Let’s be real, our ability to focus is not what it was. Between picking up our phones to check the weather, book dinner, message that guy on Feeld or – the mother of all distractions – scroll through videos on your FYP, the idea of sitting down to read a whole book feels, well, a little unattainable. So if you’re lacking the time (or energy) for a 400-page epic but have a few minutes to feed your brain with something other than TikToks about another White Lotus plot theory, may we suggest the following mini reads...
From feminist retellings of Snow White and unfiltered commentary on vanity to endlessly quotable poetry, they’ll hold your attention way before the itch to pick up your phone for *just one more* scroll takes hold.
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
“Forget cursed internet memes – this is cursed storytelling at its finest. Bora Chung’s genre-defying short story collection provides a wild trip through the twisted corners of modernity, where critiques of greed, sexism and societal decay collide with nightmarish creatures and warped realities. If you’re looking for something to get hooked on that isn’t another doom scroll, Cursed Bunny is the antidote – surreal, strange, and disturbingly unforgettable.” – Ella Marlow-Gilks, Social Media Manager
Send Nudes by Saba Sams
“Ten short stories that flit between grubby pubs, sweaty music festivals and the great British beach – what’s not to love? Saba Sams perfectly captures the intensity of friendships, the anticipation of sex and the delicate transition from girlhood to adulthood. So compelling you can read in one sitting, you won’t want to put this book down – not even for TikTok.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director
A Beautiful Lack Of Consequence by Monika Radojevic
“Published by Merky Books, this collection of stories sees Monika Radojevic weave together the dream-like with the day-to-day. All 30 tales challenge the experiences of modern-day womanhood with a certain brutality, underlined with riotous wit. Among them is a (brilliantly feminist) retelling of Snow White, a tale of a young girl taking vengeance in a video game and the mythological story of Lilith, told from her point of view – each told in less than a few pages.” – Samantha de Haas, Creative Production Manager
Hera Lindsay Bird by Hera Lindsay Bird
“New Zealand poet Hera Lindsay Bird knows about viral internet culture – her poem Keats is Dead So Fuck Me From Behind famously took off on X (then Twitter) back in 2016. Peppering poetry with sardonic wit and garnishing with titles such as I Am So In Love With You, I Want To Lie Down In The Middle Of A Major Public Intersection And Cry, Hera speaks the language of the chronically online. Her eponymous debut collection is full of razor-edged humour and naked vulnerability. The kind of fast-paced poetry that’s as brutal as it is funny, mixing love, loss and existential crisis with a heavy dose of self-awareness.” – Ella Marlow-Gilks, Social Media Manager
Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur
“Poetry for the perpetually distracted! This is the perfect book to dip in and out of – no need to remember plotlines or characters, just bite-sized moments of a spectrum of emotions: tenderness, pain, healing and more. Rupi’s stripped-back, Instagram-era poems cut straight to the heart, often in just a line or two, making it impossible not to keep turning the page. Raw, emotional and endlessly quotable, this is the kind of book you can read in stolen moments and still feel like it’s reached deep inside you.” – Olivia Thompson, Head of Marketing & Events
I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
“Reading this collection of essays feels like talking to your brazen best friend. It’s an unfiltered and outrageous commentary on ageing, loss and vanity, delivered with the sharp wit and laser insight you’d expect from Nora Ephron. In her introduction to the new edition, Dolly Alderton asks, ‘What would Nora do?’ Whether it’s getting older or parenting or living in New York City, Nora has something to say – and you will listen.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director
