even though the rest of my summer will be one of reading a gargantuan book (I've decided to read 1Q84), I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite short books that can be read within a week's or day's time.
let me know if any pique your interest.
The Mist, Stephen King, 240 pages, Horror
In the wake of a summer storm, terror descends...David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor Brent Norton join dozens of others and head to the local grocery store to replenish supplies following a freak storm. Once there, they become trapped by a strange mist that has enveloped the town. As the confinement takes its toll on their nerves, a religious zealot, Mrs. Carmody, begins to play on their fears to convince them that this is God’s vengeance for their sins. She insists a sacrifice must be made and two groups—those for and those against—are aligned. Clearly, staying in the store may prove fatal, and the Draytons, along with store employee Ollie Weeks, Amanda Dumfries, Irene Reppler, and Dan Miller, attempt to make their escape. But what’s out there may be worse than what they left behind.
I watched the movie adaptation of this novella maybe a dozen times before I read the book. the ending of the movie is sooo much different than the book's and is pretty divisive amongst those who have read it. I do recommend reading first then watching. oh! if you can, I definitely recommend watching the black and white version of the movie. it adds a layer of gloom to the movie. anyway, King does a great job of presenting humans as the danger while actual monsters roam in the background. I can't really talk too much about this novella without spoiling anything.
Enchantress from the Stars, Sylvia Engdahl, 368 pages, YA Science Fiction
Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy.
I absolutely love this book. the premise reminded me of Star Trek while the themes and characters reminded me of the many epic poems I read in undergrad. here is an amazing review and write up of this book I highly recommend.
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath, 244 pages, Literary
The Bell Jar details the life of Esther Greenwood, a college student who dreams of becoming a poet. She is selected for a month-long summer internship as a guest editor of Ladies' Day magazine, but her time in New York City is unfulfilling as she struggles with issues of identity and societal norms.
probably a top five quintessential book for women. Plath writes beautifully from the heart and the mind and really captures the female experience in both a universal lens and a feminist lens. highly recommend this book for any who haven't read it.
The Song of Roland, Unknown Poet, 208 pages, Poetry
On 15 August 778, Charlemagne’s army was returning from a successful expedition against Saracen Spain when its rearguard was ambushed in a remote Pyrenean pass. Out of this skirmish arose a stirring tale of war, which was recorded in the oldest extant epic poem in French. The Song of Roland, written by an unknown poet, tells of Charlemagne’s warrior nephew, Lord of the Breton Marches, who valiantly leads his men into battle against the Saracens, but dies in the massacre, defiant to the end. In majestic verses, the battle becomes a symbolic struggle between Christianity and paganism, while Roland’s last stand is the ultimate expression of honour and feudal values of twelfth-century France.
a classic epic poem. I read this in about three hours and loved it all. Roland is the classic hero you fall in love with, care for, root for, and cry for. it's a bit heavy with the historical backdrop and culture but the main plot is that of Roland fighting the Saracens.
that concludes my recommendations for august! I'll be back with recommendations for september in no time because the days are going by so fast—no matter how much daylight there is.
until next time,
mere
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