Today’s Top Ten Tuesday post from the Broke and Bookish is to list the Top Ten All Time Favorite books of X Genre. So, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month which begins September 15, I thought I’d devote this Top Ten Tuesday post to my favorites in Latin American fiction.
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. I also highly recommend the movie.
Love In the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I’m a big fan of GGM and second up to this novel would be his short story collection Strange Pilgrims.
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende. This was my first Allende read and I became hooked on her stories. I’ve read many of her books but my favorites are her earlier novels.
The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. Magic and history.
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. I’ve heard of this author referred to as the father of Chicano literature.
The Years with Laura Diaz by Carlos Fuentes. If you’ve never read Fuentes, I would suggest starting with this very readable and grand story.
Loving Pedro Infante by Denise Chavez. Filled with humor and memorable characters.
Esperanza’s Box of Saints by Maria Amparo Escandon. Magical realism and a mother in search of her daughter.
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez. Stories of daughters and going back to their roots in the Dominican Republic.
Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros. I loved Lala’s character and could relate to the long car trips her family made ever year to visit their extended family in Mexico.
I just realized too that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Isabel Allende, Luis Alberto Urea, Denise Chavez and Sandra Cisneros at various reading events. Wonderful storytellers.
Have you read any of these books? I hope you’ll find a book that interests you. Let me know if you have some wonderful Latin American fiction to recommend.
You have a lot of interesting books on your list. I hope that you’ve been enjoying what you’ve read.
My favourites of Allende are her earlier works, too. Some of her later stuff I have not liked at all… I wish she would go back to her older style for a bit!
Allende is one of my favorite authors. I also like her earlier work better, but I do love one of her recent books, Maya’s Notebook. Great list!
You can find my TTT here: https://4thhouseontheleft.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/top-ten-tuesday-all-time-favorite-books-in-x-genre/
I’m going to a book group this afternoon that is discussing MY BELOVED WORLD by Sonia Sotomayor, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month! I didn’t get the book read, but I’ll enjoy the discussion anyway. I think I’ve only read one Allende book, PAULA. Discussed that one with a group too. I found it very emotional – enjoyed it.
The only ones I’ve read are Like Water for Chocolate, Bless Me, Ultima, and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. I have not read Urrea’s The Hummingbird’s Daughter, but I loved his Into the Beautiful North!
Nice list. And so envious that you got to see all those writers at readings!
I’ve been watching movies for Hispanic Heritage Month. Last week I saw a wonderful (though sad) Guatemalan film called Ixcanul. Tonight I am going to see a Cuban-Irish film called Viva. I’ve read a number of the books on your list–should really read one (not yet read) in honor of the month….I have Caramelo, which sounds really good, too! I love Isabel Allende and would love to meet her–how cool you have met so many of the authors!
Interesting list. I’ve acquired a few Gabriel García Márquez books while I’ve been blogging, but I’ve only read Chronicle of a Death Foretold, which I enjoyed. I really should get around to reading some more.
Diane – It was a bit hard to come up with this list as I love so many others by these authors too but it was fun to put this together.
Kailana – I totally agree. I don’t know why but it seems her style just changed. Plus she’s also written more books set in the U.S. and I guess I want to read about books set in Latin America. Probably not fair but there you go.
Alisia – Maya’s book is a YA book isn’t it? I actually am not very caught up on some of her latest books but I should!
Kay – Oh I can’t wait to hear how your discussion on that goes. I don’t read a lot of biographies but I do think her’s would be interesting.
Jenclair – I do have Into the Blue North on my shelf and just haven’t gotten around to it. I also have one of his non fiction books but I think it’s one I have to “prepare” myself for as it deals with immigrants and the struggles they go through. I’m sure it’s sad.
Stefanie – When I started putting the list together that’s when it hit me, how many I had met. All were so interesting and I’m sure I was totally acting like a fan girl 🙂
Danielle – Those movies sound great! I hope you give us some reviews on your blog. I don’t watch a lot of new films from Latin America but I do enjoy a lot of the older Mexican films from the Golden age. Such good stories and great actors.
Darren – I hope you get a chance to read more GGM. Such a wonderful writer!
I haven’t read any of the books on your list–but what a great list! I have a few of the books you mention on my TBR pile at least. I just need to get to them. I heard great things about Luis Alberto Urrea’s books and have a couple of them. I have read other books by Susan Cisneros, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Isabel Allende before. I’m afraid the Marquez and Allende books I read were not particular favorites of mine. It’s kind of put me off Marquez all together, but I do want to give Allende another try.
These are great suggestions! Thanks for posting this list. I have read Julia Alvarez’s Yo! (which I loved) but I haven’t gone back to read more of her books on the same characters. I need to! Like Water for Chocolate, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Isabel Allende are on my must-read list!
I love these Top Ten lists and wish I were more organized to participate. Maybe next year…
I’ve read Like Water for Chocolate and Bless Me, Ultima. Loved both of them. They’re actually both on my re-read list, so maybe that will happen sometime, as well. 🙂
Literary Feline – Which Marquez did you read? If you started with 100 Years of Solitude I think I would understand 🙂 I’ve really enjoyed Allende’s books but definitely prefer her older fiction.
Athira – I hope you get a chance to check out some of those. Like Water for Chocolate is awesome. Such a great book.
Les in NE – I’m trying to be a bit better about remembering the memes that go around the blogosphere. Such great topics but you do have to “prepare” for them a bit. One of these days I would love to re-read Bless Me, Ultima. I can’t believe that’s also been on banned books list. Goodness.