Reading Slump Saviors | 12 Quick and Easy Books You Can Read in a Day
Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!
Today I wanted to talk about reading slumps and how to combat them. I've already done a similar post way back in 2019 about different ways to prevent a slump from coming on, but today I wanted to give specific book recommendations to boost your numbers and keep you from falling behind in your reading goal (if you keep track of things like that).
The following list of twelve books are all short, easy, and sweet books that you can tackle in a single day. Now, when I say that, I recognize that of course everyone reads at different speeds, and not everyone has the ability to sit down and read for hours at a time and forgo household chores, work, or parenting. I realize I read very fast, and I also don't have any external responsibilities that pull me away from reading time.
That being kept in mind, I've read all of these books in a few hours, in nonstop sittings. That is, I picked up the book and read through the entirety without pausing. I've found in the past that if I feel a reading slump creeping up on me, the easiest way to delay it or banish it completely is to pick up a book I know I can finish in one sitting. If this is also a method that works for you, then I hope these books will help you out!
Also I wanted to only mention standalone stories. When I read a standalone book in a day, I feel all sorts of accomplished. I managed to consume an entire story in less than 24 hours! It's a good boost in every sense of the word. Of course a lot of other series could fit in these categories listed, but I figured sticking to standalones would give you more options. Plus not everyone enjoyed reading series, and I wanted to cater to that side of bookworm as well.
Alright, let's get into the books now.
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Novellas
Of course one of the easiest ways to read a book quickly is if it is very short. Novellas are super easy to read in a single sitting, over the course of an afternoon or right before you go to bed. Here are some of my favorite novellas that are easy to fly through.
by Zen Cho
Fairy tales, myths, and legends are all perfect story types to lend themselves to novellas. One of my favorites is The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho. This is a wuxia inspired fantasy novella that features a strong found family. Wuxia is actually a genre of Chinese fiction that specifically follows martial artists and their adventures. Isn't that so cool?
by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
I will admit that it's been a while since I first read this book, definitely pre-blog days, but it's still so prevalent in my head. This romance is seared into my brain. We follow Red and Blue, two assassins on opposing sides of a massive time war. Over the course of the story, we see how they go from antagonizing each other with snide letters left across the centuries, to falling in love with the words they leave behind. I would not recommend this if you're new to sci-fi because it is pretty confusing, but if you're familiar with the genre then I absolutely suggest this as your next read.
by T. Kingfisher
Really I'd recommend anything by T. Kingfisher, since her writing style is so easy to fly through, but What Moves the Dead is the perfect book to pick up if you're worried about falling into a reading slump. This is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, which is a short story written by Edgar Allen Poe. T. Kingfisher takes the classic short story and expands on it, just slightly, to really amp up the atmosphere and the eeriness. If you liked Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and want more mushroom horror, then this is absolutely the next book you need to read.
by P. Djeli Clark
This is an excellent choice if you're a fan of alternate history stories. In P. Djeli Clark's Ring Shout, a band of freedom fighters attempts to destroy a branch of the KKK that is more monstrous than we can ever imagine. Clark is a master of alternative history, weaving in magic and science fiction into our more mundane world events.
Middle-Grade
Reading a middle-grade or children's novel is also an easy way to read faster. Since they are meant for a younger audience, not only are the stories easier to consume, but the font is almost always larger than a YA or adult novel. I picked some middle-grade novels that are also on the shorter side, as well, just in case.
by Eiko Kadano
If you're a fan of Studio Ghibli, I'm sure you're familiar with their movie Kiki's Delivery Service. Well, did you know that it was a book first? Kiki is such a fun character, I love following her adventures whether it's on-screen or on the page. This is also a novel geared towards younger middle-grade readers, so it's much shorter and simpler than the next book on this list.
by Rick Riordan
I bet you thought that I wouldn't slip a Rick Riordan book in here. Well, surprise! Daughter of the Deep is one of the very few standalone books that Uncle Rick has written. It's a retelling/reimagining/sequel to Jules Verne's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. We follow Ana Dakkar and her group of classmates as they discover Captain Nemo's infamous ship, the Nautilus, and rush to save it from an enemy that has surfaced with the intent to kill. It's fast paced and a true page turner, I couldn't put it down!
by L. Frank Baum
I couldn't resist adding a classic onto this list! My favorite childhood classic (aside from The Hobbit, because that isn't a book I've ever been able to read in a day) is L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I know a lot of people fixated on Alice in Wonderland as children, but for me, it was always Oz. I know that this is technically a series - a rather large series at that, with fourteen full length novels - but I haven't read any of the sequels, and so I'm only really talking about the original story for today. Nothing gives me waves of nostalgia like Oz.
by Antoine de Saint Exupery
Another classic that I think is perfect for tackling a reading slump is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery. Now I didn't read this until I was an adult (I think I was 21 or 22) but it somehow still gives me that feeling of nostalgia, though not as strong as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Prince is such a pure and innocent character that I just can't help but want to see the world through his eyes. That childish wonder is something I feel like we all need once in a while.
Soft and Sweet
I've found that reading a novel that is lighthearted, fluffy, and sweet is much easier to consume faster than reading something that is tense, emotional, or dark. Something about the cotton-candy nature of these books just makes them easier to devour. While some of these novels are on the longer side, you tend to not notice the length because you're having such a good time.
by TJ Klune
If you want the literary equivalent of cotton candy, look no further than The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. The relationships in this book will give you a toothache, they're so sweet. We follow Linus, a social worker who is sent to an orphanage for magical kids to determine whether or not they are a danger to the world. I know that doesn't actually seem that fluffy, but just trust me on this.
by Sarah Kuhn
Whenever I'm feeling slumpy, I tend to reach for YA contemporary over other genres. While I'm not reading YA as much as I used to, I still stand by my love for Sarah Kuhn's novel I Love You So Mochi. A big part of that is because our main character, Kimi, travels to Japan to visit her grandparents. At the time when I read this, my biggest dream was to go to Japan for an extended vacation and just see everything I could. I still really want to visit, but until I can, I'll rely on books like these to transport me there.
by Casey McQuiston
I feel like seeing this book pop up should come as no surprise to any of you who have been following me for a while now. This was one of my favorite reads of 2019 (I can't believe it's been that long since it came out) and remains to this day one of the only "classic" romance novels I've enjoyed. Something about the humor of this novel just gets to me in all the right ways. While it is a little on the chunky side, I think the pacing of this book lends itself perfectly to a potential 24-hour read.
by Leah Johnson
If you're looking for a book that perfectly encapsulates the phrase "Black girl magic," this is what you need. My favorite thing about You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson is that it's focused on the joy of our main character, Liz. While all of the incredible books that talk about all of the hate and racism that Black teenagers face nowadays are super important, it's equally important to talk about stories that are just meant to make the reader feel good, you know what I mean? This book is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Manga
Of course this is another super easy way to boost your reading goal. Manga is so easy to read that it almost doesn't matter the type of story you're reading. Whether it's drama, comedy, or horror, you can finish a manga volume in an hour or so. Of course most manga is serialized, so I picked out some manga that is either a single volume or only a few volumes in length.
by Yoru Sumino
Sometimes the best thing to reignite your love for reading is to pick up an emotionally devastating book and have yourself a good, cathartic cry. If that's what you need right now, then I highly suggest I Want to Eat Your Pancreas by Yoru Sumino. The whole point of this manga is to be sad. I also highly recommend watching the anime movie, as it is equally sad but this time with music.
by Yukiko Seiki
If you're an anime lover, you might be familiar with the movie of the same name. This is actually the manga adaptation of that movie. That's right, the movie came first! But I do still think the manga is wonderful. 5 Centimeters Per Second is actually a reference to how fast snow falls to the ground, which ends up being a super important fact for this story. Like I Want to Eat Your Pancreas, this is a love story between two teenagers who are constantly moving and leaving others behind. I won't say any more than that, because I think this is one story you should experience first on your own.
by Ichigo Takano
Here's another contemporary story set in high school, but with a sci-fi twist! On the first day of school, a group of friends get letters from their future selves, telling them that they meet a boy, and they need to do everything they can to keep this boy around. It's very sad (are you seeing a theme, here?) but the found family vibes are immaculate. This story is actually two volumes long instead of one. There are also two extra volumes set after the main story, but they aren't necessary to read if you don't want to. There is also an anime that is wonderfully done, as well.
by Junji Ito
If you want some weird horror, then Junji Ito is the perfect mangaka for you. His book Tomie follows a succubus who makes everyone who falls in love with her eventually murder her in violent and gruesome ways. She does this because every time she dies, the pieces of her eventually clone and become their own versions of Tomie, only for the cycle to begin all over again. I'm not going to lie, Junji Ito's books are weird, but they're so captivating. I feel like the people who would like his books the most are horror movie lovers that don't read very often. Manga is the perfect medium for you.
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Okay, that's all I have for you today! I hope I've provided you with at least one new book to try. Tell me, what are some books that you think are perfect reading slump preventatives? Let me know in the comments, or DM on Instagram (link in the sidebar under "More Media").
Until next time!
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