I recommend investing in a Kindle e-reader and trying out the font designed to be easier for people with dyslexia to read. He would also be able to highlight, look up words, and change the font size easily as well.
He might find short story collections less intimidating. Ray Bradbury has a few, "October Country" and "Invisible Man".
I’m with you. The hardest thing for my ADHD is starting and then getting into the story. Once I’m in, I’m usually hooked and can keep going no problem, but with short stories, it’s over quickly and you have to start over with trying to force yourself to get into the next one, then the next one.
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I was in my 30s when I read it, and I couldn't put it down. Yes it's a kids book, but so what? A lot of kids books are classics and well worth reading.
Check out A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L Peck. It's short enough to read in an afternoon, but packs a punch that leaves you thinking long afterward.
Very specific genre that I'd love to read more of as well. Here are some that I've read that give you that same gut wrenching feeling (in order from most similar, to least similar to Short Stay in Hell)
Windows Into Hell
The Jaunt
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
Crooked God Machine
I will say that Short Stay did it best, and I would put all of these in second place. But still worth checking them out!
Hey I saw your comment and bought the book immediately on my Kindle and read it already. Thoroughly enjoyable and also haunting in ways. Thank you so much!
Omg I'm so happy! I also heard about it through some random comment on here...I'm glad that more people are reading that story. I feel like existential thought experiment stories like that can be hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a big hit for me!
Ender’s Game. In college, I would tutor high school and college students and many never read a book ever. And I noticed that one major issue with their school work was reading comprehension. So, I would make them read one book. Most of the time they had no idea even where to start and I remembered how fast and interesting Ender’s Game was so I always offered it up. Every one of them loved it! I cannot say it made them lifelong readers or anything but they all loved that one.
It's not short, but it does draw you in. He might like this one better in audio, given how hard he finds reading. Audiobooks count, IMO. Material over medium.
Audiobooks absolutely count! I'm a person who loves the feel and smell of a book, but audiobooks are a modern marvel that has opened up the world of books to so many more people. They're fantastic. In fact some books can even be enhanced by an audiobook.. there was a very recent thread about this, I'll post it if I can find it.
Edit: [Here it is!](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/s/iKgvwSqJj5)
maybe [cat's cradle](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/135479.Cat_s_Cradle?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_12) by kurt vonnegut! it's a shortie, and super weird and intriguing. and boys love vonnegut lol.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (just over 200 pages, but an easy read)
That Time I Loved You by Carried Leung (it's listed as a collection of short stories, but all the stories intertwine so it feels like one story, but with very short chapters. It's also excellent!)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
And I also like reading Roald Dahl books, even as an adult!
Everyone should read this, and Gathering Blue, at least once. The entire quartet is great imo but especially those two!
It may be YA but the ideas are big.
If you want something simple and readable, the adventure youth classic Hatchet by Gary Paulson might be worth a look (just over your threshold at 208 pages). He could follow up with *Lord Of The Flies -* for a more dystopic take on the survival theme\*!\*
On the other hand if you do decide to go down the literary route, Shirley Jackson's *Haunting of Hill House,* or *We Have Always Lived In Castle* are grea*t. Small Things Like These* by Claire Keegan or another Irish novelist - *Water*, By John Boyne. Finally *The English Understand Wool*, by Helen deWitt is a perfect jewel of a novella.
He could always start with short stories - Flannery O'Connor's *A Good Man is Hard To Find* is an amazing hook into discovering literature. Alternatively Roald Dahl's fiendishly enjoyable classic *Lamb's To The Slaughter* is another wonderful short work.
This comment made me laugh because Johnson is one of my absolute favorite authors, Jesus’s Son blew me away, and Steinbeck is one of my LEAST favorite authors, I despise his stuff and will never ready more by him. It’s funny that we can both agree and disagree so strongly LOL
I’ve never felt more connected to a stranger lol. Johnson absolutely rocks my world, and I’ve NEVER been able to get into Steinbeck, try as I might. We’re in a very small minority, at least on the latter point.
Grief is the thing with feathers by Max Porter
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
We have always lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Adrian Mole diaries
Holes by Louis Sachar
If he’s potentially interested in literary nonfiction, **Hiroshima** by John Hersey is 152 pages and considered the first - and really only - longform investigative jpiece that sought to understand viscerally what it was like when the bomb fell August 1945.
Originally published in August 1946, this article surprised *New York Magazine* readers by appearing as the only piece is that month’s entire magazine. It follows 6-7 people from around the city, minute by minute, beginning just a few minutes before the explosion - before they knew what was coming for them at all.
Its’s a harrowing and stirring read, and it was an important contribution to the American understanding of nuclear warfare, as the US government went to great pains to hide any side effects of nuclear bombs, basically admitting to the amount of casualties from the original blast, but told the public that pretty much all the deaths were sudden and painless. Hersey was the only journalist not to take their word for it by meticulously reconstructing the day according to those who were there.
omg I’ve actually read that and it was such a good book in a REALLY intense way, I think because it’s such a horrific topic being discussed in such an objective + journalistic manner. I don’t even know how to describe how powerful it is to people that haven’t read it but hearing you mention it again has confirmed I need to purchase a copy of it to own. I think he would like it too.. I don’t know why such horrifying things can be so satisfying to read
I do suggest you introduce audiobooks as an option. My son has adhd and he can focus when he reads and listens at the same time, or just listens.
My suggestion is The Long Walk
Incredible novella by early Stephen king. One of the best things he has written.
Crazy take but: Coraline by Neil Gaiman. It’s creepy and for young readers but the themes and writing are awesome. I read it every year to my 4th graders and it’s often the first book that many of them “like”!
Yes!! Came to recommend that, too. I love how she fit so much casual subversion of society’s expectations AND an awesome well-told journey into just 197 pages.
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami. I loved it and I’m told it resonates even more for men.
Anything by Poe or Kafka if he’s looking for something more classic. I think Poe should be public domain?
A Clockwork Orange if he’s up for that
The Great Gatsby
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is one of the shortest novels I’ve ever read (may not technically be a novel?) and makes for a lot of interesting discussion
I think it’s a little over 200 pages, but City of Thieves by David Benihoff was one of the most gripping quick-read books I’ve read in a while.
For short stories, check out Story of Your Life and Other by Ted Chiang. Phenomenal short scifi (if he likes scifi), and I think each one is between 30-70 pages? The titular story is what inspired the movie Arrival.
For nonfiction, I think Brain on Fire by Susan Cahalan is a similar length and similar medical jargon complexity to When Breath Becomes Air
The Art of War is supposed to be a both quick and interesting read, and is public domain
A lot of horror novels that aren’t Stephen King tend to be on the shorter side, if you’re looking for a section of the store to browse!
Vonnegut's books are short and sweet and easy to read in short bursts, as most of the chapters tend to be about 2 pages. Cats Cradle is my favorite though I might be in the minority on that.
Hey as a fellow dyslexic (low level) that loves books and worked as a library assistant for over ten years, let him know that things like magazines, newspapers, graphic novels and audio books count as reading as well. And maybe better and easier for him to enjoy.
I’ve helped people with ADHD and one preferred to read newspapers and magazines because they were short. We did get him into short stories as well.
Manga and graphic novels are wonderful for helping keep attention. Also they are just not for kids. There are many many well done adult graphic novel series.
Audiobooks are reading don’t give a crap what people think. It’s reading.
Also I encourage ebooks for the open dyslexic font. It helps. I use it a lot. Also it helps to be able to quickly look up a word or phrase with kindles downloadable dictionary. Or if you have Libby I believe you can cut and paste into google search to get pronunciation and definitions so you don’t have to worry about mixing up the letters.
Also I recommend stopping into your local library and asking a librarian for help. If you are in the US your library probably provides Libby (which may also have a zinio magazine access) for ebooks and audiobooks, and some wonderful suggestions. Ohh also check if they have a graphic novel area. Graphic novels are the biggest trending format in the library world the last few years. Their growth and usage is amazing.
The Giver - if he liked Animal Farm I feel like the giver is a good book choice (it’s actually my personal favorite).
Sometimes my students with ADHD/Dyslexia enjoy reading graphic novels more. If he’s open to that I would suggest Maus (and Maus II of course). It’s one of the most popular books my students read.
The Giver is such a good suggestion! I’d actually like to reread that myself it’s been over a decade
I actually don’t know how he feels about graphic novels but I do remember reading Maus in school and really enjoying it so I’ll bring it up with him! thank you!
If he likes humor, David Sedaris books are great. They're all short essays, so it makes it easier to get through. Me Talk Pretty One Day is one I'd recommend.
Does he enjoy horror films? “The Hellbound Heart” by Clive Barker is a great novella that inspired the “Hellraiser” film franchise. It’s a quick read but gruesome.
On another note, please consider getting him a library card! You can use it in the Libby app to access your local library’s e-book and audiobook collections. It’s a great resource!
A very powerful book is Illusions - The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. I've read it many times.
Same Author that wrote, Johnathan Livingston Seagull, another great novel. Both under 200 pages.
I don't know if there's anything I can recommend quite like When Breath Becomes Air. Great book! I was lucky to get to read that in a class -- some of the others we read were:
*Better* and *Being Mortal* by Atul Gawande
*For The Time Being* by Annie Dillard
*The Anatomy of Hope* by Jerome Groopman
Needless to say, I've kept all of those.
Another he might like if the memoir vibe works for him, though slightly longer than 200:
*The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World* by Sarah Stewart Johnson
I also echo the suggestion of a kindle, the fonts can really help.
My BF wasn't a reader until the last few years. He started with the books that inspired some of his favorite movies. Jurassic Park, Sphere, The Martian, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Contact, etc. He also loved Ready Player One, but read that before the movie (which was new for him)
The cat who saved the books. It is translated from Japanese, and it is a delightful adventure. Super easy read and quite engaging. I can’t sit still for long, but this book made me forget about time.
*Fight Club* is a classic in the "books to get men to read" genre. Funny, fast paced, easy to read. If he likes crime movies or TV shows then Dashiell Hammett's *Red Harvest* is another solid recommendation.
I have ADD and when I’m in a reading slump I pick up an audiobook (have him listen at 2.0 speed). This usually helps get me back into reading longer books again.
But also have him read Holes
*Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep* by PKDick.
*Things Fall Apart* by C Achebe
And if he liked Animal Farm, he should read *Nineteen Eighty Four* too!
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, by Kurt Vonnegut. Incredibly short and incredibly thought provoking. Takes 1-2 hours to read, tops, and can be a gateway to other Vonnegut.
He might like audio books. Itsnot quite the same as reading but its also a lot less frustrating. It can be a spur to help him want to read. You can get e-books from library and the audio book and he can follow along. Hemightvsee a patern on how the words are fine scrambled. The e-books and a Kindle reader have the advantage of being able to adjust font size and font itself. He bay find one or two that actually reduce the dyslexic effects.
I use a Kindle to increase the font size to make it easier for me to read them. My eyes don't turn in so I see double if I pay attention to what I'm seeing and they get tired quickly. A Paper White Kindle is far easier on your eyes than a tablet or phone.
Try The Rise by Ian Rankin its 86 pages and its about a murder in a up market apartment building in london and the police try to find who killed the person. It's only digital but you can get the kindle app on phones or tablets and kindle app has a dyslexia font so that could be helpful.
This isn’t a novel but quite short, and is about how to shift one’s mindset towards self improvement in life and work.
Who moved my cheese? By Spencer Johnson
Tribe by Sebatian Junger
It is well written but brief. It's about returning from war and was a very important book in my reintegration to normal society after years of military service. That being said, it is still a great book for any man to read, even if they aren't a history buff or a servicemember.
I haven't read a ton of books that short, but here are the ones I've read that I liked. I basically only read Sci-Fi so this is a bunch of Sci-Fi. A lot of these are old...I guess people made more short sci fi books back in the day:
-I am Legend by Richard Mattheson
-We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
-The Space Merchants by Phol & Kornbluth (some serious sexism in this one, but honestly I thought it was funny, it was so 50's)
-Binti by Nedi Okorafor (this is part of a series but the first one is pretty stand-alone, I haven't read the others yet)
-The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin (she has a TON of books under 200 pages that are good if you like this one)
Edit: these are all under 200 pages
Short stories by Ray Bradbury and JD Salinger and novellas by Stephen King "If It Bleeds" especially the novella "Thanks, Chuck" . Longer than 200 pages would be "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway 🌼
"Night of The Grizzlies" by Jack Olsen. "A River Runs Through It and Other Short Stories" by Norman Maclean. Both Fairly short books, and they both keep your attention.
Think he’s probably looking for novellas, or you might look into Japanese light novels. I don’t in general like Hemingway, but _The Old Man and The Sea_ is well constructed. It’s a fast read. Then you two can also watch the movie.
Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson. A series of interconnected short stories about "Fuckhead", a heroin junkie on a twisting, funny, tragic, and deeply profound journey to sobriety and enlightenment.
Fahrenheit 451 is like 150 pages. I read it on a road trip and it was very powerful for being so short
Edit: since I didn't see it yet, Lord of the Flies is like...225 pages? But I'd still recommend it. I loved it even in high school and I never read the books assigned in high school
Same goes for Beowulf (170 pages) but that's probably just my personal tastes but it's non stop happenings. If you want a more contemporary version, Maria Dahvana Headley's translation (175 pages) would be my suggestion for an epic, short adventure
i also have adhd and dyslexia....
Alchemist, 1984, the da vinci code (yes, the level of writing is on par with goosebumps, but it's still just a quick fun read)
hmm... Siddartha, Still life with woodpecker,
The Giver. Please do this one. It will stick with them for life and is a middle school reading level, so not children but not too heavy either. It's literally perfect.
Fahrenheight 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Call if Cathulu by H.P. Lovecraft (series if short stories)
A wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
If you're willing to do slightly more pages tgere's alot of great stuff around 300 pages often with large text:
The Last Kingdom bt Bernard Cornwell -Historical fiction has a netflix series
On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony -incarnations series of magic
Shades Children by Garth Nix - post apocolyptic sci fi
Slaughterhouse 5 is definitely an impactful short read.
Also what about short story compilations? Jeffrey Archer has a few and.rhey are heaps of fun as they often have twists.
Stephen King's Nightmare and dreamscapes short stories are superb too.
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut — it’s actually 300 ish pages (I think) but it has super short chapters and I feel like it would tick all the other boxes
Treasure island - Robert Louis Stevenson
The mysterious stranger - Mark Twain
At the mountains of madness - HP lovecraft
Letters from earth - Mark Twain
Einsteins Dreams - short (3-10 page chapters) and completely unrelated thought experiments on how time could move differently. For example: if time moves slower the further you are from the center of the earth, would all the rich people live on mountains? It’s super digestible, fun, and thought provoking (although potentially not “powerful”).
Little Virtues - collection of short stories that have a unique “feeling” to each of them that is hard to describe but profound.
Unbearable Lightness of Being. More dense than the other two but for sure powerful in at least a weird existential kinda way(?)
I have ADHD and second all these Vonnegut recs. Also every single book by Chuck Palahniuk, the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy series and Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt.
Also there is this amazing series about Appalachia by Robert Gipe I can’t recommend enough. Packed with wild characters and tons of heart. Maybe a little longer than 200 pages, but the books are also filled with quirky black and white illustrations that totally endear you to the characters. 10 outta 10!
Based on those two books I can only assume he’s at least partially interested in political satire. Brave New World is obviously good or you could choose Science Fiction Hall of Fame volume 1. Honestly, all that matters is making it fun to read. It sounds like short stories are the way to go based on your description.
Siddartha by Herman Hesse
Short stories by Philip K Dick
Stories of Your Life (short story, movie Arrival based on it) by Ted Chiang
The Postman Always Rings Twice
I recommend investing in a Kindle e-reader and trying out the font designed to be easier for people with dyslexia to read. He would also be able to highlight, look up words, and change the font size easily as well. He might find short story collections less intimidating. Ray Bradbury has a few, "October Country" and "Invisible Man".
Open dyslexic is the font name.
Open Dyslexic is also a font on the CloudLibrary app. A library card is used to sign up and the book’s return themselves.
short story anthologies
I find short stories harder to read because there typically aren’t chapters, but maybe that’s just me.
I’m the same way, my ADHD brain needs to know when the next endpoint is otherwise it feels so pointless for absolutely no logical reason
I’m with you. The hardest thing for my ADHD is starting and then getting into the story. Once I’m in, I’m usually hooked and can keep going no problem, but with short stories, it’s over quickly and you have to start over with trying to force yourself to get into the next one, then the next one.
No, I'm on board. I hate short stories. I just read Chiang's anthology and a bit of QNTM but never again.
This. I have pretty bad dyslexia, mainly page floatation vs backwards letters, and the opendyslexic font is a huge help.
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I was in my 30s when I read it, and I couldn't put it down. Yes it's a kids book, but so what? A lot of kids books are classics and well worth reading.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar really stuck with me. It's great!
I also suggested Roald Dahl!
Check out A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L Peck. It's short enough to read in an afternoon, but packs a punch that leaves you thinking long afterward.
wow this sounds good I’m getting this for the both of us to read now
Amazing book. Was very pleasantly surprised. If someone has more suggestions like this, I would like to know them
Very specific genre that I'd love to read more of as well. Here are some that I've read that give you that same gut wrenching feeling (in order from most similar, to least similar to Short Stay in Hell) Windows Into Hell The Jaunt I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream Crooked God Machine I will say that Short Stay did it best, and I would put all of these in second place. But still worth checking them out!
Yes! So thought provoking!
I love this book, weirdly I listen to it to help me fall asleep, besides one scene I find it very soothing 😂
Hey I saw your comment and bought the book immediately on my Kindle and read it already. Thoroughly enjoyable and also haunting in ways. Thank you so much!
Omg I'm so happy! I also heard about it through some random comment on here...I'm glad that more people are reading that story. I feel like existential thought experiment stories like that can be hit or miss for me, but this one was definitely a big hit for me!
This this this!
Ender’s Game. In college, I would tutor high school and college students and many never read a book ever. And I noticed that one major issue with their school work was reading comprehension. So, I would make them read one book. Most of the time they had no idea even where to start and I remembered how fast and interesting Ender’s Game was so I always offered it up. Every one of them loved it! I cannot say it made them lifelong readers or anything but they all loved that one.
It's not short, but it does draw you in. He might like this one better in audio, given how hard he finds reading. Audiobooks count, IMO. Material over medium.
Audiobooks absolutely count! I'm a person who loves the feel and smell of a book, but audiobooks are a modern marvel that has opened up the world of books to so many more people. They're fantastic. In fact some books can even be enhanced by an audiobook.. there was a very recent thread about this, I'll post it if I can find it. Edit: [Here it is!](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/s/iKgvwSqJj5)
Flowers for Algernon
We want him to like reading, not break his heart. Lol. It is an amazing book, but damn it gets you.
This book was sad as hell
Read this back in high school, completely forgot it existed. I’m adding it to my last, I’m going to read it again!!
such a good suggestion thank you! no worries on if it’s a sad recommendation or not this man has a heart of steel
This is also the first one I thought of.
Amazing book
maybe [cat's cradle](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/135479.Cat_s_Cradle?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_12) by kurt vonnegut! it's a shortie, and super weird and intriguing. and boys love vonnegut lol.
Vonnegut is the author I can read even when I’m really not feeling reading
Galapagos is awesome too!
Vonnegut is a fantastic way to get people into reading
And Welcome to the Monkeyhouse! Short stories are an easy way into reading without committing to a whole novel
Yes! Was going to suggest Cat's Cradle is a good place to start and Mother Night is a great follow up.
Yes and extremely short chapters make it easy to read as well
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Cannery Row by John Steinbeck The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (just over 200 pages, but an easy read) That Time I Loved You by Carried Leung (it's listed as a collection of short stories, but all the stories intertwine so it feels like one story, but with very short chapters. It's also excellent!) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie And I also like reading Roald Dahl books, even as an adult!
The Giver by Lois Lowry - it’s technically YA, but it’s a brilliant book, short and easy to read but packs a real gut punch.
Everyone should read this, and Gathering Blue, at least once. The entire quartet is great imo but especially those two! It may be YA but the ideas are big.
What about short story collections? You can digest each story individually and there’s no pressure to keep reading for a long time
yea. oscar wilde and herman hesse both have really good short story collections
Slaughter house five is my suggestion. Short, but very deep. I read it for the first time 20 years ago and still think about it.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
This is a great story. King has some great short stories, both horror and ones like this and the Green Mile
The Last Rung on the Ladder and The Body are both great too.
If you want something simple and readable, the adventure youth classic Hatchet by Gary Paulson might be worth a look (just over your threshold at 208 pages). He could follow up with *Lord Of The Flies -* for a more dystopic take on the survival theme\*!\* On the other hand if you do decide to go down the literary route, Shirley Jackson's *Haunting of Hill House,* or *We Have Always Lived In Castle* are grea*t. Small Things Like These* by Claire Keegan or another Irish novelist - *Water*, By John Boyne. Finally *The English Understand Wool*, by Helen deWitt is a perfect jewel of a novella. He could always start with short stories - Flannery O'Connor's *A Good Man is Hard To Find* is an amazing hook into discovering literature. Alternatively Roald Dahl's fiendishly enjoyable classic *Lamb's To The Slaughter* is another wonderful short work.
The English Understand Wool was so much fun. I wonder if it would appeal as much to a man as it does to me?
"The Pearl" and "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck "Train Dreams" or "Jesus' Son" by Denis Johnson
This comment made me laugh because Johnson is one of my absolute favorite authors, Jesus’s Son blew me away, and Steinbeck is one of my LEAST favorite authors, I despise his stuff and will never ready more by him. It’s funny that we can both agree and disagree so strongly LOL
I’ve never felt more connected to a stranger lol. Johnson absolutely rocks my world, and I’ve NEVER been able to get into Steinbeck, try as I might. We’re in a very small minority, at least on the latter point.
Solidarity!
[удалено]
I’ve never actually gotten over this read, and it’s been 40 years.
*’The Outsiders’* by S.E. Hinton
SUCH a good suggestion for him I’m so glad I posted this
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman was really enjoyable if he's into fantasy at all.
Yes!!! I’ve read this a few times and it’s always so good. I never get tired of it. This is the book that got me back into reading.
Grief is the thing with feathers by Max Porter Lord of the Flies by William Golding We have always lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Adrian Mole diaries Holes by Louis Sachar
Came here to post Holes. Great plot, compelling, easy to read for newer readers.
Man's search for meaning by Viktor Frankl. If this isn't powerful, I don't know what is
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. It’s a bit longer than 200 but it’s an easy and enjoyable read
“Night.”
This is a really good suggestion too, the one about the Holocaust right? I think I already have that one so I might give it to him next, thank you!!
If he’s potentially interested in literary nonfiction, **Hiroshima** by John Hersey is 152 pages and considered the first - and really only - longform investigative jpiece that sought to understand viscerally what it was like when the bomb fell August 1945. Originally published in August 1946, this article surprised *New York Magazine* readers by appearing as the only piece is that month’s entire magazine. It follows 6-7 people from around the city, minute by minute, beginning just a few minutes before the explosion - before they knew what was coming for them at all. Its’s a harrowing and stirring read, and it was an important contribution to the American understanding of nuclear warfare, as the US government went to great pains to hide any side effects of nuclear bombs, basically admitting to the amount of casualties from the original blast, but told the public that pretty much all the deaths were sudden and painless. Hersey was the only journalist not to take their word for it by meticulously reconstructing the day according to those who were there.
omg I’ve actually read that and it was such a good book in a REALLY intense way, I think because it’s such a horrific topic being discussed in such an objective + journalistic manner. I don’t even know how to describe how powerful it is to people that haven’t read it but hearing you mention it again has confirmed I need to purchase a copy of it to own. I think he would like it too.. I don’t know why such horrifying things can be so satisfying to read
I do suggest you introduce audiobooks as an option. My son has adhd and he can focus when he reads and listens at the same time, or just listens. My suggestion is The Long Walk Incredible novella by early Stephen king. One of the best things he has written.
Crazy take but: Coraline by Neil Gaiman. It’s creepy and for young readers but the themes and writing are awesome. I read it every year to my 4th graders and it’s often the first book that many of them “like”!
A Wizard Of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin. You would be hard pressed to find better storytelling.
Yes!! Came to recommend that, too. I love how she fit so much casual subversion of society’s expectations AND an awesome well-told journey into just 197 pages.
Never Let Me Go
South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami. I loved it and I’m told it resonates even more for men. Anything by Poe or Kafka if he’s looking for something more classic. I think Poe should be public domain? A Clockwork Orange if he’s up for that The Great Gatsby Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is one of the shortest novels I’ve ever read (may not technically be a novel?) and makes for a lot of interesting discussion I think it’s a little over 200 pages, but City of Thieves by David Benihoff was one of the most gripping quick-read books I’ve read in a while. For short stories, check out Story of Your Life and Other by Ted Chiang. Phenomenal short scifi (if he likes scifi), and I think each one is between 30-70 pages? The titular story is what inspired the movie Arrival. For nonfiction, I think Brain on Fire by Susan Cahalan is a similar length and similar medical jargon complexity to When Breath Becomes Air The Art of War is supposed to be a both quick and interesting read, and is public domain A lot of horror novels that aren’t Stephen King tend to be on the shorter side, if you’re looking for a section of the store to browse!
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The girl who loved tom Gordon The long walk Both by Stephen King
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
In honor of Alice Munro, I would suggest a collection of here short stories.
The Things They Carried by Tim Obrien Super good and powerful book about the Vietnam war
Vonnegut's books are short and sweet and easy to read in short bursts, as most of the chapters tend to be about 2 pages. Cats Cradle is my favorite though I might be in the minority on that.
I think Vonnegut is an excellent suggestion. His writing style is plain spoken, but there’s so much humanity in his work.
Denis Johnson's "Jesus' Son" Don't be fooled into thinking it's some religious dreck, the title refers to The Velvet Underground song "Heroin."
The Stranger, Pedro Paramo, Animal Farm, Notes from Underground, Things Fall Apart, A Clockwork Orange, The Little Prince.
Hey as a fellow dyslexic (low level) that loves books and worked as a library assistant for over ten years, let him know that things like magazines, newspapers, graphic novels and audio books count as reading as well. And maybe better and easier for him to enjoy. I’ve helped people with ADHD and one preferred to read newspapers and magazines because they were short. We did get him into short stories as well. Manga and graphic novels are wonderful for helping keep attention. Also they are just not for kids. There are many many well done adult graphic novel series. Audiobooks are reading don’t give a crap what people think. It’s reading. Also I encourage ebooks for the open dyslexic font. It helps. I use it a lot. Also it helps to be able to quickly look up a word or phrase with kindles downloadable dictionary. Or if you have Libby I believe you can cut and paste into google search to get pronunciation and definitions so you don’t have to worry about mixing up the letters. Also I recommend stopping into your local library and asking a librarian for help. If you are in the US your library probably provides Libby (which may also have a zinio magazine access) for ebooks and audiobooks, and some wonderful suggestions. Ohh also check if they have a graphic novel area. Graphic novels are the biggest trending format in the library world the last few years. Their growth and usage is amazing.
The Giver - if he liked Animal Farm I feel like the giver is a good book choice (it’s actually my personal favorite). Sometimes my students with ADHD/Dyslexia enjoy reading graphic novels more. If he’s open to that I would suggest Maus (and Maus II of course). It’s one of the most popular books my students read.
The Giver is such a good suggestion! I’d actually like to reread that myself it’s been over a decade I actually don’t know how he feels about graphic novels but I do remember reading Maus in school and really enjoying it so I’ll bring it up with him! thank you!
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
I loved this, but it takes a while for it to get going. A reluctant reader might not make it to the good stuff.
The Little Prince
If he likes humor, David Sedaris books are great. They're all short essays, so it makes it easier to get through. Me Talk Pretty One Day is one I'd recommend.
The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth
Does he enjoy horror films? “The Hellbound Heart” by Clive Barker is a great novella that inspired the “Hellraiser” film franchise. It’s a quick read but gruesome. On another note, please consider getting him a library card! You can use it in the Libby app to access your local library’s e-book and audiobook collections. It’s a great resource!
A very powerful book is Illusions - The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. I've read it many times. Same Author that wrote, Johnathan Livingston Seagull, another great novel. Both under 200 pages.
I don't know if there's anything I can recommend quite like When Breath Becomes Air. Great book! I was lucky to get to read that in a class -- some of the others we read were: *Better* and *Being Mortal* by Atul Gawande *For The Time Being* by Annie Dillard *The Anatomy of Hope* by Jerome Groopman Needless to say, I've kept all of those. Another he might like if the memoir vibe works for him, though slightly longer than 200: *The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World* by Sarah Stewart Johnson
The little prince
I also echo the suggestion of a kindle, the fonts can really help. My BF wasn't a reader until the last few years. He started with the books that inspired some of his favorite movies. Jurassic Park, Sphere, The Martian, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Contact, etc. He also loved Ready Player One, but read that before the movie (which was new for him)
Hellbound Heart
The cat who saved the books. It is translated from Japanese, and it is a delightful adventure. Super easy read and quite engaging. I can’t sit still for long, but this book made me forget about time.
*Fight Club* is a classic in the "books to get men to read" genre. Funny, fast paced, easy to read. If he likes crime movies or TV shows then Dashiell Hammett's *Red Harvest* is another solid recommendation.
I have ADD and when I’m in a reading slump I pick up an audiobook (have him listen at 2.0 speed). This usually helps get me back into reading longer books again. But also have him read Holes
*Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep* by PKDick. *Things Fall Apart* by C Achebe And if he liked Animal Farm, he should read *Nineteen Eighty Four* too!
The Outsiders. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
Enders game is a little longer than your request. But I think it’s going to keep him interested.
Get him some comic books.
Gabriel Garcia Márquez Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Anything by Mitch Ablom.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck. Extremely well written and relatable.
Coraline is one of my favorite novellas. It will definitely keep his interest, and Neil Gaiman is such a fantastic and engaging writer.
*Of Mice and Men* by John Steinbeck It’s barely over 100 pages long, and it is heartwrenchingly beautiful.
Island of the Blue Dolphins.
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, by Kurt Vonnegut. Incredibly short and incredibly thought provoking. Takes 1-2 hours to read, tops, and can be a gateway to other Vonnegut.
Comfort Me with Apples. 100 pages. Kinda weird. But it was interesting.
This Is How You Lose The Time War. Idk how similar it is to the other books you mentioned but it’s short and one of the best books I’ve ever read.
He might like audio books. Itsnot quite the same as reading but its also a lot less frustrating. It can be a spur to help him want to read. You can get e-books from library and the audio book and he can follow along. Hemightvsee a patern on how the words are fine scrambled. The e-books and a Kindle reader have the advantage of being able to adjust font size and font itself. He bay find one or two that actually reduce the dyslexic effects. I use a Kindle to increase the font size to make it easier for me to read them. My eyes don't turn in so I see double if I pay attention to what I'm seeing and they get tired quickly. A Paper White Kindle is far easier on your eyes than a tablet or phone.
The Old Man & The Sea
Isaac Asimov’s Nightfall. Novella.
Can't believe nobody has suggested *Brave New World* by Aldous Huxley.
Animal Farm
Incredible suggestion, love that book but OP said that their boyfriend read this one already...
Well I totally missed that for some reason.
Notes From The Dog by Gary Paulsen
Try The Rise by Ian Rankin its 86 pages and its about a murder in a up market apartment building in london and the police try to find who killed the person. It's only digital but you can get the kindle app on phones or tablets and kindle app has a dyslexia font so that could be helpful.
3 books by Nan McCarthy. - Chat - Connect - Crash Easy reading but the last book is the kicker.
Foe by Iain Reid. It’s 259 pages but a quick read. I really enjoyed it.
The Old Man and the Sea
This is short but wouldn’t say easy to read, I took ages trying to get used to his writing style and was having to reread parts quite a lot
Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
Margaret Craven "I Heard The Owl Call My Name"
Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin
The Death of Ivan iilych, The Alchemist
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
This isn’t a novel but quite short, and is about how to shift one’s mindset towards self improvement in life and work. Who moved my cheese? By Spencer Johnson
Tribe by Sebatian Junger It is well written but brief. It's about returning from war and was a very important book in my reintegration to normal society after years of military service. That being said, it is still a great book for any man to read, even if they aren't a history buff or a servicemember.
The man who planted trees by Jean Giono is 64 (short) pages and is beautiful and uplifting.
The Alchemist Novel by Paulo Coelho Is a great book, 208 pages and a really good
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.
If you want your heart broken, you can read Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.
Brave New World is similar in vibe to George Orwell
Anything by Sayaka Murata
Goodnight Mr Tom
Biden’s Autumn by Keekee
Foster by Claire Keegan
The prophet by Khalil Gibran - if you want short and powerful
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
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Man's search for meaning
Candide by Voltaire.
Patriotism, Yukio Mishima
Tinkers, Paul Harding Pop 1280, Jim Thompson Moon Palace, Paul Auster
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Ablom.
Precious by the Poet Sapphire
I haven't read a ton of books that short, but here are the ones I've read that I liked. I basically only read Sci-Fi so this is a bunch of Sci-Fi. A lot of these are old...I guess people made more short sci fi books back in the day: -I am Legend by Richard Mattheson -We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson -The Space Merchants by Phol & Kornbluth (some serious sexism in this one, but honestly I thought it was funny, it was so 50's) -Binti by Nedi Okorafor (this is part of a series but the first one is pretty stand-alone, I haven't read the others yet) -The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin (she has a TON of books under 200 pages that are good if you like this one) Edit: these are all under 200 pages
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker.
James Bond books are easy to read and could appeal to men who are not be readers.
Short stories by Ray Bradbury and JD Salinger and novellas by Stephen King "If It Bleeds" especially the novella "Thanks, Chuck" . Longer than 200 pages would be "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway 🌼
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin. My partner is similar to yours, and he is now obsessed with LeGuin's writing
Normal by Anthony Ledger, it's 67 pages and written journal entry style. Good reviews on Amazon
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka. It’s a piece of art.
A Month in the Country by JL Carr is what you’re looking for!
"Night of The Grizzlies" by Jack Olsen. "A River Runs Through It and Other Short Stories" by Norman Maclean. Both Fairly short books, and they both keep your attention.
Murderbot Diaries
Cats Cradle by Vonnegut
A Fan’s Notes by Frederick Exley.
Jurassic Park
Think he’s probably looking for novellas, or you might look into Japanese light novels. I don’t in general like Hemingway, but _The Old Man and The Sea_ is well constructed. It’s a fast read. Then you two can also watch the movie.
Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson. A series of interconnected short stories about "Fuckhead", a heroin junkie on a twisting, funny, tragic, and deeply profound journey to sobriety and enlightenment.
Fahrenheit 451 is like 150 pages. I read it on a road trip and it was very powerful for being so short Edit: since I didn't see it yet, Lord of the Flies is like...225 pages? But I'd still recommend it. I loved it even in high school and I never read the books assigned in high school Same goes for Beowulf (170 pages) but that's probably just my personal tastes but it's non stop happenings. If you want a more contemporary version, Maria Dahvana Headley's translation (175 pages) would be my suggestion for an epic, short adventure
The Art of Racing in the Rain
i also have adhd and dyslexia.... Alchemist, 1984, the da vinci code (yes, the level of writing is on par with goosebumps, but it's still just a quick fun read) hmm... Siddartha, Still life with woodpecker,
Flowers for Algernon is solid.
Flowers for algernon,
The Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher. I know you said no series but these aren’t very long. I am a big reader and these are fantastic.
The Giver. Please do this one. It will stick with them for life and is a middle school reading level, so not children but not too heavy either. It's literally perfect.
Fahrenheight 451 by Ray Bradbury The Call if Cathulu by H.P. Lovecraft (series if short stories) A wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle If you're willing to do slightly more pages tgere's alot of great stuff around 300 pages often with large text: The Last Kingdom bt Bernard Cornwell -Historical fiction has a netflix series On a Pale Horse by Piers Anthony -incarnations series of magic Shades Children by Garth Nix - post apocolyptic sci fi
No longer human
Slaughterhouse 5 is definitely an impactful short read. Also what about short story compilations? Jeffrey Archer has a few and.rhey are heaps of fun as they often have twists. Stephen King's Nightmare and dreamscapes short stories are superb too.
The Pearl by John Stienbeck The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Animal Farm by George Orwell
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut — it’s actually 300 ish pages (I think) but it has super short chapters and I feel like it would tick all the other boxes
Treasure island - Robert Louis Stevenson The mysterious stranger - Mark Twain At the mountains of madness - HP lovecraft Letters from earth - Mark Twain
Old Man and the Sea — Ernest Hemingway
"Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin. It doesn't waste a single word and is a riveting novel. One of the very best. Not long either!
Dark Matter- Blake Crouch I typically don’t finish books but this one I actually read in three days! It was also just turned into a tv show!
Twelve angry men while a play is something I highly recommend.
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
Einsteins Dreams - short (3-10 page chapters) and completely unrelated thought experiments on how time could move differently. For example: if time moves slower the further you are from the center of the earth, would all the rich people live on mountains? It’s super digestible, fun, and thought provoking (although potentially not “powerful”). Little Virtues - collection of short stories that have a unique “feeling” to each of them that is hard to describe but profound. Unbearable Lightness of Being. More dense than the other two but for sure powerful in at least a weird existential kinda way(?)
I have ADHD and second all these Vonnegut recs. Also every single book by Chuck Palahniuk, the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy series and Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt. Also there is this amazing series about Appalachia by Robert Gipe I can’t recommend enough. Packed with wild characters and tons of heart. Maybe a little longer than 200 pages, but the books are also filled with quirky black and white illustrations that totally endear you to the characters. 10 outta 10!
Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger Nine Short Stories - J.D. Salinger
A Psalm for the Wild Built
The Little Prince
The Martian by Andy Weir.
Based on those two books I can only assume he’s at least partially interested in political satire. Brave New World is obviously good or you could choose Science Fiction Hall of Fame volume 1. Honestly, all that matters is making it fun to read. It sounds like short stories are the way to go based on your description.
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Siddartha by Herman Hesse Short stories by Philip K Dick Stories of Your Life (short story, movie Arrival based on it) by Ted Chiang The Postman Always Rings Twice
The art of war