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Choose This Now
"I don’t know what to think about things unless we talk them out first."
Inseparable friends Val-and-Tal are used to making their decisions together. But what happens when their choices become their own? CHOOSE THIS NOW, a novel-in-stories, illuminates the small moments that shape their lives across nearly twenty years.
On Val’s 21st birthday—which falls on Halloween—a sudden act of violence interrupts a longed-for kiss. This unfinished moment haunts Val year after year until she materializes in a new town to confront her past. Tal, an aspiring painter, vacillates between dedicating herself to art and literally burning it all down. As they fall in and out of love, start and restart careers, and become mothers, Valerie and Taline struggle to define themselves, with and without each other.
CHOOSE THIS NOW takes on art, labor, romantic love, pregnancy, and parenthood—and the role of friendship in forging a life.
Inseparable friends Val-and-Tal are used to making their decisions together. But what happens when their choices become their own? CHOOSE THIS NOW, a novel-in-stories, illuminates the small moments that shape their lives across nearly twenty years.
On Val’s 21st birthday—which falls on Halloween—a sudden act of violence interrupts a longed-for kiss. This unfinished moment haunts Val year after year until she materializes in a new town to confront her past. Tal, an aspiring painter, vacillates between dedicating herself to art and literally burning it all down. As they fall in and out of love, start and restart careers, and become mothers, Valerie and Taline struggle to define themselves, with and without each other.
CHOOSE THIS NOW takes on art, labor, romantic love, pregnancy, and parenthood—and the role of friendship in forging a life.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
254 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2024
2 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 21, 2024
Not a novel, not a short story collection, but just right. I felt seen by this book and really enjoyed it.
March 25, 2024
I love this book. Here is what I wrote as advanced praise after reading an advanced reader copy on some of the many reasons I love it:
Choose This Now follows a group of women after a harrowing incident at a Halloween party, as they grow up, grow apart, and grow together, in a perceptive, insightful, and compassionate exploration of art, achievement, motherhood, interconnectedness, and the enduring and evolving power of solidarity and friendship between women. Haroutunian uses significant moments as a painter might use planes of light to create a depiction that is moving, beautiful, and true. The novel masterfully works with time, showing its presence and effects on the characters’ lives, but also using it as a means to craft deeper multidimensional pictures of each person’s core, incorporating but transcending their roles as mothers, children, workers, artists, or friends. This book is brilliant in the use of its form as a novel-in-stories, fully exploring the potential for texture, connection, and space in between chapters. It gives us both the longer-term propulsion and emotional connectedness of a novel, and chapters that are beautifully crafted and satisfying on their own. Each note, image, story, in this novel causes a vibration, a ripple effect. Each note splits and multiplies. I absolutely loved this book.
Choose This Now follows a group of women after a harrowing incident at a Halloween party, as they grow up, grow apart, and grow together, in a perceptive, insightful, and compassionate exploration of art, achievement, motherhood, interconnectedness, and the enduring and evolving power of solidarity and friendship between women. Haroutunian uses significant moments as a painter might use planes of light to create a depiction that is moving, beautiful, and true. The novel masterfully works with time, showing its presence and effects on the characters’ lives, but also using it as a means to craft deeper multidimensional pictures of each person’s core, incorporating but transcending their roles as mothers, children, workers, artists, or friends. This book is brilliant in the use of its form as a novel-in-stories, fully exploring the potential for texture, connection, and space in between chapters. It gives us both the longer-term propulsion and emotional connectedness of a novel, and chapters that are beautifully crafted and satisfying on their own. Each note, image, story, in this novel causes a vibration, a ripple effect. Each note splits and multiplies. I absolutely loved this book.
October 2, 2024
I found myself always looking forward to getting back into this book. I read it during a hectic time in my life, so the fact that each story stood on its own made for a good fit. But then because most of the stories are told from the point of view of two best friends at different stages of life (college, singledom of 20s, motherhood), I looked forward to seeing how they evolved as people and friends. The occasional story from the point of view of someone in their friend group helped round out their portraits as well as their community. The book is also quite funny, and it delves into the deeper conflicts facing friendships as they move into the adult responsibility stage. What was refreshing was how the characters were well meaning people (for the most part). It also asked questions about how to live out a feminist perspective, which it took as a given. In sum, the book was funny, insightful, and thought-provoking with beautiful sentences and great pacing and treated women's friendships with playful seriousness and care. What is not to love?
June 28, 2024
I LOVED this book! Beautifully written, interestingly organized, great characters…just a wonderful, wonderful book!
If your bookstore or library doesn’t carry it, request it!
It can be ordered directly from the publisher here:
https://www.noemipress.org/catalog/pr...
Requesting it from bookstores or the library is great! Bookstores who are willing can order it by emailing orders@itascabooks.com
It’s also available from Amazon, and also as an audio book.
If your bookstore or library doesn’t carry it, request it!
It can be ordered directly from the publisher here:
https://www.noemipress.org/catalog/pr...
Requesting it from bookstores or the library is great! Bookstores who are willing can order it by emailing orders@itascabooks.com
It’s also available from Amazon, and also as an audio book.
November 22, 2024
A great collection of short stories that follows a group of women friends over a couple decades. I was moved by the inner dialogues of the narrators sensitively witnessing their friends' emotional states. Through strong details these relationships came to life.
One star off because the last story didn't gel well with the rest of the book. It spanned a larger time frame and took an overt political direction that steered away from the previous themes of friendship and motherhood.
One star off because the last story didn't gel well with the rest of the book. It spanned a larger time frame and took an overt political direction that steered away from the previous themes of friendship and motherhood.
May 20, 2024
I loved this book! A thought-provoking, funny and beautifully rended novel-in-verse that follows a group of friends (primarily Val & Tal) from college through young parenthood. Reads a bit like a 2000's and 2010's New Yorker version of 'One Day' (novel turned into a great Netflix show) but with fewer Brits, more toddlers and better Halloween costumes. Highly recommended!
July 10, 2024
This is such a beautiful book about friendship, motherhood, art, and art making. It's relatable, meaningful, funny, and heartbreaking. And I found pieces of myself in each character. Full disclosure: I narrated the audiobook, so I've read this at least four times! And it just kept getting better!
December 25, 2023
Read this now.
March 23, 2024
I loved every word! 👏
April 17, 2024
A thoughtful, moving look at aging, making art, and finding one's place in an increasingly uncertain world.
April 19, 2024
I loved it! The author captures the complexity of motherhood in such sharp moments that reveal so much complexity. Brilliant work.
June 9, 2024
I truly enjoyed the amount of art that I was exposed to while reading this book. I felt like I had a mini museum visit while going through it.
June 22, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a good representation of the different kinds of friendship and motherhood.
May 6, 2025
Loved this book so much, and immediately told all my artist-mom friends to read it. What’s better than a novel-in-stories?? A beautiful book.
September 17, 2025
Like a contemporary Laurie Colwin, in its story of friendship, motherhood, creativity, and identity for young women.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews