“And you realize that if God were to welcome everyone into heaven, your mother would abandon Christianity immediately.”
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The Secret Lives of Church Ladies | 
“And you realize that if God were to welcome everyone into heaven, your mother would abandon Christianity immediately.”
pickA collection of short stories, all of which made me think and reflect upon the struggles of reconciling faith and religion, and the roles they play when living out a life of love and passion.
pickNormally with a short story collection, I find at least 1 story that I don't like. Sometimes more than 1, and then there will be the ones that I'm meh about, & only one or two I really like. But this collection had no duds. While I liked some more than others, I found each story incredibly layered, thoughtful, and nuanced.
Book 2 for #20in4
Book 5 for #summerreadingchallenge (published by an indie/small press)
pickHuey and I got through this book of short stories last night. Enjoyed feels like a weird word to use, but I will likely think about these stories for awhile. #huey #catsoflitsy
pickWHY AM I NOT SEEING THIS BOOK EVERYWHERE!? I could not put this collection down; I finished it in one setting. Never have I been so entirely enmeshed & absorbed in a book since J.D. Salinger‘s Nine Stories. The narrative voice diversity. 2nd person narratives done flawlessly. The absolute beautiful, mad humanity. If this book isn‘t being taught in creative writing classes, or literature courses, they‘re wrong. I will never shut up about this book
April 2023 Wrap Up
- The Secret Lives of Church Ladies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
- The Starless Crown ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Before I Let Go ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Antimatter Blues ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
- Skeleton Song ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
pickI absolutely loved all the short stories in thus wonderful collection. I heard it's being into a TV show I think. Look forward to see it.
pickAnthologies have been so hit or miss in the last few years, it was refreshing to read a set of stories with raw human experience and have the reader sympathize or relate to real characters. Highly recommend. 💜
pickI loved this way more than I was expecting to. I found a lot more familiarity than I was expecting to. I laughed more than I expected to. These were the kind of stories I didn't know I needed, and depicted characters in a way I didn't realize was missing from other books. It felt both old school and modern day. It was funny and sad and romantic and black and proud. So much love for this book 🖤💜💙
Great book, did the audio version and narrator was great. Only thing I would have like is a separation signal between stories.
pickFresh and bold collection of stories that give voice to women often overlooked. Women who carry so much on their shoulders, who are the backbones of their communities. I‘ll be thinking about these flawed and complex ladies for some time to come. Overall this was just a like, not a love for me, but still glad I read it. Dear Sister and Snowfall were my favs. I think my IRL book club will have lots to discuss when we meet next week!
pickLOVED. THIS. Really great collection of short stories, some super funny, some really sad, all thought provoking. Would definitely recommend.
pickThe title doesn‘t tell the full story: this is a love letter to Blackness and Black Women. 🖤
Mama would ask me if I wanted to get him something too. No, ma'am. That's just what I told her. No, ma'am.
So Tasheta and me, we fell in line somewhere in the space between Kimba and Renee. Like a daughter purgatory where you don't expect him to get you anything for your birthday or Christmas, ever, but it still hurts like hell every time he doesn't.
pickI liked this, but didn‘t love it as everyone else seems to do.
A short story collection focusing on women and mostly the quest to find love or being in a relationship with the wrong one.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I generally don‘t seek out short story collections, but the title & Janina Edwards as audiobook narrator both interested me enough that I tried this one. As the title implies, these are the stories of the lives “behind closed doors” and look at how people are rarely how they present themselves. At times hopeful & heartbreaking, the writing was engaging and I would be interested to read more of Philyaw‘s work.
pick4.5 🌟 the writing in these stories just flows. There is an ease and grace in these realistic and gritty stories. Highly recommend. I know I am late to this party, but I am so glad I read this collection finally. Thank you @TheAromaofBooks #DoubleSpin
pickLoved, loved, loved these short stories - thanks for sending it to me for Christmas @BarbaraBB ! ?
It‘s difficult to pick a favourite but I think I liked ‘Peach Cobbler‘.
It must be only just be being published or (re-published) in the UK as it was reviewed in The Times last weekend - they loved it too!
I ❤️ the original cover, but the new one is fun too - perhaps a bit suggestive / risqué?! ?
pickI don‘t often like short story collections but Litsy did not steer me wrong with this one. Each story gives us a glimpse at what lies beneath the polite facade we show others- desire, guilt, shame, a yearning for freedom. I really enjoyed the audio version.
pickThis was the last book I was able to finish from my #NYWD list in January. I don‘t normally like short stories but this is a strong collection. Some work better than others, but I loved Dear Sister, Snowfall, and Peach Cobbler, which seems to be the standout for a lot of readers. I related when one of the characters talked about watching Young & the Restless with their grandma. I will definitely read more of this author.
pickGreat range of feelings and emotions. Some triggers for SA and the audio narration was wonderful.
What a lovely surprise Barbara! This book has so many fabulous reviews here on Litsy, and I just adore the cover and the soap smells delicious!
I hope you‘re having a lovely break… we‘re having a relaxing time, going nowhere and doing nothing. (Other than puppy-managing!)
#Top21Of21 The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was my favorite book that I read this year. But I thoroughly loved all of the books on this list. Looking forward to what 2022 has in store for me!
pickI liked this a lot. It was really hard not to devour this book in one sitting. I made myself just listen to 1 at a time. I love this cover. The look on her face is awesome.
This was the bonus December book for my IRL book club. I picked this and feedback from the guys isn't exactly positive. But the girls seem to love it.
pickHer stories centre on a variety of Black women and their relationships to both the Church and marriage. Their strengths are invisible or taken for granted and Philyaw lays bare the abuse and exploitation they suffer as a result of their colour, their gender and their sexuality.
Each story is a microcosm of heartbreak but because the women are both ordinary and remarkable the vital sparks of hope, intimacy and love are what really shine through.
#BookReport 42/21
I managed to finish a few books that had taken me wat too long. This weeks absolute favorite is the tagged one!
pickThere's so much more than the church in the lives of the women in the nine stories that form this little gem of a book. I enjoyed all nine of them and felt strangely proud of these women, their strength, their choices, their fears and their passion. A great read!
pickI had a grand time listening to this collection of short stories. I expected it to deal with hypocrisy in the church, but the stories had a much broader reach. They delved into all of the important relationships: romance, friendship, and family. The narrator is excellent!
pickDownright spectacular. Do you ever read fiction and just know particular scenes are going to stick with you? This book is full of these! Peach cobbler will never be the same! 😂😢🍑
Full of heartache but also love and even a bit of humor sprinkled throughout. Perspectives of black women who are impacted by church in some way. I‘ve read such great things about this and happy to say they are all true. Listen to the audiobook if you get the chance.
pickAfter being enthralled by this book cover for months, I‘m glad I finally listened to this beautifully narrated audiobook edition of Deesha Philyaw‘s short story collection. These nine stories span four generations, focusing on the vulnerability, sexuality, secrets, religious constraints of the Black women at the center of each story. These stories display such range, alternatingly funny, shocking, tender, and wise, each, above all, achingly human.
Excited to devour this entire issue of Oxford American but I may have to jump immediately to the new Deesha Philyaw story.
(I'm still recovering from being knocked out by the tagged book!)
pickCollection of short stories. The author creates specific, visceral interactions between characters.
pickBeautiful collection of short stories. ? Deesha Philyaw is an incredible writer. I'm in awe of her talent after finishing this book. Each story is different and yet the themes of women seeking freedom and identity from the constraints placed on them by society to be "good" makes this an impressively cohesive collection.
I would love to read more by this author. I'm a big fan now.
pickSince I‘m driving again to & from work, I‘m listening to books again.
I liked Shit, Actually, but it‘s a soft pick for me. Some essays I enjoyed more than others.
The tagged took me awhile to get into, but there were several stories that I really loved.
pickI don't usually gravitate towards short stories - but these were amazing. Philyaw writes real women, she write women who love, who bleed, who hurt and desire. I saw bits of me in her women and my heart felt for them all. Her writing is amazing - she creates place and nostalgia, character and history without anything crowing the page. Loved these!
Grabbing a quiet hour - I‘m nearing the end of this short collection and feeling good about finishing a book ( slump over!)
Trying to get back into a reading rhythm- because I think I‘ve realised that it‘s that rhythm that makes everything else in life fall into place. So a short story before bed ( I usually do not go for shorts - but think something contained will kick start the ‘reading focus‘ gene!)
This is such an excellent book on Audio! Janina Edwards is an excellent Narrator and does all of Jasmine Guillory's Books. What a fun weekend read! Loving it!
