Happy Friday, mis internet amigxs!

Latinx Heritage Month 2026 has ended and you're STILL here reading Latinx Books. Kudos to you for reading Latinx books 365 days of the year and being a member of Bien Leidos Book Club! Thank you for being here and supporting me, but, most of all, thank you for committing to support Latinx books all year long.

If you want to be the first to the book chisme and receive early Latinx book releases every month, or just want to support me as a creator now that Latinx Heritage Month is over, then please consider upgrading your membership to a paid tier.

Since we're in fourth quarter and I know everyone is already scrambling to meet their year-end reading goals, I wanted to re-introduce you to out Bien Leidos Latinx Book Bingo Card to keep you motivated to read a wide variety of Latinx books throughout the remainder of the year (I'll be polling for 2027 squares soon, so keep your eyes peeled!).

I've updated our bingo card aesthetic with elements from Manuela Guillén's profile artwork I commissioned a while back and use here on Bindery. None of the categories have changed, just the aesthetic.

Also, I'm in the final stages of planning some giveaways for Bien Leidos members that get bingo and will get up a submission form soon. These goodies will be EXCLUSIVELY for YOU as a token of my thanks for being here and helping build the Bien Leidos community.

If you are looking for recommendations for any category, I made videos at the beginning of the year highlighting books in every category earlier this year. You can find them on YouTube. Video 1 and Part 2

If there's a particular category you need more recommendations on, then please let me know in the comments!

NONFICTION & DECEMBER FICTION BOOK CLUB UPDATE

I'll be posting on social media soon, but a reminder that our November book club selection is Beginning, Middle End by Valeria Luiselli. We'll be reading all November and celebrating all the Latine Excellence at the National Book Awards.

As many of you know, I'm facing a number of personal challenges right now, so I'm changing our November - December Nonfiction book, as well as our December book format. Instead of dictating a book, I'm challenging you to fill in an additional bingo square (or 2 or more!) before the end of the year by selecting a book in a category you haven't filled in yet on your Bingo Card. I'll be doing the same and reading along with you. We'll be checking in during sprints nights and on Discord regularly about books we selected and why.

I appreciate your patience with me as I continue to adapt to a new reality as well as for being a part of this strong community uplifting Latinx books. I am forever grateful for each and every one of you.

xo,

Carmen

Time for a cozy spooky read! Introducting Mandrake Manor where the HOA president is a real piece of work, a grand Victorian house is at risk, and three queer roommates work to fight through the fine print to save it. Witchy, mysterious with a dash of the romantic. If whimsy is what you seek in your reading journey, Mandrake Manor deserves a place in the TBR stack.

I know that we’re half way through October already which is crazy, but my October so far has been so action packed I haven’t had time to sit down and reflect on the things that I did in September until now! So without further ado, lets get into it.

Our Strange Duet Event

I started off the month by seeing Masquerade, an interactive musical telling the story of The Phantom of the Opera! I’ve never been to an interactive musical before and it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. There is nothing like The Phantom singing to you while staring you directly in the eyes. The entire experience was so immersive I literally felt like I was in the world living the musical for myself. This was all to promote Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig which is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera solely from Christine’s perspective. As someone who has listened to the audiobook, I can confirm this book and this interactive musical experience are 100% worth your time!

The Court of Venus

Then I got invited by Tor to celebrate the release of The Court of Venus by Bel Banta. The Court of Venus is an ensnaring romantic fantasy in which a moon-blessed magician is summoned back to the deadly, Tudor-inspired magical court she thought she had escaped; where power is determined by the stars—and the closer you are to the king, the more likely you are to die. Perfect for fans of The Knight and The Moth, The Familiar, and A Darker Shade of Magic. The night was filled with great food, drinks, conversation, and even some bracelet making!

Libby podcast

I recorded a podcast! I can’t believe I’m saying these words. I was invited by Libby to be on their Book Lounge podcast where we discussed Adventure Books that will keep you up all night. I was really nervous because I’ve never been on a podcast before but I had so much fun discussing some of my favorite adventure books and I’m really happy with how this episode came out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWMxKsYTMA&list=PL6c9lTef62t5SqHLk2ddVw2ba2M6ieSr0&index=3

Grim Tidings Event

I finally got to meet one of my favorite authors (for more than 5 seconds) B.K. Borison on her tour for Grim Tidings. Getting to the venue was a mess and a half (the subway was being difficult) but I had so much fun listening to B.K. Borison talk about this book and series. Meeting B.K. Borison was a dream and I’m so happy that she was able to sign my arcs.

Shelves and the city

I also went on my first Brand trip this month which was Shelves and the City hosted by HarperCollins who flew out 95 bookish creators to spend time in NYC and participate in tons of bookish activities. This was one of the best weekends of my life. I loved spending time with so many people that I consider friends, as well as getting to meet so many people in person that I’ve known for years online. This was such a special time that I’m never going to forget.

Taipei Story Event

My friend Sammi invited me to an event hosted by the Lit Society to celebrate the release of Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang. Throughout the night, we explored the invisible distances between cultures, generations, languages, and identities. I had so much fun reflecting on my own personal experiences while listening to the editor of Taipei Story, May Chen, talk about her own experiences and how she related to the story.

Movies

These are the movies that I watched this month!

Drawn Together - 3 stars

I liked this more than I thought I would. The movie definitely got better and better as it kept going, and I can’t wait for the sequel to be released.

The Love Hypothesis - 4 stars

One of the better book to movie adaptations that I’ve seen recently. It really did the book justice for the most part. Rom com’s are so back.

You + Me Against the World - 3 stars

This was fine. There were parts I liked, parts I didn’t but at the end of the day, the MMC was hot and that’s really all I can ask for.

TV

These are the tv shows that I watched this month!

Crew Girl - 4 stars

This show was really good. It reminded me a lot of the teen CW shows I used to watch when I was a teenager. If this was 20 episodes long it would have been a banger but alas we don’t live in that world anymore.

That’s all she wrote folks! I’m realizing that this month contained a lot of firsts for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sometimes I look back on all of the things that I accomplished and I can’t believe that this is my life. I’m very thankful that I keep getting these opportunities and I can’t wait to see what October is going to bring me. Spoiler, it’s a lot lol.