The Best Short Reads of 2025 for Adults | Multnomah County LibraryLike this list

18 items

• REDress

  Art, Action, and the Power of Presence

  Add REDress to your for later shelf

  A compelling anthology featuring many unique and powerful Indigenous perspectives on the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people(MMIWG2S) demonstrating the power of art as activism (and activism as art). -…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The River Has Roots

  El-Mohtar, Amal,

  Add The River Has Roots to your for later shelf

  Poetic and beautiful! - Leo B.

• Wreck

  a Novel

  Newman, Catherine, 1968-

  Add Wreck to your for later shelf

  Laughed and cried while reading this book about families and growing older in one sitting. Love this book and this author! - Amy S.

• A Field Guide to the Subterranean

  Reclaiming the Deep Earth and Our Deepest Selves : a Memoir

  Hocking, Justin,

  Add A Field Guide to the Subterranean to your for later shelf

  Gorgeous and educational, braids together a myriad of subjects that, while at first may seem disconnected, fall into place like puzzle pieces. - Jessica G.

• Universality

  a Novel

  Brown, Natasha (Novelist),

  Add Universality to your for later shelf

  This short book takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey where you're never quite sure what's actually true--and I couldn't get enough! - Delaney N.

• Pure Innocent Fun

  Essays

  Madison, Ira, III,

  Add Pure Innocent Fun to your for later shelf

  Capturing the essence of growing up as an outsider during a pop culture boom time, these essays had me laughing, reflecting, and going down Wikipedia rabbit holes. - Matt S.

• One Way Witch

  Okorafor, Nnedi,

  Add One Way Witch to your for later shelf

  Vivid visions of a post-apocalyptic Africa full of powerful sorcery. I was pulled right in by the writing and the strong-willed character of Najeeba. Part of a series - read the others first. - Erika B.

• Discontent

  a Novel

  Serrano, Beatriz, 1989-

  Add Discontent to your for later shelf

  If you hate your job with all of your being, you will feel so seen. - Heather E.

• A Mouthful of Dust

  Vo, Nghi,

  Add A Mouthful of Dust to your for later shelf

  Amazing novella series, each one stands alone well. This one is deeply tragic. - Heidi S.

• The Bees

  the Women Who Rocked Lithuania

  Magicdusté, Akvilė,

  Add The Bees to your for later shelf

  This is at once charming and chilling - young women form a rock band, and the KGB doesn’t like it. A touching portrait of the struggle to be an artist in a repressive, authoritarian society. - Erika B.

• Midnight Timetable

  a Novel in Ghost Stories

  정 보라, 1976-

  Add Midnight Timetable to your for later shelf

  Eerie and offbeat. Seven stories intertwine, slowly revealing more about an institute that houses haunted objects… and even sheep! - Erika B.

• But Not Too Bold

  Pueyo, H.,

  Add But Not Too Bold to your for later shelf

  I'm a wimp about horror but this one is good! Not for arachnophobes! - Heidi S.

• One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

  El Akkad, Omar, 1982-

  Add One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This to your for later shelf

  Be ready to cry, face the reckoning, and feel compelled to take action. A better world is possible, "This is the book for our time." - Emily L.

• Guatemalan Rhapsody

  Stories

  Lemus, Jared, 1991-

  Add Guatemalan Rhapsody to your for later shelf

  Rich and vibrant short stories that take place in Guatemala,, expect laughter and tears. - Mark F.

• I Shall Never Fall in Love

  Conner, Hari,

  Add I Shall Never Fall in Love to your for later shelf

  For Queer fans of Jane Austen - Leo B.

• Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame

  Yang, Neon,

  Add Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame to your for later shelf

  A famed dragon slayer goes on a journey to a kingdom that worships the beasts she's spent her whole life killing. What if there is more to the dragons than she's been taught? - Aley U.

• Gretchen Felker-Martin Presents Black Flame

  Felker-Martin, Gretchen,

  Add Gretchen Felker-Martin Presents Black Flame to your for later shelf

  A page turner that felt like a fever dream and made me squirm. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I still can't stop thinking about it... - Emily L.

• Best Books of 2025, chosen by Multnomah County Library staff

  View on bibliocommons.com

  There's something for everyone in our lists for preschoolers, kids, tweens, teens and adults.