Welcome to Litsy!

This is a short novel that focuses on the death of a Black poet in the deep South. I enjoyed the author's writing style - she did a great job keep suspense and mystery without relying too heavily on cryptic cues. While the mystery was well developed, the ending was a bit rushed. I wanted a greater sense of closure at the end but enjoyed the journey of reading this one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This powerful story transports the reader to a time and place so completely that you feel like the story is unfolding around you. It is filled with a cast of authentic and complex characters that will keep you turning the pages. Family, race, and injustice are the overriding themes that weave together this thoughtful story that shimmers with the heat of the Mississippi delta. I recommend this debut! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Giving this one a try, it‘s my irl book club book and I‘m behind in reading it! #currentread

3.5 stars. A 30 something black woman comes back to the place where her daddy died, 30 years earlier, searching for answers. Memory is a tricky thing bc you remember what you want to remember but that is all she has to work with, the memories of those who were there when her daddy died. She dives into the racist past and present of the Mississippi Delta, and reveals that we have a ways to go before we can claim victory over racial inequality.

I could not put this down, reading it in a day. Benz‘s story of justice denied, and later sought is beautifully crafted through the eyes of the people marked by, and involved in the death of a young black poet.

Returning to the Mississippi Delta 30 years after the death of her father, Billie seeks truth. Her family, the police, and the white family that owned the land where her father died all reveal versions of her truth and perhaps justice.

A young woman returns to #Mississippi to uncover what happened the night her father was killed. It‘s a good read - it really draws you into the heat and humidity and the racism that was the Mississippi delta. #ReadingUSA2019

This was a real slow burn, and the end had me all teared up. Really powerful.

So good. 4.5 ⭐️ Debut novel by Benz about resurrecting old ghosts to solve past mysteries, and setting is in The Mississippi Delta, where “place” becomes another character. “Inventive, gritty, and open hearted, The Gone Dead is an astonishing debut novel about race, justice, and memory that lays bare the long- concealed wounds of a family and a country.” (From AJC Book Festival website...Benz will be there this year!) #debut #decaturbookfestival

1. Candy
2. This is tough! I'm going to say new bands for my Fitbit
3. The Gone Dead
@eggs #wondrouswednesday
Hi!! @Jerdencon
 @howjessreads

"Words have blood in them. They can make fate take shape when they pass from a mouth into a heart."

I am going to be thinking about this book for awhile. I can see why this is an important and powerful read. The events are still relevant in the world today and it just breaks my heart to think about it.

Does anyone else have a really hard time juggling your holds some months? I‘m probably not finishing that short story collection I started before tomorrow, so I better start this before it‘s due... on Saturday. Good thing it‘s a long weekend and I can maybe fudge that return date.

Such a beautiful day I decided to walk up to the bank. This gives me the perfect opportunity to start my next audiobook.

I sure hope Books a Million does the penny a page sale again!

Just ok. I felt there were too many extraneous characters and the plot was not very original. 2.5⭐️ #Hoopla

After reading that I‘ve clicked straight through to my Indie and clicked buy! Not the best example of self restraint!

https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=63307d521ef0e3221b32801ca&id=c100227075&e=dd...

🎉IT‘S NEW BOOK DAY!🎉 Here are some of today‘s new books! There are several more out today that I am excited about, including Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada, Wicked Fox by Kat Cho, Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee, Emperors of the Deep by William McKeever, and The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
What are you excited to read? 📚❤️📚

Just so so for me.

Definitely recommending this one! Homecoming, legacies, racism and family, this a beautifully written novel about a young woman in search of answers.

Started the audiobook tonight, narrated by the delightful Bahni Turpin. Liking it so far!