by Writing Barn intern Lolo Maze
With the intensity of the past year, very few of us have the time or the energy to sit down and read a novel (as much as we hate to admit it). Sometimes, the task of finishing a book can be just as daunting as all of the other daily stresses. But reading can do so much to help us through that stress. Here are a few adult picture books and short reads that are both achievable and fulfilling.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
This book is beautiful and simple. It’s contemplative mood draws sensitivity, love, and goodness from the heart of the reader. The delicate ink drawings are each unique and imperfect, but every one of them is gorgeous. You can read it all in one sitting, or you can leave it on your coffee table and flip it open when you need healing wisdom in a hard time.
Of Lamb by Matthea Harvey
This haunting book of poetry takes the story of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and introduces darker elements including depression, isolation, yearning, and seemingly impossible love. The verses are made using white-out style erasure poetry and accompanied by technicolor illustrations. Matthea Harvey’s creative mind prods the reader to get caught up in its moody atmosphere; you’ll likely find yourself re-reading.
Alexandra and the Awful, Awkward, No Fun, Truly Bad Dates by Rebekah Manley
This parody book follows protagonist Alexandra through the worst of the modern dating experience. Readers will laugh along at the absurdity that comes with each of her thirty dates, and many will relate to the struggles that hinder her efforts. This book is both charming and wise, and the conclusions Alexandra comes to show how many victories we can find in ourselves even in failures at finding love. Plus, it’s written by a Writing Barn success story!
The Little Prince by Antione de Saint-Exupéry
Of course, most literary people already know all about The Little Prince. It’s one of those stories that is timeless in its ability to offer something new to readers at every age. This is a reminder to revisit the contemplative and strange pages again or, if you’ve never read it before, see what the fascination so many readers have for it is all about.
Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
Not Quite Narwhal gently reminds us that, no matter how tangled up we get in our differences with others, home is where those differences are cherished. Kelp, the main character of the book, isn’t quite like the narwhals he lives with in the ocean. When he first meets other unicorns, he has to contemplate who he is while being seemingly split between two worlds. The support and love of the unicorns and narwhals alike allow him to make this journey of self-discovery in a way that any reader, young and old, can find comfort in. Besides all the meaningful lessons it teaches, it also gives readers a sparkly and colorful fantasy world to get caught up in. It is adorable.
D C-T! by Molly Young and Joana Avillez
D C-T! is a more adult-oriented tribute to William Steig’s children’s books, CDB! and CDC?, in the form of a love letter to big city living. It captures moments in time using letter puns, wrapping up play with reading in a way few books for adults can. On the trickier of the letter-plays, you’ll end up first whispering to yourself, then trying a little louder, before finally having a eureka moment of shouting out the letters with relief. This is, we think, one of the most fun forms of talking to yourself.
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
This is one of the longer books on the list, but it feels effortless to read. The characters are precious, the adventures (and misadventures) are easy to fall into, and, although it is written for older teens, its lessons about identity and personal truth hold for all audiences. The Prince and the Dressmaker discusses gender-nonconformity as a unique outlet for self-expression. It inspires hope to those who are happier without conformity — that they can find support and deserve it.
About Lolo Maze:
Lolo Maze is a sophomore English and Feminist Studies major at Southwestern University. She enjoys writing for its duality; it requires the pure creativity she learned in her childhood of neon comics and sci-fi, as well as responsible revision which pushes authors to say exactly what they mean, a skill she nurtured as head editor for a school literary magazine. Her dream is to help others create works that demonstrate their greatest capabilities as writers and visionaries.