Summary: <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676677/vampires-of-el-norte-by-isabel-canas/"></a>This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome <a href="https://www.isabelcanas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isabel Cañas</a>, author of <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676677/vampires-of-el-norte-by-isabel-canas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vampires of El Norte</a>.<br> About <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676677/vampires-of-el-norte-by-isabel-canas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vampires of El Norte</a>: As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.<br> Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.<br> Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.<br> When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.<br> And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.<br> About <a href="https://www.isabelcanas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isabel Cañas</a>: Isabel Cañas is a Mexican-American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage.<br> This week’s picks:<br> <br> * Isabel: <a href="https://youtu.be/pBk4NYhWNMM?si=E9daUFsnBJHfnfBv">Barbie (Movie)</a><br> * Isabel: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning">Air Conditioning</a><br> * Tracy: <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/308989/bristol-1350">Bristol 1360 (Game)</a><br> * Patrick: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_rice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spanish Rice</a><br> <br> Links:<br> <br> * <a href="https://twitter.com/isabelcanas_" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Isabel Cañas on Twitter</a><br> * <a href="https://twitter.com/TracyATownsend" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tracy Townsend on Twitter</a><br> * <a href="https://twitter.com/atfmb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patrick Hester on Twitter</a><br> * <a href="https://www.patreon.com/functionalnerds?ty=h" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Functional Nerds Patreon Page</a><br> <br> © 2023 Patrick Hester<br>
