Quick books: reads you can juggle with a busy university schedule

With Term 1 on the brink, it may be difficult to get any reading (outside of your course) done. However, these short and sweet reads can help you explore different genres and styles without sacrificing massive amounts of time. Happy reading!

Under 200 Pages

Forster excellently comments on the issues between the English and Italian cultures in the 1900s

Small Things Like These – Claire Keegan – 116 Pages – Historical Fiction

Bill Furlong is a coal and timber delivery man for a convent in Ireland in 1985. Discovering the secret cruelty within this institution, Keegan explores Furlong’s quiet heroism, the importance of challenging power structures and the effects of complicity within a community.

Where Angels Fear to Tread – E.M. Forster – 147 Pages – Classic

Lilia Herriton travels to Italy where she falls in love with a lower-class Italian man. Her family, however, is too focused on social ambition to recognise the power of this relationship, resulting in tragedy. Forster excellently comments on the issues between the English and Italian cultures in the 1900s, alongside class consciousness and problems arising from this.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami – 192 Pages – Translated Memoir

With the increasing popularity of running, specifically on social media, this book offers a commentary on how running can positively impact the life of a novelist. Besides the running aspect, this short piece of writing is a generally brilliant insight into popular novelist Murakami’s life and writing thought processes.

Under 250 Pages

This gorgeous novella teaches the reader to think before acting and always consider what a simple action can mean to a stranger

I Who Have Never Known Men – Jacqueline Harpman – 208 Pages – Dystopian

A group of 40 women are held captive in a silent underground prison. After escaping, the women explore a post-apocalyptic and deserted world. On their journey, they will learn to develop survival skills whilst discovering life outside, survival and the true meaning of humanity and freedom.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi – 224 Pages – Translated Fantasy

A little café in Tokyo offers time-travelling with only a few simple rules, the main one being that they must return before their coffee gets cold. This popular book follows four different people who relive moments, exploring themes of regret, reconciliation and the underlying importance of the present moment.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom – 224 Pages – Contemporary

Eddie is an elderly man who works at a seaside amusement park when he passes away while saving a little girl. In a personal heaven, Eddie meets different figures from his life who teach him about what happened around him, unawares, during his time on Earth. This gorgeous novella teaches the reader to think before acting and always consider what a simple action can mean to a stranger.

Bazterrica comments on the exploitation of individuals and just how easily individuals can be stripped of their humanity

Tender is the Flesh – Agustina Bazterrica – 224 Pages – Dystopian Horror

This skin-crawling novel follows a society where human meat consumption or “special meat” is legalised by the government. Receiving the gift of a human girl for consumption changes the way the protagonist views his job and his society. Bazterrica comments on the exploitation of individuals and just how easily individuals can be stripped of their humanity.

The Man Who Lived Underground – Richard Wright – 240 Pages – Historical Fiction

An important novel which sees Fred Daniels, a black man, being falsely accused of killing his employers in 1940s America. Daniels is forced to live alone underground to escape law enforcement after being brutally forced to sign a murder confession. His simple life is beautifully depicted by Wright.

Single, Carefree, Mellow – Katherine Heiny – 240 Pages – Short Stories

A collection of tales following deeply relatable women who deal with a rollercoaster of emotions. The ironically positive title prepares the reader for the complexities of family life and female friendship, as each protagonist deals with complex romantic relationships.

Sohn delicately explores the experience of neurodivergence whilst also delving into the importance of friendship for young boys

Under 300 Pages

Almond – Won-pyung Sohn – 272 Pages – Translated Bildungsroman

Yunjae is a young boy with alexithymia, a condition which prevents him from feeling emotions. After losing his family, Yunjae lives life anew, and Sohn delicately explores the experience of neurodivergence whilst also delving into the importance of friendship for young boys.

The Memory Police – Yoko Ogawa – 274 Pages – Translated Dystopian

In this novel, you could wake up one morning not remembering what a button was for, or who lived next door to you. The protagonist lives on an island of enforced amnesia where her identity and that of those around her are questioned as things slowly disappear. This is an extremely intriguing comment on state surveillance and the danger of powerful governments.

Under 350 Pages

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin – 306 Pages – Contemporary

A book perfect for book-lovers, following a struggling, widowed bookseller. When a baby appears at his bookshop, A.J.’s life takes a drastic turn, allowing for Zevin to highlight the importance of books to bring communities together. The theme of grief gently runs through this novel.