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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Feb 19 2025

\ \ A few folks have asked me for book recommendations by and about AfroLatine folks so here are some amazing authors I want to introduce y'all to:\ \ Romance Adriana Herrera (Dominican) \ \ She's one of my favorite authors of all time! Herrera writes both Contemporary and Historical Romances with nuanced, fun, and tender characters and plenty of heat. Some of her titles include:\ \

AfroLatine Authors

54 books

4

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Jun 26

It's been a while!!! I've been super busy with everything from panel discussions and lesson planning to reading, parties, and a family emergency. So I'm taking some time to catch up on my book reviews now.\ \ Here is what I finished reading in April and May:\ \ Fire Sword & Sea by Vanessa Riley • Afro-Caribbean & Queer • Historical Fiction • \ \ If you've ever seen movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and wondered if there were any Black a Queer pirates, this is the book for you! Fire Sword & Sea is based on the life of Jacquotte Delahaye, a mixed-race pirate who was likely born in modern-day Haiti. In this book, author Vanessa Riley depicts Jacquotte's journey from the daughter of a wealthy tavern owner in Tortuga to the captain of a ship filled with diverse pirates seeking riches and liberation.\ \ I felt pulled into the story almost immediately, thanks to the audiobook narrator Robin Miles. There was great world building and I found the plot moving. There's conflict, abandonment, love, and much more. It was also awesome that Riley included the inner workings and dynamics present in pirate crews in the 18th century. We need more stories like this!\ \ Guilt and Ginataan (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries, Book 5) by Mia P. Manansala • Filipina • Cozy Mystery • \ \ The Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries series has consistently delivered cozy stories filled to the brim with delicious foods, sweet moments, and creative deaths and Guilt and Ginataan was no exception. I actually think this is my favorite book of the series, so far!\ \ It takes place in the fall (my fave season) at the annual Shady Palms Corn Festival where Lila, Adeena, and Elena aka the Brew-Ha Cafe crew pull up to sell an spread of delicious food and drinks. All is going well until the trio's corn maze challenge ends with Adeena passed out with a bloody knife in her hand next to the dead body of a local politican's wife. Knowing that her best friend couldn't have committed this crime, Lila and her crew conduct their own investigation to find the person who framed her.\ \ If you're looking for entertaining reads with recipes for dishes from the book, check out this series!\ \ An African-American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz • U.S. History • \ \ I'm really happy that I finally read my copy of An African-American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz because the author approaches this information as a storyteller. Ortiz utilizes his experiences as U.S. military veteran and Professor of Labor History at Cornell University to share the often hidden connections between Black American and Latinx oppression beginning with the American Revolution and ending with 2017.\ \ This is a fantastic book! I listened to the audiobook and had to keep pausing to grab my physical copy and highlight the concepts and stories that jumped out at me. I was pulled in from the author's note and knew as soon as I read the first page of the introduction that this was going to be a text I'd return to over time.\ \ I think I'm going to make a separate post just to break down those parts! I need y'all to pick up this book expeditiously.\ \ The Secret World of Maggie Grey (Drew Collins, Book 1) by Granger • Black American • Adult • Dark Academia Fantasy • \ \ To all my bookish friends who recommended this book left and right a few years back, 🫣 I'm sorryyyy! I should have read it immediately, like y'all said, but I'm stubborn. Now, I'm all in because Granger created a world for all the folks who have been begging for adult fantasy, especially Black women. If you've also had this book on your TBR for more than a year, now is the time to dive in, my love.\ \ The Secret World of Maggie Grey takes place at a magical HBCU called Drew Collins University. The students vary in age, but Maggie and her crew are in their late 20s and early 30s. This school—based below the city of Atlanta—is host to sirens, shapeshifters, and more. Maggie always thought her grandma's stories about a vampiric civil rights leader responsible for her white tresses were just some weird, made-up tales until she tells one of them in her grad school classroom and her professor recommends she visit Drew Collins. \ \ Originally suspicious of the school, Maggie meets other outcasts of the community while attempting to figure out why she's here and what she is. Meanwhile, she tries to fight her growing attraction to Coach Namir, the annoying-ass werewolf who believes her to be part of the First Family, a bloodline of vampires that also happen to be his family's enemy.\ \ This book is steamy, funny, and mysterious which is perfect for me! I devoured the other two books, too, so I'm impatiently waiting for the next one. reviews to come\ \ Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa Young Adult • Queer • Rom-Com • Graphic Novel \ \ Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa is a nuanced but sweet graphic novel follows Belle Hawkins, the super shy school mascot, who finally works up the nerve to ask out her crush Regina Moreno. Regina is a popular girl at their high school as the head cheerleader with her sights set on getting into a prestigious college. Her brave moment comes crashing down when one of the athletes, Chloe Kitagawa, makes it clear that she's already dating Regina. Just as Hawkins thinks she blew her chance, Regina convinces her to be Chloe's English tutor so they can get into the same college after graduation. With the hope of getting closer to Regina driving her, Hawkins agrees.\ \ What Regina doesn't realize is that her girlfriend had a crush on Belle Hawkins when they were little kids and she used to dress as a princess everyday. As the school year progresses, an unexpected romance begins to sprout!\ \ I loved reading this book. The storyline is adorable and the cast is diverse. The colors and illustrations are also super cute. I definitely recommend this short but sweet story to everyone!\ \ As always, thank you for reading my reviews and make sure to check the content warnings on TheStoryGraph before you read these titles!

My April and May Reading Wrap-Up

5 books

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Apr 21

It’s National Library Week in the U.S. \ \ \ \ National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries and library professionals play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. This year’s theme is “Find Your Joy” which makes the Honorary Chair, Mychal Threets, a perfect fit!\ \ Throughout the history of this country, people have been fighting for the right to read because literacy is a powerful skill. Our government and the folks who support it are banning books because of the power words have to be catalysts, reflections, and tools of connection and liberation. Don’t take them for granted!\ \ You can celebrate this week (and beyond) in so many ways:\ \ • Get a library card and/or help a friend get one.\ \ • Explore the programs, books, library of things your local library has to offer.\ \ • Tell library workers how much their work means to you.\ \ • Tell Congress to oppose censorship and book bans!\ \ Share a favorite memory you’ve had of a library in my comments <3\ \ Images in my collage:\ \ -Book stacks in an academic library.\ \ -NYC library backers protest nearly $42 million in proposed budget cuts (2023) photo by Arya Sundaram / Gothamist\ \ -A crowd holds a rally in New York in 1982 protesting the censorship of school and public libraries of certain books under pressure from right-wing religious groups. AP photo by Carlos Rene Perez. Source: Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University\ \ -Teens hang out in Boston Public Library’s Teen Central\ \ -Mychal Threets, librarian and host of Reading Rainbow, smiles and holds up his Library Joy!! shirt with his thumbs up. From ALA National Library Week promos.\ \ -My colorful bookshelf.\ \ -A 12-year-old Black girl named Gwendolyn Crawford is arrested by two white male cops at Albany Carnegie Library in protest of segregation. Crawford spent over 10 days in jail and the library finally allowed Black folks access a year later. -WALB News 10

National Library Week - Find Your Joy

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Apr 16

March was a rewarding month for reading! I finished six books by and about Black and South Asian folks. Here's what I read and my thoughts:\ \ Looking For Love In All The Haunted Places by Claire Kann\ \ • Black Asexual• Paranormal Romance •\ \ \ \ Looking for Love in All The Haunted Places is about a woman named Lucky Hart who has an affinity for the supernatural but most people don’t believe her. That is, until she hears about a production company struggling to keep actors in a show that takes place in a notoriously creepy, sentient Victorian named Hennessee House.\ \ This is Lucky’s chance to conduct the type of investigations she’s been dreaming of! It just so happens that this opportunity leads to an instant connection w/ Maverick Phillips, the show-maker whose voice soothes Lucky every time she listens to his podcast. Despite this easy connection between them & exciting experiences w/ Hennessee House, Lucky realizes that she might have to fully open up in order to win over both.\ \ I’m in love with this book! It’s mysterious, cozy, whimsical, complicated, & deep. Lucky is hilarious & self-assured. Her approach to exploring this creepy house is what makes this story so cozy. I also love Maverick because he’s attentive, emotionally honest, & values open communication. This story is addictive!\ \ Stuck In The Country With You by Zuri Day\ \ • Black Contemporary Romance •\ \ \ \ Stuck In The Country With You is a cute & sexy love story about second chances & growth.\ \ When her great uncle passes away, Genesis returns to her hometown & finds out she inherited his farm. His sons are pissed, but their father made it clear he wanted Genesis to have it. While dealing w/ this complicated family drama, Genesis realizesthat her former fling lives next door. It’s not exactly a happy reunion when she sees Jaxson again, speaking w/ her uncles but she can’t deny the attraction that still simmers within her.\ \ I kind of liked the messiness of Genesis & Jax’s story & their chemistry was good. I appreciate the way Jax carried himself, too. I also felt like the storyline was realistic. It made sense that her great uncle would bequeath her the farm since she was the one to spend the most time w/ him. I just wish there was more clarity on what the solicitor meant by the notion that he had to guard against the sons. The pace was a little awkward toward the end & the very last word seemed out of place, too. Aside from that, it was an entertaining read!\ \ Goddess Of The River by Vaisnavi Patel\ \ • Hindu Epic Re-imagining •\ \ \ \ Vaishnavi Patel’s Goddess of the River is a fascinating re-telling of some of the Mahabarata from the perspective of the goddess Ganga. For context, the Mahabarata the longest poem ever written & is one of the two foundational epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas. Patel published a retelling of the other epic, the Ramayana before this one.\ \ In this version of the story, Ganga & her beloved godlings are curse by a powerful sage, forcing her to give birth to each of them as humans after marrying the Kuru king Shantanu. To free each of the godlings from their earthly bodies, Ganga must do the unthinkable, but Shantanu stops her before she can finish her final task.\ \ We follow Ganga and her only living child Devavrata, later known as Bhishma, through a series of events flowing from his choice to live as a human in a world of men constantly seeking power.\ \ Goddess of the River was just as transporting as Patel’s 1st book Kaikeyi. Although the cast of characters was a little hard to keep track of at times, I never grew tired of the story & still thought about it after it ended.\ \ The Marriage Narrative by Claire Kann\ \ • Queer & Neurodivergent • Black Contemporary Romance •\ \ \ \ The Marriage Narrative is a contemporary marriage-of-convenience romance w/ a twist. We’ve got Zinnia, a successful business owner who decides that she doesn’t have to wait for love if she treats her love life like a business, too. Her Plan: to get to know people through “trategic meetings” & choose someone to get to know & marry within 30 days. Zinnia’s besties think this idea isn’t going to work but then, Zinnia meets Jordan, the owner of a coffee shop chain & the shy one of his family’s reality tv franchise. \ \ Since his only way to spend time w/ his family is to be on the show, Jordan agrees until production tells him to marry his ex for the plot. When Jordan meets Zinnia, he’s convinced that her marriage contract would be mutually beneficial. This isn’t Zinnia’s ideal way to start a marriage, but something about Jordan urges her to agree. Cue a much messier experience than either of them anticipated!\ \ There’s something about the way that Clare Kann writes Romance that brings me feelings of joy, comfort, and validation. This is the second book I’ve read by her and I’m realizing that I love most of the characters because they feel real. They feel like people I might know and I also recognize some of my own tendencies and thoughts in Zinnia. \ \ Zinnia is outgoing, adventurous, clever, silly, but she’s also thoughtful and patient. She has her own insecurities but, when confronted by hardships, she doesn’t give up so easily. I love all of these parts of her! Her connection with Jordan felt earnest, steady, sweet, and surprisingly steamy!! I’m kind of obsessed. None of the characters are perfect, but I love the Jordan does his best to learn from his mistakes as quickly as possible without losing sight of Zinnia’s perspective. That’s hard to do irl so he’s got my stamp of approval!\ \ I bought a copy of this book as soon as I finished listening to it. I think you’ll understand if you pick it up, too!\ \ Son Of The Morning by Akwaeke Emezi\ \ •Queer Black • Paranormal Romance•\ \ \ \ In Son of the Morning, we meet Galilee Kincaid, the black sheep of a matrilineal clan outside of the city of Salvation. For as long as she can remember, Gali felt something missing, until she meets Lucifer Helel.\ \ Lucifer is the head of security for her friend’s wealthy Nigerian family & is guarding a relic Galilee & her besties hope to see. As soon as they speak, Gali senses that he’s not human, but that doesn’t staunch her growing desire for him. Lucifer knows that Gali is also not human, a fact she’s likely unaware of. When he tells his other guards aka the princes, they decide they should destroy Galilee Kincaid. Leviathan is especially hell-bent on eliminating this threat to Luci.\ \ Despite knowing the danger their connection puts them in, Gali & Luci can’t let go which risks shattering their world’s existence.\ \ As you may have guessed from that description, this book is wild! I love that Galilee is a powerful Black woman w/ ride or die friends who follows her intuition. Like many of the protagonists in Emezi’s novels, Gali’s ability to let herself be vulnerable is part of what makes her powerful. She’s allowed to feel everything & so is Lucifer. Emezi also gives us a fascinating retelling of Lucifer’s fall from grace. He’s no longer this 2-D rendering of an evil biblical figure, but someone who is curious & increasingly self-aware. It’s no surprise that their passion is scorching hot! Just be prepared for the story to pick up QUICKLY after the intro.\ \ Devil Of The Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois\ \ • Afro-Caribbean & Queer Historical Fantasy •\ \ \ \ Devil of the Deep is a Black, queer tale you don’t want to miss!\ \ Lu, a Lieutenant Fleet Officer is on a misson to find a powerful talisman which happens to be in the hands of a teen, runaway mermaid. On this voyage, he discovers that woman he thought dead for 5 years is alive & captaining a pirate ship. Lu is shocked that the love of his life is the notorius “Devil of the Deep” & she’s in possession of the very mermaid he’s been tracking: Pearl Highwater.\ \ With her uncle’s help, Pearl has escaped the underwater cult followers of the sea god, unknowingly holding the key to finding her people’s lost island--A key that could unlock a world of hell for all.\ \ Jean-Francois took me on an adventure I didn’t even know I was craving! If y’all have been searching for Caribbean/Haitian Fantasy, you need to pick up this book. It’s lush, action-packed, & has a transmasculine protagonist. Each mc gets space to grow, which I really appreciate. It’s also fantastic to read a book that depicts how diverse pirate crews were. Dive into this book ASAP!

My March Reading Wrap-Up

6 books

2

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Mar 22

\ \ I can't believe I forgot to share my Janurary reads with y'all! Better late than never, I guess. I read 5 books in January and most of them were audiobooks because my brain was not cooperating with reading print and e-books. Here are the books I read and my mini reviews.\ \ The Undertakers (Murder and Magic #2) by Nicole Glover Black American • Historical Fantasy Mystery \ \ The Undertakers is a multi-genre adventure! \ \ We follow magical investigators Hetty and Benjy Rhodes, living in Philly after the Civil War, as they investigate the death of Raimond Duval. Raimond appears to have died in one of the many fires plaguing the city’s Black communities. When his son Valentine is also found dead, they suspect that this mystery is deeper than it seems.\ \ Hetty and Benji’s investigation skills compliment one another, which makes this story entertaining. Each time I thought I’d figure out the case, another clue emerged! While I was glad that I couldn’t immediately figure out who the culprit was, I also felt like there may have been too many moving pieces. This made the pace drag a bit for me.\ \ The Improvisers (Murder and Magic #3) by Nicole Glover Black American • Historical Fantasy Mystery \ \ The Improvisers is probably my favorite book of the Murder and Magic series, so far. \ \ Book 3 focuses on a new generation of the Rhodes family through Velma Frye, a woman of manyyyy talents. She’s a pilot, a former bootlegger, a jazz pianist & can wield celestial magic. Although her favorite thing to do is fly, Velma also works as an investigator for arcane oddities for a magic rights organization. When her latest investigation leads her to a murder on her family’s stomping grounds, she realizes that she might not have to do this work alone.\ \ I had a fun time following the twists & turns this story took! We get a look at what people thought of flying planes & exploring the arts scene for Black folks in the early 20th century United States.\ \ Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola Black British Contemporary Romance \ \ Bolu Babalola’s follow-up to Honey & Spice is full of life!\ \ I got lost in her world and forgot myself because the characters feel so true and yet, poetic. Kiki Banjo has always been relatable to me as someone who puts my whole heart into music. Her vulnerability, sharp wit, loyalty, and passion are addictive in this story. It was longer than I expected but I hardly noticed and actually got sad when I finished it.\ \ This is romance but it is also literature! I wholeheartedly recommend this book as well as Honey & Spice to anyone looking for that 90s R&B kind of love.\ \ Summoner's Circle by Coral Alejandra Moore AfroLatina • New Adult Urban Fantasy \ \ If you’re looking for an entertaining urban fantasy novel w/ a college-aged lead & non-western magic, Summoner’s Circle may be for you!\ \ Dari Jiménez is an average student at a college in Moonlight Bay, Oregon. One day, while working in the library, she’s attacked by a mysterious creature and quickly saved by a tattooed woman with a mohawk. The woman claims that Dari has untapped powers inherited from her mother & needs to learn to harness them quickly to protect herself. In between combat sessions, classes, and work, her boyfriend Tyler is starting to suspect that she’s keeping something from him.\ \ Summoner’s Circle is a relatively quick read packed w/ themes of self-discovery and intuition. I enjoyed the magic system & exploring Dari’s family’s past. I wish there was more on that & hoped there would be a second book because the ending is a bit open-ended.\ \ \ \ The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall Black & Caribbean • Middle Grade Fantasy \ \ This middle grade/YA fantasy centers on community, resistance, and memory. I love the original storytelling that imagines Africans who freed themselves and others from their would-be enslavers and lived.\ \ The Chainbreakers follows a young girl named Violet Moon, of the Sun People, who must rescue her father from the Children of the Shark. According to their lore, the chainmakers were cursed by the gods for their cruelty & forced to the depths of the ocean where they became Children of the Shark, creatures endlessly hungry for the souls of the chainbreakers aka The Sun People.\ \ The actions & creativity of Violet and her crew are thrilling & sometimes playful. Her community is loving & compassionate as well as fierce. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone!\ \ If any of these books interest you, I hope you'll check them out from your local library and/or purchase them via Bookshop.org or Libby.fm !](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/2zVLJoKrUi35P5kX1fyO/)

January Reading Wrap-Up

5 books

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Mar 14

\ \ To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose \ \ I waited two years for the second book in the Nampeshiweisit series and To Ride a Rising Storm did not disappoint!\ \ Anequs, Theod, and their dragons are reconnecting with their communities on Masquapaug during their summer break after a taxing first year at Kuiper’s Academy. Their hopes for some relaxing time with family & space to define their relationship are dashed when the Anglish begin encroaching more and more on the island.\ \ I love that we got a chance to get to know Anequs, her family, and her culture more in this book. Through Theod, we get to unpack European conditioning and think about what love and family could look like outside of those standards. Although I continued to enjoy the ways that Anequs pushes back against the status quo, I like that Liberty keep her grounded by explaining the ways that bucking the system in such a way can cause harm, too.\ \ We also get a bit more of a peak into Liberty’s world, which I’d hoped would be fleshed out more. Although we learn more about her concerns and community, I would like to see a lot more of them integrated into the storyline of the third book. The Black community in New England (IRL) were no strangers to the struggles of the Indigenous tribes around them, so it would be cool to read that in the Nampeshiweisit series, too. Do they have dragon-culture? Are there other creatures they are bonded with? I hope we find out!\ \ Pacing-wise, I think this book picks up a bit sooner than the first one with Anglish political conflict pushing the plot forward. It was really thrilling to see the way it all comes to a point and the plot definitely left me excited to get into book 3.\ \ I think this series is on par with my love of N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy and The Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee.\ \ Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow \ \ Read the full review here: https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/4uuLHyJmLqIWL060tu5F/\\ \ The People's Library by Veronica G. Henry \ \ This book had me on a rollercoaster of emotions! Veronica G. Henry blends speculative fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery in The People’s Library.\ \ Our main character is a Black woman librarian named Echo London. At the start, she’s the head of a public library in near-future Cleveland until her boss informs her that it will no longer receive funding from the cit but she’s a top contender for the position of curator at the brand-new People’s Library. A place where patrons can check out a virtual historical figure/thinker and learn directly from them. To many, this seems like a pretty cool place to learn, but Echo is skeptical. With no other viable options, that she could see, Echo takes the job and begins to see its appeal. That is, until mysterious woman attacks her on behalf of the anti-tech rebellion. This rouses her suspicions and sends the librarian on a journey of dark discoveries.\ \ As a Black librarian, I vacillated between despair, suspicion, annoyance, and sadness as I read The People’s Library. In Echo’s world, AI is embedded in just about everything, which is a big fear of mine as I know how detrimental that will likely be. While I related a lot with her natural curiosity, I kept thinking that my girl was not being skeptical enough!! I was writing comments to her in my book like she could read it somehow. Despite my feelings, I found that this book was clever and engrossing. I felt like I could not put it down because I needed to know what would happen next! \ \ If you’re interested in discussions of the future of AI, utopias, privacy, surveillance, knowledge preservation, and what it means to be alive, this is a fantastic book to read.\ \ * Note: I chatted with the author about her book on IG Live thanks to Sistah SciFi, so if you want to hear more of our thoughts on it, you can head over to their social media or watch our panel discussion on Saturday, April 25th, 2026.\ \ The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar \ \ The audiobook of The River Has Roots is incredible! The story is entrancing but the music elevates the experience and gave me the feeling of being transported into it. \ \ It’s about two sisters with an unbreakable bond and powerful magic they were gifted by the ancient trees that they care for. This includes a queer main character and a suitor who refuses to take, “no” for an answer.\ \ I love that their magic system is literary and musical. It’s beautifully unique! I hope y’all listen to it when you get the chance.\ \ I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker( Accidents Happen #3) by Jessica Cage \ \ I love that each of the books in the Accidents Happen series has a Black woman main character who is a badass at her job and is guaranteed to be pampered by her loved ones.\ \ Jericha Brown owns her own security firm and is dedicated to all of its inner workings. When a lead agent leaves the firm, taking some of her other employees with him just as she's landed her dream contract, she's put in a precarious situation. All Jericha can think of to save her ass is reaching out to the backstabbing ex-bestie who stole her ideas in college for a temporary partnership. Turns out, Miss Klepto up and sold her company to an annoyingly gorgeous man named Raymond Statton. What Jericha doesn't know is that this man is a Shadow Walker.\ \ This is a super entertaining enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of spice, hilarious banter, and found family. The book is a bit too long for my liking but it's worth it.\ \ If you haven't already, get your hands on the Accidents Happen series so you can kick your feet and cackle to your heart's content!](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/vxsGypY2I7dYLYL0wL20/)

My February Reading Wrap-Up

5 books

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Feb 12

\ \ Until the Clock Strikes Midnight was the perfect cozy book to read for some much-needed escapism. \ \ Darling is a talented fairy who yearns to help humans find their happily ever after as a Guardian. She gets a chance to win a Mortal Outcome Council mentorship, but it turns out that she has competition.\ \ Calamity aka Calam is a talented Misfortune, an immortal who saves humans from unhappily ever after by guiding them into contentedness. This mentorship is his ticket to getting away from his father who has never been a loving presence in his life. Darling and Calam must choose to compete or collaborate in order to help Lucy, a young bookshop owner, turn away from her projected unhappily ever after.\ \ My short (spoiler free) review \ \ There are so many things I loved about this story! Lucy was a sweetheart and her struggles with her mental illness (bipolar disorder) felt very relatable. Despite that, she seeks joy through connection and recognizes that lasting change requires stability in the community in order to positively affect the people within it. I also loved her chemistry with Calam and his willingness to open up.\ \ This story is a testament to radical empathy! I really enjoyed this story and hope more people pick it up.\ \ My full review (spoilers included) \ \ As with other books I've read by Alechia Dow, the world-building and organic conversations make it easy to melt into Until the Clock Strikes Midnight.\ \ Despite the escapism, there were many painful moments throughout this book that made me feel seen. Darling is an outsider, or feels like one, in every space she occupies. Her community in Whimsia can't understand why she'd want to leave and become a guardian alongside celestials. Celestials think fairies like Darling are unhinged, frivolous, and not to be taken seriously. She's been told that she's "too much" and that paired with other negative self-talk drags her down from time to time, but she refuses to stop sparkling. Now, unknowingly set up to fail by the celestials, Darling is tasked with saving Lucy from an unhappily ever after in the Kingdom of Lumina, a place unknown to her. They all thought she would crumble but she built foundations, instead.\ \

She's been told that she's "too much" and that paired with other negative self-talk drags her down from time to time, but she refuses to stop sparkling.\ \ I'm not a fairy, but I have struggled with similar issues all my life. Growing up, I revealed my true giggly, loving, and intensely nerdy self to folks and realized that many people judged me for that. I closed myself off when I went to college in a new state, but my severe anxiety and moderate depression convinced me that everything I said or did was "too much" or embarrassing and the people around me were just being nice to me because they felt sorry for me. I recognized Darling's spiraling thoughts as my own and, as I read, the compassion I felt for Darling started to hit me. She deserved compassion and love and so do I.\ \ A part of me wants to follow my dreams, dress is bright colors, and break out in song every time the urge hits me while another part of me doesn't want "to be perceived."\ \ Calam also felt relatable to the part of me that craves the comfort I feel from organization, control, and predictability. A part of me wants to follow my dreams, dress is bright colors, and break out in song every time the urge hits me while another part of me doesn't want "to be perceived." That part of me argues for having a stable job, not rocking the boat too much, and accepting my circumstances. Like Calam comes to realize throughout the book, some things are worth taking a risk for and boat-rocking is sometimes needed in order to make real and lasting change.\ \ It seems like a lot of people are under the assumption that teen/young adult books aren't valuable to adults in the same way that novels and non-fiction aimed for our demographic is. Obviously, I strongly disagree. Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, and many other books like it, give us the opportunity to heal our inner child and find comfort in an increasingly hostile world. I felt a warm appreciation for my body, my hair, and style thanks to Dow's descriptions of Darling and her confidence. Reading about people loving on us, can be life-saving.\ \ Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, and many other books like it, give us the opportunity to heal our inner child and find comfort in an increasingly hostile world.\ \ The ways that Darling positively affected everyone around her and emphasized the importance of hope for the community in Lumina was inspiring. She tried her hardest to find connections between everyone and still knew that making life worth living required an even playing field with supports in place.\ \ Yes, this is a Fantasy book inspired by Fairytales, but it is also book for inspiring radical empathy, organizing, love, and so much more. It's queer normative and inclusive. It's sweet and thoughtful.\ \ I hope you'll pick it up at your local library or bookstore.\ \ If you'd like me to get a monetary benefit from your purchase, click here: https://bookshop.org/lists/books-that-make-me-feel-loved](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/4uuLHyJmLqIWL060tu5F/)

Book Review: Until The Clock Strikes Midnight

1 book

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Feb 5

\ \ I don't really care about football but I've been watching the Super Bowl for the last few years because of the half time shows. This year, I'm hosting a party for what I'm referring to as "The Bunny Bowl" because I'm hyped up about this year's show.\ \ It took me a long time to become a Bad Bunny fan but his most recent album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, solidified my love for his music. I feel like it came at just the right time for so many of us. The songs, the music videos, his residency in Puerto Rico, his tour, and the Super Bowl combine to send a message: we have lost a lot and we should never forget that but we are better together...\ \ And, of course, "I LOVE PUERTO RICO!!!"\ \ The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still being felt in our collective feelings of disconnect and Bad Bunny's work seeks to give us the community we crave, which seems to be working. My brother lives on the other side of the country but we decided to buddy read Puerto Rico: A National History by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo early last year. Together, began to understand our maternal grandmother and our family history a lot more. We recognized patterns in our familial stories. I think it brought us closer together.\ \ Then Debí Tirar Más Fotos came out and we had another connection to Puerto Rico and each other. We watched "No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí: Una Más," the finale of Bad Bunny's 2025 Puerto Rico residency, on streaming and cried. It turns out, the author of Puerto Rico: A National History helped Bad Bunny with the album and concert. I could feel it. The visuals overwelmed me with a sense of longing and pride. Listening to the songs brings back memories of our family’s parties where my grandma would make us dance with our cousins to hits by Marc Anthony and Elvis Crespo.\ \ I've listened to the album numerous times since it came out and my love has only grown stronger. NUEVAYoL reminds me of the stories that my mom, aunts, and uncles told me about growing up in Brooklyn and Queens. They reminisced about participating in the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the blackout, block parties, and more.\ \ \ \ Even though many of the songs on this album are about romance and break-ups, the emotions of it feel universal. BAILE INoLVIDABLE, a song about heartbreak and a love you can't forget, feels like an ode to the world of my maternal grandparents; salsa music blasting and couples passionately dancing in their finest clothes.\ \ The song that hit the hardest was DtMF. Bad Bunny sings about being home, grief, regret, and never wanting to lose his people. The lines that make me tear up the most are:\ \ Otro sunset bonito que veo en San Juan\ \ Disfrutando de todas esas cosas que extrañan los que se van\ \ Disfrutando de noche' de esas que ya no se dan\ \ Que ya no se dan\ \ Pero queriendo volver a la última vez\ \ ~\ \ Another beautiful sunset I see in San Juan\ \ Enjoying everything that the departed are missing out on\ \ Enjoying nights like those that don't come often\ \ That don't come often\ \ But wanting to go back to the last time\ \ And the chorus has stuck with me ever since...\ \ Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve\ \ Debí darte más beso' y abrazo' las vece' que pude\ \ ~\ \ I should've taken more pictures when I had you\ \ I should've given you more kisses and hugs whenever I could\ \ \ \ Grandma had often said she wanted to go back home to Puerto Rico, in the last few years of her life but we never got that chance. We couldn’t afford it. Then the pandemic started, I realized that hugging them at my cousin’s sweet 16 was the last time I’d get to do so. It was heartbreaking. I knew her health was declining and all I could do was celebrate her birthday over Zoom. I still haven't had a chance to visit the island and our family's hometown, Vega Alta, but Bad Bunny's album helps me feel close to my family and culture.\ \ Despite the fact that Spanish was my maternal family's primary language, I'm not fluent. Regardless, Debí Tirar Más Fotos feeds the soul and I think that's why I'm incredibly happy that Bad Bunny won album of the year at the Grammys this year! In fact, it's the first Spanish-language album to win album of the year.\ \ You don't need to know the language to enjoy his performance this Sunday, but I think understanding his impact might help. Let's dance, sing, and be together.\ \ Pa'lante](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/RG3wyQisSUnYZhVoOYPS/)

Debí Tirar Más Fotos and "The Bunny Bowl"

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Jan 30

\ \ As someone with a chronic illness, it's been kind of hard to feel like I'm doing enough for The Cause. So aside from calling reps & striking today, I finished reading The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall. It filled my cup when I was drained.\ \ This middle grade/YA fantasy centers on community, resistance, & memory. I love the original storytelling! I don't think I've ever read a fantasy book that depicts life for the Africans who freed themselves & others from their would-be enslavers and lived. \ \ While The Deep by Rivers Solomon follows the story of a people who became water-dwellers eager to forget their past. The Chainbreakers is about Sun People, a community dedicated to remembering & continuing resistance through saving souls taken by the "chainmakers." According to their lore, the chainmakers were cursed by the gods for their cruelty and forced to the depths of the ocean where they became Children of the Shark, creatures endlessly hungry for the souls of the chainbreakers. \ \ The actions and creativity of Violet and her crew are thrilling and sometimes playful. Her community is loving and compassionate as well as fierce. I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone!](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/LxBmqxqwj0m0KheJBLtH/)

Book Review: The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall

2 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Jan 29

\ \ In case you haven't seen this yet:\ \ Friday, January 20, 2026 is the official date of the next national strike/shutdown to protest ICE and DHS, inspired by the work of community organizers in the Twin Cities.\ \ No work. No school. No shopping.\ \ If you cannot afford to miss work, please avoid purchasing anything on this day.\ \ Now is the time to get to know your neighbors and community in order to establish a practice of mutual aid and support. If you know that your neighbor or community member is worried about the risk of leaving their homes for groceries, see if you can aid them.\ \ We protect us.\ \ Go to nationalshutdown.org for more information.](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/iC4c8Nm5birTNuXZinbl/)

Nationwide Shutdown! ICE OUT

Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Jan 4

\ \ My December reads were a mash-up of books I've been meaning to read for a while and some holiday treats! I read 10 books, all by and about South Asian, Latine, and Black folks, this past month. Let's get into my mini reviews:\ \ \ \ M.A.Y.A was an entertaining dystopian novella! With a unique take on the multiverse and inclusion of shapeshifters, the story had plenty of visuals to transport the reader.\ \ I found the plot pretty cool but wasn’t a fan of M.A.Y.A constantly thinking she’s not worthy or deserving of love. It didn’t really make sense to me but I suppose love isn’t usually logical. Although this is a fated mates story, I didn’t feel much chemistry between the MCs outside of the sex scenes. It seemed like a lot of their time together was focused on Isaiah talking about protecting her and cherishing her while she thought about what freedom meant to her and whether she was worthy of this life with Isaiah. I also didn’t like his nickname for her, “tiny warrior.” Im not sure why, so take that with a grain of salt!\ \ In all, it was an interesting concept but not my fave execution.\ *Note: This is a story from the After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection. They are all sold out right now and I'm not sure when/if they will open the e-books up to folks who want to purchase it outside of the Kickstarter page.\ \ \ \ Puerto Rico Strong is a fantastic graphic novel anthology that I wish I read sooner.\ \ The stories are heartfelt and I felt emotional reading them, at times. The artwork is also incredibly moving. I highly recommend this book to everyone!\ \ \ \ Once again, I am in love with a Jessica Cage book. I Accidentally Hooked Up with a Vampire is hilarious and superrrrrr steam, so I had a blast reading it. The audiobook is wonderful, too!\ \ Whitney, an art dealer, is primed for a promotion when her boss ends up letting her go instead. The firm benefitted from her expertise until one of Whitney's most recent clients goes AWOL. Our girl tries to keep it together during her friend's party but ends up meeting a hot hot hottie named Domingo who happens to be the gallery owner...and a vampire.\ \ If Black vampires and Monster Romance sounds enticing to you, I think you NEED this book!!\ \ \ \ Lucha of the Forgotten Spring is an amazing ending to its duology! It picks up where book 1 left off, Lucha is still set on destroying the extremely addictive olvida to protect the people of Robado from self-destruction. \ \ Addiction is a heavy topic to include in YA but I think Mejia did it well. Lucha started reevaluating her understanding of this condition and developed empathy for those suffering from this addiction in the Night Forest, but now she's faced with actively being in community with them. I loved the battles, romance, and reflection in this book. \ \ If I were a bookseller, I'd probably put this duology on display next to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi.\ \ \ \ Her Night With Santa is the whirlwind sapphic romance I didn't know I needed! The alternate universe of Santa, magi, toymakers, and runners is clever and I had a lot of fun living in it ever so briefly.\ \ Farnaz Castillo is stuck in the Caribbean after finding out that her flight to join her family on a ski trip was cancelled due to bad weather. Thanks to her uncle, one of the kings of the magi, Farnaz gets to stay in a luxurious beach villa owned by Santa.\ \ In this universe, Santa is a role passed down through the Kringle family, so the current Santa is Kristina Kringle. Kristina arrives at her getaway earlier than usual & discovers Farnaz having quite the time in her extra large bed! Cue the steam!!!!\ \ If you haven't already, you better add this delicious novella to your TBR.\ \ \ \ The Toy King is my favorite book in the Toy Runner series! I loved learning more about this world through Valente and Kessina.\ \ It helps that Valente Correa is probably one of THE HOTTEST male MCs I've read!! Yes, he's "proper fit" but Valente is also incredibly understanding, caring, & sweet. He usually leads the toy run for the House of Correa so he's a bit grumpy when he's instructed to go & fetch his brother's future bride from her family's castle in the Andes. The "future bride" Kessina isn't particularly interested in marrying anyone but is willing to take the leap just to find her freedom after a sheltered life. Naturally, these two get stranded in a snowstorm for a couple of days, giving them some time to think about their options...\ \ What are you still reading this review for? Go read this book!!\ \ \ \ If you're looking for a book that feels like a hug & makes you giggle, look no further! Like The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Sangu Mandanna's latest book, A Witch's Guide to Magical Inkeeping, is about a young woman who is isolated from the magical community.\ \ Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain until she lost most of her magic in an effort to resurrect her Aunt Jasmine when she was a teen. After breaking this taboo, Sera is basically shunned by her community. As an adult, she helps Jasmine run a magical inn where misfits end up when they really need it. She's been trying to find ways to restore her power w/ no luck yet until a person from her past Luke Larsen, a handsome magic historian, ends up at her inn with his little sister in tow.\ \ With a cast of whimsical characters AND a talking fox, this novel is perfect for relaxation as well as filling your cup.\ \ \ \ A Novel Christmas is a cozy Black Romance for folks who want something w/ that Hallmark movie vibe. It’s got the small town feel on lock. The only difference is this novel has some explicit content 😏\ \ Although I thought the story was cute, it wasn’t what I’d hoped for because of the pacing & a few scenes.\ \ \ \ If you’re looking for a super smutty Christmas treat, Run Darling is the perfect novella for you. In fact, this is probably the kinkiest of the Toy Runner series! Arabella & Rhine are freaks & they don’t care who knows it. Yes, there a little bit of plot, but this book is mainly about them satisfying the desires they’ve had building up for a while. \ \ \ \ A Man for Mrs. Claus has the perfect mixture of whimsy, romance, & smut!\ \ In this novel, Tiffany Saint-Nicholas aka Mrs. Claus runs just about everything in the North Pole. She is the constant in this realm but she must pick a new Mr. Claus every time her current one decides to move on (to heaven). While each Mr. Claus she’d paired with had been pleasantwork with & good friends to her, Tiffany craves a partner who loves her. Luckily, she's got five men in the running.\ \ Dominic, a former firefighter who recently died in a car accident, is chosen as a possible Santa in the afterlife. As soon as he sees Mrs. Claus, the man is down bad! Tiffany also feels some kind of way about this hunk of a man but knows that she must choose a partner who is right for everyone in the North Pole, not just her.\ \ These two are adorable & I loved almost all of the side characters. Once again, Rebekah Weatherspoon hit me in the heart w/ her heartfelt & funny storytelling. Don't wait to pick this book up!\ \ I hope these reviews give you some reading inspiration. Let me know if you've read any of these books and what you thought of them in the comment below.](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/EyJrffGQneBP3dsRcgP7/)

My December Reading Wrap-Up

10 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Jan 3

\ \ I don't know about y'all, but I've been screenshotting new releases every time I see them on Instagram! Between those and the books I've seen popping up on Netgalley, I was able to figure out which new books I'm excited to check out this year. Here's what I've got my eyes on:\ \ The Starseekers by Nicole Glover \ \ According to the publisher, this is "a stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic...if not murder." This makes sense since the magic system is directly tied to the constellations. The cover and description also connect the story to _Hidden Figures_byMargot Lee Shetterly, which was a fascinating book to me. I'm currently finishing up The Undertakers (Murder and Magic #2)!\ \ Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez \ \ The cover of this novel caught my eye right away! The description says this is "a vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process." I've been loving Latine Gothic novels, thanks to authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Isabel Cañas. Hopefully, this one will be another gripping read.\ \ Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb \ \ The cover of this book says, "Love, lies, and legacy–all tangled in a trickster's web," which makes me excited because it makes me think of Anansi, the West African trickster of lore. So I was pleased when I read the description, "When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she’ll have to choose between saving her father… or staying true to everything she’s ever believed." I love that! Also, this novel takes place in San Francisco’s AfricaTown, which I've haven't read about before.\ \ Score by Kennedy Ryan \ \ Let's be real, Kennedy Ryan is an autobuy author for me. I love the Skyland Series and Reel was amazing. I'm pumped to read another book in the world of Reel! After I read the blurb below, I was completely sold. We've got a second-chance romance between a world-class musician and an award-winning screenwriter as they are forced to reconnect over an epic Harlem Renaissance biopic. swoon\ \ Bound by Fury by Noelle Monét \ \ This cover is gorgeous and one thing I'm loving in BIPOC fiction lately is the emphasis on ancestral magic and southern folklore! Read this description: " Legendborn meets The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in this captivating contemporary fantasy debut about a teen whose newly awakened magical abilities send her searching for answers at an elite boarding school that has a mysterious connection to her family’s history." HELLO!?! That sounds amazing.\ \ Before We Burn (Born from the Ashes, #1) by Ophelia Reign \ \ I saw some exciting promos on the author's IG and decided to add this mysterious book to my list. Before We Burn follows ex-assassin Marzana, who teaches young vamps how to control their hunger, power, and rage, until her academy is raided by humans and her pupils are taken. Intriguing!\ \ To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose \ \ This pick was inevitable! I read To Shape a Dragon's Breath twice and loved it, so I've been waiting for news of book 2 for a while. Anequs has passed her first year at Kuiper’s Academy with flying colors and is ready for a break back on Masquapaug with her dragon Kasaqua and close friend Theod. Unfortunately, her notoriety brings an Anglish presence pressing to control her people. As if Anequs would let them have the chance! If you have a hard time with language in Fantasy books or even just want to make sure you have the pronunciation correct, I highly recommend the audiobooks for this series.\ \ Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana \ \ I loved Sbrana's Lore of the Wilds duology so it's no surprise that I wanted this book as soon as I saw it on her IG. The cover is amazing and the description has me floored. Audra, the female MC, is kidnapped by Fae to be trained as a soldier by the Priestesses at their cult-like school. They are looking for the Heir of Prophecy but Audra isn't going to just accept her fate as their prisoner while they search.\ \ The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest \ \ A fake summer fling?! Fake dating romances give me life and I don't care who knows it. I loved the Greene sister series, so I think this will be right up my alley.\ \ Blood Rising (Volume 2 of The Blood Saga) by Markus Redmond \ \ Blood Slaves was one of the best books I read in 2025 and the ending was the perfect set-up for book 2. I can't wait to read it!\ \ Honey by Imani Thompson \ \ I feel like this book is gonna be a bit cathartic for many WOC in academia. Our MC is bored with her PhD program, work, and the crappy men in her life. Then, she accidentally kills one of them, a problematic professor, and feels a little more alive. She's been researching, writing, and teaching about feminism and racial solidarity for a while, but now it feels extremely useful. Of course, her stint of righteous murders can't continue forever...\ \ The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang\ \ "A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish in this richly imagined, wholly original debut." That sounds hella whimsical and like it might be weirdly scary which is intriguing!\ \ Until The Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow \ \ Listennnnnnn, I enjoy Alechia Dows books but the promos for this one have me locked in. " The Good Place meets the Brandy version of Cinderella in Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, a cozy, romantic fantasy from award-winning author Alechia Dow." Yes, please! \ \ Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui \ \ I was scrolling on IG minding everyone's business when I saw this queenly book cover and internally gasped. They say not to judge a book by it's cover so here's the description: "Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance."\ \ The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura \ \ I've loved Jo Segura's first two books, Raiders of the Lost Heart and Temple of Swoon, so I know The Lust Crusade will give me that wonderful mix of archaeology, romance, and intrigue. On top of that, the female MC is a librarian (like me)!\ \ Burn Down Master's House by Clay Cane \ \ Since the plantation fire last year, I've felt inspired more and more by stories of resistance on those plots of Hell on Earth. I think this novel will be perfect for that. "Sparked by individual acts of resistance among those enslaved across the American South, their seemingly disparate rebellions fuel a singular inferno of justice, connecting them in ways quiet at times, explosive at others." I love that it follows multiple people seeking justice!\ \ Fire Sword and Sea by Vanessa Riley \ \ This novel is a new take on the "life of the legendary seventeenth-century pirate Jacquotte Delehaye." You might remember that I read The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron last year, which was very entertaining, so I'm looking forward to reading another about this fascinating figure.\ \ The Art of Loving You (The Forever Falling Series) by Natasha Bishop \ \ A beautiful cover and some of my fave Romance tropes: friends to lovers, he falls first, second-chance romance, Black joy, forced proximity, right person, wrong time. I'm in!\ \ Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens \ \ Look at that baddie on the cover! This novel is about an outcast witch in New Orleans named Seraphine Barreau who can "feed on magic and make it her own." After her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, Barreau becomes the ruler of the same people who misunderstood her. I love stories like this!\ \ Devil of the Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois\ \ "Lu watched the love of his life walk the plank and sink into the inky-black depths of the sea. Nnenna was dead . . . or so he thought." Ooop! We've got another Black pirate adventure on our hands and I'm so down. In Devil of the Deep, a pirate, a fleet officer, and a mermaid who "must choose their loyalties, find their courage, and race to protect the island from false gods and forces of evil--or risk unleashing an ancient curse that could destroy them all."\ \ The Missed Connection by Tia Williams \ \ This Romance is about a boss casting agent named Sasha, who, despite her typical thorniness around men, believes she might have found her soulmate on a flight to Paris. They miss their chance to exchange contact info but Sasha isn't going to give up that easily. As she enlists her work friend to help her search, Sasha realizes that she accidentally sent the email to the entire company and now they are also on the lookout. This sounds hilarious and wholesome!\ \ Charmed and Dangerous by Shelly Page\ \ "A teen mystic will do anything to solve a series of love-related magical mishaps plaguing her high school, including fake dating her boss's daughter, in this charming sapphic romance." Sounds adorable!!!\ \ The Case of Elmwood Ranch by Deanna Grey \ \ Romance and a haunted house? I'll take that!"A legacy paranormal investigator, loner horse rancher, and a haunted house."\ \ The Bridge Back To You by Riss M. Neilson\ \ "Exes discover they’ve both inherited the restaurant they love..." Tis' the year for second-chance romance, it seems! I'm looking forward to this one because I love a good foodie Romance, especially with a deep emotional connection.\ \ Death Card by Jasmine Smith \ \ The cover drew me in but this description made me wanna pre-order it: "A dark contemporary fantasy featuring witchcraft, tarot, death, and a bit of romance that's perfect for fans of Immortal Dark and Cinderella Is Dead."\ \ The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa \ \ Mia Sosa is an autobuy author for me because she always knows how to mix the perfect amount of hilariousness with tender and sexy romance. I know The Starter Ex won't let me down because the description has me hooked already. Vanessa Cordero had a side gig where she'd date your crush and annoy/scare the hell out them so they'd see how much of a catch you really are. Now, Vanessa's sister is asking her to do the same to Jason Torres, a "certified commitment-phobe" she has her eye on. The problem is, Jason actually wants a temporary ridiculous girlfriend so his mom will stop trying to get him to the altar. Uh oh!\ \ The Other Moctezuma Girls by Sofia Robleda\ \ "In sixteenth-century Mexico, a fearless young woman strives to uncover the secrets her mother kept as the last Aztec empress in a sweeping historical epic by the author of Daughter of Fire." Sounds like a fascinating novel!\ \ _The Rhythm of Raine at Dawn (Perfect Muse, # 1)_by Aricka Alexander \ \ This looks like a cute sapphic romance. Raine Williams, a choreographer, posts a video to R&B artist Dawn Anderson's newest hit and it goes viral. So viral that the musician herself reaches out. Then, she realizes that Dawn isn't only interested in her choreo...\ \ Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi\ \ "Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife." As someone who used to be obsessed with Ancient Egypt, I think this will be a really cool take on the story of Cleopatra VII.\ \ The Re-Do List by Denise Williams \ \ I feel like this book will be a great palette-cleanser after reading Fantasy or Horror."Willow experienced all her big firsts with her high school sweetheart. Now, reeling from their very public breakup, she wants to get a re-do on those important moments. While dog-sitting for her brother during his deployment, she has a chance to start over and spending time with his best friend gives her the confidence to start checking items off her “Re-Do list.”\ \ As you can see, I'm really hype about Fantasy, Historical, Romance, and Horror this year. I only realized after compiling this post that I don't have many men on the list and that was totally unintentional! If you know of any books by men of color and/or queer men you think I'd enjoy based on this list, please share! Did any of these books catch your eye? What are you excited to read this year?](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/OAiJvLeytAiBRF2D8MAp/)

30 New Books I'm Excited About In 2026

30 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Dec 27 2025

\ \ I finally had a chance to sit down & pull together my reviews for the books I read in November, so let's jump right in! I read 6 books by and about Black, Latine, and Indigenous queer folks. I was really in my anthology bag this past month, which means I have plenty of new to me authors to check out! Here are the books I read and my reviews of each:\ \ \ \ This horror anthology has a lot of fantastic stories within! One of my faves is "The Brides of Devil's Bayou" by Desiree S. Evans which is about a girl named Aja who returns to her family home in Louisiana for her 19th birthday despite the alleged curse on her family.\ \ All of the stories are captivating and perfectly creepy! Some have sci-fi elements or magical realism, while others feed on modern experiences like "Black Girl Nature Group" and "Queeniums for Greenium!"\ \ This is a great book to add to any collection.\ \ \ \ Scout's Honor is a dark yet playful paranormal story that is great for folks who have ever wondered what it would be like to have a girl scout-esque organization in which girls take down monsters feeding on human emotions. The plot was original and I loved the way Prudence thought about her role as a former ladybird scout as she trained the newbies. Her compassion and instinct to hold onto humanity made her a worthy MC.\ \ There were just a couple of things that made this book a bit hard for me to enjoy sometimes: the pacing and repetitiveness. It felt like the story spent a bit too much time on world-building and not much on the chemistry between Prudence and her boyfriend. There were also times when I sped up the audiobook to get through the slower/repetitive dialogue.\ \ I recommend this book to teens (and anyone else) who is intrigued by this review!\ \ \ \ We Belong is a beautiful addition to my (small, but mighty) collection of graphic novels! Many of the stories are filled with community, love, and joy. I love that there are plenty of stories that don't center around hardship and take place in queer-normative worlds or spaces. More of this, please!\ \ Although a few of the stories were hard to follow, I think this is a solid anthology. Each story/piece includes a brief artist/author bio, which is great for those of us who like to follow artist's work online.\ \ I recommend this book to folks who love visual arts and/or need to see Black queer folks thriving.\ \ \ \ Love After The End is a fantastic anthology that should be a must-read for lovers of Speculative Fiction!\ \ I absolutely loved almost every story in this book, which is impressive because I usually don't favor anthologies as they tend to lack the space to explore their themes as much as full-length novels.\ \ It felt so good to read queer-normative stories that center resistance and community.\ \ My fave stories are How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls by Kai Minosh Pyle and Seed Children by Mari Kurisato.\ \ \ \ Skyn by Nikki Payne is a humorous and sexy take on dystopian sci-fi!\ \ Fawl is a regular degular woman who spent her life living in the Underground while dreaming of feeling the real sun on her skin. When her ex leaves her for her stepsister, Fawl is devastated & angry. They’d been working to get the money/upgrades to leave the Underground together for years & suddenly her future is ripped away. Not one to give up so easily, Fawl agrees to spy on an Elite family of emotionless cyborgs to finally touch some grass. In a twist of events, she ends up married to one of the sons, who happens to have an obsession with her skin.\ \ I love Nikki Payne's writing because her characters always have hella funny & relatable internal monologues. There's jokes, philosophical questions, super sexy scenes, & a revolutionary heart. I think this is one of my fave stories from the After The End project.\ \ \ \ Taken is a wild ride from the start!\ \ Rhen is an artist who was recruited to be a part of a project to re-establish/repopulate the Earth after the devastating fall of civilization. Each of the participants were placed in pods programmed to wake them after 11,000 years. Our MC wakes up early thanks to a malfunction in the system. She faced w/ a couple of choices: Live out her life alone in the bunker or take a risk by leaving. Rhen decides to leave & finds out that there are some humanoid creatures who take her w/ them. She has an undeniable attraction to one of them & they're bound to one another, but she can't quite leave her old life behind just yet...\ \ This novella was very entertaining to me! I think Rhen is funny & the storyline is clever. Spice-wise, I'd say this is about 3.5 out of 5 chili peppers. If you're looking for a fun, short, and steamy monster romance, you should pick this one up!](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/4hC6dtukY4GFNaiVhraQ/)

My November Reading Wrap-Up

4 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Dec 15 2025

\ \ I know I left y'all hanging & I apologize 😅\ \ Here are the rest of the books I got with the birthday giftcards my friends gave me:\ \ A Man for Mrs. Claus by Rebekah Weatherspoon\ \ I love her books & when I saw the cover of this 1 on her IG, I knew I had to get it!\ \ New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Fiction Tales From The Caribbean edited by Karen Lord\ \ I found this book when I was helping a student w/ research.\ \ The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord\ \ Another book inspired by that research appointment. I also love stories with a multiverse.\ \ The Chainbreakers by Julian Randall\ \ Julian Randall is one of my autobuy authors.\ \ Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis\ \ I've been waiting to get this book for a while! I'm all in on Black vampire stories.\ \ They Thought They Buried Us by Nonieqa Ramos\ \ This book has been on my TBR for a while as I'm always trying to find more books by Puerto Rican & queer authors.\ \ We Will Rise Again: Speculative Stories and Essays on Protest, Resistance, & Hope edited by Karen Lord, Annalee Newitz, & Malka Older\ \ Okay, so I'm on a Karen Lord spree 😂 but y'all know I LOVE speculative fiction soo whatever!\ \ This Is The Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz\ \ More Puerto Rican Fiction 😍\ \ Are any of these books on your TBR?](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/za6f1X7J5rt8MSZvHu22/)

Birthday Books, Part 2

8 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Nov 24 2025

Follow me as I pick out some books to buy for my birthday at an indie bookshop!

My birthday was a blast!

I went book shopping with my husband at Lala Books (@lalabookslowell ) and went to a dine-in theater to see Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.

This past weekend, our friends came over to celebrate my birthday, Friendsgiving-style. The decor was Autumn in Stardew Valley! I had a wonderful time and got a lot of gift cards to my fave shops like bookshop.org. I just ordered books with those yesterday so I’ll do an unboxing when they arrive.

Books highlighted in my video:

I Am A Cat by Natsume Sōseki

A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez

Be Gay, Do Crime: Sixteen Stories of Queer Chaos by Edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley

Kill the Rich by Jack Allison and Kate Shapiro

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe

The King Must Die by Demi Ashing-Giwa

The Hellmouth Guardian’s Lover by Adriana Herrera

Kuxtal Academy: The Beginning by Nelle Nikole and Mikayla D. Hornedo (special edition by @satisfictionbox )

The Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James

Islands Apart by Jasminne Mendez

...

Music: Hype | Drill Music by kontraa

#BirthdayBookHaul #NewBooks #diversebooks #BookHaul #Bookstores

7 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Nov 7 2025

\ \ The fact that October is over already has me feeling discombobulated, but the fact that I read 9 books last month is next level! It's been another rough year and I've noticed that my reading pace has consistently been up to 6 books a month until now. My guess is that I got my hands on a lot of amazing new reads, felt the spirit of my fave season take hold, and my mood was cooperating with me (for once).\ \ Anyway, let's get into my reviews:\ \ (S)kin by Ibi Zoboi \ \ YA Contemporary Fantasy • Novel-In-Verse\ \ (S)kin is a vulnerable yet powerful story that blends Caribbean folklore w/ themes of colorism, self-image, & more.\ \ This story has 2 POVs: 15-year-old Marisol & 17-year-old Genevieve. Marisol moved to Brooklyn w/ her mom who is a soucouyant, a creature who sheds their human skin & flies into the sky as a fireball to seek out a victim to drink blood from. Her mom is stern & controlling which adds to the isolating experience of being a newly arrived immigrant. When her mom suddenly gets a job as a nanny to Genevieve’s twin half-siblings, her behavior becomes stranger. Genevieve’s skin condition had been worsening until the nanny arrived which triggers suspicions too strong to ignore.\ \ This story was short but punched me in the feels! As someone raised by Caribbean folks, I recognized the pain & confusion that can come from seeing an elder show more affection towards one child over another due to colorism.\ \ I feel like (S)kin allows the reader to work through & release these emotions just as much as the characters do.\ \ Burn Down, Rise Up by Vincent Tirado \ \ Queer YA Horror/Thriller\ \ I didn’t want to put this book down! Burn Down, Rise Up is an ode to the Bronx & the people who made it home.\ \ No one can explain the string of mysterious disappearances in the Bronx over the past year which isn’t surprising since Black & Brown folks going missing doesn’t seem to be concerning to the police. When a mold-like disease takes hold of Raquel’s mom & her crush Charlize’s cousin vanishes shortly after, she begins to think they are linked. As the teens question what is really behind it all, they learn that the folks who disappeared didn’t follow the rules of the Echo Game, an urban legend tied to subway systems. Terrifyingly, the friends have to play the game in order to save their community from an evil lurking in a twisted version of their home.\ \ This story is spellbinding, in part because the characters feel so real. Raquel’s parents are divorced, she’s questioning her feelings, & trying to juggle a lot on top of school. I especially love the way Tirado brought the complicated feelings a lot of Caribbean folks have about Christianity vs. religions like Santería & Vudú into the story. There’s so much to explore here, so y’all should get your hands on this novel ASAP!\ \ Blood & Brujas by Mikayla D. Hornedo \ \ Queer Adult Dark Romantasy\ \ Hot Hot Hot! Blood & Brujas is an amazing example of Romantasy done well! It took me a minute to start reading it because the text was a bit small, but the audiobook helped me get immersed in this world & I quickly became addicted.\ \ Dayanara is a badass warrior woman but when an enemy army suddenly decimates the Caldera army of brujas & knocks her unconscious, her mother & Acna offers her hand in marriage to the vampire king to secure peace. Daya wakes to find out that she is bound by a spell that keeps her & the king from harming each other, as much as she would like to knock his head off. Now, they have to convince their kingdoms that this is the best way to preserve the peace.\ \ This all sounds a bit like the typical marriage of convenience trope, but Hornedo is clear that this is a "why choose" story. Daya is headstrong, so she's not the type to just do what she's told, which makes for a really fun & twisted tale.\ \ Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland \ \ Contemporary Adult Romantasy\ \ This follow-up to The Witch of Wild Things, delivers a spicy romance w/ depth & humor, & compassion.\ \ Teal Flores reaches out to estranged bestie Carter in desperation because she needs a date to her ex’s wedding. The thing is, they are estranged because Teal hopped into a relationship w/ said ex almost immediately after making out w/ Carter a little while back. Of course, She’s incredibly stressed about this situation & hasn’t been able to control her gift for a while. Her emotions keep triggering volitile weather. Carter is aware of it all & decides to make a deal. Teal will become his (fake) wife so that he can receive his inheritance. What could possibly go wrong between 2 people w/ unresolved romantic tension?!\ \ I think that Gilliland handles Teal’s bipolar disorder w/ care & I’m glad it is never seen as something to fix. The focus of this story is on her relationships w/ Carter, her sisters, her mother, & herself. Despite how heavy that is, the author injects a lot of charm & perfectly timed (dirty) humor throughout the story, which I love! If this sounds like your vibe, I encourage you to read both of the books in this series!\ \ Lucha of The Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia \ \ Queer YA Dark Fantasy\ \ Lucha of the Night Forest was darker than I expected it to be but I loved it! Mejia writes characters with depth & never talks down to readers despite the themes of neglect, poverty, and drug abuse which I appreciated. Kids experience these things everyday & I hope they might feel seen/draw strength from books like this one.\ \ Our MC is determined to keep her family afloat by taking some dangerous jobs. Just when she thinks she can finally walk away from it all, Lucha must make a decision that could lead to her own freedom or begin another fight for her and her little sister’s survival.\ \ This book was addictive & I think there are a ton of things that made it great. I’m a big fan of plant magic in Fantasy, so that was super cool to see, but the lore of their goddess & world-building kept me locked in. The romance between Lucha & the mysterious acolyte was also really tender. I excited to read book 2!\ \ BAIT by Adriana Herrera* \ \ Queer Adult Dystopian Romance Novella\ \ I’m obsessed w/ the novellas from After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection! As a huge fan of Adriana Herrera’s books, I decided to start with her story BAIT & was not disappointed.\ \ In this post-apocolypse story, a huge natural disaster sent people into bunkers for 3 decades.The bunker life is all 29-year-old Alma knows since she & her community have been told that the land & air outside are still lethal. Her world is flipped upside down when an act of defiance gets her pushed outside only to find that they had been lied to. Some of Alma’s loved ones rescue her & her libido goes into overdrive as they travel to their homestead through a once desolate landscape.\ \ While there were a few problems w/ typos & the 2nd half of the plot could have been fleshed out more, I really enjoyed BAIT & would absolutely read a full-length novel version of it. Life in the bunker was vivid & I loved exploring the different versions of life “after the end.” This is a great short read for folks who want a super horny mash-up of Silo, Mad Max, & The Last of Us.\ \ Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond \ \ Adult Supernatural Horror & Alternate Hist. Fiction\ \ Did you feel joy when you heard that the Nottoway Plantation burned down? Did you enjoy Sinners? If so, this is the book for you!\ \ In the 1st novel of Markus Redmond’s Blood Saga, we follow the story of enslaved people on a Carolina plantation in 1710. After Willie’s failed attempt to run away, he finds out that his beloved Gertie is pregnant. Although the couple are excited to create their own family after being taken from theirs in West Africa, they are sobered by their reality; this baby will be born into slavery. Gertie believes that running is futile but Willie refuses to accept their circumstances after meeting Rafazi, a Ramangan (African vampire), who has a plan to revolt.\ \ This novel is brutal but extremely satisfying! There’s so many themes thoughtfully woven throughout the story: We have folks who hope that “good behavior” will some day lead them to better lives while others can no longer submit. There’s discussions of colorism, what love should look like, & solidarity w/ a local Indigenous tribe.\ \ Blood Slaves is a fantastic book that I hope y’all will pick up very soon!\ \ Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De La Rosa \ \ Adult Historical Romance\ \ Gabriela And His Grace is a great conclusion to the Luna Sisters Series! I promise, I’m not just writing this because the MC & I share a name\ \ The youngest Luna sister books a trip back to Mexico when a British suitor threatens to ruin her. Unbeknownst to Gabby, the infuriating Duke of Whitfield is heading to her homeland on the same ship. In a desperate attempt to save his family’s estate & regain financial security, Whitfield is visiting a mining project in Mexico that his good friend Sirius (Gabby’s BIL) invited him to join. Despite their years of contention, Gabby & Whitfield find themselves hating each other less & less as their journey goes on.\ \ The tension between these MCs is palpable but their banter & barbs entertained me the most! I loved seeing them put down their verbal weapons and get to know one another. The intrigue surrounding Mexico’s fight against French control grounds the story in facinating history, as well.\ \ I highly recommend this series to readers who love enemies to lovers, period dramas, & revolutionary women.\ \ All Superheroes Need Photo Ops by Elizabeth Stephens ( Out Nov 25, 2025) \ \ Adult Contemporary Monster Romantasy\ \ I got an ARC of All Superheroes Need Photo Ops by Elizabeth Stephens & I just wanna start this review by saying...hot damn!!!\ \ Book 2 in the Supers in the City series focuses on Monika, the badass photographer from book 1, & Taranis, the superhero who used to be everyone’s favorite. Taranis hires Monika after seeing her popular photos of the Wyvern but his image becomes the least of her worries when an accidental recording implies that Taranis isn’t actually a “good guy.” Despite this, she is drawn to him. The former golden boy hates humans, but Monika is the 1 person who stirs something inside him that isn’t loathing.\ \ Y’all, this couple is spicy on a whole other level! They’ve got that love-hate relationship w/ undeniable chemistry, mutual respect, & matching kinks. Their dynamic isn’t really my vibe, but I know folks who would eat this up. I enjoyed the action sequences a lot & it was cool getting to know Monika through her interests & family. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes next!\ \ Here's to another month of good reading!!\ *BAIT is a part of the After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection.](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/LsvkFYSnCM8MD0LCDqOt/)

My October Reading Wrap-Up

8 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Oct 27 2025

I'm hosting an Out of This World giveaway on IG!

Win my Out of This World Giveaway this Halloween!

I am giving away a Limited Edition Signed Bundle of The Mōsa Chronicles (Books 1 & 2) by Ligia N. Cushman and a $15 Bookshop.org gift card to one lucky winner!

How to enter: 1.Follow me @bookish_afrolatina 2.Tag 2 bookish buddies 3.Share this post in your IG stories

I will share the winner on Oct. 31st at 6pm EST!

This giveaway is only open to folks in the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico. This giveaway is not sponsored by or connected with Instagram, Bookshop.org, or Meta.

@lygiawrites #LatinxBooks #AfroLatinxBooks #LatineBooks #Fantasy #Romance #CaribbeanFantasy #BIPOCBooks #BIPOCBookGiveaway

[ID: Out of This World; GIVEAWAY. A brown hand holds up the special editions of Rise of a Dark Throne: The Mōsa Chronicles and Magick Rising: The Mōsa Chronicles by Ligia N. Cushman. Text below: Win a Limited Edition Signed Bundle of The Mōsa Chronicles (Books 1 & 2) plus a $15 Bookshop.org giftcard. A starry night over a reflective and sparkling pool of water lay in the background.]

2 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Oct 22 2025

\ \ I'm currently reading Blood Slaves by Marcus Redmond and it got me thinking about the numerous books out there with "blood" in the title. So I pulled together 12 BIPOC books with "blood" in their titles that I thought would be fitting reads for spooky season!\ \ Let's get into them:\ \ Blood Slaves by Markus Redmond \ \ For fans of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and readers of Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad, this ingenious reimagining of the vampire origin story set during the early days of American slavery blends alternate history with supernatural horror, as the last surviving member of an ancient African vampire tribe meets a slave desperate for freedom, and together, they lead an army of enslaved people in a cinematically blood-soaked battle for freedom and revenge.\ \ -Penguin Random House\ \ The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le \ \ Nhika is a bloodcarver. A coldhearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch.\ \ In the industrial city of Theumas, Nhika is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure. And in the city's criminal underbelly, the rarest of monsters are traded for gold. When Nhika is finally caught by the infamous Butchers, she's forced to heal the last witness to a high-profile murder.\ \ As Nhika delves into the investigation, all signs point to Ven Kochin, an alluring yet entitled physician's aide. Despite his relentless attempts to push her out of his opulent world, something inexplicable draws Nhika to him. But when she discovers Kochin is not who he claims to be, Nhika will be faced with a greater, more terrifying evil lurking in the city's center...\ \ Her only chance to survive lies in a terrible choice—become the dreaded monster the city fears, or risk jeopardizing the future of her kind.\ \ -Macmillan\ \ Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi \ \ They killed my mother.\ \ They took our magic.\ \ They tried to bury us.\ \ Now we rise.\ \ Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.\ \ But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.\ \ Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.\ \ Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.\ \ -Bookshop.org\ \ Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun \ \ A brilliant new voice brings us a brilliant new epic fantasy novel: Ehigbor Okosun’s first book in an action-packed, poignant duology inspired by Nigerian mythology—full of magic and emotion and set in a highly atmospheric, complex world in which a young woman fights to survive a tyrannical society, having everything stripped away from her, and seeks vengeance for her mother’s murder and the spilled blood of her people.\ \ -Harper Collins\ \ Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury \ \ A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.\ \ -Simon & Schuster\ \ Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams \ \ A teenager on the run from his past finds the family he never knew existed and the community he never knew he needed at an HBCU for the young, Black, and magical. Enroll in the debut of a fresh fantasy series unlike anything you’ve seen before.\ \ -Penguin Random House\ \ The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport \ \ Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.\ \ -Harper Collins\ \ Blood & Brujas: An Elements of Iteria Novel by Mikayla D Hornedo \ \ From the moment Dayanara could wield a blade, she's been used as a weapon for Caldera, a kingdom of fierce brujas. Whenever her mother, the all-powerful Acna, points her in the direction to kill, Dayanara follows.\ \ After centuries of war against the vampire kingdom at their border, her mother offers their king Dayanara's hand in marriage as a truce. Their agreement is bound by magic, and Dayanara must decide if she wants to kill the king, seduce the king, or embrace the union.\ \ On the bright side, the marriage is set to make her the next Acna, granting her all the power that comes with the role. Depending on how much the Goddess Naom gifts her, it could be enough to regain control of her life. Or maybe everything will crumble beyond repair.\ \ -Bookshop.org\ \ Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis \ \ Legendborn meets The Vampire Diaries, in which an 18-year-old girl is mysteriously accepted into a university in a midwestern town known for its legends about werewolves and vampires...\ \ BLOOD MOON is a dark and thrilling, intensely romantic ride, a fresh take on a werewolf love story for a new generation of paranormal romance readers, and is the first book in a series. It is set against a high-stakes paranormal backdrop—a world ripe with secret identities, rich supernatural lore, and a forbidden romance... that comes with a deadly bite.\ \ https://www.britneyslewis.com/bloodmoon\\ \ \ \ Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn \ \ Book 2 of the Legendborn Cycle\ \ The shadows have risen, and the line is law.\ \ All Bree wanted was to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. So she infiltrated the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights—only to discover her own ancestral power. Now, Bree has become someone new:\ \ A Medium. A Bloodcrafter. A Scion.\ \ But the ancient war between demons and the Order is rising to a deadly peak. And Nick, the Legendborn boy Bree fell in love with, has been kidnapped.\ \ Bree wants to fight, but the Regents who rule the Order won’t let her. To them, she is an unknown girl with unheard-of power, and as the living anchor for the spell that preserves the Legendborn cycle, she must be protected.\ \ When the Regents reveal they will do whatever it takes to hide the war, Bree and her friends must go on the run to rescue Nick themselves. But enemies are everywhere, Bree’s powers are unpredictable and dangerous, and she can’t escape her growing attraction to Selwyn, the mage sworn to protect Nick until death.\ \ If Bree has any hope of saving herself and the people she loves, she must learn to control her powers from the ancestors who wielded them first—without losing herself in the process.\ \ -Simon & Schuster\ \ Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye \ \ Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, Deborah Falaye’s debut novel, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of Children of Blood and Bone and An Ember in the Ashes.\ \ This is what they deserve.\ \ They wanted me to be a monster.\ \ I will be the worst monster they ever created.\ \ Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.\ \ Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.\ \ -Harper Collins\ \ Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker \ \ Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.\ \ On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.\ \ Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.\ \ Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family's magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don't succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.\ \ https://tjbentonwalker.com/blood-debts](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/CQj2mSuPhTXp7uyXlZni/)

Books by the Blood: BIPOC Books for Spooky Season

12 books

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Oct 13 2025

\ \ Latine Heritage Month isn’t over yet!! Day 28 of #LHMBookstaChallenge focuses on An Afro-Latine and/or a Latine-Indigenous author, book, and/or character so I chose a couple of books to recommend to y’all.\ \ Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa by Julian Randall \ \ This is the 1st book in an awesome duology about a girl named Pilar who aspires to be a filmmaker. She’s creating a film about the Dominican Republic and her family but there’s one big part of the story that she can’t get her mamí or abuela to share: her cousin’s disappearance in D.R. 50 years ago. Determined to find out the answers for herself, Pilar ends up on the mystical island of Zafa, searching for her cousin as coconut-shaped demons chase her and Las Mariposas guide her.\ \ I recommend this book a lot because I love the way that Randall writes and the story is so original!\ \ Asiri and The Amaru by Natalia Hernandez \ \ Asiri seeks a normal life after escaping her community when she realizes her ability to speak to animals is being abused. When she arrives in a new village, Dario the animal healer immediately draws her in. \ \ This cozy romance is spicier than you think and packed with some of my favorite tropes like found family. I recommend a lot of Hernandez’s work for similar reasons to Randall’s. It’s always fresh, fascinating, and heartfelt.](https://bookish-afrolatina.binderybooks.com/item/NpfYfqRU2NQHRmdoXerv/)

Day 28 LHM Challenge: Afro-Latine & Latine-Indigenous Book Recommendations

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Bookish AfroLatina's Library\ \ Gabby\ \ • Oct 9 2025

\ \ You didn’t think I forgot to tell y’all about what I read in September, did you?!\ \ I had an awesome time reading the following 6 books:\ \

September Reading Wrap-Up

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