Lucy Dacus Recommendations π
Books recommended by musician Lucy Dacus, a solo artist and member of the band boygenius. Pulled from her goodreads list.






classic shorties
For when reading a classic feels too daunting. Classics under 200 pages!






books to read in one sitting
short books around 200 pages or less that you can easily read in one sitting! for those who just want a quick read or those trying to hit their reading goals ! i tried to include a variety of genres including lit fic, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, thriller, etc.






Bite Size Historical Fiction
Dive into these historical fiction books that are shorter than 300 pages! Selections here tried to stay away from historical fiction with fantasy or magical realism elements.
As always, open to any suggestions for additions to this list! π






NYT Top 100 Books of the 21st Century
In order from #1 (My Brilliant Friend) to 100 (Tree of Smoke)






Quickies! Books that are 200 pages or less
I see a few lists on here with this theme, but they were short themselves - and I was looking for a more diverse selection. So, thought I'd make my own list and share it! Nice for reading goals, but mostly, I like breaking up the rhythm if I'm reading something exceptionally long.






NYTβs The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century
A list published in 2024 by the New York Times, as voted on by 503 novelists, poets, critics, and other book loversβwith a little help from the staff of The New York Times Book Review






100 Best of the 21st Century
according to the New York Times






Boygenius Bookclub
Every book recommended by members of the band (except for the one that must not be named). Most of these were recommended by Lucy Dacus. If you are sitting on more books which any member of the band recommended, please hit me up and I will update the list!






pacific northwestern reads
a collection of books that take place in oregon & washington






New York Times Best Books of the 21st Century
The list of the 100 best books of the 21st century from the New York Times






R/Truelit's 100 Best Books of the Quarter Century
Reddit's R/Truelit user voted best books of 2000-2026. They included a full series as one pick, like the Neopolitan novels. I only include the first to keep it at 100.






Novellas that should be novels...
Short. Quick. SO, so good.






Reading the PNW
Pacific Northwest authors and settings






TikTok to Faulkner
I saw a Josh Johnson tiktok about getting through the American Literary tradition and wanted to make this list to track the 14 recommended readings in order.
Link to the order to read in: https://compendiumshow.substack.com/p/a-readers-guide-from-tiktok-to-faulkner






Book to film
Primarily films adaptations, some tv






Beautiful Melancholy
For when you want to curl up with a sad story that'll quietly break your heart, but may also remind you how beautiful life can be.






books under 250 pages
classics, deep cuts, and modern reads






complex relationships with time & progress
books & protagonists that have layered experiences with, or perspectives on, the idea of technological or societal βprogressβ as a linear, inherent, and inevitable good (or evil), or with the overall passage of time and generational change causing a fear or feeling of impending obsolescence and distance from the natural world






NYT top 100 Books of the 21st century
A goal to read the 100 books rated in the 21st century (so far) as published by the New York times in 2024, list in order from 100-1 but you can find the original list on the NYT website.





