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The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters: A Novel | Balli Kaur Jaswal
The author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows follows her acclaimed America debut with this life-affirming, witty family dramaan Indian This Is Where I Leave Youabout three Punjabi sisters embarking on a pilgrimage to their homeland to lay their mother to rest. The British-born Punjabi Shergill sistersRajni, Jezmeen, and Shirniawere never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. Rajni, a school principal is a stickler for order. Jezmeen, a thirty-year-old struggling actress, fears her big break may never come. Shirina, the peacemaking "good" sister married into wealth and enjoys a picture-perfect life. On her deathbed, their mother voices one last wish: that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites. After a trip to India with her mother long ago, Rajni vowed never to return. But shes always been a dutiful daughter, and cannot, even now, refuse her mothers request. Jezmeen has just been publicly fired from her television job, so the trip to India is a welcome break to help her pick up the pieces of her broken career. Shirinas in-laws are pushing her to make a pivotal decision about her married life; time away will help her decide whether to meekly obey, or to bravely stand up for herself for the first time. Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their livesand learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long agoa momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again. The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a female take on the Indian travel narrative. "I was curious about how different the trip would be if it were undertaken by women, who are vulnerable to different dangers in a male-dominated society," Balli Kaur Jaswal writes. "I also wanted to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity in immigrant communities, and particularly how those tensions play out among women like these sisters, who are the first generation to be raised outside of India." Powerful, emotionally evocative, and wonderfully atmospheric, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a charming and thoughtful story that illuminates the bonds of family, sisterhood, and heritage that tether us despite our differences. Funny and heartbreaking, it is a reminder of the truly important things we must treasure in our lives.
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booksandsympathy
Pickpick

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about the Shergill sisters . Before their mother passed away from cancer, she wrote them a letter asking them to go on a pilgrimage to India & scatter her ashes. The letter is a complete planned out itinerary for them to follow, but when they get there, nothing goes as planned. A couple of nights ago, I had gone to bed after a tense part & dreamt about the book, waking up eager to get back to it. Fantastic book.

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booksandsympathy
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My first book for the annual Asian readathon. The challenge: read a book by an Asian author that shows the characters going on an adventure. Three Punjabi sisters embark on a pilgrimage to their homeland to lay their mother to rest. Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives. I really enjoyed the book I read by this author last year and I'm looking forward to it.

14 likes1 stack add
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xicanti
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I did the book & beer thing last night! While THE UNLIKELY ADVENTURES OF THE SHERGILL SISTERS isn‘t bad, I‘m not really invested in the sisters‘ relationships and I‘m only mildly curious about their secrets (which I suspect are super obvious). I dunno if I‘ll finish it or drift away.

The Guava Gose, in contrast, was the best gose I‘ve tried outside of BC: sour and fruity, but still with a distinctive gose character. I gobbled it down.

xicanti Further beer details: it‘s from Collective Arts Brewing out of Hamilton, ON, and the can design is by Puerto Rican artist Eliezer Fontanez. 2y
psalva Can we stack add a beer on here? 2y
xicanti @psalva they should totally add that feature. 2y
35 likes3 comments
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xicanti
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This Little Free Library was packed so full that I feel like I did the community a solid when I took two books.

aperfectmjk Looks like there's a lot of good books in there. 2y
xicanti @aperfectmjk there‘s a full row behind the ones visible in the picture, too, plus a bunch piled on top. 2y
51 likes2 comments
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Kangaj1
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Pickpick

This was my #bookspin with @TheAromaofBooks

I really enjoyed the tour around India with these sisters and learning more about each character's struggles. Solid 3 star read for me.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
21 likes1 comment
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BookBelle84
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Pickpick

I absolutely loved this book! The sisters and all of their flaws, the beautiful yet honest portrayal of India. The author did a great job of making me feel like I was there. I loved how each sister was working through their own issues and how the author made the reader consider their own lives and the people that surround us.

21 likes1 stack add
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BookBelle84
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I am loving this book!

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OriginalCyn620
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Pickpick

3 sisters who don‘t get along and who are all keeping secrets, go on a pilgrimage to India as instructed by their late mother, with the goal being to spread her ashes there. There are tense moments, light moments, and sad ones too. A family story told very well! Also touches on issues that affect Indian women - culture, traditions, violence, infanticide, etc. A really good read!

#bookspinbingo
#booked2020 #setinindia

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Sounds really good! 4y
39 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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DAB
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Stacking this a future to reads as I have two other books I have to get to that just came in on interlibrary loan.

26 likes1 stack add
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cathysaid
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Pickpick

Three sisters go on a pilgrimage to India in order to spread their mother‘s ashes. As the sisters are quite different, disagreements arise and struggles ensue...some amusing and others that are painful. Listened on audio and quite enjoyed it. 4/5 ⭐️

Megabooks Agree! 5y
54 likes1 comment
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DramaMuse
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Tea and my latest book club novel. Perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon.

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Eggbeater
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Mehso-so

This book shifts perspective from one sister to another without really clear delineation between them. I did like that there was attention focused on women's issues in India, and I liked the characters once I was able to separate them. It wasn't a bad story, but it did feel disorganized and there was a coincidence in the plot that seemed unrealistic.

Trashcanman 👁️👁️♥️ 5y
Eggbeater @Trashcanman Hey George! 🤗 5y
54 likes2 comments
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Becker
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Pickpick

Character and plot were fine at best but as a cultural story it was excellent.🕌

21 likes1 stack add
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TheFaeWays
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Pickpick

This. BOOK. Is. Better. Than. Frozen. By which I mean better than kids think frozen is. This book is so beautiful and perfect and culturally rich and I just can't. It's very woman centered in a way that I think men should really read. Please read this book.

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Lauren.Archer
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Pickpick

This was a very solid read. Jaswal created a story, that was heart warming, comical, and sad at time. Most of all this just felt extremely real. Very good read.

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thea-block
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Mehso-so

This is an interesting book about three sisters on a pilgrimage of sorts to India to honor their mother‘s last wishes. It covers so many subjects related to Indian women - sexism, tradition, culture, emotional@abuse, infanticide, familial expectations, etc.

Honestly I almost bailed on this one because the characters had no redeeming qualities for the first 3/4 of the book. I‘d rather read the sequel to this, if it existed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Moray_Reads
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Pickpick

Another enjoyable story from Jaswal. She always shows family and cultural tensions with clarity, complexity and humour and balances every day dramas with big-hitting issues.

52 likes1 stack add
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Moray_Reads
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#Currentllyreading and enjoying this story about three very different #sisters completing a pilgrimage to India for their recently-passed mother and confronting issues of family, marriage, culture, women's rights. It's full of difficult relationships and complex characters. #SoulSeptember

Heideschrampf Did you read erotic stories too? 5y
Moray_Reads @Heideschrampf I did. This one isn't as funny but it tackles similar issues. The family dynamics are very well done 5y
Eggs 💗👏🏻🤗👏🏻💗 5y
47 likes1 stack add3 comments
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JSW
Mehso-so

Cheesy but sweet. Very much a soap opera of a book. Quick read for your last few beach days.

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Jen2
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Pickpick

Lovely story!!!

90 likes2 stack adds
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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OriginalCyn620 👌🏻📚😊 5y
Copwithabook Nice cover 5y
74 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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suvata
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Pickpick

ModernMrsDarcy.com Summer 2019 Reading List

I love books about other cultures. I mean, I pretty much know how things work in America but, I‘m completely fascinated by stories that delve into people from India, Japan, China, Africa, Russia, etc. The more I read about our differences, the more I appreciate our sameness.

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Preciouz29
Pickpick

Loved this so much!!! I loved the family dynamics, which I think anyone with siblings can relate to, and the cultural insight.

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Lindy
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Pickpick

Three Sikh sisters who don‘t exactly get along spend ten days travelling together in India in order to fulfill their mother‘s last wishes. All three have things they don‘t want to talk about, but these secrets get revealed and all is well by the conclusion. A feel-good #audiobook that addresses some serious issues. I also enjoyed the narration by Soneela Nankani and Deepti Gupta.

RaimeyGallant Really engaging artwork. 5y
Lindy @RaimeyGallant I agree. 😊 5y
Cathythoughts I‘m stacking this for Audible 👍🏻♥️ 5y
Lindy @Cathythoughts 😊👍 5y
49 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

Managed some balcony reading time in this round of #24in48!

Fifth book finished, very enjoyable. Not as funny as Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows but a tighter story with less subplots that go nowhere. I hope she keeps writing!

Book 6 for #14books14weeks

Megabooks This is such a great book! 5y
34 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Lindy
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My first adventure with cooking burdock took place while listening to the tagged book. The root was peeled, julienned, then sautéed with soy sauce, mirin & sugar. Served with toasted sesame seeds. Very tasty. Anyone have a favourite burdock recipe?
#audiocooking

SW-T Never cooked it but I like Fentiman‘s Dandelion & Burdock soda 😋 https://www.amazon.com/Fentimans-Natural-Soda-Dandelion-Burdock/dp/B003NBOJVE 5y
Lindy @mhillis Thanks for the recipe link. I will make that salad for supper because I still have one root left uncooked and I‘m going to be away for a week starting tomorrow. 👍 5y
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Lindy @SW-T Oh! I forgot about using it as a tea or beverage. I like that soda too. 👯‍♂️ 5y
mhillis @Lindy It might be good with a little cucumber too! Hope you like it!! 5y
Lindy @mhillis Yes, I liked it. Thanks for the idea of using it in salad! The only thing I kept the same as the recipe was julienned cooked burdock, however. 🤪Other ingredients: romaine lettuce, baby zucchini, avocado, blueberries, lots of dill, plus oil and lemon juice dressing. 5y
mhillis @Lindy That sounds delicious! Fusion cuisine 🤣 5y
Lindy @mhillis 😊 5y
Cathythoughts Great pic 👍🏻♥️ 5y
Lindy @Cathythoughts Those roots are so dramatic, so long and skinny. I can‘t imagine the effort it must take to dig them up, yet they cost less than $2 each. 5y
45 likes1 stack add10 comments
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Amandajoy
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Rainy morning on the porch with a new book. Tried starting this last night but only got this far before I fell asleep. Good morning Littens!

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MallenNC
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These are all the books I finished in June! I am almost done with the next book in Louise Penny‘s series but it will have to wait for July. The tagged book was my favorite of the month.

HeatherBookNerd I loved Erotic Stories. Looking forward to the Sisters! 5y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Fabulous reads! 💖📖💖 5y
29 likes2 comments
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BookInMyHands
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Pickpick

The Shergill sisters didn‘t have a happy childhood in England, and they didn‘t get along growing up. When their mother dies she leaves them with her last wish- a list of all the places they must go together in India.

Life is complicated for the three sisters. They lead vastly different lives with only their unhappy past in common. But perhaps what they all need the most is each other.

#readingwomenofcolor2019

Megabooks I liked this, too! 5y
45 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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Jas16
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Pickpick

It took me awhile to get into this audiobook but I ended up really liking this story of three not very close sisters sent to India on pilgrimage by their late mother. Each of them has something going on in her personal life that she is keeping from the others and they all need to make peace with their past as sisters. I was not equally invested in each of their stories but I am a sucker for stories about siblings and this was great on audio.

58 likes2 stack adds
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

It starts out as a #cruelsummer in India as three sisters from England and Australia gather to follow a final pilgrimage outlined by their dead mother to bring her ashes back to India.

As far as a light, “women‘s fiction” dramaedy, it works. Each sister comes with a secret and a need for help from the other two. It‘s fairly fast-paced and enjoyable. 4⭐️

#songsofsummer

OriginalCyn620 😎📚🎶 5y
88 likes7 stack adds1 comment
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

Another great book by Balli Kaur Jaswal! The cover and the title make it seem like this is going to be a quirky travel novel, but like her last book it has more layers than that. All three of the sisters have secrets they're dealing with, on top of their mother's passing. The book takes its time letting the other sisters into these. I liked going along with them and how it all turned out.

17 likes2 stack adds
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MallenNC
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#Summertime is reading season for me! I have a reduced schedule at work and (slightly) fewer distractions! This is my current read and I‘m hoping to finish it today. #SongsofSummer

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Is it good?! 5y
OriginalCyn620 Did you read the author‘s Erotic Stories book? And if so, was it good? 5y
MallenNC @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I like it so far. There‘s an interesting dynamic between the sisters. 5y
MallenNC @OriginalCyn620 Yes I did read it and I liked it very much! It was more serious than the title implies. 5y
25 likes4 comments
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Megabooks
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I‘m enjoying this plot, and I like the dynamic among the sisters, but the constant switching among minds in the third person omniscient voice is about to kill me. I don‘t mind if it changes chapter-to-chapter, but this every few paragraphs is really souring me to the book. 😕

78 likes2 stack adds
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Megabooks
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When the holds come in, they all come in at once. Library rule No. 1! Really excited about this novel. A little #coverlove, too.

MallenNC This just came in for me too! Along with several others. Like you said, that‘s the way of library holds. 5y
Megabooks @MallenNC Yea! 👍🏻 I‘ve got to put some of my other holds on hold! 😂 5y
QueenJen I, too, have fallen victim to this phenomenon! 4 ebooks and I book so far since Tuesday night. 5y
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Megabooks @QueenJen I hope you have a lot of chances to read this weekend! 5y
PatienceFortitude Holds are powered by Murphy‘s Law. They taught me that in Librarian School 😇 5y
QueenJen @Megabooks Thank you! Me too! 😉 5y
Megabooks @PatienceFortitude smart school! 5y
janeycanuck I just picked a copy of this up! It‘s on my #14books14weeks stack, can‘t wait to get to it 😊 5y
89 likes5 stack adds8 comments
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Lmstraubie
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Currently on #audio

Lmstraubie @Caterina I'm enjoying it as much as that one. I love her characters. 6y
Caterina Oh good! I'll have to get my hands on this one too! 6y
Lmstraubie @Caterina The #audiobook is great. I love a British accent 😬 6y
28 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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GirlWellRead
Pickpick

Jaswal's writing is powerful, yet thoughtful, and of course, charming. What amazes me how she can shine a spotlight on issues that Indian women face, but is so graceful and engaging, striking the perfect tone. Another gem!

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Sassy_Steph
Pickpick

Great story! I love of a good story about the relationship between sisters!!! Can‘t wait for what this author has in store for us next!!! Give it a try!!

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BookishMarginalia
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Pickpick

Another fun read. Although I found the pace slower —and the characters less quirky— than the Punjabi Widows, I enjoyed following the three Shergill sisters in their quest to fulfill their mom‘s last request: a pilgrimage to India.

129 likes5 stack adds
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Sassy_Steph

Grabbed this one at my book store yesterday, I‘ve only read the prologue and I‘m already pulled in! I already had two good books on the go but this one is just so new and pretty!!

12 likes1 stack add
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Birdsong28
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On #Netgalley @GingerAntics I know you like this author. 📚📖

GingerAntics Yes I do. Is my excitement for this book well placed? 6y
rockpools I really enjoyed 6y
Birdsong28 @GingerAntics It is! Get it on Netgalley so you don't have to wait! 😁📚📖 6y
45 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Bookalong
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Pickpick

4/5🌟
I thought this was a cute and lighter read. I found this got off to a bit of a slow start but picked up nicely once learning more about the sisters individually. And then watching them work through their emotional baggage makes you keep reading. Sibling angst intertwined with culture and tradition made for intriguing characters. I was captivated by the setting. It gives a very real impression of India and the culture there.
#bookreview

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derr.liz
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Pickpick

Three sisters embark on a pilgrimage to India upon their mother's dying wish. Each sister is hiding something from the others and the trip tests their values and relationships.

I felt that I got to know each sister so well thanks to great character development. This book was a good reminder that we don't always know the story behind why someone behaves the way they do. Though I didn't love it as much as ESFPW, still a pick!