23 short books you can read in one day each
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 3. 01. 2023
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happy 2023!!!! here are a bunch of short books you can read right at the beginning of the year to get ahead of your reading goals and into the habit of reading!!
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The Little Prince would definitely fit this criteria. The classic is pretty short but the experience remains with you forever. Such a beautiful and haunting little book.
Who knew a a kid's book could make you sob as an adult
I just finished it, it was intense for a children's book
@Ranado_88 yeah, If I had to read it as a child, I too, might have dnf'ed it then
Plus I think you mean 2023đ€
I read it to my kids, but I was experiencing it for the first time as well, so I didnât know about the dark side. It was so dark, and I wish I would have known that going in because I worried it was too much for them. However, it might be my youngestâs favorite book. He wonât read it on his own, but he frequently requests it. I totally agree. It is such a beautiful and haunting book
i read it in 2 hours, loved it
books mentioned:
0:56 Lie With Me
1:17 Giovanni's Room
1:39 Heartstopper
2:01 The Dangers of Smoking in Bed
2:24 Open Water
2:47 Assembly
3:17 Recitatif
3:33 Normal People
5:10 Paradise
5:31 Timecode of a Face
6:07 Indelicacy
6:35 Several People Are Typing
7:09 Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
7:31 We Had to Remove this Post
8:01 The Vegetarian
8:21 The White Book
8:39 Bluets
8:56 Passing
9:16 Silas Marner
9:37 We Have Always Lived in the Castle
9:57 Elena Knows
10:24 At Night All Blood is Black
10:58 Bonjour Tristesse
Youâre doing the Lordâs work đđ»
thank you so much !!
god bless you
LEGEND!!!
Thank you!!
The stranger by Albert Camus is absolutely worth reading, 120 pages and the author was reading my mind
I have it on my âto readâ bookshelf - real bookshelf, not virtual one đ
Does it make you feel things like Dostoyevsky!?
Hearing his name gives me flashback cause in my French class we discussed his Nobel acceptance speech for MONTHS
The book was such a fantastic read, Albert Camus wrote some bangers.
[WARNING: Long as hell rant about The Stranger ahead, skip to the tl;dr at the end if you value your time]
The book isn't necessarily bad, but I just HATE when authors use their characters' neurodivergency to explain their religious/spiritual/superstitious/whatever beliefs (or lack thereof) when they would have never done anything like that with a neurotypical character.
What I mean is that the protagonist (sorry I forgot his name) talks about death and atheism in a way that makes it seem as though he wouldn't be an atheist if he wasn't neurodivergent, but like... Not in a good way. It's basically "he doesn't have empathy, therefore he is an atheist, therefore he doesn't care that his mother dies" and that kind of stuff ruined the book for me. Not to mention that we have more than enough books about people who do heinous things just because they happen to lack emotional empathy, and those books (including this one) NEVER give these characters effective empathy, which is a) not realistic and b) an extremely harmful stereotype. People can be empathetic without feeling empathy using logic and good judgement!
Tl;dr I dislike the neurodivergent and atheist representation in this book and I especially dislike the way these two facets of the protagonist (being neurodivergent and being an atheist) interact, it's harmful and unrealistic
Japanese writers have some of the best short books I've come across, e.g. Convenience Store Woman, The Housekeeper and the Professor, Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Graphic novels are also perfect for a reading slump, loved the Heartstopper series and Seconds is great as well!
woah im very early ! here is the list of books mentioned in the video
0:55 Lie With Me - Philippe Besson
1:15 Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin
1:38 Heartstopper - Alice Oseman
2:00 The Dangers of Smoking In Bed - Mariana Enriquez
2:22 Open Water - Caleb Azumah Nelson
2:45 Assembly - Natasha Brown
3:15 Recitatif - Toni Morrison
3:33 Normal People - Sally Rooney
5:13 Paradias - Fernanda Melchor
5:30 Timecode of a Face - Ruth Ozeki
6:07 Indelicacy - Amina Cain
6:35 Several People are Typing - Calvin Kasulke
7:09 Things have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke - Eric Larocca
7:27 We had to Remove this Post - Hanna Bervoets
7:59 The Vegetarian - Han Kang
8:20 The White Book - Han Kang
8:36 Bluets - Maggie Nelson
8:55 Passing - Nella Larsen
9:16 Silas Marner - George Eliot
9:36 We Have Always Lived in a Castle - Shirley Jackson
9:56 Elena Knows - Claudia Pineiro
10:23 At Night All Blood is Black - David Diop
10:58 Bonjour Tristesse - Françoise Sagan
Thank you so much for mentioning and adding the authors namesâ€
Thank you for adding the authors!!!
Alternate title: Reach you Goodreads Goal easily!
thank you
My favorite book is just 176 pages long, it's "No longer human" by a Japanese author Osamu Dazai. It's a grim, depressing story about a man losing grip on his life but also a really critical and outsider look at fitting in, humanity and values in life. It's hard-hitting and leaves you hopeless, and I've been thinking about it constantly since finishing it last year.
Also I really recommend reading a short biography about the author on Wikipedia or sth, because many events from the book are heavily inspired by his tough life, as the book itself was finished just before he commited suicide. Many call it a semi-autobiography
I'm currently reading this book! I'll post an update when I am finished!
There's no other way I'd describe the experience of reading that book. You captured it perfectly! It's one of my fav ones too.
@@vidu8925 aw thanks, I am really passionate about it
@@briannakmattis5265 good luck, and I won't really wish you fun, but a pleasant reading experience nonetheless :))
Its the best book, its not the plesant story but somehow it touches you in a right place.
Maybe jack knew somehow we were looking for ways to increase our average number of books read this year and so here he is, serving us with spot on recommendations.
Btw Normal people is an absolute banger, living up to its name, the way the story unfolds.
Exactly, I want to read many books haha. And honestly half the books he talked about sounded so good I'd read them like rn.
I honestly didnât like Normal People, I agree on the good points but still at the end felt negatively about it. BUT I also god hooked and read it all in one day, started reading it on a bus, otherwise I would probably finish it in one sitting. Just jumping around short moments in their lives, that was the best way a book like this couldâve worked, amazing
@@MrsNancy1297 I'd say since there wasn't as such a plot in the book but every interaction in the book was a series of miscommunication, so that got me eager to know what happens next to clear it out, that was what made it a page turner for me, but really though I'd give it a 3.5/5 because it wasn't so dramatic, just a slow unfolding of stories of 2 individuals. I totally understand why some people might not like it.
I couldnât cope with the lack of quotation marks
I clicked so fast, attention span shorter than length of a tiktok gang
I was expecting The Housekeeper and The Professor to be in this list too seeing as you loved it! I really recommend it too. Itâs a short, extremely sweet, and moving character study.
And Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. But this isn't sweet though.
@@sclumptuous That makes me happy! Itâs one of those books that Iâve read and just thought, âWell. Thatâs about as perfect as it could have been.â For the premise, the length, and the settingâŠjust perfect.
This is one of my favourite books. It's like a warm hug.
Thank goodness we have our silly little book man to help us in these times.
With the new years about I needed some quick stories to start my reading journey off with a bang !
I struggle to get through videos that overload the audience with information on a book so I really appreciate Jackâs very eloquent summaries đ„°
Many of my favorite shorter books are translations from Japanese. Convenience Store Woman, Tokyo Ueno Station, and Sweet Bean Paste are a few, all under 200 pages.
I bought the Penguin Modern Classics boxset a while ago and I'm in love with it. It consists of 50 books and they're all tiny and roughly about 60 pages each, suitable to read in one sitting. The topics range from short stories to poetry to essays and I'm really excited to read them all. I think it's good to start reading short pieces like this since I'm in a bit of a reading slump recently and haven't got the energy to read anything. 50 pages doesn't feel as daunting as 500 pages :)
Iâm honestly probably getting myself into a reading slump at the beginning of the year by reading a little life first thing, but since I read 180 books last year I thought I would challenge it lol. Iâll probably check these books out after I finish.
I'm currenty reading a little life too. Are u ok though?
I just started with a little life too.
one of my absolute faves. have tissues at hand tho.
I've also just started a little life. Go gets crossed
Happy New Year to Jack and the lovely community on this channel! Have a great 2023 everyone!
You are a mind reader honestly. I love short books because it lets me dip my toes into an author's writing and check whether I actually would like to read more of them. Also, it's like a buffet - sneaking small bits of different authors, allowing me to enjoy a wide variety of flavours in a limited amount of time. â€
I love how diverse your recommendations are, thank you for that! Iâm probably going to read Goivanni's Room!
Everything Jack says about books Iâve already read is stuff I thought myself when I read it. We donât have the exact same taste in books but we have very similar opinions of books, and this is how he adds so many books to my TBR. Heâs one of the only booktubers whose opinion matters to me because I know thereâs a good chance if he likes a book I will also like it.
One of my favourite short books is "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" by Iain Reid. Unputdownable. He writes creepy and foreboding like no one else, and I'm here for it all day.
I have to read the book! I watched the movie on Netflix, and it was...strange!
My favourite thriller of all time. Nothing comes close.
Agree!!
@@mii_voi the book is x10 better!
I LOVED the plot of the book but everything escalated so fast towards the end that I couldnât get a grip
Thanks loads for this Jack! Just recovering from an extended reading slump that sadly lasted a few years and every single one of these sound so interesting. Great selection, much appreciate! đđœđđœđđœ
I love these recommendations! I find it harder to read novels that donât have some kind of romance plot and these short books could definitely help me read more variety!
I love your videos, especially the way you describe every book with passion. You are amazing!
My favorite short book I read in 2022 was To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers. I'm not usually much of a sci-fi person, but this made me see the genre in a new light! It does an amazing job at capturing the wonder of space travel.
I love short books. There's something I really commend about an author being able to write a complete story in such a short page count. An author I'd highly recommend for this is Akwaeke Emezi. Most of their books are under 300 pages long, and Freshwater made it to my favourites video of 2022.
Yes just exactly what I needed
These 23 books are going to be in my read list this year!!
One of the recent subscribers...and I'm really loving these book reviews and this channel!!!
I definitely needed this! Iâm trying to up my reading numbers this year as I only got 6 books last year. Iâm trying to read two books at a time, by alternating a reading one book one day and visa versa. Iâm reading a long book and a short book/comic at the same time. Iâm currently reading âmaybe you should talk to somebodyâ and âHeartstopper volume 1â
I stumbled across "The Vegetarian" years ago. I was in Barnes & Noble and the cover intrigued me. The copy I have is red with a dark silhouette of the main character that slowly turns into plants. I bought it without knowing anything about it and was very pleased with my find. Such a unique and fantastical story. I have always loved short story collections and my favorite is "Night Shift" by Stephen King. I agree that they are a great way to get back into reading.
I read Open Water after hearing it recommended from you last year and I absolutely loved it. It is one of my favorite pieces of short fiction ever, itâs prose is masterful and itâs exploration of the Black body, specifically Black male body in Britain is so important. After reading it I blindly trust every book you recommend so definitely a winâŠ
When Jack uploads a new video I get a surge of happiness and excitement what the video is about đ
Thanks for suggesting these! I decided to mix some short books with some long books I planned to read this month. I started with Elena Knows which you mentioned and I loved it.
This is a much needed compilation, cause the last 3 months of the year are my busiest so I rarely have time, and since I work at night there is this time till I fall asleep.
But now Iâve started reading short books or short stories and it feels so good.
I really enjoyed this video! Everyone can probably name at least one book that wasnât in this video that could have been, so hereâs mine:
We The Animals by Justin Torres
This book is roughly 130 pages, and can easily be read in a day. However, Iâve been reading it slowly for the past month. The chapters are very short, and I found that reading just a few pages or one chapter everyday was all I needed. The story is innocent and beautiful, yet tense and dark as well. More than anything though, I just fell in love with the way it was written.
Obviously everyone has their own preferences, and not everyone will like this book, but I just wanted to share it because I have thoroughly enjoyed it!
I watched the movie and thought it would make a good book. Realized it was a book.
It was unexpected that you mentioned Bonjour Tristesse, I really enjoyed it. I think it's very much a "lighthearted on the surface, melancholy deep down" kind of story and it worked.
thank you!! been waiting for this one! (especially after that short video you posted)
A great set of short books to binge is the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire! There are currently 7 books, all under 250 pages each, and the 8th book is set to be released in just 6 days!
This is exactly what I was looking for, and for the exact same reason!
Thank you, Jack!
Was hoping to see And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer on this list. Beautifully written novella!
Omg, this was so needed! i was in a reading slump for most of 2022 so I'm ready to get back into it. Thank you!
excited to say I'm way ahead of you as I read heartstopper volume one for the first time to get me out of a reading slump this year already!
OMG!!! LOVED THIS !! can't believe from 23 books i've just read 1 and have another one in my library the rest of them have now a space on my want to read list in goodreads, THANK YOU!
All these books are stunning. Thank you for your recs
This video came just in time because Iâve been wanting to get back into reading regularly and Iâve been thinking about short stories đ
Ouuuuu! đđ I needed a short book to kickstart my Goodreads goal!!
I would always recommend the novella Flowers For Algernon, itâs iconic and itâs an amazing story!! Itâs around 35-50 pages too!
Ahhh you finally mentioned my queen Sagan, I very much recommend like everything she's ever written but mostly la femme fardée!
Jack this is EXACTLY what I need it's like you read my mind. Thank you!
Thanks for the list! "Meandering Sobriety" is my favorite book. This is a new book with a collection of 40 short stories concerning the philosophy of life and work, a bit humorous and still thought-provoking
I absolutely loved Bonjour Tristesse! Itâs so well paced and helped me out of a reading rut. A Certain Smile by Francois Sagan is the same!
Stargirl is a favorite short book of mine, itâs a YA novel and is an easy read but itâs such a sweet story and can definitely get you back into reading
Stargirl is one of my favorite reads!
I don't think I want to read it considering how much Jack despised it lmao.
my rec for this category is A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers! Super cozy sci-fi ish. love it
The Art Of War by Sun Tzu is my favourite short book. I always manage to finish it in an evening. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is quick and easy to read aswell. The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is also quick and easy to read as is the Analects by Confucius. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is also quick and easy to read. Also DMX's Autobiography is also quick and easy to read. In terms of Novels The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time is very easy to read. Those are my short and easy to read book recommendations.
my goodreads becomes more unmanageable every time i watch one of ur videos bc i keep adding books bc they all sound SO GOOD!!!!!
I have been watching your channel for a while now, remembering how much I used to read as a teenager - and this will be the year I get back into reading, I can feel it đ„°đ„°đ„°
Thank you sooo much for recommend Elena Knows. It became my favorite book đâ€ïž
just when I needed! you never disappoint, thank you for your services đ
Thank you for your recommendations! One of my favorite short books is The Canal - Lee Rourke. 199 pages. Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for this video. I don't know if my budget will allow it but I'm going to buy almost all of these novels for a long trip I'm going on! I am really hoping to get back into reading and short novels do really help me feel like an accomplished reader. I'm a slow reader and quite busy so having long novels to read make me feel very discourage everytime I pick it up and see how much I have left to read (unless it's a book I adore, then I will be reading it EVERYWHERE and will be late for everything).
So many great recommendations! Giovanniâs Room holds a special place in my heart
Growing up my mom and I found a kitten abandoned on a country road, and we named her "Eppie", from Silas Marner đ it's been many years since I read it, but I remember loving the book
Omg Waterloo Road is back!!! I was obsessed with that show. Will be watching it. Also great list! đđŸ
Thank you Jack! That's +23 books for my reading goal this year
Will start as soon as I'm done with Small Things Like These. I'm loving it!!
I read a couple short books and I am already ahead my reading goal this year, it definitely helps.
Thank you so much for posting this!!!
I'd recommend the five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom. 250 pages exploring a character's life. It flies by and I won't tell you it is the best book in the world but it is heartwarming and heartbreaking and I truly love it. It's also my mum's favourite book so listen to her if not me haha
i seriously need this video so much right now because iâm in THE BIGGEST reading slump
Ahhhh canât wait for Waterloo Road!! Still so obsessed! Definitely going to read Normal People this year, will be my first Sally Rooney đ«ą
Thank you so much for recommendations, Jack & all the commenters! The Little Book of Jeung by Charlotte Cho is my first completed book of 2023 & at 214 small pages fits the criteria perfectly. Itâs a non-fiction piece about the importance of bonds we build, written by a Korean-American woman.
wonderful video as always, jack - so many great reads here!! I would add The Ice Palace by Tarej Vessas to this list, which is a beautifully written novel at 139 pages translated from Norwegian, documenting human relationships and interactions. It follows two girls, one of which disappears on a visit to the infamous ice structure of the Norwegian fjords, and the consequent descent into madness from her friend, overcome with guilt and a sense of responsibility over the loss of her friend. reading it just after At Night All Blood is Black (my last two reads!), I saw real similarities between the stunning writing and raw human interactions. I would highly would recommend both (but recommend looking at the trigger warnings!)! â€ïžđ
Jackâs videos are a chefâs kiss! I discovered the channel a few days back and now I CANâT stop watching. If I am not reading, I am watching his videos!
We had to move this post was one of my top reads of 2022. It surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.
I have been looking for other books about the same topic since.
Man Jack, I love your videos so much! Either they show me some cool new books to look into, or you ramble about videos that I also love and summarise them in a more eloquent and succint way than I ever could, or you fundamentally disagree with me on a book (Dunel...) but you explain your thoughts and still show enough understanding for me to not get mad at you ^^
If I can just make one suggestion: Get a Lav or shotgun mike. I feel like fixing the audio of your videos would go a long way and doesn't come with a huge investment.
If you like Han Kang I would definitely recommend her other novel "Human Acts," it's heartbreaking. Also "No Longer Human" by Osamu Dazai and "Concerning my Daughter" by Kim Hyejin are really good as well.
Great video! Thanks for the recommendations. I had just started reading At Night All the Blood is Black yesterday. Hooked me in on the first paragraph. Iâm excited to try some of these authors that are new to me. đ
Adding them to my 2023 tbr so that I can complete my Goodreads challenge this year. I fell behind last year because of my hectic med school schedule đ
love these recs! would you consider doing a video on books you should read in ur teens in the future?
I think another short classic that would fit this list is The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It is a story from the late-Victorian era surrounding a woman suffering post-natal depression and her fall into psychosis, and of course how those around her deal with this.
It is such a brilliant read and, at around 60 pages long, such a quick one too. It is often considered one of the first openly feminist pieces of literature, and was massively rejected by publishers when it was initially written.
It was ârediscoveredâ as such in the 1970s, nearly 100 years after it had been written, and it is such an incredible insight into the treatment of mental illness during the Victorian era, and particularly that of women.
I studied this story for my undergrad and found it so fascinating so I reckon lots of other people will too!!
Jackâs obsession with this adorable bead necklace is my highlight of the year already
this is great! iâm trying to read three books a month this year and have managed to finish two already by opting for shorter books first (animal farm and of mice and men!). will definitely be checking these out
Donât know if it counts because itâs a kids book, but I genuinely think adult might appreciate this more than kids. âThe cat mummyâ by Jacqueline Wilson is very short, only about an hour as an audiobook. Itâs such an interesting portrayal of grief in a child. I chose it as a âlight readâ after seeing how short it was and it left me tearing up
Thanks Jack! This was exactly what I needed. I have been in a serious slump since a month and was upset that I wasn't reading more. Jack saves the day. Again.
that size joke got me WEEPING
I am such a slow reader! So these'll certainly help me out, thanks Jack!
I read mostly long books in 2022, so in order up the amount of books I read overall, I quickly devoured a few short ones right at the end of December, haha.
A Christmas Carol - only around 100 pages or a couple hours audiobook, Catcher In The Rye - 277 pages, Half A Soul - 304 pages, but a VERY quick read.
I was looking for short books all day, thank YOU
dude you're viedos make my day soo much better, thanks.
Convenience Store Woman is another great short book to break a reading lull. And Iâve started off this year by reading a few books of poetry in the evenings which has been nice. Iâve always wanted to read more poetry and this is going to be the year for it I decided. Iâve really liked Time Is A Mother by Ocean Vuong and Donât Call Us Dead by Danez Smith so far this year.
amazing video!!!! (as someone who is getting back into reading this was super helpful)
ahhh i been waiting for this video since u uploaded the tiktok about reading short books đ€đ€ thank u bff
Oh my God! I was searching for this on Google after watching your shorts now I have it in video! You're absolutely a book angel!
Banger recs as always! Some of them have been in my tbr now i'm adding more
this is EXACTLY what i needed right now jack i luv u
Wow- these all sound great great!! Thank you
this is exactly the video i needed rn, im trying to read more this year and this is so helpful!
Hi Jack - adding to your list Iâd love to know your thoughts on Natalia Ginzburg - Iâm working my way through and have managed two so far! They are The road to the city and The dry heart. I read an article in which her work was recommended by Sally Rooney so I thought youâd like it too! The first two were around 100 pages - just enough for me at the moment although the next one is about 300 pages - All our yesterdays. Keep up the great videos - they always cheer me up and encourage me to keep reading!! Happy New Year and good luck with your target đ
I am now following you on goodreads and it's where I get my next read knowing you read shorter books more. Lie With Me was *chef's kiss
Me and my already extra long booklist enjoying adding more book for this year to read đ€
I would recommend the Murderbot series and The singing hills cycle for those interested in scifi or fantasy.
all the books in this video!
0:56 Lie With Me
1:17 Giovanni's Room
1:39 Heartstopper
2:01 The Dangers of Smoking in Bed
2:24 Open Water
2:47 Assembly
3:17 Recitatif
3:33 Normal People
5:10 Paradise
5:31 Timecode of a Face
6:07 Indelicacy
6:35 Several People Are Typing
7:09 Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
7:31 We Had to Remove this Post
8:01 The Vegetarian
8:21 The White Book
8:39 Bluets
8:56 Passing
9:16 Silas Marner
9:37 We Have Always Lived in the Castle
9:57 Elena Knows
10:24 At Night All Blood is Black
10:58 Bonjour Tristesse
Thank you so much for this video. I have been re reading old novels 'cause I somehow I just don't want to start new books because of my last year in high school and exams, but I think this video is perfect to get into reading.
Also, I have read Silas Marner, and I have no idea why the book I have is 300 pages long.
Ooh I read Giovanniâs room for summer reading in high school⊠such a emotional book that I had completely forgotten about.