When I first started my career as a librarian, I secretly judged people who asked me about the number of pages in a book before they were even curious about its plot. I used my “concern” about dwindling reading habits of America’s youth as a thin disguise for my own smug attitude concerning my love for long, meandering novels. At one time, I could read three or four books simultaneously and couldn’t understand why the length of a book mattered. If a book is interesting and well-written, why would anyone care about the length? I couldn’t fathom a different answer than my own.

No matter how well-concealed, this is not a good attitude for anyone in a position to recommend books, especially to kids. Age and experience have thankfully intervened to eliminate the uninformed judgements of my youth. The past fourteen years as a youth services professional in a public library has taught me all the reasons book length is such an important factor for many readers. Kids definitely judge books by their covers, and by extension, they factor in how difficult a book might be simply by looking at it. While many kids do love massive tomes like J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series or Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels, some see a large book and immediately worry they can’t finish it.

Large books can be intimidating to kids struggling with reading comprehension or attention span challenges. Sometimes even strong readers quail at huge novels when they know a school assignment is due in less than a month. In addition, many kids (and adults) prefer a plot that moves along at a brisk pace. Longer books can often involve many characters or subplots that bog a reader down in more detail than he or she enjoys.

Finally, motherhood has humbled me. For the first three or four years of my daughter’s life, I was so tired that I could only finish a few pages before drifting off. Frequently, I was rudely awoken by my own book hitting me in the face. And forget reading multiple books at once. As with all things pre-child, that life was over. One quick solution that kept me reading (and awake) involved turning to short stories for some relief. Short stories offer the feeling of success during dark reading times. Readers can easily finish a story or two in a few minutes and don’t feel compelled to read the whole book cover to cover. Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson satisfied my craving for character-driven stories without the slow plot that usually accompanies them. I also always enjoy short story offerings from Flannery O’Connor, especially A Good Man is Hard to Find.

Many mothers know the reality of “mom brain,” that foggy feeling and memory shortage that seems to go hand in hand with raising little kids. During that time, I would look at long novels with their cast of characters and realize that I would never be able to keep all the names or plot twists straight. I loved long series but frequently forgot what happened from one installment to the next. Sometimes I even forgot what happened in the beginning of the book by the time I reached the end. I shelved my intricate fantasy novels and moved on to shorter, more humorous reads like A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman. This story of a grumpy old man who meets his match in his new neighbors kept me laughing and turning the pages.

Now that my daughter is school-aged and a beginning reader herself, I truly understand how busy lives constrain reading time for most families. There are only so many hours in the day and parents and kids are both exhausted at the end of them. Happily, I can report that most parents are doing the right thing and insisting on reading at least twenty minutes a day. But I also can now appreciate the grateful looks overwhelmed parents have given me when I help their child find an appropriate book that’s not “too long.”

On a personal level, I’ve found a new way to reconnect with my love for drawn-out, character driven novels by incorporating audiobooks into my daily life. While I don’t have a long commute, I seem to spend a lot of time in my car, to-ing and fro-ing from errands to pick-ups and drop-offs. Even in short bursts, I listen to thirty to forty-five minutes of a book per day. In addition, I also try to make the tedium of chores more bearable by listening to a book as I bustle around the house, folding laundry, emptying the dishwasher, picking up toys or making the beds. Recently, Pachinko, an epic tale following four generations of Japanese-born Koreans, powered me through spring cleaning.

Most audiobook devotees will tell you the narrator plays a key role in the success of an audiobook. A reader can make or break your interest in continuing to listen to a story. If the audiobook reader has great inflection and creates different but believable voices for each character, I’m hooked. If the narrator as an irritating voice or mispronounces words, I know I’ll never commit to listening to the story. Currently, the talented actress Liyah Summers is narrating The Priory of the Orange Tree, an intricately detailed British fantasy that rivals Game of Thrones for its unexpected twists and turns.

If you are looking for ways to incorporate more reading into a busy life, check out the library’s Overdrive and Hoopla services. Each of these services provide access to free e-books and digital audiobooks through easy to download apps for your mobile device. All you need is Norwood library card to gain access to these amazing digital resources.

All of this has made me a better librarian. I can’t truly help people if I judge them or their requests. I don’t think twice now if a child asks me how long each summer reading book is before making their selection. I understand the practical concerns and, frankly, differing preferences most people have. If a child or adult tells me they like a book that “moves along” or is “exciting,” I know to dispense with involved plots and lengthy descriptive prose in favor of well-written, shorter books with more appeal and a faster pace. I’m here to help kids and adults create their own positive reading experiences so they can develop a lifelong love affair with books.

Kate Tigue is the Head of Youth Services at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, MA. Look for her article in the August 22, 2019 issue of the Transcript and Bulletin.