The Reading Lounge: Favorite Short Books of 2024
Whether you're trying to meet a year end reading goal or are just too busy for a long book, these short books might be the perfect solution
Hello!
I’ve been revisiting the books I’ve read this year as I put together my top 10 books of the year list (coming later this month), and I realized that I’ve read some great short books this year. I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite reads from this year. This time of the year is busy and I’ve personally been feeling scattered in my reading. I’m dnfing like crazy and just having a hard time settling into a long book. Maybe you feel like this too? If so, I hope you find a book or two from this list that sounds good to you.
I’ve compiled six of my favorite short books (under 250 pages) that I consider riveting reads. I read all of these this year and each pulled me in and kept me engaged for various reasons. So you don’t have to keep clicking links, I’m including a brief synopsis with a few quick thoughts on why I liked each book. If you see a headphones symbol🎧, it means I listened to parts (or all of it) and recommend the audio.
Before I get to the books, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for subscribing and reading my newsletters. My main intention with my writing and audio is to create a welcoming place to talk about books and more. There are many things vying for your attention, so I truly appreciate you being here. If you have a few reading friends you think might like this newsletter, consider forwarding this post on to them:)
Favorite Short Books of 2024
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 🎧 Bookshop.org It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.
I just finished the audio of this yesterday! At 128 pages and just 1 hour 57 minutes on audio, I flew through this while running errands and cleaning. Claire Keegan’s writing is sparse and to the point. There is no meandering with a story like this and that made it all the more riveting. She managed to bring the characters to life and to create immersive dialogue in such a short amount of time. I loved the December, before Christmas time frame. I found myself rewinding the audio often so I could listen again to sentences that felt profound to me. I felt an instant connection to Bill, the main character. Keegan made me care about him. His emotions and empathy ran deep and I felt them through the pages. My only criticism is that I think it could’ve been a bit longer….I wanted it to be longer….I wished it were longer! Maybe that’s an unfair criticism, but I was so captivated by what was happening in the story that when it ended I was stunned. Since I was listening and cleaning I didn’t realize I was almost at the end. Maybe there’s something to leaving the reader wanting more because I felt the same when I finished her book Foster (also a short book I loved). If you’re looking for a short book that will make you feel, give this a try. The Irish audio narration was perfection!