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…

Seconding...
Convenience Store Woman
Small Things like these

Adding...
James (by Percival Everett)

I have the perfect book!!
Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hessian, an utterly delightful (and short tale). Really really recommended. Also I think there's going to be a tv series of it.

Otherwise I find short books are often written by poets or those who chose their words carefully.
Such as:
Benjamin Myers - The Offing, a wonderful, poignant coming of age tale. Just delightful.

Small things like these (already mentioned, brilliant).

I hope this finds you well- Natalie Sue..Satire about office culture and mental health. Very funny but also dark

Her many faces - Nicci Cloke, page- turning clever murder mystery type. Not something I would normally read but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.

Make it easy for yourself this year and buy them all a PG Wodehouse book.

Stop the press!!!
I've just thought of another one!!

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood. One the craziest and funniest books I've ever read. Bonkers and brilliant.

Think this is a great compromise

I've not read it yet, but I have been eyeing The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clark. Think it's meant to be very short, it's on theme and it looks pretty

Alexander McCall Smith's No1 Ladies Detective Agency.series. Wise and.gently humorous with delightful Precious Ramotswe solving problems for her community. Added bonus is the perfect prose it is written in.

Gosh, someone suggested Flowers for Algernon as a non-stressful book. It's so, so sad!
How about a Georgette Heyer thriller set at Christmas? Envious Casca (which has been renamed 'A Christmas Party' fairly recently) is a good yarn and quite short.

I said it was a thin book. It’s a sad book, but I don’t think that’s the same as being stressful.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter

How about the Anne Perry Christmas novellas? If any of the recipients likes crime ( historical, Victorian era) they are great.