2019 Summer Reading List

One of the Book Club’s goals is to connect readers all over the world through Latino literature so we have something for everyone. This year’s List offers a “baker’s dozen”worth of booksfrom a classical treasure celebrating its 25thanniversary to several debut novels from exciting new Latino voices. We got brown superheroes, street girl crews, girlfriend tips, a hard look at domestic violence, mouthwatering recipes, rhythmic poetry, a travel odyssey, and a beautiful tribute to New York’s first Puerto Rican Librarian Pura Belprè. We encourage Readers of all ages to add our Summer Reading List selections to their TBR piles, give copies to family and friends, order copies at your neighborhood library, and enjoy Reading Latino Lit.Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club.


1.  Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (Tor Teen, fiction, LGBT)

2.  Citizen Illegal by Jose Olivares (Haymarket Books, poetry)

3.  Coney Island Siren by Theresa Varela (Pollen Press Publishing, fiction)

4.  Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera (Simon and Schuster, YA, sci fi)

5.  Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno (DisneyHyperion, YA)

6.  Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Doubleday, fiction)

7.  In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (25th Anniversary, Algonquin Books, fiction)….

8.  Jubilant Journeys by Connie Spenuzza (Libros Publishing, travel memoir)

9.  Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics by Frederick Luis Aldama (University of Arizona Press,graphic novels)

10.  Planting Stories: the Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belprèby Anika Aldamuy Denise (HarperCollins, children’s book)

11.  Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Harper Teen, poetry)

12.  The Gyrlfriend Code Volume 2 by Dr Marquita Blades & others (Gyrlfriend Collective, anthology, inspirational)

13.  We Are La Cocina: Recipes in Pursuit of the American Dream by Caleb Zigas (Chronicle Books, cookbook)