19 Short Books and Stories to Read Now

These are not the Best Novellas of All Time, because lists of that sort are readily accessible, and you probably read many of those books in grade school, anyway. Rather, these are some of the most entertaining and mind-opening stories, novellas, essays, and short treatises from the recent past.

The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante (2002)
The literary world is rightfully consumed by Ferrante Fever, worship for the Italian writer best known for using a pen name and writing the epic Neapolitan novels. If you want just a taste of how visceral and wounding Ferrante’s writing can be, start with The Days of Abandonment, a short, perfect novel about the wrath of a woman who is left by her husband.

More: Vulture