A recent newsletter highlights entertaining books by Latine authors to counter stressful headlines. The selection includes memoirs, romances, mysteries, and fantasies that promise laughs and adventure. Recommendations span humor-filled advice columns to underwater heir quests.
Published on April 30, the 'Just Some Fun Latine Reads' newsletter offers lighthearted escapes through books by Latine writers. It features titles evoking laughter, chaotic excitement, and enthusiasm from friends and colleagues. Genres range from memoirs to YA fantasies set under the sea, with many serving as series starters. The curator notes these reads provide levity amid heavy news feeds. John Paul Brammer's 'Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons' draws from his Grindr advice column pitched as a gay Mexican American twist on Dear Abby. Brammer describes it turning tender and meaningful, blending humor with solace. The audiobook version prompted the reviewer to snort iced cafecito. Romances like Jo Segura's 'Raiders of the Lost Heart' pair rival archaeologists on a secret Mexican jungle expedition, evoking Indiana Jones vibes. Adriana Herrera's 'A Caribbean Heiress in Paris' launches the steamy Las Leonas series, set in Belle Epoque Paris with Dominican protagonists exploring colonial history. JC Cervantes' 'The Enchanted Hacienda' follows Harlow Estrada harnessing flower magic at her family home. Mysteries include Alex Segura's 'Secret Identity,' blending '70s comic book history with modern crime as Carmen Valdez navigates murder in New York. Raquel V. Reyes' 'Mango, Mambo, and Murder' stars food anthropologist Miriam Quiñones-Smith solving deaths amid Miami family drama. Zoraida Córdova's 'The Vicious Deep' tracks a Coney Island teen discovering his merperson heritage and underwater throne claim.