6 Must-Read Fiction Books by Latina Authors: Fantasy, Romance, and More

 graphic design displaying the covers of six fiction books authored by Latina writers.

Whether you’re a highly active reader or a casual one, you’re probably aware of the lack of diversity in the publishing industry. As a shock to no one, most traditionally published authors are White. According to The Diversity Baseline Survey published in 2019, 76% of authors were White, while only 6% were Latine and 5% were Black and Afro-Latine.

Granted, publishers have been making changes in recent years to achieve more diversification, but systemic change takes time. In the meantime, we should support Latina authors at every turn. To do that, here are 6 must-read fiction books by Latina authors. And don’t worry, we bring a good variety of genres!


Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

cover of the book Sabrina & Corina: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Sabrina & Corina is the kind of short story collection that opens doors, allowing you to walk into the life of the characters. Exploring themes like friendship, mother and daughter relationships, and more, the stories focus on Latinas of indigenous ancestry living in Denver, Colorado, and how they navigate their land. Each story is unique, full of poignant moments of strength and melancholy.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

cover of the book The Hacienda by Isabel Ca\u00f1as

If you enjoy a good haunted house story, you’re going to love this one. The Hacienda combines gothic horror, historical fiction, and a dash of slow-burn romance. Set after the Mexican War of Independence, the story follows Beatriz as she moves into Hacienda San Isidro after marrying Don Rodolfo Solórzano. Beatriz lost everything in the war and she would do anything to find a home again. Instead, she finds herself thrust into a battle with darkness, both inside and outside of the human realm. Atmospheric, beautifully written, and very engaging!

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

cover of the book Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Adults often keep away from YA fiction, but in doing so they’re missing out on amazing stories. Clap When You Land is a great example of that and it explores themes like grief and love. It follows two sisters; Camino Rios living in the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira Rios, living in New York City. One day, they get the devastating news that their father has died in the Flight 587 plane crash (based on true events), forcing the two girls to face their new reality and bridge the distance between them. It’s written in verse, so the novel is lyrical and beautiful, but most of all, powerful.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

Cover of the book What the River Knows by Isabel Iba\u00f1ez

What the River Knows transports readers to Cairo, Egypt, where Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera is set on discovering the truth behind her parents’ deaths. This is a historical fantasy full of adventure, magic, mystery, and romance. It’s surprising and immersive, so it’s the perfect choice if you just want to disconnect from real life. The writing is captivating and it will take you on quite a ride. Highly recommended for fans of The Mummy (1999)!

West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

cover of the book West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

We all need to swoon, kick our feet, and twirl our hair every once in a while. That’s where good romance books come in, and West Side Love Story doesn’t disappoint. It’s a Latino retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in San Antonio, where we follow star-crossed lovers Mariana Capuleta and Angelo Montero. They’re members of feuding families and competing mariachi bands, but the heart wants what it wants. The story is very moving and full of secrets, sacrifices, and betrayals. Will love prevail?

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

cover of the book Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Family Lore is Elizabeth Acevedo’s adult debut novel and it tells the story of a Dominican-American family through the perspectives of its six women. Each of these women has a unique gift, so the novel explores the challenges they’ve had to face as well as their victories in life. It’s been compared to 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez because it’s a family saga that moves back and forth in time, with a core mystery that keeps readers engaged. It’s also full of magical realism and Latin American culture!

a woman giving the side eye to a man

Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

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Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”

flags of latin american countries fly behind performers wearing culturally traditional clothing

Ever noticed how September in Latin America is just one big celebration? As we wave goodbye to summer and avoid winter as long as we can, the streets come alive with parades, music, and festivities. Many Latin American countries celebrate their freedom this month, commemorating their hard-fought battles for independence from colonial domination. Let’s dive into these significant days and understand what makes each unique.

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