Books
It's already November, which means time is running out to read all the books you swore you would read in 2018. If you're currently looking at your Goodreads Reading Challenge tracker with fear in your eyes, don't panic. No matter what goal you declared at the beginning of the year, and no matter how far behind you are, you can totally catch up with some short books.
Back in January, readers (and Goodreads users) around the globe set an intention for how many books they were going to read in 2018. I did it, too. Every year, I set my goal to 50 books, and every year, I fall depressingly short. So if you, like me, are determined to make 2018 the year you blow the Goodreads Reading Challenge out of the water, it's time to buckle down and start reading. Of course, since the challenge tracks quantity of books, and not length of book, the key to making it through is to add some short books into your reading diet.
So, if you need to pull off a miraculous finish, here are eight short books that will help you reach your Goodreads Reading Challenge goal in no time:
'Northwood' by Maryse Meijer
Length: 102 pages
This novella blends fairy tale with horror to explore the darker side of intimacy. A young woman flees to the forest to pursue her art, and falls in love with a man. But when the man becomes violent, she fights to free herself, raising questions about the relationship between desire and obsession.
'Crudo' by Olivia Laing
Length: 143 pages
From the author of The Lonely City, this novel is about a young woman trying to figure out art, romance, and, well, life when the world is on the brink of collapse.
'New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay' by Caitlin Kunkel, Brooke Preston, Fiona Taylor and Carrie Wittmer
Length: 144 pages
This book began as an article on McSweeney's that will seriously make you cackle. (Go read it right now. I'll wait.) This book of short vignettes imagines a world in which women are treated with... respect. Congress has a 50-50 gender split and men treat women with nothing short of respect — unfortunately, the ultimate fantasy.
'Bingo Love' by Tee Franklin
Length: 88 pages
Graphic novels are great for a quick read, and this one — about two women who meet at a church bingo event in 1963 and fall in love at first sight — is super sweet.
'Herding Cats' by Sarah Scribbles
Length: 108 pages
You'll definitely breeze through the latest collection of Sarah Andersen's comics about dealing with the frantic pace of adult life. They're hilariously and painfully relatable, and you'll be sending pictures to all your friends.
'A Room of One's Own' by Virginia Woolf
Length: 112 pages
If you want to mix a classic in, this one is a must-read. In this book-length essay, Woolf argues that women need intellectual, artistic, and financial independence — a room of their own, literally and figuratively.
'You Have the Right to Remain Fat' by Virgie Tovar
Length: 136 pages
In this short book, Virgie Tovar writes about the deeply dangerous notion that being fat is something that needs to be "fixed." This book is a powerful manifesto about fatphobia, body-shaming, sexism, and problematic dietary messaging, and it will change the way you think in under 140 pages.
'Heart Berries: A Memoir' by Terese Marie Mailhot
Length: 143 pages
In this powerful memoir, Terese Marie Mailhot writes about trauma, PTSD, bipolar II stress disorder, and love found and lost (and found again). This book is a deeply personal journey — for both the reader and the writer.
