Looking for books you can read in a day? Here are 13 fast-paced books you can read in one sitting.
This post contains affiliate links. That said, I won’t ever recommend a book I haven’t read and loved myself.
There is something so exciting about opening a new book and escaping the real world. But sometimes you don't have enough time to read a long book. I'm a huge book lover. But while working a busy full time job, I often don't have the time to read. So, I'm giving you the best short books you can read in a day.
You are going to learn all about the best books you can read in one sitting, books under 150 pages and books under 200 pages.
After learning about all these books, you are going to have so many new books on your tbr list and will be extra prepared on your next trip to the book store.
This post is all about books you can read in a day
Books you can read in a day
1. Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
If you're looking for fantasy books with mlm romance - then you should definitely read Silver in the Wood. It's a fantasy book set in a magical forest. And it has an insanely cute grumpy/sunshine friends to lovers mlm romance. Plus it references mythological creatures such as dryads and faeries.
It follows Tobias who is a forest guardian. He is tasked to look after the forest. One day Henry Silver moves into Greenhollow Hall and everything changes. Silver starts to dig up old secrets that are best left forgotten. Plus they have an adorable mlm romance.
If you like the cottagecore aesthetic then you'll enjoy this book. The forest imagery is absolute gorgeous and definitely made me want to live in a cottage in the woods. It's really whimsical and enchanting.
This is also such a short and easy read. I listened to the audiobook. And the whole duology is only 5 hours. So you can easily binge read this in one setting. If you have a long journey this would also be the perfect audiobook to listen to because you can finish it in 5 hours. You can listen to the audiobook on Audible
Good reads rating: 4.02
2. Under the whispering door by T.J. Klune
If you're new to fantasy then I highly recommend T.J Klune's work. The writing is easy-to-read and while it includes fantasy elements, this book reads as more of a YA Contemporary.
It follows Wallace Price. A reaper comes to collect him from his own funeral. But instead of taking him directly to the afterlife, leads him to a tea shop in a small village.
Hugo runs the teashop but is also the ferryman to souls who need to cross over. But Wallace isn't ready to abandon the life he barely lived.
This book deals with so many heavy topics such as death, grief and loss. But despite such heavy topics this is such a light-hearted, comforting read. T.J. Klune uses laughter, emotions and romance to it.
If you're looking for fantasy books for beginners, you should definitely pick up some of T.J Klune's work. His writing is fantastic - easy to follow and simplistic with no purple prose.
Good reads rating: 4.26
3. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
This is one of my all time favourite books. Black Flamingo is a coming of age story about a mixed-race, gay teenager finding his identity and the power of drag. It is written in beautiful verse. It's a powerful story about embracing your uniqueness.
It follows Michael a British boy of Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican descent. And he is trying to come to terms with his identify as a mixed-race gay teen. Then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist Black Flamingo.
Before reading Black Flamingo my experience reading poetry was limited. If you're looking to read more poetry then this would be an excellent starting point. Dean Atta has a way of writing poetry that just compels you to keep listening.
It's a beautiful, light read. But at the same time it touches on so many truths. It particularly explores Blackness, Queerness and gender. There were many parts that had me tearing up. But I particularly enjoyed the following:
"Don’t.Don’t come out unless you want to. Don’t come out for anyone else’s sake. Don’t come out because you think society expects you to.Come out for yourself."
Good reads routine: 4.41
4. She drives me crazy by Kelly Quindlen
I truly believe that you cannot go wrong with the enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes. She drives me crazy is a queer enemies to lovers romance with the fake dating trope. It also is a sports romance , forced proximity and it's set in a high school.
It follows Scottie Zajac. She loses spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up. So she gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person. Her nemesis Irene Abraham.
Irene Abraham is incredibly beautiful but also incredible mean. And things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved. And the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop.
And it only gets worse the more time they spend together. But then an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her ex. And she bribes Irene into playing along.
This ya books to read for Pride Month is such a cute, light-hearted read. And it makes for such escapism. I often don't want to read books that deal with heavy issues. Or that teach you something. If you're looking for a cozy, feel-good ya lesbian book or a cute wlw romance then this is a great choice.
Good reads rating: 4.09
5. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
Her Royal Highness features one of my favourite lesbian characters in Flora. Flora is intelligent, funny and sassy AF. It also features an amazing bisexual character,
It's a light-hearted teen romance set in a school. The book follows Millie who is heartbroken when she discovers that her kinda girlfriend has been kissing someone else. After getting into a super elusive boarding school, she moves to Scotland. And this is where she meets Princess Flora.
Not only does this book include the enemies-to-lovers trope. But it also features the room-mates trope, royalty, an ex-girlfriend and a posh boarding school.
Oh, and did I mention it’s all set in stunning Scottish highlands.
It did feel a litte rushed towards the end of the book. But it's still a sweet and irresistibly charming book. You could easily binge-read this in one sitting. It would be a great book to read on holiday or if you're struggling to get out of a reading slump.
Good reads rating: 3.79
6. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the world by Ashley Herring Blake
Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world is such an emotional read. While it's not the shortest on this list, it's so easy to read as it's aimed at middle grade. You could easily read this in one sitting.
It follows Ivy Aberdeen. Her house is destroyed by a hurricane. In the aftermath, someone steals her notebook full of secret drawings of her crush (A girl)
Oh, I wept buckets when I read this one. It made my heart swell, my eyes water. And at the end made me smile like a loon. Ashley Herring Blake is a literary genius. The writing is sublime. Vivid and beautiful.
The plot is paced exceptionally well. And all the characters were well developed and nuanced. It's a great take on realizing you like girls. The character starts feeling distanced from friends who obsess over boys. And the panic about coming out. It's both heart-breaking and heartwarming.
Good reads rating: 4.38
7. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
The next few recommendations are for graphic novels. Graphic novels are so easy to read in one sitting. Perfect if you're in am reading slump or just looking for a quick, easy read.
Heartstopper is a bestselling LGBTQ+ YA book. And it's so popular that it's even being adapted into a Netflix TV Series. It's a friends to lovers romance set in a high school. If you're looking for graphic novels, then you absolutely need to read this one.
The book series follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson. Charlie Spring is an openly gay student in year 10. And he meets Nick Nelson a soft-hearted rugby player in year 11. They quickly become friends. But could there be something more?
Alice Oseman wrote and illustrated the graphic novel series. She is insanely talented. And she secured her first publishing deal at just 17 years old!
The graphics are stunning! Seeing the characters faces means you can really feel their emotions while reading it. And it's also an excellent choice if you're in a reading slump or just getting back into reading. Graphic novels are really easy to read. And this is a really light-hearted read.
Good reads rating: 4.52
8. The LumberJanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Brooklyn A. Allen and Noelle Stevenson
I read the LumberJanes series on Scribd. The graphic comic book series follows five pals at a summer camp. They are determined to have an incredible summer and not let supernatural critters or quests get in their way.
The incredible drawings instantly gave me an emotional connection to the characters in the books.
The first novel opens with a bang and the plot really engaged me. The graphic novel format and short length make them really easy to read. If you’re looking for light-hearted LGBTQ+ YA Books then you should pick this up.
Good reads rating: 4.03
9. Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker
If you're looking for LGBTQ+ YA Graphic novels with cute. light-hearted romance then you need to read Mooncakes. It's a YA Romance about a witch and a non-binary werewolf.
It follows teen witch Nova. She works at her Nana's magical bookshop. And she helps them loan out spell books. But she also investigates supernatural occurrences in her local town.
One day, she is tasked to investigate reports of a white wolf in a nearby forest. She then discovers her childhood best friend, Tam, fighting a demon werewolf. Together they investigate the demon and rekindle their feelings towards each other.
This is such a comfort read. The artwork is insanely beautiful. I really loved the illustrations of the magic and magical creatures living in the forest. The romance is also really adorable.
The story isn't fast-paced and action packed. We also don't find out much about the characters background. But it's such a quick, cute and light-hearted read that I don't think it matters. It also deals with serious topics like loss and difficult family relationships really well.
10. Laura Dean Keeps breaking up with me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero O'Connell
Laura Dean keeps breaking up with me is a graphic novel about a toxic relationship. It follows Freddy Riley. And all Freddy wants is for Laura Dean to stop breaking up with her.
Laura Dean is popular, funny and charming. But she can also be thoughtless. Their on-again off-again relationship has all Freddy's friends frustrated.
I have mixed feeling about this graphic novel. So many people I know absolutely love this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the diversity is excellent.
And I also love the exploration of toxic relationships. It was really well done and it showed the impact a toxic relationship can have on your mental health.
But I found the characters to lack emotional depth and I found it hard to emotionally connect with them. The storyline was also a bit all over the place.
Overall however, I think this is worth reading. It's a quick, easy read. It's an LGBTQ+ YA Graphic novel with beautiful illustrations and a diverse cast. Those elements make it a good choice for Heartstopper fans. And It's an excellent book for education a YA audience on toxic relationships.
Good reads rating: 3.93
11. The Original by Brandon Sanderson
I wasn't initially going to include the Original. But I decided to include an audiobook you could read in a day. This is a short audiobook that you could easily finish on a long journey. If you're in a reading slump, audiobooksare often more immersive. And can be put on in the background while you do other things.
The Original audiobook is super short ( only 3 hours I believe) and would be easy to binge in one or two sittings.
While it’s more sci-fi, the concept is super original. It follows a clone. Her original has committed a horrific crime and she is tasked with killing her. If she succeeds – she will continue living instead of her original.
This audiobook was really immersive and engaging. It’s full of sound effects and a cast of narrators. The concept is so unique that you have to keep listening. The short length means it’s super satisfying and can be binged pretty quickly.
Good reads rating: 3.84
12. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman often writes books you can easily read in a day. But Coraline is a personal favourite of mine. It's a creepy, atmospheric read perfect for autumn. Plus it's an absolute classic.
Coraline is fed up with the lack of attention from her parents. In her family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage.
She discovers another flat identical to her own. And a family from a parallel universe who give her everything she could possibly want. But is everything as it seems.
This book is so short and easy to read in one sitting. But it's delightfully quirky and creepy. The concept is unique. And it's full of some of my favourite characters. Coraline is brave, determined and curious.
However, the sassy cat is the best. Especially when Coraline tries to befriend the cat. And it responds with “We COULD be rare specimens of an exotic breed of dancing African elephants, but we’re not. At least, I’M not.”
Good reads rating: 4.08
13. The Disaster Tourist by Yun Ko-eun
It follows Yona. She works as a desk co-ordinator for a travel company called Jungle. They specialise in vacation packages to destinations devastated by disaster and climate change. Yona's job is relatively uneventful. Until trouble arises in the form of a predatory colleague.
So to forestall any disruption to business. Jungle offer Yona an all expenses paid trip to the island of Mui.
Disaster Tourist is a powerful critique of the tourism industry. This dystopian take on tourism really makes you evaluate the impact of tourism. And also the consequences of our fascination with disasters.
This book touches on some really heavy themes such as sexual assault, eco-activism and disaster tourism. However, it's still a fairly short read. Some of the themes could have been touched upon in more depth. But I appreciated that this doesn't take long to finish.
I've left a link to the Good Reads above. But I'm going to warn you - the summary gives away a lot of spoilers for the book.TW- Sexual Harrassment
Good reads rating: 3.41
This post was all about books you can read in a day
Remember - just because you can read these in a day, doesn't mean you have to. If you can think of any books I've missed - please let me know in the comments below 🙂
