In a month, Novellas in November is starting up again, hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Beck of Bookish Beck. Last year, I think I just plunged into Novellas in November by reading a bunch of novellas, but this year, I see Beck has already launched a Linky for planning posts. (Maybe they did this last year, too, and I just didn’t notice.) So, here I am throwing together a planning post.
I tend to read well before I publish unless something unexpected comes up, so I have already started reading for this event. Aside from a general post about what novellas I’ve read through the year, I have so far read two novellas that I will review in November, and I plan to read five more.
Here are the ones I have finished with a brief description:
- The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym: a woman of a certain age becomes a little too close with a much younger man.
- Seascraper by Benjamin Wood: a young man is the only person left carrying on a traditional way of shrimping when he meets a film maker.
The novellas I haven’t read yet but plan to review in November are
- The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka: in the early 19th century, a group of women are brought from Japan as “picture brides.”
- For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria Mackenzie: two women meet in 1413 Norwich, one of whom has visions considered heretical.
- Hex by Jenni Fagan: In 1591, Geillis Duncan, a convicted witch, receives a visit from a mysterious woman.
- A Pale View of the Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro: a Japanese woman relives the events at the end of World War II.
- Why Did I Ever by Mary Robinson: a woman is barely keeping it under control in this dark comedy.
What? Me Read? 
Thanks for your post! I’m glad you’re planning to join in. I’ve read the Ishiguro, Mackenzie and Otsuka. The last one, especially, is a great example of how much can be achieved in the novella length.
Oh, good! I’m looking forward to it.
I’ve read For Thy Great Pain, which I found interesting, but the other books you’re planning to read all sound good too. I’ll be joining in with this, but am still deciding what to read.
I got most of these books off a list of “best contemporary novellas,” because a lot of lists only give you older novellas. Except the Pym, which I was going to read anyway and saw that it was about 200 pages long.
I didn’t realise A Pale View of Hills was a novella. It and Hex are the ones I’d pick from these – hope you enjoy them, and tempt me to add them to my own TBR!
I didn’t actually look at the page count, but it came up in a list of novellas that I found.
I’m looking forward to Seascraper (will save it for November though!)
I LOVED The Buddha in the Attic and I also have the Robison lined up!
Oh, good!
Great list!
Thanks!
Good to see you here with the novellas. I do not know any of the books, so have to look into them a little bit more thoroughly. Always interesting to find new novellas. I have just posted my introduction to the challenge. There are a little bit of old and a little bit of new.
When I click on your link, I get a note that says your site is deleted.
That is very strange. I went back into Beck’s website and clicked the link. I get a message that it gets redirected, but then I come to the website. Both when I click the link with the title and the actual image. I will add it again. Could you please check a little bit later, or tomorrow and let me know.
Many thanks.
Lisbeth
OK, sure, but I was clicking on the link from my messages on WordPress. Right under your name is the URL for your website.
Ok, I understand.
I deleted the entry and added it again. I hope it works now. Please let me know. Many thanks.
What I’m saying is that when I click on thecontentreader.wordpress.com, I get a message saying the website has been deleted.
Ok, I understand. I don’t have a wordpress blog anymore, but I am able to login to wordpress as such to comment.
Ah. But you can comment without logging in, can’t you? Anyone should be able to comment.
That is where it becomes tricky. It does work with Crome, but with Safari you always have to log in. Therefor I usually use Crome, but sometimes I have already written my comment and noticed I am doing it on Safari.
Ah, got it.
The Buddha in the Attic is very good and very unique. I’m glad to see it on a list.
Oh, good.
I have For Thy Great Pain but I’m planning on doing nonfiction novellas, as usual, so I can combine this with Nonfiction November. I have a planning post due but haven’t got the books off the shelf and sorted them yet! I am currently trying to read as much fiction as I can, esp from NetGalley, so I can only read nonfiction in November. Will I manage? Hm.
It’ll be interesting to see. I know I’m a stick-in-the-mud, but I think by definition, novellas are fiction. That just means I’m not going to include any for that, but I am doing Nonfiction November at the same time.
The people running the challenge have always said it’s OK to include short nonfiction and it’s the way I always do it to maximise coverage of both challenges in one. I don’t expect anyone else to do what I do, but it’s what I like to do. I don’t really call them novellas though, but short nonfiction.
Yeah, I know. I had a couple of short nonfiction books, but I chose to stick by the definition of novella.
I’ve only read one of these books, The Buddha in the Attic. I found it to be a moving story. I listened to the whole thing in a day! I have A Pale View of Hills on my shelf for my next Ishiguro title to read. I’ve read several by him and have liked them all.
My review of The Buddha in the Attic is coming up next week. A Pale View of the Hills is excellent!