Quick Reads
If you are looking to get out of a reading slump, a short book may be just what you need to get back on track. All of these titles are under 200 pages. Finishing a book, no matter the length, can leave you with a sense of accomplishment and remind you how fun reading can be.
The Body in Question by Jill Ciment.
The jury has been selected for a trial where a teenage girl is accused of murdering her younger brother. The story follows the developments of the trial, but also focuses on the jury, which has been sequestered. The story focuses on two jurors who forge a complicated romantic relationship while being cooped up in an Econo Lodge.
The Cockroach by Ian McEwan.
Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous like he was ignored or loathed. In his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain. It is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing will get in his way, not even the rules of parliamentary democracy.
An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten.
Maud is a hot tempered 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection features two stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.
Elevation by Stephen King.
A riveting and moving story about a man whose mysterious affliction brings a small town together. A timely, upbeat tale about finding common ground despite deep-rooted differences.
The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada.
"The Factory" follows three workers at an industrial factory. Each worker focuses on the task they've been assigned. But their lives slowly become governed by their work and days take on a strange logic. After a while, the three workers struggle to answer the question: What am I doing here?
The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy.
It is 1988 and Saul Adler, a historian, has been invited to Communist East Berlin to do research. As a gift for his translator's sister, a Beatles fanatic who will be his host, Saul's girlfriend planned to shoot a photograph of him standing at the crosswalk on Abbey Road. As he waits for her to arrive, he is hit by an oncoming car, changing the trajectory of his life.
The Mutations by Jorge Comensal.
Ramón Martinez is a militant atheist, successful lawyer, and conventional family man. All of that changes when cancer of the tongue deprives him of his speech. The story traces the development of Ramón's cancer in his body and how a person (as well as his family, friends and colleagues) deals with the felt and future consequences of sudden dire news.
The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-Min Lee.
Marilyn Monroe will be visiting Korea on a four-day USO tour. Alice has been chosen as her translator. Though intrigued, Alice has few expectations. What would she and the beautiful actress possibly have to talk about? The person Alice meets is surprisingly approachable. As Marilyn's visit unfolds, Alice is forced into a reckoning with her own past.
State of the Union by Nick Hornby.
Tom and Louise are in a troubled marriage. Over drinks before their first therapy appointment, they wonder: what if you take your marriage apart to see what's in there, but then you're left with a million pieces? For 10weeks, meeting before their weekly therapy sessions, their conversation forces them to look at their marriage and at each other.
Turbulence by David Szalay.
Twelve flights leave from multiple destinations. Passengers and crew, en route to see lovers or estranged siblings, aging parents, baby grandchildren, or nobody at all. Along the way, they experience loneliness, love, tragedy, comfort. Each, knowingly or otherwise, changes another in a series of brief, electrifying interactions.
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