WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Many English learners want to read books in English, 00:00:03.259 --> 00:00:05.919 but most books feel too long, too difficult, 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:09.820 or too exhausting. Today, you'll learn five short, 00:00:09.980 --> 00:00:13.320 real books that you can actually finish. Welcome 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:16.239 back to the Learn English podcast, the podcast 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:18.579 teaching English in context so you can learn 00:00:18.579 --> 00:00:21.879 naturally. Reading in English is one of the best 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:24.920 ways to improve your vocabulary, your grammar, 00:00:25.019 --> 00:00:28.399 and your confidence. But for many learners, reading 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.780 also feels stressful. Books look long and the 00:00:31.780 --> 00:00:35.079 language feels heavy. And many people start a 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:38.640 book but never finish it. Today's episode is 00:00:38.640 --> 00:00:41.799 here to change that. I'm going to share five 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:46.159 real books that are all under 250 pages. These 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:48.920 are books that you can actually finish even if 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:52.299 you are at the intermediate level of English. 00:00:52.579 --> 00:00:55.560 So if you are ready to hear about these five 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:58.700 books, then follow along because we're about 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:07.319 to begin. Let's start by talking about confidence 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:10.900 because confidence is what helps people stay 00:01:10.900 --> 00:01:13.760 with reading in English instead of giving up. 00:01:14.170 --> 00:01:17.510 Confidence does not come from reading hard books 00:01:17.510 --> 00:01:20.829 or choosing something that sounds impressive. 00:01:21.230 --> 00:01:24.549 It comes from actually finishing books. When 00:01:24.549 --> 00:01:27.730 learners try to start with books that are too 00:01:27.730 --> 00:01:30.950 long or too difficult, they often stop reading 00:01:30.950 --> 00:01:34.310 completely. Not because they are lazy, but because 00:01:34.310 --> 00:01:36.909 reading starts to feel like a chore instead of 00:01:36.909 --> 00:01:39.489 something enjoyable. And this is something I 00:01:39.489 --> 00:01:42.680 see all the time with my English students. But 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:45.599 when learners choose a book they can actually 00:01:45.599 --> 00:01:49.040 finish, reading feels different. It feels possible 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.040 and it feels manageable. That feeling makes people 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:57.180 want to come back and read again. When you finish 00:01:57.180 --> 00:02:00.739 one book in English, you gain confidence and 00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:05.000 motivation to continue reading. That's how you 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.500 can turn it into a habit. Reading as a habit 00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:11.620 leads to more exposure to English, which means 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:14.620 you naturally build a stronger vocabulary and 00:02:14.620 --> 00:02:17.199 a better understanding of grammar over time. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:21.099 When that happens, English starts to take less 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:25.280 effort, which is when real long -term improvement 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:29.180 occurs. This is how reading stops being something 00:02:29.180 --> 00:02:33.439 you try to do and becomes something you actually 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:37.330 do. That's the kind of progress we're aiming 00:02:37.330 --> 00:02:40.729 for in this episode. And that's why short books 00:02:40.729 --> 00:02:44.750 matter so much. They can really help you gain 00:02:44.750 --> 00:02:48.169 that confidence while also increasing your English 00:02:48.169 --> 00:02:52.229 input. For each of the books I'm going to recommend, 00:02:52.409 --> 00:02:55.830 I'm going to tell you the English level, the 00:02:55.830 --> 00:02:58.569 approximate length, give you a short introduction 00:02:58.569 --> 00:03:01.789 to the story, and explain how it can help you 00:03:01.789 --> 00:03:04.430 improve your English. This way you can decide 00:03:04.430 --> 00:03:07.250 which book feels right for you and not just which 00:03:07.250 --> 00:03:10.849 book sounds famous. Now let's look at these books. 00:03:11.090 --> 00:03:14.430 Our first book is Of Mice and Men. This book 00:03:14.430 --> 00:03:17.409 was written by John Steinbeck, an author from 00:03:17.409 --> 00:03:21.050 California who was known for writing about working 00:03:21.050 --> 00:03:24.210 people and everyday life in the United States. 00:03:24.569 --> 00:03:28.389 This is the shortest book on the list at around 00:03:28.389 --> 00:03:33.879 107 pages and it uses B2 English. The story follows 00:03:33.879 --> 00:03:37.280 two men named George and Lenny while they work 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.300 on farms in California during the Great Depression 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:44.159 in the 1920s. This was a time when many people 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:48.800 struggled to survive and find work. George is 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:51.900 small and practical while Lenny is physically 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:55.639 strong but has a learning disability and depends 00:03:55.639 --> 00:03:58.939 on George for guidance. This means that George 00:03:58.939 --> 00:04:03.039 helps him make decisions. Together, they share 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:06.939 a dream of having their own farm someday so they 00:04:06.939 --> 00:04:09.560 don't have to continue working for other people. 00:04:09.860 --> 00:04:13.860 This book explores themes like friendship, loneliness, 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.399 and the idea of the American Dream, especially 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:20.699 how difficult it can be for working people to 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:23.939 achieve that dream. If you haven't heard of this 00:04:23.939 --> 00:04:26.639 concept of the American Dream, What it is is 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:29.319 the idea that anyone, no matter where they come 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.560 from, can build a better life in the United States 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:36.839 through hard work. This book works well for English 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:40.160 learners because it uses a lot of dialogue, which 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:42.480 means there are a lot of conversations between 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:45.839 the characters. This allows you to see how people 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:48.920 actually speak in real life, not how English 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:52.560 is written in textbooks. The sentences are often 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:56.009 short. and the conversations move quickly, which 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:58.730 helps the story to feel easier to follow. You 00:04:58.730 --> 00:05:02.170 may also notice informal grammar. Informal grammar 00:05:02.170 --> 00:05:06.009 means that the language is not considered grammatically 00:05:06.009 --> 00:05:09.089 correct. It would not be the grammar that you 00:05:09.089 --> 00:05:12.009 are taught in English school, but it is very 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:16.490 common and used a lot by people when they speak 00:05:16.490 --> 00:05:19.449 in English, especially in casual conversations. 00:05:20.189 --> 00:05:23.269 For example, characters may drop words, use slang 00:05:23.269 --> 00:05:26.930 or speak in a relaxed way. This can feel surprising 00:05:26.930 --> 00:05:30.269 at first, but it's very useful if your goal is 00:05:30.269 --> 00:05:33.209 to understand real American English in movies, 00:05:33.430 --> 00:05:36.629 TV shows and everyday conversations. Another 00:05:36.629 --> 00:05:39.730 reason this book is so helpful is that it trains 00:05:39.730 --> 00:05:43.149 you to follow conversations over time. You start 00:05:43.149 --> 00:05:46.170 to recognize how characters repeat ideas, refer 00:05:46.170 --> 00:05:49.889 back to earlier conversations, and react emotionally 00:05:49.889 --> 00:05:53.189 to what other people say. This is a very real 00:05:53.189 --> 00:05:56.170 skill for listening in English because conversations 00:05:56.170 --> 00:05:59.810 are not perfect or planned. They jump, they repeat, 00:06:00.069 --> 00:06:03.129 they change direction, just like in this book. 00:06:03.329 --> 00:06:06.490 If you enjoy stories with a lot of conversation 00:06:06.490 --> 00:06:09.509 and you want to feel comfortable with how Americans 00:06:09.509 --> 00:06:13.149 actually speak, this is a very good book to start 00:06:13.149 --> 00:06:15.769 with. Because of this informal language, the 00:06:15.769 --> 00:06:20.329 book works best for B2 learners. And if you want 00:06:20.329 --> 00:06:23.269 to practice your listening comprehension after 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:26.709 reading it, there's also a movie adaptation from 00:06:26.709 --> 00:06:29.949 1992 starring Gary Sinise and John Malkovich, 00:06:30.250 --> 00:06:34.209 which you can watch. Our second book is The Old 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:37.889 Man and the Sea. This book was written by Ernest 00:06:37.889 --> 00:06:40.850 Hemingway, an American author who was known for 00:06:40.850 --> 00:06:43.910 his simple, direct writing style. This book is 00:06:43.910 --> 00:06:49.230 about 127 pages long and it uses B1 to B2 English. 00:06:49.629 --> 00:06:52.529 The story follows an old Cuban fisherman named 00:06:52.529 --> 00:06:55.889 Santiago. After not catching anything for many 00:06:55.889 --> 00:06:59.269 days, he decides to sail alone into the ocean 00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:02.769 to try and find fish. There he begins a long 00:07:02.769 --> 00:07:05.930 struggle with a giant marlin, which is a large 00:07:05.930 --> 00:07:09.689 ocean fish. The story explores themes of perseverance, 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:13.660 which means the drive to keep going when things 00:07:13.660 --> 00:07:17.860 feel impossible, as well as pride. This book 00:07:17.860 --> 00:07:21.100 works well for English learners because these 00:07:21.100 --> 00:07:24.420 sentences are short and the grammar is very clear. 00:07:24.660 --> 00:07:27.480 Hemingway often repeats the same sentence patterns, 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:31.259 which helps your brain recognize English naturally. 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:35.079 The vocabulary is limited and many important 00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:38.649 words appear again and again. This repetition 00:07:38.649 --> 00:07:42.589 makes the book feel easier to read even if you 00:07:42.589 --> 00:07:45.629 are still building confidence in English. Another 00:07:45.629 --> 00:07:47.970 thing this book is great for is building reading 00:07:47.970 --> 00:07:52.050 stamina. Stamina means your ability to stay focused 00:07:52.050 --> 00:07:56.350 while reading for longer periods of time. Because 00:07:56.350 --> 00:07:59.290 the language is simple and the story is calm 00:07:59.290 --> 00:08:02.899 and slow, You can read many pages without feeling 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:06.300 tired or overwhelmed. This helps your brain get 00:08:06.300 --> 00:08:10.699 used to reading in English without stress, which 00:08:10.699 --> 00:08:13.220 is very important if you want to make reading 00:08:13.220 --> 00:08:17.040 a regular habit. If you prefer clear grammar 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:20.660 and simple sentences and you want a calm reading 00:08:20.660 --> 00:08:24.279 experience, this book is a great choice. Because 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:27.480 of its clear grammar and repetition, This book 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:31.980 works well for high B1 and B2 learners. Our third 00:08:31.980 --> 00:08:35.659 book is The Call of the Wild. This book was written 00:08:35.659 --> 00:08:40.080 by Jack London, an American author from California 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:45.159 who often wrote about nature, survival, and extreme 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:49.159 environments. Yes, I know, I have a bias towards 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:52.740 California authors since he is the second one 00:08:52.740 --> 00:08:57.450 on this list. This book is about 172 pages long 00:08:57.450 --> 00:09:01.889 and uses strong B2 English. The story follows 00:09:01.889 --> 00:09:05.649 a dog named Buck who is taken from his comfortable 00:09:05.649 --> 00:09:08.850 life in California and forced to survive in the 00:09:08.850 --> 00:09:12.289 wild during the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike 00:09:12.289 --> 00:09:15.309 is a remote region in Canada where thousands 00:09:15.309 --> 00:09:18.669 of people went in the late 1800s to search for 00:09:18.669 --> 00:09:22.139 gold. People rushed into the area hoping to get 00:09:22.139 --> 00:09:25.759 rich, and that's why it's called a gold rush. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:29.179 I mentioned this term before in my episode I 00:09:29.179 --> 00:09:31.639 did on California because we also had a gold 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:34.159 rush here. You can watch that episode if you 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:37.159 are interested in it. This book explores themes 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.240 of survival, instinct, and how someone changes 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:44.899 when they are forced to adapt to a harsher and 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:49.129 unfamiliar world. Harsh means difficult to survive 00:09:49.129 --> 00:09:52.649 something that's very challenging, and the Klondike 00:09:52.649 --> 00:09:55.730 in remote Canada is definitely a harsh environment. 00:09:56.250 --> 00:09:59.409 This book is very action -driven, which helps 00:09:59.409 --> 00:10:01.830 many learners stay engaged and keep reading. 00:10:02.049 --> 00:10:05.070 I had to read this book for my high school English 00:10:05.070 --> 00:10:08.049 class when I was about 15 years old. Even the 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:10.669 students who normally didn't like to read books 00:10:10.669 --> 00:10:14.610 liked this one because of the fast pace and action 00:10:14.610 --> 00:10:17.919 in it. The grammar is clear, but there are more 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:21.100 descriptive vocabulary terms, especially related 00:10:21.100 --> 00:10:24.419 to nature and animals. For that reason, the book 00:10:24.419 --> 00:10:28.419 works best for strong B2 readers who want a small 00:10:28.419 --> 00:10:32.279 challenge without reading a very long book. If 00:10:32.279 --> 00:10:35.379 you like action, fast -moving stories, and don't 00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:38.799 mind learning new vocabulary from context, this 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.879 book is a strong option for you. And if you are 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:44.860 interested in watching this story, there are 00:10:44.860 --> 00:10:48.120 several movie adaptations, including a modern 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:51.460 version from 2020 that stars Harrison Ford and 00:10:51.460 --> 00:10:56.100 a very creepy CGI dog. Our next book is The Giver. 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:59.279 This book was written by Lois Lowry, an American 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:02.399 author who is known for writing clear, thoughtful 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:06.019 stories that explore big ideas in simple language. 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:10.230 This book is about 208 pages long. and uses B1 00:11:10.230 --> 00:11:13.750 to B2 English. The story follows a boy named 00:11:13.750 --> 00:11:17.289 Jonas who lives in a society that seems safe 00:11:17.289 --> 00:11:19.870 and perfect at first, but as he grows older, 00:11:19.950 --> 00:11:22.669 he begins to learn the truth about how his society 00:11:22.669 --> 00:11:26.129 controls emotions and choice. The story explores 00:11:26.129 --> 00:11:29.629 themes of freedom, control, memory, and the cost 00:11:29.629 --> 00:11:32.450 of living in a society that tries to remove pain 00:11:32.450 --> 00:11:36.389 and choice. The book works very well for English 00:11:36.389 --> 00:11:39.070 learners because the language is controlled, 00:11:39.289 --> 00:11:42.429 the sentences are short, the vocabulary often 00:11:42.429 --> 00:11:45.750 repeats, and the chapters are manageable, all 00:11:45.750 --> 00:11:48.590 of which help build confidence. Even though the 00:11:48.590 --> 00:11:51.789 ideas are complex, the English used to explain 00:11:51.789 --> 00:11:55.190 them is not. This makes the book feel manageable 00:11:55.190 --> 00:11:58.789 for intermediate learners. Another reason that 00:11:58.789 --> 00:12:01.509 this book is so useful is that it helps you develop 00:12:01.509 --> 00:12:05.450 abstract thinking in english abstract thinking 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:08.110 means talking about ideas that are not physical 00:12:08.110 --> 00:12:12.690 things like freedom memory and control many learners 00:12:12.690 --> 00:12:16.210 can talk about concrete things like food work 00:12:16.210 --> 00:12:19.990 or travel but they struggle more with the vocabulary 00:12:19.990 --> 00:12:23.809 to talk about abstract topics this book gently 00:12:23.809 --> 00:12:27.009 trains you to understand and think about those 00:12:27.009 --> 00:12:31.080 kind of ideas in english If you enjoy thoughtful 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:34.039 stories and want a book that feels deep but still 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:37.379 easy to read, this one works very well. It makes 00:12:37.379 --> 00:12:41.039 you think and ask questions about society, but 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.379 without extremely difficult language. There's 00:12:44.379 --> 00:12:48.340 also a movie adaptation from 2014, which stars 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:50.840 Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep. The movie follows 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:53.440 the book fairly closely, so the story is very 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:56.960 similar to the book. And the last book on our 00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:00.009 list is Convenience Store Woman. this book was 00:13:00.009 --> 00:13:03.809 written by sayaka morata a japanese author the 00:13:03.809 --> 00:13:07.149 book was originally written in japanese and was 00:13:07.149 --> 00:13:10.570 then later translated into english it's about 00:13:10.570 --> 00:13:14.990 176 pages long and uses v2 english the story 00:13:14.990 --> 00:13:18.830 follows a woman named keiko who works in a convenience 00:13:18.830 --> 00:13:22.669 store and finds comfort in routine even though 00:13:22.669 --> 00:13:25.309 society expects her to live a different kind 00:13:25.309 --> 00:13:28.600 of life This book explores themes of identity, 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:32.539 social pressure, and what it means to live a 00:13:32.539 --> 00:13:36.019 life that does not match society's expectations. 00:13:36.679 --> 00:13:40.039 If you enjoy thoughtful stories that make you 00:13:40.039 --> 00:13:43.080 think about society but you still want clear 00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:45.740 and manageable language, this book is a very 00:13:45.740 --> 00:13:48.559 good choice. It works well for English learners 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:52.960 because the language patterns often repeat, which 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:56.000 helps with comprehension. The vocabulary also 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:58.679 feels modern and practical because there are 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:02.120 a lot of words that are related to work and daily 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:05.120 life. Another thing that makes this book useful 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.700 is that it helps you get comfortable with internal 00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:12.759 narration. Internal narration means hearing a 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:15.879 character's thoughts instead of just seeing what 00:14:15.879 --> 00:14:19.539 they do or say. Many modern books use this style 00:14:19.539 --> 00:14:23.659 and it's common in real writing and in podcasts. 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:27.190 Reading internal thoughts helps you understand 00:14:27.190 --> 00:14:30.970 how people express opinions, emotions, and personal 00:14:30.970 --> 00:14:34.230 reasoning in English. Some cultural ideas may 00:14:34.230 --> 00:14:37.389 feel unfamiliar, but the English itself is clear 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:40.789 and consistent. Because of this, the book works 00:14:40.789 --> 00:14:44.429 best for B2 learners who want to read modern, 00:14:44.590 --> 00:14:48.730 real -world English. Are you going to read one 00:14:48.730 --> 00:14:51.789 of these five books? Or have you already read 00:14:51.789 --> 00:14:55.529 one of them? Tell me in the comments. And also 00:14:55.529 --> 00:14:58.570 let me know if you have a recommendation for 00:14:58.570 --> 00:15:02.129 a short book that you think other English learners 00:15:02.129 --> 00:15:05.669 should read. I'd love to hear about it. Remember, 00:15:06.009 --> 00:15:09.210 interest matters more than difficulty. If you're 00:15:09.210 --> 00:15:12.570 unsure where to start, pick the shortest book 00:15:12.570 --> 00:15:16.090 that is at your level, finish it, and gradually 00:15:16.090 --> 00:15:19.230 work your way up to longer and more challenging 00:15:19.230 --> 00:15:23.330 text. That is the best way to get started on 00:15:23.330 --> 00:15:26.429 your reading journey. A reminder that in the 00:15:26.429 --> 00:15:28.830 description of this episode, you will find the 00:15:28.830 --> 00:15:31.250 vocabulary list of the words and phrases that 00:15:31.250 --> 00:15:34.590 I used today, along with helpful links. If you 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:37.149 enjoyed this episode, please share it and leave 00:15:37.149 --> 00:15:40.309 a review. That helps other English learners find 00:15:40.309 --> 00:15:43.370 this podcast. You can follow us on social media 00:15:43.370 --> 00:15:46.730 at Learn English Pod. The website is learnenglishpod 00:15:46.730 --> 00:15:50.289 .com. And remember to like and subscribe so you 00:15:50.289 --> 00:15:52.389 don't miss our next episode when it comes out 00:15:52.389 --> 00:15:55.509 next week. Until then, keep learning English.