What about short books?
After the many responses from the Long Books blog entry, a reader suggested that I ask folks about short books they have read and would recommend. Even if you absolutely LOVE long books, there could be a time when you really don’t have time!! The Goodreads newsletter for October 25, 2023, featured 68 short books to read–some classics and some fairly new. I list a few below to see if you have read any…
Stella Maris, Cormac McCarthy, 190 pgs. Infinite Country, Patricia Engel, 191 pgs.
The Soul of a Woman, Esabel Allende,174 pgs. Elevation, Stephen King, 146 pgs.
Animal Farm, George Orwell, 92 pgs. Sula, Toni Morrison, 192 pgs.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 208 pgs. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, 107 pgs.
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho, 163 pgs. Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, 176 pgs.
Barracoon, Zora Neale Hurston, 208 pgs Giovanni’s Room, James Baldwin, 159 pgs
As you can see from this partial list, a short book can ‘pack a big wallop.’ Please let me hear from you. Which of these books have you read? What are some other short books you have read and recommend to others?
Yes, I was going to mention “Animal Farm.” Also, from back in the day, I would mention “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway (96 pp) and “Jonathan Living Seagull” by Richard Bach (144 pp). More current short reads are “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom (192 pp) and “On Chisel Beach” by Ian McEwan (166 pp)
My current short reads are the novellas by Claire Keegan: Small Things Like These, 118 pages, and Foster, 89 pages. Such a beautiful writer and much to chew over when you’re done. After having discussed these with my Atlanta book group I was sure to attend her “interview” at the recent Charleston Literary Festival and she didn’t disappoint.