thecafeconlecheproject's reviews
38 reviews

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

4.0

Okay I definitely bought into the hype for this one but wowwww am I the only person that didn’t see it coming until close to the very end??

The Affairs of the Falcóns by Melissa Rivero

4.0

An incredible book from start to finish. As someone that understands the nuances of the immigration process I am deeply appreciative of the way that Melissa Rivero is able to capture the obstacles that Ana & her family endure on their quest for their family, peace, & freedom. It also serves as an important reminder that we will never know someone’s complete story & everything they are going through.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez

4.0

This book resonated with me on so many levels. Sanchez really attacked so many issues like death, mental illness, immigration, & assault. Something that stood out to me the most, especially for a YA novel, is how well she wrote about how we as children struggle to bridge that generational divide between our parents that grew up in Mexico & those of us that grew up in America. This book felt so personal to me, at times I found myself dog-earring almost back to back pages. This book gets allll of the love from me!

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

4.0

One of my all-time favorite reads & definitely one of my favorite of Toni Morrison’s

Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

5.0

This book is an absolute must read for anyone wanting to understand the complexities of the immigrants experience in America. This memoir is beautiful, painful, and important. This is my first read by Marcelo, but straight from the jump you realize that he is a true poet. His prose is so beautiful & painful in a way that left me to deal with my own nostalgia all day long yesterday - seriously, that feeling is not something I have been able to shake since finishing this book. This coming of age memoir details major themes like family separation, migrant detention, and border politics. If this one isn’t on your radar yet, I highly recommend addicting it to your tar. This is one I’ll definitely be buying a hard copy of. I already look forward to reading this again.

“I ventured to believe that the function of the border wasn’t only to keep people out, at least that was not its long term fiction. It’s other purpose was to be visible, to be seen, to be carried in the imaginations of migrants deep into the interior of the country, in the interior of their minds. It was a spectacle meant to be witnessed by the world, and all of its death and violence was and continues to be a form of social control...”

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

4.0

Okay, for me, I’ll admit I had no expectations going into this book - I hadn’t read any reviews or anything - and it still wasn’t what I expected it to be but in the best way possible. This book was published in 1993 & is set in 2024-2027. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone that has yet to read this, however, the most mind blowing aspect of this novel to me is the fact that so many of the things that occurred in this book or that Octavia predicted, are current issues we are facing or will soon be facing if we don’t change our course of action. I stayed up late into the night rage reading this & immediately starting Parable of the Talents - this is a story that will truly stick with you.

How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation by Maureen Johnson

3.0

I really enjoyed this book. It’s marketed for younger people but I think it’s something we could all listen to. It’s so short it reads more like a podcast episode in the best way

Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde

5.0

Words can hardly begin to describe the experience that this book is. This collection of essays & speeches by Audre Lord is truly so spellbinding I stg it made me feel like I was opening my third eye. These essays written between 1976 and 1984 are timeless, and they feel as relevant today as ever before. If you’re craving a life changing read on the intersection of race, gender and sexuality, solidarity, and especially to learn a little about yourself, please do yourself a favor & read this book.

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

4.0

Anyone down to read about global pandemics during a global pandemic? - I think that reading this during this exacto time period really magnifies the extremities occurring during “The Pox”, the apocalypse created in this series by Octavia Butler. It’s even more unnerving to think about the fact that she wrote this in 1998 but the things occurring in this novel reflect things happening in our society today. To name one example out of many, the way the presidential administration manipulates religion to control & gain power in this novel so closely resembles our current administration had me audibly shocked by the gross similarities. Does a religiously fanatic, fear & hate-mongering president sound familiar to anyone?

Sula by Toni Morrison

5.0

Sula is now the third novel of Toni Morrison’s that I’ve read & dare I say.. I think its my new favorite. By now I’ve seen a lot of takes on this novel but I think the most important question Toni forces you to reckon with is your own interpretation of good & evil, & ultimately demonstrates that the two often resemble one another more than you’d think.