Reviews

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

wildrumpusmom's review against another edition

3.0

Some stories were really good, but ended right when I was getting attached to the character and felt incomplete. Other stories I completely check out of and had to keep going back. Chapter 8 was hands down the best. I wanted more like that. Maybe this book just isn’t for me as I am not a church going lady and don’t understand the demand places in parishioners or women in the church. Overall, sex sex out of wedlock just isn’t that big of a secret and I’m sad that these women have so much of their identity based on how an institution says they can have sex and who they can have sex with.

goats_pajamas's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

bookmarking's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

Short stories with no attempt to weave them into one wider narrative. 

sarahkovacs's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 ⭐️

aweekinthelife's review

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

reviewing a few weeks after finishing the book and the stories still stick with me. the stories are artfully constructed and it is overall a quick read, just not quite my vibe of book (similar to how i felt about Afterparties). i liked the imagination and the different back stories the author weaves into people’s stories. would also pair well with Temple Folk. 

valeribanana's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Deesha Philyaw's The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a beautifully complex exploration of womanhood, desire, and faith, all brought to life by the fantastic narration of Janina Edwards. Her voice is captivating, but listening to this book in audio format had its challenges. With all nine stories narrated by the same person, it was sometimes hard to tell where one ended and another began, which made the transitions confusing. I found myself wishing there were different narrators for each story to help distinguish them. Despite that, the stories themselves were wonderfully written, full of emotional depth and nuance. The layers of complexity—of women, faith, and desire—are what really stayed with me. While I'll give the audio version a lower rating due to the confusion, I’m eager to read the digital version to fully appreciate and revisit some of the most memorable parts. 

bookishbaird1's review against another edition

5.0

A collection of short stories that is a quick and enjoyable listen. I loved the narrator of the audiobook! My favorite was “How to Make Love to a Physicist.”

Each of these stories would make great novels!!!

lexie_gabrielle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I gasped, cheered, and got chills

luciajimenez's review against another edition

emotional funny sad medium-paced

4.5

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5