There are books we turn to for suspense, books we admire for their ambition – and then there are the novels that simply make us feel better about the world, as in Anne Tyler’s gem of a book Three Days in June, or Laurie Colwin’s hilarious Another Marvelous Thing. Better still, these compact literary pick-me-ups all come in at under 300 pages, making them ideal for a weekend escape or a one-sitting reset…
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler; Another Marvelous Thing by Laurie Colwin; The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
Gail is already navigating awkward encounters with her ex-husband when their daughter’s wedding is thrown into chaos by an unexpected revelation. In Tyler’s hands, such disarray is a delight to read, particularly when it comes with big lessons about life and love distilled into just 190 pages.
Vintage, £9.99
