On today’s show, our host Meda Trelles is joined by J. Allen Cross, the author of American Brujeria. How often can y'all say that you just had a chat with a witch??...Exactly! If you have not heard of this book, it a practical hands-on guide to Mexican-American folk magic. For my Latinx listeners, this book will take you back your childhood ghost stories, faith, and perhaps even help you understand why our superstitious tias used an egg for cleansing. For my non-Latinx listeners, you will be able to peek behind the curtain of many traditions and stories from Mexico, ghost story included!

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross

On today’s show I am joined by Brian Valdez to do a deep dive on The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea. It has been 20 years since the tragic events described in the book took place, it will be 20 years this coming May. We wanted to pay our respects to the families and make space for their story.

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea

On today’s show I am joined by Sam Bortle, a champion of libraries who has been working in this space for a decade! Sam is very passionate about boosting representation in children's books. For this reason we do a deep dive on Parachutes by Kelly Yang. If you're a fan of Gossip Girl and/or Speak... this is the book for you!!

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• Parachutes by Kelly Yang
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Check out We Need Diverse Books: a non-profit and a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. Their IG is @weneeddiversebooks
• CCBC Diversity Statistic Report 

This week's episode is a little different. We're not doing a deep dive on a book, instead our guest, Rene Valdez is here to make the case for audiobooks. It is common that as the year starts, you have lofty reading goals but as the months pass by you start getting behind and before you know you’re in a reading slump. We know that audiobooks can be a great way to pick up a book on the go and get out of the slump once and for all.

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• Cada que te veo, pal-pito by Lourdes Ruiz 
• Interview of Lourdes Ruiz, queen of Albur 

On this episode Meda goes over her March reads and provides an update on Book Riot's Read Harder challenge. Grab some tea and get cozy, perhaps you will find your next listen after tuning in!

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode:

• Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
• Do Better by Rachel Ricketts
• The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende
• Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
• Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow
• Machinehood by S.B. Divya
• Read Harder Challenge: https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2021/

Previous episodes mentioned:

• Deep Dive on Hood Feminism with Naomi Cruz

On today’s show, our host Meda Trelles is joined by Crystal Maldonado, the author of Fat Chance Charlie Vega. If you have not heard of this book, it is a beautifully written Young Adult novel about a fat brown girl learning to find comfort in her skin, it is a love story at its core. We are so grateful to Crystal for chatting with me about the complexities of friendship, going beyond the fat-positive surface level messaging that is so pervasive in SM, the need for more Latinx representation in literature, and her message to aspiring writers. Hope y'all enjoy!

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado 
• House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 
• My Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught 
• Dumplin' by Julie Murphy 

On today’s show I am joined by Kim De Silva Naomi Cruz, a professor of Latin American History. Kim believes that literature is a great tool to teach empathy and foster deep connections, particularly historical fiction. For this reason, we do a deep dive on one of her favorite books, The Murmur Of Bees by Sofia Segovia.

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia
• House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
• Zorro by Isabel Allende
• Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
• When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

On today’s show I am joined by Naomi Cruz, an immigration attorney and dear book friend to do a deep dive on Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall as a way to kick off Women's History Month.

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

On this episode Meda goes over her February reads and provides an update on Book Riot's Read Harder challenge. Grab some tea and get cozy, perhaps you will find your next listen after tuning in!

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode:

• Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan 
• Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan 
• Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart 
• Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado 
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 
• The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia 
• Find Your Fire by Terri Broussard Williams 
• Read Harder Challenge: https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2021/

Previous episodes mentioned: 

• Deep dive on Long Shot with Mel Gil 

This week I talk to Jo Ortega to talk about the importance of filling your cup of self-love. We talk about the factors that make relationships (romantic/platonic) strong according to the book Single, Dating, Engaged, and Married by Ben Stuart. Pop your headphones on and get ready to get a little preview into this book!

Books and Resources mentioned in the Episode

• Single, Dating, Engaged, Married by Ben Stuart 
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron