You might need a short book (more or less 100 pages) for several reasons. Short attention spans, not in the mood for something huge, suffering from a reading slump, travelling and can only carry a small book, or completing your Goodreads Reading Goal for the year. Whatever the reason, short books under 100 pages are often the saviour we never thought we needed.

{Can’t wait to get started? Here’s a list of 15 Indian Short Stories to Read Online}

We have compiled a list of such books for you whenever you need one.

1. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
   The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the lonely miser, who was visited by three ghosts to learn the true spirit of Christmas (or any other festival in general). It’s a heartwarming story that has been passed on for almost 200 years now.
   
2. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
   This story is about an old man who appears after a storm one day in a family’s backyard and is eventually reduced to a freak to gawk at. Laced with magical realism, the story explores how society treats and regards people who are different or differently-abled.
   
3. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
   As the title suggests, this book is mainly about how the power of thought shapes a human being. If you’re in the mood that needs uplifting or want to read something that speaks to your soul, this is a good choice.
   
4. Beauty Salon by Mario Bellatin
   Strange plague in a big city. Sounds familiar? Reading along the lines of The Plague by Albert Camus, this book navigates how sickness can bring about so much change in people’s behaviour and thought processes.
   
5. Birthday Girl by Haruki Murakami
   This is the story of a young girl who had to work on her twentieth birthday and how the day took a strange turn.
   
6. Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
   A collection of beautifully crafted poems that will make one pause and pay attention to all those smallest of moments that remind us how intricately we belong to this world.
   
7. Bonsai by Alejandro Zambra
   Hailed high in Spanish literature, this is a story of two people in love and an excellent exploration of art and life.
   
8. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
   A heartbreaking love story between two cowboys and their relationship over two decades while they’re also living lives accepted by society.
   
9. Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au
   The story of a mother and a daughter as they meet in Tokyo, walk and talk. However, it raises certain questions on what real communication means and if it is possible to know one another completely no matter what the bond might be between two people.
   
10. Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    This letter is a response by the author to her friend who asked her how to raise her daughter as a feminist.
    

{Are you a short story writer? Here is a list of 15 Contests and Awards for short Stories in India.}

11. Foster by Claire Keegan
    A little girl is sent to a foster home where she experiences affection in a new way but only to be reminded that idyllic lives don’t last long.
    
12. Guns by Stephen King
    In response to America’s gun violence, Stephen King is often found to be vocal and loud about the situation on social media. This piece is a result of that anger and shocking grief after the shootings at an Elementary School.
    
13. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
    The author crafts a beautifully written novel about a recently widowed character named Lady Susan who is wily and flirtatious when it comes to securing a second marriage for herself.

14. Larger Than Life by Jodi Picoult
    A novella set in the wilderness of Africa showcases the development of how Alice, a researcher, perceives love as she observes the relationship between a mother and a calf elephant and eventually gets involved in caring for an orphaned baby elephant.

15. Mile 81 by Stephen King
    In his charismatic style of writing horror, Stephen King writes about a rest stop at Mile 81 and a mud-covered station wagon.

16. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
    Regarded as an extremely popular novel, the story explores the extremity of the American dream, friendship, loneliness, and the cruel nature of ambition.

17. Safety Tips for Living Alone by Jim Shepard
    The author pours his heart and soul into writing this story of four families whose lives are turned upside down when the men are sent to work on a dangerous surveillance platform.

18. Teething by Megha Rao
    A story told in a heart-wrenching verse about three siblings and the secrets of their dysfunctional family.

19. The Alienist by Machado de Assis
    Regarded as a classic in Latin American literature, this novella is about a physician who comes back to his hometown to focus on psychology. Using dark humour and crisp prose, the author allows the reader to question the roots of insanity.

20. The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond
    Set in an idyllic village in the Himalayas, this story is about a small girl and her precious possession – a blue umbrella. The story focuses on a lot of mature themes such as envy, desire, and kindness but written in such simplistic language that it will make the reader escape in that magical narrative for some time.

{Here is a list of 10 Indian Short-Stories Translated to English that we think you will enjoy reading.}

21. The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
    The story of an American family moving into an old English castle that is haunted by the ghost of Lord Canterville. Writ with humour, this story is a delight to read when you want something short but super fun.

22. The Case of the Caretaker by Agatha Christie
    A short Miss Marple mystery tale where the main character returns to his hometown to claim his childhood home and introduce his newlywed wife to the villagers. But nobody has forgotten his past and the village is rife with gossip on his return.
    
23. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
    A masterpiece in Russian literature, this short novel was the result of a deep spiritual crisis in the author’s life. The story is about a high court judge who hardly ever gave a thought to the inevitability of death.
    
24. The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
    This is an autobiographical work elucidating his experiences under the influence of a psychedelic called mescaline. He writes about human perception and reflects on philosophical insights while using vivid descriptions of his altered mental state.
    
25. The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
    A plague. A masquerade ball. A cat and mouse tale of the main character trying to run away from the possibility of death. Masterfully blending the gothic hues, the author has presented a tale about how death will find you no matter how deeply you hide yourself.
    
26. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
    Another brilliant story of how society treats people who are different. The story of Gregor Samsa waking up one day to find himself turned into an insect is widely known. But read this book to expand your perception of the silliness of the human condition and being different gives birth to the depths of loneliness.
    
27. The Pearl by John Steinbeck
    Based on a Mexican folk tale, this story is about a man named Kino who found a pearl as large as an egg one day. The story explores the depths of a man’s greed and how it can bring out the darkest of evil.
    
28. Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling
    The 2008 commencement speech at Harvard University by J.K. Rowling was a deeply moving string of thoughts. The same speech is gathered here in a book format and is quite a good read that focuses on how to survive the most difficult and darkest parts of life, drawing on the author’s own life experiences.
    
29. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    The TEDx talk by the author was bundled into a book form of the same title. While it addresses the meaning of feminism in modern society, it also addresses the casual discrimination and marginalization of women around the world. The author has used her clever writing style and detailed observations that will definitely throw a spotlight on what society needs to pay attention to and change for the better. If it wasn’t clear from the title itself, this is a must-read for everyone.
    
30. Why I Am An Athiest by Bhagat Singh
    This is an autobiographical essay written as a response to the author’s religious friends who questioned his sentiments and thought it was his vanity. This was written by the well-known Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh while he was in Lahore Central Jail where he was sentenced to 14 years of life imprisonment.

{Looking for some free reads? Here is a list of Desi Stories to Read for Free.}

We hope now you have plenty of short and quick reads to choose from when you need to get out of a horrible reading slump or boost your reading game. Please tell us about the books you have read which are under 100 pages and why you would recommend them.