Talk Chisme to Me: 2023 Releases by Latine Authors I’m Excited For (Latinx Heritage Month)

It’s sadly time to say goodbye to Latinx Heritage Month, but just a reminder that you can read and support Latine authors all year round. I am closing this year’s LHM with a most-anticipated list. I am looking forward to so many books by Latine authors being released next year. I am especially excited about all the queer fantasy books we will be getting. Publishing has not always been kind to Latinx fantasy and I hope we are starting to see the tide turn because we deserve epic fantasy about us too. I probably could have added more titles to this list. It was originally supposed to be fifteen-books long, but I need to scream about so many of these. Let me know in the comments if you share my enthusiams for any of these titles. Covers/Titles linked to Goodreads. Note that publication dates are subject to change.

Check out my previous posts in this series for LHM:

Talk Chisme to Me: On the TBR

Talk Chisme to Me: Favorites from the Past Year

Talk Chisme to Me: Book Releases by Latinx Authors – September through December 2022

Talk Chisme to Me: SFF Middle Grade Books by Latinx Authors

Talk Chisme to Me: Latinx Romance Authors on My Radar

1. Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
Release Date: January 3, 2023

      “Twin sisters, both on the run, but different as day and night. One, a professional rogue, searches for a fabled treasure; the other, a changeling, searches for the truth behind her origins, trying to find a place to fit in with the realm of fae who made her and the humans who shun her.
      Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde… but as an autistic changeling trying to navigate her unpredictable magic, Seelie finds it more difficult to fit in with the humans around her. When Seelie and Isolde are caught up in a heist gone wrong and make some unexpected allies, they find themselves unraveling a larger mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike…
      Both sisters soon discover that the secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister, and herself?”

2. Breakup From Hell by Ann Dávila Cardinal
Release Date: January 3, 2023

      “Miguela Angeles is tired. Tired of her abuela keeping secrets, especially about her heritage. Tired of her small Vermont town and hanging out at the same places with the same friends she’s known forever. So when another boring Sunday trip to church turns into a run-in with Sam, a mysterious hottie in town on vacation, Mica seizes the opportunity to get closer to him.
      It’s not long before she is under Sam’s spell and doing things she’s never done before, like winning all her martial arts sparring matches—and lying to her favorite people. The more time Mica spends with Sam, the more weird things start to happen, too. Like terrifying-visions-of-the-world-ending weird.
      Mica’s gut instincts keep telling her something is off, yet Sam is the most exciting guy she’s ever met. But when Mica discovers his family’s roots, she realizes that instead of being in the typical high school relationship, she’s living in a horror novel.
      She has to leave Sam, but will ending their relationship also bring an end to everything she knows and everyone she loves?
      Clever, hilarious, and steeped in supernatural suspense, Breakup From Hell will keep you hooked until the last page.”

3. Sincerely Sicily by Tamika Burgess
Release Date: January 3, 2023

      “From debut author Tamika Burgess comes the captivating and empowering story of Sicily Jordan—a Black Panamanian fashionista who rocks her braids with pride—who learns to use her voice and take pride in who she is while confronting prejudice in the most unexpected of places.
      Sicily Jordan’s worst nightmare has come true! She’s been enrolled in a new school, with zero of her friends and stuck wearing a fashion catastrophe of a uniform. But however bad Sicily thought sixth grade was going to be, it only gets worse when she does her class presentation.
      While all her classmates breezed through theirs, Sicily is bombarded with questions on how she can be both Black and Panamanian. She wants people to understand, but it doesn’t feel like anyone is ready to listen—first at school and then at home. Because when her abuela starts talking mess about her braids, Sicily’s the only one whose heart is being crumpled for a second time.
      Staying quiet may no longer be an option, but that doesn’t mean Sicily has the words to show the world just what it means to be a proud Black Panamanian either. Even though she hasn’t written in her journal since her abuelo passed, it’s time to pick up her pen again—but will it be enough to prove to herself and everyone else exactly who she is?”

4. The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa
Release Date: February 1, 2023

      “El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.
      On Mar León-de la Rosa’s 16th birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn’t enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar’s father and the entire crew of their ship.
      When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up your soul to save your father by the Harvest Moon or never see him again. The task is impossible–Mar refuses to make a bargain and there’s no way their magic is any match for el Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate — and the captain’s son; and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption — or it could mean certain death.”

5. Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon by Julian Randall
Release Date: February 28, 2023

      “The Land of Stories meets Dominican culture and mythology come to life in Julian Randall’s Pilar Ramirez and the Curse of San Zenon, the action-packed fantasy duology finale—for fans of the Tristan Strong series and Amari and the Night Brothers.
      After being magically transported to the mythical island of Zafa and rescuing her long captive cousin Natasha, Pilar is back in Chicago . . . and hiding the shocking truths about Zafa and Natasha being alive. So, when she and her family are invited on a trip to Santo Domingo, Pilar welcomes the distraction and the chance to see the Dominican Republic for the first time.
      But when Ciguapa and close friend Carmen magically appears in the DR searching for help, Pilar is soon on the hunt for the escaped demon El Baca and his mysterious new ally. Now, with a cursed storm gathering over the island to resurrect an ancient enemy, Pilar will have to harness her newfound bruja powers if she has any hope of saving her own world, Zafa, and most importantly her family before the clock runs out and ushers in a new era of evil.”

6. Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno and Courtney Lovett
Release Date: March 7, 2023

      “This humorous and heartfelt middle-grade novel by Nina Moreno with illustrations by Courtney Lovett is perfect for fans of Celia C. Pérez and Terri Libenson.
      Spring semester is here and Maggie is killing it! Her grades are up, she’s loving outdoor track and field, and being a seventh grader means the awesome spring break trip to St. Augustine is almost here. She can’t wait for her first overnight trip away from her overprotective parents, lovesick sister, and busybody abuela. Nothing will get in the way of Maggie having the best time ever with her two best friends, Zoey and Julian!
      But all of Maggie’s plans for their unforgettable trip start to fall apart as everyone gets carried away with the upcoming dance instead. Even Julian has a crush—throwing their group dynamic into turmoil when he asks the new girl to be his date. Zoey’s so stressed with school that her straight A streak is in trouble . . . and why can’t Maggie stop thinking about Eerie Eddie? The three best friends have been inseparable for years, but everything is changing as everyone splits into twos, leaving Maggie unsure of where—and with who—she still fits.”

7. Aniana del Mar Jumps In by Jasminne Mendez
Release Date: March 14, 2023

      “A powerful and expertly told novel in verse by an award-winning poet, about a 12-year-old Dominican American swimmer who is diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis.
      Aniana del Mar belongs in the water like a dolphin belongs to the sea. But she and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani’s stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her. Mami forbids her from returning to the water but Ani and her doctor believe that swimming along with medication will help Ani manage her disease. What follows is the journey of a girl who must grieve who she once was in order to rise like the tide and become the young woman she is meant to be. Aniana Del Mar Jumps In is a poignant story about chronic illness and disability, the secrets between mothers and daughters, the harm we do to the ones we love the most—and all the triumphs, big and small, that keep us afloat.”

8. The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores
Release Date: March 21, 2023

      “Francesca Flores’s The Witch and the Vampire is a queer Rapunzel retelling where a witch and a vampire who trust no one but themselves must journey together through a cursed forest with danger at every turn.
      Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava has been trapped in her house. Her mother Eugenia needs her: Ava still has her witch powers, and Eugenia must take them in order to hide that she’s a vampire as well. Desperate to escape her confinement and stop her mother’s plans to destroy the town, Ava must break out, flee to the forest, and seek help from the vampires who live there. When there is another attack, she sees her opportunity and escapes.
      Kaye, now at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing any vampires that threaten the town, including Ava. On the night that Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces her to travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in. Ava agrees, hoping to rekindle their old friendship, and the romantic feelings she’d started to have for Kaye before that terrible night.       But with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other’s greatest threat—and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed.”

9. Lucha of the Night Forest by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Release Date: March 21, 2023

      “An edge-of-your-seat fantasy about a girl who will do anything to protect her sister–even if it means striking a dangerous bargain. Dark forces, forgotten magic, and a heart-stopping queer romance make this young adult novel a must-read.
      A scorned god.
      A mysterious acolyte.
      A forgetting drug.
      A dangerous forest.
      One girl caught between the freedom she always wanted and a sister she can’t bear to leave behind.
      Under the cover of the Night Forest, will Lucha be able to step into her own power…or will she be consumed by it?
      This gorgeous and fast-paced fantasy novel from acclaimed author Tehlor Kay Mejia is brimming with adventure, peril, romance, and family bonds–and asks what it means for a teen girl to become fully herself.”

10. Saints of the Household by Ari Tison
Release Date: March 28, 2023

      “Saints of the Household is a haunting contemporary YA about an act of violence in a small-town–beautifully told by a debut Indigenous Costa Rican-American writer–that will take your breath away.
      Max and Jay have always depended on one another for their survival. Growing up with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned that the only way to protect themselves and their mother is to stick to a schedule and keep their heads down.
      But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, instinct takes over and they intervene, breaking up a fight and beating their high school’s star soccer player to a pulp. This act of violence threatens the brothers’ dreams for the future and their beliefs about who they are. As the true details of that fateful afternoon unfold over the course of the novel, Max and Jay grapple with the weight of their actions, their shifting relationship as brothers, and the realization that they may be more like their father than they thought. They’ll have to reach back to their Bribri roots to find their way forward.
      Told in alternating points of view using vignettes and poems, debut author Ari Tison crafts an emotional, slow-burning drama about brotherhood, abuse, recovery, and doing the right thing.”

11. Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz
Release Date: March 28, 2023

      “Seventeen-year-old goth Sevim Burgos would love to spend all day watching music videos, but to help support the family she has to scavenge and sell elf corpses to a sketchy university professor.
      On one of her hunts, Sevim captures the elf prince, Aro, wounded in a Burger King. But it turns out that the elves have been watching Sevim too, and this chance encounter sets their revenge in motion.
      The Prince manages to escape her and leaves behind a ring with a message: “The Prince of Eterna is in danger. This ring will save him. Return it, and your mother lives.”       With her mom is missing, Sevim must enter the magical home of the elves, and find a prince whose fate might be more tied to hers than she ever suspected.”

12. Into the Light by Mark Oshiro
Release Date: March 28, 2023

      “KEEP YOUR SECRETS CLOSE TO HOME
      It’s been one year since Manny was cast out of his family and driven into the wilderness of the American Southwest. Since then, Manny lives by self-taught rules that keep him moving—and keep him alive. Now, he’s taking a chance on a traveling situation with the Varela family, whose attractive but surly son, Carlos, seems to promise a new future.
      Eli abides by the rules of his family, living in a secluded community that raised him to believe his obedience will be rewarded. But an unsettling question slowly eats away at Eli’s once unwavering faith in Reconciliation: Why can’t he remember his past?
      But the reported discovery of an unidentified body found in the hills of Idyllwild, California, will draw both of these young men into facing their biggest fears and confronting their own identity—and who they are allowed to be.
      For fans of Courtney Summers and Tiffany D. Jackson, Into the Light is a ripped-from-the-headlines story with Oshiro’s signature mix of raw emotions and visceral prose—but with a startling twist you’ll have to read to believe.”

13. Lucero by Maya Motayne
Release Date: March 28, 2023

      Synopsis not currently available. Third book in A Forgery of Magic series.

14. An Appetite for Miracles by Laekan Zea Kemp
Release Date: April 4, 2023

      “Danna Mendoza Villarreal’s grandfather is slowly losing himself as his memories fade, and Danna’s not sure her plan to help him remember through the foods he once reviewed will be enough to bring him back. Especially when her own love of food makes her complicated relationship with her mother even more difficult.
      Raul Santos has been lost ever since his mother was wrongly incarcerated two years ago. Playing guitar for the elderly has been his only escape, to help them remember and him forget. But when his mom unexpectedly comes back into his life, what is he supposed to do when she isn’t the same person who left?
      When Danna and Raul meet, sparks fly immediately and they embark on a mission to heal her grandfather…and themselves. Because healing is something best done together—even if healing doesn’t always look the way we want it to.”

15. Ander & Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
Release Date: April 11, 2023

      “A stunning YA contemporary love story about a Mexican-American teen who falls in love with an undocumented Mexican boy.
      Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.
      The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Lopez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family’s taquería. It’s the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it’s all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?
      To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family “fires” them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago Garcia, the hot new waiter. Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi’s eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi’s first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home.
      Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.”

16. The Making of Yolanda La Bruja by Lorraine Avila
Release Date: April 11, 2023

      “Yolanda Alvarez is having a good year. She’s starting to feel at home Julia De Burgos High, her school in the Bronx. She has her best friend Victory, and maybe something with Jose, a senior boy she’s getting to know. She’s confident her initiation into her family’s bruja tradition will happen soon.
      But then a white boy, the son of a politician, appears at Julia De Burgos High, and his vibes are off. And Yolanda’s initiation begins with a series of troubling visions of the violence this boy threatens. How can Yolanda protect her community, in a world that doesn’t listen? Only with the wisdom and love of her family, friends, and community – and the Brujas Diosas, her ancestors and guides.
      The Making of Yolanda La Bruja is the book this country, struggling with the plague of gun violence, so desperately needs, but which few could write. Here Lorraine Avila brings a story born from the intersection of race, justice, education, and spirituality that will capture readers everywhere.”

17. The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
Release Date: April 18, 2023

      “A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona as she unravels the dark secrets of her family history in this ravishing and provocative horror novel.
      Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.
      Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.
      When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.
      Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.
      But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.”

18. The Golden Frog Games by Claribel A. Ortega
Release Date: May 2, 2023

      “Seven Salazar is a Spare.
      And now, she’s the most famous Spare in the Twelve Towns, along with Valley Pepperhorn and Thorn Laroux, her two best friends.
      After being named the new town Uncle, she’s undergoing intense training to learn how to use her abilities to communicate with animals. But Seven has a secret: the only creatures’ voices she hears clearly are those of monstruos. Something is terribly wrong with Seven’s magic.
      Meanwhile, it’s the Golden Frog Games, a week of magical competitions among the Champions of the twelve towns, and Thorn is competing in fashion design!
      But when Thorn’s competitors start to get turned to stone, suspicion lands on Thorn and the other Witchlings. Despite their fame, there are still many in the town who think that only the Spares would sink so low to win.
      Can Seven overcome the problems with her magic and find out who is stonifying the competitors . . . before Thorn becomes next victim?”

19. We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tirado
Release Date: May 9, 2023

      “She is the reason no one goes in the water. And she will make them pay. A chilling new novel for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Lamar Giles, and Ryan Douglass.
      From the author of BURN DOWN, RISE UP comes a chilling novel told through alternating voices that follows two cousins as they unravel their town’s sinister past, their family’s complicated history, and the terrifying spirit that holds their future captive.
      Bronwyn is only supposed to be in rural Hillwoods for a year. Her grandmother is in hospice, and her father needs to get her affairs in order. And they’re all meant to make some final memories together.
      Except Bronwyn is miserable. Her grandmother is dying, everyone is standoffish, and she can’t even go swimming. All she hears are warnings about going in the water, despite a gorgeous lake. And a pool at the abandoned rec center. And another in the high school basement.
      Anais tries her hardest to protect Bronwyn from the shadows of Hillwoods. She follows her own rituals to avoid any unnecessary attention—and if she can just get Bronwyn to stop asking questions, she can protect her too. The less Bronwyn pays attention to Hillwoods, the less Hillwoods will pay attention to Bronwyn. She doesn’t get that the lore is, well, truth. History. Pain. The living aren’t the only ones who seek retribution when they’re wronged. But when Bronwyn does more exploring than she should, they are both in for danger they couldn’t expect.”

20. You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
Release Date: May 9, 2023

      “A queer YA romance about rival soccer players from author Racquel Marie, perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy.
      Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.
      Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption…only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team’s act together, this second chance―and any hope of playing college soccer―will slip through Vale’s fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer…and maybe each other.
      Sharp, romantic, and deeply emotional, You Don’t Have a Shot is a rivals-to-lovers romance about rediscovering your love of the game and yourself, from the author of Ophelia After All.”

21. Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera
Release Date: May 9, 2023

      “A dazzling story full of heart about how one twelve-year-old channels her rage into synchronized swimming dreams, from the author of The Education of Margot Sanchez and Never Look Back, Lilliam Rivera.
      Natalia de la Cruz Rivera y Santiago, also known as Nat, was swimming neighborhood kids out of their money at the local Boyle Heights pool when her life changed. The LA Mermaids performed, emerging out of the water with matching sequined swimsuits, and it was then that synchronized swimming stole her heart.
      The problem? Her activist mom and professor dad think it’s a sport with too much emphasis on looks–on being thin and white. Nat grew up the youngest in a house full of boys, so she knows how to fight for what she wants, often using her anger to fuel her. People often underestimate her swimming skills when they see her stomach rolls, but she knows better than to worry about what people think. Sometimes, she feels more like a submarine than a mermaid, but she wonders if she could be both.
      Barely Floating explores what it means to sparkle in your skin, build community with those who lift you up, and keep floating when waters get rough.”

22. Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi
Release Date: May 9, 2023

      “No description currently available.”

23. Saint Juniper’s Folly by Alex Crespo
Release Date: May 16, 2023

      “A spellbinding and utterly romantic debut! Alex Crespo’s queer haunted house mystery blends the supernatural with emotional vulnerability and characters who’ll charm your heart. A must-read for paranormal romance fans!
      For Jaime, the tiny Vermont town of Saint Juniper represents a fresh start. After years of shuttling between foster homes, he wants to put down enough roots and have a decent senior year, but all his hopes are dashed when he walks into the nearby woods, called the Folly, and does not return.
      For Theo, Saint Juniper means being stuck. He knows there’s more out there, but he’s scared to go find it. His senior year is going to be like all the rest, dull and claustrophobic. That is until he stumbles on a haunted house and the acerbic yet handsome boy stuck—as in physically stuck—inside.
      For Taylor, Saint Juniper is a mystery. The surrounding woods speak to her, while she tries—and fails—to practice the magic her dad banned from the house after her mother died. Taylor is in a destructive spiral she can’t break, until a wide-eyed teenager barges into her life, rambling on about a haunted house, a trapped boy, and ghosts. He needs a witch.
      The Folly and its ghosts will bring these three teenagers together. But they need to face their own internal struggles in order to forge a bond strong enough to escape the Folly’s shadows.”

24. Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliot McLemore
Release Date: May 16, 2023

      “Keep your enemy closer.
      Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.
      Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.
      Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.
      Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.
      Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
      Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.
      And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.
      Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, this is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are – no matter the cost.”

25. The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes
Release Date: May 23, 2023

      “Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.
      Luis’s attention soon turns to something more and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.
      Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker which eventually leads her to an unlikely group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.”

26. Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Release Date: July 18, 2023

      “From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about a curse that haunts a legendary lost film – and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.
      Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all-but-invisible to her best friend Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, even though she’s been in love with him since childhood.
      Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives – even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed. Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend . . .
      As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristan might find out that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies . . .”

27. The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
Release Date: July 25, 2023

      “Set in a lush world inspired by the history and folklore of South America,discoverthis sweeping epic fantasy of colonialism and country, ancient magic, and a young woman’s quest for belonging.
      When Reina arrives at Aguila Manor, her heart stolen from her chest, she’s on the verge of death—until her estranged grandmother, a dark sorceress in the Don’s employ, intervenes. Indebted to a woman she never knew, and smitten with the upper-caste daughter of the house, Celeste, Reina will do anything to earn–and keep–the family’s favor. Even the bidding of the ancient god who speaks to her from the Manor’s foundations. To save the woman she loves, Reina will have to defy the gods themselves, and become something she never could have imagined.”

28. Infested by Angel Luis Colón
Release Date: July 25, 2023

      “The Taking of Jake Livingston meets Cemetery Boys in this YA ghost story about a Puerto Rican teen’s battle with a malevolent spirit targeting his apartment building and the all-too-real horrors of gentrification.
      It’s the summer before senior year, and Manny has just moved from Texas to the Bronx in New York. So, instead of hanging with his friends and making some spending money, Manny is forced to do menial tasks in his new home, a luxury condo his stepdad is managing, while stressing about starting over.
      Thankfully, he meets Sasha, who is protesting the building but turns out to be really cool. And he strikes up an unlikely friendship with Mr. Mueller, the building’s exterminator. Maybe life in the Bronx won’t be so bad.
      Then the nightmares begin. And Manny swears he has roaches crawling under his skin. When building contractors start to go missing, Manny and Sasha come to the terrifying realization that Mr. Mueller is not who he says he is. Or rather, he is, but he died decades ago in a fire exactly where Manny’s new building is located. A fire that Mueller set.
      Now, in a race against time, Manny must rescue his family from a deranged specter determined to set the Bronx ablaze once again.”

29. A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban
Release Date: August 15, 2023

      “Twin sisters Ofelia and Delfi know better than to get involved with magic. Their Mami has seen to that. After all, it was magic that cursed their family, turning love into a poison. Romance is off the table for the Sanchez women. They’ve seen the curse take hold enough times to know how that road ends. And yet. Sometimes a girl catches feelings and just can’t help herself.t.
      When Ofelia and Delfi begin having premonitions of a series of murders, the sisters know it is time to embrace their magical inheritance to get to the bottom of the mystery and save innocent lives. Teaming up with their best friend Ethan and with brooding detective-in-training Andres, the sisters set out to learn the truth. They just need to make sure Mami doesn’t find out what they’re up to.
      Meanwhile, in 1980 Cuba, Anita struggles with a different magical conflict. Her mother, Mama Orti, is a bruja who belongs to a secret coven of elders and Anita knows she will be forced to join the coven herself one day. She sees no escape, though the thought of staying and letting this future claim her is terrifying. Ofelia, Delfi, and Anita’s stories collide as each woman steps into her power and embraces who she truly is, refusing to be subdued by any person, coven, or curse.
      In this stunning YA contemporary fantasy, debut author Vanessa Montalban explores the interlocking struggles of three generations of women in one family. An unputdownable debut for anyone who roots for magic, sisterhood, and love.”

30. The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Release Date: Fall 2023

      “What if you could eat the rich?
      Nothing brings Brielle Petitfour more joy than cooking. But being a chef isn’t a responsible career choice for the only American-born daughter of a Haitian immigrant who is chronically ill with family back home to support. Everyone who tastes Brielle’s dishes is mesmerized by the unique flavors and textures she creates…but that’s the trouble. You see, Brielle’s a zombie. And it’s getting harder each day to fight against her… er… natural impulses.
      When a lucky accident gets Brielle working for the billionaire son of her mom’s boss, Brielle has the opportunity to unleash revenge on the very privileged people she blames for her family’s pain. Suddenly, all the things Brielle promised her mother she would never do feel impossible to avoid. As Brielle falls deeper into the exclusive world of the 0.01% of the 1%, she will have to decide just how far she’s willing to go to get justice.
      A biting, whip smart fantasy that scrutinizes socioeconomic and racial inequity, inspired by Haitian zombie lore, THE SUMMER I ATE THE RICH is perfect for fans of MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER and PARASITE.”

31. The Fall of Rebel Angels by Zoraida Córdova
Release Date: Fall 2023

      “Melanie Iglesias Perez at Atria bought world English and Spanish rights to The Fall of Rebel Angels by Zoraida Córdova. Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media represented the author. The novel, Townsend said, is a “love story between a woman suspected of murdering her former lover and a fallen angel who is cursed to search for his wings on Earth every one hundred years.” The Fall of Rebel Angels is set for fall 2023.”

32. Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose
Release Date: Fall 2023

      “Aspiring artist Devin Báez’s winter vacation devolves into hijinks after his family’s long-time rivals, the affluent Seo-Cookes, challenge them to a bet that could cost the Báezes their beloved lake cabin. But when the enemy’s attractive son comes to Devin in desperate need of a fake boyfriend, he reluctantly agrees to set aside loathing for love to take down the Seo-Cookes once and for all.”

33. Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
Release Date: Fall 2023

      “What if you could eat the rich?
      In 1550’s Mexico, witchcraft is punishable by death, temples have been destroyed, and tales of mythical creatures that once roamed the land have become whispers in the night. Masked vigilante Pantera uses her sorcery and legendary swordplay skills to battle in a world of war, corruption, oppression, prophecies, and impending doom, all whilst trying to conceal her secret identity.
      SUN OF BLOOD AND RUIN is a Zorro reimagining weaving Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology into a thrilling historical fantasy with magic, intrigue, treachery, romance, and adventure.”

34. Thief Liar Lady by D.L. Soria
Release Date: 2023

      “A Cinderella reimagining in which she and her “evil” stepfamily are grifters conning their way into high society, and must now navigate a high-pressure world of political intrigue, dysfunctional family dynamics, and unexpected romance. “

35. Sammy Espinoza’s Worst Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Release Date: 2023

      “Tehlor Kay Mejia’s SAMMY ESPINOZA’S WORST REVIEW, about a critic on thin ice with the editor of her snarky music column who thinks she’s gone soft, who returns to her tiny hometown with one last chance to prove she hasn’t lost her edge-the target? The boy (turned rockstar) who broke her heart in high school.”

36. Book of Sage by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Release Date: Fall 2023

      “Currently not on Goodreads, but below is the synopsis the author shared on Twitter.”

37. Salsa Magic by Letisha Marrero
Release Date: Fall 2023

      “Currently not on Goodreads, but below is the synopsis the author shared on Twitter.”

Which 2023 release by a Latine author are you most looking forward to? Are you adding any of these to your TBR? Let’s discuss in the comments!