Bookworm Cottage Style

The next pick in my college friends book club is I Who Have Never Known Men, a buzzy little 200 page dystopian novel from 2022 that is having a resurgence on BookTok. Although I don’t anticipate enjoying it, I think it will be really timely and make for fantastic discussion. Plus, zipping through a short little book is kind of a rejuvenating feeling. While it’s too soon for me to share my thoughts on that one, I do have recommendations of short (under 200 pages) books that have stuck with me for one reason or another.

Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff (2024, 162 pages) // This fun little romance novella was right up my alley! Maya is a progressive political consultant recovering from a painful and public divorce. When Charlie, a former boyband star, reaches out to Maya about a consulting opportunity, sparks fly. After all, his band was Maya’s absolute favorite when she was a teen. Unfortunately, Maya’s reputation and job are on shaky ground, meaning that a relationship with Charlie is off the table. Or is it? This lovely little read is only 162 pages and despite its breezy nature, it has a surprising amount of substance (and makes a strong case for universal basic income). If you enjoyed Red, White and Royal Blue or are looking for something like The Idea of You meets The West Wing, seek out this book! The book itself is from 831 Stories, a romantic fiction company that releases short, joyful, romance books. Based on how much I loved Big Fan, I cannot wait to read the others.

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970; 106 pages) // I’m sure longtime followers are not surprised to see me recommend this one, yet again. If you need a refresher, 84, Charing Cross Road is not a typical story – it is actually just a collection of real-life letters sent between a New York writer and a London bookseller over the span of two decades. I laughed, I cried, and I became so invested in their cross-continental friendship. The book itself is slim (just under 100 pages with lots of white space) and can be read in  about an hour or two. 

How to Resist Amazon and Why, by Danny Caine // This title, written by an independent bookstore owner, is available as a 16-page zine (which ironically I can only find on Amazon right now) and was later expanded into a 192-page book. I own, have read, and would recommend both versions, and honestly I think the Zine gets the point across just as well in significantly fewer pages. If I could make everyone read this, I would. It is also a really great place to start if you’re looking to reevaluate your relationship with consumerism or figure out how to channel your money away from billionaires and towards your local community. 

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa (192 pages, 2009) // I’ve never read a story quite like this one. In this book, a housekeeper starts working for a retired mathematics professor who has short-term memory loss. Despite the fact that he can only remember 80 minutes into the past and the housekeeper reintroduces herself each day when she arrives at work, the housekeeper and her young son manage to develop a beautiful friendship with the professor over time. I think this would be a great book club pick, and there are some wonderful thought-provoking discussion questions at the end (at least in the edition I picked up). If you’re a fan of heartwarming, introspective Japanese fiction (like Before the Coffee Gets Cold or What You Are Looking for Is in the Library), I highly recommend this book. There is a lot of math talk in these pages, so I’d also recommend this to anyone with a passion for mathematics, engineering, or education in general. Overally, really thought provoking and really lovely! 

Heartburn by Nora Ephron (192 pages, 1983) // Nora Ephron has written some of my favorite screenplays (like You’ve Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally), so even though I did not particularly care for the 1986 film adaptation of Heartburn starring Meryl Streep, I found the book it was based on to be surprisingly delightful. Somewhat inspired by the author’s own divorce, this book is about a pregnant food writer who finds out that her husband is in love with someone else. Despite the painful circumstances, the book is chatty and funny and feels like a gossipy phone call session. If you’re a Nora Ephron fan or are looking for something entertaining and easy to breeze through, I highly recommend it!

My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (193 pages, 2016)  // This is the first book in Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy Barton book series, and it’s the title that really got me into Elizabeth Strout. This quiet little novel is about a writer whose estranged mother visits her while she is recovering in the hospital. While they make small talk about hometown gossip, the book is observant and lovely and comforting in a way that is hard to articulate. If you like Ann Patchett’s writing and want deeply felt books that tenderly explore the lives of ordinary people, I highly recommend this one. I know I’m not making this sound super exciting, but something about it is just really soothing and lovely.