These Latinx books are a must for your August reading list.

Living Beyond Borders: Growing up Mexican in America edited by Margarita Longoria – Anthology

Living Beyond Borders explores what it means to be Mexican American. Using short stories, personal essays, comics, and poems, this celebrated group of authors explores the struggles of navigating two cultures.

Longoria, a south Texas high school librarian, has created a love letter to young readers encouraging them to embrace both their Mexican heritage and their identities as Americans.

Though the target audience is young adults, reading about the lived experiences of fellow Mexican Americans will appeal to adult audiences too.

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland – Young Adult

Moon Fuentez discovers love and truth as she travels across the country over summer break.

Moon thought she was relegated to ugly sister status when her twin skyrocketed to social media stardom. But when she takes on a job as a “merch girl” on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers, her fate seems to change in her favor.

Santiago Phillips, a grumpy, combative, and mega-hot guy, is one of Moon’s most notable bunkmates and new nemesis. She’s certain she hates Santiago and is sure the feeling is mutual. But chance, destiny, and close-quarters eventually work to challenge her feelings and perceptions of both her interactions with Santiago and her fate as the unnoticed wallflower.

Fans of The Hating Game and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter are sure to enjoy this irresistible romance!

 

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – Mystery

I confess that I am 100% guilty of judging books by their covers. And the cover for this smoky noir novel from the talented Moreno-Garcia is going to be hard to resist!

Set in 1970s Mexico City, Maite is a secretary surrounded by student protests and political unrest. So how does she escape from the social turmoil embroiling her city? Secret Romance, a series featuring delicious stories of passion and danger. She admires her neighbor Leonora who seems to live the life of intrigue that Maite craves. When Leonora disappears suddenly, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman and learning about Leonora’s secret life.

But Maite isn’t the only one searching for Leonora. At the behest of a shadowy boss that commands goon squads to squash political protests, Elvis takes notice of Maite and feels her kindred spirit. You see, Elvis isn’t your typical criminal. He loathes violence and loves movies and music.

Soon, Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth of Leonora’s disappearance but will find it difficult to outrun the danger that consumes their lives.

If the cover doesn’t grab your attention, the plot is sure to draw you in and have you binge-reading through to the very end!

Gordo by Jaime Cortez – Short Story Collection

Gordo is Jaime Cortez’s first collection of short stories. The stories are set in a migrant workers camp in 1970s Watsonville, California.

Gordo is a young, “probably gay,” boy who finds himself throwing fists with another neighborhood boy while fighting back tears. His coming-of-age story includes learning about sex, watching his own father’s drunken fights, and discovering that his Mexican-American parents are wary of illegal migrants.

Another character, Fat Cookie, an artistic high schooler who uses tiny library pencils to draw huge murals of graffiti flowers with the words “CHICANO POWER” blazoned across the center, runs away from home with her mother’s boyfriend.

And Pepito and Manuel, also known as Los Tigres, are twin brothers so dark they look like “indioIndioturn to Gyrich Farms every season like clockwork. The twins are champion drinkers but one of them ends up rushed to the emergency room after a brotherly brawl.

The stories are full of humor, drama, and frankness about serious matters exploring identity and questioning who belongs to America and how are they treated? Cortez’s short story collection is an important contribution to American literature, giving voice to a marginalized generation of migrant workers in the West.

¡Ándale, Prieta!: a memoir by Yasmín Ramírez – Memoir

“How do I tell them that when I heard Ita say ‘Prieta,’ I felt the caress of her strong hands on the top of my head as she braided my hair?”

Following the passing of her beloved grandmother, Yasmín Ramírez writes about her family’s history as a way to hold on to their memories.

Growing up, Yasmín does not fit in. She isn’t “guerita” like her sister. She doesn’t have a conventional family. And her plans never go as expected. Yasmín wears her Mexican heritage on her skin which is a darker shade of brown. Although the term “prieta” can be an insult when Yasmín’s grandmother says it she feels nothing but love. A love that helps her build self-acceptance and admiration for her history.

Yasmín’s mother worked as a Customs and Border Agent while Yasmín’s grandmother raised her. She explores her grandmother’s history and the scars that tell her story of breast cancer, breaking up fights, and violent husbands. Set in El Paso, Yasmín also explores how the borderlands influenced her identity. The deep dive into her grandmother’s life demonstrates the bond between grandmother and granddaughter and the grief of losing it.

Ramírez’s beautiful coming-of-age memoir doubles as a love letter to the tough grandmother who raised her.