As an avid reader and consummate seeker of new ways to spend money I don’t have, I am constantly looking to satiate my needs. I have a Kindle and since my acquisition of this bright and shiny magical tablet, I have finally found something to place blame for these hard-to-break vices.

And now the people of Amazon have seemingly tapped into my deepest needs and desires and created the Kindle Single. Amazon describes them as “compelling ideas expressed at their natural length.” Imagine the literary equivalent of the 100-calorie pack. Snack, bite-sized morsels perfect for the modern attention span.

You should know that I am a lover of the novel. But this concept is cheaper, hipper and allows all the satisfaction of a larger portion. And I’ve already devoured two small portions that delivered a sense of accomplishment in finishing both on one evening.

The first, “Sparkle” by Mara Altman is an anecdotal tale of one young women’s quest to get to the bottom of the personal and cultural purpose of the engagement ring. How cultural norms shape what is expected of us in ritualistic activities, what we want from them and, more importantly, what we think want from them. In the end, the essay isn’t so much about finding the perfect engagement ring and really, it isn’t about marriage so much as it’s about extrapolating your personal truth from the world’s perception of it.

And the second Single I read, “Poke the Box,” is about starting things. The author, Seth Godin, asks the reader to stop making ideas and start making them happen. He tells us to be promiscuous with our idea seeds, planting them with abandon. That our fear of failure is the single best way to inhibit success. After all, there is no success without the risk of failure.

Novel, isn’t it?

[Disclaimer: at the time of writing, “Poke the Box” was being sold as a Kindle Single, but has now been upgraded to “ebook” status. Unfortunately, so has the price.]