Bien Leidos | Pedro the Vast: A Novel

Pedro the Vast: A Novel

Simón Lopez Trujillo

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Simón López Trujillo’s “mind-blowing” (Gabriela Cabezón Cámara) debut takes readers into a dry and degraded, fire-prone landscape where humanity has encroached a step too far into the natural world, and a deadly fungus mounts its own resistance . . .

In the disorienting, devastatingly tense world of López Trujillo, a eucalyptus farm worker named Pedro starts coughing. Several of his coworkers die of a strange fungal disease, which has jumped to humans for the first time, but Pedro, miraculously, awakes. His survival fascinates a foreign mycologist, as well as a local priest, who dubs his mysterious mutterings to be the words of a prophet.

Meanwhile Pedro's kids are left to fend for themselves: the young Cata, whose creepy art projects are getting harder and harder to decipher, and Patricio, who wasn't ready to be thrust into the role of father. Their competing efforts to reckon with Pedro’s condition eventually meet in a horrifying climax that readers will never forget.

For readers of Jeff Vandermeer and Samanta Schweblin, López Trujillo is a next-generation Bolaño with a fresh, speculative edge and a mind that's always one step ahead of us.

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Posts about this title from Bien Leidos

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Feb 14

Poll:\ \ Vote for April book club\ \ Good morning, mis internet amigxs,\ \ Over on Discord, we decided our April and May genre for book club would be Fantasy for April and a Latine Classic for May.\ \ I'm posting a bit about each of the April possibilities below so that you can vote on the selection. I'll also be posting a poll on Discord. Feel free to vote on one of both polls. The poll will be open until February 17th, both here and on Discord.\ \ \ \ Pedro The Vast by Simon Lopez Trujillo and translated by Robin Myers: Chilean literary science fiction with a fungal twist set in a dystopian . Short and headspinning--for fans of Jeff Vandermeer.\ \ \ \ Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez is a Latin American cozy romantasy inspired by Peruvian mythology and set in a reimagined Inca empire. There are cute animals! mythical creatures! magical secrets! low stakes! slow burn romance! This is the first book in an unfinished series.\ \ \ \ A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya is a young adult dual POV romance fantasy about a cinnamon roll newly turned vampire boy and a badass vampire huntress set in an alternative historical Mexico with fantastic banter.\ \ I'll be following up with a May possibilities poll later this week.\ \ xo,\ \ Carmen

POLL: April Book Club Selections

3 books

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Jan 13

Happy (?) Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,\ \ The news continues to stay heavy, so I hope all of you are taking good care of yourselves.\ \ Please make sure to mark Wednesday, February 4th at 8:00 PM EST for our chat with Esperanza Hope Snyder, author of our January book club selection, Orange Wine. I'm really looking forward to speaking with her. If you're new here, we usually chat with the author for 30-40 minutes then we open up Q&A to book club members, so please start thinking of your questions for Esperanza now! Of course, we're chatting all month on Discord, so please join us there if you already haven't.\ \ Also, in case you missed it, I've been running a challenge for myself on YouTube this month, challenging myself to post every single day in January and even though I have missed a couple of days, I'm already much more confident posting there. If you're participating in 2026 Latine Book Bingo, then I recommend this 2-part series (video 1, video 2) detailing 50 books you can read for different parts of the bingo card. In addition, I posted 15 Latine books releasing in 2026 I'm looking forward to. Beginning in February, I'll slow down production. My goal is to post at least 2 YouTube videos a month.\ \ And now, on to this week's releases...\ \ ROMANCE \ \ The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura (Audiobook) \ \ \ \ The Magic of Untamed Hearts by Raquel Vasquez Guililand (Audiobook) \ \ TRANSLATED FICTION \ \ \ \ Pedro the Vast by Simon Lopez Trujillo and translated by Robin Myers (Audiobook)\ \ DARK ROMANTASY \ \ A Vow In Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez (Audiobook)\ \ PICTURE BOOK \ \ \ \ Apapacho Love: A Story About Hugs From The Heart by Cynthia Harmony and illustrated by Erika Meza\ \ xoxo,\ \ Carmen\ \ PS--this is a reminder that this list is CURATED by me and not intended to be a comprehensive list of ALL Latine releases. Part of that curation is not promoting problematic Latine authors.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: January 13th Latine Book Releases

6 books

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Jan 10

Happy (?) Saturday, mis internet amigxs,\ \ This has been a heavy week and I hope all of you are taking good care of yourselves. \ \ Please make sure to mark Wednesday, February 4th at 8:00 PM EST for our chat with Esperanza Hope Snyder, author of our January book club selection, Orange Wine. I'm really looking forward to speaking with her. If you're new here, we usually chat with the author for 30-40 minutes then we open up Q&A to book club members, so please start thinking of your questions for Esperanza now! Of course, we're chatting all month on Discord, so please join us there if you already haven't.\ \ Also, in case you missed it, I've been running a challenge for myself on YouTube this month, challenging myself to post every single day in January. I'm not certain I'm going to make today's deadline, but I have some reviews and other content I'll be posting soon. If you're participating in 2026 Latine Book Bingo, then I recommend this 2-part series (video 1, video 2) detailing 50 books you can read for different parts of the bingo card. In addition, I posted 15 Latine books releasing in 2026 I'm looking forward to. Beginning in February, I'll slow down production. My goal is to post at least 2 YouTube videos a month.\ \ Finally, before I bring you this week's Latine releases, I'm contemplating some changes to your benefits and wanted to run something by you--I was thinking that instead of a weekly newsletter of Latine releases for Lectores and Libritos members, I'd instead make available to you my spreadsheet of Latine releases, both past and future. That way, you'd have something to reference when you're looking for your next Latine read. You'd still get the Tuesday New Latine Releases spreadsheet, but wouldn't receive the duplicate exclusive newsletter like this one. Let me know what you think. I'm still ruminating on this change, but if you have any feedback on your benefits as members...\ \ And now, on to this week's releases...\ \ ROMANCE \ \ The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura (Audiobook) Contemporary romance following a plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run who fake an engagement to save their lives all while catching feelings for one another.\ \ \ \ The Magic of Untamed Hearts by Raquel Vasquez Guililand (Audiobook) Paranormal romance that centers the third Flores sister, Sage, who was trapped in an oak by the gods for 8 years. It's been 2 years since she was released and she's trying to find her way in life, dealing with a town that disparages her circumstances and her relationship with animals. Enter Adam Noemi, grandson of her elderly neighbor she cares for William, who's down on his luck, but also beloved by the town. In a scheme to reveal to the town what happened to her, Sage agrees to have Adam, a reporter, interview her. But her revelations also brings wall crashing down between them and something more grows between them. I'm almost done with this one and it's my favorite of the series so far. Full review to come soon...\ \ TRANSLATED FICTION \ \ \ \ Pedro the Vast by Simon Lopez Trujillo and translated by Robin Myers (Audiobook) A translated work of literary fiction that beckons Jeff Vandermeer where in a fire-prone landscape, humanity has encroached on nature enough and a deadly fungus mounts resistance.\ \ DARK ROMANTASY \ \ \ \ A Vow In Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez (Audiobook) A Latine release with a limited edition first print run? WHAT A RARITY! The first book in the Immortal Desires series, this dark fantasy features enemies to lovers, dark academia, fake fated mates, forced proximity, touch her and die, and tarot tropes.\ \ PICTURE BOOK \ \ \ \ Apapacho Love: A Story About Hugs From The Heart by Cynthia Harmony and illustrated by Erika Meza \ \ xoxo,\ \ Carmen\ \ PS--this is a reminder that this list is CURATED by me and not intended to be a comprehensive list of ALL Latine releases. Part of that curation is not promoting problematic Latine authors.

EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTER: January 13th Latine Book Releases

6 books

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Jan 8

My most anticipated 2026 Latine Releases

Part 1 of my most anticipated Latine book releases in which I go through my upcoming ARC reads -- part of my January challenge to post every single day of January 2026

Latine Book Bingo Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb1hMhuel1I&t=698s Latine Book Bingo Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crIo3beKmaE&t=107s

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME Join Bien Leidos Book Club by joining my Bindery: https://bien-leidos.binderybooks.com/ Find me everywhere else: https://linktr.ee/tomesandtextiles

Opening credits illustrated and animated by the extremely talented Manuela Guillén: https://www.instagram.com/lazybeamarte/

#booktube #latinxbooks

15 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 8

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💭 what was your favorite read from May?

here are some rapid fire thoughts on my May books. and don’t forget to check out the full 30 minutes video!

📚 books mentioned: - Pedro the Vast by Simón López Trujillo, translated by Robin Myers - Aviary by Maria Dong - They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran - Canon by Paige Lewis - Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo - That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall - A Dangerous Path (Warrior Cats 5) by Erin Hunter

👗💄: - dress is from Sister Jane, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is In A Trance Palette from Colourpop and Ellis Atlantis Palette from Blend Bunny Cosmetics - eyeshadow shimmer is a single (Unicorncore) from Half Magic - eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Ocean) from Pacifica Beauty - mascara is B-Structural from Haus Labs - lip combo is Suede Matte Lip Liner (Moonwalk) from NYX Cosmetics and Heaven’s Kiss Lipstick (Honey Plum) from Dolly Beauty - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!) Thank you to Severn House, Bloomsbury, Viking Books, Tordotcom, and Get Underlined for the gifted copies!

#readingwrapup #monthlyreads #bookreviews #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @severnhouseimprint @bloomsburybooksus @bloomsburypublishing @vikingbooks @getunderlined @harpercollins @dreamsisterjane @blendbunnycosmetics @colourpopcosmetics @halfmagicbeauty @hauslabs @nyxcosmetics @dollybeauty

reading wrap up • monthly reads • quick book reviews • monthly reading wrap up • books I read in May • fantasy books • science fiction books • speculative books • horror books • weird books • experimental books • unique books • diverse books • Algonquin Books

7 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 7

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birdlike weird girl transformations & hawaiian gothics … may reading wrap up

let’s chat about everything I read in May!

6 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Mar 31

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would you go to a grown-up book fair?

💭 would you go to a grown-up book fair?

apparently the next one will be in early summer … so i hope to see you all there!

📚 books mentioned: - Luminous by Silvia Park - Pedro the Vast by Simón López Trujillo, translated by Robin Myers - Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel - also mentioned: Book Haven Books and PEN America’s World Voices Festival @bookhavenbooks @penamerica

👗💄: - dress is from Farm Rio, rented from Nuuly - eyeshadow is Silver Linings and In A Trance Palettes from Coloupop - eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Lilac) from Pacifica Beauty - mascara is from Makeup by Mario - lip combo is Staining Lip Liner (La La La) from Kulfi Beauty and Gloss Up Sheer Finish Lip Gloss (Quiet Luxury) from The Lip Bar - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)

#horrorbooks #scifibooks #bookfair #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @simonandschuster @algonquinbooks @stmartinspress @farmrio @colourpopcosmetics @pacificabeauty

book fair • book haul • book unboxing • diversify your books • horror books • book TBR • fungal horror • sporror • books in translation • literary fiction books • science fiction books • diverse books • Simon & Schuster • Algonquin Books • St. Martin’s Griffin

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Feb 14

POLL: April Book Club Selections

3 books

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Jan 13

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: January 13th Latine Book Releases

6 books

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Jan 10

EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTER: January 13th Latine Book Releases

6 books

Bien Leidos\ \ tomesandtextiles\ \ • Jan 8

My most anticipated 2026 Latine Releases

Latine Book Bingo Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb1hMhuel1I&t=698s Latine Book Bingo Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crIo3beKmaE&t=107s

Opening credits illustrated and animated by the extremely talented Manuela Guillén: https://www.instagram.com/lazybeamarte/

#booktube #latinxbooks

15 books