Paper Trails: My Take on Pick a Color
I was really hoping to have made book club this month. I even read (well, listened to) the book. Unfortunately, I caught whatever evil virus was floating around and had to miss out. The book for this month was Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa. First, it’s a quick read. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t dislike it either. I’m guessing that has a lot to do with the fact that I listened to it. If I had read it, I think I might have walked away with a slightly different take.
Pick a Color unfolds over a single, ordinary day in a nail salon, but the quiet details make it feel much larger than the timeframe suggests. All the women working there wear the same name tag, and clients rarely notice who is behind the service. Through Ning, the manager and former boxer, we’re pulled into an inner world most people never stop long enough to imagine. She watches customers cycle through, keeps the energy of the day moving, and thinks about the life she wanted versus the one she has. The writing is spare and sharp, built on small, subtle moments that say more than any dramatic plot twist ever could.
What stood out to me most is how the book turns the salon into its own ecosystem. It shows who gets seen and who becomes invisible, how people protect their sense of self when their work depends on being pleasant and agreeable. You feel this constant tug between resentment and grace, between wanting to be recognized and wanting to stay unnoticed. The book also highlights the emotional labor simmering under every brief interaction, the kind of work that never appears in a job description but ends up defining the whole day.
The themes sit quietly but firmly: class, identity, survival, and the way immigrant workers navigate a world that doesn’t always create space for them. Ning’s reflections mix humor with heaviness, giving you just enough to understand why she moves the way she does. By the end, the book doesn’t deliver a big revelation. Instead, it nudges you to look more closely at the people you pass by in your own life and recognize the depth they carry.
Even though the story covers only one day, it sometimes feels like a memoir. You learn so much about Ning—her history, her limits, her resilience—and how she moves through the relentlessness of the service world. My hesitation about whether I liked it comes from the structure itself. It’s a quick listen, and the voice performance added more personality than I think I would’ve felt on the page. I appreciated the themes and the insight into Ning and her coworkers, but part of me missed having a more traditional plot to anchor everything. Maybe the point, though, is that the plot really is the day itself.
I’m curious to see what my book club thought. My hunch is that this might be a mixed reaction pick, but that’s just a guess. I haven’t asked yet. For next month, we’re reading Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. I’m already looking forward to that January discussion. Until then, keep reading and listening. Also, if you want to read more about how I got back into book club - read here: https://www.fickleflashes.com/blog/winewordsandoldfriends
