10 Short Books to Read This Thanksgiving Break

-Â How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz - The Book of Delights by Ross Gay - Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh - The Friend by Sigrid Nunez - Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine - All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung - Dog Flowers by Danielle Geller - Paper Names by Susie Luo - Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami — Photo:
courtesy amazon

If you find yourself with some downtime this long weekend (or just need to sneak away from your extended family for a bit), treat yourself to one of these 10 books under 300 pages. From literary mysteries to moving memoirs, we've got a great quick read for you to devour in between bites of pumpkin pie. Download one to your Libby app using your library membership or pick up a Kindle edition below.

01 of 10

'How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water' by Angie Cruz

This 2022 novel from the author of the acclaimed Dominicana packs a heartfelt punch. A woman tells her life story to a job counselor during the Great Recession, including her experience with loss and gentrification, as well as her fraught relationship with her estranged son.

$11 at Amazon

02 of 10

'The Book of Delights' by Ross Gay

The holidays are a time for sharing gratitude and joy, and no one does it better than Ross Gay. This short collection of essays finds the good in the small things, from birthdays to the praying mantis. Gay’s follow-up, The Book of (More) Delights, was published this year.

$10 at Amazon

03 of 10

'Eileen' by Ottessa Moshfegh

As winter creeps in, nothing will be more satisfying than this literary thriller about a young woman working in a boy’s prison, and her growing infatuation with a new counselor. Riveting and unsettling, Moshfegh’s novel was being adapted into a new movie starring Anne Hathaway, out Dec. 1.

$14 at Amazon

04 of 10

'The Friend' by Sigrid Nunez

Friendship comes in all shapes and sizes, and, occasionally, from unlikely sources. This National Book Award-winning novel follows a woman who adopts the dog of her late mentor. A story of grief and unexpected love.

$10 at Amazon

05 of 10

'Sabrina & Corina' by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

This collection of short stories about Latina characters of Indigenous descent shares an acute perspective of womanhood, Colorado and what it means to call such a place home. Fajardo-Anstine’s debut is one to savor and revisit.

$9 at Amazon

06 of 10

'All You Can Ever Know' by Nicole Chung

In this memoir, Chung writes of her experience being adopted by White parents and searching for her biological Korean family, all while she prepared for motherhood herself. A true and nuanced look at identity and the transracial adoptee experience.

$10 at Amazon

07 of 10

'Dog Flowers' by Danielle Geller

The author of this unforgettable memoir returns to her mother’s home on the Navajo reservation after her passing from alcohol withdrawal. Utilizing both prose and photos from her personal archive, Geller presents an intimate look into heritage, colonization and her family history.

$14 at Amazon

08 of 10

'Lab Girl' by Hope Jahren

The natural world is at the forefront of our minds during autumn, as the leaves and seasons change. Hope Jahren shares her love of the environment and her journey toward becoming a scientist in this memoir and ode to nature.

$10 at Amazon

09 of 10

'Paper Names' by Susie Luo

In this debut novel, a doorman, his daughter and an affluent lawyer with a dark secret see their paths collide after a shocking act of violence. Full of unexpected turns, this book is perfect to read in one sitting.

$13 at Amazon

10 of 10

'Novelist as a Vocation' by Haruki Murakami

The author of Norwegian Wood and IQ84 provides his thoughts on creativity, the novel and his career as one of our most beloved writers. A great resource for aspiring and seasoned novelists.

$13 at Amazon