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A bookstore opening up in el barrio? Yeaup! And they're reading our Junot.

La Casa Azul Bookstore has launched its "Barrio Book Club" and its first pick is none other than Penguin's own The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The book club meeting date is fast approaching - Sunday, June 8th at 4pm - so if you're interested, visit La Casa Azul's Events Page for more information. The site asks that you send in an email to get the meeting location so act fast.

For those of you wondering, "What the heck's "el barrio?"...

In NYC, "el barrio" may refer to any neighborhood consisting primarily of Spanish-speaking residents, but the term is most often affectionately applied to the upper east side in Manhattan, especially between 103rd and about 116th streets. La Casa Azul Bookstore will not open its doors until the end of the year but if you have a chance to visit there's plenty of Latino culture to savor. You must FIRST have a cuchifrito - a deep fried food and not for the health conscious. My favorite is the "alcapurria" made of plantains and ground beef - SO yummy. Here's a pic so you know exactly what you're looking for.