Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs!

I'm thrilled to announce that we'll be chatting with Natalia Hernandez, author of our May book club selection, Asiri and the Amaru on Monday, June 1st at 8:00 PM EST. The Zoom invite is below!

If you're wondering why I didn't say our chat was in lieu of weekly sprints, it's because sprints have been moved to a monthly schedule as I work on some other initiatives. Our schedule now is the second Monday of the month, meaning our next official Discord sprint session is Monday, June 8th at 8:00 PM EST.

Be on the lookout for future announcements and changes to our Bien Leidos schedule coming up very soon.

If you have questions for Natalia, there is a thread on Discord open through May 31st for you to drop our questions.

As always, the chat link below is for Bien Leidos Bindery members only. DO NOT SHARE THIS LINK WITH OTHERS:

Topic: Bien Leidos Author Chat: Natalia Hernandez
Time: Jun 1, 2026 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs!

I hope everyone had a relaxing Decoration, i.e., Memorial Day and that those that had a 3 day weekend truly enjoyed the additional time off.

Before I begin with book club reminders, I have seen the violent footage form Delaney Hall yesterday (tw: police violence), that lead to friends being attacked an a US Senator, Andy Kim, being pepper sprayed for trying to provide oversight of the facility. I feel like I have run out of words to describe the horrors I see everyday in this country, but I will continue to witness and help where I can. Currently, I am trying to find mutual aid to donate to for protestors. I've reached out to friends who were there this weekend and am waiting to hear back from them. If you know of any, please feel free to comment them below so that I can share and amplify.

AUTHOR CHAT

Our author chat with Natalia Hernandez is coming up on Monday, June 1st at 8 PM EST. The private Zoom link to attend is here. The conversation will be recorded for those who miss it. If you are joining, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TURN OFF YOUR CAMERA AND MICROPHONE.

There is still time to read the book! I read it in 2 sittings this weekend. It is a quick and fun cozy romp that I highly recommend. It's on Kindle Unlimited for those with subscriptions.

JUNE BOOK CLUB

I can't believe June is right around the corner. Our fiction read is And I'll Take Out Your Eyes by A. M. Sosa, a debut following a queer Chicano’s cannon-shot into adulthood amidst familial turmoil and the suffocating violence of Stockton, California in the early 2000s.

We're also still reading our May nonfiction pick through the end of June, Accordion Eulogies, a memoir of music, migration and Mexcio that is also a micro-history of the accordion.

July book club polls for both fiction and nonfiction will be up this week!

As we look out for the rest of the year of book club:

• In August, we'll be reading The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (fiction pick)

• October's fiction pick is You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado

Community support

Building community through Bindery is how I can make a difference in publishing and continue to push for more Latinx representation in publishing. If you are looking to support my work, there are 2 paid tiers that provide crucial monthly financial support to keep my work going.

And now, May 26th Latine Releases...

LITERARY FICTION

Pretend You're Dead, I'll Carry You by Julián Delgado Lopera (Audiobook)

MIDDLE GRADE

The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp and Illustrated by Heidi Moreno (Audiobook)

Five Days at the Hotel Adams by Hailey Alcaraz (Audiobook)

YOUNG ADULT

How to Love You When You’re Gone by Gabriela Gonzales (Audiobook)

We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore (Audiobook)

PICTURE BOOK

Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona and illustrated by Sara Palacios

xo,

Carmen

Carmen

Happy Wednesday, mis internet amigxs!

My original post disappeared, so here I am recalling as much as I could from the original text...needless to say, this isn't a comprehensive overview of the weekend, but more why it's the best bookish vibe of the year in my opinion. If you have any questions, then please drop them in the comments!

I spent the weekend at a book even like no other, created by book content creators FOR book content creators, where we have NUANCED bookish conversations that we started online. In-person panels discuss the hard questions and we always get to interact with Q&A at the end. It's called BookNet Fest. This past weekend, we discussed everything from anti-intellectualism, book bans, hobbies, our favorite tropes, overconsumption and so much more.

I've attended 5 BNF's because Marines and Sam put on a spectacular and thoughtful event every single year and it just gets better every year. I'm always blown away by the intimacy of the event.

Obviously, I attend for the panels, but it's the people that keep me coming back year after year. And this year, I got to see even more book friends AND, most importantly, SO members of Bien Leidos Book club. Hanging out wit Angie, Zuki, Nani, Michelle, Allison, and G all weekend was delightful and we had the BEST dinner at Disney Springs. I really hope this is the start of a tradition.

I cried on all 3 of my panels:

• The Things We Do For Fun

• The Book Community As Courtroom

• Creating In The Attention Economy

The entire weekend was so gentle and affirming. It filled my bookish heart and mind to see and interact with so many bookish friends, ESPECIALLY getting to spend so much quality time with Bien Leidos Discord members who I chat with online so often but we live so far away from one another. It was treasured moment after treasured moment.

This year, I FINALLY attended Prom, which was such a delightful way to end the weekend.

Overall, I said "I love you" approximately 1,000,000 times last weekend and all I want to is go back...Dates for next year aren't confirmed yet, but you better believe I will be there. Who's down?

Until 2027,

Carmen

Happy Tuesday, misinternet amigxs,

I'm still coming down from BookNet Fest Weekend (roundup post coming tomorrow), so, for now, I'll leave you with a couple of book club announcements before getting to this week's releases.

We're still currently reading Asiri and the Amaru by Natalia Hernandez and Accordion Eulogies by Noe Alvarez. It's not too late to join for either, but especially for Accordion Eulogies because we're reading it through the end of June.

There will also be a poll this week on Discord to schedule our author chat with Natalia Hernandez in early June.

A note on programming, effective immediately, we'll be taking official Monday night sprints from weekly to a monthly event, on the second Monday of every month, meaning our next sprint will be Monday, June 8th. Also, Journaling/Sticker night is cancelled this month as well. I'm working on some alternatives that I hope will more than make up for these changes. Watch this space for more announcements and polls as we move forward!

And now onto this week's Latine book releases...

MEMOIR

The Keeper of My Kin by Ada Ferrer (Audiobook)

ROMANCE

I'm Gonna Get You Back by Eva Des Lauriers (Audiobook)

Running Home To You by Samantha Saldivar (Audiobook)

TRANSLATED LITERARY FICTION

Tarantula by Eduardo Halfon and Translated by Daniel Hahn

NONFICTION

What Science Says about Astrology by Carlos Orsi

Good morning, mis internet amigxs,

Bien Leidos Discord is cooking up some activities for the World Cup that you won't want to miss! Announcements will be coming soon, but if you'd like to find out more, head over to Discord.

If you'd like to volunteer and get in on planning activities, we have a poll up that ends later today (Wednesday, May 13th).

Either way, we'd love to have you in community with us over on Discord.

xo,

Carmen

Happy Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,

I'm getting ready for BookNet Fest in Orlando this weekend. I'll be on two panels that should be announced soon. Bien Leidos has a meet-up thread on Discord. If you're going, I'd love to see you!

Please note there's a poll included with this roundup...I'm very interested in your response and thoughts.

And now, here are today's releases...

NONFICITON

Migrant Heart: Reyna Grande (Audiobook)

ROMANCE

The Last Page by Katie Holt (Audiobook)

Burnout Summer Jenna Ramirez (Audiobook)

MIDDLE GRADE

Our Fair Share by Sarah Marie Jette

POETRY

Canícula / Dog Days by William Archila and Translated by Mario Zetino

WOMEN'S FICTION

Please Don't Go by E. Salvador (Audiobook)

TRANSLATED FICTION

Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Monica Ojeda

xo,

Carmen

Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs,

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! 💐

Today we hold space for celebration, but also for the complicated feelings of love, grief, estrangement, or loss that may accompany this day.

No matter how today finds you, sending you all extra love and a hug today. xo

Please note there's a poll included with this roundup...I'm very interested in your response and thoughts.

And now, here are the remainder of May releases...

May 12th Latine Releases

NONFICITON

Migrant Heart: Reyna Grande (Audiobook) Memoir in essays that illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival

ROMANCE

The Last Page by Katie Holt (Audiobook) Bookish contemporary romance for fans of Emily Henry

Burnout Summer Jenna Ramirez (Audiobook) Beachy friends-to-lovers romance taking place post-grad summer

MIDDLE GRADE

Our Fair Share by Sarah Marie Jette (Audiobook) Follows friends as they reunite at a county fair in Maine to overcome both their personal troubles and take care of their community in need

POETRY

Canícula / Dog Days by William Archila and Translated by Mario Zetino: Bilingual poetry collection El Salvadoran poet, Archila

WOMEN'S FICTION

Please Don't Go by E. Salvador (Audiobook) From the cover, I thought this might be a romance (I usually will just pick up books without reading the synopsis), but don't be like me...I began listening to this audiobook thanks to an advanced listening copy from LibroFM and I had to put it down. It was too sad and grief-stricken for me to continue. I got about 20% of the way into it and had to put it down.

TRANSLATED FICTION

Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun by Monica Ojeda (Audiobook) Ecuadorian author, Ojeda, is back with a psychadelic novel of girlhood, violence and the loss of innocence.

May 19th

MEMOIR

The Keeper of My Kin by Ada Ferrer (Audiobook) Cuban historian, Ferrer's, memoir of migration, separation and love.

ROMANCE

I'm Gonna Get You Back by Eva Des Lauriers (Audiobook) Second chance contemporary romance

Running Home To You by Samantha Saldivar (Audiobook) Sapphic sports romance from the author of Play You For It.

TRANSLATED LITERARY FICTION

Tarantula by Eduardo Halfon and Translated by Daniel Hahn: Lessons for childhood sleepaway camp return in this dark historical fiction.

NONFICTION

What Science Says about Astrology by Carlos Orsi: 2026 has been my metaphysical and astrology year, so this one has my interest quite piqued.

May 26th

PICTURE BOOK

Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona and illustrated by Sara Palacios Children's picture book A girl who goes surfing with her Lita and finally makes friends with her fears and catches her first wave!

MIDDLE GRADE

Five Days at the Hotel Adams by Hailey Alcaraz (Audiobook) Clue x The Room Where It Happens about 2 Mexican girls uncovering a mystery in a famous hotel in territorial Arizona

The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp and Illustrated by Heidi Moreno (Audiobook) Is this about Bien Leidos book club? NO....this is The Sisterhood of the Travellling Pants meets Mexikid about 4 friends and the magical bookstore that holds them together.

YOUNG ADULT

How to Love You When You’re Gone by Gabriela Gonzales (Audiobook) Falling in love for the first time while grieving in this complex, hysterical and heartbreaking YA.

We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore (Audiobook) White Lotus meets Mexican Gothic--2 teen con artists must execute an impossible scam

LITERARY FICTION

Pretend You're Dead, I'll Carry You by Julián Delgado Lopera (Audiobook) Set in Colombia's queer underground scene--I'm listening to this right now and it's a chaotic and vibrant queer explosion. Can't wait to review it.

xo,

Carmen