I'm what you might call a literature-class fiend. I took so many community college literature courses while I was in high school, in fact, that a guidance counselor tried to convince me to take something else instead. Luckily I held out for one more semester, and signed up for Latin American Literature.

I was soon astonished that in all my high school literature courses, my AP English and French literature courses, my community college courses - all of them, I'd never read any major Latin American works. I'd read Crime and Punishment three times; The Pearl four. I'd written three papers on James Joyce and dissected Wordsworth's poetry with a scalpel. But I'd never read any Borges, Lispector, Garcia Marquez, or Quiroga.

Thank heavens I took that course. Gabriel Garcia Marquez emerged in my mind as one of the most unique and skillful writers of the 20th century. I've read almost all of his works by now - well beyond what was required in class - but Leaf Storm remains one of my favorites. I hope that if it's a new author, a new style of writing, or an entirely new region for you, it captures your heart as it did mine.