Disclosure: I received a book to review; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Reading is so important to my psyche that it’s like oxygen for my lungs. I’ve always been that way, from the time I was four years old.  When my babies were small I would sneak into the closet to read, so as not to wake anyone up. Not because I worried about disturbing them but I didn’t want them to disturb me!  Oftentimes I hid books in the bathroom so that I could sneak an extra page now and then after my shower. It was a covert operation to get a book finished but somehow I muddled through, sleepless nights and all. Now that my children are somewhat more independent, I’m able to enjoy my books with wild abandon. In the summer while the days are lazy and everyone’s swimming or playing, the book pile dwindles down in a meandering sort of way. It’s a silent joy.

Somehow I was blessed to have a lot of women in my life who also love to read. We trade books like some women trade shoes.  I’m always surprised when someone tells me that they haven’t read a book in a long time. The usual reason is that they don’t have enough time.  Although I completely understand that problem, it’s easily overcome by choosing something you can tackle in increments rather than over a long period of time.

If you’re short on reading time but you’d like to enjoy some good literature, try reading short stories and novellas.   These stories are like a snack-size candy bar.  You’ll read one or two to stave off the craving until you have time to enjoy a full meal.  For example,  I liked The Quilted Heart Omnibus. This trio of stories was easy to finish in pieces, so you don’t have to read an entire novel in one sitting or even one week.  Since the stories are fairly short, you could squeeze in a few minutes each night to finish one of them.  Then the next week, enjoy the second story, and so on.  You’ll be surprised how satisfying the novella can be.  In The Quilted Heart, the characters are completely unique yet there’s a common thread that binds the stories together.   Though the subject of faith was present in these stories, it’s not dripping with evangelism.  Author Mona Hodgson does an excellent job of blending historical events with cultural diffusion.  Since the stories were pretty short, you would likely finish them before too much time elapsed (thus no danger of forgetting the story.)

Another book that I recently finished was A Match Made in Texas.  This novella collection contains work from Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Carol Cox. I’ve read other books by Mary Connealy and like her spunky style, so I knew this would be an enjoyable read.  The red dress on the cover of the book also caught my eye. The book was full of strong women who weren’t afraid to stare down their men.  On a cold winter day, these speedy romances make me smile.  Since this is a Christian fiction book, I don’t have to worry about blushing while I read, either.  Each of the stories takes place in the 1800’s in a Texas smalltown.  You’ll appreciate the fun dialogue that takes place between the characters.  Since the stories are so short, it’s important for the author to develop a depth of character right off the bat.  That’s not a problem with this group of talented writers.  My favorite of these stories was probably No Match for Love by Carol Cox.  The story had a bit of mystery that made me more interested in what was going on.  Ready for a book that can be finished in a few short days?  Try A Match Made in Texas.

Consider The Quilted Heart Ominbus, A Match Made in Texas, or another novella collection if you’re craving a good read but don’t have much time.

What barriers stand in your way when it comes to reading a good book?