THE PLAN TO read more in the new year was going well. Until it wasn’t. Even my audio book consumption dropped off. In both formats, I started works only to get into them and lose interest. And before too long, my reading momentum was gone.

Looking for a way to get my nose (and ears) back into books, I recalled a list I’d seen online of well-done quick reads. That seemed like a good way to ease myself back into it — not by taking on a weighty doorstop whose heft could prove intimidating, but by leveraging the psychological boost that a work of smaller scale could provide. The Goldfinch? Um, no, not this week. Dept. of Speculation? Jenny Offill’s novel, checking in at 192 pages, is at the top of the list I’d seen. Perfect.

And so far, so good. Dept. of Speculation is a quick yet substantial read, compelling enough to keep me turning pages but slim enough that I’ll finish it tonight, less than a week after I started it. (More thoughts on the book after I’m done.)

I’m contemplating working my way down the entire list, even though there are books on it I’ve already read. Should my effort confer the momentum I hope it will, though, I won’t hesitate to pick up one of those lengthier tomes. I just want to keep reading.

So hang in there, Donna Tartt. I’m on my way. | DL