Read These Books After Binging "Selena: The Series"

Bidi bidi bom bom forever.

1. To Selena, with Love by Chris Pérez

Celebra

It is nearly impossible to completely translate the shining star that was Selena onto the screen. She was a phenomenon. She is a legend. But to her husband, Chris Pérez, she was his greatest love and best friend. To Selena, with Love is Pérez’s account of his relationship with the iconic Tejano music superstar. The memoir covers everything from the moment Pérez began working with the Quintanillas on a Coca-Cola jingle to the moment Abraham Quintanilla threatened to disband the group if Pérez and Selena kept dating — and everything in between. These are the moments no biopic can truly capture.

2. Dreaming: A Tribute To Selena Quintanilla-Pérez edited by Odilia Galván Rodríguez

Flowersong Press

Mourning someone you’ve never met is the strangest feeling in the world. But at eight years old, I still remember exactly what I was doing with my friends when the news broke about Selena’s murder. Like many fans, she was the soundtrack of my youth. Through her music, she remains ever-present. Dreaming: A Tribute to Selena Quintanilla-Pérez is a collection of poems and short-stories that honor the impact Selena continues to have on the world.

3. The Life of — La Vida De Selena by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein, illustrated by Citlali Reyes

Lil' Libros; Bilingual edition

It is never too early to introduce Selena to a new generation. The Life of Selena is part of the A Lil’ Libros collection which was created by Patty Rodriguez when she couldn’t find bilingual board books for her baby. Selena loved singing ever since she was just a kid and went on to become a Grammy-winning artist. This is a perfect addition for the littlests members of your family’s Selena fan club.

4. Listening to Rosita: The Business of Tejana Music and Culture, 1930–1955 by Mary Ann Villarreal

University of Oklahoma Press

Selena might be the Queen of Tejano music, but the genre had a long tradition before the Quintanillas became groundbreaking figures on the scene. Mary Ann Villarreal’s lifelong love of Tejano music became the spark for this book. Villarreal’s research focuses on a small group of Tejana singers and entrepreneurs in Corpus Christi, Houston, and San Antonio — the “Texas Triangle” — during the mid-twentieth century. Drawing a correlation between money, race, and culture, Villareal gives voice to the women history has forgotten.

5. Queen of Tejano Music: Selena by Silvia Lopez, illustrated by Paola Escobar

Little Bee Books

As Selena said, "Estoy muy...excited!" Selena didn't learn to speak in Spanish until her father pivoted their band’s sound to Tejano music in Español. This beautifully illustrated picture book focuses on the way Selena conquered the male-dominated world of Tejano music, ultimately becoming the Queen of the genre. The picture book is in Spanish, and makes a great addition to bilingual libraries or anyone learning the language.

6. Selena's Secret: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Death by María Celeste Arrarás

Atria

Perhaps one of the most controversial books about the Tejano singer is Selena's Secret: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Death by María Celeste Arrarás. The Emmy Award–winning journalist aimed to shed light on what truly happened the night of Selena's murder by Yolanda Saldívar. The book is now a major Spanish language series on Telemundo, which Abraham Quintanilla reportedly tried to prevent, as he did when Chris Pérez wanted to take his memoir about Selena to the screen.

7. The Invention of Latin American Music: A Transnational History by Pablo Palomino

Oxford University Press, USA

Okay fine, this one’s for the nerds. Selena: The Series has me thinking a lot about Latin music. I mean, I’m always thinking, listening, feeling Latin American music. I’m also thinking about what that means. When there are so many countries across continents, with different histories and unique dialects and sounds, how can it all just be under one banner? Pablo Palomino takes a look at the history of the genre, zooming in on the 1920s to the 1960s, and tries to understand its success. Everyone loves a Latin party.

8. Their Perfect Melody by Priscilla Oliveras

Zebra Shout

For more music and romance check out Their Perfect Melody by Priscilla Oliveras. Reformed "wild child" Lilí María Fernandez used to love dancing, singing, and everything that had to do with music. After tragedy and loss have quelled her song. Everything changes when she meets Diego Reyes, an officer with the Chicago PD who is also a guitar player. With their shared love of family and community, he's determined to return music to her life.

9. Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore

Harperteen

At the first Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, Anna-Marie McLemore described Miss Meteor as being about "stardust, Selena, and trying to stage a small-town beauty pageant's biggest upset in 50 years." There are a lot of nods to Selena in this novel. The protagonists are Lita Perez and Chicky Quintanilla. Chicky's family owns a diner called Selena's Diner. Both protagonists spend a lot of time with hairspray and glitter. And like Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, they're underdogs trying to be seen.

10. Homeland: Ethnic Mexican Belonging Since 1900 by Aaron Sánchez

University of Oklahoma Press

The story of Selena can’t be told without the story of borders. Selena struggles to speak Spanish on the Johnny Canales Show, and it spurs her to study so she won’t be teased again. The show briefly touches upon pre-teen Selena’s first question of identity. Seeing the sensation of Tejano music, Abraham Quintanilla decides the band will now sing in Spanish to which Selena says, “But I’m American.” The Quintanilla Patriarch beautifully explains why she’s both. It barely scratches the surface on what is a huge conversation about belonging and what that means for Mexican Americans. Aaron E. Sánchez’s work asks “So where does one belong, and what does belonging even mean, when a border inscribes one’s identity?”

11. Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla by Diana López and Illustrated by Teresa Martinez

Dial Books

Author of Confetti Girl, Diana López, pens the latest addition to picture books about the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla. Illustrated by Teresa Martine, Sing with Me aims to show Selena's hard work, whether it was performing at quinceañeras or singing for tens of thousands of fans at the Houston Astrodome. Like the new series, López's interpretation highlights Selena's iconic wardrobe, family love, and relationship to her Mexican roots.