A June 2016 People en Español feature introduced three Latino men pictured in the popular Instagram account Hot Dudes Reading: Michael Ortega, Andres Betancur and Omar Torres. It reported their backgrounds, favorite genres and reading habits at that time; those details are profiles from the article, not independently verified biographies.
Who were the Latinos featured in Hot Dudes Reading?
Hot Dudes Reading shared photos of attractive men reading in public. In its June 10, 2016 profile, People en Español highlighted three men and asked about the books and places they enjoyed. The feature described the account as nearing one million followers—a historical estimate from 2016, not a current count.
Michael Ortega
The article described Ortega as 30 and from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and identified him as Puerto Rican. He named thrillers as his favorite genre and Ghost Fleet as a book on his reading list. He said he liked reading on planes during weekend getaways.
Andres Betancur
Betancur was described as 36, from New York City, and Colombian. He named nonfiction as his favorite genre and Barbarian Days as a next read. Besides the subway, he said the beach was a favorite place to read.
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Omar Torres
The feature described Torres as 32 and from New York City, and identified him as Dominican and Puerto Rican. He named fantasy as his favorite genre, A Little Life as a next read, and bed as a place he liked to read.
What were the men reading?
The 2016 article reported these titles as books on the men’s lists—not necessarily books they were photographed reading or had already finished.
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- Michael Ortega: Ghost Fleet; thrillers were his favorite genre.
- Andres Betancur: Barbarian Days; nonfiction was his favorite genre.
- Omar Torres: A Little Life; fantasy was his favorite genre.
Their reported preferences also came with distinct reading settings: Ortega mentioned planes, Betancur the beach and subway, and Torres reading in bed. These are the men’s answers as reported in 2016, not claims about their current reading habits.
Was there a Hot Dudes Reading book?
Yes. Atria Books published Hot Dudes Reading on April 26, 2016. The Simon & Schuster publisher page describes it as based on the Instagram account, with a journey through New York City’s five boroughs and a section for each subway line. Its ISBN is 9781501127540. The publisher record confirms the book’s publication details, not its current availability in stores.
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What was the account’s charitable campaign?
In 2015, First Book announced a collaboration with Hot Dudes Reading called “Hot Dudes Reading for a Cause,” intended to raise money to provide books to children in need. The announcement documents the campaign’s purpose, but does not establish how much money it ultimately raised.
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Sources
- People en Español, “Meet the Latinos from the ‘Hot Dudes Reading’ viral Instagram” (June 10, 2016).
- Simon & Schuster / Atria Books, Hot Dudes Reading.
- First Book via PR Newswire, “Instagram Phenom ‘Hot Dudes Reading’ Launches National Cause Campaign In Support Of Nonprofit First Book” (March 2, 2015).
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