#readpuertorican

Happy Friday! It's Day 4 of #PRHeritageMonthTour and the topic of the day is Taíno culture. Growing up I didn't see any books about Puerto Rican Taíno history and in school I learned that they went extinct. I love that I am seeing Taíno representation in different forms and genres. I love seeing the Taíno community alive and well and thriving despite all the efforts of erasure. Here's a list of books that showcase Taíno culture in fiction and non-fiction. #PRHeritageMonthTour #books #bookstagram #boricua #taíno #bookstagrammers #bookish #bookstagrampr #PuertoRico #ReadPuertoRican #bookish #bookcommunity #reading https://www.instagram.com/p/CkjcxkLPb4f/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

"Gathering air feels not unlike sipping it from a straw. Which is to say sometimes the hardest part about surviving is remembering to breathe." Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer by Jamie Figueroa was January's pick for #ReadPuertoRican book club. This was a unique story about a sister trying to get her brother to agree to keep living after their mother has died and she is haunted by the secrets of their family. The story takes place over the course of a weekend through flashbacks and brilliant speculative writing. This is a ghost story unlike any I've read before. The atmospheric and poetic writing were perfect for the slow reveal of events. The sense of dread never left while reading. I felt in the pit of stomach that something terrible was coming but I couldn't step away from the page. The way Figueroa kept peeling away layer after layer until the heart of the story lay bare was captivating. This one left me with my heart aching and a face full of tears at the magnitude of grief that these pages contained. Where this novel excelled was in the exploration of deep themes. The white gaze is dissected throughout the majority of the novel. The characters are Indigenous performers and Figueroa sheds light on the racism of tourism and the pervasiveness of the white gaze. It makes me reflect on the question of who gets to tell their stories and who deems these stories valid? She explores the idea of family, community and mutual aid as vital to survival to Indigenous groups. She also reminds us that unresolved trauma isn't living and that we can't force someone else to want to stay alive either. Sometimes, we have to sever the ties to toxic relationships in order to heal and stop revisiting with the ghosts of the past. The theme of silence is prevalent in the ways that it complicates and destroys mother-daughter relationships. What seems like protection can result in competition . In addition, guilt can become the avenue that shapes futures. Overall, this was a stunning debut and a unique reading experience. I'm anxiously awaiting more from Figueroa, a boricua voice to keep your eye on. If speculative fiction and literary prose is your jam, this is a must read. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpZJ8H5uz3X/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

"You need to realize that 'family first' doesn't mean at the expense of everything else. It means that we all look out for one another, support one another, and respect one another because the love we feel for each other is first in our hearts." A Proposal They Can't Refuse By Natalie Caña was this month's #ReadPuertoRican book club pick and it was a hit. This one took me through all the emotions. I laughed out loud, nodded in agreement to the things that hit close to home and cried at some emotional parts. Never did I think I would be bawling over whiskey. I live for the longing and the tension and the burning fires between Kamilah and Liam were intense. Rom-coms are definitely my favorite in the romance world and Caña gave me a story I will forever be in love with. She gave us loads of tropes that weren't cheesy, fantastic writing and characters that win your heart over. The Puerto Rican representation was EVERYTHING! From the food, to depiction of family, to specific aspects of culture and all the refranes, it was pure perfection. Caña was unapologetic in the ways she wrote for boricuas and placing this story in a historically Puerto Rican Humboldt Park, Chicago and making it so authentic was bliss. Featuring an introvert as the male love interest made my heart smile so big because it reminded me of the dynamic with my husband. There's just so much to love about this one. If you love stories with themes of gentrification, grief, mental health, family, cultural pride, communication and love then this one is for you. I'm excited for Caña's next installment of The Vega Family series. I'm not ready to let go of them just yet. Foodie love stories are easily winning me over every time. Shout to Natalie Caña for joining us for an amazing book club chat! I'm forever a fan now! #AProposalTheyCantRefuse #books #NatalieCana #bookrecommendation #bookstagram #bookstagrampr #tbr #reading #ReadPuertoRican #boricua #bookworm #bookstagrammer #read #igreads #PuertoRico #Chicago #PR #Foodie #romance #romcom #fiction #bookreview #murals #bookplates #latinxromance #romcom #latinx #latinxbooks #BIPOCBookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CpB1dcOrS58/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

February #ReadPuertoRican book club is celebrating love. Join us 2/22 8 pm EST when we chat with author @nataliecanawrites al things romance and food. Link to the book club is in my bio. QOTD: What's your favorite latinx romance? 🇵🇷 SYNOPSIS 🇵🇷 Natalie Caña turns up the heat, humor and heart in this debut rom-com about a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller forced into a fake engagement by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers. Kamilah Vega is desperate to convince her family to update their Puerto Rican restaurant and enter it into the Fall Foodie Tour. With the gentrification of their Chicago neighborhood, it's the only way to save the place. The fly in her mofongo--her blackmailing abuelo says if she wants to change anything in his restaurant, she'll have to marry the one man she can't stand: his best friend's grandson. Liam Kane spent a decade working to turn his family's distillery into a contender. Now he and his grandfather are on the verge of winning a national competition. Then Granda hits him with a one-two punch: he has cancer and he has his heart set on seeing Liam married before it's too late. And Granda knows just the girl...Kamilah Vega. If they refuse, their grandfathers will sell the building that houses both their businesses. With their futures on the line, Kamilah and Liam plan to outfox the devious duo, faking an engagement until they both get what they want. But soon, they find themselves tangled up in more than either of them bargained for. #AProposalTheyCantRefuse #books #NatalieCana #ReadPuertoRican #tbr #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookclub #bookphotography #read #reading #boricua #IGreads #fiction #ReadCaribbean #romance #latinx #latinxromance #latinxbookstagram #literature #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #PuertoRico (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coa_PiWrKIw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

January's #ReadPuertoRican book club pick is Brother, Sister, Mother, Explorer by Jamie Figueroa. If you're into speculative reads, ghosts and family stories then join us Tuesday January 31, 2023 8 pm EST when we chat live with the author. Let me know if you want the link. QOTD: What was your favorite book club read for 2022? *** SYNOPSIS *** A sister trying to hold back her brother from the edge of the abyss, for readers of Jesmyn Ward and Tommy Orange. In the tourist town of Ciudad de Tres Hermanas, in the aftermath of their mother's passing, two siblings spend a final weekend together in their childhood home. Seeing her brother, Rafa, careening toward a place of no return, Rufina devises a bet: if they can make enough money performing for privileged tourists in the plaza over the course of the weekend to afford a plane ticket out, Rafa must commit to living. If not, Rufina will make her peace with Rafa's own plan for the future, however terrifying it may be. As the siblings reckon with generational and ancestral trauma, set against the indignities of present-day prejudice, other strange hauntings begin to stalk these pages: their mother's ghost kicks her heels against the walls; Rufina's vanished child creeps into her arms at night; and above all this, watching over the siblings, a genderless, flea-bitten angel remains hell-bent on saving what can be saved. #brothersistermotherexplorer #tbr #jamiefigueroa #ReadPuertoRican #ReadCarribean #bookstagram #bookcommunity #igreads #books #bookrecommendation #bookplates #puertorico #speculativefiction #ghostfiction #bookstagrampr #bookclub #reading #bookish #literature #ownvoices #fiction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cna-bBTLIiS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Poetry is food for the soul. Unto Dogs by Stephanie Ginese delivers. Reading this collection continuously took my breath away. Ginese has a way with words that delivers a knockout blow but then in the next verse or two brings you right back to life. The whole collection takes you on an emotional journey that will break your heart and at the same time activate the resistance warrior in you. What I loved most about this collection is the ways that Ginese places the Puerto Rican woman's physical body in the center of the struggle for Puerto Rican independence and in opposition to colonial powers. She talks about agency and body autonomy in direct relation to Puerto Rico's colonial status and reveals U.S. history of experimenting on Puerto Rican women. Her prose is unflinching and unapologetic. Sparked by the undoing of Roe vs. Wade, her outrage scorches the pages and unleashes a scathing review of U.S. history of controlling not only countries but also bodies, specifically womens'. Her prose is dripping with feminism and intersectionality and reads like a call to action. The collection is also a love letter to boricua feminists and revolutionaries who placed their literal bodies in the line of fire for Puerto Rican sovereignty. If you're looking for a poetry collection that will spark something in you, then RUN IMMEDIATELY to get this one. I am so excited to read anything Ginese puts out in the future. Ginese is a poet you definitely need to add to your #ReadPuertoRican library. #UntoDogs #StephanieGinese #poet #poetry #ReadPuertoRican #books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookcommunity #book reviews #reading #igreads #PuertoRico #feminism #colonialism #tbr #bookstagrampr #boricua #read #bookworm #bookphotography #bookish #latinxbookstagram #latinx #latinxbooks #latinxpoetry #agency #explorepage #readersofinstagram (at Atlas Park Mall) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnH9dalrbzQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

"Don't the stories that aren't true say as much about us as the ones that are?...And we won't get into the concept of what truth really is. It's like different cameras all photographing the same object. We all experience events differently and with our own particular angle." The Storyteller's Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal was December's pick for #ReadPuertoRican book club and it was the sleeper hit I needed to end the year with. Dávila Cardinal brings 1970's Puerto Rico to life with this generational saga full of secrets, ancestral gifts, scandals and magical realism. Ann's storytelling ability weaves this unforgettable tale that hooks you in from the very first sentence. At its conclusion, you are left thinking about the Sanchez family and wondering about everyone's fate. Not only was the prose in this one beautiful and rich, but the way Dávila Cardinal handled its deep themes was tender and unique. She gave us a family story that uncovered Euro-centrism, colorism, classism, himophobia, machismo, emerging feminism, stigma about storytelling and gifts, and secrets galore. She showed us all the layers that could be hidden in one family across generations and how those secrets have repercussions for future generations. The character of Isla reminds us that storytelling is as important as the storyteller. She personifies what it means to be an agent of change in your family first and how speaking up is the only way to sustain future generations. To break toxic cycles, one must confront the past head on and call out the negative behavior and traits. It's never too late to right a wrong so seeking out truths is never a wasted feat. She also reminds us about the power of storytelling and the perspective of the storyteller. andIsla embraces the space of unbelonging and carves out a path for herself that brings healing to her family. The magical realism elements added a special touch to the story and really brought the characters and Puerto Rico to life. If you're a fan of family sagas and magical realism, pick this one up. Dávila Cardinal will keep you hanging on her every word. This is definitely one of my top ten 2022 reads. (at Middle Village) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnAuDwSrLsG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

"To her, the scar is not invisible. It irritates her when people pretend it's not there. It's a reminder of who she is now, and who she was then....They're there to remind her that she fought for her life, and that, no matter what how others may interpret it, she has a right to live that life as she chooses." America's Dream by Esmeralda Santiago was November's pick for #ReadPuertoRican book club. In this one, Santiago highlights Puerto Rican women while at the same time giving you important Puerto Rican history such as: U.S. occupation and bomb testing in Vieques, birth control and sterilization of Puerto Rican women, and rise of tourism from the slave system and haciendas. Santiago's main focus was on machismo and domestic violence. This book published in 1996, it relevant still today as Puerto Rican femicide and gender violence led to a state if emergency being declared in Puerto Rico as gender based violence continues to rise and has historically been a huge problem in the Caribbean. Santiago gives us a nuanced perspective on domestic abuse through America Gonzalez's eyes. She shows us how difficult it is to get help while being in and even after leaving the relationship. She shows us the push-pull mentality as Puerto Rican women grapple with wanting to pursue freedom through feminism but at the same time upholding the very same beliefs that are the cause of their oppression. For many women poverty, forces the cycle of violence and machismo to continue. She shows how mother-daughter relationships are strained through mixed messaging and not being able to openly talk about machismo without feeling like they're assimilating or abandoning their culture. She shows us the ways they cope with abuse and trauma, from total denial of depression, numbing through alcoholism and learning how to be in survival mode on a daily basis. What I found interesting about Santiago's writing is how she places the status of women within the greater context of the colonial status of Puerto Rico. The state of ambivalence the women display directly mirrors the mentality of Puerto Ricans when it comes to their relationship with the U.S. (at Bushwick) https://www.instagram.com/p/Clz9U6qgRTQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=