About The Book Club:

Welcome to The Poder Circle Book Club—a quarterly, themed book club that aims to spark and facilitate important discussion around our shared experiences, our unique stories, and the issues that affect our comunidad. As Poderistas, we want to show the world that libros by Latinxs matter—that our words have Poder. As people, we come from a long tradition of storytellers whose words have sparked movements. We honor that tradition by uplifting Latinx voices, deepening our understanding of the Latinx experience, facilitating discussion, and inspiring action through words with impact. 

 

What To Expect: 

There is no cost to join, all you have to do is subscribe to The Poder Circle Book Club list! Once signed up, you’ll receive:

  • bi-monthly Poder Circle Book Club emails
  • Exclusive Poder Circle Book Club content
  • Invitations to private events including virtual discussions with authors & the Poder Circle community
  • Quarterly discussion guides
  • Plus surprise appearances, giveaways y más

The theme of The Poder Circle Book Club is:

The Power of Rediscovery

As we step into summer, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters. This quarter, the Poder Circle Book Club is embracing The Power of Rediscovery. Whether it’s finding peace in the present, healing from the past, or exploring your roots, our theme is all about the journey back to yourself.

Through our chosen selection, we’ll highlight the importance of familia, heritage, and self-exploration. These narratives will guide us in understanding how our families shape our personal journeys and influence how we perceive ourselves and our experiences. It’s a season for rediscovering who we are and what we hold dear.

Join us as we explore the transformative power of rediscovery, one page at a time. Let’s embark on this journey together, uncovering the peace, healing, and sense of belonging that comes from reconnecting with our true selves.

As we explore the theme of The Power of Rediscovery, we can’t think of a better book to read together than:

About The Waves Take You Home

In this heartfelt debut novel about how the places we run from hold the answers to our deepest challenges, the death of her grandmother brings a young woman home, where she must face the past in order to become the heir of not just the family restaurant, but her own destiny. Violeta Sanoguera had always done what she was told. She left the man she loved in Colombia in pursuit of a better life for herself and because her mother and grandmother didn’t approve of him. Chasing dreams of education and art in New York City, and with a new love, twenty-eight-year-old Violeta establishes a new life for herself, on her terms. But when her grandmother suddenly dies, everything changes.

After years of being on her own in NYC, Violeta finds herself on a plane back to Colombia, accompanied at all times by the ghost of her grandmother who is sending her messages and signs, to find she is the heir of the failing family restaurant, the very one Abuela told her to run from in the first place. The journey leads her to rediscover her home, her grandmother, and even the flame of an old love.

Get reading and purchase your copy of The Poder Circle’s featured book!

Show your support for Latina authors and order your copy of The Waves Take You Home.

Use code PODERBK15 and receive 15% off The Waves Take You Home via this link

About the author María Alejandra Barrios Vélez María Alejandra Barrios Vélez is a writer and educator from Barranquilla, Colombia. She has an MA in Creative Writing from The University of Manchester and currently lives in Brooklyn. Her novel The  Waves Take You Home is forthcoming from Lake Union Publishing, Spring 2024.  Her Stories  Have been published in places such as Reservoir Journal, Cosmonauts Avenue, Jellyfish Review, Lost Balloon, Shenandoah Literary, Vol.1 Brooklyn, El Malpensante, Moon City, Fractured Lit, and SmokeLong Quarterly. She was the 2020 SmokeLong Flash Fiction Fellow and her work has been supported by organizations such as Vermont Studio Center, Caldera Arts Center, and the New Orleans Writing Residency. She is a Kweli Art of the Short Story Writing Workshop alum and Kweli fellow. María Alejandra Barrios is represented by Amanda Orozco at Transatlantic Agency.  Teaching María teaches classes in places such as Gotham Writers, Paragraph NY, and Catapult. María also edits SmokeLong en Español. Read the latest issue here!

Deep Dive

After reading our featured book, keep exploring the Poder Circle quarterly theme of The Power of Rediscovery with a curated selection of works created by Latinas coming soon!

Accessibility 

We understand that times are tough for many and joining a book club is sometimes not within your budget. Poderistas wants to ensure we can make The Poder Circle Book Club accessible to amigas who have a financial need. To honor this, we have reserved a limited amount of books that are available on a first-come, first-served basis for those who have a need. Please email hola@poderistas.com with the email subject ‘Book Club Accessibility’ to request a copy. In your email, please include your name, mailing information, and the book you’re interested in.