Latinx Book Bingo TBR 2021

   Since last year I have made it a point to participate in read-a-thons and bookish things that will lead me to becoming a more well rounded reader. As an Afro-Latine I'm always open to joining the bookish things that some of my friends do for Latine Heritage Month. For the second year in a row I have decide to do Latinx Heritage Month Bingo. Honestly I was having some trouble finding books for the prompts, but I think I have a pretty solid list going here.

 

So of course for Latinx Book Bingo we get a Bingo Board. The Bingo board for 2021 looks like this:

My TBR goes as follows :

Set in Latam 

Of Women and Salt

Gabriela Garcia

The story of Jeanette, a woman struggling with addiction who decides to take in a troubled child, but she is having difficulties raising her. In an attempt to understand her difficult relationship she has with her mother, she travels to Cuba to visit her grandmother and discovers that there are many secrets that her mother keeps. 

Name in Title

La Borinquena issues #1 & #2

Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez

I always go back to my La Boriquena comic books because they are just an amazing story about an Afro- Boricua superhero. There is just something about seeing a superhero that looks like you and is of the same heritage that you are a product of. Also Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez is a great friend of mine so I also feel a kinship to the character because of the stories he's told me about the women he based Marisol on. I always think about the women who nurtured and cared for me when I read La Borinquena.

Non - Fiction

The Young Lords : A Radical History

Johanna Fernandez

I pride myself on having family members who were Young Lords and they have their personal experiences, but books like these look at that time so much more objectively. I do value the things my tios and tias told about their roles in a lot of this, but we know that there were many things going on at once that this book helps to put into perspective. 

Backlist Title

Each of Us a Desert  

Mark Oshiro

 Xochitl carries the burden of holding the stories of  her people and longs to share her heart with a person who could understand. She meets someone unexpected who she embarks on a journey with. Later, they find that their hearts maybe matched. 

I definitely look forward to reading this book and possibly crying throughout.

This book has literally been sitting on my shelf since its pub day and I regret not reading it right away. I will be getting to it this year for Latinx Heritage Month. 

Indie Pub

 I'm A Gay Wizard 

V.S. Santoni

When two friends Johnny and Alison begin dabbling in magic over their summer holiday, they attract the attention of the Marduk Institute, an organization focused on honing the talents of young wizards. They are taken to a magical world where they are told they would have to leave their old lives behind. As they are adjusting to this new world they soon find themselves in a supernatural fight that threatens their lives.

I am very much looking forward to reading this particular book because I actually got this one from V.S. and never got around to reading it. So happy that I'll get to read it finally.

Fave Color on the Cover 

The Mirror Season 

Anna-Marie McLemore

This book is about a girl named Graciela and a boy named Lock who are both assaulted at a party. After that night, Ciela loses her ability to make enchanted pan dulce a mirrored glass shows up,  and brings magic with it that can have some really dangerous consequences. Because Lock doesn't remember what happened that night and also has no idea about what the mirrored glass is taking his life apart she decides that the best thing is not to tell anyone what happened. Keeping what happened that night a secret can be vital to their survival.

I think I bought this specifically for Latinx Heritage month. I'm pretty sure I've been saving it just for that purpose. Really looking forward to reading it though because I honestly love Anna Marie McLemore's other books.

Fave Genre

Blazewrath Games 

Amparo Ortiz

 

Lana always liked dragons over people. She also wants so badly to represent Puerto Rico in the Blazewrath World Cup a contest where dragons and their riders compete in a dangerous relay. After a member of the Puerto Rican team gets kicked off the team she is given the chance. After she finds out a former player has teamed up with a dangerous dragon named sire, who can shape shift into a human. she fears that the Cup might be in danger. The two of them are aiming to get the Cup canceled by destroying dragon sanctuaries. In order to be able to represent her country she must navigate a conspiracy and avoid the Cup being canceled. 

I was supposed to read this last year, but never got around to it. Hopefully this year I will definitely get around to enjoying this book.

Intersectional MC

Miss Meteor

Tehlor Kay Mejia, Anna-Marie McLemore

Lita has always wanted to win the Miss Meteor pageant, but there has never been a winner that looked like her. She enlists her former friend to help her. They both are setting out to show the people in their town that its about more than looks, but also being yourself and loving who you are. 

I think that this book was another one I wanted to read for LHM last year and just couldn't get to. I'm trying to make it one of the first ones I read this year. I really want to be able to read it this time.

Translated Book

Where We go From Here 

Luca Rocha

A story about three gay friends in Brazil. Ian has just been diagnosed with HIV. Henrique has been living with HIV for three years. Victor begins questioning his relationship with Henrique because he didn't disclose his status until after they had sex. Though Henrique used every precaution Victor is upset. Then he meets Ian who has just been diagnosed and thinks maybe Henrique can help him. Though he's still upset he offers to put them in touch. Victor hopes that Henrique can help Ian navigate his life after being diagnosed. Their lives become intertwined in the process and they become vital parts of each other's lives.

I got this specifically with the intent of reading it for this prompt. This book has been recommended to me multiple times and I have been interested in reading it for sometime and it was on sale. It also helps me fulfill my goal of reading more translated works and more Brazilian writers.

Rec'd by a Latinx Reader

Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun 

Jonny Garza Villa

Julian Luna just wants to get out of Corpus Christi, Texas and away from the very burdensome expectations people have for his life. One day in an impulsive decision, Jules outs himself . Mat a crush of Jules' from Twitter begins communicating with him. When Jules' fears about coming out actually come true, Mat the person he needs to help him get through this live fifteen hundred miles away. So Jules is essentially left to deal with it  alone.

This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2021. I have been saving this for LHM as well. Finally. In a few days I'll be able to read it.

Queer Rep

I'm a Gay Wizard: The City of the Nightmare King

V.S. Santoni

In the sequel of 'I'm a Gay Wizard', Johnny's father is supposed to be moving him to a Misthaven to start a new life, but once Johnny is reunited with his best friends they realize that Misthaven is Dreamhaven. Dreamhaven is the Marduk Institute's prison for wizards and they are trapped there. One of his friends, Hunter get's sick with a magical sickness and they go into the underworld to save him. 

Any Latinx Author

Ghost Squad 

Claribel A. Ortega

Lucely and her best friend Syd cast a spell that releases spirits right before Halloween. With the help of Syd's Grandma and her cat they go on a quest to stop the haunting.

I've been wanting to read this for a while and when my girlfriend told me she bought a copy I was tempted to put the book I was reading down to start it. Discipline worked OVERTIME that day.

Song Title

Never Look Back 

Lilliam Rivera

After losing everything in Hurricane Maria Eury and her family move to the Bronx. She is haunted by a spirit named Ato and fully expects for the tragedy they experienced to catch up with them. She is putting her fears aside because she has met a boy.

Pheus is a bachata singer who is look for to spending time on the beach with his friends serenading a girl that he's been dating on and off. Everything changes when he meets Eury and now all he wants to do is fight off her demons. There are some things even love can't conquer and they find themselves fighting for each other.

I actually picked this book up at Mil Mundos Books. I really love that store, if you're ever in Brooklyn check it out. Anyway I have been holding on to this book for a time too, but now I am determined to read it. Its a must. 

2021 Release

Meet Cute Diary

Emery Lee

Noah Ramirez writes a blog, a collection of trans happily ever afters. The problem is none of the stories actually exist. When a troll expose his blog for fiction Noah's world unravels. The only way to save his blog is to convince people that the stories are true. When Drew comes into Noahs life they plan to stage a romance, but then the feelings become real. Noah in the end must chose between love and his blog.

Truth be told I am not a big fake romance type of person, but I have read some really amazing ones lately and I might start really liking this particular trope.

Afro Latinx

With Fire on High 

Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni is a high school senior, a amazing cook and  a mother. She lives with her abuela who helps as much as she can. Emoni is an amazing cook and everyone love her cooking. When her high school begins offering a culinary arts classes she doesn't hesitate to sign up for them. While taking the classes she starts to think about working in a real kitchen as a possibility, but she has responsibilities, does not have money for the trip to Spain and she really shouldn't be thinking about these possibilities. She eventually discovers that the things she wants can be accomplished if she puts her mind to it.

I am reading this book again because I am an Elizabeth Acevedo stan. There I said it.

Author Debut

We Set the Dark on Fire

Tehlor Kay Mejia

At the Medio School for Girls, girls from distinguished families are trained for one of two roles in their society. Depending on her specialization a women will either run their husbands household or raise his children. Both of these promise a life of luxury and comfort.

Daniela Vargas is the school's top student, but her future depends on no one finding out her secret, that her pedigree is a lie. Her family obtained false identification papers to give her better standing. Now that her marriage to a politico's son is  near she has to keep her secret hidden or be pushed back down to her station. 

After her graduation she thinks she's safe until many surprises are revealed. Nothing prepare her for the things she must do. She is faced with the decision to either cling to the privilege that her parents fought for her to have or give up everything she worked hard for to join the resistance for a free medio.

When I got this series as a prize for a giveaway I was excited to read it, but had other things on my TBR at the time that I was trying to finish. I WILL get to it for this month.

If time permits...

Cresent City Monsters

Newton Lilavois

As for this list its subject to changes and I'm probably not going to finish it all, but I know this. For everyone who is embarking on the quest to fill the whole bingo board good luck. If you don't finish for any reason give yourself grace. Any way I will be trying my best to have fun, but also looking forward to reading all of these books.