Deedi Brown 8/31/25 Deedi Brown 8/31/25

Cinder House

Oh, how I loved this wickedly smart, gothic reimagining of Cinderella! In which Ella *IS* the house (or, rather, the house’s ghost), her stepmother is her murderer, and her stepsister is her torturer, and the prince is — well, I won’t spoil it.

About the book

Author: Freya Marske
Publisher: Tordotcom

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

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My Review

All I can really say is that you must take the small handful of hours it will take you to fly through this novella, because it manages to feel comfortable and extremely fresh all in one. It’s emotional, it’s magical, it’s delightful, it’s dark, it’s queer, and it’s so dang good. I would gladly have stayed for a whole novel’s worth of this story and then some. This is retelling at its best.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Murder / death / violence
Torture
Domestic abuse
Sexual content (minor)
Death of a parent
Animal cruelty (off page)

Deedi Brown 8/28/25 Deedi Brown 8/28/25

The Other Olympians: Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports

This is an incredibly researched, empathetically rendered, deeply poignant book. I learned so much, and I am about to shove this book into everyone’s hands. (I also listened to the vast majority of it on audio, and I think it worked great.)

About the book

Author: Michael Waters
Publisher: FSG

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My Review

Trans rights are women’s rights.

This is an incredibly researched, empathetically rendered, deeply poignant look at the ways the oppression of women and the oppression of trans people arose together at the advent of women’s sports and the 1936 Olympics that took place in Nazi Germany. It’s eerily relevant to this exact moment, between the rise of fascism here in the US and the recent announcement that women Olympians will now need to submit to genetic testing to confirm their gender. I learned so much, and I am about to shove this book into everyone’s hands. (I also listened to the vast majority of it on audio, and I think it worked great.)

I won’t lie, I often felt disheartened while reading this book — if a nationwide movement to have the US boycott the 1936 Olympics BECAUSE NAZIS WERE MURDERING JEWISH PEOPLE was no match for one clever and determined antisemitic white man administrator, what will we do today? If these men continue to insist on policing women and trans people’s bodies for the show of it, and their momentum is this great, how will we stop it?

But at the end of the day, this is the truth: Gender testing didn’t work back then, and it isn’t going to work now. And this book does a great job of showing why that is.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Transphobia and homophobia
Antisemitism / Naziism
Deadnaming
Misogyny
Suicide (minor)

Deedi Brown 8/28/25 Deedi Brown 8/28/25

Blood Over Bright Haven

I almost — almost — let this one slip through the cracks of my TBR. Reader, that would have been a grave mistake. What an incredible firecracker of a standalone fantasy novel!!

About the book

Author: M.L. Wang
Publisher: Del Rey

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My Review

I almost — almost — let this one slip through the cracks of my TBR. Reader, that would have been a grave mistake. What an incredible firecracker of a standalone fantasy novel!!

Blood Over Bright Haven is about a woman named Sciona from the magically/technologically advanced city of Tiran who has worked her whole life to become accepted into the highest levels of magical scholarship — history’s first woman highmage. It’s also about an indigenous man named Thomil who was driven into Tiran’s lowest class by “the blight,” a magical danger outside the safety of Tiran’s borders that’s left his people all but extinct. When Sciona’s male peers assign Thomil as her assistant as a joke, the two form an unlikely pair — and uncover horrifying truths.

This book is doing SO MUCH in less than 500 pages, and it does it so well. Here, in a fast-paced story with an incendiary plot, we grapple with what it truly means to reckon with one’s own privilege and role in oppression, colonialism, violence; the reality of intersectionalism paired with the uncomfortable truth that it does not excuse those with more privilege; the harsh reality of intention vs impact; the cost of taking more than can be sustained and why that’s easier to ignore than confront head-on; and how easy it is for people in power to convince themselves that they are not in the wrong, and the near-impossibility of interrupting that mentality.

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a character who was so unlikeable in the beginning yet demonstrated so much (believable) growth so quickly. The ending is also, in my opinion, exactly what the book demands.

If you liked R.F. Kuang’s Babel, you will love this. And even if you didn’t, I still think you might love this. Please read it!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Racism
Colonialism
Violence / blood / death
Sexual assault / attempted rape
Suicidal thoughts / attempt

Deedi Brown 8/27/25 Deedi Brown 8/27/25

The Silmarillion

As a fan girl at heart, I love feeling 10x more informed about Tolkien’s lore and hope to pick up more of his supplemental works someday, perhaps starting with the story of Beren and Lúthien.

About the book

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: William Morrow (illustrated collector’s edition)

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My Review

As a lover of The Lord of the Rings who had never read The Silmarillion, I’ve felt like a pretender for years. Add to that my enjoyment of The Rings of Power, and it was only a matter of time. I’m so glad that I finally decided to take the plunge, following along retroactively with Breanne Rodgers’ 8-week readthrough.

8 weeks was a great pace — it gave me space to absorb what I’d read and then synthesize it with Breanne’s recap post plus a little extra help from Super Summary (a SparkNotes alternative). I absolutely recommend this approach; reading a recap of each chapter after I finished took the pressure off to remember every detail (impossible) and let me just relax and enjoy the ride. Which I did!

I started a reread of The Fellowship of the Ring this past weekend, and I’ve already picked up on things that would have felt meaningless before but stand out now (like the elves introducing themselves as “of the house of Finrod”). As a fan girl at heart, I love feeling 10x more informed about Tolkien’s lore and hope to pick up more of his supplemental works someday, perhaps starting with the story of Beren and Lúthien.

Content and Trigger Warnings

War, death, and violence
Torture
Death of a parent/child

Deedi Brown 8/17/25 Deedi Brown 8/17/25

The Incandescent

This is one of those books you can’t examine tooooo closely, but if you just go along for the ride, you’re going to have a really fun time.

About the book

Author: Emily Tesh
Publisher: Tor Books

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My Review

The Incandescent has been (im)patiently waiting for me to pick it up since it was published earlier this year. It’s got a good amount of hype behind it, especially because it’s the first novel Emily Tesh has published since Some Desperate Glory won the Hugo Award. My verdict: This is one of those books you can’t examine tooooo closely, but if you just go along for the ride, you’re going to have a really fun time.

The story takes place at an English boarding school, but the main character is a teacher — actually, the school’s director of magic, Dr. Saffy Walden. I loved spending time with her as a MC. It was a fun subversion of the dark academia genre, but she’s also lovably curmudgeonly, fiercely dedicated to her job as a teacher, someone who genuinely loves teenagers for all their striving imperfections, bisexual, and occasionally hilarious.

My main squabble with this book is that it feels disjointed. I would bet money that this started as a novella that Tesh later expanded into a novel, because the first 40% is very self-contained. I think the two parts could have been blended better (wait to resolve some of that stuff from the first 40% until the end, for example) and I would have felt more invested the whole time. I was also surprised that we were able to see so much of the plot coming from a mile off, especially because Some Desperate Glory had some of the best plot twists I’ve ever read, but that’s not something that I ultimately mind too much.

Ultimately, this is a FUN book with some bonuses, like the bi rep with a great sapphic side (see: hot butch lesbian modern knight jumping into the fire for her dumb crush), commentary on classism and hubris, and plenty to say about all the ways schools and institutions let down teachers and others on the front lines.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Death and grief
Violence
Classism
Child abuse (minor/mentioned)
Sexual content (very minor)

Deedi Brown 8/12/25 Deedi Brown 8/12/25

Someone You Can Build a Nest In

Well, I did not expect this novel — about a (female) blob monster who falls in love with a (human) woman and decides she wants to lay her eggs in her body, after which her offspring would devour her from the inside out — to be one of my favorite reads of the year. And yet! What fun this was!

About the book

Author: John Wiswell
Publisher: DAW Books

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My Review

Some have called this “cozy horror,” and while I am not so sure about the cozy label (the stakes are high and there’s a lot of trauma here), this book has a feel-good vibe that I really enjoyed. For example, Shesheshen (the monster MC) has a big blue pet bear named Blueberry. So while yes, the fact that Shesheshen is a big blob who can form body parts out of whatever creature she’s eaten technically puts this in “body horror” territory, don’t let that scare you away if horror/body horror isn’t usually your thing. It was much more silly than gross, IMO.

Beyond the fun premise and overall good vibes, I had a ton of fun with the plot — he even got me with the twist. It’s also great ace representation and is full of characters actively helping one another heal from abuse and trauma (which, okay, maybe is a little unrealistic for a monster who is only just learning what it means to love, but WHO CARES). Finally, you should know that this one works great on audio, as the world-building is minimal, we only have one POV, and it takes place in an linear timeline.

I would be happy for this to win the Hugo tomorrow!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Child abuse / toxic relationship
Body horror (but it’s kind of goofy so don’t let this stop you)
Animal cruelty
Death of a parent

Deedi Brown 8/11/25 Deedi Brown 8/11/25

Service Model

Adrian Tchaikovsky is trying to do a lot here, and insofar as his intentions go, I think he succeeded — Service Model is a funny, voicey book that hits its themes home. Unfortunately, the execution was just not for me.

About the book

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publisher: Tor Books

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My Review

Adrian Tchaikovsky is trying to do a lot here, and insofar as his intentions go, I think he succeeded — Service Model is a funny, voicey book that comments on the danger of relying on computers to save us when they have been programmed by humans, who are biased; the consequences of those with privilege hoarding resources for themselves; the line between human and machine; and so much more.

Unfortunately, the execution was just not for me. I went from intrigued by the excellent premise (a robot butler is going about its daily task list when it realizes it somehow accidentally murdered its human master) to impatiently frustrated, to confused at the discordant direction of the plot, to feeling like I had things explained to me like a child. Again, I think a lot of this was actually necessary to drive the themes home, but I was glad to be finished with it.

It will be interesting to see if this takes home the Hugo Award!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Murder/blood

Deedi Brown 8/9/25 Deedi Brown 8/9/25

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

This is masterful writing and an epic; beautiful story. It’s a slow-paced, aching, intimate, sweeping 700-page book that takes its time, and so must you.

About the book

Author: Kiran Desai
Publisher: Hogarth

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My Review

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny from Hogarth in July. Kiran Desai is a former Booker Prize winner, so I started Sonia and Sunny early on the chance that it might be longlisted this year (which it was!). I’m so glad I did; this is masterful writing and an epic, beautiful story.

It’s worth noting that this book won’t be for everyone, and timing/mood will also be important. It’s a slow-paced, aching, intimate, sweeping 700-page book that takes its time, and so must you. If you wait until you are in the mood for it and let it just be what it is, you will enjoy it. If you spend the whole time impatient or rushing or wishing it were something it’s not, you will not.

You should also know that the title has it right, but the marketing around it is a bit misleading — while there is a budding relationship between the two main characters that drives many of the events, the book much more about loneliness and family dynamics than it is any kind of traditional love story. We spend just as much time with Sonia and Sunny’s family members as we do with them, because the book is not just about them — it’s about emigration and generational evolution and internalized racism and so much more.

Finally, a little pre-rant: People will say this book could/should have been shorter. To that, I say those are your personal preferences talking, not a valid assessment of whether the author was successful, if you consider success to be the author achieving what they set out to. Because Desai knew exactly what she was doing; if Sonia and Sunny were not this long, then it would not be the book it is, the book she wanted to write. And if that sounds like something you can get on board with, I think you will love this book as much as I did.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Relationship abuse/toxic relationship
Sexual assault
Racism
Suicidal thoughts (minor)

Deedi Brown 7/31/25 Deedi Brown 7/31/25

Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service

If you’re looking for a quick, hopeful piece of nonfiction filled with interesting facts, look no further. Who Is Government? fits the bill exactly.

About the book

Author: Michael Lewis (Editor)
Publisher: Riverhead

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My Review

If you’re looking for a quick, hopeful piece of nonfiction filled with interesting facts, look no further. Who Is Government? fits the bill exactly. In it, Michael Lewis gathers together a group of all-star journalists to each write about an interesting unsung civil servant and the office they work for. These are folks who show up, day after day, for the love of the job and the good they are able to do with the authority granted to them by their governmental role.

The episodic structure of the book and the feel-good subject matter made this the perfect audiobook to dip in and out of. The last chapter — about a family desperately searching for a cure to their daughter’s rare, deadly condition and the woman who spearheaded a database for Hail Mary treatments — even made me tear up.

A good, solid read!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Child abuse (minor)

Deedi Brown 7/27/25 Deedi Brown 7/27/25

The Lesser Bohemians

What a moving exploration of youth, love, desire, and recovery from trauma. I’m intrigued to see what the sequel holds for these characters!

About the book

Author: Eimear McBride
Publisher: Hogarth

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My Review

I have loved Eimear McBride since I read A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, which won the Women’s Prize in 2014 and was one of the most singular reading experiences of my life. I finally picked up The Lesser Bohemians because its sequel is due out later this month, and unsurprisingly, McBride delivered again.

If you haven’t read McBride before, her style is unique and takes some adjustment. It’s almost stream of subconscious, written in fragments with lots of nouns used as verbs and an unexpected syntax. It’s best experienced as a tandem read (print and audio simultaneously), as McBride reads her own audiobooks and the immersive experience really helps you sink into her style. But once you do, you’ll be surprised by how quickly it moves.

This book is about an Irish girl in her first year of acting school in London who crashes into an electric love affair with an older man. Check the trigger warnings: It’s not a light read (although thankfully not as heavy as A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, which might be the heaviest book I’ve ever read). There’s also a lot of sex. But holy smokes, what a reading experience. I was so immersed and felt so in sync with the main character, I felt like I had to take some big deep breaths after I finished.

What a moving exploration of youth, love, desire, and recovery from trauma. I’m intrigued to see what the sequel holds for these characters!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Sexual content (a lot)
Incest / child rape / child abuse
Alcoholism
Addiction
Self-harm

Deedi Brown 7/27/25 Deedi Brown 7/27/25

Unworld

Ultimately, it’s like this book aaaaaalmost became what it was trying to be. A bit of a bummer, tbh.

About the book

Author: Jayson Greene
Publisher: Knopf

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My Review

Unworld is an extraordinarily timely novel, one that examines the edges where AI and what-makes-us-human may come uncomfortably close in the (near) future. It’s also a poignant look at grief and the lengths we will go to in order to process it, and it asks what makes a memory true and what makes it ours. All really interesting, deeply resonant themes. Plus, it’s a fast-paced, quick read.

And so I liked it a lot — up until the end, which fell short for me (and, it seems based on other readers’ reviews, for a lot of people). I had expected something that made me — and the characters — feel a little more changed; the central mystery has a lot of energy that fizzles out instead of exploding.

Ultimately, it’s like this book aaaaaalmost became what it was trying to be. A bit of a bummer, tbh.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Death of one’s child
Grief
Suicide
Addiction
Mental illness

Deedi Brown 7/24/25 Deedi Brown 7/24/25

Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language

I think anyone who loves language or is a creator (or is simply very online) will love this book, but if you’re both of those things, it’s an absolute MUST read.

About the book

Author: Adam Aleksic
Publisher: Knopf

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My Review

Algospeak is the first book by Adam Aleksic, a linguist who has millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram as @etymologynerd. As promised, he breaks down “how social media is transforming the future of language.” Reader, I’m obsessed.

As a word nerd and book person, I’ve read a LOT of books about shifting language in the modern era — it’s a catnip topic for me. But I’m happy to report that this book is NOT just more of the same. It stands firmly on its own two feet for its deep focus on the algorithms themselves as an accelerant and instigator of language’s rapid evolution. Everything he teaches feels recognizable (“ah yes, of course that’s true”), but it’s taught and arranged in ways you may not have fully considered before. I inhaled it.

I think anyone who loves language or is a creator (or is simply very online) will love this book, but if you’re both of those things, it’s an absolute MUST read. It’s also short (only about 5 hours on audio) and particularly timely right now. So I would advocate to read it sooner rather than later — it will still be relevant down the line, but I think it will hit harder if the slang and trends he discusses still feel current.

Do it do it do it!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Misogyny (discussion of incel culture)

Deedi Brown 7/21/25 Deedi Brown 7/21/25

Audition

About the book

Author: Katie Kitamura
Publisher: Riverhead

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My Review

Okay, let me get this out of the way: Katie Kitamura is a significant talent. She can really, really do the whole novel thing. Her books, including this one, are smart and razor-sharp and provoke more questions than even an hour-long book club meeting can handle.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind reading books that take close reading and deep thought. But I just personally do not enjoy being purposefully confused to the extent Kitamura does it, especially in this book. I mean, even Roxane Gay’s Goodreads review says she doesn’t actually know what happened in this book, and she’s one of the smartest readers around.

This book is objectively good. I didn’t enjoy it.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Abortion (minor)
Infidelity (minor)
Miscarriage (minor)

Deedi Brown 7/20/25 Deedi Brown 7/20/25

Wild Houses

Maybe I’ve read too many books with a similar setting, character archetype, and mood, but I didn’t feel like this one did anything compellingly new for me; it was just another well-written book in its subgenre.

About the book

Author: Colin Barrett
Publisher: Grove Press

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My Review

Wild Houses was my last read from the 2024 Booker Prize Longlist. It’s very well written, and every review will tell you Barrett is a master on the sentence level. But maybe I’ve read too many books with a similar setting, character archetype, and mood (coming from years of reading Booker Prize nominees, I guess, since this type of novel feels like one they recognize often). I didn’t feel like it did anything compellingly new for me; it was just another well-written book in its subgenre. And there’s nothing wrong with that — books are allowed to just be what they are — but personally, it left me wanting a bit more. As a cherry on top, the ending felt like it came close but didn’t quite land.

Still, there’s no doubt that this is sharp and claustrophobic (complimentary). Barrett examines how characters change and interact with one another when he pushes them into conflict like an expert puppeteer. The character of Nicky made the book, especially.

Soake my review with a grain of salt, because my reaction is definitely just a matter of mood and taste. If you like this kind of dark, sympathetic underbelly type story, this may be for you.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Kidnapping
Violence
Drug use/abuse
Alcohol
Death of a parent
Suicidal thoughts
Bullying

Deedi Brown 7/19/25 Deedi Brown 7/19/25

The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1)

It took me way too long to read The Tainted Cup — its Hugo nomination tipped the scales — because y’all, this was SO much fun and just so well done.

About the book

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Del Rey

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My Review

It took me way too long to read The Tainted Cup — its Hugo nomination tipped the scales — because y’all, this was SO much fun and just so well done.

This book is a Holmes and Watson–style murder mystery, if Holmes was an ASD-coded genius woman who blindfolds herself and never leaves the house to avoid overstimulation so she can puzzle out her cases, and Watson was her sneakily superpowered dyslexic assistant with a magically amplified photogenic memory. And if the murder weapon was a fungus that causes entire trees to burst out of its victims' bodies. Oh, and they live in a world where the wet season brings leviathan sea monsters crashing onto land, destroying everything in their path.

Part of what makes this such a good time is that it’s a contained, well-written mystery. Bennett knows what he’s doing! Plus, it has the welcome feeling of a standalone, because the focus is on the central plot. But at the same time, the background worldbuilding also contains so much potential that could be sneakily explored over the course of many such books. And last but not least, the characters are lovable neurodivergent underdogs fighting for space and worth in a society built to deny it to them. What’s not to enjoy?

I’m so glad to have the sequel sitting on my shelf waiting for me!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Murder, death
Body horror, gore (minor)
Drug use

Deedi Brown 7/17/25 Deedi Brown 7/17/25

The Everlasting

A wholly original and unputdownable sweeping, epic, magical story for the ages, this is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year and could easily maintain that #1 spot all the way through.

About the book

Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publisher: Tor Books

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My Review

Alix Harrow is an auto-read author for me. Her books range from quick and fun to certified bangers — and y’all, The Everlasting (out in October) is a CERTIFIED BANGER. A wholly original and unputdownable sweeping, epic, magical story for the ages, this is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year and could easily maintain that #1 spot all the way through.

The Everlasting is about a historian named Owen living in a republic called Dominion, which justifies its present-day colonialism with its origin story of Una Everlasting, a brave and valiant knight who fought to unify the lands for her queen. One day, Owen finds the long-lost original manuscript of Una’s story delivered to his office without a return address. Little does he know that he’s about to find himself back in time, by her side, convincing her to play her part in the greatest legend ever told. Or is it?

I don’t even know where to start with this, friends. The first section (of five) destroyed me, and when I hit 40% I silently screamed and cursed my decision to read this so early (it’s out in October — thanks Tor and Netgalley!) that I had no one to live-text my reactions to. This was the first time in a long, long time that I found myself legitimately angry that I had to stop reading to go to sleep; I wanted to inhale it but also savor every word. THE WAY THIS WOMAN USES WORDS, WHEW!!!

An epic love story, a delicious villain, time travel executed perfectly, I could go on and on. Plus, she has so much to say about what it means to be free, what it means to love someone, what it means to make choices, and the never-ending cycle of colonial propaganda and radicalization. Who writes the legendarium and why? How do stories become myths? It’s timeless and so incredibly timely.

If you don’t all preorder this book and read it immediately upon publication, I will riot. You’ve been warned.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Violence
Death and murder
Sexual assault (off-page)
Suicide/suicidal thoughts (sacrificing oneself)
Child death
Animal death

Deedi Brown 6/30/25 Deedi Brown 6/30/25

Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, #3)

This book is a long adventure that takes its time, but I sank in and never felt frustrated by its pace. I also think this was my favorite Farseer book; the scope of the world and the story expanded so much!

About the book

Author: Robin Hobb
Publisher: Harper Voyager

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My Review

Assassin’s Quest is the third book of Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy, published in the 90s and comprised of the first three books of a total of 15 set in her larger The Realm of the Elderlings series. I’m going to attempt to quickly review this particular book and also the Farseer trilogy as a whole, all without spoilers.

I was a bit nervous heading into Assassin’s Quest for two reasons: first, it’s 850 pages, and the first two books showed me that Robin Hobb tells stories epicly but slowly; second, I’d read in a review that AQ is many people’s least favorite Farseer book. Fortunately, my experience could not be more different. Yes, this book is a long adventure that takes its time, but I sank in and never felt frustrated by its pace (you cannot rush it; that is critical). I also think this was my favorite Farseer book; the scope of the world and the story expanded so much! After all, this universe is called The Realm of the Elderlings, and I didn’t even know what an Elderling was until the second half of AQ. My heart soared and ached alongside these characters the whole way, leading up to an excellent ending.

I’m so glad I picked this trilogy up; it’s not going to be for every reader (if you need a fast-paced plot to stay engaged, be warned), but it was definitely for me. Hobb’s ability to create an entire world filled with excellent characters, human and animal alike, is truly elite. I can only imagine how much more expansive that world will become.

I can’t wait to continue with the next trilogy in a month or two!

Content and Trigger Warnings

Violence, blood, war, death
Rape (mentioned later, not explicit)
Still birth

Deedi Brown 6/29/25 Deedi Brown 6/29/25

Wear It Well: Reclaim Your Closet and Rediscover the Joy of Getting Dressed

Very glad I read this, and I’m already looking forward to revisiting her advice probably twice a year (fall and spring)!

About the book

Author: Allison Bornstein
Publisher: Chronicle Prism

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My Review

I’ve been meaning to pick up Wear It Well for months, as I’m one year postpartum and really wishing I had more outfits that feel like the current version of me — more color and more classic cuts. So when I needed a short book to pick up next, this was the perfect fit. (Pun unintentional but delightful.)

This book reads very self-help-y, but it’s so short (you can read it in a day) that it’s worth wading through for the good advice. I found a lot of value in Bornstein’s recommended method of sorting through my existing wardrobe; it really helped me think about what I wanted to keep and what the commonalities of those pieces were. Her 3-word method also feels like it’s going to be super useful in the future; I’ve already started calling my words to mind as I’ve (thoughtfully) begun to shop for pieces that I felt were missing from my closet.

Very glad I read this, and I’m already looking forward to revisiting her advice probably twice a year (fall and spring)!

Content and Trigger Warnings

None

Deedi Brown 6/28/25 Deedi Brown 6/28/25

Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age

Searches is a timely, personal, and incredibly smart look at our techological present and immediate past, probing what AI is doing and will do to our lives with a healthy dose of skepticism while holding the giants like Meta, Amazon, etc to task.

About the book

Author: Vauhini Vara
Publisher: Pantheon

Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)

My Review

I am the head of content marketing at a tech startup, so I am no stranger to generative AI. (Using it skillfully is literally in my performance review.) At the same time, I don’t think there is any community out there who is more outspoken against AI than the book community. So it often feels like I live in two entirely different worlds.

I think, against all odds, this book actually manages to bridge them, and it does it in the best way: where essay writing meets performance art. Searches is a timely, personal, and incredibly smart look at our techological present and immediate past, probing what AI is doing and will do to our lives with a healthy dose of skepticism while holding the giants like Meta, Amazon, etc to task.

Between more traditional essays about how she grew up and became a journalist alongside Facebook and the rest of them, Vara publishes everything from her Amazon reviews to a giant list of her Twitter “interests” to attempts at getting AI to try to finish a narrative about grief her sister (who died of chilchood cancer) to full chats with ChatGPT, asking it to critique and interpret the very book we’re reading. The result, when considered as a whole, is deeply resonant.

I really hope this gets some prize attention later this year — it deserves it.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Cancer
Death of a sibling
Grief

Deedi Brown 6/24/25 Deedi Brown 6/24/25

Enlightenment

I enjoyed my time with this deliberately, consciously slow-paced book about lives in orbit, love in all its forms, and what haunts us.

About the book

Author: Sarah Perry
Publisher: Mariner Books

Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)

My Review

Enlightenment was longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, but the reception was pretty mixed. Its synopsis sounded right up my alley, so I was determined to come out at least neutral. Turns out I didn’t have to work too hard; I enjoyed my time with this deliberately, consciously slow-paced book about lives in orbit, love in all its forms, and what haunts us.

The story has two main characters: elderly Thomas Hart, a writer and closeted gay man; and Grace Macaughley, the only daughter of the pastor of the deeply traditional church in their tiny little rural town. Thomas and Grace have been friends for Grace’s whole life, but events come between them, as they are wont to do. The book jumps ahead twice, by 10 years each time. Oh, and also Thomas is bent on solving a mystery about the town ghost.

Here’s the thing: If you rush this, you will regret it, and it’s also not a book you can enjoy if you pick it up in the wrong headspace. This happened to many people in my book club (the casualties of reading a prizelist on a schedule!). You have to let it feel old-fashioned — it’s based on Sarah Perry’s childhood home and church, after all. You have to let it meander. You have to let it wonder at the stars and at love and at what God might mean to different people and whether ghosts are real. You have to dial in and go along for the ride. It’s certainly not a perfect book, but if you let it be what it is, I think you will enjoy it in the same way I did.

Content and Trigger Warnings

Religious bigotry
Death and grief
Fire
Homophobia