100 Short New Books to Supercharge Your 2024 Reading Challenge

The annual Goodreads Reading Challenge is going strong once again this year, with more than 8.9 million (!) participants globally and 351 million (!) books pledged.
For the uninitiated, the Reading Challenge is just that: Goodreads members pledge to read a certain number of books in the calendar year, then endeavor to do so with the support and encouragement of the Goodreads community at large.
With the holiday stretch coming up, this is a good time to check your progress. If you find you’re a few books off your ideal pace, well, we're here to help.
We’ve assembled here several dozen Very Short Books for your perusal, the reading of which can do wonders for your overall progress. These are all new and recent-ish short books, divided into fiction under 200 pages; fiction between 200 and 250 pages; and nonfiction under 250 pages. We’ve included options across various genres, as well as a few novels and novellas that gleefully defy genre entirely.
Keep in mind, of course, that the Reading Challenge is really a casual affair. Don’t stress yourself out! It's always OK to downshift your goal. Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we are of the mind that reading should always be a fun activity first and foremost.
Click on the book cover images for more details, and you can sequence out your reading strategy on your Want to Read shelf.
Fiction Under 200 Pages
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Nov 02, 2024 09:34AM
At under 200 pages, The Secret Pactis a gripping read. It's 1743 and Willow, daughter of legendary Nanny of the Maroons and her steadfast companion Kai, embark on a journey to right an injustice but their quest for justice threatens to ignite a war that could shatter the fragile peace. A must-read for historical fiction fans.
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I've read 45 books this year, and my goal is ATM 47 I'm hoping for 50 though. most of my 5 star books I found this year. I plan to read a few of these books even though I don't need catching up. I'm 7 books ahead.
David wrote: "A Short Stay in Hell is 110 pages and excellent."I recently heard about it and am waiting to get it from the library!
Mother India: A NovelGreat list and its lovely that short books are getting so much love. 'A short stay in hell' was excellent.
A must add would be ' Mother India' by Prayaag Akbar a nuanced story set in modern India.
Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* wrote: "Amber wrote: "FYI - South is listed twice"Since it has exactly 200 pages, they clearly had no choice but to list is as both under 200 pages and between 200 and 250 pages."
If it had exactly 200 pages then it’s not under 200 pages. 199 pages or less would be under 200 pages
Kirby wrote: "I completed my goal to read 100 books a couple weeks ago. Next year I should probably make my goal more challenging. Here are some of my highly rated books with less than 250 pages:Recent Favorit..."
Oh my God, well done!! I sent a goal of 10 books this year, and I am grabing at straws to finish it :(, Do you have any advice if it's okay to ask?
I’m a bit behind my 250 book goal so these short books will help (provided I like them. I don’t just read for the sake of it).
Suzanne wrote: "I'm in the middle of a 1299 page book of Raymond Chandler stories. I didn't realize it was a door stopper until I picked it up at the library. But, I'm determined to finish it. So, my reading goal ..."Reading is to be enjoyed, not measured. It is good to have a direction (as set by a reading goal) but then let the winds of imagination drive you. I started "The Stand," a 1300-page door-stopper, and as a result, I will miss my goal of 53 books this year.
Last year, I got engrossed with the "Sharpe" series and easily met my reading goals.
I am not holding myself guilty for not meeting a number. I am proud of the vicissitudes each year brings to my reading journey.
The Broke Diaries 221 p.Winter's Bone 225 p.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop 150p.
More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop 165p.
Love Story 224p.
Vitae Elixir by Charlene Carr - great for Hallowe'en Season, and Before I Knew You also by Charlene Carr are two great short books that I enjoyed.
Any suggestions for some Christian fiction shorties that aren't part of a series or are series prequels? I've picked up a couple of Camy Tang shorties, but I haven't yet read the full-length novels that come before them in the series they belong to.
Nona the First wrote: "Tor has these short stories online for free. I always squeeze a couple in and reach my goal. They’re wonderful!"Which stories, please?
I love reading plays! I especially enjoy reading plays that I’ve seen, as a way to remember some special performances. I’ve seen productions of many of August Wilson’s Century Cycle, 10 plays about the African American experience, mostly set in Pittsburgh, each set in a different decade of the 20th century.Two of the plays are quite famous: Fences (which became a film starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, directed by Washington) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (which became a film with Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman).
The plays were not written in chronological order, but I want to read them in that order. So I’m starting with Gem of the Ocean, and will read my way through to Radio Golf.
Me, My Shelf, & I wrote: "some new favs from this year:


some perennial favs:
[bookcov..."
Thank you for the recommendations.
Fiore wrote: "Alhamdulillah doing superb only 2.5 books to go to complete my reading challenge"whats your goal?
We need this list in like August hahahah. Hoping a few of these can help me increase my count a bit. It's been a slow reading year for me!
Shameless Promotion Alert:If you enjoy domestic crime thrillers, please consider A NOIR STORY. It is under 200 pages.
A Noir Story
Stumbled upon a charming road-trip-to-Montana-for-a-proxy-wedding shorty (76 pages) today. So good!
A Proxy Wedding by Toni Shiloh
Any one of my books! A Perfect Sundae, Chartreuse, and He Told Me to Smile are all under 200 pages and fun/easy reads!


















