National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Lupita Aquino, also known as “Lupita Reads” on social media, shares a few book recommendations by Latino authors.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Hey, Leila, I know you know it’s Hispanic Heritage Month.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Oh, my gosh, yes. And, of course, I’ve been marking it with incredible food. That’s how I celebrate most things, Michel.
MARTIN: As well you should.
FADEL: (Laughter).
MARTIN: The food, yes. But I know you know this too. There is much more than incredible meals.
FADEL: Yeah.
MARTIN: This is a time to celebrate the contributions of Latinos to science, public service, art, music.
FADEL: Another way to mark the month is reading a great book written by a Latino author.
LUPITA AQUINO: It’s a very magical experience to be able to, like, see yourself in the pages of a book.
MARTIN: That’s Lupita Aquino. She is a book enthusiast who recommends titles to people on TikTok and Instagram. Her account is Lupita Reads, and she says sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.
AQUINO: I actually didn’t read my first book by a Latino Hispanic author until I was around 17, 18.
MARTIN: So Aquino has a few ideas for books to read during Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond. First…
AQUINO: It is personally one of my favorite memoirs that I’ve read all year, if not, like, ever. It’s called “Magical/Realism: Essays On Music, Memory, Fantasy, And Borders” by Vanessa Angelica Villarreal.
MARTIN: A book recently considered for the National Book Awards for nonfiction.
AQUINO: She’s navigating – reconnecting to her roots as a Mexican American. There’s just so much in this memoir that I think would appeal to so many people.
FADEL: Second – “How Not To Drown In A Glass Of Water” by Angie Cruz, a novel with what Aquino calls an unforgettable protagonist.
AQUINO: She’s a woman in her 50s looking for a job after being laid off. And she has come from the D.R., and so there’s just this tenderness to her trying to find a job in a world where she speaks English and Spanish and just navigating a new world for her, a new culture for her.
MARTIN: And third – “Say Hello To My Little Friend” by Jennine Capo Crucet.
AQUINO: It’s pitched as “Scarface” meets “Moby-Dick,” and it is absolutely that without the boring parts of “Moby-Dick.”
FADEL: The boring parts. I’ve got my list, and I’m ready to multitask, read and eat.
MARTIN: Invite me over.
FADEL: Yes.
MARTIN: Invite me over.
FADEL: Let’s do it.
MARTIN: OK.
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