2025 LATINO BOOKS OF THE YEAR

 

List curated by the Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club.

 

Abuela Lore by Isabella Santana (Somos en Escrito Literary Foundation Press)

Alligator Tears by Edgar Gomez (Crown)

Art Above Everything by Stephanie Elizondo Griest (Beacon Press)

Bird of Four Hundred Voices by Eugene Rodriguez (Heyday)

Black Mestiza: Poems by Yael Aldana (University Press of Kentucky)

Badass Bonita by Kim Guerra (Balance)

Brother Brontë by Fernando A. Flores  (MCD)

Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda (Amazon Crossing)

Embody Joy by Beatriz Fritschler (independently published)

I’ll Give You a Reason by Annell López (The Feminist Press at CUNY)

Latina Superheroes: Jalisco & Santa Vol. 1 by Kayden Phoenix (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

Las Bugambilias: A Bilingual Queer Novel by Lalo León (Alv Publishing)

Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura (Celadon Books)

Loca by Alejandro Heredia (Simon & Schuster)

Los Muertos: Day of the Dead Fiction by Adela Pineda Franco (Tinta Books)

Malinalli by Veronica Chapa (Atria / Primero Sueño Press)

One Summer Night at the Shore by Caridad Pineiro (independently published)

Ramas y Raices: The Best of CALMA by Colorado Alliance of Latino Mentors and Authors (CALMA)

Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan (Mulholland Books)

Speak Up! by Susana G. Baumann (Excel Branding)

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey)

The Border Between Us by Rudy Ruiz (Blackstone Publishing)

The Prince & The Coyote by David Bowles (Levine Querido)  

The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo (Atria/ Primero Sueño Press)

Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo (Thomas & Mercer)

 

 

The Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club is celebrating its 19th year.

There are book clubs in 12 cities. The Book Club is part of Las Comadres Para Las Americas, a not-for-profit organization for Latinas with 10,000 members worldwide.  The Book Club’s mission is to promote the work of Latine authors to every book lover, to bring our community to bookstores, and to support our writers. 

The Comadres & Friends Book Club Membership is free and open to everyone -- Latinos and non-Latinos.  We read two books by Latino authors every month in English, and hold a Live Author Podcast the last Monday of the month.  Visit us at www.latinolit.com.   

#ReadLatinoLit.

 

 

 

LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS BOOK CLUB ANNOUNCES BOOK FOR DECEMBER 2025

 

The Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is pleased to announce its Books of the Month for December 2025:

SALT BONES by Jennifer Givhan 

Malamar Veracruz has never left the dust-choked town of El Valle. Here, Mal has done her best to build a good life: She’s raised two children, worked hard, and tried to forget the painful, unexplained disappearance of her sister, Elena. When another local girl goes missing, Mal plunges into a fresh yet familiar nightmare.

LATINA SUPERHEROES: JALISCO & SANTA by Kayden Phoenix

Two stories in one.  Meet Jalisco and Santa.  Jalisco, a spirited girl from the outskirts of Guadalajara, finds her life shattered when her mother mysteriously disappears. Brushed off by authorities, Jalisco's quest for truth leads her to the Adelitas, a clandestine group fighting against the sinister forces behind the femicides plaguing their community.   Santa is from Wexo, a town on the Texan/Mexican border. The upcoming elections are threatening to put a corrupt politician in power: Ilena Chavez-Estevez AKA ICE. When citizens of Wexo begin to disappear, Santa raids the detention camps to take down ICE.

Join the Live Author Podcast on Monday, December 15, 8pm ET via zoom.

Register today for the podcast and you may win a free book:  https://latinolit.com/join-teleconference/

Read Latino Lit ! 

  

LAS COMADRES PARA LAS AMERICAS CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS & BOOK NEWS -- NOVEMBER 2025

 Comadres Lead the Way!

 

 

Join Las Comdares Para Las Americas in celebrating its Comadres Accomplishments and Book News for November 2025.

 

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

 

Elizabeth (Lisa) Liang (Los Angeles, CA) – is opening a new one-woman show about her relationship with her birthplace of Guatemala y su abuela: https://homesic.ludus.com/

 

Tess Tobin (Metuchen, NJ) – Presentó el programa «Bibliotecas interconectadas para el desarrollo sostenible: participación comunitaria y estrategias de divulgación» en la Conferencia Nacional de Reforma 2025 celebrada en Long Beach, California. El programa se centró en su trabajo con bibliotecas de la región andina de Sudamérica.  (Translation: Tess presented a program on Interconnected Libraries based on her work in South America at the National Reforma Conference in California.)

 

 

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COMADRE AUTHORS

 

 

Congratulations to authors Eris Garriga, Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa and Theresa Varela (New York, NY) for their participation in the 20^th anniversary of the National Puerto Rican Artisans and Authors Fair sponsored by Comité Noviembre and PRIDA.

  

Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin (Pasadena, CA) – was appointed to the Pasadena Library Commission by Mayor Victor Gordo. She read poetry at the ALOUD Los Angeles Main Library at the Mark Taper Forum Auditorium.  On Dec. 13, she’ll have an Art exhibit about Our Lady of Guadalupe at La Morenita at Ave. 50 Studio. And, her chapbook, As Mexican As a Nopal, won publishing by Four Feathers Press.

Glenda Galvan-Garcia (Garden Grove, CA) – Her bilingual cookbook/ history book, The Whole Enchilada: Mexican Recipes Full of History and Fun, was awarded the Bronze medal for Best Cookbook by the International Latino Book Awards! The ceremony took place on October 25. Wonderful to see our dear Nora Comstock in attendance for her namesake Mariposa award.

 

Yolanda Nava (Los Angeles, CA) – was honored with a televised feature by KOAT-TV journalist Nicholas Gallo titled “Leaving a Legacy: Yolanda Nava.  She released the Spanish edition of her memoir, A TRAVES DE LA OSCURIDAD, in November 2025.  A powerful story of spiritual renewal, inner strength and the ability to find meaning in life’s most challenging moments. Yolanda also participated in the Feria International del Libro (FIL) de Guadalajara early this December.

 

Deborah Nevarez (Alhambra, CA) – is a Contributing Author to the online Inlandia Journal Fall 2025, as well as the anthology, Writing from Inlandia 2024 (both published 11/2025).

 

Mireya Perez-Bustillo (Brooklyn, NY) – is a featured reader for Brownstone Anthology 2025 on Dec 6; for the Artemis Poets Collective on Dec 21; and on Jan 1 for the New Year's Day Alternative Reading, Westbeth.

 

  

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Congratulations to all !

 

This list is for promotional purposes only and not intended as an endorsement of any kind.

COMADRES LEAD THE WAY ! 

LAS COMADRES CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS & BOOK NEWS --- OCTOBER

Comadres Lead the Way! 

 Join us in celebrating our Comadres Accomplishments and Book News. 

(This list is for promotional purposes only and not intended as an endorsement of any kind.)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

Amina Ali (New York, NY) – was accepted into the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Fiction) program at the City College of New York (CCNY), for Fall 2025. 

Andrea Arroyo (New York, NY) – is thrilled to share that her exhibition featuring 80 artworks from “Imaginations: Art as Solidarity” is on view at St Just Le Martel, France. Also, her exhibition in New York “Viva la Vida”, inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead, opens on October 25 at the Sugar Hill Museum in Manhattan. 

Carmen L. Bonilla (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) – is currently developing an online course to help working adults further develop their interpersonal communication skills in the workplace. It will be part of a larger course to help with workforce and career readiness. Carmen provides job seekers all over the US with coaching, helping them with resumes, interview preparation, and everything related to job search. Two of her job seekers landed their next roles recently. 

Lynette Correa-Velez (Chicago, IL) – is A.I. Founder/CEO of the Pagame Project w/RitaAI tech start-up, and created the inaugural "Latinas in A.I. & Business Panel" & co-presented at the annual 2025 Chicago Latina Expo on October 4. Lynette was awarded the "2025 Empowering Latinas Award" by United Latinas National during the 2025 HHM United Latinas Virtual Conference in Oct 2025. She was 1/3 awardees in the U.S. which had over 400 nominations nationally. She was also quoted in Forbes Magazine for #LatinaEqualPayDay on 10/8/2025! Check out the article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lyannealfaro/2025/10/08/latinas-are-powering-the-freelance-boom-but-a-pay-gap-persists/ 

Julieta Corpus (Donna, TX) – was named First Poet Laureate of Donna, Texas. 

Dori Contreras (San Antonio, TX) – was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas (Sept 3) and the Hidalgo County Bar Association (May 22). 

Eris Garriga (Brooklyn, NY) – will be participating in a "Congreso Aguadillano de Historia" on October 23rd and 24th at the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus (CORA). Her topic is Cultura Culinaria Aguadillana (Culinary Culture of Aguadilla). This is as part of the 250th year anniversary of the foundation of Aguadilla. 

Karina Martinez (Austin, TX) – participated as a designer in the Austin Woman Magazine and the ACC Fashion Incubator Fashion Show at Macy's on September 18th. 

Dora Elias McAllsister (Oak Park, Chicago, IL) – On September 9, Dora finished a 100K (62 miles) walk on the Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James), an ancient pilgrimage route across Spain. Bravo!

Raquel V. Reyes (Miami, FL) – On October 1st, 2025, Raquel became the first Latina to be president of Sisters in Crime. Sisters in Crime was founded in 1986 to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers. 

Dr. Donna San Miguel (San Marcos, CA) – was appointed President of Mana de North County San Diego. 

 

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COMADRE AUTHORS 

Maritere Bellas (Manhattan Beach, CA) – has a new book out, TIO RICKY DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH / TIO RICKY NO HABLA INGLES, from Lil’ Libros. The book is a bilingual children’s book/ middle grade. 

Flor Chaidez (Los Angeles, CA) – Flor’s book, THE TELEMENTAL HEALTH WORKBOOK, was published by Kendall Hunt Publishing, and available in English and Spanish. The book offers telemental health therapists a collection of engaging and innovative strategies for working with children and adolescents. 

Nylda Dieppa (Orlando, FL) – Her poetic chapbook, CRUMBS: POEMS ON THE JOURNEY FROM RATIONED TO REPLETE, has qualified as a finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Award competition.

Congratulations to all !

LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS ANNOUNCES ITS BOOKS OF THE MONTH FOR OCTOBER

 

The Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is pleased to announce its Books of the Month for October:

 

  

 

LOS MUERTOS: DAY OF THE DEAD FICTION edited by Adela Pineda Franco (Trinity University Press) – The first anthology of fiction devoted to the Day of the Dead celebratory holiday written by Mexican and Mexican American writers.  Twenty plus stories related to memorializing the dead.  (NOTE: Publisher offering 20% discount. Use the code Comadres20 for paperback only.  Here’s the link:  https://tupress.org/9781595343130/los-muertos/)

VANISHING DAUGHTERS by Cynthia Pelayo (Thomas & Mercer) – This Bram Stoker Award-winning author has written a chilling suspense thriller about a haunted woman stalked by a serial killer and the nightmares of real life.   (NOTE:  Kindle Unlimited has this book for $0 now.)

 

  

SAVE THE DATE!  Mark your calendars for Monday, October 27, 8pm ET for the monthly Live Author Podcast when we will get a chance to talk to the authors and ask them about their books.   Register today for the podcast and you may win a FREE BOOK: https://latinolit.com/join-teleconference/

  

Shop for your books here:  https://bookshop.org/shop/lascomadresbookclub

 

Subscribe to the Las Comadres YouTube Channel for more author interviews.  Here's the link to last month's Live Author Podcast: https://youtu.be/jg4yB6FefVM?si=s_xr01YyWGxqVy1L

 

    

Happy Reading and Always Read Latino Lit!

 

 

LAS COMADRES CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS & BOOK NEWS FOR MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

 Comadres Lead the Way!

 

 

Join us in celebrating our Comadres Accomplishments and Book News.  

This list is for promotional purposes only and not intended as an endorsement of any kind.

 

 

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

     

Julia Abrantes (Delray Beach, FL) – Celebrated 20 years being cancer free from malignant melanoma. Amen.

 

Olga Campos Benz (Austin, TX) – Honored to receive the Community Leadership Award presented during the inaugural Latina Legacy Awards hosted by the Foundation of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Fellow Latina Legacy Award recipients include the Honorable State Rep. Lulu Flores, Yolanda Sanchez, Dr. Susan Warner Sanchez, Julie Ann Zuniga, and Raquel Valdez Sanchez. The luncheon and presentation occurred on June 12.

 

Bobbie Garza-Hernandez (San Marcos, TX) -- Courtney Enriquez received the Award of Excellence - Emerging Artist from the Emma S. Barrientos - Mexican American Cultural Center (in July).  She was also featured in a solo exhibit of her signature Loteria artwork at La Pena Gallery, on Congress Avenue, Austin, TX throughout the month of July.

 

Ligiah Villalobos Rojas (Studio City, CA) -- Her short play “woman Ascending” will be part of the Luminous Streets Project the last two weeks in September.  

 

 

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COMADRE AUTHORS

 

 

Nyx Coronado (Phoenix, AZ) --- Her debut romance novel, THE DHAMPIR’S ACOLYTE, is out now.  It’s a romance between a solitary dhampir and a merchant’s daughter. Can their romance withstand his ruthless family or will it cost her life?

 

Gina Isabel Rodriguez (Wilbraham, MA) -- I published my first piece of journalism on a lost documentary about the 1973 Chile coup: https://current.org/2025/08/why-wnet-backed-away-from-groundbreaking-coverage-of-the-chile-coup/

 

 

 

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Congratulations to all !

 

 

LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS BOOK CLUB ANNOUNCES BOOKS OF THE MONTH FOR AUGUST

The Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is pleased to announce its Books of the Month for August:

    

      

         

ONE SUMMER NIGHT by Caridad Pineiro – family feuds have kept these childhood sweethearts apart for far too long. Now they are breaking free.

ART ABOVE EVERYTHING by Stephanie Elizondo Griest – author travels to 10 nations where she interviews legendary artists, painters, poets, dancers, et al and asks them is art enough?

For complete book summaries and author bios visit:  www.latinolit.com.

SAVE THE DATE!  Mark your calendars for Monday, August 25, 8pm ET for the monthly zoom Teleconference where we will get a chance to talk to the authors and ask them about their books.   

 

Register today for the teleconference and you may win a FREE BOOK: https://latinolit.com/join-teleconference/

  

 

Subscribe to the Las Comadres YouTube Channel for more author interviews.  Here's the link to last month's teleconference:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9oFSBen7sg

 

AND!  Check out our Summer Reading List.  20 hot reads here:  https://latinolit.com/2025-summer-reading-list/

 

   

Happy Reading and Always Read Latino Lit!