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REVIEW: THEY ONLY EAT THEIR HUSBANDS by Cara Lopez Lee

  "The purpose of my life is not to get what I want. The purpose of my life is to become who I am."    — Cara       THEY ONLY EAT THEIR HUSBANDS:   Love, Travel, and the Power of Running Away A Memoir by Cara Lopez Lee Conundrum Press     The first thing to intrigue me about this book was the title.   And it's fun that I can even get the t-shirt.   The second thing was the similarity of Cara Lopez Lee's THEY ONLY EAT THEIR HUSBANDS to Elizabeth Gilbert's EAT, PRAY, LOVE.   But though the two women are on journeys of self-discovery, their paths are as different as night and day.   One was searching for validation; the other was plotting her next escape.   Cara Lopez Lee's memoir is brutal, honest, adventurous, and outrageous.   Readers will be both intrigued and repelled by her situations and revelations, and yet they won't be able to stop themselves from cheering for this cour...

REVIEW: THE CLAIRVOYANT OF CALLE OCHO by Anjanette Delgado

If we could, we'd leave them all-- the chronic bad boys, the frauds, the violent abusers, the unreliable, the lazy, the egotistical, the bad in bed, even the ones who pose as "good men" but have the relentless ability to turn every single happy moment into a day trip to the nearest latrine.   We hang on, looking and feeling, and taking notes right on our hearts, until we manage to be able to breathe, to stand, to tell ourselves we're not crazy.   That what we are is strong. And then, we leave.   Or we kill them. ---Mariela Estevez Kensington Fiction THE CLAIRVOYANT OF CALLE OCHO is entertaining, mysterious and a quick read.   It's a fun story about a clairvoyant whose fear of love put her in harm's way, with a cast of colorful characters and great recipes.   The arroz con sushi particularly sounds delicious, and one I'll have to try.   SUMMARY:   After two cheating husbands and two divorces that almost leave her destitute, Mariela Este...

Book of the Month: PARISIAN PROMISES by Cecilia Velástegui

        There is only one happiness in life, to love and to be loved. – George Sand To love profoundly means both to soar and to dive. – Serge Libros Publishing American girls in search of amour and adventure in Paris, the City of Love, is a popular and much beloved theme. Author Cecilia Velástegui has taken an old theme and given it a new life.     PARISIAN PROMISES is a sensual, suspenseful and satisfying novel and our February Book of the Month .  The characters are passionate; the setting authentic (it’s Paris, the center of the world!); and the action quick with nail-biting suspense.  SUMMARY:  Set amid the tumultuous era of the 1970s, when radical insurgent groups plot social upheaval and guerrilla warfare at the Sorbonne, our naïve heroine arrives in Paris thirsty for romance and excitement, and gets more than she ever imagined. A California girl more at home with horses than people, Monica secretly ho...

REVIEW: DIEGO'S DRAGON (BOOK 1): SPIRITS OF THE SUN by Kevin Gerard

     The Latina Book Club ends its week-long celebration of multicultural children's books and diverse books.  We hope you enjoy them and share them with your children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, et al.  Happy Reading.---mcf   "He listened to their voices welcoming him, speaking to him as brothers. A wave of mystical recognition swept over Diego. He felt weak at the knees with the discovery of his identity. It wasn't eve ry day a sixth grade boy found out he might be on a collision course with an unknown destiny." Crying Cougar Press Move over Toothless. There is a new dragon in town and his name is Magnifico! DIEGO'S DRAGON is magnificent, adventurous, and enchanting.   And, it won second place in Young Adult Fantasy at the 12th International Latino Book Awards in 2012. DIEGO'S DRAGON is Book 1 of the author's new fantasy/sci fi series starring a 10 year old Mexican boy named Diego and a surly dragon named Magnifico. ...

REVIEW: LETTERS FROM HEAVEN / CARTAS DEL CIELO by Lydia Gil

      Join The Latina Book Club is its week-long celebration of multicultural children's books and diversity. Arte Publico Press "The note was important, because even if you missed the visit, you'd still get to enjoy the surprise...To know that someone cared enough about you to come by." -- Grandma The bond between mothers and daughters is special, but the bond between Grandmothers and granddaughters is extraordinary.   Abuelitas / Grandmas are like BFFs, cohorts, protectors and wise women all rolled into one.   You can tell them things you can't tell your mother and know they are always in your corner. Lydia Gil's LETTERS FROM HEAVEN/ CARTAS DEL CIELO starts with the loss of an grandmother-granddaughter bond.   Our young heroine, Celeste, is struggling to deal with this loss and the changes in her life. Upon the loss of her beloved grandmother, her world changes literally overnight -- her mother has to get a second job and is ...

CELEBRATING CHILDREN PICTURE BOOKS

    The Latina Book Club was part of the MultiCultural Children's Book Day yesterday.   It was a tremendous honor and we want to continue the celebration of children's books and diversity this week.   So today, we'd like to celebrate Latino Children Picture Books.    Below are some fun ones.---mcf LAST STOP MARKET STREET by Matt de la Peña Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them. LALO LOVES TO HELP by Cecilia Velastegui Lalo, a yellow-naped Amazonian parrot speaks many languages and loves to sing opera. He lives a happy live according to the Amazonian oath of friendshi...

MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN'S BOOK DAY -- TODAY!

   The Latina Book Club is proud to be part of Multicultural Children's Book Day (January 27, 2015).   Bloggers, reviewers, bookstores, and others around the country are posting reviews of different multicultural books and/or holding activities to celebrate the day.   Many thanks to co-creators of this event, Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book /Audrey Press.   Please join us in celebrating this unique day.     #ReadYourWorld. Multicultural Children's Book Day Mission :   is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries. REVIEW:    LITTLE BOY (Saga of a Comanche Warrior, Book One) by Max Oliver Max Oliver has written a powerful, arresting story of life among the People, the Comanches.   Theirs is a harsh life among the plains, constantly at war with other Indian tribes, Anglos, Mexicans a...