Blogcritics Category: Books: Latino

Interview with Jaime Martinez Wood, Author of Rogelia's House of Magic

Mayra Calvani — Mon, 2 Jun 2008 07:03:46 EDT

"...your characters should be able to convince others of their point of view," advises Hispanic author Jaime Martinez Wood.
A former assistant to reknown literary agent Julie Castiglia, Jamie Martinez Wood is the author of several books in the young adult and nonfiction categories, including The Enchanted Diary, Como Te Llamas, Baby? and A to Z of Latino Americans: Latino Writers and Journalists, for which she recently won the 2008 International Latino Book Awards for...

Book Review: Last Evenings On Earth Roberto Bolano

Richard Marcus — Sat, 24 May 2008 21:25:09 EDT

Last Evenings On Earth is as haunting a collection of short stories that you're liable to read today anywhere.
Like most English speaking North Americans, South America - or more truthfully, Spanish speaking America - is somewhat of a mystery to me. I'm sure for us up in Canada, where we sometimes forget that Mexico is even part of North America, it's even more of a closed book than for Americans who have a sizable Spanish speaking population. Like most of...

Book Review: Notorious by Michelle Martinez

Ruthie — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:21:01 EDT

Drugs and deceit combine to make this legal thriller a fascinating look at courtroom drama and drug-related gang violence.
Notorious by Michelle Martinez, is a novel about New York prosecutor Melanie Vargas, who's handling a high profile case involving a drug king pin turned rap star, Atari Briggs. Death, drugs and deceit blend into a provocative and edgy story about courtroom battles and frightening gang violence.With time about to run out before the hearing...

Book Review: Aunt Julia And The Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa

Philip Spires — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:58:13 EDT

Aunt Julia And The Scriptwriter is a surreal novel that blurs distinctions between reality and fiction, fact and invention.
Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian novelist, is a word painter, an artist of consummate skill, capable of simultaneous intimate ecstasy and detached observation that constantly surprises, titillates and intensifies. Aunt Julia And The Scriptwriter is a novel that details how an eighteen year old writer of hack news stories develops relationships with...

Interview with Don Miles, author of Cinco de Mayo

Mayra Calvani — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:54:36 EDT

This book was triggered when the principal at an elementary school told the whole school that May fifth was Mexican Independence Day. No it�s not...
In this interview, author and former news director Don Miles talks about his latest book, Cinco de Mayo -- a date most often misunderstood in the US. Don talks about his inspiration for the book and his struggle in finding the right publisher. When did you decide to become an author? Do you have another job besides writing? Believe it or not,...

Book Review: The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Sid Fleischman

Mel Odom — Sun, 9 Mar 2008 11:06:40 EDT

Sid Fleischman works his magic one more time with this tale of pirates and the Mexican War.
Only 12 years old, Edmund Amos Peters has already lived a life filled with incredible adventures. He and his father went down in a ship after leaving New England. Edmund was saved by Captain Gallows, one of the fiercest pirates still taking prizes in 1846. Nicknamed Shipwreck, for obvious reasons, he stays on as a cabin boy for the...

Baseball, Poetry, and Nicaragua

Terence Clarke — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:08:12 EST

They are all the same.
In 1986 I went to Nicaragua with a North American baseball team. The Sandinista government was in full flower at the time, which meant that there was almost nothing to be had in Nicaraguan markets; citizens stood in line for basic foodstuffs. Bulgarians, sent by the Soviet government, were offering rather leaden infrastructure assistance, in this...

TV Review: America's Ballroom Challenge - "American Rhythm"

Alexandria Jackson — Thu, 7 Feb 2008 17:56:15 EST

A pleasure to watch masters of their craft.
America’s Ballroom Challenge is a Public Broadcasting System production that is in its third season. This episode, “American Rhythm,” is the second in a five week series covering the four main categories of ballroom dance: American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard and International Latin.The overall description of...

Interview with Young Adult Author Kim Baccellia

Mayra Calvani — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:32:28 EST

A Mexican-born, Latina author talks about the inspiration that she found in her heritage.
Kim Baccellia is a Latina author who writes young adult ethnic novels. In this interview Kim talks about how her Mexican roots influenced her latest novel, Earrings of Ixtumea, and about writing and publishing. Welcome to Blogcritics, Kim. It’s nice to have you here. Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about your book, and what...

Book Review: Memory of Fire Trilogy by Eduardo Galeano

Terence Clarke — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 03:21:08 EST

For me, the most emotionally truthful take on the history of South America that's ever been written.
Here is a typical complete chapter from surely the strangest book of history I've ever read. 1927: San Gabriel de Jalisco: A Child Looks OnThe mother covers his eyes so he cannot see his grandfather hanging by the feet. And then the mother's hands prevent his seeing his father's body riddled by the bandits' bullets, or his...