Author: Layne Mandros

Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 is Latinx Heritage Month and to celebrate we wanted to spotlight some Latinx book influencers who you should 100% be following! Keep reading to learn a little bit about each influencer and a book by a Latinx author that they would recommend!

Alicia | Blog: akernelofnonsense.wordpress.com, Instagram: @akernelofnonsense

My name is Alicia. I am a Mexican-American Book Blogger. I believe we as readers need to be deliberate when it comes to our reading choices. Marginalized writers are often overlooked and I believe we can make a difference in whose books get attention. I have had the pleasure seeing more and more Latinx authors make their way into the publishing scene and I hope my voice can help lift theirs and show publishing that our communities are worth investing in.

Recommendation: The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes is my favorite debut this year. This YA contemporary follows a Mexican-American teen navigating tumultuous familial relationships, her queer identity and religion. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, this novel is sure to resonate with queer Latinx teens.

Mel | The Steam Box: https://www.steamylit.com, Instagram @thesteamboxco, Instagram: @bookrecsbymel

Mel is a Peruvian bookish content creator and a small business owner. She has been creating bookish content for over two years and loves to use her platform to celebrate diversity in books. Her love for reading romance led to her starting The Steam Box – a romance book subscription box that promotes diversity and encourages self love. Mel is a navy veteran, a proud dog mom to two Rottweilers, and is constantly arguing with her husband that she in fact does need more books.

Recommendation: On The Hustle by Adriana Herrera – This is the perfect romance book! Not only is it the perfect combination of plot and steam but it highlights and discusses the “hustle” mindset we have as immigrants. The constant need to work and do more that really hit home for me. This is one of the best romance books coming out this fall!

Destiny | Blog: https://myhoneyreads.wordpress.com/, Instagram: @myhoneyreads

My name is Destiny and I am a Mexican-American, Indigenous, disabled, and queer blogger who likes to scream about books with the aforementioned representation. I read across all genres and in all formats. My goal is to create a positive and cozy space on all my platforms where I can talk about the things I love with others.

Recommendation: I haven’t stopped recommending Lobizona by Romina Garber since the second I picked it up. An elaborate fantasy full of werewolves and witches, Lobizona also features immigration, family secrets, sports, and rich Argentinian culture. This is the book for anyone looking for their next favorite YA Fantasy.

Caro | Instagram: @_afrovegan

Caro is a social justice oriented Puerto Rican educator based in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She is currently a PhD student of Caribbean Literature.

Recommendation: Olga dies dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez, an unapologetic *fictional* book about the Nuyorican. This book is Brooklyn but is also a protest to the yanki in Puerto Rico; is a full on schooling about Puerto Rican history to a reader that might not know about the hundreds of years we have endured under colonialism and the movements that have always fought to free the island.

“…as a brave young woman who knows that in a world of oppression, achieving liberation will require sacrifice.”

Cristina | Instagram: @2bookornot2book

Cristina (she/her) is a Puerto Rican bookstagrammer in NYC with a passion for strange, lyrical fantasy and sci-fi, literary fiction about dysfunctional families, and dark fairytale retellings. For her day job, she’s an archivist, which really means she gets paid to go on research tangents for other people, and she now knows way too much about 1930s NYC mobsters. Besides reading, she loves to play puzzle-based video games that don’t involve anyone dying, and she’s even published a few short stories. Her heritage is always on her mind and informs much of what she does, especially in regards to the books she reads.

Recommendation: I of course have loved many recently published books by Latinx authors, but I wanted to pick something a little less well known. I highly recommend Tears of the Trufflepig by Fernando A. Flores, a novel about a man living in a border town in Texas, in a world where narcotics are legal and a new kind of contraband exists: ancient Olmec artifacts, shrunken indigenous heads, and filtered animals—animals brought back from extinction to live short lives as entertainment to the rich. This book is magical and weird in the best way possible, and one of the most imaginative and unique books I’ve read by a Latinx author in a long time. I like Latinx books that could not exist without the ethnicity of the author and characters being that way, but are not stories where the characters reckon with it or come to terms with their identity. Those have their place but I much prefer a story like this—where they know who and what they are, they live it, and this is a story that wouldn’t exist without it.

Alexis | Instagram: @poppincurlsnprose

My name is Alexis (@PoppinCurlsNProse). I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and currently live in Austin, Texas. Thanks to my mom, I’ve been an avid reader all my life. Growing up I loved The Babysitter’s Club, Goosebumps and Fear Street novels. Now, I mostly read YA, Fantasy and a sprinkle of romance.

Recommendation: A book I would recommend is Clap When you Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. I’m a huge fan of anything she does. Clap When You Land is a YA novel, written in verse that as a Latina really resonated with me. It speaks to my heart with the love of culture, importance of family, and Acevedo never shies away from all the emotional baggage that young people carry around on a daily basis, that as an adult can be easy to forget or dismiss.

Francis | Instagram: @abookinbed

Hi! My name is Francis and I’m a proud Boricua that gets a little too emotionally attached to fictional characters. I love watching movies, reading books, and creating fake scenarios in my head. Representation and diverse stories are a priority for me. Also dessert, but that’s not important right now.

Recommendation: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Fall is here and I think this is an excellent atmospheric read to really set the mood. The author did an incredible job of mixing fantastical elements with hard hitting topics to truly create a sinister experience. With that said, make sure to check out the content warnings. If you want a well written, strong, and witty Latina as the center of a story then this is the book for you.

Sharon | Instagram: @bookdragon217

My name is Sharon @bookdragon217 and I’m a voracious mood reader always looking to find myself in books. Growing up I never saw myself, my community or my culture represented in books and this is why I started my bookstagram page. I wanted to create a safe space where I could connect people to their next favorite read and amplify books written by marginalized identities and communities.

Recommendation: I always recommend The Taste of Sugar by Marisel Vera because it talks about important Puerto Rican history that many people don’t know about that is still relevant today. It was an emotional and beautiful read for me. The characters stay with you long after the story is finished.

Julith | Instagram: @nerdy_little_julith

I’m Julith, a plus size Latina who loves to scream about books I’m loving and Kpop. Fantasy and romance books have my entire heart and it’s what you’ll find the most on my page. Finding books where I see myself and others represented is my favorite thing so I do my best to promote diverse books in hopes that others find a book they can see themselves in.

Recommendation: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova is the first book in the Brooklyn Brujas series and it immediately pulls you in for a witchy read that is full of beautiful imagery and a spellbinding story! Fans of Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas will love this book!

Alessandra | Instagram: @naturemamareads

(She/they) I’m a chicana mama breaking down chancla culture in our home. I’m a nursing student, and an ultra runner living in the high desert of Arizona. If I’m not reading fantasy and sci-fi stories, you can find me in my garden with my son or playing Stardew Valley.

Recommendation: A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Cordova! I will read anything and everything this author puts out! A Crash of Fate is a story that takes place in the Star Wars world. I just loved everything about this book, friends to lovers, adventure, and Latinx representation in a super popular story scape. Everything I love about reading Zoraida Cordova hits every time!

Mariah | Instagram: @thekneadtoread

I’m a biracial Latina from the Bronx, NY who is obsessed with all things books and food. I started combining my hobby of books and food when I was a special education high school English teacher looking to include multiple ways for my students to connect to a story. Now I have the bookstagram and booktok TheKneadToRead where I love pushing and seeing Latine voices (and eating all food inspired by them)! I bake and read at my home in the Bronx with my husband, daughter, and cat.

Recommendation: I recommend you read The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas for all your spooky season vibes! The genre of gothic horror isn’t often associated with Latine voices but this novel proves that incorrect. It’s full of supernatural suspense, the foreboding hacienda is the perfect gothic backdrop, has Mexican politics in the background, and will have you going out in search of some pulque to drink.

Kristina | Instagram: @whenreadingattacks

I am Kristina (she/they). I’m a 34 year old queer Puerto Rican living in California. I’m a reader, writer, educator, zinester, and resident weirdo Aquarian. When I’m not reading, you can find me basking in the sun or playing TTRPGs online with my friends.

Recommendation: My book recommendation is A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. I read it with my book club (@onlyloversbookclub) and it was delightful to see a protagonist from the Dominican Republic. It’s so meaningful to see Latinx people starring in historical fiction and achieving a happily ever after.

Adriana | Instagram: @bookish_aspirations

I was born in Mexico City, raised in Los Angeles, and living in Arizona for the last 12 years. I have been part of the bookstagram community for the past 6 years, but I’m really excited about the recent movements, the rising voices and emphasis on representation within the book community, and the way platforms are being used to amplify BIPOC voices. It has inspired me to be more open about my identity, culture and experience as an immigrant.

Recommendation: I recently read Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias and I was so haunted by the deeply painful but also familiar stories. I was so glad I was recommended that book through this community and in return I recommend it to everyone. I’m also picking up his new book The Devil Takes You Home.

Ivana | Instagram: @ivanainthecity

I’m a Puerto Rican bookstagrammer living in Boston. I primarily enjoy reading short, quirky books about women and sociological nonfiction books. Recently, I’ve gotten into poetry. In my free time, I enjoy running, playing with my cat, and eating breakfast sandwiches.

Recommendation: For Latinx Heritage Month, I recommend an underrated backlist short story collection by Sandra Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek & Other Stories. What I loved most about this book is that the writing is simple yet gorgeous—Cisneros flawlessly integrates Spanish into her stories and has an uncanny ability to capture moments and people who are oddly specific and somehow so relatable.

Natalie | Instagram: @the.cozy.archives

Hello! I’m Natalie, a Puerto Rican bookstagrammer who loves reading fantasy and horror stories. I love recommending books and have amazed professors and friends alike with my extensive knowledge of new releases. You’ll often catch me reading at home with my dachshund, Walter, bundled up next to me. Besides reading, I enjoy journaling, thrifting, and cozy gaming.

Recommendation: Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega. This magical middle-grade book has a great cast of characters and fantastic world-building. Witchlings has it all: a Spanish-based magic system, coven sorting, toad races, monster hunting, and great friendships. One of my favorites this year, and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Angie | Instagram: @angiesreading

My name is Angie and I live in the DC area. I love reading almost everything under the sun, from lit fic to memoirs to romance to sci fi.

I’m a huge fan of spooky season and love to read horror. It’s a very, very white genre, though. I’ve loved reading recent books from Silvia Moreno Garcia, Tiffany Jackson, and Stephen Graham Jones who are authors of color completely transforming the genre with terrifying stories that go beyond ghosts and ghouls, shedding light on the horrors of racism and colonialism. My most recent favorite horror book that I highly recommend checking out this month is The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas. It’s an eerie gothic tale that takes place in 1800’s Mexico. It checks all the boxes!

✔️ strong female lead
✔️ ghosts
✔️ hot priest

Seeing Mexican rep in one of my favorite genres means so much to me, especially as someone who grew up hearing ghost stories from Mexico. Happy Latinx Heritage Month and Happy Spooky Season, book friends 🖤

Layne Mandros

A literary omnivore and influential Bookstagrammer, Layne applies her vivid creativity for every title we promote by deftly coordinating news coverage and events for authors, writing and editing diverse content for social media, and assisting with Books Forward’s social media engagement initiatives.

As a former special education teacher, Layne firmly believes in the importance of literature and accessibility. This unique point of view is an asset in her publicity efforts as she works to reach readers across various platforms and demographics.

Layne received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing and Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and her Masters of Art in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. She lives in New Orleans with her loyal, but sadly illiterate cat, Macaroni.

Harry Styles and Florence Pugh starring in dark, dystopian, domestic thriller? HOLD. MY. BEER. I am running to the theaters to see Don’t Worry Darling on Sept. 23. But if you, like me, simply cannot get the trailer out of your mind (seriously it’s on repeat in my brain cinema) then here are some dark and twisty books that will have you looking over your shoulder while you wait.

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. What’s worse is she can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with their angelic daughter Harriet does Frida finally feel she’s attained the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she’s just enough. Until Frida has a horrible day. The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida — ones who check their phones while their kids are on the playground; who let their children walk home alone; in other words, mothers who only have one lapse of judgment. Now, a host of government officials will determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion. Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that she can live up to the standards set for mothers — that she can learn to be good.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo. But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised. When does coincidence become a conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

Welcome to Maple Street, a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island, its residents bound by their children, their work, and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world. But menace skulks beneath the surface of this exclusive enclave, making its residents prone to outrage. When the Wilde family moves in, they trigger their neighbors’ worst fears. Dad Arlo’s a gruff has-been rock star with track marks. Mom Gertie’s got a thick Brooklyn accent, with high heels and tube tops to match. Their weird kids cuss like sailors. They don’t fit with the way Maple Street sees itself. Though Maple Street’s Queen Bee, Rhea Schroeder–a lonely college professor repressing a dark past–welcomed Gertie and her family at first, relations went south during one spritzer-fueled summer evening, when the new best friends shared too much, too soon. By the time the story opens, the Wildes are outcasts.
As tensions mount, a sinkhole opens in a nearby park, and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls inside. The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes. Suddenly, it is one mom’s word against the other’s in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all–a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story. Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better. But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable. Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows. Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold. Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar. After serving five years in prison, Patty begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. And Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling…And she’s waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust. Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career. A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last twist.

Lakewood by Megan Giddings

When Lena Johnson’s beloved grandmother dies, and the full extent of the family debt is revealed, the black millennial drops out of college to support her family and takes a job in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan. On paper, her new job is too good to be true. High paying. No out of pocket medical expenses. A free place to live. All Lena has to do is participate in a secret program—and lie to her friends and family about the research being done in Lakewood. An eye drop that makes brown eyes blue, a medication that could be a cure for dementia, golden pills promised to make all bad thoughts go away. The discoveries made in Lakewood, Lena is told, will change the world—but the consequences for the subjects involved could be devastating. As the truths of the program reveal themselves, Lena learns how much she’s willing to sacrifice for the sake of her family.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game…

Layne Mandros

A literary omnivore and influential Bookstagrammer, Layne applies her vivid creativity for every title we promote by deftly coordinating news coverage and events for authors, writing and editing diverse content for social media, and assisting with Books Forward’s social media engagement initiatives.

As a former special education teacher, Layne firmly believes in the importance of literature and accessibility. This unique point of view is an asset in her publicity efforts as she works to reach readers across various platforms and demographics.

Layne received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing and Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and her Masters of Art in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. She lives in New Orleans with her loyal, but sadly illiterate cat, Macaroni.