It’s sometimes difficult to find time to read. I love to lose myself in a great book and lately there are not enough minutes in the day to commit to a longer novel. Daily headlines, family and work responsibilities, and life in general keep me from finding time.
I’m a fan of well-crafted film shorts and find that shorter novels, novelettes and short stories are a great way to fuel my reading while not requiring the commitment of a longer novel. A skilled author can create engaging characters, plot and settings that pull me in and keep me reading to the end.
This blog post is a dive into the many shorter reads that are available in the collection of the Richmond Public Library. Stop by each month for a few titles, including old, new, and some in translation, that may find a place in your busy schedule.
The Night Telephone by Greta Gorsuch. (2021; 98p.)
Trying to adjust to a new time zone, Tarak finds himself walking the streets of Garnet, Texas in the early morning hours. One night he observes an interaction at a corner phone booth that piques his interest. After numerous encounters at the phone booth he happens by during daylight hours and finds the booth completely changed and inoperable. What is the mystery of this tiny structure? From the publisher: “A story doesn’t have to be big to change our world.”
The Second Chance Convenience Store by Kim Ho-Yeon, translated by Janet Hong. (2021, 2025; 196 p.)
Sometimes known as the “inconvenience” store, Always Convenience is located on a side street in a small city in South Korea. The store’s owner, Mrs. Yeom, is a retired high school teacher. She bought the store on the advice of her brother as a way to supplement her income and finds that instead of making a profit she is keeping the store to support her staff. This infuriates her needy, wayward son. One new employee, Dokgo, is particularly compassionate despite his recent instability. Written with insight and empathy, this novel is a balm for the negative we may encounter in our daily lives.
Three O’Clock in the Morning: a novel by Gianrico Carofiglio, translated by Howard Curtis. (2021; 182p.) Originally published as Le tre del mattino in Italy in 2017.
“…June 1983. The beginning of before and after.” At age fifteen Antonio’s world is dramatically changed by a medical diagnosis. His father finds a specialist in Marseilles and they travel from Italy for a second opinion. He receives an optimistic diagnosis and accepts the prescribed treatment to last three years. At age eighteen he and his father return to Marseilles for his follow-up and are given an unorthodox treatment which includes staying awake for forty-eight hours. A young man and his estranged, mathematician father left on their own in an unknown city. So begins his the journey of his reconnection with his father, a coming of age story full of love, past regrets and discoveries.
