Books to Give You a Head Start on Your Goodreads Reading Goal
New year, new reading list!… Maybe with some rollovers from last year—sometimes life gets in the way of completing that ever-growing list. And here I come in, to help it grow taller, higher, longer!
This year I would love to read 75 books. But will I? I’ll be lucky if I can manage 50. With that being said, for us ever-too-ambitious readers, here are some shorter books, fast reads, and graphic novels to get you rolling on your 2023 reading goals. Hey, it’s not about the page count but about the books read, right?
This heartbreaking memoir about surviving a mass shooting is a gripping graphic novel—read: lots of pictures and fast paced! Kindra Neely takes readers through her own experience of gun violence and shows us how she ultimately learned to heal from the trauma of that experience. It’s an important story, illustrated by Kindra herself!
This rad graphic novel will leave you feeling empowered and just a little bit mad! Mad at the status quo, at ambivalence and indifference. It will ignite a fire within you, and you know what burns? Paper! (This is a metaphor. Do not burn books! I repeat, do not burn books! But I suppose it’s okay if they get a little charred by your page-burning, speedy reading.)
I am not a Taryn apologist. But this little novella, which follows The Cruel Prince and precedes The Wicked King, does give Taryn’s side of the story in her own words. And it’s pretty compelling. While she might have done a lot of backstabbing—too much backstabbing, if you ask me—Taryn had her reasons. So, once you’ve finished The Stolen Heir, give The Lost Sisters a turn.
My Last Summer with Cass
by Mark Crilley
Illustrated by Mark Crilley
Best friends, betrayal, art, New York City! My Last Summer with Cass is about two girls at a crossroads in their friendship, and it’s a graphic novel. You can finish it in one sitting! And don’t forget to add Mark Crilley’s next graphic novel, Lost in Taiwan, to your list! It's out in May.
Yes, this is not the shortest book in the world. No, it’s not a novella or a graphic novel. But it’s thrilling! So why not spend these cold, blustery days tearing through this chilling novel?
Uh-huh, that’s right, another novel. But this fast-paced book with a slow-burn romance will have you hooked. It’ll be finished and checked off your list quicker than you can say the book’s full title. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean.
If you’re a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series or a fan of fantasy and romance, then this is the novella for you to kickstart your year. Did I mention it’s only 32 pages?
Did you love the Stalking Jack the Ripper or Kingdom of the Feared series? Or are you a fan of gothic romances? Then you should read this quick novella that gives new perspectives to Thomas Cresswell and Aubrey Rose’s love story.
When you were little, did you ever suspect that your parents were actually globe-trotting CIA agents?!? Well, for Sophia Glock, that was the truth. This memoir presented as a graphic novel, details Sophia’s childhood in Central America, where she was struggling with feelings of displacement while also discovering that her parents were intelligence officers for the CIA!
