Tomes & Tidbits

I just finished The Books of Jacob, an absolute tome of a book, and it easily snuck its way into my top reads. I forgot how immersive it can be to read a book that long; it's a mark of quality that I was still sad when it ended.

But some of my favorite books are more novellas than novels. I still have a hard time getting into short stories, though I try to read a few collections every year (it's hard for me to get invested when I know the world will dissipate after a few pages). But novellas hit that sweet spot: long enough to flesh out characters, short enough that every word counts.

So here's a quick list of long and short books, depending on what you're craving:

Novellas

Census | Jesse Ball A census worker wonders who will watch over his son after his death.

The Parade | Dave Eggers

Two men build a road. But what for?

The Wall | John Lanchester

Only a wall can protect the earth from rising tides.

Falling Out of Time | David Grossman

A man walks in circles, assuming he'll find what he's after somewhere along the way.

Tomes

The Books of Jacob | Olga Tokarczuk

A journey through Polish and religious history.

Les Miserables | Victor Hugo

I mean, you know this one. Read it.

11/22/63 | Stephen King

What if you could stop the assassination of JFK?

The Overstory | Richard Powers

All lives are connected, like tree branches. But the roots have to be protected.