Short Books Recommendations

Bibliophiles have always been a boastful bunch. They go on endlessly about how many books they have, how many hardcovers, and also, all of their custom bookmarks! So, if you have a similar person in your group, ask them to finish these books in a day.

‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell

A relatively small book of about 100-120 pages, ‘Animal Farm’ paints a dystopian world where animals overthrow their oppressive farmers and take over the farm. But soon, they too become corrupt like the humans they defeated.

‘Convenience Store Woman’ by Sayaka Murata

Another short novel that can be completed in a single sitting is this one. The book is the story of Keiko Furukura, a woman who finds peace and calm in her convenience store job and has no will or expectations to climb the ‘social ladder’.

'Poonachi' by Perumal Murugan

'Poonachi' is a powerful novel by the acclaimed Perumal Murugan and is the story of a frail black goat in rural India. The book uses anthropomorphism and gives the goat human-like character and emotions.

‘Of Mice and Men’ by John Steinbeck

‘Of Mice and Men’ is a wholesome book but with a tragic ending. It is about two workers who become friends with a common dream of owning a piece of land to call their own. Unfortunately, before the dream was fulfilled, one of them was dead.

‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens

‘A Christmas Carol’ is a classic Christmas novel about Ebenezer Scrooge, a character who dislikes Christmas to the core, but eventually has a change of heart.

‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka

A classic by Kafka, ‘The Metamorphosis’ talks about the sadness of isolation and the greedy nature of humans even with their own family members. A short book of about 150 pages, ‘The Metamorphosis’ can easily be completed in a few hours.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A small book about the values of Feminism is this one. It talks about gender equality and challenges societal norms that perpetuate discrimination.

​‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl

A story about hope and survival, ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ is Frankl's personal account of surviving through a holocaust. Frankl says that finding meaning in life is the one thing that can help lift you from unimaginable suffering.