Joseline/Joss is a Bay Area native. She drinks way too much coffee, always carries a book in her bag, and typically has her head in the clouds. She is a Latina/o Studies major at SFSU. She's a Leo Rising, Libra Sun, and a Capricorn Moon. What that all means is that she extremely extroverted, loves meeting new people, but keeps her 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 watch reruns of Schitt’s Creek.
“I was looking for a miracle, but I got a story instead, and sometimes those are the same thing.”
― Maggie Stiefvater, All the Crooked Saints
Down Comes the Night is a haunting debut full of sorrow, loss, and love. Dark and atmospheric, this world demands to be felt in your bones. Every sentence propels you to flip page after page and immerse yourself in the visceral beauty of the world Saft created. This book is a story of healing, letting yourself love, and be loved. You won’t want to put this book down!
A dark, eerie, and gritty world that is wholly immersive and captivating. A cast of characters full of heart, strength, and resilience. Fable's journey in this unforgiving world will leave you breathless and wanting more.
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
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
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
Michael, an atheist, ends up at a Catholic high school and is less than thrilled. But he finds friends in a secret club called Heretics Anonymous that make being there more bearable.
The club consists of an atheist, a queer Jew, a pagan, a Catholic girl who wants to be a priest, and a boy who loves to wear cloaks. Their mission: to expose the hypocrisies of the school one stunt at a time.
It’s Saved! meets The Breakfast Club.
Eric Bittle, former figure skater & vlogger goes to Samwell University on a hockey scholarship even though he’s never played hockey before. What could go wrong?
He navigates his freshman and sophomore year at Samwell by trying not to get checked in the rink, baking a lot of pies, and trying not to get distracted by his very attractive yet moody captain Jack.
Whether you are a hockey fan or not, you will ABSOLUTELY fall in love with this graphic novel and all of the characters.
Being Mexican-American, this book is very special to me. I finally felt seen and heard through Sanchez’s voice.
It is a book about finding your identity when you come from two different worlds and you feel like you don’t belong in either.
A magical world set in 18th century Cairo full of djinns, princes, and thieves. This is an amazingly crafted world with unforgettable characters.
I did not want to put this book down and neither will you!
Drawing from her personal experience, Mafi writes a brutally honest story about a sixteen-year old girl living in a post 9/11 world where she has to navigate discrimination, rude stares, and even physical violence due to her race, religion and choice to wear a hijab.
A raw, powerful, and important narrative that will stay with you long after you have read it.