Hello August! Here are great selections to beat the heat:
• Already released: Gustavo Arellano and Luis Alberto Urrea are among the writers who contributed to Ban This! The BSP Anthology of Xican@ Literature, edited by S.J. Rivera. The book was published in response to the state of Arizona’s ban on ethnic studies earlier this year.
• Now in paperback: Esmeralda Santiago’s Conquistadora, which was selected as Ladies’ Home Journal’s August Book of the Month (here’s a discussion guide and letter from Santiago); Paulo Coelho’s Aleph; Maria Duenas’ The Time in Between and Javier Sierra’s The Lost Angel.
• Alisa Valdes has a new erotic e-novel out called Puta. You can read the first two chapters for free on Amazon.
• Aug. 28: Reyna Grande writes about immigrating from Mexico to California in her memoir, The Distance Between Us.
• Sept. 4: Count on Me: Tales of Sisterhoods and Fierce Friendships features an all-star list of Latinas –Santiago, Grande, Sofia Quintero, Carolina De Robertis, Lórraine Lopez – writing about the importance of female friendships. The book was produced by Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club and edited by Adriana V. López.
• Writer’s Workshop
Speaking of Las Comadres, the organization will host a writer’s workshop Oct. 6 in New York City. Speakers include Sesame Street actress and children’s book writer Sonia Manzano, left, as well as Lyn DiIorio, and Caridad Pineiro.
In other news:
• Sad News: It’s been confirmed that Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Márquez, right, can no longer write due to dementia, according to The New York Times. The Daily Beast/Newsweek ran an interesting blog post about his writing process.
• Bless Me Ultima author Rudolfo Anaya was honored by the city of El Paso as the movie version of the book is expected to premiere in September, reports the El Paso Times.
• Poets and Writers magazine profiled the Librotraficante movement. Its founder, Tony Díaz is planning a “50 for Freedom of Speech” teach-in in all 50 states Sept. 21.
• Joy Castro talked about her novel, Hell or High Water, to Book Page.
• Mexican-American poet Manuel Paul Lopez of El Centro, Calif., was featured in a KCET animated short about his chapbook, “1984,” which is his interpretation of the classic George Orwell novel.
• Junot Díaz discussed his short story, “The Cheater’s Guide to Love,” to The New Yorker. The story is included in his book, This is How You Lose Her, out on Sept. 11.
• Diana Gabaldon will see her Outlander books made into a TV series, according to the Word & Film website.
• A recent edition of the NPR radio program “Latino USA” took a look at Luis Alfaro’s new play, “Bruja,” and got reading recommendations from Aurora Anaya Cerda, owner of La Casa Azul Bookstore in East Harlem, N.Y.
• A new literary prize for works written in Spanish will be named after the late Carlos Fuentes, reports Publishing Perspectives.
• Celebrating birthdays this month: Jorge Luis Borges on Aug. 24.
The Hispanic Reader 
NEW MEMOIR VALIDATES UNFORGOTTEN STAR-CROSSED LOVE
One of the better pieces of advice given to writers is to write what you know. Violeta Barrett does just that in her compelling memoir,
“FIRST LOVE Just Once in a Lifetime” published in English and Spanish. The Spanish title is “PRIMER AMOR, Solamente Una Vez en la Vida.” Inspired by a dream that literally transported her back in time,Violeta wrote her true love story about a forbidden love, kept secret for fifty years.
Kirkus Reviews, the world’s toughest book critic, writes this about FIRST LOVE , the English version: The book tells a story of endless love that comes but solamente una vez en la vida, and leaves the reader wanting more. A memoir that has the courage to believe in eternal love, despite
the pain. The reviewer of the Spanish version PRIMER AMOR, writes: Barrett avoids the extremely sweet and traditional love story focusing on the landscapes, the people and the traditions of Mexico, details that give strength and interest to the story. Her description of the native towns such
as Patzcuaro and the urban centers like Mexico City are realistic and romantic at the same time, a difficult balance to achieve. The letters and the photos that accompany their romance make the story realistic and reinforce the authenticity of the memories, making it more than just a love story…and add the necessary elements to make this a memorable story.
FIRST LOVE received the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs for 2012 winner in the category of Memoir. Find the book at Amazon.com; Barnes&Noble.com, or order from your local bookstores. Visit: http://www.violetabarrett.com to read a synopsis or see the trailer, comments, reviews and author’s biography.