Novels to read during Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15th-October 15th, honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans with ancestry in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. To help you celebrate through reading, our librarians put together a list of fiction by Latinx authors published between 2016-2018; see the full list and place holds in our catalog.

The Living Infinite by Chantel Acevedo
A real 19th-century Bourbon infanta is the inspiration for this novel about a princess who writes a rebellious feminist memoir. Fresh, fast-moving historical fiction from a master storyteller.

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara
A cast of gay and transgender kids navigate the Harlem ball scene of the 1980s and 1990s. Inspired by the House of Xtravaganza made famous in the documentary, Paris Is Burning.

The Regional Office Is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales
When a prophecy suggests that an insider might bring down a powerful underground organization, devoted recruit Sarah and young assassin Rose find their respective lives clashing in a dispute that threatens everything they know.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Eight stories showcase Machado’s fluency in the bizarre, magical, and sharply frightening depths of the imagination. Each of these stories has a strange and surprising idea that communicates, in a shockingly visceral way, the experience of living inside a woman’s body.

Lost Empress by Sergio de la Pava
A madcap, football-obsessed tale of crossed destinies and criminal plots gone awry.

The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles
Two girls from a sugar plantation in early 20th-century Brazil pursue pop stardom. Samba music and its allure beats beneath this winding and sinuous tale of ambition, memory, and identity.

What Happens In Summer by Caridad Piñeiro
Years after a failed summer fling, Jonathan and Connie are thrown together again. Their attraction is alive and well, but their fundamental differences are still getting in the way. Aren’t they?

The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
Across one bittersweet weekend in their San Diego neighborhood, revelers mingle and celebrate the lives of family patriarch Miguel “Big Angel” De La Cruz and his mother, recounting the many tales that have passed into family lore.

~ posted by Andrea G.

New Fiction Roundup – September 2018

9/4: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory – When her boyfriend surprises her with a Jumbotron proposal at a baseball game, Nik says no, and is saved when a stranger steps in to whisk her away. That stranger is Carlos, and could there be a spark between the two?

9/4: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker – Set in the midst of literature’s most famous war, Barker imagines the events of The Iliad as experienced by the captured women living in a Greek camp in the final weeks of the Trojan War.

9/11: She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore – In a novel shot through with magical realism, Moore reimagines the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three characters who share an uncommon bond. A Peak Pick!

9/18: 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day in this literary puzzle. Evelyn Hardcastle dies at a party Aiden Bishop is attending. Waking up the next morning, Aiden finds it is once again the morning of the party, only he is in the body of a different guest. He’ll inhabit 8 people on that day, until he can solve the crime.

#BookBingoNW2018: Written by an author from another country

Sitting in the top right corner, the category Written by an author from another country could be vital to making bingo vertically, horizontally, or the elusive diagonal bingo. We’re here to help you get it filled. For inspiration, you could consult previous posts about intriguing African fiction, East Asian fiction, European fiction, Latin American fiction, or Australian mysteries from the past few years.

#BookBingoNW2018: History — and historical fiction

Still trying to fill that “history” square on your Book Bingo card?  If you are like me, you learn a lot of your history from historical fiction. So the historical details and events that provide such a rich background for these novels had better be accurate!

Following are some of my favorite titles that incorporate meticulously researched history into their compelling stories:

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
This novel features a grim plot (a young woman faces a series of calamities following her father’s death), but I was won over by the fascinating setting of 17^th century Persia, and its flourishing community of carpet-weavers.

#BookBingoNW2018: Author (or character) with a disability*

Something special is happening in Seattle July 1 through the 6th: The USA Special Olympic Games! “More than 4,000 athletes and coaches representing 50 state Programs and the District of Columbia, along with the support of tens of thousands of volunteers and spectators, will compete in 14 Olympic-type team and individual sports.” –from Special Olympics USA.

Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver

It’s also in it’s 50th year! Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 5.7 million athletes and Unified partners in 172 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 108,000 games and competitions throughout the year.  In the United States, over 700 thousand athletes and Unified partners from 52 state Programs participate in sports offered at the national, regional, state, local and area levels. From Traditional (athletes with intellectual disabilities) to Unified Sports (athletes with and without disabilities competing together), Special Olympics offers activities every day of every year for people to get involved locally to globally. –from Special Olympics USA

In honor of that event Book Bingo this year features a square for a disabled author or disabled character. Here are a few title suggestions to complete that bingo square: