Sometimes a very, very short book is just the ticket – reading slump, testing a new genre, choosing something for your book group (because you know they don’t have the stamina for anything over 200 pages), a long train ride…
Here’s a list of my favourite very short books.
01. Wigs on the Green by Nancy Mitford (177 pages)
02. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (166 pages)
03. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (193 pages)
04. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (179 pages)
05. The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith (70 pages)
06. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (132 pages)
07. 99 Reasons Why by Caroline Smailes (202 pages)
08. Wilful Disregard by Lena Andersson (206 pages)
09. Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery (160 pages)
10. Heartburn by Nora Ephron (170 pages)
11. Of a Boy by Sonya Hartnett (208 pages)
12. Ru by Kim Thuy (144 pages)
Great post – I love a novella! I’ve only read 5 of these so thank you for the further suggestions 🙂
Always happy to add to your TBR stack 🙂
Great list! I have read some of these booka as well.
sorry for the typo, books 🙂
Yes, I agree. Sometimes a short book is just what you need to get your book mojo back.
https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/03/100-one-night-reads.html
I loved Our Souls at Night, Mothering Sunday, and Lucy Barton! And I kind of think all of those are read-alikes.
Agree, and I happened to read Souls and Mothering basically one after the other.
I’m currently in a race against time to finish the rather bulky but excellent The Year of the Runaways before a long weekend away. Wished I’d started something this length instead.
I particularly love taking short books on holiday, just so that I can say “Sat by the pool, read a whole book…” – sign of a good holiday!
Short books are a nice way to switch things up a bit. Nice list. You’ve definitely given me some new things to check out. Here is my TTT
I just posted my list – we have one book in common (Chesil Beach). I didnt think about Lucy Barton but that’s a good choice.
For a short book, Lucy Barton packs in a lot (obviously not action, just thought-provoking stuff)!
Definitely re: On Chesil Beach! I think if I wasn’t so busy at the time when I read them I could’ve read Nutshell and The Children Act in a day as well…
My TTT
Yes, I thought of Nutshell and Children Act (both are short) but figured if I had to pick just one McEwan, Chesil Beach is my favourite.
On Chesil Beach, Our Souls at Night, and Lucy Barton were all one-day reads for me too (and Our Souls at Night is on my TTT list this week). It’s been such a long time since I read Heartburn. Now I wonder if my old copy is still lying around somewhere! Interesting list — clearly, I need to check some of these out. 🙂
I should read the Gourmet Rhapsody since I LOVED the author’s other book ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG. I enjoyed I AM LUCY BARTON. It sure gave me a lot to think about. My TTT, a day late
I totally forgot about On Chesil Beach! And I have My Name is Lucy Barton- good to know that it will be quick for those times where I need a break.
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I love a good short book. Always helps me feel far more productive than I should. haha Heartburn is definitely my favorite on your list — got a few more to check out too!
Same!
You have some great options here! I love everything Kent Haruf writes and they’re all pretty slim. Plus, Ru?! You’re the only other blogger I know who read it- wasn’t it wonderful?!
I recently read Fever Dreams which absolutely fits this bill. Under 200 pages and it is wild. I’m still not sure I get it, but not in that way that makes you angry. In the way that makes you think and want to read it again.
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