If you’re looking for some fresh recommendations, you’re in the right place. These are 7 books I’ve read recently, and trust me, you’re going to love them. Some are fiction, some are nonfiction, but all of them will leave a mark on you. If you’re a beginner, these are great picks to get started. If you’re already a reader, well, you might just find your next favorite book here.
7 Very Short Books to Read in a Day
- Nails and Eyes – Kaori Fujino
- All Marketers Are Liars: Tell Stories – Seth Godin
- Letters to Milena – Franz Kafka
- On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong
- Tales from My Boyhood – Ruskin Bond
- Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love – Huma Qureshi
- The Buddha in the Attic – Julie Otsuka
1. Nails and Eyes by Kaori Fujino
Nails and Eyes by Kaori Fujino is a short book (Japanese Novel), and it’s interesting. This is short book with only 112 pages. This book was publish on September 12, 2023.
I read the book, and I absolutely loved it. It has three shocking short stories.
The first one is the longest one, and the way it’s written is amazing. It’s about this young girl whose father is having an affair, and after her mother dies, he brings in his mistress to the house. The events unfold in a very disturbing way.
Quote from the book:
"I can't marry you," that's what my father told you on the first day of his affair with you. You were so surprised; all you could say was, "Oh." My father went on with what seemed to be genuine regret, saying that he had a wife and child. "Oh," you replied again.
It’s totally written from the point of view of a very young girl, and I really like it. It is definitely disturbing. It’s one of the winners of the Akutagawa Prize, which is Japan’s most prestigious literary award.
I’m glad my friend recommended this book to me because otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have read it. I never saw anyone recommend this book before, but I think that they should because it was quite good. So, do read it.
And since this is a short book collection, even if you’re a beginner, if you haven’t read anything before, you’re still probably gonna enjoy it.
2. All Marketers Are Liars: Tell Stories by Seth Godin
If you don’t like fiction, here’s a short nonfiction read that you’d love. In today’s age, personal branding is a must, no matter what you do for a living or where you’re from. You need to build a strong personal brand so that you’re not losing out on opportunities, and you’ll need to learn storytelling.
This is an amazing book by Seth Godin, the OG marketer, and you’re gonna love it.
Regardless of that, the content of this book is amazing, and anyone who wants to build a personal brand on Instagram, this is the book I would recommend.
3. Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka
This is again technically nonfiction because these are letters Kafka wrote to his lover, Milena. Milena was his translator, and he felt so understood by her that he fell in love. The characters from this book are extremely famous, which made this book very famous on BookTok (bookish TikTok).
Quote From the Book
"Love is the knife I turn inside myself for you."
That is why I also discovered this book. I knew about Kafka and Milena, but it was probably because of the fact that it got so popular lately that I actually ended up getting this book and loving it.
If you’re a romantic person, you’re definitely gonna enjoy it.
4. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Now, going from something that will probably make you feel good to something that will probably make you feel disturbed is “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”. This is a book that is set in the backdrop of generational trauma, the LGBTQ+ community, and the Vietnam War.
It explores how these elements affected the characters in this book and how they evolve as people throughout the novel.
I finished reading this book on a night that I just couldn’t sleep, and after reading this, I couldn’t sleep even more.
But if you want to read something that really leaves an impact on you, you’re going to really, really love it. Especially the character’s relationship with his mother—because this book is actually written to the mother—is something that I feel is so underrepresented in novels, and I really, really enjoyed that.
If you have a disturbed relationship with any parent, you would really, really find yourself heard in this book.
5. Tales from My Boyhood by Ruskin Bond
Talking about Ruskin Bond, of course, a Ruskin Bond book is great for beginners. The one I’m recommending in this video is Tales from My Boyhood. I think childhood is such a beautiful time.
It gives so much nostalgia, so many stories, and we yearn for that time the older we grow. When we’re younger, we can’t wait to grow up, but when we grow up, we’re like, “What’s happening?” And Ruskin Bond’s stories make you feel that way so often. I love his stories.
6. Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love by Huma Qureshi
Things We Do Not Tell the People We Love by Huma Qureshi is another book I bought just because the title is so, so good. It’s again a collection of short stories about various kinds of love and unexpected turns of events in that.
It’s various kinds of love—familial love, parental love, romantic love, friendly love. You’ll like the assortment in these stories. Huma Qureshi is a very, very easy-to-read writer, so for anyone who is a beginner, I think this is a great place to start.
7. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Lastly, The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka. What makes this book really unique is that it’s not about a single person or a single character. It’s about the collective experience of a community that migrates from Japan to America in the dream of having the dream life, but really, everyone’s been fooled, and how their lives evolve from there.
The writing style is impressive, and I just couldn’t keep the book down. I loved it, and anyone who is a beginner is gonna love Julie Otsuka’s book. It’s also a very rare recommendation.
So, these are the seven best and very short books to read I recommend. If you are a beginner, you can start with these books. But if you are an avid reader, this list might help you choose another book to read.