20 Books To Read This Latinx Heritage Month—And Beyond

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If we’re being honest, the diversity within the publishing industry is abysmal at best. (We’re still not quite over the trauma porn fiasco of 2018.) Despite being the fastest growing demographic in the United States, the Latinx population is vastly underrepresented in the literary arts. In fact, as of 2021, only 7.62 percent of published authors identify as Hispanic or Latino. And that doesn’t even begin to touch upon the novels written by white authors that depict harmful stereotypes about the Latinx community.

Needless to say, the publishing industry has a long way to go before it can accurately represent the world we live in. Still, the books written by Latinx authors on the market today are vibrant and full of power. They represent different ethnicities and life experiences, proving once again that the Latin community is anything but a monolith.

From queer teens navigating Catholic school to gothic romances with bone-chilling vampires and everything in between, we have plenty of recommendations to help you refresh your home library.

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

In the Dream House has no shortage of well-earned awards for Machado’s expert storytelling, including the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ nonfiction. The intimate memoir takes a look at Machado’s own experience with domestic abuse and understanding herself as a queer Latina.

When Trying to Return Home: Stories by Jennifer Maritza McCauley

This powerful collection of stories spans over a century to document Black and Afro-Latinx life in Puerto Rico and the United States. It’s great for fans of moving novels that’ll have you questioning your own sense of belonging and hunting for a community of your own.

In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero

Actor Diane Guerrero, best known for her roles in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and Disney’s Encanto, penned a heart-wrenching memoir about her life as the daughter of undocumented immigrants. After both her parents are deported, Diane is left alone to navigate the world and the darkness within it.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

This Good Morning America book club pick follows the life of a Dominican-American family ahead of a living wake—yes, you read that right. One of the sisters can predict when someone is going to die and decides to host her own wake while she’s still alive. If that didn’t sound exciting enough, the novel has no shortage of family drama, secrets, and chisme to keep you entertained in its entirety.

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

From the mind of The Hacienda author, Vampires of El Norte is a masterclass in horror and romance. This supernatural western *might* give you nightmares, but it’s totally worth it.

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

This riveting Mexican-inspired fantasy from the author of New York Times best-selling novel Cemetery Boys follows a group of semi-dioses as they compete in a grueling competition to claim fame and glory for themselves (and their godly parents).

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González

If you haven’t read Olga Dies Dreaming yet, you’re missing out on a contemporary fiction novel that perfectly blends romance with a poignant deep-dive into Puerto Rico’s turbulent political strife and familial pressure.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The latest gothic horror novel from Mexican Gothic author Silvia Moreno-Garcia needs to be at the top of everyone’s TBR pile. Set in 1990s Mexico City, Moreno-Garcia takes you on a terrifying journey complete with occultism and curses.

The Neapolitan Sisters: A Novel of Heritage and Home by Margo Candela

This 2023 International Latino Book award winner dissects exactly what it means to be your truest self. The alternating POVs take a deeper look into the lives of three sisters and how they’ve each coped with their childhood trauma.

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

In this poignant debut, readers follow the interwoven stories of women from the same family. It delves into the political state of Cuba in the 1800s, modern-day immigration struggles, addiction, and so much more in an effort to remind us all to never let anyone silence us.

Crying in the Bathroom: A Memoir by Erika L. Sanchez

From the author of I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter comes a collection of must-read essays that delve deep into her personal life. America Ferrera called this book “equal parts pee-your-pants hilarity and break your heart poignancy—like the perfect brunch date you never want to end.”

Lightlark by Alex Aster

A rich and enticing fantasy involving five rulers fighting to break their generational curses, Alex Aster’s expertly crafted novel is great for fans of The Hunger Games. Complete with a movie in development and a massive fanbase on TikTok, you’ll want to add this novel to your library ASAP. Oh, and did we mention there’s a love triangle? Sign us up.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina: A Novel by Zoraida Córdova

If we’re being honest, any of Córdova’s novels should be on your TBR list, but The Inheritance of Orquídia Divina is particularly special. Great for fans of Paulo Coelho and Isabel Allende, this novel is mesmerizing and insightful in all the right ways.

Ander & Santi Were Here: A Novel by Jonny Garza Villa

A hopeful YA about two queer teens falling in love? Yeah, we don’t need to say anymore, because this novel serves and delivers an epic love story.

A Lot Like Adiós: A Novel by Alexis Daria

Second-chance romance fans will fall head-over-heels in love with A Lot Like Adiós. When childhood best friends Michelle and Gabe reunite to work on a project together, they might just rekindle their spark…

In the Shadow of the Mountain by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is many things. A career woman. An author. A trailblazer. In this bone-chilling memoir, she recounts her experience on Mount Everest and how it helped her better understand her own experiences with alcoholism, abuse, and complicated family dynamics. In 2020, it was announced that Selena Gomez was set to play the Peruvian mountaineer in an up-coming biopic.

Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color by Lorraine Monteagut, PhD

This non-fiction book delves into the history of BIPOC witches and their revival in modern pop culture. It chronicles the lives of different practitioners in an attempt to destigmatize and decolonize the idea of witches as they’ve been perceived throughout time.

Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora by Saraciea J. Fennell

This must-have anthology delves deeper into the idea of Latinx diaspora by challenging the stereotypes that surround different ethnicities within the community. Some essayists include Elizabeth Acevedo, Mark Oshiro, and Lilliam Rivera.

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

So, what’s it really like to be a queer Mexican American teen attending a Catholic school? That’s exactly what you’ll discover in Sonora Reyes’s poignant coming-of-age novel that’ll have you laughing (almost) every step of the way.

When My Brother Was an Aztec by Natalie Díaz

The debut collection of poems from Pulitzer Prize winner Natalie Díaz delves into Mojave life in an intimate and unabashed way. Díaz, who is Mexican and Mojave, uses her unique experience to bring this underrepresented community to life through her passionate prose.

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