Short Reads List #1 | Gentle Reads

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (and Mrs. Harris Goes to New York)
by
Paul Gallico

Short Read, Vintage

Ada Harris, a London cleaning lady, dreams of owning a Dior gown, so she makes an unforgettable trip to Paris.
—
Content notes: This volume also contains the New York sequel, a story that addresses child abuse: most of which happens off-screen, except for one slap. There's also a character in New York who uses some coarse language, including a few uses of the N-word, though the narrative doesn't fail to call him out on "his prejudices."


Go to A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories on Goodreads

"A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church"
by
Margaret Black

Short Read, Christmas, Vintage, Small-Town

The women of a village church prepare for the arrival of a new, young minister—who happens to be single.
—
Notes: Pictured above is fan art by Nadine C. Keels, not an official book cover. You can find this holiday tale in A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories, though not all of the stories in the collection are gentle reads.


Go to Elsie on Goodreads

Elsie
by
Jessica Marie Holt

Contemporary, Literary, Short Reads

A life change she never wanted brings her to a pivotal crossroads. First in short story/novella series.



Go to Lost and Found on Goodreads

Lost and Found
by
Jessica Marie Holt

Short Read, Contemporary, Literary

A story of loss. Grief. Compassion. Wisdom. Changes of heart. And hope.



Go to My Man Jeeves on Goodreads

My Man Jeeves
by
P.G. Wodehouse

Short Reads, Vintage, Humor

Come along for a series of hijinks in New York City with a hapless English gentleman, Bertie Wooster, and his ingenious valet, Jeeves! Granted, you'll spend half the time here with Reggie Pepper—an early Wooster prototype, don't you know. Book One in a series.
—
Notes: Pictured above is fan art by Nadine C. Keels, not an official book cover. A few of the stories in this collection have brief mentions of off-page violence, handled with humor and without very graphic details.


Go to Sarah Plain and Tall on Goodreads

Sarah, Plain and Tall
by
Patricia MacLachlan

Short Read, Vintage, Historical, Children's/Family Fiction

Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie in answer to an advertisement for a wife and mother. An advertisement sent by Anna and Caleb's papa. Book One in a series.



Go to The Greatest Gift on Goodreads

The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale
by
Philip Van Doren Stern

Short Read, Vintage, Christmas, Speculative Fiction

Here’s the story that inspired the classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life.


Go to All I Want for Christmas on Goodreads

All I Want for Christmas: A Peace Country Story
by
Talena Winters

Short Read, Christmas, Contemporary, Small-Town

Kids like twelve-year-old Trevor don’t get anything from Santa—let alone parents. Prequel to a series.



Go to Secret Santa on Goodreads

Secret Santa
by
Robert Tate Miller and Beth Polson

Short Read, Christmas, Contemporary, Small-Town

Recently dumped and feeling less than Christmassy, reporter Rebecca Chandler is determined to discover and expose the identity of a benevolent stranger in the town of Hamden.



Go to A Quilt for Christmas on Goodreads

A Quilt for Christmas
by
Melody Carlson

Short Read, Christmas, Contemporary

Widowed and recently relocated, Vera Swanson, a quilter, is lonely in her condo this Christmas season...until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help.



Go to Christmas in Harmony on Goodreads

Christmas in Harmony
by
Philip Gulley

Short Read, Christmas, Contemporary, Small-Town

One of Harmony's townsfolk has a great (?) new idea to increase his church's profit margins this Christmas. This is Book 2.5, the first Christmas novella in the Harmony series.




Fair Mountain Christmas
by
Heidi Eljarbo

Short Read, Christmas, Historical, Small-Town

Juni's winter writing retreat becomes an emotionally challenging encounter. Book One in a series.



A mug of coffee and stacks of books in front of an open window at the seaside

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