When your days are full of textbooks and assigned readings, picking up a book to read for fun can be a big struggle. But sometimes, even when I am drowning in a desk full of readings I have to do, I want to dramatically swipe them all off my desk and sit down with a fun book. If you don’t have a lot of time to commit to reading (because who does?), or you’re looking for a short book to read in an afternoon, here are some of my favorite quick reads that won’t leave you feeling guilty about blowing off your homework.
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
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Clap When you Land is a beautifully written story about two sisters that learn about each other’s existence when their father unexpectedly dies in a plane crash. The story is told in verse, with each sister’s narration having a different poetry form. The style of the writing makes it all the more beautiful and raw, but also lends to having fewer words on the page, making it easy to fly through the story.
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
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Mindy Kaling has yet to write something I don’t like, and this book is no exception. It’s funny and quirky and truly just feels like you are hanging out with Mindy Kaling. The chapters are short and can be read out of order so it can be as big or as little a commitment as you need it to be. When you need a good laugh, I highly recommend Mindy’s memoir.
- Meet Cute by Jennifer L. Armentrout (and others)
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Just like with Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, Meet Cute is the perfect book for when you’re busy because of its bite size stories. It’s an anthology of 14 short love stories, all by different authors. Because of how many people worked on this book, all of the stories feel unique and carry their own voice. You can sit down and read one or all 14, depending on what mood you’re in. I personally have this book on my phone and love to pull out one of the stories while I am waiting in line or on the train.
- The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
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The Prince and the Dressmaker is a graphic novel about the story of a prince who just wants to wear dresses without the societal pressures of what it means to be masculine. If that doesn’t already have you clicking “order” on Amazon, it also has amazing art, great characters, and a heartwarming end.
- Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
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Ok. So, maybe at 602 pages I am not allowed to recommend this as a short book, but I really just couldn’t leave this book off the list. For a science fiction novel, this is an incredibly quick read. Illuminae tells a story layered with sassy artificial intelligence and Death Star wannabe ships in a way that’s engaging and incredibly unique. Told through copies of manuscripts, DMs, narrated security cam footage, Illuminae approaches storytelling in a way that is completely different to any book I have ever read. And while this book is over 600 pages, the unique format leads to a lot fewer words per page than your average novel.