Starting today, I’ll be barging into your inbox bi-weekly. Unlike the longer issue, which will continue to land on your virtual doorsteps at the beginning of the month, consider Small Print to be a ‘lil pick-me-up. Here, I’ll dish on reading recs, culture observations, and pretty much anything else that’s catching my attention.
ICYMI, Esquire declared 2023 as the year of the shortie aka the brief book. I’m not mad at it. In fact, I’m galloping toward finishing my Goodreads reading challenge because of these minis. I admire the slimette set, chiefly because of how contained the narrative/thesis/collection needs to be in order for any of it to make a lick of sense. Clocking in around 200 pages or less, novellas and other slim volumes are ideal for soaking in between pool dips, making them the ultimate summer length. Below, a list of shorties (new and old) to get started.
“Cannery Row” - John Steinbeck
“South and West: From a Notebook” - Joan Didion
“We the Animals” - Justin Torres
“The Wife” - Meg Wolitzer
“Open Throat” - Henry Hoke
“No One Is Talking About This” - Patricia Lockwood
“Intimations” - Zadie Smith
“I am Homeless If This Is Not My Home” - Lorrie Moore
Looking for a reading list, want to chat about all things books, or something else entirely? Get in touch.