As the end of the year approaches, perhaps you’re looking for a short read, either to help you hit a reading goal or to devour during some self-care time as 2022 finishes up. If so, check out one of these reads, all coming in at under 200 pages.
The Singing Hills Cycle novels by Nghi Vo
In this series set in a land inspired by Imperial China, cleric Chih travels around gathering stories and legends to take back to their monastery. Each book is short, but wholly absorbing, like listening to a storyteller around a fire. Start at the beginning, with The Empress of Salt and Fortune, or pop into the second or third book in the series, which also stand alone (When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain or Into the Riverlands). You can’t go wrong.
Rizzio by Denise Mina
This literary dramatization examines a few days in Scottish/British history with long-lasting impact: the March 9th, 1566, murder of David Rizzio, private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, part of a plot among the nobility to undermine her rule. Whether you already know a lot about Mary, Queen of Scots, or nothing at all, this gripping read and the accompanying
historical notes will pull you in.
Foster by Claire Keegan
In 1980s Ireland, a young girl is dropped off to spend the summer with an older couple on their farm. She finds room to thrive, and supportive love from her summer foster parents, even as she knows the summer must end. This became something of an instant classic in Ireland when it was released in 2010.
~ posted by Andrea G.
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