9 Books by Latin Writers You'll Want to Read at the Beach

The Ladies of Managua by Eleni Gage was inspired by the Greek author’s marriage to her Nicaraguan husband, her daughter (who she calls “Greekaraguan”), and her new Latino family. Written while she spent seven months in Nicaragua, Gage’s novel follows three generations of women mourning the death of their patriarch in their homeland.

With this novel, the award-winning Chilean-American author pens a serial-killer whodunit about a crime-novel-loving teen who decides to investigate a string of local San Francisco murders — but finds herself in too deep when her own mother goes missing. Read this chilling thriller when you're not alone.

Grey by E L James tells the sexy story of Fifty Shades of Grey from Christian Grey’s perspective, adding yet another chapter to the British author’s ode to eroticism, romance, and dominatrix. Caution: you might want to read this steamy read in the air conditioning. (And yes, the writer is Latina — her mom’s Chilean!)

The Power Playbook: Rules for Independence, Money, and Success by La La Anthony is the TV host’s no-nonsense guide to becoming a #boss, based on her own rise from a Puerto Rican girl raised in Brooklyn to a successful entrepreneur, television host, and reality star. Prepare to be feel empowered!

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass (a Puerto Rican writer from South Carolina) is a deliciously irresistible five-book YA series about thirty-five girls who get “selected” to live in a palace and fight for a prince’s love. It sounds glamorous, but when the protagonist, America Singer, finds herself caught in a love triangle, things get complicated. Catch up on the first four books in the series (plus two novellas told from the perspective of the male characters) before the next installment is released this Fall.

The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes is legendary New York Yankee catcher Jorge Posada’s biography, starting at the baseball fields of Puerto Rico and ending with a celebrated 17-year season with the Yankees. But at the heart of this memoir — after all the lights of a bright career ended — are stories about the lessons a boy learned from his father.

Sor Juana De La Cruz Selected Works is a new English translation of the feminist poet’s best work. With a thoughtful introduction by Julia Alvarez, the collection is a roundup of the writer’s sonnets and verses about everything from religion to beauty to love.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez is an unputdownable page-turner. We won’t give away too much, but the basics: (Panamanian) boy meets (Mexican) girl, girl meets boy . . . and in between the reader gets lost in an immigrant community, family obstacles, and, best of all, teenage love.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez is a must-read for every Latina. Chances are you read it as an adolescent, whether at school or for pleasure, but if you haven’t, run (don’t walk!) to your nearest bookstore or device to get your hands on a copy. And if you have read it, trust us: rereading this coming-of-age tale about four Dominican sisters who move to the states and discover love, American culture, and themselves is just as riveting the second — or third or fourth — time.