THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

   The Latina Book Club wishes Fathers everywhere a Happy Father’s Day. We also welcome author Celeste Leon, who shares with us the story of her “lucky” father  and the reasons she just had to write a book about him. And many Felicidades to Celeste on her book, LUCK IS ONLY THE BEGINNING, being named a Finalist in the 2016 International Book Awards, and a Finalist for the Mariposa Award for Best First Book in the  2016 International Latino Book Awards . Three Generations Author, father & daughter FROM CELESTE LEÓN: In 1944 my father, Ramón León, won the lottery. $18,000, a fortune! ($500,000 in today's money.) To say that it changed his life and the lives of others is a gross understatement. His story has become such family lore that ten years ago, I decided I must tell it. “Why do you want to write about me?” my father asked when I said I was writing a book about him. His response shows his humility. What he accompli...

Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toe nails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own. ― Dylan Thomas Poetry is an act of peace.  ― Pablo Neruda Mouthfeel Press April is Poetry Month and The Latina Book Club is celebrating with exciting and powerful poets that make us sit up and read and imagine.  Hence, we have chosen a book of the month that makes us do all that.   OCELOCIHUATL by Xánath Caraza brings a lump to your throat, a tear to your eye and a sigh to your heart.  It’s a beautiful, haunting bilingual poetry collection written in vibrant imagery about a Jaguar woman – a spirit guide, if you will –  that prowls and growls at the land, at society, at herself.  Ocelocíhuatl  straddles two worlds and struggles to unite those worlds and...

    The Latina Book Club congratulates ALL the Winners and Finalists of the 2015 International Latino Book Awards . The Awards are produced annually by Latino Literacy Now, and were presented on Saturday, June 27 th , at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel during this year’s American Library Association's Annual Conference. 2015 ILBA Winners, Finalists and Presenters I was happy to be part of the Las Comadres Para Las Americas Team that helped present the awards, and especially proud to be able to present the Best Young Adult eBook Award to my friend author Dania Ramos for WHO’S JU? (Northampton House Press).  It was a spectacular evening, complete with a special salute to past award winning author Juan Felipe Herrera, who was named U.S. Poet Laureate by the Library of Congress.  He is the first Latino to hold this honored position in 78 years. Other notable winners included: MICAELA by Adalucia (Cholito Prints and Publishing...

    "La vida le pone situaciones por delante a las personas y no queda más que afrontarlas con entereza por debíl que uno crea que es."   //   "Life places people in difficult situations and the only recourse is to face them head-on no matter how weak one feels." --Ramona   ¡El que persevera triumfa! // He who perseveres triumphs!       ¡A ESTUDIAR, CARAJO! may be a short book -- 56 pages! -- put it packs a wallop.   Ana Maria Gonzalez' novel is about female empowerment; about perseverance; about overcoming all obstacles with determination and hard work.   It's about the immigrant experience; about racism; about tolerance; about survival. It's about being a woman, a mother, a student, a worker.   This novel is in Spanish.   It's written in the third person and is mostly narrative, but it contains a lot of action, a lot of living.   ¡A ESTUDIAR, CARAJO! is inspiring, empowering, and makes you want ...

    This year, the International Latino Book Awards were presented during the American Librarians Association Conference in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 29.   (Viva Las Libraries!)  The list of winners contains some of my favorite authors and some new ones I look forward to reading.  I especially look forward to reading the two winning books by Shanaya Fastje and Alina Gonzalez, both 14-years-old with a lot of confidence and charm. Below are some of the winners: Best Young Adult Fiction Book – English Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, Meg Medina; Candlewick Press; Cuba Best Young Adult Fiction Book – Spanish or Bilingual La Guarida de las Lechuzas, Antonio Ramos Revillas; Ediciones El Naranjo; México Most Inspirational Young Adult Book Salvation, Anne Osterlund; Penguin Group; USA Best Book Written by a Youth Bully in the Mirror, Shanaya Fastje; Changing Lives Press; USA Best Poetry Book Written by a Youth ...

the poet shouted one last grito de Dolores para her mam á and all the women who came before her who carved the path and created this red road to follow every one stood on their feet and threw a grito con orgullo Panocha!   Power! Personal. Familial. Cultural. CHOPPER! CHOPPER!   is dramatic and bold.   This collection will "seep into (our) sue ñ os" and "linger on (our) everyday thoughts," which is why it is a Finalist for Best Poetry Book in the 2014 International Latino Book Awards.     Ver ó nica Reyes paints intimate portraits of her East L.A. neighborhood, family and local haunts with daring rhythm and raw sensuality.   The neighborhood may have clear borders, but the collection's themes are universal -- love, friendship, survival and sexual freedom.     Panocha Power is paramount in this collection.   From the Marimacha strutting down Whittier Boulevard to the Super Queer sipping Kahlua on Santa Monica to the Xic...

     The Finalists of the 2014 International Latino Book Awards were released yesterday, March 18.   There was some problems yesterday connecting to the LLN website and downloading the list so The Latina Book Club has printed the complete list below for reader convenience. The Awards celebrate books in English, Spanish and Portuguese.   Finalists are from across the USA and from 18 countries outside the USA.   The Awards are divided into eight categories, including The Mariposa Awards given to Best First books; Children, Youth & Young Adult; Nonfiction; Fiction; Ebook & Audio; Portugese Awards; Design Awards and Translation Awards.   The International Latino Book Awards will be presented on June 28th in Las Vegas as part of the ALA (American Library Association) Conference.  The Awards are produced by LatinoLiteracy Now , an organization co-founded by Edward James Olmos and Kirk Whisler, and co-presented by Las Coma...