If You See Me, Don't Say Hi: Stories | 
pickThere‘s so much to appreciate here. My one constructive critique would have been more range in the perception of the experience or reflection of the relationship. At certain points, I felt like I was hearing from the same person multiple times ( and not in the cool intentional Black Mirror way).
pickI absolutely loved this short story collection! There was enough left open at the end of each story to leave me wondering, thinking about each character, but not so much that I left unsatisfied.
Patel‘s stories draw on a the families of an Indian-American community in rural Illinois. It‘s probably very similar to the Indian community in my town in Kentucky. Maybe that‘s part of the draw...seeing something so close I wouldn‘t otherwise see.
#3books written by 3 phenomenal POC authors. It was hard to choose just 3 to highlight since my bookshelves are mostly BIPOC authors, but these are by some of my faves and essential reading for sure- even Nori says so! @OriginalCyn620 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
pickIncredible, candid, and so beautiful. The last two short stories in this collection really took this book to five stars in my opinion, and coming back to it after having set it aside at the end of last year‘s backpacking season was like finding a delectable morsel almost forgotten and yet perfectly preserved waiting in the back of the fridge. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lazy, biphobic premise in the very next story ("Just a Friend"). I'm done with this book.
I had to skip a story ("Hey, Loser") that was nothing but a ridiculous incel fever dream that the author half-assedly attempted to pass off as a commentary on racialized desirability politics by making Chad (TM) white. If you're not even doing as well as rapist junot diaz, who at least builds compelling challenges to his male characters' Nice Guy (TM) worldview into his narratives, then you ARE a loser, just like--yes--this protagonist.
Some of these stories needed a few more drafts.
"His hair was the color of orange shag carpeting; his skin was the color of boiled shrimp."
-"Hare Rama, Hare Krishna"
?⚰
"No one ever told me that happiness was like a currency: that when it goes, it goes, and that few people are willing to give you some of theirs."
-"God of Destruction"
"I wasn't always this way. But the friction of life has a way of turning sharp edges into smooth ones, smooth edges into sharp ones, until you've become a duller, slightly misshapen version of your former self."
-"God of Destruction"
pickWoke up and couldn‘t sleep right away, so I finished the final two (kinda tragic, really!) stories in this great collection that might as well be titled “Never Connect.” The stories are quite good, though I think they‘re a bit distant from their narrators - perhaps that‘s part of the point. I‘d recommend reading them more widely spaced apart than I did for maximum enjoyment. My first #shortstories of 2019 & a good read.
Started this #shortstory collection last night. It‘s the author‘s debut collection and is just fantastic. Pretty sure I‘ve read a couple of them online and loved them. Reading a great interview with him that I‘ll put in the comments.
Saturday night plans 🎉😸I‘m loving this short story collection so much. I‘m trying to finish it this weekend because it‘s due back at the library on Monday.
I was feeling stressed so I took a lunch break walk to the library 💁🏼♀️ even though I have plenty of books to read already, I only have so much will power..here‘s my haul! #tbr
Started this on Libby today, should be a quick one. I‘ve had it on “hold” for me since July! I‘m 1.5 essays in and am enjoying it so far!
pickAll 11 stories in this collection feature characters who are first generation Indian-Americans. For all of the characters, whether male or female; poor or rich; young or old; gay or straight, the primary struggle they face is cultural. With a foot in both American and Indian cultures these characters find that they are either both/and or neither/nor and their lives unfold according to their perceptions. #netgalley
