Top Ten Tuesday: Short Reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

This week’s theme is “quick reads” with a suggestion of stories under 150 pages, and given that helped narrow things down, I went with that.

My rules for what counts as a book under 150 pages is that is has to be a story that can be bought by itself in any format (eBook, physical, audio) in the UK. That means any story that is a bonus chapter or exclusive found only in certain editions doesn’t count. I’m also not counting stories in anthologies, ones free on websites, or things that can only be bought from the author. It needs to be on a UK retail site.

I’ve also not included either World Book Day books or Barrington Stoke books, as these are all under 150 pages and I could fill the list many times with these books.

The books are listed by increasing page count,

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1. GALATEA, by Madeline Miller

The shortest story on this list by quite some while at a mere 20 pages, GALATEA is a Greek myth retelling from the author of CIRCE and THE SONG OF ACHILLES. It can be bought as an eBook or as a hardback gift edition.

With her trademark sharp-eyed analysis of the myths and the misogyny within it, Miller brings a story of a woman carved from stone to be the perfect wife for a boorish, abusive man. But Galatea has dreams of her own and is not going to stand by and let him treat her like an object.

2. LIVING WITH RADIATION, by the National Radiological Protection Board

A text book that was more than ten times shorter than many of the others I had to read for my PhD at only 60 pages (rather than the 600-800+ range!), LIVING WITH RADIATION was on the required reading list for getting signed off to work with radiation. It’s short and easy to digest (and in colour! No more terrible black and white graphs from the 80s!) If you’ve ever wondered about how radiation affects you in your daily life, then why not give this one a try?

3. THE DAWN CHORUS, by Samantha Shannon

At 78 pages, this novella has enough meat to sink your teeth into while also being a quick read. Set between the end of THE SONG RISING and THE MASK FALLING, THE DAWN CHORUS elaborated on Paige’s mental and physical state after the events of THE SONG RISING. It looks at PTSD and also gives Paige a chance to be looked after for once.

It also acted as a nice bridge back into the series after the long gap between books. There are hints that there might potentially be another novella to come after the next book, and given the gaps between the books in this series are increasing, the more points of re-entry, the better!

4. THE TALE OF THE TAILOR AND THE THREE DEAD KINGS

Not much longer than the previous title at 83 pages, THE TALE OF THE TAILOR AND THE THREE DEAD KINGS is a retelling of a late 14th century ghost story.

The original tale is found in the back of a collection of scriptures and religious writing, probably written in by a bored monk! Unfortunately, the original is in Latin, so pretty inaccessible. This version, however, is in modern English but retains all the creepiness of the original without losing the cultural context it was written in.

5. FIREHEART TIGER, by Aliette de Bodard

Barely squeaking in under 100 pages (99 to be precise), FIREHEART TIGER is one of the novellas coming out of the US publishing industry’s mini novella revival thanks to Tordotcom (quite a few books on this list come from that publisher.)

It revolves around a diplomatic negotiation between countries that is likely the first step on the road to colonisation. However, the negotiations gets tangled with the main character’s feelings for one of the diplomats on the other side. But is the other diplomat really in love or just looking to manipulate?

6. THE SPIES THAT BIND, by Ally Carter

THE SPIES THAT BIND is an audible original that has neither a physical or eBook copy, but based on narration length I estimate would be about 110 pages.

A prequel to Ally Carter’s beloved Gallahager Girls series, this novella follows Cammie Morgan on her first day at spy school. She thinks she’s ready for the world of spies, but she’s not – and she’ll need a team of spies around her to get through.

7. THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE, by Ngi Vho

Another Tordotcom novella, this series starter is 118 pages long. The series, The Singing Hills Cycle, is doing fabulously well (probably the best example of the publisher’s success with this format), with five novellas released and three more announced.

The series follows a cleric wandering around the countryside recording stories. In THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE, they find out about a lonely empress and a lowly maid. The novella alternates between the two storylines as the empress rises and falls, placing those around her in danger.

8. A SPINDLE SPLINTERED, by Alix E. Harrow

Like the above, A SPINDLE SPLINTERED (a veritable tongue twister) is a series starter of almost the same length (119 pages) and also comes from Tordotcom. The duology finale, A MIRROR MENDED, would just make it onto this list at 144 pages.

These two novellas are twisted, feminist reimaginings of fairy tales that break apart and come back in strange new sharps, full of sharp edges. Zinnia has a terminal illness but when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel on her 21st birthday, she falls into another world and the life of a sleeping beauty also desperate to escape her fate.

9. THE HAUNTING OF TRAM CAR 105, by P. Djèlí Clark

The last Tordotcom novella on this list, and the longest at 130 pages, THE HAUNTING OF TRAM CAR 015 is part of the Dead Djinn universe. It’s a steampunky, alternative history where magical creatures walk the world, and all sort of trouble comes in their wake.

It follows two policemen investigating a haunted suspended tram car in a richly imagined, alternative 1912 Cairo. There’s also a discussion about how and where folkloric creatures come from as the pair attempt to exorcise the car.

10. THE IRON CHILDREN, by Rebecca Fraimow

Last but not least (particularly as it’s the longest at 139 pages!), THE IRON CHILDREN is a science-fantasy story of war, where people give up their souls to meld with impressive armour that gives them a better shot of surviving. When a mission goes wrong, a trainee looking to take the armour must lead a group through the bitter mountains, but there’s a traitor in the group.

Lushly imagined, this novella explores the reasons why we fight and how hard it can be to stop when it’s all you know and all you’ve been indoctrinated for.

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What quick reads would you add to the list?