CANTORAS by Carolina De Robertis - NBC Latino "10 books from 2019 by and about Latinos you shouldn't miss"

NBC Latino | December 30, 2019

“2019 was yet another extraordinary year for fans of Latino literature.

Among the year’s highlights are Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s ‘Sabrina & Corina,’ a debut collection of stories that was named a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction; Angie Cruz’s ‘Dominicana,’ a novel that launched Good Morning America’s Cover to Cover book club, and Carmen Maria Machado’s ‘In the Dream House,’ whose inventive approach to narrative single-handedly reimagined the memoir.

These three books will continue to be talked about in 2020 and beyond. Aside from these, here are 10 other noteworthy books by and about Latinos you might want to add to the list of titles you plan to explore in the coming year.”

Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis was included on this fabulous list! Follow the link above to learn more.


Victoria Sanders
MY MOTHER'S HOUSE by Francesca Momplaisir - Vogue "41 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2020"

Vogue | December 17, 2019

“A new year is upon us, which means all-new reading material. 2019 was a great year for books, with writers like Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Sally Rooney, Bernardine Evaristo, and Helen Oyeyemi taking the literary world by storm. Still, we have a sneaky feeling that 2020 'could shape up to be just as good for bookworms; below, find the books we’re most excited to read next year.”

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir was included in this fabulous round-up! Follow the link above to see the full list.


Victoria Sanders
CANTORAS by Carolina De Robertis & FAKE LIKE ME by Barbara Bourland - Texas Monthly "Texas Authors on Their Favorite Books of 2019"

Texas Monthly | December 17, 2019

“The last year of this decade has been a particularly strong one for Texas literature, from Stephen Harrigan’s history-redefining look at the state to the debut works of Houston-bred authors Bryan Washington and Jia Tolentino being recognized on the New York Times list of one hundred notable books. As we’ve done for the past two years, Texas Monthly asked some of our favorite Texas authors to share their favorite books they read in 2019. With recommendations that range from poetry to mystery to romance to historical fiction, there’s something for every kind of book lover to get into.”

Both Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis and Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland were nominated for this list! Follow the link above to read more.


Victoria Sanders
PUMPKINHEADS by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks - Winner of the Goodreads Award for Best Graphic Novel & Comic

Goodreads | December 11, 2019

“This year’s Goodreads Choice Award for Graphic Novels & Comics goes to celebrated author Rainbow Rowell and Eisner Award–winning illustrator Faith Erin Hicks for their lovely collaboration, Pumpkinheads. The world’s best pumpkin patch, it turns out, is located in Omaha, Nebraska. High school pals Deja and Josiah are planning their last season together. Autumn arrives! Besties unite! Adventure ensues!”

Congratulations to Pumpkinheads! Follow the link above to see the full list of nominees and learn more.


Victoria Sanders
ASTRONAUTS by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks - Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Publishers Weekly | December 11, 2019

“Following on the heels of the first all-female spacewalk in October 2019 comes a timely graphic novel from the pair behind Primates. This latest offering examines the hurdles, triumphs, politics, and prejudices surrounding the first women astronauts. Lively cartoon panels depict multiple stories, from the Mercury 13 and Women in Space Program, which dead-ends amid the U.S. race; to Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s milestone flight as the first female in space; and, finally, to the recruitment and training of American women astronauts, including Sally Ride, in the 1970s. Tying all of these stories together is the narrative voice, that of former U.S. astronaut Mary Cleave, whom the authors interviewed extensively. Her NASA training and two space shuttle missions are the focus of the book’s second half, and her character’s colloquial storytelling, humorous observations, and asides are highlights—Wicks and Ottaviani skillfully capture Cleave’s infectious enthusiasm up to the last page.”

Astronauts by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks received a starred review from Publishers Weekly! Follow the link above to read more.


Victoria Sanders
Patrisse Khan-Cullors - LA Weekly "Fighting for What Matters: Patrisse Cullors’ Approach to Social Justice Is Artful and Powerful"

LA Weekly | December 9, 2019

“There are a handful of historical women of color whose names we all know due to their bravery and significance as activists. Harriet Tubman. Rosa Parks. Ida B. Wells. Angela Davis. These figures were not alone in their fervor and fights for equality, but their resistance to oppression was so bold they could not be ignored, even if it meant putting themselves in danger to right wrongs against their people and create change. It’s not too far a reach to say that San Fernando Valley native Patrisse Khan-Cullors deserves recognition alongside these iconic social justice figures, or that one day children will be reading about her in history books as they do those powerful women. They should be, anyway.”

Patrisse Khan-Cullors was profiled in a fantastic article in LA Weekly. Follow the link above to read the entire piece.


Victoria Sanders
Victoria Sanders & Associates is hiring!

December 6, 2019

Executive Assistant to the Founder and Owner
Victoria Sanders & Associates

Seeking well-organized candidate with strong communication skills for challenging administrative job at a fast-paced boutique literary agency. Ability to maintain a thoughtful, active, engaged, and present approach to all tasks (even those that may seem pedestrian) is important in this position. Candidate should be comfortable working in an open floor plan and have the ability to switch tasks/priorities as needed.

Normal working hours are Monday-Friday from 9:30am-6:00pm, but candidate must be willing and able to be the after-hours emergency contact when needed and to work after normal business hours when needed. We represent writers of commercial fiction, non-fiction, literary fiction, children’s literature, and graphic novels. Interest in any or all of these areas is desired.  

Candidates will be asked to display examples of their organizational skills. We are looking for a candidate who is succinct and clear in verbal and written communications. We are only accepting resumes from candidates who are willing to relocate or live within a 45 minute commute of Stone Ridge, New York.  

Please review our website (www.victoriasanders.com) prior to submitting your resume and a letter expressing your specific interest and qualifications. Must love dogs.  

Salary is commensurate with experience.  

Specific duties include:

  • Answer calls and transfer calls appropriately (must have excellent phone presence & etiquette)

  • Manage incoming and outgoing mail, UPS, FedEx (all aspects of shipping and tracking packages)

  • General office duties (e.g. paper and electronic filing)

  • Manage the owner’s calendar and meetings

  • Liaise with clients (transmit royalty statements, trouble-shoot book tour mishaps (e.g. lost luggage))

  • Office maintenance and personal assistant duties (daily trash emptying, ordering and stocking supplies and books, errands)

 Candidate should have the following skills:

  • Previous office experience

  • Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat (typing is required)

  • Proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Pro, InDesign, Illustrator, and/or Photo Shop a plus but not required.

Interested parties should:

Send cover letter with resume and references to: Jessica Spivey at jspivey@victoriasanders.com. No calls please.


Victoria Sanders
CANTORAS by Carolina De Robertis - Autostraddle "55 of the Best Queer Books of 2019"

Autostraddle | December 4, 2019

“I hope you’re ready to have your to-read list exploded! Here are 55 of the best LGBTQ books published in 2019. Below are gorgeous graphic memoirs, epic fantasy tales, twisty thrillers, swoony romances, exceptional essay collections, and more!”

Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis was named one of the best LGBTQ books published in 2019 by Autostraddle! Follow the link above to see the full list.


Victoria Sanders
MEALS, MUSIC, AND MUSES by Alexander Smalls - Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Publishers Weekly | December 2, 2019

“With food writer Chambers, Smalls creates a ‘playlist’ of ‘essential African-American dishes’ in which each chapter is inspired by a different musical tradition… Home cooks are sure to give this excellent recipe collection a standing ovation.”

Meals, Music, and Muses by Alexander Smalls received a starred review from Publishers Weekly! Follow the link above to read the full review.


Victoria Sanders
OSKAR AND THE EIGHT BLESSINGS by Richard Simon, Tanya Simon, and Mark Siegel - The Today Show "15 Christmas and holiday books for kids to read in 2019"

The Today Show | November 21, 2019

“There’s a reason so many kids cry on Santa’s lap: Holiday traditions can be kind of weird.

There are trees and candles, presents and costumes and — why is there candy in socks again? For kids learning to celebrate and encountering new traditions, a little explanation goes a long way.

That’s why we’re excited for the latest batch of holiday books for kids. Whether you’re looking for something to read ahead of the holidays or a gift that lasts all year, there’s something for every little one on Santa’s list.”

Oskar and the Eight Blessings was included in this fabulous round-up! Please follow the link above to read the full article.


Victoria Sanders
CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP by Jeff Chang - Slate "The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Past 25 Years"

Slate | November 18, 2019

“‘As a writer, I prefer to get bossed around by my notebook and the facts therein,’ David Carr wrote in his reported memoir The Night of the Gun, one of Slate’s 50 best nonfiction books of the past 25 years. Carr was mulling over the difference between fiction and nonfiction, the novelist’s art and the reporter’s craft. ‘They may not lead to a perfect, seamless arc, but they lead to a story that coheres in another way, because it is mostly true.’

In the work of canon-building, nonfiction tends to get short shrift. While memoir has gained a foothold in the literary conversation, narrative and reported nonfiction tend to be ignored. It can be easy to dismiss these forms as the worthwhile but fundamentally unliterary assemblage of facts into paragraphs. Yet what reader hasn’t had her mind expanded, her heart plucked, her conscience stirred by a nonfiction book? The responsibility the writers of such books take on, to arrange the facts of the world into a form that makes sense of its tumult, can produce in the reader a kind of clarity of thought that no other genre can match.

Slate’s list of the definitive nonfiction books written in English in the past quarter-century includes beautifully written memoirs but also books of reportage, collections of essays, travelogues, works of cultural criticism, passionate arguments, even a compendium of household tips. What they all share is a commitment to ‘mostly truth’ and the belief that digging deep to find a real story—whether it’s located in your memory, on dusty archive shelves, in Russian literature, in a slum in Mumbai—is a task worth undertaking.”

Can’t Stop Won’t Stop by Jeff Chang was included in this fantastic round-up by Slate! Follow the link above to see the full list.


Victoria Sanders
BEEN THERE, MARRIED THAT by Gigi Levangie - Publishers Weekly Review

Publishers Weekly | November 11, 2019

“In Levangie’s rollicking latest (after Seven Deadlies), divorce turns into blood sport for Agnes Murphy Nash, a Hollywood author who must regroup when her powerful movie producer husband Trevor decides he doesn’t ‘want to marriage anymore.’ Trevor is not only a no-show to her book launch party, but Agnes must hop the gate to their home after discovering the code has been changed, only to get tased on the other side. After Trevor cancels Agnes’s credit cards, tries to sell the house out from under her, and gets her shipped off to rehab for her almond habit, it’s time for Agnes to lawyer up. Trevor and Agnes’s cat-and-mouse game soars to ridiculous heights, and when Agnes’s delightful jailbird sister Fin comes to stay, she’s more than happy to help Agnes drive the childish and neurotic Trevor out of his wits. However, things get serious when Trevor tries to take sole custody of their 11-year-old daughter, Pep. Screenwriter Levangie has a keen insight into the inner workings, and foibles, of the Hollywood elite, and her sharp, canny wit drives her mile-a-minute prose and spares no one. Agnes’s voice is wry and funny, and there’s just enough pathos about her to keep the more farcical elements in check. Readers looking for a fast, laugh-out-loud romp will find much to enjoy.”

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie received a fantastic review from Publishers Weekly! Follow the link above to read.


Victoria Sanders
LITTLE VOICES by Vanessa Lillie - RealSimple "35 Chilling Psychological Thrillers and Mysteries to Add To Your Reading List Now"

RealSimple | November 8, 2019

“The best psychological thrillers and mysteries are a lot like movies: They keep you hooked from the moment you press play up until the final credits roll, with plenty of shocking twists and unexpected turns along the way. It's no wonder that many of them end up getting scooped up for film and TV adaptations by Hollywood.

For a few years now, readers have been living in something of a golden age for psychological thrillers, mysteries, crime novels, and other suspenseful reads, thanks in large part to hugely successful novels—and their film and TV adaptations—like Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, both of which spawned a thousand copycats with "girl" in the title. The publishing world has largely moved on from "girl" books (hilariously, now we see a lot of "women" books), but what hasn't changed is the sheer amount of surprising, shocking psychological thrillers and mysteries being published every season.

If you're addicted to shows like HBO's Sharp Objects (based on the novel by Gillian Flynn and starring Amy Adams) and can't read enough psychological thrillers like The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins (which was made into a film starring Emily Blunt), check out our list of some of the best recent psychological thrillers and crime novels, along with a few classics you might have missed.”

Little Voices by Vanessa Lillie was included in this round-up! Follow the link above to see the full list.


Victoria Sanders