Deedi Brown 8/22/21 Deedi Brown 8/22/21

The Promise

I’m really glad I read The Promise, which brings South Africa from the end of Apartheid to the present day to life on the page, vividly and impressively. Damon Galgut is obviously a masterful writer.

Deedi Brown 8/14/21 Deedi Brown 8/14/21

The Women of Troy (Women of Troy, #2)

Those who loved The Silence of the Girls will love The Women of Troy, its sequel. It offers a powerful look, through the eyes of Briseis, into the aftermath of Troy’s defeat and what it meant for the Trojan women who became slaves.

Deedi Brown 8/8/21 Deedi Brown 8/8/21

Redemptor (Raybearer, #2)

Deedi Brown 7/30/21 Deedi Brown 7/30/21

The Once and Future Witches

The Once and Future Witches is the best kind of witchy historical fantasy book: atmospheric, feminist, well-researched, emotional. Also, gorgeous prose. I loved every second of it.

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

The Five Wounds

The Five Wounds is simultaneously big-hearted and unflinching, with characters who feel like they could literally step off the page. I really liked it.

Deedi Brown 7/23/21 Deedi Brown 7/23/21

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a beautiful, funny, hopeful novella full of heart and what it means to be human. I really, really loved it.

Deedi Brown 7/20/21 Deedi Brown 7/20/21

Olympus, Texas

Olympus, Texas is a roller-coaster read full of heart — part contemporary literary fiction, part Greek mythology retelling. I enjoyed every second.

Deedi Brown 7/11/21 Deedi Brown 7/11/21

She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor, #1)

Deedi Brown 6/30/21 Deedi Brown 6/30/21

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

What can I say about Bird by Bird that hundreds of aspiring writers before me haven’t already said? Required reading for anyone who writes — or wants to.

Deedi Brown 6/29/21 Deedi Brown 6/29/21

All the Birds in the Sky

All the Birds in the Sky is a whimsical, super creative novel with some really lovable characters. I loved how it blended fantasy and sci-fi. A new favorite!

Deedi Brown 6/27/21 Deedi Brown 6/27/21

Piranesi

Piranesi is literary fiction with so much magical realism that it tips into fantasy — so basically, perfect for me. This book was intriguing and creative and I really liked it!

Deedi Brown 6/21/21 Deedi Brown 6/21/21

Filthy Animals

Filthy Animals is, as we expect from Brandon Taylor, a masterful collection of stories; I especially loved the linked ones. This book more than lives up to the hype.

Deedi Brown 6/18/21 Deedi Brown 6/18/21

On Juneteenth

On Juneteenth is a short but powerful collection of essays. Anne Gordon-Reed’s brilliance as a historian and love for her home of Texas merge into something that everyone should read.

Deedi Brown 6/13/21 Deedi Brown 6/13/21

Of Women and Salt

Deedi Brown 6/12/21 Deedi Brown 6/12/21

Revival Season

Revival Season is a well-paced, impressive debut novel with big, full characters and a central conflict that’s as unique as it is familiar. I really enjoyed it.

Deedi Brown 6/8/21 Deedi Brown 6/8/21

¡Hola Papi!: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons

¡Hola Papi! is a funny, compassionate memoir-in-essays full of personality and heart.

Deedi Brown 5/31/21 Deedi Brown 5/31/21

Somebody's Daughter

Somebody’s Daughter is exactly as good as all the hype says it is. Moving, gripping, smart, and incredibly observed. You should read it.

Deedi Brown 5/30/21 Deedi Brown 5/30/21

How a Poem Moves: A Field Guide for Readers Afraid of Poetry

How a Poem Moves is a friendly, accessible, super-digestible read perfect for anyone who wants practice reading poetry, with a smart, funny professor there to point out things you might have missed.

Deedi Brown 5/28/21 Deedi Brown 5/28/21

Detransition, Baby

Detransition, Baby is a real standout of a novel, smart and emotional and fresh, and its authenticity shines. I really, really liked it.

Deedi Brown 5/22/21 Deedi Brown 5/22/21

Beloved

Beloved is Toni Morrison’s “big one” — the one that won the Pulitzer and led her to win the Nobel Prize. I was obviously not disappointed. Incredible.