"Happy" Tuesday, mis internet amigxs,
To say I am horrified by the escalating violence of ICE in the US is an understatement, but as we all know, action is the antidote for hopelessness. I created the flyer on the left and posted it across all my social media platforms supporting Stand With Minnesota a comprehensive list of mutual aid for Immigrants, legal defense funds, individuals and businesses whose lives and livelihoods have been interrupted by ICE in the Twin Cities. This flyer is available for you to download and share on your socials. No need to credit me.
In case you'd just like to amplify my social media posts instead, you can find them on all my channels, particularly Instagram and Tik Tok (if it's even working at the time of this post going live).
Our communities are being terrorized by roving gangs of untrained, violent, masked individuals and if they haven't come for your community yet, count yourself lucky. LibroFM has made the audiobook of one of the most important books I've read on Mutual Aid available for free this week: Mutual Aid by Dean Spade. Don't just pick it up and read it, share it with your friends and make a plan with your COMMUNITY. American exceptionalism will have you believing you're single-handedly the hero of the story, when the only way we can defeat authoritarianism is through community. I encourage you to find your way in your IRL community in whatever capacity you can to make this country a better and safer place for ALL OF US.
I fear I must once again apologize to Libritos and Lectores members. I was sidetracked last week in getting the spreadsheet uploaded online and with this weekend's event, I was sidelined with grief and anger. It's been hard for me to keep working down my to-do list while also dealing with the Tik Tok change and managing how to be front-facing on social media during this time of political unrest. I hope you can allow me some grace as I navigate all my feelings and my accounts during this time. I so appreciate your support.
However, I DID want to show you how cute the spreadsheet is going to be--LOOK AT THE COLORS AND THE LOGO!!
This spreadsheet will be up and available to view soon for Libritos and Lectores members. Not only will the list contain all the weeks Latine releases, eliminating the double newsletter scenario. I'll also be populating with all previous Latine releases to create a searchable list for those seeking Latine book recommendations, along with buy links and short descriptions. This is an ambitous project, but it's one created with a tremendous amount of amor and passion. I can not wait to share with you. If you've been thinking about becoming a paid subscriber here on Bindery, now is your chance.
Speaking of paid subscribers, I wanted to also make you aware that while I am failing my 31 days of posting in January on YouTube, I have posted 12 videos, including my latest on Indigenous history recommendations. One of the benefits of being a paid Bindery subscriber is that I read your name out in the credits as a thank you, so I wanted to point those that didn't know that I'd begun my journey on YouTube.
Before I share this week's releases with you, I wanted to remind you of a few things going on on our Bien Leidos Discord over the next few weeks:
We're finishing up reading Orange Wine by Esperanza Hope Snyder for January and have 2 upcoming events:
On February 4th, we'll be doing an all day rolling spoilery chat to get all our thoughts about the book out in the open on Discord. If you've been wanting to chat Orange Wine, save the date!
On February 10th at 8PM EST, we'll be chatting on Zoom with Esperanza (the Zoom link to register will be going out later this week)
Our February Book is Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal AND we'll be continuing our nonfiction side quest reading of Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality by Tanya Kateri -Hernandez
Our March-April nonfiction side quest book is Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here by Jonathan Blitzer. I have opened up discussion early in case anyone wants to begin early, seeing as this is a very in-depth look at US immigration policy and the founding of ICE.
We're currently voting on April's fiction pick and the Discord poll has landed us on fantasy and science fiction. I'll be putting up options to vote on in Discord later this week.
Speaking of side quests, we have a BIG journaling presence on Discord and we're scheduling a zoom to share some of our favorite stickers either this weekend or early next week--poll closes later today, so please go vote if you're interested in participating.
And, finally, because no matter how scared they want to make us, I refuse for our stories to be invisible and I'll never not celebrate Latine books...
NONFICTION
P Fkn R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance by Vanessa Díaz & Petra R Rivera-Rideau (Audiobook releases February 24th) Available in both English AND Spanish today!
The Flowers of Good: The Science and the History of Marijuana Liberation by Sidarta Ribeiro and translated by Daniel Hahn (Audiobook)
GRAPHIC NOVEL
The Demon of Beausoleil by Mari Costa
Run Home by Alyssa Bermudez
The Snips: Enter the Wigmaster! by Raul the Third & Elaine Bay and Illustrated by Raul the Third
POETRY
Trilce by César Vallejo and Translated by William Rowe & Helen Dimos
YOUNG ADULT
Tell Me in Secret by Mercedes Ron (Audiobook)
CHILDREN’S
The Beasts of Winter: A Daggers of Ire Novel by J. C. Cervantes (Audiobook)
Aaniin: I See Your Light by Dawn Quigley and Illustrated by Nanibah Chacon
xoxo,
Carmen
