While you're at work or busy running errands, it's hard to imagine beach days full of lying around and basking in all your free time! Top of the list for any good beach day is having a good read, and when you include books written by some awesome Latinx authors whose stories you can easily relate to, there's no going wrong. Here are 17 books that will help you make some pretty great beach memories.
Diane Guerrero is known for her work as an actor, but the family story that got her here is not to be ignored. Her memoir, In the Country We Love, is a look into her family's immigration story and how it molded Guerrero's life.
If you're the kind of beach dweller who loves a relaxing setting but a thriller of a book, Ronsino's Glaxo is not to be missed. The book takes place in Argentina and revolves around the betrayal that exists among a group of friends.
Tired of novels? Delve into a memoir that is bound to inspire you. Julissa Arce worked her way up the corporate ladder at Goldman Sachs, all while being undocumented. My (Underground) American Dream is the story of how she did it and where she is now.
As Cuba comes to the forefront of many conversations, the classic novel Dreaming in Cuban looks into how three women experienced the revolution.
Emma Reyes's self-titled memoir is a Penguin Classic and offers a look into the writer's childhood and how she came up in Colombia's extreme poverty.
Galeano's Open Veins of Latin America offers a look into the more historical, economic, and cultural milestones in Latin America.
Angie Martinez is a hip-hop savant and a pillar of radio. Her interviews with the likes of Jay Z have always been must listens, so it's no surprise that J. Cole wrote the foreword for her memoir, My Voice.
Rivera's novel, The Education of Margot Sanchez, chronicles the life of Margot Sanchez as she comes of age among the South Bronx community.
If you're first generation and currently finding yourself between the pulls of two cultures that are both yours and also not your own, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents is the book for you. Alvarez's novel tells the story of how four sisters, who immigrated to the United States with their Dominican parents, come to find their identities in the US.
Taking a family vacation and already know that you're going to need to escape your family's drama for someone else's? Pick up Caramelo. Throughout this novel, Cisneros uses Ceyala "Lala" Reyes to tell her entire family's story with a special look at how her grandmother's rough personality came to be.
In Make Your Home Among Strangers, Capó Crucet tells the story of a first-generation Cuban-American teenager whose college acceptance sparks an identity crisis and finds her trying to find her footing between two cultures.
Michel Stone's novel Border Child tells the immigration story from the perspective of the parents who want more for their children. The novel revolves around the parents' loss, their desire to get their daughter back, and their need to make ends meet in their day-to-day life.
Enríquez lets her characters lead the reader through the good and bad realities of life in Argentina. Things We Lost in the Fire has been highly praised for its imaginative prose.
Because no book list is complete without a Junot Díaz book. Dive into his first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, where he takes you through his character's life, family, and experiences as a first-generation Dominican American.
Whether you've already read this book or it's your first encounter with Alvarez's work, Before We Were Free is a look into the quiet determination and necessary strength found within Anita de la Torres's life as she maneuvers a Dominican Republic led by dictator Rafael Trujillo.
Sauma's debut novel, Flesh and Bone and Water, is full of storytelling that will mesmerize any reader. It follows one Brazilian boy's journey through childhood, loss, love, and adulthood.
Barefoot Dogs offers a look into how every member of a family can be affected differently by the sudden loss of one of their own, in this case the disappearance of a patriarch of a well-off Mexican family.