Not only are we losing sleep over K-dramas and online games—kids are also trying to finish a book. Come at us, Goodreads.
But we’ll admit: It can be difficult when the reading slump gets to us. So when battling shitty attention spans, short stories are the way to go. There’s a wealth of free online short stories and Haruki Murakami happens to have some of his work up on the interwebs.
Read more: These 8 scary stories prove we’re not alone in this world
In case you haven’t chanced upon them, Murakami’s short stories can be accessed on The New Yorker. Among the available titles are “U.F.O. in Kushiro,” “The Year of Spaghetti,” “Town of Cats,” “Kino,” “Samsa in Love,” “Cream” and “Scheherazade.”
You can also revisit some of the stories included in his novel like “Barn Burning,” “Sleep,” “TV People” and “The Elephant Vanishes.” It’s a good mix of mind-boggling, hyperspecific, existential and a little absurd.
Indulge all you want, Short Attention Span Social Social Club™ members. And if music doesn’t disrupt your reading, you might as well listen to Murakami’s personal vinyl picks while you’re at it.
“Norwegian Wood” book cover header from Goodreads