Nothing beats the feeling of curling up with a new book, but sometimes, the sheer size of our TBRs can discourage us. If you’re feeling bogged down by page counts, why not give novellas a try? Novellas are defined as any manuscript under 40,000 words, which is roughly 150 pages. These shorter books are the perfect companion for a morning commute on the train, a solo date at a coffee shop, or a quick read before bed. For this week’s Three to Read, we’re bringing you three novellas just as gripping as their longer counterparts.
HOT PICK
Summer in the House of the Departed by Josh Rountree
SYNOPSIS:
Brady’s grandmother always told him ghost stories, and her mysterious Victorian home proved to be the perfect inspiration for Brady to sketch a few apparitions of his own. The supernatural was always a fun hypothetical — until his grandmother and her entire town disappeared one day in 1981 with no explanation. Now, 44 years later, Brady finally returns to his grandmother’s abandoned home in search of answers. But perhaps what he really longs for is to find a way to follow his grandmother into the mysterious unknown that took her so long ago.
WHY:
Josh Rountree is no stranger to short stories that pack a big punch. With over 70 short stories published in acclaimed magazines, Rountree’s portfolio is truly impressive. Covering horror, fantasy, and science fiction, his stories and novels highlight his particular knack for capturing the many layers of grief around death.
COFFEE SHOP READ
The Most by Jessica Anthony
SYNOPSIS:
On November 3, 1957, the entire world is devoted to one event: the launching of Sputnik 2, carrying with it the ill-fated space dog, Laika. But while everyone else’s focus is turned to the sky, the Becketts’ attention is, instead, tuned to things much more earthbound. While Virgil Beckett is unsatisfied with his mundane job, his wife, Kathleen, still mourns the tennis career she gave up when she stepped into the housewife mold. On this unusually hot day, something in Kathleen shifts, and she refuses to go to church, instead donning her bathing suit and entering the pool in their apartment complex. And once she’s in, she refuses to get out. As the next eight hours unfold, the perfect facade of the Becketts’ marriage begins to ripple, revealing hidden truths lingering in the deep end.
WHY:
Award-winning novelist Jessica Anthony succeeds again and again in using her books to dissect the anxieties and tensions lying underneath the picture-perfect American dream. The Most follows in the footsteps of her other novel, Enter the Aardvark, by proving that brevity, when done right, can be the most powerful literary tool of them all.
DARK HORSE
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
SYNOPSIS:
Capricious House is home to secrets, memories, and a terrifying humanoid spider named Anatema. Anatema’s lust for human brides has recently driven her to consume the old keeper of the keys, leaving the young protégée, Dália, to take her place. Desperate to discover what led to her mentor’s demise, Dália spends her days locking and unlocking little drawers throughout Capricious House, combing through the memories contained within. In her fervor, Dália remains blind to the immediate danger beside her: Anatema can’t help but devour every beautiful woman that crosses her path.
WHY:
Hache Pueyo’s twisted sapphic romance contains echoes of both Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic. Within a limited number of pages, Pueyo expertly crafts a gothic fairytale that spirals further and further into the psychological.
Thanks for tuning in to this week’s edition of Three to Read! Be sure to come back every week for more themed lists to diversify your reading habits.
Interested in exploring more literary fiction? Click here.
Find books of every length and style on our Three to Read bookshelf on Bookshop.
