Brionni Nwosu

Brionni Nwosu is a writer, educator, and joyful creative based in the vibrant city of Nashville, where she lives with her husband and their three children. After more than a decade teaching students and mentoring teachers, she shifted her storytelling craft from a side passion to center stage. A 2021 We Need Diverse Books mentee under Rajani LaRocca, Nwosu writes bold, heartfelt fiction that explores connection, purpose, and what it means to live a life well.

Her debut novel, The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter, is a sweeping, centuries-spanning tale about love, loss, and one woman’s fight to prove that humanity is worth saving.

Recently I asked Nwosu about what she was reading? Her reply:

I just finished Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby as part of one of my book clubs, The Virtual Book Club for Black Women, and it was a fantastic pick, enjoyed by our entire group. I even recommended it to my father, and he enjoyed it as well. I really liked seeing a story written by a Black male author with two male leads, especially how they handled fatherhood, grief, and their complicated feelings about their sons’ sexuality. The descriptions were so vivid, and there were several craft moments I highlighted because they were just that strong.

One moment that stayed with me was when the characters had to make a hard decision. Instead of explaining it outright, Cosby had one of the men look up at the sky. One cloud looked like one object, another looked another object, and the third cloud reminded him of his son. That helped him decide what to do. I loved that — using the environment and small details to help a character make a big emotional choice. It’s something I want to pay attention to in my own writing.

We also talked a lot in my book club about how both fathers carried so much regret. The sad truth is, they probably never would have reconciled with their sons while they were alive. It took losing them to really face how much time they wasted. Watching the two men slowly build a friendship — almost a brotherhood — over the course of the book was really moving. And I appreciated seeing different communities show up in the story, too, from the bikers to the judge to all the side relationships that gave the book texture.

Next up for me is Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, which is our next book club read, and The Lost Heiress by Elizabeth Klehfoth, one of the Amazon First Reads titles for November 2025, alongside mine. I’m excited to dive into both.

Visit Brionni Nwosu's website.

--Marshal Zeringue