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!
Glaciers by Alexis Smith Bookshelf.org Isabel is a single twenty-something in Portland, Oregon, who repairs damaged books in the basement of the local library, dreaming of a life she can't quite reach. She is filled with longing--for a life in Amsterdam even though she's never visited, for the unrequited love of a coworker, for a simpler time from her childhood in Alaska among the threatened glaciers she loves, and for the perfect vintage dress to wear to a party that just might change everything
This literary slice of life is also 128 pages and one that surprised me by how much I loved it. I love books about books and of course the library setting was great, but I also very much connected with Isabel and her story. I really liked her and sometimes that’s enough to get started and keep me invested. This is a story about memory, hope, and a young woman’s desire to have a life all her own. I thought the writing was highlightable - for me this means many insightful, beautifully written and/or speaks to me type of sentences. Also, if you’re like me and like stories that incorporate a love, appreciation, and/or concern about nature and climate I think you’ll like this.
Open Throat by Henry Hoke 🎧 Bookshop.org - A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Lonely and fascinated by humanity’s foibles, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma, and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their gender identity, memories of a vicious father, and the indignities of sentience. When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city….
At just 1 hour 49 min on audio and 176 pls, this story packs a real punch! It is a story in which a wild animal has a perspective and has interesting observations and insights into humanity. I found this to enjoyable, yet sad at times. I think the author achieved something very special in choosing to have the mountain lion narrate the story. It was profound, but at the same time entertaining. The addition of the fire added an element of tension. This would make a great book flight with Bear by Julia Phillips
Water by John Boyne Blackwell’s - (176 pages) The first thing Vanessa Carvin does when she arrives on the island is change her name. To the locals, she is Willow Hale, a solitary outsider escaping Dublin to live a hermetic existence in a small cottage, not a notorious woman on the run from her past.
I thought this was a haunting, reflective story about one woman trying to escape her past and figure out if she deserves to find any peace in her life. Boyne examines what it means to be truly alone and have nowhere to hide, especially from yourself. I found this literary story to be thought provoking and at times very hard to read. I really want to stress there are many serious and/or traumatic topics discussed so check content warnings on The Storygraph if you’d like to know more. So few pages for such an in depth story. In short, I’m in awe. This one went immediately onto my 5 ⭐️ bookshelf!
Illium by Lea Carpenter (240 pages) 🎧 Bookshop.org - Set in the dark world of international espionage, from London to Mallorca, Croatia, Paris, and Cap Ferret: the gripping and suspenseful story of a young woman who unwittingly becomes a perfect asset in the long overdue finale of a covert special op
This literary spy thriller is brimming with international intrigue, compelling characters, and so much moral ambiguity. Although it was a bit of a slow burn to start, I thought the author did a brilliant job of setting the scene and creating a mysterious atmosphere. I love a story with layers and flawed characters who are put in positions that test their morals . I highly recommend the audio narration which I thought elevated my reading experience.
Until August by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (144 pages) 🎧 Bookshop.org - Sitting alone beside the languorous blue waters of the lagoon, Ana Magdalena Bach contemplates the men at the hotel bar. She has been happily married for twenty-seven years and has no reason to escape the life she has made with her husband and children. And yet, every August, she travels by ferry here to the island where her mother is buried, and for one night takes a new lover.
One theme that’s really stood out in my reading this year is women in midlife and beyond taking charge of their lives and living life on their own terms. This story, with writing that evoked a summer atmosphere, felt at times slow and sensual but then would shift to a more frenetic type of tone. I was fascinated by Ana and had to know more about her motivations as well as what would happen to her by the end. This is my first time reading Marquez but it won’t be my last!
In Case You Missed Last Year’s Short Books I’ve Loved
Do you have thoughts on any of these books? What short books have you enjoyed this year? Let’s chat in the comments:)
Good morning. I have two books to contribute. THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX BY MAGGIE O’FARRELL. Page count 145 pages. THE MOST BY JESSICA ANTHONY. Page count 144 pages. I cannot put into words in ess than the one45 pages what these books are about. Both were 5 star reads for me. BTW, i loved SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE, FOSTER AND UNTILL AUGUST.
So often books you mention are ones I’ve read and fully appreciate your thoughts. SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE and GLACIERS. Although I read them years ago , I recognized them and the story immediately