Happy Monday, mis internet amigxs!

Our September book club selection is for the chismosas!!

There was a tiny bit of a difference with our fiction picks in the results here on Bindery and Discord, so I defaulted to Discord results, which leaned towards a book that just released on paperback!

Here's a recap of where we are and what we're reading next, for those who have been thinking about joining us for book club discussions on Discord and need a little push.

AUGUST - CURRENTLY READING

FICTION: The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

NONFICTION SIDEQUEST: We are finishing up Cuba: An American History for Ada Ferrer

SEPTEMBER - Latinx Heritage Month begins September 15th

FICTION: The Grand Paloma Resort by Clevis Natera

NONFICTION SIDEQUEST: First month of reading The Latinx Guide To Liberation by Vanessa Pezzo

OCTOBER - Latinx Heritage Month ends October 15th

FICTION: You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom by Vincent Tirado

NONFICTION: Second month of reading The Latinx Guide To Liberation by Vanessa Pezzo

November/December book club polls will be up later this week, as we begin looking at closing out 2026 reading--be prepared for something a little bit different as we close out the year.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

xoxo,

Carmen

WELCOME TO AUGUST, mis internet amigxs!

We're entering the month before Latinx Heritage Month which means a typhoon of books are coming your way this month. I'm SO excited to feature today's releases!

SUPPORT BIEN LEIDOS

If you'd like to receive an early newsletter of ALL the month's upcoming Latine releases (with some secret things in the works!), including a summary of each book, and/or want to support me as a creator and help me FINALLY publish a Latine book through Bindery (my literal dream!), then please consider supporting me at the Libritos or Lectores level! All your support helps me broaden my reach and supports me as a full-time content creator.

AUGUST BOOK CLUB

As a reminder, we're reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (audiobook) this month!! This noir truly captivated me and I'm so excited to chat with you on Discord about it.

We're also continuing Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer (Audiobook) for those who are on the Summer School journey with me.

VOTE FOR SEPTEMBER FICTION AND NONFICTION READS

Our September book club poll for both our fiction and nonfiction sidequest reads are up for another couple of days on both Bindery (I fixed the glitch and you can now vote twice!) AND on Discord as well if you feel passionate about one of our picks. Get your votes in before the polls close! Official announcement will be made before the end of the week!

And now onto today's Latine releases!!

Literary Fiction

Take What You Can by Naima Coster (Audiobook)

Romance

Drawn Together by Mercedes Ron (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen

WELCOME TO AUGUST, mis internet amigxs!

We're entering the month before Latinx Heritage Month which means a typhoon of books are coming your way this month, but before you get to the drop, some announcements...

AUGUST BOOK CLUB

As a reminder, we're reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (audiobook) this month!! This noir truly captivated me and I'm so excited to chat with you on Discord about it.

We're also continuing Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer (Audiobook) for those who are on the Summer School journey with me.

VOTE FOR SEPTEMBER FICTION AND NONFICTION READS

Our September book club poll for both our fiction and nonfiction sidequest reads are up for another couple of days on both Bindery AND Discord. Get your votes in before the polls close! Official announcement will be made before the end of the week! (the error with voting has been fixed and you CAN vote twice now!)

And now onto all the August Latine releases on my radar!!

AUGUST 4th

Literary Fiction

Take What You Can by Naima Coster (Audiobook) One of my most anticipated Latine reads of summer is finally here! From the author of What Mine Is Yours comes a work centered on friendship, class, new motherhood, and independence.

Romance

Drawn Together by Mercedes Ron (Audiobook) SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE! This forbidden love story is giving The Bodyguard vibes.

AUGUST 11TH

Romance Fantasy

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook) My favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia is getting the Bramble romance treatment--re-release of the classic threads magic fantasy novel, Silvia's only work not set in Mexico, that I can best describe as Age of Innocence meets The Prestige

Short Story Collection

Pinen by Daniela Catrileo and translated by Jacob Edelstein (Audiobook) A fierce, tender collection of stories about the lives, traumas, and dreams of Mapuche youth in modern-day Chile

Romance

The Replay by Leonor Soliz: Second-chance sports romance--Breaking up with Dominic Wright was the hardest thing I've ever done. Working with him years later is making me forget why I ever did.

AUGUST 18TH

Romance

Mutual Discord by Liana De La Rosa (Audiobook) Contemporary romance debut from our historical romance queen, Liana De La Rosa! 2 PR leads, forbidden love, friends to lovers, a love triangle?!?! I'm already sat.

Old Flames by Nadine Gonzalez (Audiobook) What happens when a horror and a fantasy writer check into a haunted Air BNB? If fate has its way, the star-crossed lovers will find each other in this world or the next?

Mystery

Sleeping Sisters by Jennifer Givhan (Audiobook) Centers fight for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous Latina girls and women--inspired by actual events (the West Mesa murders in Albuquerque)

The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes (Audiobook) Look, I'm only 1/3 into this mystery taking place in Brazil, but it's been the WILDEST of roller coaster rides I have been on this year.

Pop! by Angel Luis Colon Adult (Audiobook) organized crime thriller about an assistant who wants to take out their incompetent boss.

Translated fiction

The Loneliest Tree In The World by Mariana Salomao Carrara: Brazilian translated work about a family of tobacco farmers through the eyes of various objects in their home—an old mirror, a pickup truck, a protective work smock, and a sick, loving tree.

Nonfiction

What Will They Say: A Liberating Guide for Latinas by Denise Soler Cox (Audiobook) Adult Nonfiction Self help? Exposes 9 common Latinx cultural taboos no one dates discuss and shares her road-tested advice to blast through them and reclaim your power. Available in both English and Spanish.

Chancla: Healing Our Families, Ourselves, and Our Culture Through Nonviolent Parenting by Leslie Priscilla (Audiobook) Available in both English and Spanish.

The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War On Democracy by Gil Duran (Audiobook)

Picture Book

Please Pass the Tamales by Silvia Lopez (Audiobook)

Middle Grade

The Hungry Forest by Kaela Rivera (Audiobook) From the author of the Cece Rios series comes a new middle grade adventure.

AUGUST 25TH

Literary Fiction

Crocodopolis by John Manuel Arias (Audiobook) Costa Rican author, Arias, is back with a tale of sibling rivalry, family secrets and the fate of a nation.

Dey by Edwidge Dandicat (Audiobook) Taking place in Haiti, Miami, and Brooklyn, a woman whose sense of self and family are called into question when she gets caught in a random act of violence one sunny Florida day.

Middle Grade

No Place On Earth by Andrea Beatriz Arango (Audiobook) Middle Grade Puerto Rico A boy forced to move from PR to Yellowstone National Park after his mom and dad separate and she gets a job there. Gustavo has chronic nightmares and when he gets to the park, he starts seeing one of his classmates in his dreams. When something bad happens in dream Yellowstone, Gustavo is the only one who can help his friend.

Sing Me A Story: Latine Short Stories in Verse by Latine Authors, edited by Aida Salazar (Audiobook) Middle Grade Anthology Poetry: short stories in verse about the power of music.

Don't Wake Up by Cassandra Ramos-Gomez (Audiobook) Another installment in the Doll Island middle grade horror series

xo,

Carmen

Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs!

It's time to vote on our September book club pick--both our main fiction book and our nonfiction sidequest, but I wanted to pop in a few updates before we get to our selections and the poll!

GET THE AUGUST LATINE RELEASES NEWSLETTER EARLY!

For Libritos and Lectores members, keep your eyes peeled for August Latine releases coming tomorrow! It's going to be a HUGE newsletter with so many great titles releasing. If you'd like to receive an early list of all the upcoming Latine releases for the month (before we head to a new, more effective format), including more details on the books, then please consider supporting my Bindery at either of the paid levels. If you'd like to support the work I do with Latine and nonfiction books AND see this imprint publish a book, your membership helps.

DISCORD UPDATE

If you're on Discord, we've implemented monthly pruning of unverified accounts. If you've found yourself pruned from the Discord server, or if you're new and your name appears in white, please take a moment to reconnect to the server AND have a verified badget on Discord.

1. Make sure you are signed up at any level on Bindery

2. To get the verified badge on Discord, please make sure that Verify your Discord account through Bindery once you subscribe. After you set-up your Bindery account, go to Manage Your Discord on Bindery and follow the prompts to set up the connection.

You'll know your verified through either the green verified badge or the fact that your name appears in green when you comment in the server.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN AUGUST BOOK CLUB

As a reminder, we're reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia this month and there may be a few surprises. We're also finishing our nonfiction side-quest read, Cuba: An American History.

LET'S VOTE ON SEPTEMBER READS!

You can vote more than once in the poll below -- ideally, you'll vote for ONE fiction pick and ONE nonfiction pick. ALSO! If you're in Discord, you'll have the chance to vote again there as well. Voting will close in 3 days when the Discord poll closes and selections will be announced later this week.

FICTION OPTIONS

The Grand Paloma Resort Hotel by Cleyvis Natera (Audiobook): Out in paperback, this is truly a work of literary fiction for the chismosas you joined back in January. A story told at high-end inclusive hotel in the Dominican Republic, entirely from the staff's point of view, this story will grip you to the conclusion.

Last Night In Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez (Audiobook): Taking place in 2007, this is the story of Alicia, who's at a precipice in her life when she walks into a Brooklyn bar and is reintroduced to people from her past, living the American Dream for people of color, but it's also the story of the other side of the coin.

This Is The Only Kingdom by Jaquira Diaz (Audiobook): A mother and daughter face unimaginable loss and are supported by the community, but 15 years later, find that same community has turned against them. Taking place in a Puerto Rican barrio, this story unwinds generational grief and trauma.

Cat Love by Tomas Q. Morin (Audiobook): A contemporary dystopian elegy narrated by a cat imprisoned in a Schrödinger’s box

NONFICTION OPTIONS

Prophecy: Prediction Power and the Fight For The Future, from Ancient Oracle to AI by Carissa Velez (Audiobook): After recommending Empire of AI earlier this week, I began searching for another book on AI to continue learning and this one popped up by a Latina author who incorporates not just how AI is trying to be the oracle of the ancients, but provides us how to reclaim our power from tech giants.

Darien Gap: A Reporter's Journey Through The Deadly Crossroads of the Americas by Belen Fernandez (Audiobook) Part history/travel logue/on-the-ground reporting, this is Belen's research and travel through the narrow land bridge between North and South America. This work shines a light on the made-by-the-US migrant crisis through one of the most treacherous points of crossing migrants face.

The Latinx Guide To Liberation: Healing from Historical, Generational, and Individual Trauma by Vanessa Pezo (Audiobook): This book had me from the line "Let us heal together. But first I invite you to take a breath."

Happy voting!

xo,

Carmen

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

Before we get to all of today's amazing Latine releases, a reminder that we begin reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook) on SATURDAY over on Discord! I can not wait to scream about this noir with you all!

How YOU can support Bien Leidos

We have a really short introduction this morning because I have TWO books I didn't include in the early exclusive newsletter for the month I wanted to cover. If you want to support the work I do AND receive an early, lengthier look at all these amazing Latine releases, a great way to do it is by supporting me at the Libritos or Lectores membership level. I'm in the process of planning some incredible Latinx Heritage Month content and your support would mean everything!

And now on to today's releases...

YOUNG ADULT NOVEL IN VERSE

Evamar by Margarita Engle

LITERARY FICTION

Beginning, Middle, and End by Valerie Luiselli (Audiobook)

ROMANCE

Second First Dates by Gabrielle Gamez (Audiobook)

TRANSLATED FICTON

The Winds of Maracaibo by Maria Elena Moran (Audiobook)

Five by César Aira and Translated by Chris Andrews

The Red Earth by Morgana Kretzmann and Translated by Daniel Hahn (Audiobook)

SCIENCE FANTASY

The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

I can't believe this is already our second to last newsletter of July and that AUGUST BEGINS NEXT WEEK!

That means that we'll be winding down discussion of P FKN R and polling when we'll be having our final discussion. In addition that means that we'll be starting The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia AND continuing Cuba: An American History in August. It's never too late to join us on Discord.

And now, on to this week's releases...

Paranormal

Take It To Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes (Audiobook)

I Didn't Do It by Elle Gonzalez Rose (Audiobook)

A book I didn't include in the early newsletter...

The Past Pursues Us Like Detectives, Debt Collectors, Thieves by Juan Pablo Villalobos and Translated by Daniel Hahn

xo,

Carmen

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs!

I realized as I was putting together this newsletter that I missed a book releasing today in the early newsletter that Lectores and Libritos received at the end of June, so scroll all the way to the bottom of the newsletter to check it out!

Our August Bien Leidos book club selection, The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, releases TODAY! I hope you plan to pick up your copy and join us in August.

As many of you know, my Mami was in the hospital for the past few weeks. She is out of the hospital now and we're figuring out what our new normal looks like. I'll be back to more regular posting soon. Thank you so much for your patience during this difficult time.

I am chatting on Discord, where we're reading our July pick P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became The Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance AND our sidequest, Cuba: An American History, if you want to chat a little bit in the meantime.

And without further ado, all the July 14th releases on my radar...

NOIR & AUGUST BIEN LEIDOS BOOK CLUB PICK!

The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook)

TRANSLATED LITERATURE

One Hundred Guinea Pigs Gustavo Rodriguez and translated by Daniel Hahn

FANTASY

Ruinous Ends by I.V. Marie Young Adult (Audiobook)

GRAPHIC NOVEL

To Dance The Moon And Stars Tasia M S & Barbara Perez Marquez

LITERARY FICTION

It Will Come Back To You by Sigrid Nunez (Audiobook)

If you're a Libritos or Lectores member, I missed a contemporary YA Mystery that's out today called...

What Lies Beneath The Flowers by Natasha Diaz (Audiobook)

xo,

Carmen