Only have an afternoon to read a book? Check out these novellas, essay collections, etc. for a satisfying quick read!
Sometimes after reading a really long book or spending a month on the same book series, I need a bit of a palate cleanser before heading back to my ever-growing TBR list. I have found that novellas, short story collections, and essay collections work perfectly as a way to refocus my energies and feel the (near) instant gratification of completing another book. Here are some of my recent favorites.
Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher (226 pages)
A great read if you want a dose of drama from a sarcastic POV. I am a fan of Carrie Fisher’s other writings, mostly in the non-fiction and autobiographical genres. When she passed in 2016, my little nerdy heart broke, so I started trying to find her lesser-known movies and started reading her books. I’ve been slowly but surely making my way through the list, and this novella, loosely based on events from her own life, is a great read if you are in the mood for some Hollywood drama and dark humor related to rehab. It has a sequel that I have yet to read entitled The Best Awful, but it’s on my list!
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris (163 pages)
Modern-day BS projected onto Aesop’s Fables. Think Little Bear meets South Park. This essay/short story collection features the observational and satirical humor of David Sedaris as told through anthropomorphized animals. Sedaris has a lot of humorous essay collections that allow your brain to focus on a different writing style than typical fiction books. He is a go-to for me when I’m not quite in the mood for new fiction, but also not quite in the mood for a deep dive into a new topic/non-fiction book.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Galdstone (209 pages)
Is it sci-fi? Is it fantasy? Is it an LGBTQ+ romance? Is it a war story? Yes to all! This genre-bending epistolary novella was a great read. I liked the idea that lowly foot soldiers on opposite sides of a war, no matter the time or the place, might find they have more in common with each other than with those in charge. And rumor has it that it might get turned into a limited series soon? I’m here for it! This book won all sorts of awards in 2020 for a reason! Highly recommend!!
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (198 pages)
A mythical retelling from the POV of Penelope instead of Odysseus. Atwood is an amazing writer, and with the popularity of The Handmaid’s Tale TV show, I was looking into her other works. I stumbled across this novella, and it tapped into my Greek mythology retelling obsession after reading Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles and Circe. It is a bit haunting at times, but it is very witty, cleverly reinterpreted, and utilizes the chorus well. This novella is also part of the Canongate Myth Series, where other mythological stories are reimagined. I did read some of the others in this series, but of the ones that I read (with quite a few still left to find/read), the only other one that stuck out to me was The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman.
I was Told There’d be Cake by Sloane Crosley (230 pages)
A funny take on all things early adulthood- crazy living situations, ex-partners, weird first jobs/volunteer situations, odd bosses, and pony figurine collections. See? All universal experiences to relate to. Crosley’s writing reminds me of David Sedaris first and foremost, but if you also liked comedic biographies like Tina Fey’s Bossypants or Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, you would like the style of writing presented in these essays.
What quick reads would you recommend?
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