Book Reviews

The books reviewed in this section are books sent to me as presents, books that I have bought, and books written by authors who have paid me to write a personalized review. I do not include in this section books that I have not read or don't support. Book reviews include links as part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

A Delicious Book or How Chocolate Conquered Spanish Literature

Cowling, Erin Alice. Chocolate: How A New World Commodity Conquered Spanish Literature. U of Toronto P, 2021.

Cover of 'Chocolate' by Erin Alice Cowling Do you like chocolate? Do you prefer to drink it? Or, do you prefer to eat it piece by piece to make it last as much as you can? Can you feel how the taste takes over your mouth? Can you imagine the smell? Can you feel the texture? Are you craving chocolate as you read these words?  Chocolate is one of those pleasures that make our lives better.   Chocolate takes us back to our childhood when we used to eat…

Celebrando las naciones desde la palabra: antología para Centroamérica

Jarquín, Carlos Javier, compilador. Antología del Bicentenario de Centroamérica 1821-2021. AYAME EDITORIAL, 2021. 

¿Sabías que la palabra ‘antología’ significaba en su origen recogida o selección de flores? ¿Sabías que en la actualidad el término sirve para recopilar obras de uno o varios autores o artistas? ¿Sabías que las antologías se pueden compilar para celebrar naciones?  Portada de 'Antología de Bicentenario' Sí, las antologías son un medio poderoso para homenajear a nuestros países.  Para conmemorar el bicentenario de Centroamérica, el poeta…

Sinister Laughs or How Gender Violence Shaped Early Modern Spanish Short Theater

Miguel Magro, Tania de. Staging Violence: Gender and Social Control in Jácaras and Entremeses. Routledge, 2021.

'Staging Violence' by Tania de Miguel Magro Have you ever laughed at a woman getting beaten on stage? Have you ever been amused by violence against men who cannot defend themselves in movies? Have you ever wondered why we are fascinated with representations of criminality in TV series? Did you answer “Yes” to these questions, hoping that nobody finds out? You might think that you are a terrible person or that there is something wrong with you for being…