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Showing posts with the label YA

BOOK OF THE MONTH: WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS BY ANNA-MARIE McLEMORE

          Love is love is love. February is the month of love, of magic, of fairy tales so of course we had to find a book that included all those qualities for our Book of the Month, and we found it.  WHEN THE MOON WAS OURS (Thomas Dunne Books) is full of magic, fairies and witches, full of love and betrayal.  We picked this novel because the prose is beautiful and evocative, and magic blooms in every page. And, the dedication by author  Anna-Marie McLemore will capture the heart of every reader. To the boys who get called girls, To girls who get called boys, And those who live outside these words. To those called names, And those searching for names of their own, To those who live on the edges, And in the spaces in between. I wish for your every light in the sky. WHEN THE MOON IS OURS is a love story between a magical girl and a transgender boy. Their secrets are choking them and keeping them from be...

EXCERPT: HIS-PANIC: EXIT TO BOOGIE DOWN BY EDDIE CISNEROS

The Latina Book Club congratulates author Eddie Cisneros   on the second book is his HIS-PANIC trilogy.   We are happy to share an excerpt with our readers. HIS-PANIC: Exit to Boogie Down By Eddie Cisneros Excerpt "I sluggishly walked around the neighborhood. The last few days had been disheartening to say the least. I was starting to second guess whether or not this whole drug life I'd become a part of was really something worthwhile anymore. There were mixed emotions running through my head. I felt lost and confused. That simple infatuation of selling drugs and making money had turned against me, betraying me. More so, was the fact that I now had a great deal of trust issues swirling. I remember talking with Taz while hanging out at Jerome Park one night. I was able to open up about a lot of things, about my argument with Duckie and the whole situation with Rosemary and her brother. I explained to him that I really thought m...

HALLOWEEN WEEK! SHADOWSHAPER BY DANIEL JOSE OLDER

It's Halloween Week and the Latina Book Club is proud to bring you books that will scare you and make your heart race.   So Be Brave and Happy Reading. Arthur A. Levine Books Paint a mural. Start a battle. Change the world. This book is fun, engaging, suspenseful and mesmerizing.  I love the idea of murals coming to life and weeping real tears.  You start thinking holy thoughts, but these stirring creatures are out for blood…yours.  Advice…run.  Readers run to stores or grab your phone and order.  You’ll enjoy it even as it scares you. SUMMARY:  Sierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging out with her friends. But then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over. And when the murals in her neighborhood begin to weep real tears... Well, something more sinister than the usual Brooklyn ruckus is going on. Wit...

HALLOWEEN WEEK! REVIEW: SHUTTER BY COURTNEY ALAMEDA (DEBUT!)

It's Halloween Week and the Latina Book Club is proud to bring you books that will scare you and make your heart race.   So Be Brave and Happy Reading. Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan "As a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, I'd inherited a legacy -- more like a psychotic sense of noblesse oblige -- which meant I had a responsibility to protect people from the undead."--Micheline  If you love hunting vampires, vanquishing ghosts and killing zombies, Micheline Helsing is your girl! This book is not for the faint of heart.  It has enough gore, blood and other gross icky substances to fill a pool.  Micheline is no Buffy either.  She's a sassy, dedicated, tattooed hunter determined to kill monsters, save her crew and uphold the family name. But being on a deadline sucks!  Readers will love this young crew of monster hunters.  We hope there is a sequel! SUMMARY:   Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat -- a girl wh...

REVIEW: HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER BY VALERIE TEJEDA

  The Latina Book Club congratulates Valerie Tejeda on the debut of her first YA novel.   We are happy to be part of her first Blog Tour.      Bloomsbury Publishing/ Spark "Hunters are not made.   They are born." Valerie Tejeda's debut novel is fun, fast-paced and fantastic.   The Latina Book Club interviewed Valerie last Fall and we learned how the premise for this book began with a dream about Marilyn Monroe being killed by a witch.   Now, after months of waiting, the book is out and we are thrilled.   HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER is a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Men In Black.   We devoured it in one sitting, and could not put it down.   Our teenage heroine may not be on the cheer squad, but this California girl is smart, sassy and has killer instincts. SUMMARY:   Iris Maria Bently hunts witches bent on retaining their youth by sacrificing the beautiful, shallow women of southern California. ...

INTERVIEW WITH VALERIE TEJEDA (Win advance copy!)

   The Latina Book Club welcomes Valerie Tejeda , a journalist turned author.   She had a dream about Marilyn Monroe and a book idea was born.   Despite her writing credits and contacts, getting published was not easy, but not impossible.   We are looking forward to her book’s debut next July.   Congratulations, Valerie! CONTEST!  Enter to win an advance readers copy of HOLLYWOOD WITCH HUNTER by visiting valerietejeda.com/showmethemagic .  Good luck! “Writing and performing have always been passions of mine, even though now I wouldn't be caught dead acting!” – Valerie Tejeda Q:   Are you a "Valley Girl?" Tell us about yourself and what you love most about living in Southern California. Well, I was born in North Hollywood, California, grew up in Burbank and spent my high school years in the Sacramento area, so I am truly a California girl!   To be honest, I love everything about Southern California! I love ...