up about him last year
I have a signed copy thanks to the kindness of a random person on Twitter
Haven’t Read, but on my TBR:
Two roommates agree to marry so one of them can keep his work visa. Pretty transactional until they actually start falling for each other.
The Devil of the Provinces by Juan Cárdenas (translated by Lizzie Davis)
A weird, trippy thriller about a Colombian man whose reality distorts as he tries to solve his brother’s murder
Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue (translated by Natasha Wimmer)
The StoryGraph blurb does more than I could hope to say about this: “A daring, kaleidoscopic novel about the clash of empires and ideas, told through a tennis match in the sixteenth century between the radical Italian artist Caravaggio and the Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo, played with a ball made from the hair of the beheaded Anne Boleyn.”
A Spanish thriller set in Portugal that unsettles in its comparison of two cities and two very different times in a couple’s lives.
Literary fiction about an Afro-Latina woman in New York who wants more out of life. It’s a story about ambition, grief and what we must give up to move on with our lives
From StoryGraph: “A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona as she unravels the dark secrets of her family history in this ravishing and provocative horror novel.”
Some Hispanic/Latine Bookish Creators that I Recommend:
A Mexican creator with an emphasis on horror that I really enjoy
Boricua creator that encourages her audience to support Latinx stories at every opportunity
@sanjariti (Caro) on Instagram
Nonbinary Mexican creator who often shares queer books
Nonbinary Mexican creator that reads everything from middle grade to sci-fi with an emphasis on queer and/or BIPOC stories
I’ve gotten so many recs from them. I appreciate that their videos always come with relevant content warnings.
@cielomaria.reads (Cielo) on Instagram
A Mexican creator who prioritizes literary fiction, horror and romance books
More here (BookRiot) and We Need Diverse Books on Instagram
Additional Resources:
On the difference between Hispanic and Latino (Babbel)
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