Discover the power of reading with these 11 essential novels, expertly curated to ignite your passion and transport you to different corners of the globe. From classics to contemporary fiction, science fiction to memoir, there’s something on this list that will capture your imagination.
11 Short Books to Help You Jumpstart Your 2025 Reading Resolutions
Every January 1st, we sit down and make resolutions about our goals for the upcoming year. One of the most common is to read more. But it’s always easier to buy books than to actually read them—our Goodreads reading challenges make fools of us all.
Life catches up to us, and before we know it, autumn leaves have fallen, winter snow has melted, and summer sun is back in full swing. It’s time to dive back into the world of words with a list of 11 short books that will transport you to different corners of the globe and ignite your passion for reading.
Classics and Contemporary Fiction
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Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson: Four young Black women growing up in Bushwick find each other and latch on tight, crafting an epic tale about growing up Black and female.
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Empty Wardrobes by Margaret Jull Costa: A feminist classic features Dora, a housewife in the mid-1960s whose husband has died suddenly, leaving her and her daughter in a tough spot.
Science Fiction and Fantasy
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The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin: Looking for a classic science fiction tale? This is it. The yumens are attacking the Athshean world to take its resources, but the tree-living Athsheans are quickly learning the rules of war—and planning a rebellion.
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Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark: The Ku Klux Klan are hosts to bloodthirsty parasites that feed on hatred—but Maryse and her friends are determined to defeat them and everything they stand for.
Memoir and Nonfiction
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The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio: An award-winning work of nonfiction is part memoir of an undocumented woman and part reported piece on the lives of undocumented Americans.
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In Vitro: On Longing and Translation by Isabel Zapata: A poetic meditation on the difficult, emotional journey of in-vitro fertilization highlights the absurdities and strangeness of hormones and loss, anxiety and alienation.
Latin American Fiction
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Brickmakers by Selva Almada: The Tamai and Miranda families hate each other, their violent rivalry filtering down to their sons, set against the Argentine countryside.
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Awu’s Story by Justine Mintsa: Seamstress Awu marries local school teacher Obame Afane after his first wife was unable to give him children. Their marriage is anything but perfect.
Science Fiction and Social Commentary
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Sleep Donation by Karen Russell: An insomnia epidemic has slammed through the United States, and people are dying of sleep deprivation. The answer is the equivalent of blood banks for sleep.
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The Word for World is Forest, again! This time as a call to action against our current climate change predicament.
These short books will transport you to different corners of the globe, ignite your passion for reading, and offer a fresh perspective on life. Whether you’re looking for science fiction, fantasy, memoir, or contemporary fiction, there’s something on this list that’s sure to capture your imagination.
