About Seven Summer Weekends: A woman inherits a beach house, along with a series of weekend guests, while butting heads with the irritable (and irritatingly handsome) man next door, in this sparkling new escape from Jane L. Rosen.

From the Surf Hotel, built in 1855 in the town now known as Kismet, to the present day, Fire Island has been a haven for artists, writers, and actors. While the list of prominent visitors drawn to its surf, sun, nightlife, and serenity is substantial, today I am homing in on a dozen or so and their connections to the various towns and villages on the thirty-two-mile spit of sand off the coast of New York’s Long Island. It is quite a list!

1. Oscar Wilde

The flamboyant Irish poet, novelist, playwright, (The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest) visited the town of Cherry Grove in 1882 on his tour of America long before it became part of the east end’s fabulous gay enclave.

2. Truman Capote

It is believed that Capote wrote parts of the beloved classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, during the summer of 1957 in one of the first homes constructed in Cherry Grove, the iconic Carrington House.

3. Tennessee Williams

Legend has it that celebrated American playwright and queer icon Tennessee Williams wrote The Glass Menagerie on a stolen typewriter in a pier shack on the eastern end of the island.

4. Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller, renowned American playwright, (Death of a Salesman, The Crucible) who was famously married to Marilyn Monroe for five years, often visited the island at the Seaview home of Marilyn’s acting coach, Paula Strasberg (Lee Strasberg’s second wife).

5. Frank O’Hara

Frank O’Hara, A writer and MOMA curator whose poems include “A True Account of Talking to the Sun at Fire Island”, famously died there at just forty years old. O’Hara was hit by a beach buggy on a dark night in 1966 — a shocking event in the history of a mostly car-free island.

6. Abby Hoffman

The American social and political activist, known for his role in the 1960s counterculture movement, authored several significant books. Hoffman spent time on Fire Island in the 1970s, where he and his crew organized a defense fund for the Black Panthers out of their summer rental in Seaview.

7. Joseph Heller

“In 1962 I was sitting on the deck of a house on Fire Island….” wrote Heller in The Paris Review, going on to explain how fifteen years after he published Catch-22, inspiration finally hit. The title of his long awaited second novel, Something Happened, was aptly inspired from its Fire Island beginnings.

8. Herman Wouk

The Pulitzer-prize-winning author (The Caine Mutiny, 1951) raised his family in Seaview and held a Minyan on his back deck until becoming a founding member of the island’s first synagogue.

9. Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner

About fifteen years ago, over pastrami at the Carnegie Deli, actor Tony Roberts (Serpico, Annie Hall) told me his account of the inception of the duo’s most famous collaboration—The 2000-Year-Old Man. Roberts reported escorting a date back to her Ocean Beach home to find the two pals improvising the legendary schtick in her living room. The life-long friends went on to become two of the most famous comedy sketch writers in history. (Just ask my next entrants!)

10. Elle Key & Keegan-Michael Key

The married writing and producing comedy partners co-authored much of their 2023 best-selling book, The History of Sketch Comedy, on their Fire Island deck. Fun fact: Elle’s grandfather, Tony Pugliese, built a house on the island in the 1930’s and her father, Paul, was once the mayor of Ocean Beach!

11. Tina Fey

“You can tell how smart people are by what they laugh at.”—Tina Fey

Whether reading her 2011 memoir, Bossy Pants, or watching Mean Girls, one of the most quoted movies of all time, there is no doubt that Tina Fey crafted many a funny line from her Fair Harbor home.

12. Jane L. Rosen

It may be true that the only way I would be included in a list with these luminaries is if I had written that list myself, none the less, here I am! Jane L. Rosen, author of five novels including three set on the island, On Fire Island (2023), Seven Summer Weekends (2024) and Songs of Summer (2025). These three stand-alone novels brimming with kooky characters, a love of place, and just love itself, are all inspired by having spent thirty-something years on my beloved Fire Island.

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The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

Depending on the version you get, this classic is at around 220 pages, slightly on the higher end of our list of books, however still a short enough modern-period classic that you’ll be sure to feel accomplished reading!

Synopsis: When John Dowell and his wife befriend Edward and Leonora Ashburnham, they appear to be the perfect couple. He is a distinguished soldier and she is beautiful and intelligent. However, what lies beneath the surface of their marriage is far more sinister and their influence leads John into a tragic drama that threatens to destroy everything he cares about.

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky

More known for his tomes The Idiot and Crime and Punishment, this small classic is much shorter at around 170 pages, which is much less daunting than a 650+ page behemoth of a book. After battling this Dostoevsky classic, you’ll surely be pleased with yourself and can totally claim that you read Dostoevsky!

Synopsis: In this dark and compelling short novel, Fyodor Dostoevsky tells the story of Alexey Ivanovitch, a young tutor working in the household of an imperious Russian general. Alexey tries to break through the wall of the established order in Russia, but instead becomes mired in the endless downward spiral of betting and loss. His intense and inescapable addiction is accentuated by his affair with the General’s cruel yet seductively adept niece, Polina. In The Gambler, Dostoevsky reaches the heights of drama with this stunning psychological portrait.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A book that is pretty well known, yet surprisingly short! Fitzgerald is well-known for short books, such as The Great Gatbsy. At 200 pages, this modern classic is rewarding, and I’m sure you’ll go treat yourself after conquering this one too!

Synopsis: In 1860 Benjamin Button is born an old man and mysteriously begins aging backward. At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life — he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Who doesn’t know Tarzan? Who knew the book was short enough that it wasn’t so daunting? Who knows, maybe you’ll think the original classic is better than the movie!

Synopsis: In 1888 Lord and Lady Clayton sail from England but to West Africa and perish on a remote island. When their infant son is adopted by fanged, great anthropoid apes, he is Tarzan of the Apes. His intelligence and caring mother raise him to be king. Self-educated by his parents’ library, Tarzan rescues genteel Jane Porter from the perils of his jungle.

Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon by Jane Austen

We all know of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, but did you know that this 211 page collection of short stories exists? This book is perfect for those too scared to go actually read Pride and Prejudice, or those looking for short stories written in Austen’s time!

Synopsis: Lady Susan, with its wicked, beautiful, intelligent and energetic heroine, is a sparkling melodrama which takes its tone from the outspoken and robust eighteen century. Written later, and probably abandoned after her father’s death, The Watsons is a tantalizing and highly delightful story whose vitality and optimism centre on the marital prospects of the Watson sisters in a small provincial town. Sanditon, Jane Austen’s last fiction, is set in a seaside town and its themes concern the new speculative consumer society and foreshadow the great social upheavals of the Industrial Revolution.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

Ah yes, a mention of one of the Brontë sisters! This list would be not right without a mention of this short 240 page classic. This one is the smaller of two books written by Anne, and it surely doesn’t disappoint and it is one of my all-time favourites!

Synopsis: Drawing directly on her own unhappy experiences, Anne Brontë‘s first-person narrative describes the almost unbelievable pressures endured by nineteenth-century governesses – the isolation, the frustration, and the insensitive and sometimes cruel treatment meted out by employers and their families.

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

A short book from a popular modern classic author, what more could you want?! This one is more an essay than a work of fiction and only 112 pages! This modern is bound to make you think, and also touches on feminism.

Synopsis: A Room of One’s Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women’s colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers of and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled Women and Fiction, and hence the essay, are considered nonfiction. The essay is seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? I certainly do, and this short 189 page classic is bound to hit the spot, and surely better than the movie. This book leaves you essentially hanging, and is definitely a great short post-modern classic to dive into!

Synopsis: It was a cloudless summer day in the year nineteen hundred. Everyone at Appleyard College for Young Ladies agreed it was just right for a picnic at Hanging Rock. After lunch, a group of three of the girls climbed into the blaze of the afternoon sun, pressing on through the scrub into the shadows of Hanging Rock. Further, higher, till at last they disappeared. They never returned.

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

Another modern classic, but with a twist: this one is known for being a staple spy and adventure story! Coming at a short 148 pages, it is fast-paced, so you’re sure to be done with this one quicker than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Synopsis: Richard Hannay has just returned to England after years in South Africa and is thoroughly bored with his life in London. But then a murder is committed in his flat, just days after a chance encounter with an American who had told him about an assassination plot which could have dire international consequences. An obvious suspect for the police and an easy target for the killers, Hannay goes on the run in his native Scotland where he will need all his courage and ingenuity to stay one step ahead of his pursuers.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets by William Shakespeare

We’ve all heard of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet, but this short collection of sonnets is bound to tide you over if you’re terrified of the bigger plays such as Othello and Richard III. At 154 pages, and with short sonnets, you’ll feel super accomplished flying through this one!

Synopsis: William Shakespeare’s sonnets are a beautiful expression of a range of human emotions – from love to grief, anger, jealousy and lust. Including the instantly recognisable ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ as well as a range of other equally moving works, this compilation brings together the complete collection of all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

At 157 pages, this post-modern classic novella is one not to miss! It’s short and sweet, just how we like to keep a lot of things. Heck, they even turned it into a movie a couple of years after the novella was published, and that’s pretty cool, if you’re asking me!

Synopsis: Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a brilliant glimmer of the excitement of 40’s New York. Holly Golightly – brashly beautiful with a slim black dress, a mysterious past and dark glasses over varicoloured eyes – entrances all the men she meets, including the young writer living above her, though her recklessness may yet catch up with her. Also containing three short stories, this edition shows the elegance and warmth of Capote’s writing at its most flawless.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Another post-modernistic feminist book that is short and is shocking realistic! Some say that this is the female version of The Catcher in the Rye, but we’ll let you decide on that once you power through this short book that doesn’t skimp on detail!

Synopsis: I was supposed to be having the time of my life. When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther’s life begins to slide out of control. She finds herself spiralling into depression and eventually a suicide attempt, as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take women’s aspirations seriously. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath’s only novel, was originally published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. The novel is partially based on Plath’s own life and descent into mental illness, and has become a modern classic. The Bell Jar has been celebrated for its darkly funny and razor sharp portrait of 1950s society and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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If you’re in a reading slump or perpetually unable to finish the books you want to, the simple answer isn’t to give up on reading forever. In fact, you should be picking a short book, which you will be able to finish in a day or two, and feel great about your accomplishments! Not only are short books both fun and appealing since they only require a minimal time commitment, but they are one of several guaranteed cures for a reading slump. We’ve found 10 diverse books under 200 pages to help cure your reading slump!

Check out our list and let us know in the comments below if you will be adding one to your TBR!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote | 178 Pages
A charming and simple classic which will make you laugh and fill you with longing for decades of the past!
This short classic follows Holly Golightly, an offbeat, charming woman living in New York in the mid-20th century. The book feels decadent and if you’re wondering, it’s quite different from the movie in plenty of ways, meaning it’s not a waste of time for those who’ve seen Audrey Hepburn in this role already.

Chasers of the Light: Poems from the Typewriter Series by Tyler Knott Gregson | 144 Pages
Gorgeous poetry, both in appearance on the page and in quality of the writing.
Most poetry books are very short, but not all are worth reading. While I personally have plenty of experience reading poetry, I have never enjoyed looking at or reading a book of poetry more than this one. Writing poems on a typewriter makes the collection look stunning by giving the poems a vintage and nostalgic feel.

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern | 159 Pages
A funny and concise memoir about a son’s relationship with his very vocal, honest, and funny dad, who became internet famous.
This book will have you laughing as Halpern’s dad is an awesome character, and the fact that he and all of his quotes are totally real makes it an even better read!

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster | 181 Pages
An often overlooked classic book that’s funny, charming, and compulsively readable.
This is one of my favourite books of all time (I’ve read it at least 4 or 5 times now) and it still never ceases to charm me. It’s an older story, told entirely in letters, and it’s hilarious and sweet. You could finish it in a couple of hours and have time left in the day to think about how great it was.

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain | 160 Pages
A short novel about a man in Paris who finds a purse on the street and attempts to track down the woman it belongs to.
While I am yet to read this, it’s a favourite of my mother’s. It’s an adorable book which takes place in Paris and you can quickly finish it! What more could you want?

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald | 64 Pages
A short work by the famous author, featuring the strange story of a man who ages backward.
Technically this one is more like a short story or novella, this story is a well-known movie but a lesser known piece of writing. Many people probably don’t even know it was written by the incredibly famous Fitzgerald, but indeed it was. The story is well written, quirky, and can be easily finished in one afternoon sitting.

Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling | 74 Pages
A beautifully illustrated print rendition of an incredible speech given by J.K. Rowling.
No, it’s not a member of the Harry Potter collection, this was originally a speech given by Rowling to the members of a graduating class at Harvard. The speech is beautiful, inspiring, and of course well-written, but what makes the book even better are the incredibly stunning illustrations along with gorgeous typography. This is a book you’ll end up wanting to reread at least once a year!

Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson | 160 Pages
A masterfully written book of short stories that requires a lot of thought and reflection.
Johnson’s stories are unlike any others as they’re simply written, but surprisingly complex. They examine ordinary lives thrust into uncommon situations. They’re dark, moving, honest and raw. While it is short, you will take the time to appreciate and explore the stories it will stick with you for a long time.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett | 120 Pages
A humorous novella about the queen of England discovering a love of the library.
This quaint short novella tells the story of the queen of England wandering into a mobile library with her dogs and discovering the joys of reading.

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs | 160 Pages
A companion to the popular Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series, this book is filled with fables and fairytales based on the world Riggs created.
This book, appearance-wise, is absolutely beautiful, but the stories inside are both awesome and entertaining. The nice thing about a book of stories like this is that if you have 20 minutes you can read one story, set the book back down, and move on to another whenever you have time again.

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