Short books that pack a punch

Nine must-read titles under 250 pages

I’m currently halfway through my longest read of the year—my copy of Mariana Enriquez’s Our Share of Night is an eye-watering 725 pages long, while my average book rarely surpasses 400 pages—, and the slow burn has already proven successful in reminding me of why I need to read long books more often. There is nothing quite like diving deep into a story and allowing yourself to linger, no rush or deadlines, as I wrote about here.

There is, however, something to be said about the magic often found in short books. And by short, I personally mean under 250 pages.

I tend to be very lucky with the short books I choose. Since I’m not often drawn to them, when I am, it means I’m really excited about the premise or the author. At the same time, though, there is always a part of me that underestimates them (“are you really gonna be able to do enough with 170 pages?”), and that part of me loves nothing more than to be proven dead wrong.

The following books have all surpassed my expectations and have stayed on my mind ever since I read them. Some I picked up with excitement, having followed a fellow reader’s recommendation, others I brought home on a whim, no ratings or reviews involved.

They are all under 250 pages (the shortest one is only 145 pages long, and it might be the biggest accomplishment out of the entire list), but most importantly, they all pack a punch. In different ways, and for different reasons, they made my heart race, my eyes tear up, and my throat tighten, so beware, because they might just uppercut you in the feels.

I love seeing Dan Humphrey get punched

---

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

I read Open Water over a year ago, and I still think about it often. When I say I don’t enjoy romance but I love love stories, this book is a prime example of what I always look for: it’s lyrical, it’s tender, it’s heartbreaking, it’s beautifully written. It’s an open wound in the way only beautiful books can be. I recommend it to everyone, no exceptions. If you’re an annotator, sharpen your pencils!

Two young people meet at a pub in South East London. Both are Black British, both won scholarships to private schools where they struggled to belong, both are now artists trying to make their mark in a city that by turns celebrates and rejects them. Tentatively, tenderly, they fall in love. But two people who seem destined to be together can still be torn apart by fear and violence.

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

Bliss Montage was my first read of 2023, I remember taking it to the beach on January 1st. It was windy and freezing, so I stayed in the car and read. This book was unassuming at first; the stories are tense, atmospheric, and gradually become more and more absurd. It feels like a fever dream, like a simulation, and you’ll probably mouth “WTF” a couple of times as you get through it. I finished it not knowing what to make of what I’d just read, but as the days passed, I kept thinking about it. It’s one of those books that demand a slow digestion before they find a way to get under your skin. I still think about it often, almost two years later.

Eight wildly different tales of people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective delusions: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood, the idea of home. From a woman who lives in a house with all of her ex-boyfriends, to a toxic friendship built around a drug that makes you invisible, to an ancient ritual that might heal you of anything if you bury yourself alive, these and other scenarios reveal that the outlandish and the everyday are shockingly, deceptively, heartbreakingly similar.

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

If you’re no stranger to this newsletter, you won’t be a stranger to Sheena Patel’s debut novel, either; I recommend it all the time. While this isn’t a book for everyone—even many of my fellow strange lit fic lovers disliked it—, if it speaks to you then it really speaks to you. Written in short, bite-sized chapters full of internet references, this non-linear story takes you on a journey through our obsessive, chronically online narrator's mind. I read this quickly, compulsively, like one scrolls through a fyp. It was clever, obnoxious, desperate, and just the perfect amount of way too much.

The unnamed narrator in I’m a Fan is obsessed; obsessed with the married man she is sleeping with and with one of his other lovers who is an influencer. With an unforgiving eye, the narrator relentlessly dissects the behaviour of all involved in the entanglement, herself included, and makes startling connections between the power struggles at the heart of human relationships and those of the wider world.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

I read this one a long time ago (when it first came out, in 2018! I had just joined bookstagram), and it was my introduction to this (now beloved) subgenre of psychological thriller and horror where women proudly play the role of ruthless, spiraling heroines. I remember it being deadpan, smart, and entertaining, a book that tests your limits and asks you to embrace a level of inner chaos you might not be comfortable with. It was also a page-turner for me.

When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll be the third boyfriend Ayoola's dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. But then Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other...

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

If you’re a fan of magical realism, The Mermaid of Black Conch has the makings to take you on a journey you won’t forget. The selling point of this book isn’t the plot, though; it’s the writing style. There’s an immersive, ancient quality to the storytelling that adds depth and richness to the story, and successfully captures the spirit of oral tradition and myth-telling. The magical aspects were explained in such vivid detail that I finished the book fully convinced that mythic mermaids exist (although it doesn’t take much to convince me of such things).

In 1976, David is fishing off the island of Black Conch when he comes upon a creature he doesn't expect: a mermaid by the name of Aycayia. But after the mermaid is caught by American tourists, David rescues and hides her away in his home, finding that, once out of the water, she begins to transform back into a woman.
As David and Aycayia grow to love each other, they juggle both the joys and the dangers of life on shore. But a lingering question remains: Will the former mermaid be able to escape her curse?

---

Behind the paywall, four more short books that I loved and highly recommend (+2 honorable mentions!). Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to read the full list, get exclusive perks and further support my work 💗

---