The Best Adult Books of 2006
By Aída Bardales -- Críticas, 12/15/2006
In this year’s roundup of our top choices for the best adult fiction and nonfiction titles reviewed in Críticas in 2006, there is something for everyone. This year’s wide-ranging list includes prize winners, best sellers, noteworthy and overlooked titles, as well as memorable and indispensable works. As in previous years, we look beyond translations of popular and best-selling titles—such as Digital Fortress (La fortaleza digital), Snow (Nieve), and The World is Flat (La tierra es plana)—in order to highlight original Spanish-language works. This list is recommended as a reference guide for librarians and booksellers aiming to keep their Spanish-language collections up to date and in high demand. The reviews are abridged and listed alphabetically by author; to read the full review, click on the title. Look for the Best Children’s Books of 2006 in the January issue.
Inés del alma mía.
(Inés of My Soul)
Allende, Isabel.
U.S.: Rayo: HarperCollins. 2006. 367p. ISBN 0-06-116155-1. $25.95. HISTORICAL FICTION
In this novel, the epitome of historical fiction, Allende assumes the persona of Inés Suárez and remains entirely faithful to factual accounts, a Spanish commoner who became Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia’s mistress, accompanying him in the conquest of Chile as his equal. This is a fascinating tale of love, heroics, and sacrifice, told in a voice as clear and strong as the heroine herself. [Críticas, 12/06; starred]
El búfalo de la noche.
(The Night Buffalo)
Arriaga, Guillermo.
U.S.: Atria Books: S.&S. 2006. 256p. ISBN 0-7432-8665-0. $24. FICTION
In this tale of betrayal and psychosis, the unstable narrator, Manuel, mourns the suicide of his psychotic best friend, Gregorio, while continuing a long-standing sexual affair with Tania, Gregorio’s duplicitous girlfriend. Gregorio’s death unearths a Pandora’s box of questions that Manuel obsessively attempts to unravel even as he slips into his own idiosyncratic madness. Though Arriaga may rely heavily on his trusty screenwriting toolkit, he can confidently take a bow with this premiere fiction performance. [Críticas, 5/06; starred]
La raza.
(The race).
Baroja, Pío.
Spain/U.S.: Tusquets Editores. 2006. 580p. ISBN 84-8310-325-7. pap. $21.95. FICTION
This trilogy of novels by Baroja (1872–1956), one of Spain’s leading novelists in the 20th century, includes La dama errante (The Wandering Lady, 1908), La ciudad de la niebla (The City of Fog, 1909) and El árbol de la ciencia (The Tree of Knowledge, 1911). The edition also includes a five-page prolog by Baroja. [Críticas, 4/06]
Obras Reunidas II: Cuentos.
(Collected Work II: Short Stories)
Castellanos, Rosario.
Mexico/U.S.: Fondo de Cultura Económica. 2005. 367 p. ISBN 968-16-7282-8. pap. $49.95. STORIES
Castellanos, one of the early feminists of Mexico’s literary scene, frequently examined the gender and class inequities, revealing an idealistic and somewhat outraged look at the divisions that existed. Written between 1960 and 1971, the pieces presented here often depict young women facing the ignorant and indifferent indigenous world and the prejudiced and structured Mexican establishment. [Críticas, 6/06]
La isla de los amores infinitos.
(The Island of Infinite Loves)
Chaviano, Daína.
Spain/U.S.: Grijalbo: Random House Spanish. 2006. 380p. ISBN 0-307-37654-0. pap. $17.95. FICTION
In this, the third and final novel of “La Habana oculta” (“Havana Occult”) series, Cecilia is a lonely, displaced Cuban in Miami. In the darkness of a bar in Little Havana, surrounded by the beat of Cuban music, she is captivated by a series of love stories told to her by Amalia, a shadowy older woman. By weaving together the history of immigration to Cuba, the distinct cultures, the political changes, and the resulting migration abroad, Chaviano delivers both an enchanting story and a sociological study. [Críticas, 11/06; starred]
Pasiones romanas.
(Roman Passions)
De la Pau Janer, María.
Spain/U.S.: Planeta. 2005. 448p. ISBN 970-37-0447-6. pap. $21.95. FICTION
This intoxicating tale of love, passion, and friendship is the 2005 Premio Planeta winner. Prominent Mallorcan lawyer Ignacio rescues a lost wallet that unexpectedly contains his ex-lover’s photograph. This seeming coincidence launches Ignacio on a quest. With deft psychological insight, Janer presents a story not only of love, but also of suffering and despair, of willful forgetting and the tenacity of memory. [Críticas, 1/06; starred]
Malinche.
Esquivel, Laura.
U.S.: Atria Books: S&S. 2006. 189p. bibliog. ISBN 0-7432-9034-8. $22.95. FICTION
Esquivel reinvents one of Mexico’s most controversial female icons, La Malinche, the indigenous woman who served as Hernán Cortés interpreter and lover during the conquest of the Aztec Empire. This novel will satisfy lovers of Esquivel’s fantastical style of writing and old-fashioned storytelling. [Críticas, 2/06]
La catedral del mar.
(The Cathedral of the Sea)
Falcones, Idelfonso.
Spain/U.S.: Grijalbo: Random House Spanish. 2006. 670p. ISBN: 0-307-37665-6. pap. $17.95. FICTION
Falcones’s debut takes place in 14th century Barcelona during the construction of the Santa María del Mar (“Saint Mary of the Sea”) Cathedral. Born a servant, Arnau Estanyol becomes one of the slaves who carries the stones brought by sea to the site of the cathedral and struggles with the humiliation of being poor. After establishing an important business venture, he acquires wealth, fame, and the king’s approval to marry his protégée Elianor. However, what initially seems to be a passage into nobility turns out to be a huge betrayal. This is a well-written and complex work. [Críticas, 11/06]
Los Compañeros.
(The Comrades)
Flores, Marco Antonio.
Guatemala/U.S.: F & G Editores. 2006. 299p. ISBN 99922-61-49-8. pap. $TK. FICTION.
Flores—this year’s winner of the Premio Nacional de Literatura Miguel Ángel Asturias—has been a well-known literary figure in Mexico and Central America for the last four decades. This coming-of-age novel—originally published in 1976—tells the story of several idealistic friends who become “guerrilleros” in the aftermath of Guatemala’s many failed attempts at democracy in the late 1950s.
Todas las familias felices.
(All the Happy Families)
Fuentes, Carlos.
Mexico/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2006. 422p. ISBN 970-770-575-2. pap. $19.95. FICTION
Addressing the concept of family, Fuentes assembles 16 independent stories that incorporate a variety of literary genres. Fuentes’s main character is Mexico and his families make up a vast mosaic of the Mexican people, albeit not a flattering one. With startling prescience, Fuentes seems to have anticipated the huge polarization of post–Vicente Fox Mexico, and, in his opinion, the future does not look bright. [Críticas, 9/06; starred]
Cuentos y relatos de la literatura colombiana, Tomo 1.
(Short Stories and Tales from Colombian Literature, Vol. 1)
Giraldo, Luz Mary, ed.
Colombia/U.S.: Fondo de Cultura Económica (Tierra Firme). 2005. ISBN 95-838-0107-0. pap. $32.95. STORIES
REVIEWED WITH:
Cuentos y relatos de la literatura colombiana, Tomo 2.
(Short Stories and Tales from Colombian Literature, Vol. 2)
Giraldo, Luz Mary, ed.
Colombia/U.S.: Fondo de Cultura Económica (Tierra Firme). 2005. ISBN 958-38-0109-7. pap. $32.95. STORIES
This is a thorough and well-organized collection of Colombian stories. Volume 1 offers narratives from diverse indigenous cultures, stories and accounts written during the colonial times, all the way to stories by Gabriel García Márquez. Volume 2 explores the narrative boom in Colombian letters from the 1970s to today and a chapter devoted to stories for children and young adults. These volumes stand out for Giraldo’s profound knowledge of Colombian literature and her efforts to include female authors and indigenous narratives. [Críticas, 5/06; starred]
Estaciones de paso.
(Temporary States)
Grandes, Almudena.
Spain/U.S.: Tusquets. 2005. 287p. ISBN 84-8310-312-5. pap. $19.95. STORIES
The five stories gathered in this second book of short stories are loosely united by definitive moments in the lives of their adolescent protagonists. With straightforward, fluid, and entertaining prose, acclaimed Spanish novelist Grandes (Las edades de Lulú, Tusquests; “The Ages of Lulú”) offers astute observations of character and of defining life moments. [Críticas, 1/06; starred]
Todos se van.
(Everyone Leaves)
Guerra, Wendy.
Spain: Bruguera: Ediciones B. 2006. 258p. ISBN 84-024-2018-4. pap. $16. FICTION
Guerra was already a respected poet before winning the first Bruguera prize for this debut novel presented as a diary written from age eight until her twenties by a Cuban girl with the impossible name of Nieves (snow). All the characters in her life make an exit, until Havana feels like a ghost town. Guerra’s portrait of the island and the life of her protagonist is all the more moving because it is never tainted by moralizing or idealism. [Críticas, 9/06; starred]
Pequeñas resistencias 2. Antología del cuento centroamericano contemporáneo.
(Small Resistances 2: Anthology of the Contemporary Central American Short Story)
Jaramillo, Levi, Enrique, ed.
Spain: Páginas de Espuma. 2003. 427p. ISBN 84-95642-35-2. pap. $38.95. STORIES
In this second volume of an anthology of short stories from Central America, Jaramillo Levi gathers ten writers from each of the countries that constitute the region. The voices are unmistakably Central American, showcasing the region’s charming and sometimes country-specific linguistic peculiarities. [Críticas, 6/06; starred]
Llámame Brooklyn.
(Call Me Brooklyn)
Lago, Eduardo.
Spain/U.S.: Destino: Planeta. 2006. 397p. ISBN 84-23338142. $24.95. FICTION
Lago’s surprisingly mature first novel begins with the death of its protagonist, Gal Ackerman, an orphan in Civil War Spain who is adopted by an American brigadista and raised in Brooklyn. The novel follows his friend, Néstor Oliver-Chapman, as he tries to finish a novel Ackerman left behind. The unexpected and illuminating ending explains and justifies the whole novel and its complex architecture. [Críticas, 4/06; starred]
El corazón de Voltaire.
(Voltaire’s Heart)
López Nieves,Luis.
Colombia/U.S.: Norma. 2005. 230p. ISBN 958-04-9065-1. pap. $12.99. FICTION
For over two centuries, hordes of people have visited the Bibliothèque Nacionale de Paris to see a bejeweled reliquary that contains Voltaire’s heart. When the authenticity of the remains is suddenly put into question, Roland de Luziers, a professor of genetics at the Sorbonne, and historian Dr. Ysabeau de Vassy embark on an extraordinary journey to establish the authority of Voltaire’s remains. A real page-turner. [Críticas 2/06; starred][add mention of the award and link to story]
Cuentos chilenos (una antología).
(Chilean Short Stories: An Anthology)
Manera, Danilo, Ed.
Spain: Ediciones Siruela. 2006. 278p. ISBN 84-7844-989-2. pap. $34.95. STORIES
Manera presents authors who live in Chile and have demonstrated a predilection for the short story. Though in mid-career, these authors are not well known outside their homeland. These are wonderfully rendered stories; anyone familiar with the Chilean accent can hear it in the many dialogs. [Críticas, 9/06]
Adiós Hemingway.
Padura, Leonardo.
Spain/U.S.: Tusquets. 2006. 190p. ISBN 84-8310-328-1. pap. $17.95. FICTION
Adiós Hemingway follows private eye Mario Conde as he solves the mystery surrounding the skeletal remains of a man killed on Hemingway’s Cuban estate 40 years earlier. Conde must re-create Hemingway’s last days in an effort to solve the crime. In simple and direct prose, Padura goes back and forth between Conde’s investigation in the year 2000 and Hemingway’s life in 1958. Engaging reading, full of literary references and reflections about the art of writing. [Críticas, 3/06; starred]
El pintor de batallas.
(The Painter of Battles)
Pérez-Reverte, Arturo.
Argentina/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2006. 301p. ISBN 987-0403409. pap. $19.95. FICTION
Renowned war photographer Andrés Faulques retires to an abandoned tower in a fishing village hoping to paint a mural on its circular walls. As the story progresses, readers learn about Faulques’s passionate love affair with a fellow photographer and her death in a road explosion. A Croatian soldier Faulques had photographed and who witnessed her death, comes to the village for revenge. Pérez-Reverte is a master of suspense. [Críticas, 4/06; starred]
Obras reunidas I: Narrativa breve.
(Collected Works I: Short Narrative)
Poniatowska, Elena.
Mexico/U.S.: Fondo de Cultura Económica. 2005. 310p. ISBN 968-16-7469-3. $26.95. STORIES
This first volume of collected works by Poniatowska, one of Mexico’s most revered contemporary writers, gathers four of her short story collections. Many libraries may already own editions of these works, but a new 12-page autobiographical prolog by the author makes this bound edition worthwhile. [Críticas, 2/06]
Abril rojo.
(Red April)
Roncagliolo, Santiago.
Mexico/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2006. 344p. ISBN 970-770-462-4. pap. $19.95. FICTION
This year’s Alfaguara prize examines the decades of violence between the Shining Path guerrilla and the Peruvian government during the 1980s and ’90s. In 2000, Prosecutor Félix Chacaltana Saldívar decides to investigate a series of crimes in the city of Ayacucho that he thinks are related to that bloody chapter of Peruvian history. Saldívar’s difficult journey through a traumatized society takes readers on a sinister tour into the madness of those who took part in the war. A masterpiece by one of Latin America’s most promising writers today. [Críticas, 5/06; starred]
Caja negra.
(Black Box)
Sánchez, Pablo.
Spain: Ediciones Lengua de Trapo. 2005. 254p. ISBN 84-96080-61-7. pap. $26. FICTION
Raúl Garay is basking in the glory of having a best-selling novel when an unknown author named Elias Betancourt accuses him of having plagiarized a book that he had published a few years earlier. Garay denies it, but the similarities between the two texts are uncanny and Garay’s reputation is ruined. A suspenseful plot and playful commentary on haute literature. [Críticas, 9/06]
Nuestra señora de la noche.
(Our Lady of the Night)
Santos-Febres, Mayra.
Spain/U.S.: Espasa-Calpe: Planeta. 2006. 359p. ISBN 84-670-2093-8. pap. $22.95. FICTION
A finalist for the prestigious Premio Primavera Espasa-Calpe, Santos-Febre’s latest novel narrates the rise to power of Isabel la Negra, in the madame of the Caribbean’s most famous bordello in 1930s Puerto Rico. The narrative shuffles back and forth among heterogeneous spaces, building protagonists that are powerfully contradictory and almost as paradoxical as their own desires. This is the best work to date from Puerto Rico’s greatest living novelist. [Críticas, 5/06; starred]
Nocturno paceño.
(La Paz by Night)
Vargas, Manuel.
Bolivia/U.S.: Ediciones Correveidile dist. by Bolivia Books. 2006. 146p. ISBN 99905-889-0-2. pap. $12. FICTION
Set during the seven years of Hugo Banzer’s dictatorship in Bolivia, the backdrop of this novel will appear all too familiar to most Latin Americans: turmoil at the university, miners on strike, a military coup d’état. In 16 episodes, Vargas takes on student activism in Bolivia during the turbulent Seventies and paints a bittersweet portrait of a generation yearning equally for fun times and revolution—and the high price they pay for it. Vargas’s distinctive voice delivers an uncompromising and vivid look at his country’s recent past. [Críticas, 10/06; starred]
Travesuras de la niña mala.
(Mischiefs of the Bad Girl)
Vargas Llosa, Mario.
Mexico/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2006. 376p. ISBN 970-770-466-7. pap. $19.95. FICTION
Set in Lima, Paris, London, Tokyo, and Madrid over 40 years, this novel narrates the clandestine love story between Peruvian translator Ricardo Somocurcio and la niña mala, an adventurous girl from Lima’s lower class who changes her identity repeatedly by moving from country to country and from marriage to marriage in search of her own independence. Somocurcio’s narration includes an array of Peruvian characters who define the fate of his country over the past half century. [Críticas, 5/06]
No será la Tierra. Novela en tres actos.
(It Won‘t Be the Earth: A Novel in Three Acts)
Volpi, Jorge.
Spain/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2006. 527p. ISBN 970-770-654-6. $24.95. FICTION
This sprawling yet intricately crafted novel caps the trilogy that started with the international best seller En busca de Klingsor (“In Search of Klingsor”; Planeta, 1999). Volpi’s new work is a Russian novel that opens with the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and ends on the last day of the 20th century in a U.S. prison cell in the aftermath of an incident involving the Human Genome Project and an insider trading scandal. Volpi juxtaposes the failings of Soviet communism with those of American capitalism, leaving readers to their own conclusions. [Críticas, 10/06; starred]
Los Watergates Latinos. Prensa vs governantes corruptos.
(Latin American Watergates: Press vs. Corrupt Governments)
Cárdenas, Fernando & Jorge González.
Colombia/U.S.: Ediciones B, dist. by IPG. 2006. 264p. ISBN 958-977-7341. pap. $18. CURRENT AFFAIRS
This splendid book tells stories of daring reporters whose talent and diligence unmasked the powerful. Both authors are respected investigative print journalists with international experience. Their reportage here draws extensively on interviews with colleagues and pulls readers into the dangerous, exciting work that helped expose outrageously criminal regimes in seven nations. [Críticas, 12/06; starred]
¡Mi hijo está gordo! Sobrepreso y obesidad infantil.
(My Child is Fat! Excess Weight and Juvenile Obesity)
Casademunt, Jordina.
Spain/U.S.: Océano. 2005. 246p. bibliog. ISBN 84-7556-375-9. pap. $17.75. PARENTING/HEALTH
This book provides an overview of obesity and its health risks. Sample meal plans and a series of appendices featuring diverse resources conclude the volume. Considering the strong association between diabetes and juvenile obesity, and the high risk Latinos face for both conditions, this is an important title. [Críticas, 2/06; starred]
Cómo lidiar con los ex: Hombres, mujeres y fantasmas del pasado.
(How to Deal with Your Ex: Men, Women, and Ghosts from the Past)
Collins, María Antonieta.
U.S.: Rayo: HarperCollins. 2006. 252p. ISBN 0-06-085228-3. $19.95. SELF-HELP
Collins’s broad definition of the category of “ex” ranges from an ex-husband or wife to an ex-friend or an ex-obese person or even someone who has changed their sex. The topics covered are similarly wide ranging. The frank and humorous writing of Collins are coupled with her sensitive and caring tone. [Críticas, 3/06; starred]
Ama de verdad, vive de verdad: 7 caminos para lograr una relación sólida y duradera.
(Real Life, Real Love: 7 Paths to a Strong and Lasting Relationship)
Cutié, Alberto.
U.S.: Berkley Books: Penguin. 2006. 415p. bibliog. ISBN 0-425-20543-6. $22.95. SELF-HELP
In this book, Father Alberto offers his guidance on how couples can overcome relationship problems. He proposes seven paths to building a solid relationship. Father Alberto’s faith is not overbearing, but he does emphasize the importance of spirituality in relationships. [Críticas, 3/06]
Ayude a sus hijos a tener éxito en la escuela. Guía para padres latinos.
(Help Your Children Succeed in School)
Dabbah, Mariela.
U.S.: Sphinx Publishing. 2006. 106p. ISBN 1-57248-547-7. pap. $8.95. PARENTING
This small guide addresses basic issues such as registration, the school calendar, transportation, meal programs, grade placement, dress codes, and books. The author explains bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and emphasizes that immigration status is not a factor for enrolling children. This useful and inexpensive book will help families adjust to education in this country. [Críticas, 11/06; starred]
Guía sobre la Hepatitis C para la comunidad Hispana.
(Guide to Hepatitis C for the Hispanic Community)
Daniel, Samuel J., M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.G.; Santiago Muñoz, M.D.; Tenima Markovits, R.P.A.-C.; & Vernon A. Williams
U.S.: Hilton Publishing Co. 2006. 198p. illus. ISBN 0-974-31445-5. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
Written by experts in the field with the Hispanic population in mind, this book begins by explaining what Hepatitis C is. The authors also describe the different treatments available the different reactions of recently diagnosed patients, common question patients ask themselves, and ways family members can support their loved ones. [Críticas, 11/06; starred]
Los 7 pasos para ser más feliz.
(The 7 Steps to More Happiness)
Gómez-Bassols, Dr. Isabel.
U.S.: Vintage Español: Random House. 2006. 256p. ISBN 0-307-27657-0. pap. $15.95. SELF-HELP
Dr. Isabel is back with another practical, culturally relevant self-help guide for Hispanics. Each chapter includes self-assessment exercises and specific actions to help you work through the steps. A list of resources and self-help is included. [Críticas, 11/06]
Sobreviviendo VIH/SIDA: Guía para latinos.
(Living with HIV/AIDS: A Guide for Latinos)
Goosby, Eric, M.D.; Rodrigo Muñoz, M.D.; Edwin DeJesus, M.D.
U.S.: Hilton Publishing Company. 2006. 256 p. ISBN 0-9743144-1-2. pap. $16.95. HEALTH
These authors provide a wealth of knowledge with this informative and hope-giving book. The book covers a wide spectrum of topics, from how the virus is acquired to what to expect from medicines. All is written in clear language, with a sense of caring and even humor. [Críticas, 6/06; starred]
La presencia del pasado.
(The Presence of the Past)
Krauze, Enrique.
Spain: Tusquets Editores. 2005. 385p. ISBN 84-8310-436-9. pap. $21.95. HISTORY
Leading Mexican intellectual Krauze reexamines the many strands that have been woven and rewoven to create Mexican nationalism and identity from the early 16th century to the beginnings of the 20th century. Krauze’s book is a welcome addition to a new historical thrust that is looking more deeply into the complexities of a very particular national psyche. [Críticas, 9/06; starred]
Vístete para triunfar.
(Dress for Success)
Morales, Hada María.
U.S.: Editorial 10 Puntos: Grupo Nelson. 2006. charts. 190 p. ISBN 0-88113-007-9. pap. BUSINESS
Morales, a professional image and employment expert, shares her vast expertise to make the job search process more organized and less stressful. Part 1 focuses on general topics, such as defining personal goals. Part 2 covers personal appearance. Part 3 goes over the actual interview process and proper workplace behavior. Morales includes questions that employers can ask and provides guidance on formulating questions to ask a potential employer. [Críticas, 8/06]
La travesía de Enrique.
(Enrique’s Journey)
Nazario, Sonia.
tr. by Ana Ras. U.S.: Vintage Español: Random House. 2006. 325p. photogs. ISBN 0-8129-7580-4. pap. $15.95. SOCIAL SCIENCES
The series of articles that inspired this compelling book about a 17-year-old’s harrowing journey into the States won a Pulitzer Prize. Nazario viscerally conveys the experience of illegal immigration from Central America by children who cross the U.S. border on their own. She constructs Enrique’s sad and difficult life in Honduras, his eight failed attempts at crossing the border to reunite with his mother, and a final successful journey into the States. [Críticas, 2/06; starred]
Cuentos chinos.
(Cock-and-Bull Stories)
Oppenheimer, Andrés.
U.S.:Random House Spanish. 2005. 346p. ISBN 0-307-34799-0. pap. $13.95. CURRENT AFFAIRS
Pulitzer Prize winner Oppenheimer’s book elaborates on his belief that only an open market will allow Latin America to prosper just as other underdeveloped countries have recently. The author strongly criticizes the tall tales of Latin America’s current governments, from Venezuela’s Chávez to México’s Fox. Although this book is unlikely to change many minds in today’s polarized Latin America, it deserves a careful read and thorough discussion. [Críticas, 6/06]
Pancho Villa. Una biografía narrativa.
(Pancho Villa: A Narrative Biography)
Taibo II, Paco Ignacio.
Mexico/U.S.: Planeta. 2006. 884p. photogs. ISBN 970-37-0334-8. $ 29.95. BIOGRAPHY
Novelist Taibo II, also author of a best-selling biography of Ernesto Che Guevara, takes on the life and legend of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa (1878–1923) with superb novelistic skills and historical accuracy. The result is a revealing yet finally mystifying 800-page volume that sheds light on Villa’s personality. [Críticas, 12/06; starred]
Yo soy la hija de mi padre: Una vida sin secretos.
(I Am My Father’s Daughter: Living a Life Without Secrets)
Salinas, María Elena with Liz Balmaseda.
tr. by Rosario Camacho-Koppel. U.S.: Rayo: HarperCollins. 2006. 276p. photogs. ISBN 0-06-082100-0. $19.95. MEMOIR
A three-time Emmy Award–winning news anchor for Noticiero Univision, Salinas, recounts her fascinating life story, from her childhood in Los Angeles to her work at a clothing factory as an adolescent to her success as a journalist. Salinas also weaves a more personal thread into her career story: her mission to discover the truth about her recently deceased father, who, it turns out, was a Catholic priest. Salinas’s reflections on how her father’s life influenced her own make this an inspirational story. [Críticas, 5/06]
Diccionario del estudiante.
(Student Dictionary)
Seco, Manuel, ed.
Spain/U.S.: RAE, dist. by Santillana. 2005. 1537p. ISBN 84-294-0547-X. $37.95. REFERENCE
Besides providing definitions for more than 40,000 words, this work also features an appendix that covers numbers, verb conjugations, and spelling. The definitions contain a regional use feature that specifies usage differences by region. The editors did not shy away from defining slang or curse words, though it would be impossible to detail all possible regional nuances. [Críticas, 2/06; starred]
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