With New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, let’s enter the new year doing what we do best: reading! Count down the last 12 hours of the year with this list of books short enough to be read within an hour. Each book adopts a different format and features writing so impeccable that you might not need another cup of coffee to keep you awake until midnight.
12 PM — Visual Poetry
Crush by Richard Siken
Trigger Warning: This book contains violence. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Let’s start our countdown with Richard Siken’s Crush, an immersive collection of poetry that will surface emotions you didn’t realize you felt. This collection is deeply human, exploring complex emotion and the power of connection. Siken’s rich, thought-provoking prose is perfect to set the tone for a night of introspection.
1 PM — Short Story
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of drug abuse and violence. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Next, we’ll hop into the incredibly imaginative Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez, a series of short stories. Things We Lost in the Fire utilizes elements of both magical realism and horror to blend the supernatural with a passion for freedom. Explore incredible human resilience in this gripping title that will help us further explore the complexity of the human experience before stepping into the new year.
2 PM — Novella
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of child abuse. Please exercise personal care while reading.
We will continue into the next hour of our New Year’s Eve reading countdown with Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These. Given the novella’s deep emotional exploration, its concise format is impressive. This title marks our transition from the supernatural into the everyday human experience that explores the implications of moral courage. Keegan’s novella reminds us that big change starts with small steps, inspiring us to exercise our empathy as we move into the new year.
3 PM — Flash Fiction Collection
The Goodbye Process by Mary Jones
Jones’ The Goodbye Process, a deeply relatable flash fiction collection, explores the strength it takes to begin the healing process after loss. Just a few titles from this collection will suffice to fill the hour. Each story within this collection offers a unique perspective on grief, revealing the beauty hidden in the decision to let go. This title will hit home for anyone processing the loss of a loved one, providing a time for reflection before the new year.
4 PM — Creative Nonfiction
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists will introduce a sense of empowerment into our countdown. This creative nonfiction title is becoming increasingly relevant, sparking necessary contemplation on topics in social justice. The book is just short enough to finish within the hour, leaving plenty of time to reflect on Adichie’s profound prose.
5 PM — Epistolary Fiction
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
84, Charing Cross Road is a beloved epistolary fiction story that uses real letters shared between lovers to tell the tale of their connection. You will adore the unique opportunity provided by Hanff’s work to witness the development of an unforgettable, inspiring story centered on human interaction. This title will be unlike anything you’ve read before, perfect as we approach the halfway mark of our literary journey.
6 PM — One-Act Play
Trifles by Susan Glaspell
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of domestic violence and murder. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Susan Glaspell’s iconic one-act play, Trifles, is considered monumental in the space of feminist literature. Glaspell successfully critiques the treatment of women in modern society within this piece. Trifles is a brilliant complement to themes we explored earlier in the evening, highlighting the voices of marginalized communities to help us enter the new year informed.
7 PM — Graphic Novel
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a unique story, following a man’s journey to a new land with no words at all. The novel is built entirely on breathtaking imagery that will freshly immerse you. Tan incredibly captures the weight of the themes explored, inviting the reader to pay careful attention to the novel’s message.
8 PM — Experimental Form
Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of racism and terrorism. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric explores the effect that the events of 9/11 have had on politics in America, blending poetic prose with intense imagery to paint a vivid picture of the complex emotions carried by the country. Rankine is impressively honest in this title, questioning how personal identity can be affected by such a devastating event. With the reveal of a new detail adding to the picture on each page, this novel is perfect to transition into a late night of introspective thought.
9 PM — Myth Retelling
Transformations by Anne Sexton
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of violence. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Sexton’s Transformations is surprisingly confessional, reinventing famous fairy tales through the lens of her own life. Sexton chooses to show rather than tell in this novel, providing a raw example of what resilience looks like. The intimate voice that narrates this title will inspire readers to face hardship with courage as we approach the new year.
10 PM — Indie Press Translated Novella
Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami
Mieko Kawakami’s work, Ms Ice Sandwich, captures the innocence of young love, using that perspective to reflect on the whole of human connection. Kawakami uses a light tone to explore deep topics that will warm your heart. This novella will hit you with a wave of nostalgia, exploring the familiar ache of saying goodbye and moving on.
11 PM — Poetry Collection
Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón
Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón is a refreshing collection of poetry that not only highlights but also embraces the full spectrum of human emotion. This collection will take you on a journey ending with a smile shining through tears, with titles that will leave you with a new perspective on the little things in life. Bright Dead Things is the perfect close to our night, sure to be a consistent re-read in the new year.
With that, our journey through literature comes to a close. Twelve hours and twelve new additions to your list of favorite reads. With reflective poetry, exciting novellas, and contemplative essays, these short books will help you welcome the new year with intention.
Take this countdown as inspiration to carry your love for reading into the year ahead — one page at a time. Here’s to the countless characters, stories, and authors waiting to be discovered by you in the year to come. Happy reading!
Interested in the books that our team would recommend? Check out our Recommendations page!
Find these books in the Exploring the Depths of Literary Fiction shelf of our Bookshop.org page to help support indie bookstores.
