Dear readers, Maybe it’s because I’m coming off a Solvej Balle bender — I finished three volumes of her calendar-melting series “On the Calculation of Volume” in a 72-hour window this past week — but I’m feeling particularly sour on the concept of time. At this point, I’d be happier to keep track of the days based on developmental milestones for the four chicks my best friend got for her yard, rather than a planner or a sundial. Also, even though Balle’s novels are quite short, not even 200 pages, after reading about a character who repeats Nov. 18 for what amounts to years on end, I still feel altered and woozy, and should be prevented from operating any heavy machinery. You, however, might be of the mind that springtime is an ideal season for snack-size novels, and if so you are in luck. Here is a list of 10 short novels — satires, romances, family dramas — to read as you wait for the cherry blossoms to pop. In that spirit, I’ll recommend some recent slim but mighty books of note. We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Friendly reminder: Check your local library for books! Many libraries allow you to reserve copies online. Like this email? Sign-up here or forward it to your friends. Have a suggestion or two on how we can improve it? Let us know at books@nytimes.com. Plunge further into books at The New York Times or our reading recommendations.
|
