Meet Your Local Author Day!

 

We had a DELIGHTFUL time at ‘meet your local author’ day last Sunday December 9^th!

The range of works by local authors is extraordinary!  

You can pick up a book of Spanish verse, find a comic book about Latinos in Manhattan, learn how to make a cocktail, enjoy a bilingual children’s book, compare experiences growing up on the border, follow characters through stories that span decades and continents. 

Authors and fans mingled, enjoying the guacamole (thank you Arlen Gargagliano!) and hot chocolate provided by Chocolate HERNAN.  

 

 

There are  many opportunities to find a new voice to follow, stop by our shelves to see what local author you want to get to know!

A list of the authors we hosted on Sunday:
Abraham Garcia Alvarado
Arlene Davila
Arlen Gargagliano
Charlie Vazquez
Charles Rice Gonzalez
Chris Bell
Dalhma Llanos Figueroa
Elizabeth Balaguqer
Erasmo Guerra
Ernesto Quinonez
Felipe Galindo
Gema Santamaria
Jake Perez
Junot Diaz
Manuel Melendez
Maria Arrillaga
Miguel Angel Ruiz
Marshalla Ramos
Maria Aponte
Manuel Fihman
Myrna Nieves
Mirta Ojito
Nina Jaffe
Nicholasa Mohr
Odette Casamayor
Raquel Penzo
Sergio Troncoso
Torrey Maldonado
Virginia Gift

We’ll soon be posting pictures of each author and what they had to say about La Casa Azul Bookstore!
(http://pinterest.com/lacasaazulbooks/)

2 events in one night!

Last Thursday December 6 was a busy night at La Casa Azul Bookstore. We hosted two important events: the screening of the rough-cut of the documentary Black and Cuba by Progressive Pupil and a reading by Sujeiry González from her book Love Trips, a collection of personal essays.

BLACK AND CUBA

Black and Cuba documents the intellectual journey that led a group of black students at Yale to study the history of diaspora and revolution in Cuba. The students eventually managed to fund a trip to Cuba, where they discovered a state of greater educational opportunities and a different model for embracing racial identity. The film is still a work-in-progress (though well on its way) and its makers ask for audience feedback at the end of the screenings. If you would like to attend one of their screenings or have a venue to propose, visit: http://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/tag/black-and-cuba/

Watch the trailer here: 

 

LOVE TRIPS 

Sujeiry González, author of Love Trips, shared her wit and experience at La Casa Azul Bookstore this Thursday. The evening included a round of the game ‘never have I ever’ (details on our twitter).

Her website, http://lovesujeiry.com/, describes the book like this:

 “Sujeiry Gonzalez is missing one thing in her life – the love of a man! Instead, she’s stuck with bad sex, boring studs and men who just can’t commit. In this relatable collection of personal essays, Sujeiry takes readers into her love trips. From 25 to 33 years of age, she describes her stumbles with humor, vulnerability and rawness. As you read, you will shake your head at Sujeiry’s drunk dialing and many breakdowns. You will laugh as she explores the world of psychics, brujos, and tarot. You will cry when she is heartbroken after committing to the wrong man (again!). Readers will root for Sujeiry to find love and the self-worth she lacks and needs. Most importantly, women everywhere will find an ally in Sujeiry, as we all desire the love of a King that deserves our heart.”

Entertaining, endearing, and insightful, the book has already gathered plenty of fans.

Come check it out at La Casa Azul Bookstore!

Visit: www.lacasaazulbookstore.com

Follow: @LaCasaAzulBooks

 

Si! Bilingual is better!

We’d like to introduce you to an exciting new book on our shelves:

Bilingual is Better: Two Latina Moms on How the the Bilingual Parenting Revolution is Changing the Face of America is a book that responds to the question: “what if all children in America, regardless of their cultural background, would actually benefit from learning two languages?”

The authors, Roxana A. Soto and Ana L. Flores, are media professionals and the founders of the popular blog SpanglishBaby.com (voted a ‘must read Mom’s blog’ by Parenting Magazine).

Here they combine memoir with up-to-date research on the topic of bilingualism, debunking myths and offering tips and even a great list of resources at the end of the book.  

Come in and see how this book can speak to you.




 
And, while you’re at it, discover some delightful bilingual children’s books we have at La Casa Azul Bookstore, such as:
 
What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated Magaly Morales


Hairs/ Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros, illustrated by Terry Ybáñez
 
Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx/ La juez que creció en el Bronx by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Edel Rodríguez

Before the Rain, by Luisita Lopez Torregosa

Luisita López Torregrosa, author, columnist at the International Herald Tribune, and former editor of the NY Times, was with us last Thursday to read a few passages from her recently published book Before the Rain: A Memoir of Love and Revolution.

At the reading, we were introduced to the spark that led the author to follow fellow journalist Elizabeth to the Philippines, where their relationship developed in the midst the revolution of 1986. An attendant at the reading described the book as the telling of ‘a revolution inside and out’.The author added it is ‘a love story between two people, but also a romance with journalism.’

After the reading, we talked to López Torregrosa about her writing process, her almost photographic memory, the allure of being a foreign correspondent in the 80s, the publishing industry nowadays, and her upcoming projects.

We were so taken by the conversation that we almost forgot to ask the López Torregrosa what other books at La Casa Azul she recommends. We remembered just before saying goodnight and she pointed out:

Finding Mañana by Mirta Ojito 

In the Time of the Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent by Julia Alvarez

Follow the author at: https://twitter.com/luisitalt

Find, also, her earlier memoir entitled The Noise of Infinite Longing.