Entre las Sombras del Sueño Americano

Entre las Sombras del Sueño Americano
Por Julissa Arce 
Primera Edición, 2016. 298 páginas. No Ficción

A primera vista, Julissa Arce ha alcanzado el sueño americano: al conseguir finalmente un empleo muy codiciado en Wall Street después de años de esfuerzo académico. Pero en esta valiente autobiografía, Arce revela el costo físico, económico y emocional del asombroso secreto que ella, al igual que muchos otros individuos en los Estados Unidos que logran mucho a pesar de sus circunstancias, se había visto obligada a ocultar no solo de sus jefes sino también de sus amigos más cercanos.

Desde el momento en que sus padres la trajeron a este país cuando era una niña, Arce, la ganadora de una beca, la graduada universitaria con honores, la joven que finalmente llegó a ser vicepresidenta en Goldman Sachs, había vivido en secreto como inmigrante indocumentada. En esta historia personal desgarradora e inspiracional de lucha, tristeza y redención final, Arce lleva a los lectores a las profundidades de un mundo poco entendido de una nueva generación de inmigrantes indocumentados que están actualmente en los Estados Unidos.

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De Cómo las Muchachas García Perdieron el Acento

Por Julia Alvarez

Vintage Español, 2007. 300 páginas. Ficción

Cuando las hermanas García y sus padres huyen de la República Dominicana buscando refugio de la persecución política, encuentran un nuevo hogar en los Estados Unidos. Pero el Nueva York de los años sesenta es marcadamente diferente de la vida privilegiada, aunque conflictiva, que han dejado atrás. Bajo la presión de asimilarse a una nueva cultura, las muchachas García se alisan el pelo, abandonan la lengua española y se encuentran con muchachos sin una chaperona. Pero por más que intentan distanciarse de su isla natal, las hermanas no logran desprender el mundo antiguo del nuevo.  Lo que las hermanas han perdido para siempre --y lo que logran encontrar-- se revela en esta novela magistral de una de las novelistas más celebradas de nuestros tiempos.

Stranger: el Desafío de un Inmigrante Latino en la Era de Trump
Por Jorge Ramos

Vintage Español, 2018. 221 páginas. No Ficción

«Hay veces en que me siento como un extraño en el país donde he pasado más de la mitad de mi vida. No es por falta de oportunidades, ni una queja. Es, más bien, una especie de desilusión. Jamás me imaginé que después de 35 años en Estados Unidos iba a seguir siendo un stranger para muchos. Pero eso soy». Jorge Ramos, periodista galardonado con premios Emmy, reconocido presentador del Noticiero Univisión y considerado «la voz de los sin voz» de la comunidad latina, fue expulsado de una rueda de prensa del candidato presidencial Donald Trump en Iowa en el año 2015 tras cuestionar sus planes sobre inmigración.

En este manifiesto personal, Ramos explora qué significa ser un inmigrante latino, o simplemente un inmigrante, en los Estados Unidos de nuestros días. Mediante datos y estadísticas, su olfato para encontrar historias y su propia memoria personal, Ramos nos muestra el rostro cambiante de America y explora las razones por las que él, y muchos otros millones de inmigrantes, aún se sienten como strangers en este país.

MEB

Etiquetas: Español, No Ficción, Ficción, Biografía

Notable Native People

Notable Native People

By Adrienne Keene

Ten Speed Press, 2021. 143 pages. Young Adult Nonfiction

An accessible and educational illustrated book profiling 50 notable American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people, from NBA star Kyrie Irving of the Standing Rock Lakota to Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Celebrate the lives, stories, and contributions of Indigenous artists, activists, scientists, athletes, and other changemakers in this illustrated collection. Also offers accessible primers on important Indigenous issues, from the legacy of colonialism and cultural appropriation to food sovereignty, land and water rights, and more. An indispensable read for people of all backgrounds seeking to learn about Native American heritage, histories, and cultures, Notable Native People will educate and inspire readers of all ages.

This is an absolutely beautiful book, both in content and illustration. It's a great entry-level read as it highlights 50 mini biographies of different Indigenous people. I really enjoyed the essays spread throughout as they provide an underrepresented perspective of US history. As much as I learned from this book, it made me realize how much more there is to learn. Overall, a very inspiring read. 

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Come Home, Indio

By Jim Terry

Street Noise Books, 2020. 231 pages. Graphic Novel

In this memoir we are invited to walk through the life of the author, Jim Terry, as he struggles to find security and comfort between the Ho-Chunk community of his Native American family in Wisconsin and his schoolmates in the Chicago suburbs. 

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

By Roxanne Dunbar-Oritz

Beacon Press, 2014. 296 pages. Nonfiction

Told from the point of view of Native Americans, this book challenges the founding myth of the United States and shows how the policies against the indigenous peoples was genocidal and imperialist.

Traditional Skills of the Native Americans

By David Montgomery

Lyons Press, 2021. 215 pages. Nonfiction

This book is geared toward all ages and gives step-by-step instructions on scores of crafts and outdoor skills cultivated by various Native American peoples over the centuries. In the spirit of "creativity kits," this book outlines the history and purpose of the activity and then shows how to replicate the exact process, whether it's tanning leather; making moccasins; creating tools and utensils, musical instruments, and jewelry; or preparing food. 

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This is Your Mind on Plants

This is Your Mind on Plants
By Michael Pollan
Penguin Press, 2021. 352 pages. Nonfiction

Bestselling author Michael Pollan discusses three mind-altering natural substances found in plants: opium, caffeine, and mescaline.  Each drug is discussed from different angle and contexts, historical use and significance, and impact in the world today.  In the case of each, the author's overall goal is to explore the powerful human attraction to and relationship with psychoactive plants.

Rather than being a cohesive whole, this is more a compilation of three lengthy essays on each topic, but each one has a fascinating story to tell.  Starting with poppy growing and the lost practice of of opium brewing, Pollan shares his personal experiences with growing this controversial flower, and his resulting paranoia once he investigated the legal ramifications of doing so.  The section on caffeine includes the author's own experiences with abstaining and then re-introducing caffeine into his system, and its use by humans over the past several centuries.  Finally, he investigates how mescaline is used in religious Native American ceremonies today.  Those who enjoyed Pollan's book How to Change Your Mind will find interesting stories here, as will anyone with an interest in natural science writing and journalism.

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Sapiens: A Graphic History. The Birth of Humankind. Volume One

By Yuval N. Harari

Harper Perennial, 2020. 245 pages. Graphic Novel. 

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited the Earth. Yet today there is only one: homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us? In this first volume of the full-color illustrated adaptation of his groundbreaking book, renowned historian Yuval Harari tells the story of humankind's creation and evolution, exploring the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human." 

A Really Good Day

By Ayelet Waldman

Knopf, 2017. 256 pages. Memoir.

A lighthearted account of the author's experiment with microdoses of LSD in an effort to treat a debilitating mood disorder details what she has learned about the misunderstood drug and how she believes psychedelics can be appropriately used as therapeutic medicines.

BHG

The True History of Chocolate

The True History of Chocolate

by Sophie D. Coe

Thames & Hudson, 2013. 280 p. Nonfiction

The story begins some 3,000 years ago in the jungles of Mexico and Central America with the chocolate tree, Theobroma Cacao, and the complex processes necessary to transform its bitter seeds into what is now known as chocolate. This was centuries before chocolate was consumed in generally unsweetened liquid form and used as currency by the Maya, and the Aztecs after them. The Spanish conquest of Central America introduced chocolate to Europe, where it first became the drink of kings and aristocrats and then was popularized in coffeehouses. Industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made chocolate a food for the masses, and now, in our own time, it has become once again a luxury item.

I'll just start by saying that learning about chocolate is the next best thing to eating chocolate. That having been said, I also found this book to be thoroughly researched. I'm glad this book discussed the beginnings of chocolate in Mesoamerica and how it made its way to Europe. I'd recommend this book to foodies, historians, and anyone who's looking to read something a little different.

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Spice: The History of a Temptation

by Jack Turner

Knopf 2004. 352 p. Nonfiction

The History of a Temptationis a history of the spice trade told not in the conventional narrative of politics and economics, nor of conquest and colonization, but through the intimate human impulses that inspired and drove it. Here is an exploration of the centuries-old desire for spice in food, in medicine, in magic, in religion, and in sex--and of the allure of forbidden fruit lingering in the scents of cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, mace, and clove. We follow spices back through time, through history, myth, archaeology, and literature. We see spices in all their diversity, lauded as love potions and aphrodisiacs, as panaceas and defenses against the plague. We journey from religious rituals in which spices were employed to dispel demons and summon gods to prodigies of gluttony both fantastical and real. We see spices as a luxury for a medieval king's ostentation, as a mummy's deodorant, as the last word in haute cuisine. Through examining the temptations of spice we follow in the trails of the spice seekers leading from the deserts of ancient Syria to thrill-seekers on the Internet. We discover how spice became one of the first and most enduring links between Asia and Europe. We see in the pepper we use so casually the relic of a tradition linking us to the appetites of Rome, Elizabethan England, and the pharaohs. And we capture the pleasure of spice not only at the table but in every part of life. Spiceis a delight to be savored.

Creamy & Crunchy

by Jon Krampner

Columbia University Press, 2013. 298 p. Nonfiction 

 "Creamy and Crunchy" features stories of Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan; the plight of black peanut farmers; the resurgence of natural or old-fashioned peanut butter; the reasons why Americans like peanut butter better than (almost) anyone else; the five ways that today's product is different from the original; the role of peanut butter in fighting Third World hunger; and the Salmonella outbreaks of 2007 and 2009, which threatened peanut butter's sacred place in the American cupboard.

Butter: A Rich History

by Elaine Khosrova

Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2016. 344 p. Nonfiction

 Award-winning food writer and chef Elaine Khosrova serves up a story as rich, textured, and culturally relevant as butter itself. From the ancient butter bogs of Ireland to the sacred butter sculptures of Tibet, Butter is about so much more than food. Khosrova details its surprisingly vital role in history, politics, economics, nutrition, even spirituality and art. From its humble agrarian origins to its present-day artisanal glory, butter has a fascinating story to tell, and Khosrova is the perfect person to tell it. She even includes the essential collection of carefully developed core butter recipes, from beurre manié and croissants to pâte brisée and the perfect buttercream frosting, and provides practical how-tos for making various types of butter at home--no churning necessary.

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The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires 

By Grady Hendrix 

Quirk Books, 2020. 404 pages. Horror 

A supernatural thriller set in South Carolina in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious stranger who turns out to be a real monster.

Grady Hendrix juxtaposes the mundane status quo of southern housewives with horror.  The prologue promises with the first line that the story ends in blood, unsettling the reader from the get go even as you are plunged into the ordinary, albeit chaotic, life and concerns of our main character and housewife Patricia Campbell. This is not a romantic vampire telling and expect to feel unease with the predator as they infiltrate the seemingly idyllic small community as well as frustration with the book’s characters and their decisions even as you come to understand their individual motivations. Themes in the book outside of horror include racism and sexism. Those looking for a fast-paced horror/thriller will not be satisfied with this plot, but if you are up for a slow building horror story with some surprisingly gory scenes mixed in then this one is for you. 

If you like The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, you might also like: 

The Final Support Group 

By Grady Hendrix 

Berkley, 2021. 342 pages. Horror Fiction. 

Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she's been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized--someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece. 

The Sun Down Motel 

By Simone St. James 

Berkley, 2020. 327 pages. Thriller Fiction 

Upstate NY, 1982. Viv Delaney knows something isn't right at the Sun Down motel, where she works as a night clerk, and she's determined find out what. Upstate NY, 2017. Carly Kirk has always been fascinated by her aunt Viv who disappeared from the Sun Down before Carly was born. Using a small inheritance from when her mom dies, Carly leaves college to figure out what happened to her aunt thirty-five years ago. Soon, Carly is mirroring her aunt's life, working as the night clerk at the motel, where a haunting presence still lingers and a possible serial killer stalks the night desk. 

The Stranger Beside Me

By Ann Rule 

Pocket Books, 2009. 625 pages. True Crime 

From the perspective of the former policewoman, crime writer, and unknowing personal friend, tells the story of Ted Bundy, a brilliant law student executed for killing three women, who confessed to killing thirty-five others.

RBL

Heartstopper Volume 4

Heartstopper Volume 4

by Alice Oseman

Graphix, 2021. 350 pages. Young Adult Comics

Charlie and Nick's relationship has been going really well, and Charlie thinks he's ready to say those three little words: I love you--but Nick's got a lot on his mind, especially the thought of coming out to his dad and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder.

Charlie and Nick are back in this the fourth installment of Heartstopper. Now that most of their friends--and the school--know they are dating, Charlie and Nick look forward to just being a normal couple. But there is still pressure on Nick to come out to his dad and Charlie's "eating thing" is getting worse. Will Nick be able to convince Charlie to tell his parents and get some help? Will Nick's older brother "out" them to their dad?

This installment deals a lot with mental health issues. Charlie clearly has anorexia and some other mental health issues and the bulk of the story is about how Charlie and his family plus Nick set out to deal with those issues. It is a tender portrayal of mental health problems and is very clear that though Charlie chooses an inpatient program, that might not work for everyone. As always, Oseman is very positive and supportive in her portrayal of Nick and Charlie's growing relationship. She doesn't shy away from dealing with the discrimination they face and how different family members handle Nick's sexuality; however, she does focus on the sweet parts of first love and on a growing group of friends who are starting to become the people they want to be.

If you liked Heartstopper Volume 4, you might like:

Are You Listening?

by Tillie Walden

First Second, 2019. 305 pages. Young Adult Comics

A chance encounter sends runaway Bea on a journey through West Texas with Lou, who Bea must trust as she is driven to confront buried truths about loss and heartbreak.

The Girl from the Sea

by Molly Ostertag

Graphix, 2021. 245 pages. Young Adult Comics

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can't wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She's desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends. . .who don't understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan's biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl. Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn't seem so stifling anymore. But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they're each trying to hide will find its way to the surface . . . whether Morgan is ready or not.

Witchlight

by Jessi Zabarsky

RH Graphic, 2021. 200 pages. Young Adult Comics

Meeting in the marketplace amid community fears about witchcraft, Sanja and Lelek begin uncovering difficult magical secrets about Lelek’s past while making unexpected discoveries about friendship, family and falling in love.

Will

Will
By Will Smith, Mark Manson
Penguin Press, 2021. Memoir

One of the most dynamic and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully in this memoir about his life.  Covering not just the details of his life, but major life lessons learned along the way, this book is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, and a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. 

This book is an incredibly honest look at the author's life, describing both success and loss, triumphs and mistakes.  The story of his career taking off is a thrill, to be sure, but the book is given additional depth by his honest recounting of his difficult childhood and frank admission of missteps and their impact on those around him.  I was also not expecting the level of insight and transcendence he seems to have experienced later in life.  Interspersed audio clips of music bring the narrative to life and illustrate key points in Smith's journey.  Add to all of this the dazzling color of his personality, especially as delivered through his audiobook narration, and you get one of the best memoirs published in recent memory.

BHG

 

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Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys
By Billy Crystal
Henry Holt and Co., 2013. 288 pgs. Nonfiction

In this book Billy Crystal tells about his life starting in childhood, his rise to fame, important people in his life, and recent events of the last decade that will have a lasting impact on him. These are all interspersed with humorous bits about aging and being a baby boomer in this modern age. I listened to the audiobook which I enjoyed immensely, Billy's inflection and presentation add to the story immeasurably.

Bossypants
By Tina Fey
Little, Brown and Co. 2011. 277 pgs. Biography.

Tina Fey is best known for her years writing and performing on Saturday Night Live, as the star and executive producer of 30 Rock, and her imitations of Sarah Palin during the past presidential election. In her memoir she tells of growing up as an outsider, finding her love for performance, and years of work in the comedy field, which is notoriously dominated by men.

Crushing

Crushing 

By Sophie Burrows 

Algonquin, 2022. 156 pages. Graphic Novel 

A young woman, pale and rosy-cheeked with a straight black bob, lives alone in London--except for her cat--surrounded by lovers on Hampstead Heath and crowds on the Tube. One night she runs down to the local kebab and pizza shop in her pajamas and encounters a young man, pale and freckled with floppy red hair, also wearing pajamas. Unfortunately, they don't notice each other surreptitiously noticing each other and head their separate ways, the young man returning to his flat--empty except for his dog and the glare of his laptop screen. The young woman tries a dating app, and a man sends her unsolicited, intimate selfies; the young man gets spattered in bird poop while working a temp job dressed as an avocado. The story conveys life as a series of small indignities, slight misses, and minor connections but ends on a hopeful note. 

This is a sweet, funny, and emotional story about two lonely people. The illustrations are black and white with red highlights, and the story contains almost no words. The main characters are endearing and relatable, while also being a little bit sad. This is a tender-hearted, funny romance that is great for anyone who feels lonely or tired of trying to find love. 

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Friends with Boys 

By Faith Erin Hicks 

First Second, 2012. 169 pages. Young Adult Graphic Novel 

After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and three older brothers, Maggie enrolls in public high school, where interacting with her peers is complicated by the melancholy ghost that has followed her throughout her entire life. 

 

Yes No Maybe So 

By Becky Albertalli 

Balzer + Bray, 2020. 436 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

Jamie Goldberg, who chokes when speaking to strangers, and Maya Rehrman, who is having the worst Ramadan ever, are paired to knock on doors and ask for votes for the local state senate candidate. Going door to door isn't exactly glamorous, but maybe it's not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer--and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely.

Skim 

By Mariko Tamaki 

Groundwood Books, 2008. 141 pages. Graphic Novel 

16-year-old "Skim" (Kimberly Keiko Cameron) is a not-slim would-be Wiccan goth who goes to a private girls' school. When her classmate Katie is dumped by her boyfriend, who then kills himself, the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. The popular clique starts a club to boost school spirit, but Skim sinks into an ever-deepening depression.

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The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway

by Amor Towles

Viking, 2021. 576 pages. Historical Fiction

In June, 1954, 18-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served 15 months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm, nicknamed Duchess and Woolly, have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future; one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction—to New York City.

Fans of Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow might be surprised at what a different story Towles tells here.  Both books are beautifully written and thought-provoking, but The Lincoln Highway is a lot more fun.  Told from the perspectives of multiple characters, readers will fall in love with Emmett's frustrated determination, Billy's wide-eyed wonderment, Duchess' scheming, and Woolly's laidback personality. This book contains nods to classic travel narrative stories like that of The Odyssey and The Grapes of Wrath, and evokes Huckleberry Finn in the joy it takes in the journey.  This is one that's not to be missed.

If you like The Lincoln Highway, you might also like:

This Tender Land

by William Kent Krueger

Atria Books, 2019. 450 pages. Historical Fiction

In 1930s Minnesota, Odie O’Banion is an orphan living at the Lincoln School, a horrible place where the students’ education is spotty and most of the students are Native Americans who have been forcibly separated from their parents. One fateful night Odie, his brother Albert, and their best friends Mose and Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading down the river to hide from the authorities and find a place they can call their own. As they travel, they run into other adrift souls, and they learn to find hope and family in the unlikeliest of places.

Last Bus to Wisdom

by Ivan Doig

Riverhead Books, 2015. 453 pages. Historical Fiction

Raised in the mid-1950s by his beloved grandmother in Montana's Two Medicine Country, orphaned Donal Kyle feels as if he's been tossed into cold water when Gram, recovering from surgery, sends him to live with her bossy and mean-spirited sister in Wisconsin. Aunt Kate is so put out with Kyle that she sends him back, to be placed in the custody of the authorities. Gratifyingly, though, Kate's harassed husband slips away to join him.

A Lite Too Bright

by Samuel Miller

Katherine Tegen Books, 2018, 465 pages, Young Adult Fiction

Arthur Louis Pullman the Third is losing his grip on reality. Stripped of his college scholarship, he has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle. Then he discovers a journal written by his grandfather, a Salinger-esque author who went missing the last week of his life. Using the journal as a guide, Arthur embarks on a cross-country train ride to relive his grandfather's last week. His journey is complicated by a shaky alliance with a girl who has secrets of her own and by escalating run-ins with a dangerous fan base.

MB

Me (Moth)

Me (Moth)
By Amber McBride
Feiwel and Friends, 2021. 248 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Moth, who lost her family in an accident, and Sani, who is fleeing abuse, take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors, which helps them move forward in surprising, powerful and unforgettable ways.

Written in verse, the words are crafted together to create a vibrant journey of self-discovery in the face of pain and abandonment. Heart-breaking, yet uplifting, and a beautiful read.

If you liked Me (Moth), then you may also like:

African Town: inspired by the true story of the last American slave ship
By Irene Latham
G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2022. 438 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Chronicling the story of the last Africans brought illegally to America in 1860, African Town is a powerful and stunning novel-in-verse. Told in 14 distinct voices, including that of the ship that brought them to the American shores and the founder of African Town, this novel powerfully recreates a pivotal moment in US and world history, the impacts of which we still feel today.

A Million Quiet Revolutions

By Robin Gow

Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022. 336 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Two seventeen-year-old trans boys in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, struggling to understand themselves and their love for each other, are inspired by an online story about trans soldiers who fell in love during the American Revolution. As they delve further into unwritten queer stories, they rediscover the transformative power of reclaiming one’s place in history.

AS