By now, it is probably that point in the summer where you are saying to yourself "Wasn't I supposed to read books for Summer Reading?" Have no fear, the Skinny Books list is here! I have compiled a list of short reads. You can download the list in a PDF here: H S Skinny reads.pdf

Animal Farm by George Orwell: Published in 1946, Orwell makes a commentary on Soviet Communism told through a fable of barnyard animals and a workers’ revolution gone wrong on a farm. (c. 1946, 155 pgs.)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote: Holly Golightly is top-notch in style and her apartment vibrates with martini-soaked parties where she plays hostess to millionaires and gangsters alike. Yet Holly never loses sight of her ultimate goal: to find a real life place like Tiffany’s that makes her feel at home. (c. 1958, 179 pgs.)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor’s dog and uncovers secret information about his mother. (c. 2003, 226 pgs.)

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton: Trapped in a loveless marriage, Ethan must choose between his invalid wife and the captivating cousin who comes to help manage the house. One unguarded moment and a single thoughtless act give rise to devastating consequences that will haunt Ethan for the remainder of his life. (c. 1911, 160 pgs.)

Fraud: Essays by David Rakoff: A collection of essays from humorist and public radio contributor David Rakoff, ranging from stories of playing Freud in a department-store window at Christmastime, to searching for the Loch Ness monster, to attending a Buddhism seminar led by Steven Seagal. (c. 2002, 228 pgs.)

Hiroshima by John Hersey: Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Hersey recorded the stories of Hiroshima residents shortly after the explosion of the atomic bomb, giving first-hand accounts from the people who survived it. (c. 1946, 196 pgs.)

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris: A collection of humorous stories all related to holidays, including Sedaris’ famous story “The SantaLand Diaries,” about working as an elf at Macy’s during Christmas time. (c. 1997, 166 pgs.)

I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley: Essays on adjusting to life in New York City as a single girl, including a hilarious essay on the shame of having a large My Little Pony collection and what to do about it.(c. 2008, 230 pgs.)

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield: In this short book, Sheffield, a staff writer for Rolling Stone, has written not only an extended love letter to his late wife Renee, but also to the indie rock of the 90’s. (c. 2007, 224 pgs.)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck: A tragic story about the relationship between two ranch-hands who dream of one day owning a small farm. (c. 1937, 107 pgs.)

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: Santiago is a Cuban fisherman who encounters a giant marlin in the Gulf Stream and the battle for his catch becomes one of survival against a band of marauding sharks. (c. 1952, 127 pgs.)

The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell: Humorous essays from Vowell’s appearances on NPR, ranging from the merits of presidential libraries, the misuse of Rosa Parks as a metaphor, and the “nerd” factor of the author’s involvement in a political e-mail group. (c. 2002, 197 pgs.)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: This book is written as a series of letters from 15-yr-old Charlie to an unknown recipient as he struggles with issues of sexuality, family tensions, and the recent suicide of his best friend. (c. 1999, 213 pgs.)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: Novella about a London lawyer who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the misanthropic Edward Hyde. The work is known for its vivid portrayal of the psychopathology of a split personality. (c. 1886, 105 pgs.)

The Stranger by Albert Camus: A young Algerian commits a murder, but it is his character that goes on trail in this classic existential novel. (c. 1943, 117 pgs.)

Sula by Toni Morrison: Set in the early 1900’s in a small Ohio town, this book tells the story of two African-American friends, Sula and Nel, from their childhood through their adulthood and Sula’s death. (c. 1973, 174 pgs.)

The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra: A book about the effects of repression on a pair of Kabul couples living in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. (c. 2004, 195 pgs.)

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston: In this classic work of the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston follows the life of Pheoby through three different periods of her life, corresponding to her marriages to three different men. (c. 1937, 207 pgs.)

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: A true story about Mitch Albom’s relationship with his dying, one-of-a-kind professor, Morrie Schwartz.(c. 1997, 192 pgs.)