Bookish Aspirations (2025)

07/11/2023

Tour stop 🛑

Who else is guilty of taking their altar de Dia de Mu***os down and go straight into Christmas? And the best part is that for many of us, La Navidad is not over in December, it goes all the way to El Dia de Reyes. by is the perfect little cozy window into what the celebration looks like. The illustrations by are adorable and make the perfect combination. It’s a great addition to our holiday collection for my littlest one.

Thank you and for the digital ARC.

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09/10/2023

by Raul Palma is absolute perfection for the season.

Hugo is drowning in debt after the death of his wife. Tired of his debt haunting him, he strikes a deal with his debt collector. As a Babaláwo, his debtor asks him to rid the spirits haunting his luxurious estate, and in exchange he will cancel his debt. Hugo, cynical of spirits and 👻, sees this as the perfect opportunity to both get even and start over. Instead, he ends up going to the depths of his own darkness to face his own terrors and childhood traumas from working in the mines of Bolivia as a child and then immigrating to the US.

The themes of child labor, colonialism, colorism, medical debt, and the trauma of diaspora tied down with the leyenda de El Tío 👹 weave a terrifying tale with real and magical devils. There were parts that really hit home for me, especially the disconnect that Hugo felt with his country and his frustration with the medical care in the U.S.

If you’re still looking for spooky reads for the season, this is calling you! Thank you and for the ARC.

[ID: copy of A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens on a Library card catalog cabinet with typewriter and Halloween decor.]

22/09/2023

Tour Stop 🛑

I am so excited to share this book with you! by is described as Galdiator mixed with Song of Achilles and the Count of Monte Cristo pero I don’t even know them, porque Prince Nezahualcoyotl is the brown príncipe we’ve been waiting for. Born half Acolhuan, half Mexica and the two sides of his family warring, his family is betrayed and torn apart. He is forced into exile. Lost and hungry, he is guided by a coyote and takes on a new identity as he bows revenge.

I love the style of the book, it combines first person narration, verse form and magical illustrations by . It makes it such a true epic journey experience.

As a Mexican immigrant trying to get back to my roots, I have been drinking this story in with thirst. I loved the guide to unfamiliar concepts and the Nahuatl words throughout the story. And I loved the indigenous q***r representation that challenges the contemporary Western gender binary.!

Thank you and for the . I cannot wait to get a finished copy, publication day is October 10 so mark your calendars!

08/09/2023

Book Tour 🛑

is here to celebrate our differences and make everyone feel beautiful and welcomed. Little Rose is having a birthday party, but is a little nervous because she had always felt different from her friends. Her mama helps her embrace not only what makes her different, but also the differences in others, whether easily perceived or not. Together with the cute animal illustrations, this helps kids learn the importance of inclusivity due to the challenges that disabilities might pose. It shows that friendly accommodations can go a long way and mean the world to someone!

Thank you and for the free digital ARC.

04/08/2023

🛑

It is time! Ya es tiempo! To leave antiquated notions of tattoos behind. Mi ama was mad at my siblings when they got tattoos years ago, and she’s probably still not a fan but honestly we all turned out to be pretty awesome good-hearted adults. The notion that tattoos are for pandillas is prevalent in our culture and this book is a great way to break that stereotype and open the discussion with our little ones. The illustrations are colorful and adorable and the message of not judging a book by their cover….oops I meant person of course is a great lesson para los chiquitines. Thank you and for the free copy. I opted for the Spanish version but this is also available in English.

: do you have tattoos? And what do they mean to you? I have a heart that’s inspired by the Loteria card of El Corazón and it’s on my arm to both, cover scars and because I carry my heart in my sleeve.

[ID: kids picture book on a table next to a typewriter and my arm holding a cup of coffee.]

19/07/2023

Excuse me, hi 👋🏽 Am I too late for the publication day party? No, claro que no, because it’s never too late to celebrate .author. Happy ! This is a popular anticipated book, and I can tell you it won’t disappoint. My review is a few posts back, please go check it out.

[ID: the cover of Silver Nitrate inside a bell jar and distressed wall in the background.]

14/07/2023

🛑Tour Stop🛑

I am guilty of underestimating romance novels, pero by had all the right ingredients to lure me in, and it was a delicious treat!

Karina Cortés is a hyper-independent Latina who wants no commitments that would change her or hurt her. She works at a cookie factory that was started by her long time friend and her uncle, who she insists on keeping at bay as her bosses. When she meets the new mechanic, Ian, the attraction is instant. Her no strings attached lifestyle starts to crumble like an over baked cookie and she must explore her early traumas and heal in order to break cycles and love and let herself be loved. This is a perfect summer read, para el calorcito!

Thank you and for the .

[ID: One Tough Cookie soft cover book on a table, in front of a flower bouquet, and a plate of cookies and tazita de cafe.]

20/06/2023

“𝑨 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚.”

If you’re looking for ways to celebrate or teach your kids about today, Juneteenth by is perfect to understand why it’s important to celebrate today.

Synopsis from inside jacket: In a lyrical story about our newest national holiday, a young Black child experiences the magic of this local parade for the first time with their family as they come to understand the purpose of the party every year in Galveston, Texas--the birthplare of Juneteenth!

The illustrations by .adams and are beautiful and full of joy.

Thank you for our copy, this will be shared with everyone in our family.

[ID: Juneteenth board book sits on a patio table with plants behind it and a blurred patio background.]

02/06/2023

Stop 🛑: Featuring some of my favorites quotes and passages from by .

This one made me feel all the feels! Se me enterro en el corazon. Pedro and Daniel are brothers, and although they have other siblings, their abusive mother singles them out because they both exhibit neurodivergent and non-gender conforming traits. Pedro gets the brunt of it because he is darker-skinned jus father, but they are tal para cual and they form a bond that helps them persist in a world where all odds are stacked against them. It was a very intimate and candid coming of age with very difficult discussions (TW for domestic violence, child abuse, homophobia, colorism, racism, clergy abuse, suicidal ideation, sexual content, and discussion of the AIDS pandemic) on what it meant to be gay, Latino/e/x and neurodivergent in 1970's Ohio. Despite everything they endure, I found so much joy in their relationship and how much they cherished and showed up for each other through so much, it was so profound. I identified so much with Pedro's language and thought process challenges, his introversion and inability to understand some social cues and Daniel's fixation with dichos. I found the style of writing beautifully poetic. I was meant to feature favorite quotes and it was so hard narrowing it down. Pedro and Daniel will be with me for a while.

This is a perfect book to pick up for . Thank you to , and the author for the ARC. Relase date: June 6!

[ID: Bookcover I’d Pedro & Daniel with a glass stained window hallway in the background]

19/05/2023

reads like a song. It’s impossible to read out loud to my little one and not let the words slide with a sing song. The illustrations are so colorful and whimsical, every page is a masterpiece. It’s and we should uplift and read all year but now it’s a good time to add to the tbr if it’s lacking a representation, this is a great one for the little one!

Thank you for the free copy in exchange for honest review.

[ID: a picture book on a coffee table ottoman, with a blanket underneath a flower vase in the background.

16/05/2023

: Family Lore is Elizabeth Acevedo's adult fiction novel and as a fan of her YA work, you know I had to request an ARC. This tells the story of four Dominican hermanas and two of their daughters; Matilde, Flor, Pastora, Camilla y Yadi and Ona. Most of the Marte women have gifts, and when Flor, who foretells deaths in dreams, asks the women of the family to help plan her very own living wake, her daughter Ona begins to interview each woman of the familv to retrace their roots. The format was a bit intricate, alternating between 6 point of views and the past and the present, but in a way it's symbolic of the complexity of the multi-generational relationships between mothers, siblings, daughters, tias and cousins. There were many themes I found interesting like the four sisters each having been brought up differently by the same mother, each having to process their own traumas from the different levels of pain inflicted. My favorite part was la hermandad between these women, it was beautiful and the way they showed up for each other es todo! It also deals with some very candid themes that explore sexuality, infertility, heart-break, infidelity, the rawness of healing, and the truth that loving the sh*t out of family is very messy.

This will be out August 1st. Thank you for the .

[ID: the cover of Family Lore book superimposed on a photo of a round flower base with flowers on a sodden table and a blurred background.]

14/05/2023

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamis out there. May you be sorrounded by gratitude and love.

[ID: a book opened to a poem on mother hood, with flowers in the background]

12/05/2023

Welcome to my tour stop for this wonderful book, by .and.fries with beautiful illustrations by .

I can’t begin to explain the importance of the representation of autism in families of color who have been at a disadvantage of resources due to systemic discrimination. I loved that Aidan’s story normalizes communication outside of verbal speech, with the technology of today it.is.time! I loved the representation of the neurodivergent sensory experience because it’s an experience I can relate to. The amplified noises and feeling the world too loud and too much 🎧and hyper fixating on other sensory stimulation like spinning barefoot in the grass…! This book was a love song for my experience. The best part though, is reading this out loud to my littlest one, and having her say, “He’s a little like you, mommy.” And I know that this is the gift of own voices, it’s the gift of understanding. If I could give Tiffany Hammond a big pressure hug, I definitely would, and I don’t give those often to strangers!

Thank you and for the free copy in exchange for honest review.

26/04/2023

Frog and Toad are having a moment — but who was their creator? I write about the genesis of the series and the life of Arnold Lobel.

26/04/2023

“Nobody loves the head of a dandelion. Maybe because they are so many, strong, and soon.” ,

Saw this paperweight and it reminded me of this quote and the overall symbolism of dandelion in this book. My partner picked it up and put it in our shopping cart for me. I’m obsessed. Dandelions are beautiful.

21/04/2023

"𝕌𝕟𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘
𝕣𝕚𝕡𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟.”

🛑 as a brown Mexican immigrant mother of three this review will be as own voices as it gets, because let me tell you wrote this book para nosotras. Alejandra can’t cope with the pressures of motherhood that are placed on women by society. A patriarchal society so accurately represented by her husband Matt, who takes her for granted and underestimates her worth. Her struggle with depression and thoughts that say she’s a bad mother and the world would be better off, are manifested into the infamous bad mother of Mexican folklore, La Llorona.

To break the curse of La Llorona, Alejandra must heal herself. She seeks help from a therapist who embraces curanderismo and her healing journey begins when she calls out to the women of her bloodline. The theme of motherhood and the pressure of gender roles that often expect women to prioritize motherhood over self and how it can create a sense of loss of identity, is so masterfully combined with the sense of loss that results from colonization and the expectation that Latinx people and immigrants must assimilate to be accepted. Alejandra’s healing journey, in which she must break the cycle of generational trauma by reclaiming her roots and shedding gendered expectations is a great reminder to women, especially mothers, that self-love is an act of courage and it empowers our future niñas to never be defined by the expectation of others. So to my beautiful brown mamis who have ever felt alone, and have mourned a piece of yourselves this book is for you!

Thank you for the physical ARC and for the digital copy. I devoured this overnight, I regret nothing!

19/04/2023

Reading, ¿Quien le tiene miedo al lobo? At children’s section.

Raising fierce wolves with gentle hearts, and wild imaginations? Let the library be your den.

18/04/2023

Happy publication day to by .

My tour date is coming up on this one, so I won’t say much except get your copy today!

Thank you for the physical ARC. The cover art is amazing! Also thank you for the digital ARC.

Bookish Aspirations

07/11/2023

09/10/2023

22/09/2023

08/09/2023

04/08/2023

19/07/2023

14/07/2023

20/06/2023

02/06/2023

19/05/2023

16/05/2023

14/05/2023

12/05/2023

26/04/2023

26/04/2023

21/04/2023

19/04/2023

18/04/2023

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