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The time has arrived to kick off Latinx Heritage Month!
Yes, it’s a good idea to read widely all year round, however, this month is a time to remind people of the rich diversity within the terms Latinx, Latine, or Hispanic.
Sharing, reviewing, purchasing, and supporting Latinx creators helps us to continue to do what we do within the publishing industry. Word of mouth is a powerful way to help anyone, but especially those of us from marginalized communities.
Here is my round-up of just a few people and projects that should be on your radar at this time.
Sobelo Books
L.P. Hernandez is known for his work on the No Sleep Podcast, Star Gazers, No Gods Only Chaos, and In the Valley of Headless Men. However, he has started his own publishing venture with L.C. Marino. Here is what they are doing.
“Sobelo Books is an indie horror press founded by military veterans and authors L.C. Marino and L.P. Hernandez. Our intent is to help authors create and tell the stories only they can tell, and to do so with integrity. We understand the horror fiction landscape is crowded, but history has shown there is always room for passionate, decent people”
X: @sobelobooks
IG/Threads: @sobelobooks
Zoraida Córdova
Zoraida Córdova is a USA Today bestselling author and all-around mega talent writing for Disney, Lucasfilm Press, and Marvel Comics.
And luckily for us, she has a new book in a line of anthologies she co-edits! This is what she has to say about it.
“Natalie and I started this series of anthologies with Vampires Never Get Old. Our mission was to add to the canon of these magical beings and supernatural superstars that have captivated our imaginations for long. What does a vampire story look like from a Latinx POV? How do faeries change when you add the history of the Black American south? What does a mermaid look like from the Caribbean? Every anthology focuses on a different mythological being. The latest one is faeries, and includes authors from a wide range of cultures and genders.”
On sale September 24, 2024
IG/ Threads: @zoraidasolo
IG: @ncparker
Pedro Iniguez
The cover and title of this book (Mexicans on the Moon: Speculative Poetry frm a Possible Future) should be enough to convince how cool it is. Pedro is a horror and science-fiction writer from Los Angeles, California. He is a Rhysling Award finalist and a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize nominee. Here is what you can expect.
“Weaving science-fiction, Mexican folklore, and magical realism, this 50-poem collection explores the wonders and pitfalls of humanity in a future yet to come. Experience a faraway world where sapient flora sing melodic tunes; behold orbit-plunging taco trucks as they make planetfall; observe as El Cucuy becomes a stowaway on a space shuttle; witness a neurologically-enhanced lobster become President of the United States; bear the agonizing wave of shrink-ray-gun violence plaguing public schools.”
OUT NOW
IG/Threads: @pete_the_sneak
Ann Dávila Cardinal
This woman needs no introduction. Ann Dávila Cardinal is a two-time International Latino Book Award-winning novelist, author of the YA books Five Midnights and Category Five, and the adult novel The Storyteller’s Death. We Need No Wings is her most recent adult novel.
“Tere Sanchez lost her husband a year ago, and she finds she's unable to go back to her tenured faculty position after her bereavement leave is up. Then she starts levitating. And she can't seem to control it. But she knows if she doesn't, she'll lose what little is left of her life and sanity. Descended from the family of rebellious and brilliant Santa Teresa of Ávila—who was also known to levitate—she takes off on a desperate pilgrimage to Ávila, Spain to try to get some answers. There she meets a series of people who help her along her way, and connect with the memory of her 17th century ancestor. In the end she finds that she has to face her grief—and her changing role as a woman of a certain age—in order to finally fly.”
Facebook: @anndcardinal
TikTok: @anndavilacardinal
OUT September 10, 2024
Daniel Olivas
What doesn’t Daniel write? He is a fiction writer, poet, playwright, book critic, and a true genuine support within the Latinx writing community. If you don’t really like the spooky stuff, this sounds like a perfect read for those colder nights.
“A collection of previously published tales about love, along with five new stories, that explore the complex, mysterious, and occasionally absurd machinations of people who simply want to be appreciated and treasured. Readers will encounter characters who scheme, search, and flail in settings that are sometimes fantastical and other times mundane: a man who literally gives his heart to his wife who keeps it beating safely in a wooden box; a woman who takes a long-planned trip through New Mexico but, mysteriously, without the company of her true love; a lonely man who gains a remarkably compatible roommate who may or may not be real—just to name a few of the memorable and often haunting characters who fill these pages."
X: @olivasdan
OUT NOW
Gabino Iglesias
This is Gabino’s newest release after his Bram Stoker award-winning novel The Devil Takes You Home. If you haven’t heard of him or read one of his books….where have you been?! The story is described as:
“Blurring the boundaries between myth, mysticism, and the grim realities of our world, House of Bone and Rain is a harrowing coming of age story; a doomed tale of devotion, the afterlife of violence, and what rolls in on the tide.”
Sounds like a Dia de Los Muertos read to me.
TikTok: @gabino_iglesias
X: @Gabino_Iglesias
Threads/IG: @gabino_iglesias
She Wore Black Podcast with Agatha Andrews
This podcast is fantastic for all things books. Agatha works tirelessly to highlight BIPOC books across genres, but centers gothic, horror, and mystery fiction.
In her own words, this is how it all began:
“I started the podcast to continue my favorite part being a librarian, connecting books to readers. I wanted to have conversations about my favorite genres that showcased how smart these stories are, and that gave a platform to women and marginalized authors I cherish, especially gothic romance authors. I love to swoon in a haunted house!”
Connect with She Wore Black podcast for fantastic discussions all year round.
Threads/ IG: @sheworeblackpodcast
Facebook: @sheworeblackpodcast
Frontiers of Fright, Edited by A. E. Santana
Spooky Season read alert! This is an anthology of Southwestern horror from The Denver Horror Collective, a company focused on creators in Colorado.
I’ve had the privilege to read this before its release. It’s campfire perfect and full of the creatures you would expect to lurk in an already precarious and hostile environment.
“Whether people found themselves in ranches, small frontier towns, saloons, railways, or mines, the Southwest has always been a harsh wilderness—an isolating landscape of desert, prairie, and mountainous terrain. In this anthology, readers will explore the ominous and unnerving aspects of the Southwest landscape, its creepy inhabitants, and unfortunate visitors. Take an eerie journey with these 18 chilling tales ranging from horrors painted in blood from the frightful frontier times to present day terrors.”
A.E Santana is a Latina who moderates for the horror book club, The Thing in the Labyrinth; the co-chair for Horror Writers Association, Colorado; and is on the steering committee for Denver Horror Collective. Santana is also a professional public speaker who has moderated and participated on numerous panels, workshops, and lectures.
IG/Threads @foxflur
OUT OCTOBER 31, 2024 (links coming soon)
Here are other books for you to add to your Latinx Heritage Month TBR stack. Give them a follow and check out their other work!
