At some point, I had a sticker that said “I love big books and I cannot lie” - it was a point of pride. But these days, with a toddler, a full time job, and a pandemic level attention span, this librarian has a new found appreciation for the novella. Rich characters, well built worlds, and gripping plot lines all in less than 200 pages? Yes please! If that sounds appealing to you too - check out these fantastic and escapist new books in bite size lengths - completely readable in 2-3 nap times or a few nights before bed.
Upright Women Wanted - Sarah Gailey
A post apocalyptic western centered around traveling librarians, who may also be queer leaders in the resistance against the authoritarian state? - Posses, shoot outs, vultures, and gun slinging queer librarians this book has it all. Esther has no idea what she’s gotten herself into when she stows away in the librarians’ book wagon. She’s just seen her best friend and lover Beatriz hanged for possession of resistance propaganda, and thinks maybe the librarians may be an escape from her ever leaning “deviant” self… little does she know she’s just landed in the thick of it, and that might just be exactly where she belongs.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built - Becky Chambers
This book is a present from Becky Chambers for anyone struggling with self-worth and sense of purpose right now. Dex is a tea monk, whose job sounds pretty amazing. They travel between outlying villages brewing tea, listening, and just giving people permission to take a minute, relax, and focus on self-care. It’s rewarding, purposeful, and peaceful, so why are they still so dissatisfied? Sometimes it takes a journey into the unknown and the help of a self-actualized wild robot to help realize that the miracle of being might really be enough. So go brew yourself a cuppa and take a minute to read this amazing little book. You deserve it!
All Systems Red - Martha Wells
Not all AIs are self-actualized nature loving robots… Some are sarcastic Murderbots with hacked governor modules. But Martha Wells’ Murderbot is less focused on murdering. It just wants to get through the day so it can watch the huge backlog of space soap operas it has downloaded. But the problem with consciousness free from Company controls is that it is your own stupid fault when you care about the crew you’re assigned to protect. Alas, binging on soap operas will have to wait. I’m a little late to Wells’ murderbot diaries - Wells won the Hugo this year for the 5th and first full length novel in the series. But lucky for me (and you) there are 3 more bite size novellas to look forward to first!
Ring Shout - Djeli Clark
History makes it hard to deny that the Ku Klux Klan's actions during Jim Crow and beyond were monstrous, but in Djeli Clark’s fantastical retelling, they really are monsters. Terrifying demons from Hell that feed on hate. Cue three amazing badass monster hunters, fueled by the spiritual power of the ring shout, determined to uncover the growing plot in Macon before the Ku Kluxes can establish power and end the world as they know it. All done in a neat 181 page package. You won’t be able to put this one down and might even wish it was a little bit longer!