“Mexico is a mosaic of different realities and beauties.”
As the tenth-most populous country on Earth, the thirteenth largest country in the world, and one of the six cradles of civilisation, Mexico is a country full of colour, culture and life. With human history spanning back to 8,000 BCE, everything from mariachi music, and mezcal to muralism have become symbols of Mexico’s infectiously-affirming approach to life. With millions of visitors tempted to its shores every single year, we here at What We Reading thought we would take a look at some of the best Mexico books for you to take with you ahead of your next trip. A mix of fiction and non-fiction books about Mexico, these reads are all designed to help capture the magic of the country and the brilliant character of its people.
Lonely Planet Mexico – Lonely Planet
Where better place to start in a list of the best Mexico books than the definitive travel guide for trekking across El Águila Real? From the ancient Mayan world at Palenque to the crystal-clear diving reefs at Cabo Pulmo, Lonely Planet Mexico is the best travel guide for getting to the heart of the country and experiencing it to the fullest.
Featuring over one hundred maps, this travel companion is the colourful guide that features honest reviews on sightseeing, going out, eating, shopping and sleeping in the country suitable for any budget. The array of insider tips helps readers save time and money in getting to the places worth seeing and the ones worth skipping, and the wealth of cultural trends covered across the book ensures they will be skipping through the country like a local!
The Lacuna – Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna is an epic historical fiction adventure, following one man from the art-filled, revolution-fuelled streets of Mexico City to the heart of the United States gripped by the aftermath of Pearl Harbour. Having been born in the US but raised in a series of provisional households across Mexico, Harrison Shepherd finds himself being pulled from errand to errand ranging from working in the kitchen to mixing plaster for Diego Rivera and playing a dangerous political game with Lev Trotsky.
In the United States, he finds himself caught up in the internationalist goodwill of the post-WW2 world but is still thrown from north and south, pulled between two nations as they forge their contemporary identities. The Lacuna is a colourful and vivid journey of conscience and character. Through Harrison’s meticulous descriptions, readers encounter some of the most significant individuals in Mexican history, and the country’s culture more than shines through, making it an unmissable read for anyone visiting Mexico.
On The Plain Of Snakes: A Mexican Journey – Paul Theroux
One of the most renowned travel writers in the world, Paul Theroux takes readers on an epic journey across the entire US-Mexico border and through the backroads of Chiapas and Oaxaca in his 2019 Mexico book, On The Plains Of Snakes. With migration still one of the hottest topics in politics and society, Theroux’s work remains one of the most useful for those looking to understand more about modern-day Mexico.
South of the Arizona border in the desert region of Sonora, he depicts a land brimming with vitality but visibly scarred by the US border patrol and mounting resentment from within. In his trademark manner, he describes his meetings with locals from the Zapotec mill workers in the highlands to the Zapatista activists staying south even as their loved ones brave the journey north. On The Plain Of Snakes is a curious and eye-opening guide through a remarkable region and is delivered with an infectious affection for humanity.
Horizontal Vertigo: A City Called Mexico – Juan Villoro
Juan Villoro is one of Mexico’s most famous novelists, and his book on Mexico City is one of the finest guides for anyone looking to learn more about the nation’s capital. The title comes from the impending earthquakes that led to the city being built outwards rather than upward, and Villoro spends the book wandering through Mexico City carefree, seemingly with no plan or itinerary.
Across his treks, he vividly describes the people, places and things he sees whilst establishing striking connections that bind them together. Through this, he can weave together a spellbinding depiction of the cultural, political and social history of Mexico City and its people that is sure to fuel any reader’s wanderlust. From the indigenous antiquity era, the Aztec period to the Spanish conquest, this is one of the best Mexican books for capturing the beauty, genius and logic of the nation’s capital.
Under The Volcano – Malcolm Lowry
A timeless classic book about Mexico, Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano begins with Geoffrey Firmin, a former British colonel arriving in Quauhnahuac. His addiction to drinking has dominated his life but, on the Day of the Dead, his wife, Yvonne, arrives in Quauhnahuac. She is determined to rescue Firmin from the things that have scuppered their relationship and save their marriage, but her plan is complicated by the presence of Hugh, the consul’s half-brother, and Jacques, a friend from childhood.
As the stunning Day of the Dead gets underway, the events of this single day turn out to be both magical and diabolical for all involved. Under the Volcano is a profound exploration of the human spirit, and a remarkable depiction of a man’s struggle against the forces around him that threaten to consume him. No reading list of Mexico books is complete without it.
Oaxaca Journal – Oliver Sacks
As a neurologist, Oliver Sacks is well-known for his exploration of the human mind. However, he is also a card-carrying member of the American Fern Society and has been fascinated by these primitive plants and their adaptability since his childhood.
Oaxaca Journal is Sack’s account of the spellbinding trip he and his fellow fern enthusiasts took to the mesmerising and history-steeped region of Oaxaca. In it, he curates all of his infectious passion for natural history and the richness of human culture. Through Sack’s sharp eye for detail, this book about Mexico and its biodiversity is a stunning celebration of place, people, plants and the wonders of the natural world.
Like Water For Chocolate – Laura Esquivel
Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate is a story of the bizarre history of the all-female De La Garza family. Tita, the youngest of the family, has been forbidden from marriage. As per Mexican tradition, she is forced to look after her mother until she dies. But then she meets and falls in love with Pedro, who is seduced by the magical food she cooks. To be close to Tita, Pedro marries her sister, Rosaura.
Over the next two decades, Pedro and Tita circle each other. It is only through a freakish series of tragedies, bad luck and finally fate that reunites them against all odds. Undoubtedly one of the best books about Mexico for those looking for a guide to Latin heart and stomach, Like Water for Chocolate is a sharply-told magical love story, a celebration of feminine power and a Mexican cookbook rolled into one!
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
