Short Books You Can ACTUALLY Read in a Day.
Summary
TLDRThis video script offers a curated list of short books that can be read in a day, perfect for those seeking quick yet impactful reads. The speaker shares personal experiences with various titles, including classics like 'Of Mice and Men' and 'Animal Farm', contemporary fiction, and even plays. The emphasis is on the power of brevity in storytelling and the joy of discovering new authors or genres in a short time frame. The script also touches on the use of Skillshare for enhancing writing skills and the importance of exploring different literary forms.
Takeaways
- 📚 The speaker has an affinity for short books, especially when exploring new authors or not wanting to commit to a long read.
- 🕒 They believe that the books listed can be read within a day, differing from other 'one day read' lists that may overestimate the average reader's pace.
- 🎨 The 'Penguin Little Black Classics' series is highlighted for its successful presentation of short stories.
- 👤 'The Nose' by Nikolai Gogol is mentioned as an example of an absurdist short story that can be consumed in a day.
- 📖 The speaker appreciates short novels by authors like John Steinbeck, specifically mentioning 'Of Mice and Men' for its brevity and impact.
- 🐷 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell is recommended as a classic that can be read in a day and offers deep societal commentary.
- 👥 'Passing' by Nella Larsen is noted for its quick pace and introspective narrative, suitable for a day's read.
- 🐾 'Flush: A Biography' by Virginia Woolf offers a light-hearted and fluffy read from a dog's perspective, perfect for a day's enjoyment.
- 📚 The importance of brevity in storytelling is discussed, with the speaker's quest to find resources to write impactful short stories.
- 🎨 Skillshare is recommended as a platform for learning, with specific mention of a 'Writing Short Fiction' course that the speaker found helpful.
- 🔍 The script concludes with a discussion on the power of short stories and thrillers, with 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn suggested as a compelling read.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script?
-The main theme of the video script is a discussion about short books that can be read in a day, including the presenter's personal recommendations and experiences with various titles.
Why does the speaker have a special affinity for short books?
-The speaker has a special affinity for short books because they are ideal for when they are in a particular mood, not familiar with the author, or do not want to commit to a longer reading session.
What does the speaker consider when evaluating if a book can be read in a day?
-The speaker considers the book's length, the reading pace of an average reader, and whether the book can convey its intended message and be fully appreciated within a day.
Which publishing house does the speaker mention for honoring short stories effectively?
-The speaker mentions Penguin Little Black Editions as the publishing house that has successfully honored short stories.
What is the title of the Nikolai Gogol's story mentioned in the script?
-The title of the Nikolai Gogol's story mentioned is 'The Nose'.
What is the speaker's opinion on 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck?
-The speaker considers 'Of Mice and Men' a powerful and impactful story that benefits from its brevity, allowing for fully crafted characters and a devastating story within a short time frame.
Which classic book by George Orwell did the speaker read in a day?
-The speaker read 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell in a day.
What is the name of the short story collection by Miranda July?
-The name of the short story collection by Miranda July is 'No One Belongs Here More Than You'.
Why does the speaker believe plays can be enjoyed like novels?
-The speaker believes plays can be enjoyed like novels because they allow the reader to formulate imagery in their head, providing a more immersive and personal experience.
What is the speaker's recommendation for a thriller that can be read in a day?
-The speaker recommends 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn as a thriller that can be read in a day due to its compelling narrative and desire to know the ending.
Outlines
📚 Affinity for Short Books
The speaker expresses a preference for short books, especially when exploring new authors or seeking a quick read. They highlight that while many 'books in a day' lists exist, they often overestimate the reading pace of the average person. The speaker aims to recommend books that can genuinely be read in a day, emphasizing the accessibility and enjoyment of short reads. They mention Penguin Little Black Editions as a publisher that excels in short story collections, giving examples like Nikolai Gogol's 'The Nose' and 'How Much Land Does a Man Need?' by Leo Tolstoy. The speaker also appreciates Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' for its brevity and powerful storytelling.
🔍 Reflecting on Storytelling and Skillshare
The speaker discusses the importance of storytelling and the elements that make a story successful and impactful, even in a short format. They share their experience with Skillshare, an online learning community, where they have been exploring writing short fiction. They appreciate the platform's 'learn by doing' approach and the structured learning paths it offers, particularly for mastering the skill of writing concise yet compelling narratives. The speaker also mentions a promotional offer for Skillshare, encouraging viewers to take advantage of the first month free with a provided code.
📚 Diverse Selections for One-Day Reads
The speaker provides a diverse list of books suitable for one-day reads, including contemporary fiction, classics, and non-fiction. They mention 'Lanny' by Max Porter and 'The Seas' by Samantha Hunt for their exploration of maturity and life's truths. 'MC' by Otessa Moshfegh introduces the listener to the author's distinct writing style. The speaker also recommends short story collections for their brevity and potential for weird and wonderful narratives, citing 'No One Belongs Here More Than You' by Miranda July. Non-fiction recommendations include 'Cockroaches' by Scholastic Mukanga, which tells of the Rwandan genocide.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Short Books
💡Reading Pace
💡Penguin Little Black Classics
💡Of Mice and Men
💡Animal Farm
💡Contemporary Fiction
💡Short Stories
💡Non-Fiction
💡Plays
💡Skillshare
💡Thrillers
Highlights
The speaker has a special affinity for short books and finds them ideal for quick reads or when exploring new authors.
A list of books that can be read in a day has been compiled, emphasizing the accessibility for all readers.
Penguin Little Black Editions are praised for their successful representation of short stories.
Mikhail Bulgakov's 'The Nose' is highlighted as an absurd yet consumable short story.
The importance of brevity in storytelling is discussed, using 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck as an example.
George Orwell's 'Animal Farm' is recommended as a classic that can be read in a day and remains relevant.
Nella Larsen's 'Passing' is noted for its quick pace and deep exploration of societal issues.
A biography of a Spaniel dog is mentioned as a light, fluffy read that's enjoyable in a day.
Skillshare is recommended as a platform for learning, including writing short fiction.
The power of short stories to convey complex ideas in a concise manner is discussed.
Miranda July's 'No One Belongs Here More Than You' is highlighted for its offbeat and funky short stories.
Non-fiction books like 'Cockroaches' by Scholastic Mukanga are recommended for their profound impact.
Ernest Hemingway's 'A Movable Feast' is suggested as a quick read offering a glimpse into the author's life in France.
The effectiveness of brevity in conveying powerful messages is exemplified by 'Darkness Visible' by William Styron.
Plays are recommended as a form of literature that can be read and enjoyed in a day.
Gillian Flynn's 'Sharp Objects' is suggested as a thriller that, despite its length, can be read in a day due to its gripping narrative.
The speaker invites viewers to share their suggestions for short books, emphasizing the community aspect of book lovers.
Transcripts
size does not
matter especially in the realm of books
I do have a special affinity for short
books I found myself picking up a short
book especially if it's an author that
maybe I'm not super familiar with or I'm
just in a mood and I don't feel like
engaging with a novel for over 30 hours
of my life so today I've compiled a list
of some great books that you can
actually read in a day that are for
everyone and the reason that I say there
for everyone is I see a lot of these
videos and I find them incredibly
commendable I think the creators are
fantastic that make these videos but a
lot of them are maybe a little bit more
than a day for
the average reader or slightly above
average reader we all read at different
Paces right I would consider myself
maybe slightly above average just
because I consume so many books but I
think the average reader sometimes a day
might really mean 5 days six days seven
days but these are books that I think
you can actually read in a day and get
the foundation of what the text is
really supposed to represent get the
realized version of the book so let's
get into it I would say my favorite
version of Classics or at least the
publishing house that I found has really
successfully honored these short little
stories is penguin little black editions
I've read about three of them and I've
had amazing experiences with them and
I've quite literally read them in
approximately what would be a day the
most recent one that I had read was
mikolai goal's the nose is a very absurd
story about a man who loses his nose I
did a play production of this story
basically very Loosely based on it took
place in the 80s and I said you got the
right girl because I look like the80s
threw up on me every single day of my
life so so but this was great totally
consumable didn't feel like it was
overwhelming whoever translated it did a
fantastic job and I love that I've also
read love to stoys how much land does a
man need in conjunction with another
story in that as well and I forgetting
the name both stories were fantastic
though and really just small concise
told you exactly what you wanted to get
out of it very lesson learning right
about greed you don't need much and
beautiful loved it fantastic
I've also read life of a stupid man by
rayun Kagawa found this on the side of
the road and it was love at first sight
especially the title it's all these
ruminations on what you can kind of do
better in life these roamings of the
mind and kind of unsettled versions of
yourself it's very kind of dark a little
bit Broody but very good very very good
very very good to kind of go into the
realm classic I guess we should talk
about a book or at least an author who I
really love my favorite book is over 500
pages but this author also is incredibly
successful in writing very short pros of
M Men by John Steinbeck Steinbeck has a
lot of small novels I haven't read
Canary row yet but I understand that is
a fantastic short novel as well I've
read the Wayward bus which is pretty
short but something that I would say
maybe takes a couple of days to read the
Moon is down is also incredibly short
but maybe a little bit more of daunting
material dealing with war and things
like this Of Mice and Men I'm rereading
it I mean I read it for like 15 minutes
this morning the brevity of it is what I
think makes it so powerful you can have
these fully crafted characters in such a
short amount of time and a truly
devastating story happened in such a
short time frame that the reader just
kind of feels like they've been fully
fed this is what oh my God
118 pages is the version that I have I
remember reading this in middle school I
think and it felt so long and arduous
but this is really just a perfect length
to show you the quality of great
storytelling I love it I mean come on
now another fantastic classic another
fantastic classic Animal Farm by George
Orwell I quite literally read this in a
day during Co I didn't get out of my
bathrobe I sat I festered I thought
about life I thought about pigs I
thought about Barnyard Antics and I
thought about how the world Works which
is basically what this book is about I
feel like everybody kind of puts this on
short book lists and it totally deserves
to be there this is one of my favorite
books I will probably reread this again
I brought this home from my parents
house because I wanted to reread it it's
Fant fantastic it's a classic like no
other and it continues to remain
relevant in today's society Nella Larson
passing this is a book that took me a
couple of days to read but I definitely
think the story is worthy of being read
in a day it's very very quick paced and
it kind of follows the guidelines of
exactly what you want out of a story it
was like a perfect diagnosis of how a
story should be written there's a
beginning there's a middle and then
there's this end and all of the
characters are showing you things about
yourself whether or not their story is
incredibly parallel to yours it's
showing you things about yourself and
things about society and things about
people and at the root of this this is a
great people story and uh really great
love it to kind of not be about
people flush this
is this is a biog
biography about a Spaniel dog and life
through his lens through his eyes and
how he is living this kind of
respectable life and then craziness
happens and he's his trajectories kind
of set off kilter it's all of the little
journeys of this dog I think it's a
funny way to read Virginia wolf without
it feeling too
existential and too difficult to maybe
comprehend in a day this is kind of a
light fluffy book that makes the reader
want to read more it almost seems like a
little ludicrous that it's a dog written
through that it's a dog that it's a a
story written through the perspective of
a dog but it's it's good it's great it's
fun it's light and I feel like sometimes
you need a light book that you can read
in a day cuz sometimes these ones get a
little depressing and you get you know
weighted down it's like you got a
Perpetual weighted blanket on you and it
hurts not in a good way you know going
through this list I kind of keep
thinking like what makes a successful
story what captures an audience what is
is the driving force of these characters
that can be so fully equipped to tackle
the story in such a short amount of time
and I was doing a little bit of research
of that on my own
and I was taking a course so I recently
started a patreon and I have been
wanting to kind of implement writing a
little bit more of my feelings my
thoughts and it's really hard it's not
hard but it's not the easiest thing to
do to kind of make that very brief and
still impactful in such a short manner I
have been kind of looking for resources
to make that dream become a reality and
I have found success in skillshare you
don't know what skillshare is it is the
largest online learning community with
thousands of classes led by industry
professional profs platforms across film
productivity illustration crafts Hobbies
tons of different things that you can
sink your teeth into skillshare is a
worldclass community that connects
teachers and members and members to
inspiration and feedback from
like-minded creatives it has a learn by
doing approach to teaching where each
member can create and share a project
after completing a class it's been
really interesting and fun has been
using their learning paths learning
paths are curated sequential class
collections to master a specific skill
or competence so that you know exactly
where to start your Learning Journey you
can save time searching skillshare has
curated high quality content in the
category of your choice so you have a
clear direction to achieve your goal the
one that I've been using is writing
short fiction I want to be able to write
something that does its job in a short
way but makes it successful and maybe
not even short fiction that I'm writing
but being able to use the instruments
that I found in this course and write
something that makes sense and captures
the audience without feeling like oh my
God this is this was a meeting that
could have been sent in an email sort of
thing so thank you so much to skillshare
as always for helping me make great
videos for teaching me so many things
about myself that I didn't even know
were possible and now hopefully you can
do that as well if you would like going
into the New Year have a new learning
path on your side great people over at
skillshare have offered me a wonderful
code the first 500 people to sign up
with a link in my bio using my code can
get the first month of skill share for
free maybe they can even teach you how
to do an Australian accent a successful
one cuz mine is sort of a little bit off
um I don't know if they have proper
classes for that but maybe you never
know you can find it
out oh boy so now we're going to get
into the realm of more contemporary
orary fiction fiction that I've
discovered in my reading that I was able
to read in a day or close to a day or
again a book that feels like you could
fully comprehend it in a day obviously
there's millions of books that are short
well not Millions but you know what I
mean there's tons of books that are
short that you could definitely read in
a day but these are ones that I have in
my collection or that I've come across
that I really like first one Lanny About
a Boy reaching maturity and a town kind
of ostracizing him but finding company
in the strangest of places I don't know
why I keep on doing this like a
newscaster or like a MSNBC late night
host what are the books that are fit for
one day enjoyment back in five it's a
great book I've talked about this a
million times before and I loved it in
that same sort of vein of maturity and
finding out the truths of life we have
the Seas by Samantha hunt definitely
read that maybe in a day maybe not I
don't know pretty close to that though
fantastic loved loved loved felt like a
little girl kicking my feet giggling
kind of but same sort of idea I also
have and it's not my favorite book by
any means but it's a book that I think
introduces you to the mindset of a very
famous author and somebody whose writing
I think is fantastic and that's MC Glo
by otessa mhag this is definitely like a
Nolla it's all about this sailor who
wakes up in mysterious conditions and
he's trying to kind of retrace and
understand how he ended up there I
didn't have an amazing time reading this
but I think it showed me the framework
from a mind that's doing fantastic
things on the page definitely read this
in a day 100% I also want to talk about
short stories I think a lot of short
story collections are readable in a day
especially if the short stories don't
take a lot of page
real estate I was trying to think of the
word I especially like if they're a
little bit weird I like if they're funky
and I'm like what are you going on about
absolutely what are you talking about
and when I think about what are you
talking about what's going on I think
about no one belongs here more than you
by Miranda July she's wild she's a wild
cookie girl cookie girl these short
stories are very offbeat very funky
makes you feel like you're in a little
bit of like a weird dream gift shop and
you're shopping for a candle that looks
like um I don't know some sort of
gecko you know what I mean though
they're leaning into the weirdness which
I appreciate and I feel like you're
constantly kind of trying to see if the
next story is going to top the last
story in this sort of inflamed weirdness
world that July crafts I think it's fun
doable in a day tons of short story
collections are obviously doable in a
day but that was just the one that was
jumping out to me uh and then we're
going to get into non-fiction I read a
lot of non-fiction and I like to take my
time with non-fiction so it's kind of
rare that I'll read a non-fiction book
in a day but there are some books that I
think you can read in a day and you can
be successful with them first of which
is oh God one of the best books I've
ever read in my entire life and I feel
like I don't talk about it enough on
this channel even though I probably do
but that is cockroaches by Scholastic
mukanga this is an author whose family
was trapped in the randan genocide and
she's taking the stories of her family
and talking about the horrors of the
wandon genocide and how everybody's
lives were affected how every single
person was touched by it and oh my God
this is a profound novel and something I
think every single person can read and
get something out of it's graphic it's
tough it's difficult but it's it should
almost be like required reading in
schools it's uh amazing amazing and you
can absolutely read this in a day maybe
it might be a lot of emotions coming on
to you reading this in a day so it might
be a very difficult day but definitely
doable in a day and you
can oh you can feel it you can feel it
fantastic fantastic novel a Movable
Feast by Ernest Hemingway definitely
readable in a day sassy sassy Hemingway
about his life living in France the
people that he encounters kind of these
short stories as well short Memoir
stories I would also say and this is
kind of like a little bit of a sadder
one so I'm sorry but this was a book
that I picked up at a time where I
wanted it and needed it the most by a
great author that I love and it's all
about depression dealing with depression
that is Darkness visible by William
styron wow fantastic fantastic fantastic
again dark difficult subject matter but
the novel is very short I think it's
what 84 Pages 84 pages but again it's
that argument of the power of brevity
and how much do you need to write in
order to convey a powerful message and
it's great it's great it's great it's
great it's great it's great it's great I
also have a special category and this
isn't going to be suggestions this is
going to be more of like a reminder that
these are things that can be read and I
think should have an appreciation to be
read and I'm a little bit partial
because I'm a performer but plays plays
and I know a lot of people don't really
know where to start but I think that if
you just pick up any play you'll find
something in it and yes plays are meant
to be performed yes yes yes I totally
understand that I hear you loud and
clear say it louder for the people in
the back but I find myself reading plays
and enjoying them a lot like a novel I
feel like maybe you can even extrapolate
on the imagery a little bit more because
so much is not described to you you have
to formulate it all in your head kind of
on the go so I just have a stack I don't
have like a huge Play Collection
actually the oldest boy which is uh my
friend's book which I should give back
to her by Sarah rule I did read this in
this moving exploration of Parenthood an
American mother and a Tibetan father
have a three-year-old son believed to be
The Reincarnation of a Buddhist llama
with the Tibetan llama and a monk come
to their home unexpectedly asking to
take their child away for a life of
spiritual training in India the parents
must make a life-altering choice that
will test their strength their marriage
and their hearts interesting I did read
this but I forgot what it was about bus
stop by William in this is the sort of
classic Marilyn story about h is you
know Kansas city in
America and uh you know how people were
living and shooting for their
dreams this also reminds me a lot of
wward bus by John Steinbeck Red Light
Winter oh my God this is one of my
favorite favorite plays it's a
three-person show and a girl running
away from her life in America and she
meets these she she runs off to
Amsterdam and works in the red light
district and she meets these two men and
kind
of as time goes on their stories
reconnect they lose touch but then they
reconnect and it's beautiful I love it
down Mount Morgan by Arthur Miller I
have this because I actually performed
in this I played a
17-year-old not now I love Arthur Miller
though I also can suggest uh small craft
warnings by Tennessee Williams as well
he just kind of older writers that I
think captured
these stages of grief and these stages
of trying to break away from the
structure of that time frame in American
history and it's beautiful beautiful and
then oh God we have August Osage County
oh man I love this story I love this
story I don't know what it is but a lot
of my plays are with kind of America
very American I have a strong desire to
play very American characters and this
is a very American story the movie is
fantastic as well all about family all
about family family
secrets so good so good so good that's
just some plays there's more that I can
suggest as well but these are just some
just some that I have physically and I
just wanted to talk about how I think
plays can be read in a day and be
enjoyed and you can just have a lot of
thoughts about plays you can just think
about stuff um
the
last book that I want to talk about and
really probably the only book that I've
read in recent years from this category
is Thrillers I think Thrillers 100% are
a category of book that you can read in
a day cuz your body just wants to know
the end they just want to know it's like
please tell me tell me what's going on
the book that I would suggest for this
is sharp objects by Gillian Flynn oof
what a book this is a great book again
all about family and secrets and a small
town and who done it kind of thing these
little girls go missing and it's so well
written it is a longer book but
something that you can read in a day I
think because you're going to want to
know the ending absolutely absolutely
highly
[Music]
suggest I talked a lot I'm so sorry
anyway thank you so much for watching my
short books let me know what books you
suggest as a short book there's a ton of
short books out there and I would love
to hear your suggestions these are just
mine these are the ones that came off
the top of my head but I would love to
hear other suggestions you guys are
wonderful you're fabulous thank you so
much for being here I have a patreon now
if anybody was wondering I'm going to be
posting exclusive content check it out
if you want to I highly suggest we're
having fun over there already we're
having fun you guys are wonderful you're
fabulous thank you so much for being
here
I will see you in the next
one
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