Hey, Bookhearts! Pithy Picks are becoming my favorite bookish meme! Sometimes books don't need a full review to express my recommendation or unpopular opinion. I hope you find a few books of interest below and learn which books to not bother with.
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Title: Last Summer on State Street
Author: Toya WolfePublished: June 2022
Pithy Review: It's the summer of 1999. Fe Fe, Precious, Stacia and Tonya live in building 4950 of Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago's South Side, next in line to be torn down. I won't soon forget this so well told coming-of-age story about finding a home in one's self and community. A favorite read of 2022!
Quote: "But people jump out the rope on that game and go separate ways." ~ pg. 136
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Long Past Summer
Author: Noué Kirwan
Published: August 2022
Pithy Review: No longer the meek teen from small town Georgia, Mikaela is now a successful New York lawyer. But when an old photo resurfaces in a lawsuit, she has to face her old best friend and first love. I would not have picked up this book on my own but it was recommended by a relative and glad it was. Started off strong but fell flat and predictable, making it an overall okay read.
Quote: "Ovaries before brovaries." ~ pg. 184
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️
Author: Noué Kirwan
Published: August 2022
Pithy Review: No longer the meek teen from small town Georgia, Mikaela is now a successful New York lawyer. But when an old photo resurfaces in a lawsuit, she has to face her old best friend and first love. I would not have picked up this book on my own but it was recommended by a relative and glad it was. Started off strong but fell flat and predictable, making it an overall okay read.
Quote: "Ovaries before brovaries." ~ pg. 184
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️
Title: You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey
Author: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Published: January 2021
Pithy Review: Humor led these sisters to write essays about everyday experiences of racism. From strangers putting their whole hand in hair to figuring out why Karens Karen. It is relatable yet amusing. The stories are a cross between "Happened to me too" and "You can't make this racist shit up."
Quote: "It's never a Black person's job to make sure these people understand why what they're saying is wrong." ~ pg. 15
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Published: January 2021
Pithy Review: Humor led these sisters to write essays about everyday experiences of racism. From strangers putting their whole hand in hair to figuring out why Karens Karen. It is relatable yet amusing. The stories are a cross between "Happened to me too" and "You can't make this racist shit up."
Quote: "It's never a Black person's job to make sure these people understand why what they're saying is wrong." ~ pg. 15
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Sally Hepworth
Published: August 2022
Pithy Review: The Amazon Original Stories are gems, y'all! A getaway vacation turns sinister when an icebreaker game leads to a seductive twist. You can read or listen in one sitting, which is recommended for the punch it packs in less than 50 pages. So well written that I went in search of a full-length novel by the author. Give me more!
Quote: "Nothing worthwhile happens in the comfort zone." ~ pg. 5
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: The Candid Life of Meena Dave
Author: Namrata Patel
Published: June 2022
Pithy Review: Meena Dave is a photojournalist with no family, no attachments, no permanent address. Until she unexpectedly inherits an apartment. She is forced to settle down in a community with neighbors, meddling aunties and a culture she never thought possible. Make a cup of chai and settle in for this good read.
Quote: "I suppose I could start at the beginning, but to what end? That's a fun sentence." ~ pg. 22
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Namrata Patel
Published: June 2022
Pithy Review: Meena Dave is a photojournalist with no family, no attachments, no permanent address. Until she unexpectedly inherits an apartment. She is forced to settle down in a community with neighbors, meddling aunties and a culture she never thought possible. Make a cup of chai and settle in for this good read.
Quote: "I suppose I could start at the beginning, but to what end? That's a fun sentence." ~ pg. 22
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: August 2014
Pithy Review: Love isn't always pretty. We know this. Miles and Tate know this. Yet they make an arrangement anyway. He doesn't want love; she doesn't have time for love. Don't ask about the past; don't expect a future. Then rules are broken and their love gets ugly. I should've known this was no light chick lit. CoHo made me feel all the feels and heartbreak!
Quote: "We tell ourselves we've got this...when we don't have it at all." ~ 21%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: August 2014
Pithy Review: Love isn't always pretty. We know this. Miles and Tate know this. Yet they make an arrangement anyway. He doesn't want love; she doesn't have time for love. Don't ask about the past; don't expect a future. Then rules are broken and their love gets ugly. I should've known this was no light chick lit. CoHo made me feel all the feels and heartbreak!
Quote: "We tell ourselves we've got this...when we don't have it at all." ~ 21%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Jen Lancaster
Published: October 2020
Pithy Review: My funny beloved Jen Lancaster's latest memoir talks about so much: Earl Grey tea, anxiety, side hustles, being Matchy McMatcherson and more. All things I relate to! We are indeed one nation under stress. This book is full of wit and advice. I like this new (back-to-memoir) mode with endnotes containing facts and snarky asides. Perfect publishing time too!
Quote: "Comedy is an outlet that can build bridges." ~ pg. 230
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Published: October 2020
Pithy Review: My funny beloved Jen Lancaster's latest memoir talks about so much: Earl Grey tea, anxiety, side hustles, being Matchy McMatcherson and more. All things I relate to! We are indeed one nation under stress. This book is full of wit and advice. I like this new (back-to-memoir) mode with endnotes containing facts and snarky asides. Perfect publishing time too!
Quote: "Comedy is an outlet that can build bridges." ~ pg. 230
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Heart of Hope
Author: Lucy ScorePublished: February 2022
Pithy Review: This may be better as a movie. Picture this: a Christmas wedding. A sexy stranger. A fictional town with gossip. A donated organ. A recipient with predictable actions. Possible love match. Definitely a recipe for Hallmark or Lifetime Movie Network. But just to read? Hmmm, Bookhearts can pass on this novella.
Quote: "What could Hope Falls give that Chicago couldn't?" ~ 79%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️
Title: Reminders of Him
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: January 2022
Pithy Review: CoHo...girl...respectfully, why the fuck do you keep writing these books that tear my heart to shreds, piece it back together and send me on my merry way until the next release? This fictional story of redemption was heartbreakingly tender. It left me wondering how long can a person be punished for mistakes? And is everyone worthy of forgiveness and love?
Quote: "People need people." ~ 37%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: January 2022
Pithy Review: CoHo...girl...respectfully, why the fuck do you keep writing these books that tear my heart to shreds, piece it back together and send me on my merry way until the next release? This fictional story of redemption was heartbreakingly tender. It left me wondering how long can a person be punished for mistakes? And is everyone worthy of forgiveness and love?
Quote: "People need people." ~ 37%
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Death of the Black Widow
Author: James Patterson and J.D. BarkerPublished: April 2022
Pithy Review: Why, oh why, did you co-sign this dud, JP? Or did you not even bother reading the first draft to see if it followed your outline? Because this one clearly slipped through the cracks. Not Patterson's style at all! Halfway through, I went on skim mode. What should have been a thriller of a brilliant escape artist that destroys the men she loves turned out to be blah.
Quote: "You sure you heard screaming?" ~ I don't even remember which page.
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️
Author: Toni Morrison
Published: February 2022 (first published 1983)
Pithy Review: In ToMo's only short story, two women cross paths. The twist is their races are not revealed. I read this classic carefully twice. Discussed with Chickadee and Bookhearts. We all came up with something different. A brilliant literary demonstration of race, stereotypes and relationships that hold relevant in today's world. Now that's how you write a timeless story and spark debate!
Quote: "Things are not right." ~ pg. 35
Recommend or Nah? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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