TW/CW: there are mentions of gun violence/school shootings as well as deportations/racism in this post. If those are sensitive topics for you, scroll down to the bold, underlined text to see the book recommendations. Take care of yourself!
Happy Monday, bibliophiles! Looks like I’ll be back for the foreseeable future, now that I’ve adequately got my stuff in order life-wise. As much as I can.
I’d like to take a moment before I get into this post to talk about something nobody seems to want to talk about. I hate to start this off on a somber note, but I have to get this off my chest. I was planning on coming back to the blogosphere earlier, but last week happened to be a dumpster fire like no other. On Wednesday, September 10th, Evergreen High School—the high school I attended—was the victim of a school shooting. Yet nobody seemed to care, solely because a certain conservative influencer happened to be louder and more favored by Trump, and therefore more important, than my community. Days after this tragedy hit my community, it seemed to disappear from the headlines, even when it was revealed that the shooter, like so many in this country, had been radicalized by neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideologies online. I’m livid. I’m heartbroken. I’m only just now coming down from the horrific mess of feelings that came about on Wednesday. If you take anything from this part of the post, it’s that none of these shootings are nameless. This happened in the town where I grew up, where I made friends and had crushes and went through awkward high school stages, just like the rest of you. I beg of you: remember that school shootings are neither abstract nor nameless. End gun violence now. To everyone in the mountain community that I’ve called home for so many years, I love you. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other.
If you’d like to help out, the Colorado Healing Fund is taking donations to support repairs for EHS and to help the families whose children have been affected by this tragedy. Please chip in what you can. If not, keep speaking out. Remember Evergreen. Remember every other victim of gun violence.
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Now, then…here in the U.S., September 15th-October 15th is Latine Heritage Month! Regrettably, I never got around to making a full blown recommendations list like I usually do. September-October is a dicey time as far as getting my stuff together for school, but it is a little embarrassing, given that I’m half Latina. But there’s no time like the present.
Though I’m proud as ever of my heritage, I can’t help but find difficulty in being celebratory now, as with…well, any other specific identity-based post I’ve made in the past year. But this one feels especially raw, given how wantonly carelessly this country has treated its Latine diaspora for the past decade. It’s never stopped, but the fire has only grown greater this year, what with the inhumane ICE raids disproportionately targeting Latine immigrants. Just a week ago, the Supreme Court ruled that it was constitutional (if that word means anything anymore) to racially discriminate, especially against Latine individuals, during immigration stops. Somehow, our country has come to a place where powerful people can casually suggest that the entire Latine population of the United States be fed to alligators and face no consequences. It’s hard to be celebratory when a key part of my heritage and community is under attack, continually without consequences.
But as with any marginalized community, even in times of such strife as these, we must resist the fact that our lives are defined only by suffering. Every time I learn more about my Colombian heritage, I feel fuller. More me. Even though it’s only a half of me, I feel like I’m discovering more of myself. And that brings me so much joy. Reading beautiful books by Latine authors brings me joy. Eating food from my culture brings me joy. If nothing else, we must remember that joy is an act of resistance. No amount of slander and hurt from the government will make us less Latine. They can never erase us. So I hope we can come together and celebrate what makes us fuller and celebrate the joy of community, because that can never be extinguished.
For my past lists for Latinx Heritage Month, click here:
NOTE: I’ve switched to using “Latine” as opposed to “Latinx” from now on, as there have been criticisms that “Latinx” is more Westernized; though Spanish is a gendered language, the suffix -e is frequently used to denote gender neutrality. Personally, I use Latina to refer to myself since I’m a cis woman, but I generally use Latine to refer to the community at large. If you’re in the community, use whichever language suits you best. I’m just too lazy to change my header…oops.
THE BOOKISH MUTANT’S BOOKS FOR NATIONAL LATINE HERITAGE MONTH (2025 EDITION)
FANTASY:
- Death’s Country – R.M. Romero | YA | urban fantasy, LGBTQ+, romance | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Silver Nitrate – Silvia Moreno Garcia | Adult | thriller, paranormal, romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- The Sun and the Void – Gabriella Romero La Cruz | Adult | high fantasy, romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Flawless Girls – Anna-Marie McLemore | YA | magical realism, thriller, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
- Eartheater – Dolores Reyes | Adult | novellas, magical realism | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat – Camille Gomera-Tavarez | YA | magical realism, romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Sun of Blood and Ruin – Mariely Lares | Adult | historical fiction, epic fantasy | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- When the Tides Held the Moon – Venessa Vida Kelley | Adult | historical fiction, romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SCIENCE FICTION:
- The Shamshine Blind – Paz Pardo | Adult | historical fiction | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Where Peace is Lost – Valerie Valdes | Adult | space opera, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Under This Forgetful Sky – Lauren Yero | YA | dystopia, romance, disability | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
REALISTIC FICTION:
- Oye – Melissa Mogollón | Adult | contemporary, LGBTQ + | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Ander & Santi Were Here – Jonny Garza Villa | YA | romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The Luis Ortega Survival Club – Sonora Reyes | YA | romance, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Family Lore – Elizabeth Acevedo | Adult | contemporary | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- The People Who Report More Stress – Alejandro Varela | Adult | anthologies, fiction, LGBTQ+ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Have you read any of these books, and if so, did you like them? What are some of your favorite books by Latine/x authors? Let me know in the comments!
Today’s song:
That’s it for this recommendations post! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!
The Bookish Mutant 