Joseline, or Joss (she’ll answer to both), is a Bay Area native. She is majoring in Latina/o Studies from SFSU. Her Sun is in Libra. Her Moon is in Capricorn. And her rising sign is in Leo. What that all means is that she’s an extrovert, loves meeting new people, can be loud, but keeps her true/deep feelings to herself or those she trusts the most. She reads mostly YA literature, graphic novels, a ton of picture books, and will occasionally pick up a “grown-up” novel. When she is not working or has her nose in a book she loves to write, knit/crochet, and rewatch episodes of Schitt's Creek.
“I was looking for a miracle, but I got a story instead, and sometimes those are the same thing.” ― All The Crooked Saints, Maggie Steifvater
Children of the Land opens up with ICE paying a visit to Hernandez's home. They are looking for his father that has already been deported years earlier. This scene encapsulates the immense fear immigrants carry with them everywhere they go. This book talks about the trauma of displacement, the dehumanizing immigration system, and what it truly means to be living the American Dream. --Joseline
Lobizona is a masterpiece. Weaving Argentinian culture with lush magic, the land of Septimus is full of secrets. Garber writes about the hardships of being "other" in America. Manu is longing for a place to call home yet her mere existence is illegal. A stunning, magical, and powerful story. --Joseline
This book absolutely destroyed me. I cried the ENTIRE time. It was beautifully written and such a haunting subject matter. It sheds the light of the current immigration crisis and the mass groups of people making the dangerous journey to America in order to provide a better life for themselves and their family.
I will be thinking about this book for the rest of my life. May we remember those lost souls searching for a better life. Que Dios los tenga en sus brazos. --Joseline
A rich story inspired by Bolivian culture and its politics. Full of beauty, loss, revolution, and hope. Ibañez writes characters you love with your whole heart. Don't read on an empty stomach or you'll want to eat the words off the page! --Joseline
This is the first horror book I've ever read. I get scared easily and boy this was SPOOKY. Totally worth any potential nightmares I will have.
The imagery, the writing, the characters, the atmosphere was GORGEOUS. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Guillermo del Toro NEEDS to adapt this into a movie.
Brilliant. Scary. Atmospheric. Love, love, love it! --Joseline
--Joss
