I have a NICU baby I need to read to. They're too young to interact with baby books so the idea is I help their brain develop by letting them hear lots of words and my voice. I'm looking for recommendations for a short novel/novella length book or short story collection that I'll find somewhat interesting to read (I love to read but I don't have a lot of free time right now) to my baby. It's hard to read out loud for a long time so I'm looking for shorter books and stories.
I like sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction. I think something like Becky Chambers Monk and Robot or Martha Wells Murderbot would work well but I'm also looking for other options. Adult books are OK but sex and violence content should be PG-13 at most (I'll be reading out loud in a crowded NICU nursery).
Thanks!
by VividlyNonSpecific
2 Comments
My first thought was Becky Chambers.
A cool short story collection is Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link.
A sweet one is My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
A lyrical, lovely novella is Lips Touch Three Time by Laini Taylor and as far as I recall it’s not spicy, but maybe the romantic aspects could be embarrassing to read?
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is a fun, lively fantasy series if you’d consider a book that’s 350 pages
Another possibility could be The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (330 pages)
A Shirley Jackson collection might be up your street? I thought recently I was purchasing just a copy of ‘The Lottery’ but it contained around 10 short stories in total which were very enjoyable.