I joined @ImmortalBiblio this month to read Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno. I definitely wanted to read a contemporary book, this came at the precise time. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover. One of the aspects I loved about the book was the family dynamic as we experience Rosa’s relationship with her grandmother Mimi. Another aspect that I connected with was Rosa’s enthusiasm to learn about her culture and family history.

“Everything I knew about Cuba came from this coastal town, hundreds of miles from the island that was so unknown to me. I met my culture in the food I ate at our table, the songs that played on my abuela’s record player, and the stories that flowed through the bodega and Ana- Maria’s lively home. But I couldn’t find my family in those stories. I couldn’t find me.”

My favorite part was how the journey Rosa went through made her see her family in a different way while also accomplishing her goal to visit Cuba. She was able to figure out what to do about her college and her relationship. “Without Mimi, I didn’t know where and how Port Coral fit in my life anymore.”

I recommend this to anyone that enjoys contemporaries as this has been my favorite one this year, I went through it so quickly. I can’t wait to read Nina’s next book, I really loved her writing.