Every reader goes through a phase of malnutrition of stories and words. It never seems to be enough, no matter how much time people take out of their hectic schedules to read. Reduce their screen time or set aside an hour each day for reading. There is always a stumbling block. The biggest enemy of avid readers has always been time. As a result, when the literary world’s word curators learned of the reader’s upheaval, they developed short books. The books were not thick, but they included the same core shaking and inspiring stories.
Here is a list of ten short books that any reader can binge on at any time of the day and read more than the typical person. Because let’s accept it, sometimes you are just not in the mode for a 600-page epic saga!
The Magical Language of Others by E. J. Koh
The Magical Language of Others is a heartfelt and beautiful love letter from a mother to her daughter. Eun Ji Koh’s parents depart to South Korea for business after more than a decade in America, leaving fifteen-year-old Eun Ji and her brother behind in California.
Overnight, Eun Ji finds herself abandoned and adrift in a world that feels strange with her mother’s absence. Her mother writes letters in Korean over the years seeking forgiveness and love—letters Eun Ji cannot fully understand until she finds them hidden in a box years later.
This book is as pure as it gets in terms of mother-daughter love. So naturally, therefore, this book is worth cherishing if you’re looking for some beautiful stories that develop into a feel-good session for any reader.
“What To Say Next” by Julie Buxbaum
Kit and David, two teenagers, connect with one other when they need it most in this story. David is an autistic youngster who feels alienated at a school that labels him “strange.” Kit is very well-liked, although she is still dealing with the aftermath of her father’s death in a vehicle accident. Kit and David’s odd and loving friendship blossoms when Kit decides to sit with David for lunch one day. I was so engrossed in the perfectly imperfect characters that I devoured this novel in a matter of days (and their happiness).
David’s mental health is depicted educationally and realistically, while Kit’s grief is shown in a way that is both realistic and instructive. However, I was a little surprised by her unjust reaction to David’s answer once he realised the depth of the disaster. I’m not a huge fan of Kit’s, but I can’t blame her for going through it.
Julie covers sensitive topics like grief and illness and beautifully portrays them through this story. A very convenient way of addressing unconventional issues.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The story of a coming-of-age Latina girl growing up in Chicago has been translated and shared worldwide. It was written in 1984 and has been prohibited on several occasions. It packs a punch well out of proportion to its size, with fewer than 150 pages (depending on the edition you select). Very few tales have made such an indelible impression. Sandra Cisneros is also a poet, which is unsurprising given the compactness and force of her work. She creates unforgettable pictures for each vignette in this book. You can easily catch up in a few hours if you haven’t read it yet.
Esperanza shares a love-hate relationship with the mango street and keeps complaining about the not-so-urban culture of her street, while growing up. Finally, however, she makes new friends who play a significant part in her life by helping her reminisce about her heritage.
Through this book, we learn about Esperanza and her life revolving around the mango street and how her time there always contributed to her life and dreams.
We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi
There is a never-ending discussion over feminism all over the world. But the problem is what to read and how much can one read to comprehend anything better. We should all be feminists is the sorted and the most precise book on feminism that I have read in a long time.
This book is a good source of how to be feminist through Chimamandu’s words. This read will enlighten anyone and everyone who is still perplexed about the idea of feminism.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
This book is an irresistible nightmare for any reader, writer, or literary fan. Fahrenheit 451 is an intense read that serves as a warning tale, anticipating a world without books, the written word, shallow minds, and meaningless discussions. Fahrenheit 451 is a classic post-literate dystopian novel that ranks alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic description of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs, and conformity.
The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
A short story collection by the author of We Cast a Shadow, a PEN/Faulkner Award finalist, brings New Orleans to life. The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, published in August 2021, revolves around characters who live on the outskirts of New Orleans. Whether portraying an army veteran, a couple in financial difficulty, or many teenagers, Maurice Carlos Ruffin brings wit, enthusiasm, and an excellent backstory to each character to highlight their performance. Some of the stories are short enough to read in one sitting.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Breakfast at Tiffany’s aches with the certainty that we all belong to one another and that every existence is unique due to different perspectives of people, their stories, and experiences. What a delightful novel, with its charm, wit, and insouciance. And what’s with the unrequited man as the narrator of all these books? It’s a trendy story choice. It gives the impression that there is a legion of men who prefer to be on the outside, watching others who possess the spark they lack. You’ll want to read this book if you’ve seen the movie. Through the character Holly in the book, you will be able to relive Audrey Hepburn’s legendary experience as a socialite in Breakfast at the Tiffany’s.
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel.
Reading isn’t just a pastime or a means to pass the time for many people; it’s a way of life. Our books mould us, define us, enchant us, and occasionally enrage us. We can’t picture life without our readers because they are a part of who we are as humans.
I’d Rather Be Reading is the ideal literary companion for anyone who feels this way. Anne Bogel, a beloved blogger and author, guides readers through a collection of charming and relatable reflections on the reading life, prompting them to recall the book that first drew them in, the place where they first fell in love with reading and all of the moments that followed that helped shape them into the reader they are today. Bogel is known for her famous podcast What Should I Read Next? Invites book lovers to join a community of like-minded people to learn new ways to approach literature, discover exciting new things about books and publishing, and reflect on the role reading plays in their life.
Goings by Gordon Lish
Gordon Lish is a literary provocateur with a distinguished career as an editor, teacher, writer, and paradigm buster. Lish wrestles with memory, self-knowledge (its lack and impossibility), friendship, mothers, sons, and lovers in the stories in Goings. The language is a collective Lishian literary paradigm: a great writer’s attempt to leap off the page. This book is witty and humorous in the darkest way possible. Every reader instantly connects with the author’s storytelling from page one.
An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
Maud has been living in the family’s beautiful flat in downtown Gothenburg rent-free since her beloved father’s unexpected death when she was only eighteen, thanks to a tiny detail in a hurriedly prepared contract. Maud learned from this experience that good might emerge from adversity. Maud, who is now in her late eighties, spends her days travelling the world and surfing the internet from the comfort of her father’s antique armchair. It’s a solitary living for her, but she enjoys it. But one fine day, she gets stuck in a murder mystery in her apartment. With no friends or family as confidants, Maud embarks on this adventurous mystery solving journey while making you laugh till retirement.
Have you already read any of these books? Let us know in the comment section which one you like more or share some of your favourite short books that could help us in pursuing our reading goals.
