Books that feel like a good conversation with a friend — back to school edition

There’s something powerful about reading something that resonates so deeply with you and your culture. As someone who identifies as Afro Latino and proudly Dominican-American, I’ve found a sense of comfort and clarity with certain books. Especially in a time where our latino identity and stories need to be celebrated, these books allowed me to feel seen and heard. These reads are perfect for easing back into a routine, sparking self-reflection, or simply offering comfort during the back-to-school transition

1. Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sánchez
Sánchez delivers something raw but also comical, it’s a memoir in essays. She writes with an open heart about mental health, her views on feminism, religion, and growing up in a working class Mexican household in Chicago. Her voice is equal parts raunchy as it is radical in some sense, the story has an edge that challenges the expectations often placed on Latinas.
Why it’s good: It’s refreshing to read a memoir that doesn’t sugarcoat the chaos of becoming one’s self, especially for a latina in a big city like Chicago. Sánchez is unapologetic in her honesty, making readers resonate with so much that she is going through as a Latina in a big city.
Why it resonates with me: The story resonates with me because it reminds me that I don’t have to code switch or conform to fit in. As someone who grew up in New York, the chaos of the big city hit home. Also, her ability to honor her roots while rebelling against cultural limitations kind of reflected my own journey as an LGBT Latino man.

2. Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
This story is about an undocumented immigrant trying to survive her senior year at Harvard. As she wrestles with the elite academic world, questions around her undocumented status and also explores her evolving sexuality and sense of self.
Why it’s good: The story brings an authentic, underrepresented voice. The story is empathetic, and infused with that inner chaos of trying to fit in as a latino in elite spaces that don’t often include us. This seems like the perfect time to read a book like this, where oftentimes Latino’s feel underrepresented and underappreciated in today’s society, it’s a book that will resonate with every latino who has ever felt like an outsider.
Why it resonates with me: As someone who has navigated predominantly non latino spaces in Hollywood, I have been around such privilege while carrying the weight of my family’s sacrifices of coming to this country from the Dominican Republic. I can’t lie, there are often times of imposter syndrome that take place in my mind, this story hit home as I resonated so deeply with the story. As latino’s we know what it’s like to question if you belong while carrying the pressure to succeed.

3. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende
Set in 1866 San Francisco, the story follows Emilia del Valle who was born to an Irish nun and a mysterious Chilean aristocrat. Raised by a caring stepfather, Emilia grows into this bold, independent woman who starts publishing fiction under a fake male name just to be taken seriously. But that’s not enough for her. She becomes a journalist, chases the story all the way to Chile, and along the way, starts to uncover the truth about her roots, her real father, and the country that shaped her.
Why it’s good: Who doesn’t love a good drama? The story is giving mystery, drama and all that’s in between. The story also tackles the want and need for many of us to uncover the truths about our roots and what makes us who we are.
Why it resonates with me: Emilia’s ambition and desire to uncover her roots hit home. As a journalist, like her, I’m chasing both personal truth and trying to create a legacy through my writing. Her fight to write her own story, even when society tells her no, definitely hits home with my own personal story, which is to create and represent a space for Afro Latino voices in media, in rooms where we’ve been shut out for too long.

4. Oye by Melissa Mogollón
Told through a series of voicemails from a Colombian-American teen to her cousin, Oye feels like you’re eavesdropping on your own family drama as it’s loud, messy, but also full of heart. It’s emotional, funny, and packed with that unfiltered chisme energy. If you grew up in a house where everyone talks over each other but somehow still understands everything, this one hits.
Why it’s good: Mogollón’s format is refreshing and raw. Like I said earlier, it feels like you’re eavesdropping on someone’s private family drama, but the chisme is so good you can’t stop listening.
Why it resonates with me: I can’t lie, as a Latino from New York, Oye sounds like my family. The chisme, the chaos, but also the comfort, it’s all there. It reminded me of growing up in a loud, loving, and sometimes complicated household, and the way we process life through stories, jokes, and in this case voicemails.

These four books are more than just powerful reads for any Latino trying to navigate life in 2025 but they also serve as proof that our stories matter. These stories remind me that we’re not here to simply get by or blend in with others, we’re here to take up space, to create, and to leave long lasting legacies, one in which our ancestors would be proud of.
Each page is a step toward rewriting the narrative, claiming our latino identities that have too often been overlooked or misunderstood. Whether through humor, heartbreak, history, or even chisme, these stories show what it looks like to tell our truth with courage. We’re not just surviving, we’re thriving!