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Very Short Books to Finish Your Reading Challenge Strong
This year’s Goodreads Reading Challenge is going strong, with more than 7 million (!) participants globally and 300 million (!) books pledged. Autumn is always a good time to check in on your progress, before the stretch run of the holidays. If you find you’re a few books off your ideal pace, well, we have a cunning plan.…
We’ve assembled here several dozen Very Short Books for your perusal, the reading of which can do wonders for your overall progress. All the selections here clock in at fewer than 200 pages, and we’ve made sure to include options from every genre.
To switch things up a bit this year, we’ve dug deep into the archives and selected some famous and popular backlist titles. Now’s your chance to consume that nutritional literature you’ve been meaning to get to since high school—like Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Morrison.
There really are some incredible books on this list, especially in the realm of speculative fiction. We don’t play favorites, of course. Except sometimes we do. Click on the cover images for more details, and you can sort out your sequencing via your Want to Read shelf.
Books with fewer than 200 pages
Which books will you be reading before the end of the year (and to complete your 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge)? Share your picks with us in the comments below!
Comments Showing 101-150 of 245 (245 new)
It is really cheating. There aren't any rules first of all. Also it isn't a competition so it doesn't even matter.
Jancee wrote: "Duncan wrote: "Cheating."Reading is reading is reading.
No one is better than anyone else for reading chunky tomes instead of novellas."
I agree. Reading is reading. Read whatever appeals to you. I do. If I don't reach my goal, I'll try again, next year.
Geri McB wrote: "I pretty much listen to every book. I almost always can double the speed, thus halving the time. Right now I'm listening to Viola Davis' memoir at 2.3x the speed she recorded it. So instead of taki..."I haven't listened to audio books, but when something is sped up, wouldn't it be difficult to understand?
Horror Junkie wrote: "How come none of the Murderbot books are on this list? They are less than 300 pages each. I read the first book about a month ago and loved it. I plan on purchasing the rest in the series as part o..."I guess you missed the presence of "All Systems Red," Murderbot #1 which is absolutely here on this list. I doubt anyone can read that title without going on to the others in the series!
Elevation is really underrated in my opinion, I've read it twice this year.
I’ve never understand the need to bash people for their reading preferences, whether it’s a short book, a novel. Even comics, even audiobooks. Reading it meant to be fun, a way to expand your mind. If not for you great, but don’t come after other people for finding something that works for them.
Janet wrote: "Horror Junkie wrote: "How come none of the Murderbot books are on this list? They are less than 300 pages each. I read the first book about a month ago and loved it. I plan on purchasing the rest i..."You're right. Not sure why I posted that. My bad!
IWB wrote: "Infernal Parade, by Clive Barker is around 81 pages and some good horror fantasy."Thank you for pointing this out. I need to add this to my collection.
As far as I know I'm the only person who actually checks on the books I've read and cares about meeting my challenge, so I don't see how it is an avenue for bragging.
I’m reading a collection of all the Sherlock Holmes book by Doyle so it that considered one book or several (it’s over 1000 pages ) 😂😂😂
🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "Hi guys, I am new to Goodreads. Can someone help me out with what to do. I don’t fully understand."Aurelie wrote: "🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "What do I do? I don’t know what is happening! Can someone please help me out?!"
Hmmm it's mainly just a platform to keep track of what you are reading and books on your tbr list (..."
The Challenge is meant to challenge only YOURSELF. It is fun to comment on what you've read; I often use it when I don't know what I want to read next. It doesn't matter if you enjoy or not anything you read, but be honest and try to say WHY; it's helpful to those like myself looking for the next good way to avoid dull TV and just relax with yourself by yourself... Doesn't matter if book is long or short. Read what you like and like what you read. You never know until you read it.
Mar wrote: "Thank gosh I got rid of my 2023 reading goal, I’d be in so much pressure rn"We only set the Challenge for ourselves - NO ONE ELSE.
Who's judging??
I do it to track what I read; I never know how much I'll read in any given year. This year, for instance, I' waaaay under former goals! No guilt.
Jess wrote: "I’ve never understand the need to bash people for their reading preferences, whether it’s a short book, a novel. Even comics, even audiobooks. Reading it meant to be fun, a way to expand your mind...."No kidding. I can't believe that reading for personal pleasure is so controversial!
Laurel wrote: "Cozy mysteries are also a good way to quickly add to your book count; they're normally on the shorter side and a lot have quite a few in the series. There's a lot of them and if you fall in love wi..."Try Kerry Greenwood’s Corrine Chapman Series for something Australian or Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mystery books. I have really enjoyed them all.
Maybe I could just reread the Animorphs by K.A. Applegate... There are over 60 of them.
Claire Keegan writes only short novels, less than 100 pages, and they are some of the best books I have ever read. They may be short but they pack a punch and I remember them for a long time, unlike many of the 500+ page novels.
This list is a crock. Who thinks reading short books just to meet an arbitrary goal is a good idea? You know the answer. Besides, none of the goal-crushing books are of the least interest to me.
I have a couple of those Amazon Original short-story collections as a quick catch-up, Outer Reaches (SF) and Creature Feature (horror). Great quick way to get to know new writers as well.
Farron wrote: "Why do some people think it's some sort of contest and that only the "right" books should be read? I will gleefully add picture books that I've picked up at work out of boredom to my list. It doesn..."Yes. Thank you for saying it.
Does it meet the word count requirement for a novel if it is this short?
I am working on A Naked Singularity by De La Paz and Necropolis by Gamboa, so I'm not going to make the challenge.
I've read 6 books over 500 pages:Babel, Age Of Vice, Abundance, The Witch Elm, Demon Copperhead, The Searcher. All 4-5 stars.
Oh yes, I read Galatea by Madeline Miller only 20 pages also one of my favorite authors. Pages do not matter it's about the storytelling.
Farron wrote: "Why do some people think it's some sort of contest and that only the "right" books should be read? I will gleefully add picture books that I've picked up at work out of boredom to my list. It doesn..."Amen!!!
As I scrolled this list, I saw at least a dozen classic novels that I either read in high school or are still being taught. Some such as Fahrenheit 451 bear rereading as an adult. I love having students compare 1953 technology and ideas of mind control to current times. What a great way to explore new authors.
🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "What do I do? I don’t know what is happening! Can someone please help me out?!"If you put a book reading goal into the challenge for 2023, the end is approaching and this list of books should help you up your count if you need ideas. I personally don't since I keep a list of "shorts" on the side so I know where to go if I'm a bit pressured by the end of the year. But I'm always curious of which books end up here in November. I've read many of them, such as Fahrenheit 451.
Janet wrote: "You can also add 84 Charing Cross Road to this list. I think it's under 100pgs."I was going to suggest it as well. It’s on my Favorites list!
For me, the reading list is a personal challenge to encourage me to read more often. I'm not reading to fulfill a number of books read, rather to read more books that sound appealing to me. If I dislike a book enough, I won't list it on my yearly challenge. I want to be able to go back and find the perfect book to gift a friend. It's been interesting to read how others view the reading challenge. I guess the final rational is always personal. Just read more and read more often.
🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "Hi guys, I am new to Goodreads. Can someone help me out with what to do. I don’t fully understand."hi! :) so there's a reading challenge on goodreads. every year, you pledge to read a certain amount of books and once you finish a book, you enter it into goodreads. the aim is to finish the challenge by the end of the year!
I’ve read several books in this list and one of my favourites is We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which I’ve read several times on audiobook version but I was just inspired to pull out the beautiful Penguin Classics edition which has been sitting on my shelf for years now! Definitely worth yet another visit.
Heart of Darkness... for the end of the year holidays? Um... nope. Number of pages, is not always linked to time or quality. And Janet is right, none of these are cheats. In addition to the amazing Neil Gaiman, I also recommend crime novelist James Sallis: Drive, etc. or Irish mystery novelist Ken Bruen (The Guards).
Don’t forget Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth. It’s a dystopian retelling of Antigone, a very good and short read (134 pages!)
Sherry wrote: "Mar wrote: "Thank gosh I got rid of my 2023 reading goal, I’d be in so much pressure rn"We only set the Challenge for ourselves - NO ONE ELSE.
Who's judging??
I do it to track what I read; I nev..."
This. I went through a period where I read very little due to a toxic all-consuming career that left me very little personal time for years and years. Earlier year I retired, and I've probably read more this year than in the past 10 years combined. I love tracking what I read now, whether it's a heavy-hitting history book or a 175 page cupcake Hallmark channel type romance. Reading is supposed to be fun! And tracking myself on my "challenge" goals is just strictly for fun as well. The whole "reading challenge" thing is not about showing off, it's about tracking your personal goals and watching your progress and feeling good about that.
Can you think of a worse reason to choose a book?! “This one has under 200 pages, and I need to hit my GoodReads challenger!” 🤣 Maybe the challenge should be based on words read for the year, no how many covers you opened and closed. Why not load up on Golden Books while we’re at it. 🤷♂️
I’ll throw in The Wonder by Emma donaghue (author of the room). It’s short and very atmospheric.
🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "Hi guys, I am new to Goodreads. Can someone help me out with what to do. I don’t fully understand."Of course what do u need help with, its hard to understand at first but trust me it gets easier.
It was good to be reminded of some of the treasures waiting in the 10K+ unread titles I have in my Kindle cloud! Definitely going to read several of them next.
Cassie wrote: "Chimamanda's Notes on Grief was a beautiful read. After losing my Dad a year ago, it really resonated with me."You might enjoy The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold. It is an extremely well written book and is up for a Christy Award this year. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This is actually such a handy list because some of these books I've been wanting to read but for some reason I hadn't added them to my TBR on GoodReads!
Duncan wrote: "Cheating."Whom?
Reading is reading.
🐺🐴Missy🦄💕 wrote: "Hi guys, I am new to Goodreads. Can someone help me out with what to do. I don’t fully understand."Do you have Facebook at all? If so, there is a way to add your friends to see what they are reading. I get a lot of my ideas of what to read next like that. Other than that, if you sign up for their newsletters, you'll get a few emails a month with lists of book. Sometimes they are brand new books or books about to come out. Sometimes it is a list of older books categorized by genre. Either way, you can read all about each one and what the average star rating (out of 5) is based on other Goodreads members' opinions. If you click on that green bar at the bottom of any book, you can mark it Read or Want to Read. Thus, you will have virtual "shelves" of books to choose from next time you are trying to decide, since it will be keeping track of your wishlist for you. I hope this helps!! Feel free to message me if you need anything.
If you want to read some very good very short novels, I suggest those of Argentine writer Cesar Aira. They are 100 pages long or less. My favorites are "The Literary Conference," which is hilarious and absurd, or "An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter," which leans towards the tragic.There is also Epeli Hau'ofa's "Tales of the Tikongs," a short book of short pieces about life in a fictional south Pacific island nation which may resemble the author's native country of Tonga. It is both very sad and very funny.
In the books displayed above they have Victor LaValle's "The Ballad of Black Tom." It is a remarkably imaginative horror novel and fun to read. (The author also intended it to be a story in the mode of H P Lovecraft that is NOT racist.)
Duncan wrote: "Cheating."Depends on why you're doing it. If you're looking for short reads due to lack of time, then there's absolutely no problem with doing it. But if you're doing it to say: 'I've read (number) of books this year!', then you might want to sit down and think for a bit...
Sorry, I am not paying $11.99 for a book with 100 or less pages! If i am paying that much for a book it better be at least 300+ pages!
I recommend The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams(192 pages)
Coraline was good! (If anyone wants a recommendation on what they should read from this list.)
Duncan wrote: "Cheating."Not at all. Novellas are often of really good quality - they cut to the chase and can deliver all the satisfaction of a longer story. Animal Farm is one of my favourite books of all time.
I just read The Battle for Paradise by Naomi Klein. It's only 88 pages long. It's about the aftermath of hurricane Maria (2017) on Puerto Rico. It's interesting.
I just love reading! The amount of books are just to motive. I prefer a 400 + pages of a good Fiction historian book. I’m not here to challenge anyone.
social media fucks up everything by turning it into some form of self-validation or avenue for bragging.
ick."
It hurts when others are having fun with reading and actually talking to others about books, I know. So hateful! How dare they! They should be eating worms with you in your pit of despair! Those meanies.