Why is a raven like a writing desk? Lewis Carroll posed this riddle, through the March Hare, in “Alice in Wonderland.”

Ilan Stavans poses a similar question in his new graphic novel, “El Iluminado,” illustrated by Steve Sheinkin, from Basic Books/Perseus. The book tackles the mystery of the Crypto-Jews, a population in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico, among other places, who claim Jewish ancestry dating back to the Spanish Inquisition. Who is a Crypto-Jew? Read more ›

The book is skillfully written to capture the story of two women and their connection over four centuries in time. The author does an excellent job of weaving in Jewish persecution during the Spanish Inquisition and also brings in the Political Dirty War of Argentina during the 1970s. Could it be because the author uses her own background (intertwined with various rich cultures such as Romanian Jews, Middle East cultures, born and raised in Argentina, being versed in Judaic studies) to make the book so intriguing? I would say that this is definitely a contributing factor. Not only does she write a wonderful story using her background knowledge, but she has created characters and events to splendidly connect the dots throughout the book and make it sound convincing.

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By Virginia Gift
Publisher: Palibrio

The book is beautifully written to capture a woman’s emotional and spiritual struggle after the dissolution of a 25 year old marriage. It takes the reader through the ups and downs of a tumultuous internal struggle and makes you feel as if you are on this journey with Mariana Casanova, the protagonist. The author, Virginia Gift, not only shows the sad and depressing side of the breakup of a marriage, but also uses lighthearted moments to bring the story together for the reader. In the end she shows that Mariana Casanova finds light at the end of this dim and twisting tunnel.

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After reading this book, I must say that it left me mesmerized. It is probably one of the best books ever written and I believe Mr. Villaseñor will go down in history as one of the greatest writers of all time. It is a true masterpiece!

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By Sandra Ramos O’Briant
Publisher: La Gente Press

This book is beautifully written and tells the story of sisters and their life journey in the mid 1800s. The author uses great skill in interweaving lots of history of the United States and Mexico into the story, which makes it even more exciting.

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By Pilar Marrero
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillian

Ms. Marrero has done an impressive job of capturing the immigration issues that impact our country today. She covers the immigration political polices put in place over the last 25 years, the current status of how states are addressing this problem, the impacts on people’s lives for both the immigrant and the U.S. citizen, and she provides a thought process to getting a plan in place that works for the betterment of all. It is obvious that Ms. Marrero has done her due diligence in researching her material – a testament to her fantastic journalist skills and keeping a balance of the issues at hand. Read more ›

By Paulina Rael Jaramillo
Publisher: Self Published

The purpose of this book is to provide insight on the contribution and struggles of Latinos that helped shape regions and communities throughout the Southwest; although, few main stream history books make little mention of this. For example, the book discusses the deportation of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans to Mexico at the onset of the Great Depression without regard to whether they were U.S. citizens or not (½ a million to one million people were deported). This was as great a tragedy as the Japanese Detention Camps during World War II. Read more ›

By Lupe Ruiz-Flores
Publisher: Piñata Books
Illustrations: Laura Lacámara

The author does a great job of taking a simple task of making fruit drinks and incorporating some good messages throughout the book. It is about a little girl who wants to make fruit drinks for her soccer team friends and how she goes about doing this. Read more ›

By David Kennedy Polanco
Publisher: Self Published

This book provides a glimpse into the Latino gay world. The length of the book is not very long, and would be better served as part of an anthology or as a short story somewhere. Although the story is short, it does have a lot of substance. This book takes you on a journey of two people in a spiraling relationship and the awkwardness of it all. The author does a fine job of capturing this moment.

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By Tim Z. Hernandez
Publisher: The University of Arizona Press

Tim Z. Hernandez is a critically acclaimed poet, author, and performance artist. With his newest endeavor, Natural Takeover of Small Things, he gives us a glimpse into the world of the San Joaquin Valley and the people that reside in this locality. The author uses his unique use of prose poetry to entice the reader into his view of that world. Read more ›