“This is how the entire course of a life can be changed: by doing nothing.”
Sometimes, all you need is a quick, captivating read that grabs you from the very first page and doesn’t let up until the end. Whether you’re craving a page-turner for a lazy afternoon or a book that you can finish in a single day, these unputdownable novels are perfect for readers hunting for that ‘one sitting’ experience. From intense thrillers and fast-paced mysteries to emotionally charged stories under two hundred pages, we here at What We Reading thought we would pull together some of our favourite books to read in one sitting! If you’re in a reading slump or simply have too busy a schedule to take on the epics, these quick reads pack all the punch of a full-length novel – without the commitment. Read on to uncover your next unforgettable one-sitting read!
The Art Thief: A True Story Of Love, Crime And A Dangerous Obsession – Michael Finkel
First up on our list of books to read in one sitting is Michael Finkel’s incredible true-crime narrative, The Art Thief. In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, Finkel introduces readers to the world’s most prolific art thief, Stephane Breitwieser.
Breitwieser and his girlfriend carried out over 200 heists over eight years in cathedrals and museums throughout Europe. They stole more than three hundred objects before his operation came apart in spectacular fashion. In The Art Thief, readers follow Breitweser in his world on a breathless ride filled with art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.
The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) – Graeme Simison
Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is the type of man who can count the number of friends he has on one hand and whose lack of social skills has left him convinced he isn’t hardwired for love. Yet he is also aware that, statistically, there probably is someone for everyone. Which is how he sets out on The Wife Project. With the same orderly, evidence-based approach he reserves for everything else, he begins his search for the logical, punctual partner he knows is meant for him.
The last person he would have expected to find is Rosie Jarman, a fiercely independent smoker and drinker with a quest of her own. She is looking for her father in a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to assist with. As Don’s Wife Project gives way to Rosie’s Father Project, the pair gradually realise that love isn’t always what looks good on paper. Moving and hilarious, Graeme Simison’s The Rosie Project is a quick romance read for anyone who has ever gone after love in the face of incredible obstacles.
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) – Martha Wells
In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be signed off by the Company. For their own safety and security, all teams are assigned security androids. Yet, in a society where contracts are handed out to the lowest bidder, safety is hardly ever the primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting tests on the surface. They are accompanied by their company-provided android, a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and dubbed itself ‘Murderbot’. Murderbot wants nothing to do with the humans and is eager to keep to himself and discover who it is. But, when a neighbouring mission goes awry, it is up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth in Martha Wells’ snappy Murderbot Diaries opener, All Systems Read, one of the best sci-fi books to read in one sitting.
Our Souls At Night – Kent Haruf
In the homely backdrop of Holt, Colorado, Addie Moore pays a spontaneous visit to a neighbour, Louis Waters. Her husband died years ago, as did his wife. In such a small town, they have naturally been familiar with each other for decades; at one time, Addie had even been quite fond of Louis’ wife. His daughter lives hours away and her son is even further than that. Between them, Addie and Louis have both been alone in the houses devoid of family, lonely without anyone to talk with.
Our Souls at Night is a bittersweet, eloquent and ultimately inspiring book that can be devoured in one sitting by Kent Haruf. The story of an elderly man and woman who come together to wrestle with their pleasures, difficulties, accomplishments and hopes for the future makes for the perfect formula for a snappy read that comes to just 179 pages in all.
The Haunting Of Hill House – Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting Of Hill House is the story of Dr Montague, an investigator of the supernatural, who invites three strangers to join him at Hill House: an eerie estate home to all manner of mysterious occurrences. The group consists of Eleanor, a timid woman looking for meaning, Theodora, a free-spirited artist; and Luke, the future heir of the house. Together, they delve into the chilling phenomena that grow increasingly disturbing until their fragile minds are pushed to the brink of insanity.
What makes The Haunting of Hill House perfect horror material for one-sitting reads is its gripping atmospheric writing, which immediately hauls readers into its creepy, claustrophobic world. As chilling today as when it was first published, Jackson’s haunting prose leaves a lingering sense of dread that most full-length novels would be proud of possessing.
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On Chesil Beach – Ian McEwan
It is 1962. Florence is a talented musician who longs for a career on the concert stage and the life she will create with Edward, a young history student at the University College of London. The same morning they become newlyweds, the pair arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms, they both struggle to contend with the worries about the wedding night to come. Edward is concerned about how his advances and has an intense fear of failure, whilst Florence hates the idea of physical touch, but equally dreads disappointing her husband.
One of the best books to read in one sitting, Ian McEwan captures the innocence of both Edward and Florence in an era when marriage was viewed as the ultimate symbol of maturity and independence. On Chesil Beach is a timeless tale of lives transformed by a gesture not made or a word not spoken.
The Murders Of Molly Southborne (Molly Southborne #1) – Tade Thompson
For as long as Molly Southborne can recall, she’s been watching herself die. Whenever she bleeds, another Molly is born, identical in every way and hellbent on bringing about her destruction.
Molly knows every way to kill herself but is also acutely aware that as long as she survives, she will be hunted. No matter how well she follows the one simple rule of never bleeding, eventually, the other Mollys will catch up with her. Can Molly find a way of stopping this bloody cycle, or will she meet her end at the hand of a girl who looks just like her? Fast-paced and terrifying, Tade Thompson’s The Murders of Molly Southborne is a gripping horror novella perfect for a quick one-sitting read.
A Pslam For The Wild-Built (Monk And Robot #1) – Becky Chambers
Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered en masse out into the wilderness and were never seen again. As the years passed, they all blurred into myth and urban legend.
Now the life of the tea monk who serves as the storyteller for Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built is upended by the sudden arrival of a robot who has emerged to fulfil its promise of checking in. The robot is unable to go back until the question of ‘what do people need’ is answered. Another one of the best quick sci-fi books that can be finished in one sitting, Psalm for the Wild-Built asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?
The Midnight Library – Matt Haig
When Nora Seed finds herself in The Midnight Library, she is presented with the possibility of making everything in her life right. Up until then, her entire existence has been marked by misery and regret. She feels like she has let everyone down, including herself. Yet, in the library, she is able to sift through all the books of her life and follow the different choices she might have made.
With the assistance of an old friend, she is able to undo every one of her regrets and work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always imagined they’d be and soon her choices put the library and herself in extreme danger. Rounding out our list of books to read in one sitting is Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, a heartfelt and life-affirming take on what the best way of living is.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
