I need 5 books…

[CurlewKate]

We have a family tradition of Christmas Eve books. Which is lovely-but soooo difficult for the chooser (me!) especially now everyone’s grown up. They have to be short, non stressful, fiction and paperback. 4 mid twenties-2 men 2 women and a mid 50s man. Unusual classics is fine-so long as they fit the short non stressful criteria! In an ideal world they would also be pretty…

Have you considered collections of short stories?
Pretty sure you could get 5 options there that would fit your description.
I'll start with the collected short stories of Saki since you mentioned unusual classics.

Have a look at the Penguin Little Clothbound Classics. I have Passing by Nella Larsson, which is a great read and about 130 pages, but the subject matter may not be what you're looking for.
If you want something Christmas themed I read The Secret Christmas by Anna Abney last year, which I really enjoyed. That was about 150 pages. Or Merry Christmas by Daphne du Maurier, tiny story, about 30 pages.
For collections of short stories, I really recommend The Winter Sprits and The Haunting Season. There's another called The Witching Hour coming out next month.

Do you want them to be Christmas-themed?
If so, there's The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth.
If not, a wonderful short novel is A Month in the Country by J L Carr.
Happy reading!

Since everyone is an adult these days why not change it so you each have to buy a book on a theme and then make it a lucky dip. Because it seems rather unfair that you are doing all the work.

What is “non stressful”? Can murder/detective type fiction come under this?

I also agree that you don’t have to be the chooser forever! Do you swap this role? If not, why not start, or make it a lucky dip, or a secret santa, etc?

I gave my dil AMITC last year! It was such a hit I think I’ve peaked!

Relinquish my grip on the Christmas reins???? Never!!!!🤣

Wow-how have I not heard of them- thank you!

Convenience Store Woman. Japanese fiction, short, very good. Not whimsical or magical realism.

Thank you- I’m beginning to compile my list! Keen them coming!

Watching this thread for ideas for myself! Not entirely certain how short is short but these are ‘regular’ length and not blockbusters. Here’s my contribution:
Middle England by Jonathan Coe
The Rotters Club by Jonathan Coe (poss better for 50 yr old)
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Agent Zigzag by Ben McIntyre (non fiction but in fiction style)
On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin (nice cover!)
Tales of the City by Armisted Maupin (old school but great fun)
The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
Still Life by Sarah Winman
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
The Nightwatch by Sarah Waters

good luck!

We recently read Orbital for my book club set on the space station-lots to discuss and quite short

The Last Gifts of the Universe by Riley August is short, I saw it on the main table bit in Waterstones the other week, I think they had it as their book of the day or something.
I've not read it so no idea if it meets any of the other criteria you have, but it's short and fiction. It had a picture of a cat in space on it so will probably be light-hearted.

What about Claire Keegan? They are definitely short and have lovely covers. I am not sure whether they count as non-stressful. They are not stressful but not lighthearted either.

Was coming on to say Clare Keegan, Foster and Small Things Like These

If anyone would appreciate a RomCom try Abby Jimenez very light

Ooo the Before The Coffee gets Cold series they are short, about a time travel cafe in Japan

What you are looking for is in the library. Another Japanese one - a collection of five short stories which overlap. One of the best books I have read this year.

No News of Gurb
The Scheme for Full Employment
Raymond Carver short story collection
Flowers for Mrs Harris
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
The Uncommon Reader
The Tenth Man
Diary of a Nobody
Goodbye Mr Chips
This is How You Lose the Time War (perhaps not lighthearted, but not the opposite either)
Small Things Like These (not lighthearted)
Breakfast at Tiffanys
Flowers for Algernon
Chess Novel (assuming that’s the title, it’s Stefan Zweig)
We have always lived in the castle

These are the thinnest books on my shelf at a glance
I also love a book called Parveen but unlikely to be in print

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Julian Barnes Metroland
Penelope Fitzgerald's books are short

Three Men in a Boat - short and classic but still v funny

yes and these!! Lovely, short and easy!

I love these

The Party by Tessa Hadley - very short and has a lovely snowy cover! Agree that A Month in the Country is a fantastic novella.

Orbital
Small things like these - Claire Keegan
the blue if you by Amanda Huggins - will be out in a month - I have had a pre read
Fell, Summerwater both by Sarah Moss
A snow garden by Rachel Joyce