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Felices Pascuas!

Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy 2010!  May it be filled with lots of great books.  Happy Reading and Happy New Year! -- Maria

EAST HARLEM CAFE BOOK CLUB

http://www.eastharlemcafe.com/ Address:  1651 Lexington Avenue (corner of 104th Street), New York NY Tel: 212-996-2080 Proprietor / Moderator: Michelle Cruz Email: rsvp@eastharlemcafe.com This is a cute and intimate cafe right on the heart of Harlem.  The cafe has frequent events, including art shows (the mosaics are breathtaking!), guest lectures, author signings and a monthly bookclub.  Their Latino book club meets the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00-8:00pm.  The Book Club is about 20 members strong.  December's book is DAUGHTERS OF THE STONE by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa.  All are welcome. REVIEW FROM AMAZON.COM:    "A lyrical, powerful debut novel about a family of Afro–Puerto Rican women, spanning five generations, detailing their physical and spiritual journey from the Old World to the New."

A PINATA IN A PINE TREE/ A LATINO TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Book By Pat Mora Illustrated by Magaly Morales A Latin Baby Book Club Recommendation A wonderfully imaginative story based on the popular song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, A Piñata in a Pine Tree follows a sweet little girl who receives fantastic gifts from her secret amiga. From dos pastelitos to seis trompos girando to ocho pajaritos serenando, this book does a great job of putting a Latin twist on the traditional Anglo carol. And the surprise ending will tie the story together nicely. The book is written with both English and Spanish text interwoven together. Geared for more advanced speakers, the terminology is complex not simple, but readers have been given a glossary for reference in the back. Morales’ illustrations are bold, beautiful and full of movement. The gifts are introduced in vibrant colors and depicted in a way that they practically jump off each page to embrace the reader. It is impossible not to finish reading this book without wanting to start over aga...

December Picks

Believe it or not, it's December already.  Time for good cheer and holiday shopping.  And, if you are looking for books to stuff in your stockings, here are some great choices.   Merry Navidad & Feliz New Year! --Maria FOR THE COMADRES, COMPADRES & FRIEND BOOK CLUB: LAS CHRISTMAS: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories by Esmeralda Santiago y Joie Davidow FOR THE ELLA BOOK CLUB: NOTORIOUS by Michele Martinez Book 4 in her suspense series FOR THE LATINO BABY CLUB: RENE HAS TWO LAST NAMES by Rene Colato Lainez in Spanish and English

Comadres, Compadres & Friends National Book Club

http://www.lascomadres.org/lco/lco-eng/events/bookclub.html This National Book Club is organized by Las Comadres through a partnership with the Association of American Publishers (AAP).  The purpose is to promote reading of Latino authors. Membership is open to anyone -- women and men. Most of the books selected are also available in Spanish.  There are book clubs in 11 states. Las Comadres Para Las Americas was founded by Nora de Hoyos Comstock.  Their motto:  Connecting Latinas Everywhere! Their December book is  LAS CHRISTMAS: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories by Esmeralda Santiago y Joie Davidow. This book contains beautifully illustrated book with stories and recipes from: Julia Alvarez, Liz Balmaseda, Gioconda Belli, Denise Chávez, Sandra Cisneros, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Mandalit del Barco, Junot Díaz, Martín Espada, Francisco Goldman, Estela Herrera, Jaime Manrique, Victor Martinez, Aurora Levins Morales, Rosario Moral...

Hissip Book Club

http://www.hissip.com/ Hissip is a Latino gossip site about Hispanic celebrities.  Their book selections are books by celebrities. Their book this month is LADY Q: The Rise & Fall of a Latin Queen by Reymundo Sanchez y Sonia Rodriguez.

DC-Metro Latin American Authors Book Club

Website:  dclibrary.org This group was founded in January 2008 to discuss literature by Latin American authors.  The Group meets once a month in the DC area.  Meetings are setup online via meetup.com. To date, they have 137 members. Their book for November is  THE KILLING FIELDS: HARVEST OF WOMEN by El Paso Times journalist Diana Washington Valdez.