A collection of 2023 reads by Latin authors.

Picking up an extra book during the school year can seem like you’re asking for a headache, but the perfect novel won’t feel like an assignment to push through. Plus, there’s no better time to get yourself into the habit of reading than the new year. 

An easy step in creating a new habit is having someone do the dirty work for you and in this case, we’re picking up your slack. We’ve cut your time in half and created a list of the most popular reads by Latin authors in 2023. 

Now it’s up to you and which author catches your eye. Hopefully, your book of choice will end with a high rating on Goodreads instead of on your desk behind a pile of schoolwork. 

The Cuban Heiress

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton has a seductive theme of wealth and lies. She’s an heiress, so what more could she ask for when money and splendor follow her senseless? All that she’s missing is if her lifestyle had any truth to it. It seems that lies know no boundaries and follow the main character, Catherine Dohan, through her luxury cruise from New York to Havana. Another cursed passenger found on the ship is Elena Palacio, who is presumed dead, to all of those who aren’t on the cruise ship at least. Dohan and Palacio search for their truth as risks run high in a novel based on the SS Morro Castle accident of 1934.

Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women

140 Latine writers, scholars, and activists across various countries came together to write this anthology of experiences as Latine women. Daughters of Latin America, edited by Sandra Guzmán, is a great fit for those who want a variety of genres in one book. This novel explores creativity and empowerment in writers who share an identity, but express themselves differently with various cultures and dialects. The read is split up into 13 parts that represent the 13 Mayan Moons and its different themes. 

Our Share of Night

Mariana Enriquez highlighted the horror in the supernatural when writing Our Share of Night. While a small family of three mourns the shocking death of their mother/wife, their grief pushes the father and son to visit the ancestral home of the woman who used to be the head of their family. On this trip to the ancient home, they realize it is a breeding ground for the mother’s demonic side of the family called the Order.  This read is a fantasy and horror film in one that pushes the main characters to decide if they’re destined for the cruel ending that the Order has in store for them. 

Call You When I Land

The memoir Call You When I Land by Nikki Vargas is the book to read when you’re not sure where to call home. Vargas believed her life was ready to take off in New York with a career in advertising, but she feared she was living a dream that wasn’t her own. By trusting her gut and taking a risk, at 26 Vargas launched a women’s travel magazine, Unearth Women. She spent her late twenties traveling and writing about her experiences. Vargas proves that a coming-of-age story doesn’t have to take place in your teens and there’s always time to find and reinvent yourself. 

The Haunting of Alejandra

A Mexican folktale that is known too well by fearful children around the world, La Llorona. The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro tells the story of Alejandra and her cursed past with the Mexican demon that terrorizes her current life. Her family cannot see her internal struggle, but as Alejandra learns more about the women in her family, she realizes that they too have been haunted by La Llorona. To defeat the chilling Mexican legend, Alejandra must understand the women in her family and carry their strength to remove this curse from their heritage. 

Kiss Me, Mi Amor

To have some romance in your life before the month of February begins, follow the characters Carolina Flores and Enrique Montez in Kiss Me, Mi Amor by Alana Quintana Albertson. Carolina is one of the few Latina farm owners, which means she has no time to waste on finding love. Although, one thing that she would like space from is her overbearing family. To get Carolina through the Mexican-American holidays celebrated in her town, Enrique convinces her to go as his date. As the couple grows closer, one fake date after another, they unknowingly set each other up to potentially be a true love match. Now the couple must understand the depths of their love and see if their quick setup can last past the charades. 

Header by Apoorv Mahajan