Discussion Questions:

1. This book takes place in Mexico in 1765. Did anything take you by surprise in this time period and setting?

2. Alba goes through a lot when she reaches the mines and finds herself relying on Elías. Did you find him trustworthy? Was there anyone
else you thought she could have confided in?

3. Having read the story, why do you think the quote by José de Acosta was included at the beginning of the book?

The quote:

4. Who did you envision the speaker to be at the beginning of the story? Were you surprised when you got to the end and found out who it
was?

5. What did you think was the role of the Inquisition and Bartolomé in the book?

6. Elías finds himself helping Alba. What do you believe he got out of helping her?

7. What did you make of Alba’s possession? Do you feel it was something she needed to go through? Why or why not?

8. The demon in this story thirsts for priests’ blood. Why do you think that is?

9. Do the horrors in this book connect to the time period being portrayed? How so?

10. Silver and mercury play a big part in the story. What do you suppose these elements symbolize?

(these are all from the readers guide on Penguin Random House website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737414/the-possession-of-alba-diaz-by-isabel-canas/readers-guide/)

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

Stay Espooky and we’ll announce the next spooky book club book soon!

Why We Chose the Possession of Alba Diaz

Because if she (Isabel Cañas) writes it, then we are reading it! No really, but also, first, look at that beautifully haunting book cover! As cultural Catholics (as in raised Catholic, but not practicing anymore), we love a possession story. There’s just something about a demonic entity taking control of your body that calls to us. This was a Mexicanly written horror book, which we read Mexicanly. It’s like the exorcist if it were set in 1700s Mexico, if there was a silver mine, and if there was Mexican yearning.

The Synopsis

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust…

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room…and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger.

In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and each other… not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom.

Don’t have the book yet?

Feel free to use the Espooky Tales Bookshop affiliate link to get it or places your library holds ASAP! Jk, take your time because we take so long to read.

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list?

Happy Reading!

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Discussion Questions

1. The Bewitching is told from three different points of view in three different timelines. Why do you think the author chose this unique structure to tell this story? What themes or story elements do you notice connecting them?

2. Minerva’s research is driven by her love of horror media and of the work of Beatrice Tremblay in particular. As the author outlines in her afterword, The Bewitching is peppered with references to the history of horror literature. What are some authors or books that you have a similar obsession with, and what interests you about them?

3. As Minerva investigates Beatrice Tremblay’s life and the events behind The Vanishing, she recalls stories her grandmother told her about witchcraft. What lessons do you think Minerva draws from her grandmother’s stories?

4. What did you make of the relationship between Minerva and Noah? How would you describe their relationship? What do you think draws them to each other?

5. Minerva’s story is set at Stoneridge, a fictional university inspired by the school the author attended. What makes universities such popular settings for spooky and dark tales? What are some of the local legends you learned about your own schools?

6. What scene did you find most frightening or unsettling and why?

7. Minerva, Alba, and Beatrice are three different women separated by decades and by culture. What similarities do you notice between the women? What are some differences in the way they respond to the supernatural happenings they encounter, and what do you think accounts for those differences?

8. What do you think will happen to Minerva after the story is over?

9. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is known for her mastery of multiple genres—but, if you’ve read multiple books by the author, what common themes or ideas do you see uniting her body of work?

10. What did you rate the book? Any final thoughts?

These questions come straight from the Bewitching book club kit on Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s website (except the last question) and there’s more cool stuff on there like a Bewitching inspired playlist and a mocktail/cocktail recipe. Here’s the website if you want to check it out.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

Leave a comment

Why We Chose the Bewitching

Because we stan Silvia Moreno-Garcia! Just kidding, that' is true, but we also love a bruja story and one with multiple timelines, which this book has! This line really just sold the book though,” Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva”

Does that not just make you want to drop everything and read the book?

The Synopsis

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.

In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.

Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved

Don’t have the Book Yet?

Feel free to use the Espooky Tales Bookshop affiliate link to get it or places your library holds ASAP! Jk, take your time because we take so long to read.

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list?

Happy Reading!

If you missed the Unworthy book club discussion, you can find it on any podcast app!

We rated it 3/5

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Discussion Questions

1. How did the setting and atmosphere of the book affect the mood and tone of the story? Did it create a sense of danger, mystery, dread or unease?

2. How did the author generate suspense and tension throughout the book? How did they initially draw you in? What techniques did they use to keep you hooked and on edge?

3. What did you think of Antonia? Did she make any decisions that you didn’t agree with?

4. Were you satisfied with the book’s outcome or did you have any questions or doubts left unanswered?

5. What did you rate the book? Any final thoughts?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

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Why We Chose Bochica

The setting! Bochica is a story about a young woman facing dark secrets in her former home: a haunted mansion in COLOMBIA. But not just any mansion, this mansion is located in the very much actually haunted Tequendama falls in Colombia. It’s said to be haunted with several ghosts and it’s also the home to rich mythology.

The Synopsis

In 1923 Soacha, Colombia, La Casona—an opulent mansion perched above the legendary Salto del Tequendama waterfall—was once home to Antonia and her family, who settle in despite their constant nightmares and the house’s malevolent spirit. But tragedy strikes when Antonia’s mother takes a fatal fall into El Salto and her father, consumed by grief, attempts to burn the house down with Antonia still inside.Three years later, haunted by disturbing dreams and cryptic journal entries from her late mother, Antonia is drawn back to her childhood home when it is converted into a luxurious hotel. As Antonia confronts her fragmented memories and the dark history of the estate, she wrestles with unsettling questions she can no longer ignore: Was her mother’s death by her own hands, or was it by someone else’s?

Don’t Have the Book Yet?

Feel free to use the Espooky Tales Bookshop affiliate link to get it or places your library holds ASAP! Jk, take your time because we take so long to read.

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list?

Happy Reading!

If you missed the Unworthy book club discussion, you can find it on any podcast app!

We rated 5 cucarachas out of 5 cucarachas

Discussion Questions

1. “Without faith, there is no refuge.” This phrase is repeatedly uttered by members of the Sacred Sisterhood. What do you think it means? How does their faith differ from traditional Catholicism, and why do you think they decry “the erroneous God, the false son, the negative mother”?

2. Why does the narrator want to be one of the Enlightened? Why do you think she and the other members of the Sacred Sisterhood so readily accept the authority of the Superior Sister and the mysterious “Him”? What roles do punishment and self-flagellation play in their devotion?

3. Discuss the world of The Unworthy. What happened to create this dystopian hellscape? Which threats mentioned in the novel feel most prophetic to you? If the internet went down permanently tomorrow, how do you think it would impact our lives?

4. The narrator is fascinated by insects. In one scene, she describes a trapped cockroach as “a small work of living art” (page 44); in another she refers to a dragonfly’s wings as a “fragile cathedral” (page 47); and when she encounters a dragonfly, she calls it “a sacred moment” (page 114). What do these reactions tell us about the narrator? Why do you think Bazterrica used religious language in these descriptions?

5. Discuss the role of family in the novel—from the narrator’s mother to the “tarantula kids” and other characters who might be considered her chosen family, like Circe. How does family make living through apocalyptic times easier—or harder?

6. Survival is another major theme of the novel. Consider what Ulysses’s mother tells him about her actions during the water wars: “There were no enemies . . . only people trying to survive, people dying of thirst and hunger” (page 100). What behavior becomes permissible in a disaster-ridden world like this one? Is self-preservation justifiable when it comes at a cost to others’ lives?

7. What did you think of the character of Lourdes? Why does the narrator hate her so much? Why does Lucía show her mercy? What might have happened if Lucía and Helena had been in the convent at the same time?

8. What role does doubt play in the novel? Discuss the crossed-out parts of the narrator’s diary, like the paragraph on page 109. What do they reveal about her psyche?

9. What did you think of the novel’s framing device—that the book we’re reading is the narrator’s diary? What motivates her to keep writing, even though she knows it is dangerous? Consider the other diary the narrator encounters in an abandoned house on pages 136–37. How are they similar?

10. Discuss the reveal at the end of the novel about the mysterious “Him” and the Enlightened. Were you surprised, or had you picked up clues from earlier in the novel? What did you think of the narrator’s decision in the final scene, and what do you think happened to her—and her manuscript—after she stopped writing?

11. Which scene of the book disturbed or frightened you the most? What do these elements of horror or “femgore” add to the story?

12. What did you rate the book? Any final thoughts?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

Why We Chose The Unworthy

We realized that so far none of our book club picks were dystopian! And tbh, we were in a dystopian mood. Why not escape into a book described as “unflinching, uncompromising, unforgettable and fearsomely dark”. Plus a violent religious order? Count us in!

The Synopsis

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror.

Don’t Have the Book Yet?

Feel free to use the Espooky Tales Bookshop affiliate link to get it or places your library holds ASAP! Jk, take your time because we take so long to read.

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list?

Happy Reading!

If you missed the last book club episode/discussion on the Witches of El Paso? It’s up on it’s up everywhere, Spotify, Apple, any podcast app and YouTube too.

and yes, I (cristina) did not notice that I was holding the book upside down when we took the picture lol.

Oh you can also find all the books in one challenge together on Storygraph!

Click the link to follow the challenge on Storygraph

We’re looking forward to reading the Unworthy together!

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Malinalli by Veronica Chapa

Malinalli is one of the many names given to the indigenous Nahua woman who help translate to the colonizer Hernan Cortes. Other names include Malintzin, La Malinche (a straight up insult today in Mexico, meaning you’re a traitor), Doña Marina, and Malinalxochitl. It’s even said she was La Llorona.

This book is a much needed retelling of her story. Here’s the synopsis:

Malinalli is all of those things and more, but at heart, she’s a young girl, kidnapped into slavery by age twelve, and fighting to survive the devastation wrought by both the Spanish and Moctezuma’s greed and cruelty. Blessed with magical powers, and supported by a close-knit circle of priestesses, Mali vows to help defend her people’s legacy. In vivid, compelling prose, debut author Veronica Chapa spins an epic tale of magic, sisterhood, survival, and Mexican resilience. This is the first novel to reimagine and reinterpret Malinalli’s story with the empathy, humanity, and awe she’s always deserved.

It’s set to release March 11, 2025, but you can pre-order it too!

Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo

If you were not aware, this is a paranormal and true crime podcast, as well as a book club. Spooky and crime is our thing and this book has both! Also, we loved Loteria, so we’re super excited for this one.

Here’s the synopsis:

It started the night journalist Briar Thorne’s mother died in their rambling old mansion on Chicago’s South Side.

The nightmares of a woman in white pleading to come home, music switched on in locked rooms, and the panicked fear of being swallowed by the dark…Bri has almost convinced herself that these stirrings of dread are simply manifestations of grief and not the beyond-world of ghostly impossibilities her mother believed in. And more tangible terrors still lurk outside the decaying Victorian greystone.

A serial killer has claimed the lives of fifty-one women in the Chicago area. When Bri starts researching the murders, she meets a stranger who tells her there’s more to her sleepless nights than bad dreams—they hold the key to putting ghosts to rest and stopping a killer. But the killer has caught on and is closing in, and if Bri doesn’t answer the call of the dead soon, she’ll be walking among them.

Haunted woman in white? Old mansion in Chicago? We are ready!

This one is coming to us soon! It’s set to release March 11, 2025

Bochica By Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro

IF you have listened to our non book club episodes, then YOU KNOW we have talked about this place. Tequendama falls. It was episode 53 and we shared the legend of this very haunted place in Colombia. This is the very haunted setting of this book and that’s why we are SO excited for it and this will FOR SURE be a book club pick.

Here’s the synopsis:

In 1923 Soacha, Colombia, La Casona—an opulent mansion perched above the legendary Salto del Tequendama waterfall—was once home to Antonia and her family, who settle in despite their constant nightmares and the house’s malevolent spirit. But tragedy strikes when Antonia’s mother takes a fatal fall into El Salto and her father, consumed by grief, attempts to burn the house down with Antonia still inside.

Three years later, haunted by disturbing dreams and cryptic journal entries from her late mother, Antonia is drawn back to her childhood home when it is converted into a luxurious hotel. As Antonia confronts her fragmented memories and the dark history of the estate, she wrestles with unsettling questions she can no longer ignore: Was her mother’s death by her own hands, or was it by someone else’s?

In a riveting quest for answers, Antonia must navigate the shadows of La Casona, unearthing its darkest secrets and confronting a legacy that threatens to swallow her whole.

This is set to release May 13, 2025!

The Possession of Alba Díaz By Isabel Cañas

Let it be known that in this podcast/book club, we absolutely love Isabel Cañas. So much that out of our 8 or 9 book club lists, we made time for two of her books and loved every bit of them. This is one book we CANNOT wait for. We also love a possession story.

Here’s the synopsis:

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room…and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger.

In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and each other… not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom.

This is set to release August 19, 2025! *original post had 8/29/25 but it is 8/19!

The Bewitching By Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Another author we also absolutely love and have done 2 of her books for the book club lol. Also, we love a witch story! AND this is a story taking places in at least three different eras. So we were of course, soooo excited to see when this book was announced. Not to mention, the beautiful cover! Just look at it.

Here’s the synopsis:

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.

In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.

Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.

This is set to release July 15, 2025

A big year for the Latina, Latine, Latino horror bookworms! We’re gonna need to read faster to talk about all of these in the book club! What book are you most excited about for 2025?

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Discussion Questions

1. The book is set in El Paso, but in different time periods. It touches on El Paso’s proximity to Juarez, discussing a time when there was no border and after. Do you think this story could be set in another location and still maintain the same meaning? Or was it central to the story?

2. What did you think of Marta? Did she make any decisions that you didn’t agree with? Would you have done something different?

3. The story is multigenerational, through Marta, a lawyer in her 40s, and Nena, her 93 year old aunt, but we get multiple timelines, how did you feel about this? Did you want more from certain characters? Did it add to the complexity or confusion of the plot?

4. We follow the book through Nena and Marta, in different times, and who both encountered la Vista? Do you think the time periods they were in changed the way they interacted with la Vista? Do you feel they reacted similarly to it or not?

5. La Vista really just did what it wanted, what did you think of the different character’s interactions with it? Madre Inocenta, Sister Benedicta, Emiliano, Eugenia, all came in touch with it. What do you think you would have done with La Vista?

6. Were you satisfied with the book’s outcome or did you have any questions or doubts left unanswered?

7. The main characters of the book were women. What did you think of the different men in the story? How were they depicted?

8. What do you rate the book?

Can’t Wait to Hear Your Thoughts on the Book!

Leave a comment

Why we chose Witches of El Paso

We realized that of all the books we have read for the espooky book club, none of them were witchy! And it was about time. This book is described as “perfect for fans of Sylvia Moreno-Garcia and Isabel Canas” and we are both of those! Just like a lot of our listeners and book club members are too.

The Synopsis:

If you call to the witches, they will come.

1943, El Paso, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse, and Nena worries she’ll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico, Nena grows into her power, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price.

In the present day, Nena’s grandniece, Marta, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta’s own supernatural powers emerge, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed.

“If you call to the witches, they will come”. Is that NOT THE COOLEST LINE EVER? We can’t wait to dive in to this book.

Don’t have the book yet?

Feel free to use the Espooky Tales Bookshop affiliate link to get it or places your library holds ASAP! Jk, take your time because we take so long to read.

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list?

Happy Reading!

If you missed the last book club episode/discussion on Pinata by Leopoldo Gout, it’s up everywhere, Spotify, Apple, any podcast app and YouTube too.

We’re looking forward to reading the Witches of El Paso together!

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Discussion Questions

1. The book is set in Mexico and then in New York, with a lot of history and culture weaved into it. Did you feel like this took away from the story or did it add to it?

2. The story is mostly about what is happening to Luna, but we get multiple perspectives, how did you feel about this? Did you want more from certain characters? Did it add to the complexity or confusion of the plot?

3. What did you think of Carmen? Did she make any decisions that you didn’t agree with? Would you have done something different?

4. Most thriller or horror stories have a villain. Who was the villain in Piñata? How did the author portray them?  Did you understand their motives or methods? Did they have any redeeming qualities or human emotions?

5. How did the author explore themes such as justice, morality, revenge, loyalty, or survival?

6. Were you satisfied with the book’s outcome or did you have any questions or doubts left unanswered?

7. What do you rate the book?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

This book is described as A Head Full of Ghosts meets Mexican Gothic and that sounds horrifyingly awesome.

This is the description from the book itself:

It was supposed to be the perfect summer.

Carmen Sanchez is back in Mexico, supervising the renovation of an ancient abbey. Her daughters Izel and Luna, too young to be left alone in New York, join her in what Carmen hopes is a chance for them to connect with their roots.

Then, an accident at the worksite unearths a stash of rare, centuries-old artifacts. The disaster costs Carmen her job, cutting the family trip short.

But something malevolent and unexplainable follows them home to New York, stalking the Sanchez family and heralding a coming catastrophe. And it may already be too late to escape what’s been awakened…

They were worshiped by our ancestors.

Now they are forgotten.

Soon, they’ll make us remember.

Does that not sound so espooky? We heard there’s possessions and Mexican folklore, making it a perfect choice for the Espooky Book Club For Busy People!

Don’t have the book yet?

Feel free to use the Espooky Tales Bookshop affiliate link to get it or places your library holds ASAP! Jk, feel free to take your time because we take so long to read.

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list?

Happy Reading!

And if you missed the last book club episode, we read Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Cañas

It’s up on Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Looking forward to reading and discussing Piñata together!

Discussion Questions:

1.   At the start of this novel, Nena is resigned to the fate her parents choose for her, and Néstor is resigned to never coming back to Los Ojuelos. Discuss their growth over the course of the story. Did you think they had similar motivations?


2.   In contrast, what do you think they were each lacking without the other?


3.   What did you make of the decision to have Nena and Néstor come from different social classes? What did you think this was meant to tell us about community?


4.   What are your thoughts on the portrayal of vampires in this story? Why do you think they were written this way?


5.   Nena and Néstor butt heads a lot. Who did you relate to more?


6.   Thinking about the previous question, do you think either Nena or Néstor had a point in their arguments? Who do you think benefitted most from their disagreements?


7.   The story is set in the 1840s Mexico. Did you have any expectations of what this time period would be like? What did you learn from this novel?


8.   Mamá and Papá were tough on both Nena and Néstor in the story. Did you understand their reasoning?


9.   Did you see any parallels between the humans and the vampires of the story? Discuss.


10. What did you think of the ending? Do you think there is more of the story to be told?

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the book!

Stay Espooky and we’ll announce the next spooky book club book soon!

Luckily, Silvia Moreno-Garcia includes a book club kit with her books! We borrowed her discussion questions and a cocktail recipe!

Discussion Questions:

1. What did you enjoy most about Silver Nitrate? What did you struggle with?

2. Was there a character you wish had a bigger role, or one you wished you could know more about?

3. This book might be considered an extreme take on “movie magic.” Which type of character would you be in a classic horror movie? Would you try to do everything on your own, or recruit a friend?

4. Despite (or perhaps because of) their longtime friendship, Montserrat and Tristán remain very close, although they can be very different from each other.

Do you think this can be a good thing? Are they good friends to each other?

Explain.

5. The book takes place in 1993, with many elements typical to the ‘90s (VCRs, answering machines, etc.), but the magic is even older. Do you think this story could have worked in a different time? Why or why not?

6. The magic systems in this book are “invented” by the mysterious Wilhelm Ewers. While his version is based on pseudoscience and a mix of cultural practices, how do you feel about Montserrat’s approach to magic? Do you think magic can be practiced by anyone?

7. Movies and magic are major themes in Silver Nitrate. What other themes did you notice?

8. How do you feel about the ending? What do you think happens next with Montserrat and Tristán?

9. Do you think there are any villains in the book? Why or why not? Which character’s motives do you feel most sympathetic toward? The least?

10. What medium do you think would be the easiest to “curse” today—a movie, TV show, podcast, social media, something else? What would your motive be?

Silver Nitrate Cocktail:

THAT’S A WRAP

1 ½ oz. mild Scotch (blended is fine)

½ oz. Antica Formula

¼ oz. Amer Picon, Amer Torani, or Amer Dit Picon

¼ oz. absinthe

Orange bitters

INSTRUCTIONS: Stir (do not shake!) all ingredients together with lots of ice until cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel for a fiery ending.

We might make it for the book club episode recording, tbh I (Cristina) know nothing about these ingredients so I might just have a beer instead or coffee lol.

Reply with your answers and we will read them in the episode!

Stay Espooky ❤️👻

Synopsis:

This is just the plot summary from the book itself because we're trying to remain spoiler free.

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.”

So yeah, I'm (Cristina) still waiting on my copy, MJ and Carmen are already reading!

If you still need the book and you are able to purchase it, check out our bookshop! We get a tiny commission if you purchase from there, but also, check out your local library!

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list

Stay Espooky!

Discussion :

1. What did you think of the depiction of generational trauma in the book?

2. In the traditional legend of la llorona, we are told she kills her children over a man. How did you feel about V. Castro's rewriting of La Llorona?

3. We mostly follow Alejandra, but the book goes back through different generations, how did you feel about the back and forth?

4. Is it safe to assume we all hate Matthew? He seemed to show who he was from the beginning. Why do you think Alejandra ignored red flags? Do you agree with her choices?

5. What do you rate this book?

6. What are your final/overall thoughts on this book?

Doesn't it just draw you in?

If that's not enough, check out the synopsis:

A woman is haunted by the Mexican folk demon La Llorona as she unravels the dark secrets of her family history in this ravishing and provocative horror novel.

Still Need the Book?

We have a bookshop list! You can find the book on our list, anywhere books are sold or don't forget to check your local library!

https://bookshop.org/lists/espooky-book-club-list

Stay Espooky!

Discussion

1. In the beginning of the novel, Beatriz chooses to marry against her mother’s wishes. If you were in her position, what decision would you have made?

2. Which character did you relate to the most, and why?

3. Do you think that Juana or Ana Luisa were sympathetic characters? Why or why not?

4.  Did you trust Andrés when he was first introduced? Why or why not?

5. What did you think of the novel’s portrayal of religion?

6. Was Rodolfo a villain or a victim?

7. The Mexican War of Independence is a subject rarely taught in American high schools and universities. Did the novel’s historical themes (class, land ownership, and race, among others) change your perception of Mexican history? How so?

8. Beatriz, Juana, and Paloma experience the world of Mexico in 1823 and the hacienda in different ways. What did you think of the novel’s portrayal of female autonomy in this historical period?

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The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

We have chosen The Hacienda! Why? Because we are obsessed with it. We’ve read it before, but haven’t had a chance to thoroughly discuss it and this is the perfect chance. If you haven’t read it, it is easily the best book of 2022 (for us)

Here’s the synopsis, without giving anything away. We follow Beatriz, as she handles life in the aftermath of the Mexican war for Independence. She needs to find a new home and she is offered this chance when she meets a handsome, Rodolfo. They quickly marry and she is off to Hacienda San Isidro, which ends up being much different than she had originally anticipated. That being said, she is going to do what she must, to make this remote hacienda hers.

This book has it all, scares, love and twists.

Join us for this book club pick! We are aiming to have this one done in at the end of March!

Stay Espooky!