12 Short Book Recommendations
Just in case you need help meeting your reading goal
I love all kinds of books, but short books have a special place in my heart. I’m impressed with good short books for the same reasons I’m impressed by good short stories or poems; it’s impressive when a writer crafts a compelling story or makes a bold statement in just a few words.
In this list, I’m sharing 12 of my favorite short books. (I define short as less than 250 pages.) Whether you’re looking for shorter works to help you reach your yearly reading goal or want something you can finish in a sitting or two, this is the list for you. I hope you discover some titles you can’t wait to read.
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (112 pages): If you’re a devoted book lover, chances are you like books about books. 84, Charing Cross Road is one of my favorite bookish books. It’s a collection of letters between Helene Hanff and a bookseller in London who specializes in used and hard-to-find titles. This book is a sweet read and a reminder that literature can bring people together and help them form deep friendships, even when miles separate them.
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg (197 pages): I’m always happy to pick up a book about a complicated woman. Well-written female characters are such a treat, and Andrea, the protagonist of All Grown Up, is no exception. She’s a single, childless New Yorker who hasn’t entirely lived up to her family’s expectations. So when her niece is born with a scary medical condition, Andrea navigates the situation alongside her family, who are just as complicated as she is. All Grown Up is a witty delight infused with humor.
Assembly by Natasha Brown (112 pages): Assembly is one of the shorter books on this list, but its story is one of the most memorable. The book focuses on an unnamed Black woman who lives in London. She’s doing everything right: she has a good job, a loving boyfriend, and she carefully weighs her choices. But she wonders if her life is enough, if all the rules, responsibilities, and pressures to perform are worth it. Assembly is a beautifully written book that will stay with you long after you finish it.
Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer (208 pages): When I heard that Frances and Bernard was inspired by Flannery O’Connor and her friendship with Robert Lowell, I was immediately interested as my love for O’Connor knows no bounds. This book is an epistolary novel comprised of letters between the two title characters who are writers who meet at an artists’ colony. Their bond is beautiful, as is Carlene Bauer’s prose. Frances and Bernard is a sweet story about friendship, love, creativity, and connection.
Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi; translated by David Boyd and Lucy North (224 pages): This offbeat novel follows a woman named Ms. Shibata, who works in a male-dominated office. Because of her gender, her coworkers expect her to clean up after them and perform other chores no one else wants to do. Finally, one day, Shibata has enough and announces that she’s pregnant. Her coworkers finally start treating her with the respect she deserves. The only problem is she isn’t actually pregnant. Diary of a Void raises important questions about motherhood and a woman’s worth. It’s also just a fun and funny book.
Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith (128 pages): Glaciers is a quiet story about a day in the life of Isabel, a twenty-something library employee working with damaged books in Portland. She lives a humble life, loves anything vintage, and has unrequited feelings for a man at work. If you like books that dive deep into a character’s head and emotions, this is the novel for you. There’s not a lot of action or plot; instead, readers are allowed into Isabel’s head as she reflects on her past and thinks about her future. Glaciers is a charming, well-written delight of a book.
Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (208 pages): The unnamed narrator of Mouth to Mouth runs into Jeff, a former classmate, at the airport. The two head to the lounge to enjoy a few drinks, and Jeff starts telling a story about how he once saved a man from drowning. What follows is how that act changed the course of his life. This page-turner keeps readers wondering how all the pieces of Jeff’s story fit together and whether or not what he’s saying is true. Antoine Wilson fits so much story into so few pages, which makes Mouth to Mouth a quick but memorable read.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (246 pages): Ocean Vuong might be best known as a poet, which seems evident as you read his debut novel. The story is told through letters from a son to his mother, a Vietnamese immigrant who can’t read. Vuong addresses many important yet fragile issues in this book, including race, family history, sexuality, addiction, and trauma. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is a must-read for lovers of literary fiction who enjoy an up-close look at complex families.
The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin (163 pages): This sweet story is about a man named Daniel who lives alone and suffers from OCD. He only leaves his house to go to Rite Aid, and to get there, he has to use sloped driveways since he can’t step over curbs. A psychiatry student named Clarissa visits Daniel regularly. trying to figure out what’s going on in his head. When her abusive ex-husband shows up and threatens to take away their son Teddy, Daniel steps in and tries to save Clarissa and the boy. Through his relationship with these two, Daniel starts opening up and being able to embrace the world around him. Steve Martin narrates the audiobook, so if you’re a Martin fan like me, that’s a great way to experience this story.
Recitatif by Toni Morrison (81 pages): Recitatif is a short story by Toni Morrison, the only one she ever wrote. It follows Roberta and Twyla, women who meet as little girls in an orphanage and remain tethered for years. One girl is Black, and the other is white, but Morrison doesn’t reveal who is who. As they grow up, the two women keep running into each other. The only thing they have in common is their time in the orphanage, but they can’t deny that bond and how trauma brought them together. Morrison’s choice not to reveal the characters’ races makes this a story to be read over and over again, exploring the question of how our skin color affects our lives. This story would pair beautifully with Passing by Nella Larsen.
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (179 pages): The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a collection of short stories about women of various ages and different places in their lives. What unites them is their thoughtfulness about who a woman should be, especially when she has her roots in the Church.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (128 pages): Keegan’s popular novella is set during Christmastime in Ireland. It’s 1985, and Bill Furlong is an honest and hardworking husband, father, and man of faith. He works as a coal merchant and makes a startling discovery when he drops off a delivery to a local convent. This is a slim book but one that will stay with you. It was my introduction to Claire Keegan, who quickly became one of my favorite writers.
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What are some of your favorite short books? I’d love more recommendations, especially novellas. Share your recs in the comments! Consider sharing this post to help more readers find my work. Thanks for reading!
You opened with an old, old favorite and closed with a (relatively) new favorite. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Small Things last year at this time. Thank you for the gift of some new titles to try--realized this week that my Libby holds list was alarmingly short! Probably my shortest read this year (at 256 pages, so just over your limit) was Molly Wizenberg's memoir The Fixed Stars, about realizing that her sexual orientation was not what she'd long assumed it to be. It's thoughtful and beautifully written.
Thanks so much for sharing. I’m always on the lookout for small books for my bookclub. These look great.