Diverse Book Corner: Upcoming Spring Releases by Latinx Authors

There is something about the spring that just rejuvenates my reading. Suddenly, I just want to gobble up and read all the books I see like I gobble up my pastelitos! Here is a list of the upcoming Latinx books coming out this spring season!

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

Five years ago, Wendy and her two brothers got lost in the woods and were never found again. When the small coastal town of Astoria begins to have children missing, the town compares her brothers’ disappearance to the missing children, and the town questions the circumstances that surround it. Wendy is desperate to escape her past. In her attempts to break free, she almost runs over a boy who warns her about the missing children because they will suffer the same circumstances as her brothers. Wendy realizes she must brave the mysterious woods to save the missing children.

If Lost in the Never Woods is anything like Cemetery Boys, I feel like this will be the perfect book to read on a rainy spring night with a warm cup of tea under the covers! There is just something about Aiden Thomas’s writing that gives me the warm and fuzzy feelings I had when I first cracked up a Goosebumps book.

Your Heart My Sky by Margarita Engle

Liana is living in Cuba during “the special period in time of peace,” but what that really means is that Cuba’s people are living in complete starvation. She is scrambling to find enough food to eat. Although hunger doesn’t stop Liana from standing up for what she believes in, and decides to avoid farm labor even though she is in danger of government punishment.

She meets a reserved boy named Amado, who focuses on finding food instead of adhering to the corrupt Cuban government. Both Liana and Amado develop a closer relationship through colliding with a mysterious dog. Throughout their time together, they develop feelings for one another as they try to navigate “the special period” of their lives.

The particular period in Cuba is inspired by real events in Cuba’s history. My reading of historical fiction isn’t extensive, to say the least, but this is a must-read for me to be in touch with my roots and Cuban history. Margarita Engle is an own voices writer known for her poetic writing, and this seems to be the kind of book that will consume my heart and soul.

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

Penelope Prado has always had visions of opening up her own pasteleria. Her parents own a restaurant called Nacho’s Tacos, and she hopes to one day open up her own restaurant right next to her parents. Although her parents have their own hopes and dreams for Penelope. She doesn’t want to dash her Mexican-American parents’ hopes, but she must figure out what path is best for her future. When a cute new boy named Xander Amaro gets hired at Nacho’s Tacos, he is the only one that seems to understand Penelope. He inspires her to ask the questions she has been afraid to answer.

Penelope and Xander began to fall in love and learn to figure out their own place in the world amid Xander’s immigrant status and her parent’s restaurant being jeopardized in the process.

Since I was a part of the Latinx book tour company “Hear Our Voices,” I have been repping this book. This book is a must-read, especially since I have a massive weakness for books with Latin-American baked desserts! Something Between Bitter and Sweet seems like the perfect blend of serious Latinx issues along with the swoony feels of a romantic contemporary.

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

Noah Ramirez runs a popular blog called The Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever after stories. The only “tiny problem” is that all the stories are fictitious. Even though the stories are fake, they have given hope to trans readers all around the world. Unfortunately, an internet troll exposes Noah’s blog as a sham. Noah has to figure out how to prove to people that the stories are not a work of fiction. A boy named Drew enters Noah’s life, and he finally gets the answer he has been desperately waiting for. Noah convinces Drew to fake-date him to save his blog. When he unexpectedly begins to develop romantic feelings for Noah, he recognizes that dating, in reality, is different from dating in his stories. Noah will have to decide to follow his dating rules or realize that true love happens when you are not following the rules.

The Meet Cute Diary seems like the kind of book that will make me smile from ear to ear and leave me with the exhilarating rom-com high that I am always seeking in a feel-good romance.

Indivisible by Daniel Aleman

This debut novel explores the story of Mateo Garcia and his younger sister as his parents face deportation. Over the past couple of years, Mateo stopped fearing the possibility of his parents being deported back to Mexico since they have carved out a life for themselves in the United States. Mateo’s worst nightmare comes back to life when his parents have been taken away by ICE, and Mateo must figure out how he will save his family. He begins to question his future, himself, and what it truly means to be an American in the United States.

Daniel Aleman’s story seems like the kind of hard-hitting story we all need to hear. When I think of this book, I think of the image of the little girl from Honduras crying because her mother was being patted down by ICE. This image is forever burned in my mind. We must continue telling these stories no matter how hard to create awareness and never repeat the inhumane treatment of separating families from one another.

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Beautiful Ones are the most distinguished socialites of Loisail, and Nina wants a chance to be a part of the group. Through her well-connected cousin, she has an opportunity to join the group until her efforts end in utter catastrophe. Nina is a witch who is in a constant battle with controlling her powers of telekineses. She becomes the town gossip, and neighbors whisper about her calling her the Witch of Oldhouse behind her back. Everything changes when Hector Auvray saunters into town, and Nina is mesmerized by him. He is a sophisticated man who shares her telekinesis powers and takes her under his wing to control her own abilities. Through the apprenticeship, Nina learns to harness her energy, and her love for Hector begins to bloom stronger. Although it is soon found out that Hector is hiding something from Nina that could ultimately tear them apart and break everything they started

The year 2021 will be when I will finally pick up and commit to a book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. She is raved about and celebrated in the Latinx book community, and I need the FOMO of not reading her books to stop already! As a lover of bruja stories, I am sure the hype is real when it comes to The Beautiful Ones.