Only Alive on Sundays

by Kim Rashidi

In a world of hidden meanings and yearnful glances, she fatefully runs into him one summer. But all she wants to know is what his bathroom tiles look like…

Mila is in her late 20s and she’s made it this far in life without really being alive. She is constantly thinking about herself from the outside in. All of that changes when she tries to find herself within two men who are so different yet so alike. One has a knowing smile, the other wears an enchanting grin. Both offer her moments so ripe they may as well be juicy nectarines for her to devour—but if it’s love or devotion, she can’t figure out.

Working in an antique shop with a portal into endless possibilities, Mila interacts with the many faces of her being. She catapults her self-actualization when she confronts the watchful eye that lives within her. Sundays are—finally—made holy when she starts worshiping herself.

Written using tarot cards, Only Alive on Sundays blurs the line between the magical and the mundane. Rashidi weaves the narrative of each Major Arcana card into an electric tale exploring the romance of pursuing selfhood, painting an image of what it would look like to be caught in the midst of The Lovers, The Tower, The Moon…

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Short Stories, Magical Realism, Summer, Contemporary, Fantasy

164 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2023

About the author

Writing about the lives, cities, and timelines that mirror back the romantic, Kim Rashidi weaves reality with imagined possibilities. She holds an MA in English literature and is based in Toronto.

Reviews

[Flor Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book holds a little piece of my heart, and reminds me to live and to love (and always love myself first and foremost). it’s a beautiful love letter to sundays and a beautiful nectarine to sink your teeth into as your next read

[Steph Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introspective narrative, a young woman’s ruminations in love in a multitude of ways; love for others, love for yourself, love for the mundane, and love for the sake of love itself. Honeyed magical realism, sticky threads of connection, poetic prose that evokes the smell of sunshine on citrus peels.
I yearned for more dialogue-driven exploration of Camila and Baz because I was enthralled by her revolution of self and wanted to know more about her connection with him (namely the genesis of it all and why it happened). 4.5 stars because I adored her and found her easy to connect with, but I craved more to solidify their desires (and the motives behind their relationships) in my mind.
Really so lovely :) and the gorgeous cover doesn’t hurt

[sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

mona awad x challengers but the mc has a love for life

kim rashidi uses the major arcana and plays on language with a plethora of metaphors to pull apart our main character’s understanding and love for the life around her. she uses the plot as a tool to develop her character rather than the plot being the journey/destination.

[Michaela Angemeer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is incredibly well-written, charming and a feast for the imagination. It made me laugh out loud multiple times. I especially loved how each chapter was related to a tarot card - being a tarot lover it was so cool to reflect on Rashidi’s interpretations of the cards and how they tied in.

[Lavelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

if only my obsessive reflections on love/life and my place in it could be so enthralling

[Maisy Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little novella! I liked the magical realism aspect. Unfortunately the writing style bothered me.. it's like every sentence wanted to be something that could be underlined.... Whatever! I love Sundays and I was born on one!

[Lien Marieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Alive On Sundays had this gentle, comforting hold on me from almost the very first page. I also found myself highlighting soo many things throughout the book. Not just bc of the beautiful prose, but also just because I loved all the profound underlaying messages layered underneath the author's words! T.T :))


The story reminded me of Peter Terrin's Al Het Blauw, especially in how you follow the protagonist's journey without demanding every single question be answered, combined with a subtle touch of the magical shop element found in Water Moon. I usually get incredibly frustrated when books introduce a mystery and leave you completely in the dark by the end, but this one nailed the balance perfectly. It left just the right amount of mystery lingering in the air when I closed the final page.

5stars (first one in a loooong time-)

It's also quite a short book, so I definitely recommend!

[Hannah 💌 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ and I loved it !

Such sharp and reflected observation about thought patterns the protagonist has. In a way its philosophical but almost written in a way that resembles poetry, every word holds so much meaning that it feels intimate to be in Mila's thoughts.

Overall that makes it a bit difficult to read or at first tough to find the flow and I had to go over many sections multiple times to really grasp the essence of what was said. But at the same time I felt so deeply understood and called out on having the same thought patterns but not in a negative way at all, more in a way that feels like a hug by someone who understands, completely without judgment but celebration of the quirks as the beauty that lies in living.

The mind-TV image that was introduced is one I really enjoyed. It fits so well, I sometimes feel like an observer looking from the outside into my own life, whatching myself in a movie scene instead of being the one that actually experiences it, like I'm "a witness to the happenings of Lila's life".

Whereas some of Lila's scenes were disturbing, I do appreciate that she represents Milas counterpart, the potential of what could be, different decisions made and parallel lives lived. And that there was a point in which Mila understood that she needs to accept the doubt and ambiguity as part of life while realising that in the presence there is only space for her if she decides to fully embrace all those aspects whilst not loosing sight of her core and enjoying it fully.

I also loved the image of the nectarine pit growing inside of her whenever she was excited to be alive and when something exciting started to take shape 🩷

I feel like I will read this again at some point!

[Peyton Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, short and sweet. Novella about love; love with others, self love, falling in love with life and being alive, and actively searching for romance. Kim Rashidis writing was beautiful and had creativity pouring out of it!

[Jenna Wathier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lmao this was not for me and I should’ve known from the description. Fooled by TikTok

[dezzyvaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saved this read for a Sunday indoors and it did not disappoint. Quite poetic language. I even jotted down some notes or notable quotes because I was impressed by the author’s prose and knack for an introspective moment. I did not find the use of tarots to be overwhelming or complicated to understand as I know nothing about that realm. Nevertheless i appreciated how the author incorporated the use of tarot to introduce each chapter. It made me excited for what’s to come. I would definitely reread this at some point in the future. You can finish this in a handful of hours depending on reading speed, but I would take my time as the reader could learn something about themselves as a takeaway. Highly recommend

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik ben echt een whore voor mooie covers hihi
solid 3.75

[Emily Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

obsessed

[ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touch overly romantic but that’s the point! Loved the characters & the entire vibe. Going to enjoy Sundays to their fullest from now on.

[Sabrina Pisciotta]

Shout out Joslyn for getting me an ILL so I wouldn’t have to buy this because it was bad. Delulu tumblr girl energy.

[Roos · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I think. I wanted to read this book because of my interest in tarot. I was curious about the way the writer would connect it to the story. I guess I feel a little disappointed that it was not present that much (or I just didn’t realize. I think this would’ve been better as a longer story. A lot was happening but it felt like nothing was explained well enough. I guess I just hoped to get a little more world-building. It seemed a little flat.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for an atmospheric summer novella about self-discovery and obsession, combined with magical realism, this one’s for you!

This novel highlights the importance of where we direct our energy. Instead of fixating on the past, fleeting feelings, and our thoughts, Rashidi conveys how crucial it is to channel and direct our energy towards self-improvement.

A crucial element of the narrative is the bathroom tiles. As bathrooms are private, vulnerable spaces, the tiles' colour serves as a glimpse into the characters' interiority. As Mira views others' bathrooms and allows Jakob and Baz into hers, the characters are vulnerable with one another, letting down their walls in search of connection and acceptance—a powerful metaphor for the vulnerability we all experience when revealing ourselves to others.

Ultimately, the shift from third person to first person by the novel’s conclusion reveals how Mila begins to accept who she is and the choices she has made, becoming whole instead of fractured versions of herself.

A powerful ending marking the importance of self-love and the often difficult journey of self-discovery, especially through the desire to be desired by another.

[Kiersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give it 3.5 if I could. Damn you good reads! It’s not my usual style but it did offer lots of philosophical ideas on identity and self discovery by letting life unfold and having your perspective change through experience. Decent read overall.

[Annika Stanioch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not at all the kind of book I would normally reach for but I really liked this! Beautiful reminder to look for love in everything you experience

[anne :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

the main character and i have nothing in common, and yet i felt this book in my soul. loved the writing too.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

most whimsical book i’ve ever read

[JiaJia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
I liked quotes like “it was not a spiral, rather, a revelation” but the writing style made me so disconnected

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

There has been only one other book that has called to me through the ether and that was The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall. This was the second and just… everything.

This review would be so much more adequate if I was as equal in the art of language as Kim Rashidi, but though I am not, I am warmed that artists such as she share their essence with the rest of us. To me, this novella surpasses language to describe it and it must be *felt* by the reader – an experience of unity with the author and the cosmos – our interconnected-ness or Oneness. The images the author invokes were palpable and stirred in me a sort of communion with the words. It was equivalent to tarot in its moonbeam connection to the universe.

The novel smelled of the energy of summer and slowed time. Between chapters, I was much more present in the *now*. Everything was so much more alive than they are during my many days of not being *here* and I felt the simplicity of awareness brought forth by the book carry throughout my Monday – Friday. As Mila says in the novella, I was “alive rather than living”.

To me, it was a guiding tool in the work of shedding the ego that paralleled the same work of the narrator. The author has a way of “capturing love and life in the mundane” (Bookshop.org bio) that radiates through the simple live of the characters by instilling them with a magic, ease and contentedness that I long to have in my every day living. Much like the tiles of a bathroom, this is a book that finds you and at the precise time that you were meant to.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book and it’s magical realism. The narration was sublime, it added a great touch when the POV went from third to first when Mila started understanding and knowing herself. It reminded me of Fleabag. Jakob reminded me of The Priest. Mila was relatable, with her spacing-out, her love for fantasy and daydreaming and thorough analogies and images.

Now I want to personalise my bathroom tiles.

“I love you because I anticipate you. The truth is, I have no idea the type of life you live or anything about you, really. I am basing my love on snippets I have gathered based on what you have said and shared so limitedly. I am afraid to admit that the way I know you, so intimately in my mind, is a fantasy”.

“I hope to know you, really know you, or forget you completely”.

“…begging her to settle back into the comfort of wanting something she couldn't have?”

“nothing would ever live up to the romance of leaving a possibility for the future on the table”.

“Rather, the easiness of friendship settled in between them like the first gentle snowfall of a long winter season that was not yet there”.

“You're never going to get anything you want if you're scared of having it”.

“She had lost herself to the moment, and not in it, and now felt like an outsider watching a cozy home beyond glass windows during winter”.

[Corrine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was a very cute introspective book. It’s a cute short love letter to Sundays. With a heavy emphasis on loving just for the sake of it: loving the mundane and being content in whatever the world throws your way. I really enjoyed the bits of magical realism in this book.
I wish that the character and her desires were a bit more flushed out, or more was shared on the magic cabinet in her store, but overall very cute read

[HeyItsKarima · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5] « This novella is a love letter - in the broadest sense of the term. It is a celebration of life and creativity, lust and lessons, pain and pleasure, nectarines and love. The human experience in all its twisted tastes and turns - fates and that for which one yearns. »

I would loved to know more about the magical antique shop and it’s portal section, and less about Mila’s Sundays.

Beautiful writing. Perfect for people who enjoy slow reads with no plot, and plain characters.

[sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

a whimsical, lyrical, romantic and healing novella wrapped in dreamy prose. only alive on sundays feels like a love letter. a tender and introspective love letter. to softness, to self-discovery, to love (of self, others, life). rashidi’s strength is in her ability to romanticize the mundane. the prose has a dreamlike quality that made the whole book feel hazy and immersive.

mila was such a compelling narrator. unapologetically human, desperate for love both within herself and outside of herself in a way that felt all consuming but deeply familiar. moving through desire and loneliness in ways that were messy but honest. she felt like a friend and a mirror at the same time, and i was completely enamored with her voice.

the plot is less about events and more about sundays as ritual, as rebirth, as a space for reflection and desire. the love triangle didn’t fully land for me. the dialogue can feel a bit unnatural at times, but there’s so little of it that it doesn’t disrupt the experience too much. i feel like, similarly to erotica, authors should read dialogue outloud to see if it sounds natural/authentic.

if you're looking for an author who romanticizes the mundane and a book that allows you to find softness, tenderness and magic in healing - this is a must read. rashidi created something so enchanting with this novella. can’t wait to re-read and look through all my highlights and annotations ♡

[gautami · Rating 3 out of 5]

i really do judge books by their titles and their chapter names. having said that, i wanted to love this book, i really did. and i succeeded in a way— the vibes and the essence of it were one i wanted to sink my teeth into the way one would a pear, or a nectarine, as Mila would’ve described it.
seed left bare and shiny on the mantle.
the attempted allusive tendencies of our main character Mila and both the objects of her affection did not have the intended effect on me; the intrigue all these characters brought out (which they were meant to, certainly. they were written for it), did nothing in the end.
even Mila herself, who is the life and centre and vivacity of this entire book, whom i loved very much, felt like someone who was scratched on the surface. even after we’d spent 164 pages reading her thoughts and her perspectives.
regardless, i loved so many of the images painted. the descriptions—of sleep, of Sundays, of making a vase, of sinking into a hot tub, of running your hands over vegetables—were so vivid. the language did have a tendency to over-explain at times, reiterating the same point (which if left as it was, would have more of an impact) one too many times in the same chapter.

i really did love the magical realism and wish it had been explored more, more than the romance plot(s) or the thoughts of Mila.

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a nice quick read. I had been wanting to read this one for quite a while, I found it intesrting that the author used tarot as a way to move the plot forward, even though at times the narration does get kind of confusing, especially when it comes to the retelling of scenes that are presented, I believe it is effectively counter with how introspective it can be, or at least I do believe I've read it during a time of my life where it was exactly what I've been needing to hear.

The characters are relatable, in a sense that feels extremely natural to see them as people, instead of characters that are part of the story whose only purpose is driving the plot, and I found that refreshing, it is pretty much like reading something that happened to a good friend.

There's a lot of inner monologue, but the character development is nice; we see Mila personifying herself as she begins to come to terms with her life, her environment, and those around her. However, at times it seems like it will lean towards something romantic heavy, it is really much more about finding herself in spite of her love life.

[fiorehly. · Rating 3 out of 5]

some parts i enjoyed. some i liked, some maybe and others not so much.
i love the application of tarot to structure mila’s journey towards self growth. how meeting the two guys and getting entangled with both (as messy as it was) was a necessary step in helping her understand the nature of love (especially self love), obsession, and her place within her day to day bouts when she’s not working or fantasising.

i love the concept of a magical antique store being a place where people arrive to reconnect, discover and finally make peace with the past. how mila learnt to finally let go of expectations and live in the present. to truly step into herself and live and appreciate the simple joys of life.

however, as poetic as it was, i did find the prose somewhat preachy, and personally, unnecessarily wordy. it’s like every sentence had to be philosophical. some of the dialogue felt like a desperate attempt to securely land the intention, imagery and feeling…leaving little room for interpretation. then again, readers who struggle with imagery might find this particularly helpful too.

just wished there was a little more context around mila and baz’ relationship and the origins of the luna shop. i think the ending of the book was done well in the sense it provided readers with a personal revelation, but it felt open at the same time; suggesting growth continues. plus…having baz and jakob as close friends? still somewhat on the fence about that.