The Best Brazilian Books to Read in 2018

Brazilian author Ana Paula Maia has a series of romances that have gained international appeal, thanks to their distinct style and theme. Steering away from the fluffy, predictable romances, Maia’s stories are based in a predominately masculine setting and her characters have an essence of malice. Her newest book, Enterre Seus Mortos (Bury Your Dead) sees the return of Edgar Wilson, a character that made an appearance in her previous book, A Guerra dos Bastardos (The War of the Bastards). Find the book here.

Award-winning Daniel Galera is considered one of the best emerging authors in Brazil and in addition to his own works, he has also translated 13 British and North American pieces from renowned authors such as Zadie Smith and Hunter S. Thompson. One of his star books is Dentes Guardados (Saved Teeth) which is a collection of short stories released in 2001. His latest book is Meia-Noite e Vinte (Twenty Past Midnight), which touches upon pre-apocalyptic themes merged with topics of millennium bugs and political crisis. Find the book here.

Journalist, translator, and Brazilian author, the name Vanessa Barbara may ring a bell as she has contributed to several articles in The New York Times. She’s won several awards for her writing, including the Premio Jabuti for her book, O Livro Amarelo do Terminal (The Yellow Book of the Terminal) which describes the daily life in São Paulo’s main bus station. Considered among one of the best young Brazilian authors according to Granta, her latest book is Operação Impensável (Unthinkable Operation), a romance linked to the events of the Cold War. Find the book here.

Fernanda Montenegro is a well-known personality on Brazilian TV and is famous for her appearances in the soap opera, O Outro Lado de Paraiso (The Other Side of Paradise). She will be celebrating her 89th birthday this October and to mark this significant date, she will release the memoirs of her life which will include stories of her TV career and life in Brazil the last 90 years. Memórias (Memoirs) promises to be a fascinating glimpse into the world of Brazilian stardom and celebrities.

Jô Soares is one of Brazil’s most famous TV presenters, comedians, talk show hosts, musicians, and actors. One of his most popular shows was Programo do Jô, a talk show on Brazilian channel Globo that ran between 2000 and 2016. He’s released some of his own books, including A Samba for Sherlock, released in 1995 and translated into several languages. To celebrate his 80th birthday in January 2018, he released his biography O Livro de Jô (The Book of Jô), written with journalist Matinas Suzuki Jr. The book talks about the presenter’s childhood and career, as well as touching upon sensitive subjects such as the death of his son in 2014.

‘Acre’ is the name of a Brazilian state in the north of the country and the name of Lucrecia Zappi’s novel. The book is centered around the relationship between Oscar and his wife who live happily together in São Paulo – until the ex-boyfriend of his wife enters the scene. He moves from Acre to live in the same apartment block as the married couple in São Paulo, leading to Oscar losing his sense of mind in a whirlwind of jealousy, paranoia, and nostalgia. Find the book here.

This gripping novel was recently released by Joca Reiners Terron and is his newest story. The story is about a boy who suffers a head injury while playing at college and goes into a coma. He later wakes up, not knowing who he is and remembering little of his past life. In the following months, he is cared for at home yet he can’t shake off the feeling that the people looking after him aren’t his parents. However, a mix of his injury and the medication the doctors prescribed him clouds his mind and he loses his grip on what he is and isn’t certain of.