In a world where time is scarce and attention spans are stretched thin, short books offer literary escape without long commitment – these ten bangers prove that powerful writing isn’t measured by volume.
Here are 10 great reads you can enjoy in a single day…
1. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
A heartbreaking tale of friendship and dreams during the Great Depression, Steinbeck’s novella explores the bond between two displaced migrant workers. It’s a poignant look at loyalty, loneliness, and the fragile nature of hope.
2. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
‘One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug…’ A masterpiece of existential dread, Kafka’s surrealist classic gets under your skin.
3. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez
A murder mystery where the ending is known from the start, this haunting novella examines honor, fate, and communal guilt in a small Latin American town. It offers a stunning introduction to one of the giants of world literature.
4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A glittering portrait of the Roaring Twenties, Fitzgerald’s iconic tale tells the story of Jay Gatsby’s doomed pursuit of the American Dream with lyrical prose and biting social commentary.
5. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
This beloved Japanese novel follows Keiko, a woman who’s perfectly content working at a convenience store, despite societal pressure to fit it. A quicky thought-provoking read about identity and nonconformity.
5. Animal Farm by George Orwell
Orwell’s political allegory about a group of farm animals who overthrow their human farmer is both a critique of authoritarianism and the currupting natute of power. Its themes remain utterly timeless…
6. Foster by Claire Keegan
Filmed as An CailÃn Ciúin, this coming-of-age tale tells the story of a young girl sent to live with distant relatives in rural Ireland. In their quiet care, she begins to experience kindness and belonging. That ending gets us every time.
Foster by Claire Keegan was filmed as the Oscar-nominated An CailÃn Ciúin
7. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Capote’s chic novella introduces the iconic Holly Golightly, a charming, elusive figure in 1940s New York. Witty, eternally stylish, and tinged with melancholy – possibly the perfect one-sitting read.
8. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl
A clever fox outsmarts three cruel farmers to feed his family in this fast-paced, mischievous yarn. Dahl’s signature dark humor and Quentin Blake’s illustrations make this one a joy for kids and adults alike.
9. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
‘He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.’ Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novella is a minimalist, meditative stunner.
10. Cheri by Jo Ann Beard
Blending fact and fiction, this moving novella traces the final weeks of Cheri Tremble, a woman facing terminal cancer, and her decision to pursue assisted death. Like the others on his list, it’s a book that will stay with you.