Sunday, July 6, 2025

LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS BOOK CLUB ANNOUNCES JULY BOOKS OF THE MONTH

 


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

 

     

BROTHER BRONTE by Fernando A. Flores (MCD Books) – It’s 2038 and reading has been outlawed. Two women fight to save their dystopian border town—and literature!—in this near-future adventure.

 











MALINALLI by Veronica Chapa (Primero Sueño Press) – A real-life historical figure, Malinalli was considered a goddess, a slave, a traitor.  She was all those and this is her story.

 

 






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

  

SAVE THE DATE!  Mark your calendars for Monday, July 28, 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 BOOKhttps://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 teleconference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkckqqwctEs

 

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

 

   

Happy Reading and Always Read Latino Lit!

 

CELEBRATING OUR COMADRES ACCOMPLISHMENTS & BOOK NEWS -- JULY 2025

 Behind every great woman... is another great woman.  -- Kate Hodges







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

 

 

Andrea Arroyo (New York, NY) -- Happy to share that her most recent exhibition in Turkey received a wonderful response from the local audience and the international media, including this article in Proceso Magazine.

 

Gloria Cisneros Lenoir (Austin, TX) – is a level 2 practitioner of Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique. This is very exciting work and she has seen miracles happen. She has not set up a website but you can find her on this site: https://members.qhhtofficial.com/members/gloria-cisneros-lenoir/

 

Lynette Correa-Velez (Chicago, IL) -- was selected to be 1/10 TEDx speakers for BoricuaTalks based in Chicago, IL. On June 27, Lynette presented her TEDx talk titled “Lessons Rooted in Mami’s Legacy” at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture (NMPRAC) sharing her Mom’s career & life journey & how it influenced Lynette’s newest role as an A.I. tech start-up Mamipreneur & Founder/CEO of www.PagameProject.com

-----Lynette is also proud to share that her 9-year old son, Arturo, competed at the 2025 AAU Junior Olympic Track & Field tryouts in Rockford, IL in June 2025. He brought home 2 Gold medals (400m & shotput), 1 Silver medal (100m), & 1 Bronze medal (200m). You can follow his pre-Junior Olympic journey at Instagram: ArtSonic2016.

 

Chrissie Dickerson Ramirez (Houston, TX) -- announced her retirement as owner/sole proprietor of Casa Ramirez FOLKART, a beloved cultural retail establishment in Houston. Established in 1985 by her late husband, Macario Ramirez, who died in 2020, Chrissie will close the business on March 31, 2026, at the end of the current lease.  The Ramirez were long-time Las Comadres supporters.

 

Patty Gonzales (Fresno, TX) -- For her 60th birthday she hiked the highest mountain in Texas, Guadalupe Peak with an elevation of 8,751 ft. It's a big deal when you live in flat land Houston.

 

Lisa Liang (L.A., CA) – She screened her film, Alien Citizen, and held a Q&A and writing workshop with students at USC on April 24.

 

Carmen Peña (New York, NY) -- Co-founded "Wrapped in God’s Love™" LLC (2024), a faith-centered lifestyle brand focused on spreading God’s love through apparel, books, and coaching.  Also, founded & recently launched "LatinaRise.org" (2025), a faith-based platform supporting Latina leaders globally.  (Book pending; see below.)  And, Carmen also co-founded The Love Movement (2025), dedicated to emotional and mental health, suicide prevention, and spiritual growth. Follow her on Instagram@carmen.pena.

 

Donna San Miguel (Temecula, CA) -- Graduated with a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego.   

 

Jennesse Torres (New York, NY) -- started a job with the Office of Legal Affairs for the City of New York!

 

 

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COMADRE AUTHORS

 

Congratulations to our COMADRE AUTHORS on their latest publications.

 

 

Danza de Cuatro Brazos by Sylvia Heller (Nueva York Poetry) – a dance poetry book.  Sylvia is from New York, NY.

 

HOW TO STOP FOR GOOD by Carmen Peña (New York, NY) -- a guide to lasting transformation and healing — available in both English and Spanish. 

 

La huerta de los nómadas by Sylvia Heller (Ediciones Loynaz) – honors the fertility goddesses of the world, mother earth and the path toward the simplicity of a garden.

Latina Rise™: Step into Your Divine Destiny with Faith, Love, and Purpose by Carmen Peña (New York, NY) -- a book created to empower Latinas to rise in leadership, faith, and purpose. Will be published this year in English first, Spanish following.  See the launch of corresponding organization above.

 

QUANTAM GRATITUDE: A WOMAN’S 5-MINUTE DAILY JOURNAL FOR MANIFESTING LOVE, ABUNDANCE, HARMONY AND UNEXPECTED JOYS by Ana Parra Vivas (Houston, TX) – published in March, this project is especially meaningful to Ana—it’s designed to help women cultivate peace, clarity, and manifestation through the simple yet powerful practice of daily gratitude.  If you're interested in weekly inspiration on mindset, inner peace, and manifesting with intention, you’re warmly invited to join my newsletter Manifest Mondays:  https://www.anaparravivas.com/weekly-inspirational-emails.

 

Warriors for Social Justice: Maria Jimenez of Houston and Mexican American Activists by Linda J. Quintanilla (University of North Texas Press) – pub March 2025.  Linda is from Austin, TX.

 

 

 

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Congratulations to all ! 


Comadres Lead the Way ! 

 

Thursday, June 19, 2025

11TH ANNUAL SUMMER READING LIST FROM LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS NATIONAL LATINO BOOK CLUB

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

CONTACT:  Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager  

tmtobin.lcbookclub@gmail.com

 

 

New York, NY (June 20, 2025)  —  Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club is pleased to announce the release of its 11th annual Summer Reading List on this the first day of the summer.

 “Reading is most rewarding when you feel a connection to the story,” says Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager. “Our Summer Reading List has something special for everyone. The voices of our talented Latine writers bring fresh perspectives and meaningful connections. And for the first time, upon our readers' request, we have added a book in Spanish. So, settle in, turn the page, and let these stories take you somewhere new. Enjoy the journey!”

The Summer Reading List includes 20 books in a variety of genres.  It includes a golden classic novel written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a children’s picture book to share with kids and grandkids, and our first ever Spanish language book.  Stories are set in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico and across the United States.   We encourage readers of all ages to purchase our selections and add them to their TBR piles, give copies to family and friends, donate copies to neighborhood libraries, and enjoy Reading Latino Lit.

  

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club

2025 Summer Reading List

 

1.       A SIMPLE HABANA MELODY by Oscar Hijuelos (Grand Central Publishing) – fiction, classical

2.       A STORY OF STORIES: THE TEXAS BORDER BARRIO LIFE AND WRITINGS OF DOÑA RAMONA GONZÁLEZ by Cristina Devereaux Ramírez (Tinta Books) – biography

3.       +El Último Hombre Blanco / THE LAST WHITE MAN by Nuria Labari (Random House) – fiction

4.       FOR A GOD TO REST: A CARTEL MARIACHI ROMANCE by Tamaya Cruz (Tamaya Cruz Books) – romance

5.       *GLORIA by Andrés Felipe Solano (Counterpoint) – fiction

6.       I TRUST MY INNER VOICE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SELF-BELIEF, MANIFESTATION AND MINDSET TRANSFORMATION by Ana Parra Vivas (Hasmark Publishing International) – self-help

7.       LATINO FIRSTS: TRAILBLAZERS AND MILESTONES IN UNITED STATES HISTORY by Nicolás Kanellos (Visible Ink Press) – biographies

8.       LUCHA OF THE NIGHT FOREST by Tehlor Kay Mejia (Make Me A World) – fiction, young adult

9.       *MAMIACHI & ME: MY MAMI’S MARIACHI BAND by Jolene and Dakota Gutiérrez (Harry N. Abrams) – children’s picture book

10.   #ON THE TIP OF YOUR MOTHER’S TONGUE by JP Infante (Thirty West Publishing House) – poetry and prose

11.   RAIN REVOLUTIONS by Bessie F. Zaldívar (Long Day Press) – fiction, short stories

12.   *REINBOU by Pedro Cabiya (Astra House) – fiction

13.   RESERVOIR BITCHES by Dahlia de la Cerda (The Feminist Press at CUNY) – fiction, short stories

14.   TELL IT TO ME SINGING by Tita Ramirez (Simon & Schuster) – fiction

15.   THE INFLUENCERS by Anna-Marie McLemore (The Dial Press) – fiction, mystery

16.   *THE LATINA ANTI-DIET: A DIETITIAN’S GUIDE TO AUTHENTIC HEALTH THAT CELEBRATES CULTURE AND FULL-FLAVOR LIVING by Dalina Soto (Ballantine Books) – self-help

17.   THE PINK AGAVE MOTEL & OTHER STORIES by V. Castro (CLASH Books) – science fiction

18.   THE SONS OF EL REY by Alex Espinoza (Simon & Schuster) – fiction, LGBTQ+

19.   THE WAVES TAKE YOU HOME by María Alejandra Barrios Vélez (Lake Union Publishing) – fiction, magical realism

20.   WE WILL BE JAGUARS: A MEMOIR OF MY PEOPLE by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson (Abrams Press) – environmental & naturalist biography

 *book available in Spanish      +book available in English     

#dual language (English-Spanish)

 

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club was founded in 2006 and is currently in 12 cities, with more cities to follow.  All books are in English, written by Latine authors. Membership is free and open to all readers, Latinos and non-Latinos, women and men.  Each month, Las Comadres & Friends Book Club features a Book of the Month selection and one or two additional “Conversations with” books.  At the end of the month, there is a LIVE zoom teleconference with the author(s), plus a simultaneous X-Chat on @ReadLatinoLit.  The interviews are recorded and uploaded to the Las Comadres YouTube Channel (@LasComadresParaLasAmericas).

For more information on Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club, to register for the monthly teleconference, and to submit your book for consideration, visit www.latinolit.com.

For more information on the 2025 Summer Reading List, email Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager, at tmtobin.lcbookclub@gmail.com.

 

Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club

www.latinolit.com

X: @ReadLatinoLit

YouTube: @LasComadresParaLasAmericas

Hashtags:  #ReadLatinoLit, #LasComadres, #LCBC

  

Leadership Team

Teresa M. Tobin, Project Manager

Maria C. Ferrer, Nydia Marsella, Dora M. Abreu, Karen D. Gonzales and Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock


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#READ LATINO LIT 


www.LatinoLit.com





Saturday, May 31, 2025

2025 NORA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

 


Nora Award Winners were announced live on Saturday, April 26, at the Worldwide Comadrazo and 25th Anniversary Celebration in Austin, TX.      

 

The Nora Awardsnamed in honor of our National / International Founder Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, recognize Comadres who exemplify the virtues of Loyalty, Generosity, Community, Sisterhood and Kindness.  The Finalists were nominated by their fellow Comadres.  

 

 

The 2025 Comadre of the Year award goes to Comadre TERRY SAUCEDO from Rancho Cucamonga, CA / the Inland Empire Comadres Network.

 


 

The 2025 Comadre Community Service award goes to Comadre SHEILA PEREZ-KINDLE from Denver, CO / Denver Comadres Network.

  

 

 

A newly minted Compadre Extraordinaire Nora Award was presented to JACK BELL, Nora’s husband for his endless support of Las Comadres Para Las Americas for the past 25-plus-years.  In his honor, Las Comadres has renamed the Friend of Las Comadres award to the “Jack Bell Friend of Las Comadres” Nora Award.

 

 

The first “Jack Bell Friend of Las Comadres” Nora Award was presented to the Austin Community College, an organization that continually supports Las Comadres Para Las Americas and the Latine community at large. This winner was chosen by the Board of Directors.  Accepting the Nora Award was Dr. Susan Warner-Sanchez.

 

 



Click here for the WWC webpages:   https://lascomadres.com/world-wide-comadrazo-april-25-27-2025/

Click here for the 2025 WWC Commemorative Book

Click here for Lourdes Rodriguez’ keynote speech

Click here for the 2025 Nora Award Winners

Click here for the Vendor List

Click here for view of our Sponsors

Click here for Dr. Ana Nogales about her experience at the WWC25.




#NoraAwards


#ComadresLeadTheWay