Hi, my bookish friend!
True confession: the only books I’ve ever read in one day were children’s picture books! They obviously don’t count for this week’s Mini-Challenge #15 📕 Read a Novella (or a Book) in One Sitting.
Unlike the other mini-challenges on the Bookish AF Summer of Reading Bingo Card, this one isn’t an automatic check-off for me. But I included it because it’s something I’d like to attempt.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m a slow reader who prefers to take my time with a book. And I enjoy reading this way, even if it has its drawbacks of reading fewer books in a year and having to be more intentional with my book choices. (Because we’re now in a long-term relationship!)
But reading a book in one sitting? Could I even do it? I witnessed a friend accomplish this feat on a girlfriend getaway weekend at the beach. But late afternoon, she had read all 352 pages of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth, somehow focusing as we slept in, loudly woke up, ate, drank, and chatted the day away.
It made me wonder: how do readers like her who regularly read a book in a day do it? Today, I’m sharing five tips for achieving this feat (plus book recs!) based on what I’ve found from the research and from your amazing responses to this Note! (Thank you, lovely bookish friends, for all your help!)
Happy Reading!
Your friend,
Audry
P.S. This post is packed, so “Bookish News Updates” will have to wait until next week. But, but, but don’t miss this movie trailer that dropped for Colleen Hoover’s Verity starring Anne Hathaway!
P.P.S. Hurry! New or current Annual or Founding Members qualify to win a $50 Bookshop.org gift card I’m giving away! The winner will be announced next week (!!!) on August 26th!
We’re in the second-to-last mini-challenge of the Bookish AF Summer of Reading 2026! Can you believe it?
This mini-challenge may be one you do on the regular, so no big deal! But if it’s not, then you’ll probably need the following tips to help you cover this Bingo square!
Quick Note: We all have a unique reading personality. What seems nearly impossible for one reader is just a normal occurrence to another. So whether you read slow or fast, a couple of books or a hundred in a year, it really doesn’t matter. All that counts is that your reading habit brings you joy. Period. Thank you for attending my TED Talk. Now let’s get into the tips!
If you don’t normally read at this pace, you may be curious, like me, about how some readers can get through books so quickly! So, I gathered the best advice from readers who are pros at reading a book in a day (or a single weekend).
It’s obvious, but of course an absolutely addictive page-turner that keeps you saying “just one more chapter” over and over again is what you should be going for here. As Alicia shared with me, genres such as thrillers and romances work well because they often feature fast pacing and easy-to-read writing. Also, consider reaching for a novella, a book under 250 pages, to binge.
(Below, I share six award-finalist novellas and a sampler of fifteen books readers swear they read at record pace!)
It’s entirely possible to read a short or average-length book in about four or five uninterrupted hours. But distraction is the enemy! Sometimes you just have to take advantage of when life offers up a golden reading opportunity!
As Karissa shared with me, “the stars have to align!” For example, does everyone else in your household have plans except for you? Or as book talk with lauren prefers, traveling on a long flight? It’s on!
Another reader shared with me that when the electricity went out for several hours, it set up the perfect reading atmosphere! I found this book list on Libby Life for this exact occasion!
The pull of checking your email or social media can be far too tempting. So, silence your phone or banish it to another room until you’re done reading!
If you need motivation to stay strong against “just checking real quick,” I recently saw somewhere (maybe it was on Instagram – how ironic!) that we addictively scroll because, partly, we’re interested in stories. On social media, these stories come up randomly and last a few minutes or seconds. Books contain stories, too, but we intentionally choose them. They last longer. And, best of all, they have a far more beneficial impact, as Laura Yamin shared with me in her reply to my Note. Books for the win!
Set yourself up for success before opening to page one! The fewer reasons you have to get up, the better. (Again, distractions are enemy #1!) So, get cozy, and have your tea, coffee, beverage of choice, and snacks all within arm’s reach!
And consider investing in a few accessories designed to reduce neck, wrist, and eye strain and maximize your comfort, which can also keep you reading longer.
A thumb page holder, like this cute cat one, allows you to hold your book open with a single hand. Perfect for sipping drinks and snacking!
Or read completely hands-free with a bean bag book stand that holds books or tablets.
And I love my rechargeable, bendable neck reading light for reading in bed!
The first 30–40 pages can feel like warming up. But once you’re invested in the story, the pages will start flying by and propel you to find out what happens next, and next after that, all the way to discovering how it ends!
Also, if sitting for long periods of time is an issue (I’m guilty of this), consider just listening to an audiobook as Lynn I The Daily Daly suggested. Or try swapping between sitting with an ebook and moving about with an audiobook. Several platforms offer this service.
Here are a few more of my favorite tips from readers:
Reread a favorite book. Since you know what to expect, you’ll naturally read faster. (Thanks Teenbooklover27 for this tip!)
Read a book after you’ve seen the movie or TV adaptation, so you can more easily imagine the characters and the setting.
Start a book on Friday night and finish it on Saturday night. You can stay up later on weekends, but still have time during the day to get your chores done. Long reading sessions at night can be your reward!
Novellas give you all the delicious parts of a novel in a tidy page count! Today, I’m sharing six recent novellas that are all 2026 Hugo Finalists, a literary award that honors the best speculative, fantasy, and sci-fi short fiction
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar tells the story of two sisters whose bond is threatened when one is tempted to leave the human world behind for the land of the Fae. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
The Summer War by Naomi Novik has a young witch who discovers her powers when, in a fit of anger, she places a curse on her brother to never find love in their war-torn world. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher is the third book in the Gothic horror mystery series about retired soldier Alex Easton who enters an abandoned West Virginia coal mine that’s haunted. Coal mines always give me the creeps! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Cinder House by Freya Marske retells Cinderella with a queer Gothic makeover, including a murdered heroine, a haunted house, a Fae bargain, and one very important ball. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz is an unexpected pick on this list! Deactivated robots reopen a noodle shop in post-civil-war San Francisco. What could go wrong? (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite combines a locked-room murder mystery with a futuristic generation ship that enables people to transfer their memories into new bodies. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
As I mentioned in the tips above, your success in reading a book in a day or over a single weekend heavily depends on the book you select for this mission … uh, task. So, I collected a few book recs that are perfect if you’re giving it a try for the first time like me. They’re also perfect if you enjoy devouring a book in a day and are looking for your next binge!
As İsmail shared, “You tell yourself ‘just one more chapter to see who the killer is,’ and suddenly the birds are chirping outside, morning’s arrived, and you’re staring at the back cover in disbelief.”
Verity by Colleen Hoover is so hard to put down. And, as I mentioned in the P.S., it’s soon to be a movie (watch the official trailer here) with an all-star cast!
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden has been called fast, twisty, and dangerously bingeable in several reader reviews. Although this book seems to be her current most popular pick, actually, just about any Freida McFadden book will keep you turning pages!
Keep It in the Family by John Marrs is set up so that every chapter ends with another shocking revelation. You just can’t put it down!
Love You More by Emily Giffin, her newest book, just released, is a perfect one-day read by an author who knows how to keep you turning pages to find out what happens! (Thanks Eli Carr for the rec!)
Funny Story by Emily Henry is, well, funny! Best of all, this heartfelt story will pull you in and won’t let go once the fake-dating antics begin!
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks is a short novel that packs an emotional punch. Grab tissues before you start, so you don’t have to get up! (Thanks H. G. Dawson for the rec!)
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, about two scientists in a fake relationship that becomes so much more, is impossible to put down! (Thanks HItoHTX for the rec!)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins reigns as one of the best “just one more chapter” books ever written.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is short, emotional, and packed with a finale you’ll never see coming. And it’s a hit TV series on Prime Video!
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman adds another genre choice that’s perfect for reading quickly: graphic novels!
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears and other can’t-look-away memoirs work great for binge reading sessions, too! (Thanks Write Here, Write Now (Karen) for the rec!)
And, finally, a reading marathon in a day may be the perfect opportunity to cross off a classic from your TBR list that you always wanted to read! Here are a few excellent choices for the occasion:
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is a deliciously creepy Gothic mystery about two sisters living in an isolated house after a family tragedy.
Animal Farm by George Orwell tells the simple fable about farm animals who overthrow their human owner and discover that power can be just as corrupting in their own hands.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald shares the glittering, tragic story of wealth, obsession, and the elusive American Dream set among the parties of 1920s Long Island.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a quick yet compelling read set in the Great Depression. (Thanks Katie Smith for the rec!)
View these books and more at my Bookshop!(Local independent bookstores benefit from your purchases!)
“Sleep is good, he said, and books are better.”
― George R. R. Martin
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