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Classic book review: Jorge Luis Borges’“The Aleph”
Jorge Luis Borges is hard to trust. You never know what you’re going to get in his 1949 collection of short stories, The Aleph. The Aleph, along with his 1944 book Ficcones, is a collection of short...
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Happy Independence Day, Dominican Republic!
The Dominican Republic declared its independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844. Part of the Carribbean, it’s the homeland of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, actress Zoe Saldana and much of Major...
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In the news: March roars with new books by Cepeda, Espinoza, Brown, Engel and...
March is coming in like a lion, with lots of new releases: Already out: Daniel Hernandez Jr. is known as the intern who helped save former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s life when she was shot at a...
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Book review: Raquel Cepeda’s “Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina”
Raquel Cepeda wasn’t sure of her cultural identity. Even her friends and family weren’t sure. “Papi said I wanted to be Black because I love hip-hop, and a low-class Dominican because I like graffiti...
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Cascarones and carpets: A look at Easter books for children
It’s Easter season. The holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is an important event in the Latino community. Here are some books about the holiday and Latino rituals: Alma Flor Ada and...
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Book review: Daniel Hernandez’s “They Call Me a Hero: A Memoir of My Youth”
Daniel Hernandez Jr. makes an outstanding role model for young Hispanics, LGBT youth and all youth in general – even though he doesn’t want to be. His memoir is called They Call Me a Hero: A Memoir of...
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Book review: Alex Espinoza’s “The Five Acts of Diego León”
Hollywood is made of illusions. But real life can be the greatest illusion of all. And that’s the premise of Alex Espinoza’s The Five Acts of Diego León (Random House). León begins with Diego as a...
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Meet children’s author Margarita Engle, author of “The Lightning Dreamer”
Margarita Engle has tapped into her Cuban-American heritage to create award-winning children’s books about the history of the island. Her latest book, The Lightning Dreamer, Cuba’s Greatest...
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Classic book review: Sandra Cisneros’“The House on Mango Street”
Sandra Cisneros’ 1984 novel The House on Mango Street (Vintage) is just 110 pages long. It doesn’t have a sweeping plot. It’s a collection of interlinking stories about a young girl, Esperanza, her...
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Book review: Meg Medina’s “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass”
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (Candlewick) has one of the best titles of the year so far. And the young adult novel by Meg Medina boasts a story as compelling as its title. Piddy Sanchez is a...
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In the news: April showers books from Coelho, Anaya and Allende
April is the month notorious for rain. Fortunately, there are plenty of books to keep you entertained: • Already out: In Rita Moreno: A Memoir, the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony-winning actress looks...
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Book review: Elizabeth Huergo’s “The Death of Fidel Pérez”
In the novel The Death of Fidel Pérez (Unbridled Books), Elizabeth Huergo weaves in the recent history of Cuba with the tormented lives of its residents – all in a story that takes place in one day and...
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Classic book review: Paulo Coehlo’s “The Alchemist”
The Alchemist (HarperOne), the 1988 novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, is such a popular book that The New York Times called it a “regular fixture in paperback on the front tables of bookstores.”...
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Happy birthday, Gary Soto!
Gary Soto was born April 12, 1952 in Fresno, Calif. The California-based novelist and poet is best known for his gritty portrayal of the lives of Mexican-Americans. Soto grew up working the fields and...
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¿Tienes hambre? You will be after you read these books about food
This spring, Gustavo Arellano’s Taco USA comes out in paperback and Pat Mora’s Delicious Hullabaloo/Pachanga deliciosa celebrates its 15th year in publication. So it seems like a good time to look at...
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Book review: Rudolfo Anaya’s “The Old Man’s Love Story”
Rudolfo Anaya’s newest novel, The Old Man’s Love Story (The University of Oklahoma Press) is a book that will touch your heart because it feels so real – after all, it’s based on Anaya’s own...
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Book review: Isabel Allende’s “Maya’s Notebook”
Nineteen-year-old Maya Vidal is in danger. She is sent to live to what seems like the end of the earth – Chilóe, a small island off the coast of Chile. And it’s there that she begins to find herself –...
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Book review: Gilbert Hernandez’s “Marble Season” and “Julio’s Day”
Gilbert Hernandez, the legendary graphic artist who created the Love and Rockets comics with his brothers, has released two books with very different topics – Marble Season (Drawn and Quarterly), an...
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In the news: New releases by Arana, Rodriguez, García
May brings out plenty of books, ranging from historical biographies and fiction to new novels from Linda Rodriguez and Cristina García. • Already out: Bolivar: American Liberator by Marie Arana, author...
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Classic book review: Junot Díaz’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”
I first read Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Riverhead) when it came out in 2007 for a selfish reason – I was excited the main character, Oscar de León, had the same last name as me....
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