Twelve Days of…Latinx Book Recommendations

This “Christmassy” series is brought to you by my love of books by Latinx authors and my need for all of you to read them. Every day for twelve days leading up to Christmas, I will be gifting you all with a recommendation of a book by a Latinx author, along with twelve reasons why you should pick it up. Hoping to have lots of fun with with series which I am not so subtly calling Twelve Days of… Latinx Book Recommendations. Covers are linked to Goodreads. Feel free to sing this first part to yourself aloud.

♬On the twelfth day of Christmas, my favorite Latinx blogger gave to me, a recommendation for…♬

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

“With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, high school senior Emoni Santiago has to make the tough decisions, and do what must be done. The one place she can let her responsibilities go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness. Still, she knows she doesn’t have enough time for her school’s new culinary arts class, doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain — and shouldn’t still be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life — and all the rules everyone expects her to play by — once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.”

Reasons You Need to Pick This One Up:

1. The audiobook is narrated by Acevedo and it’s just as wonderful as The Poet X’s narration
2. The naked hardback
3. Afro-Latinx MC
4. Prose that feels like poetry
5. Delicious food descriptions
6. Someone naturally gifted learning they still have a lot to learn
7. Teen parenthood
8. Never too late to follow your dreams
9. Strong family relationships
10. Unshakable female friendship
11. MC never lets other people make her feel small for her choices
12. Magical realism

Have you read this one? Are you planning to read it? What is your favorite audiobook by a Latinx author? Thank you so much for sticking around for this series!

♬On the eleventh day of Christmas, my favorite Latinx blogger gave to me, a recommendation for…♬

Analee in Real Life by Janelle Milanes

“Ever since her mom died three years ago, Analee Echevarria has had trouble saying out loud the weird thoughts that sit in her head. With a best friend who hates her and a dad who’s marrying a yogi she can’t stand, Analee spends most of her time avoiding reality and role-playing as Kiri, the night elf hunter at the center of her favorite online game.
Through Kiri, Analee is able to express everything real-life Analee cannot: her bravery, her strength, her inner warrior. The one thing both Kiri and Analee can’t do, though, is work up the nerve to confess her romantic feelings for Kiri’s partner-in-crime, Xolkar—aka a teen boy named Harris whom Analee has never actually met in person.
So when high school heartthrob Seb Matias asks Analee to pose as his girlfriend in an attempt to make his ex jealous, Analee agrees. Sure, Seb seems kind of obnoxious, but Analee could use some practice connecting with people in real life. In fact, it’d maybe even help her with Harris.
But the more Seb tries to coax Analee out of her comfort zone, the more she starts to wonder if her anxious, invisible self is even ready for the real world. Can Analee figure it all out without losing herself in the process?”

Reasons You Need to Pick This One Up:

1. Fake dating trope
2. Self-love
3. Predictable yet unpredictable tropey storyline
4. Positive step-relationships
5. Introvert learning to get out of her comfort zone
6. Present family in a contemporary
7. MC dealing with the loss of a parent
8. Believable teen narrator
9. MC dealing with social anxiety
10. Cuban-American girl learning to love her body
11. MC’s personal arc > romantic arc
12. Realizing that some crushes are better off as friendships

Have you read this one? Are you planning to read it? What’s your favorite book with the fake dating trope?