16 Books You'll Want to Read in One Sitting

Of this list, I have only read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and that was not a single sitting read for me. I'm pleased to see The Bridges of Madison County on the list- I love the movie and have seen it multiple times. I think that'll be a single sitting read for me, as might the Harry Potter book.

Ivan Crnic, Jr. wrote: "The wording and desc is weird here... I think it's a list of books you'd WANT to read in one sitting... which just means any good book."

Me too- I think the list could be longer- there are a lot more good books out there. Plus, as tastes vary so much from reader to reader, and between what one reader versus another thinks is a "good book" the list could, in fact, end up huge.

Comical wrote: "For some of the books mentioned here, one sitting would rather be near impossible. Even if the book is interesting one can never have enough time."
Agree just because some of the books are long. I often find that, no matter how much I love a book and want to read it in one sitting, I often can't because of all the other things I have to do.

Even in audiobook form, I think some of these would not be "single sitting" books.

Josiah wrote: "I don't understand the appeal of reading a novel in a single sitting. If it's good, I want to take time to savor it over a period of days. I love reading, but plowing through hundreds of pages with..."

I used to be eager to gulp in one mouthful - but I am reading for pleasure these days and it is simply excellent to want to get back to a work in progress. Of which I have a few. I read very quickly - always have - but have learned the joy of slowly enjoying the story or the information. There are some that go down quickly though - I like those too. I find the question strange. Is there an accolade for reading in one sitting?

Reading a book in one sitting is not very high on my list of to-do's, especially as I am more of a non-fiction reader. Nowadays, I am reading more articles than books. And I prefer to focus on chapters in non-fiction books rather than feeling obliged to gorge on superfluous information just for the sake of having "read the book" (a handy tool for all of us with obsessive-compulsive propensities).

Fiction:
Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Guild"
Robert Jordan's "The Eye of the World (Book 1 of The Wheel of Time series)"
Frank Herbert's "Dune"

Non-fiction:
Leo Buscaglia's "Love"
Henri J.M. Nouwen's "The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming"
Max Lucado's "The Great House of God"
Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist:
Nicky Cruz's "Run Baby Run"
Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion"

Smaller compact books:
Quite a few, but these were recent ones...
Spencer Johnson's "Who moved my cheese?"
Deepak Chopra's "How to know God"

Reading a book in one sitting is not very high on my list of to-do's, especially as I am more of a non-fiction reader. Nowadays, I am reading more articles than books. And I prefer to focus on chapters in non-fiction books rather than feeling obliged to gorge on superfluous information just for the sake of having "read the book" (a handy tool for all of us with obsessive-compulsive propensities).

Fiction:
Trudi Canavan's "The Magician's Guild"
Robert Jordan's "The Eye of the World (Book 1 of The Wheel of Time series)"
Frank Herbert's : "Dune"

Non-fiction:
Leo Buscaglia's "Love"
Henri J.M. Nouwen's "The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming"
Max Lucado's "The Great House of God"
Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist:
Nicky Cruz's "Run Baby Run"
Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion"

Smaller compact books:
Quite a few, but these were recent ones...
Spencer Johnson's "Who moved my cheese?"
Deepak Chopra's "How to know God"

Justin wrote: "I don't think I could ever single sit these let alone any book :(."

Me either. I can't read that fast and don't have time to read that long in one sitting. Even if I did, I prefer to savor stories I love, not blast through them in one day. I also don't think I'd have nearly the long memory for books that I do if I read them that quickly.

Me too. It is not a contest.

I also could never read any of those books all in one sitting--I'm such a slow reader. I can perhaps get through Of Mice and Men in one day, though...

Probably the only book I have gotten through in one sitting was The Twits by Roald Dahl!

I used to be able to start and finish a book in one single sitting. But that was a loooong time ago now. And I haven't done that in years now! But oh how I miss it. I almost did that with Nevermore. But life got in the way. Ad out of the 16 books on this I have only read one, and that's Harry Potter. But if I had to make a list of the top books I HAVE read in one single day\sitting. Here they are.


1)NightShade (The whole series just different days)

2) Born at Midnight

3) White Hot Kiss

4) Darkness before Dawn

and 5) Devil's Kiss.


There's a lot more I'm sure but that would be the top 5 off the top of my head that I remember.

All Agatha Christie and Harry Potter novels in one sitting; yes. Khaled Hosseini,not so much. Way too deep for one sitting.

I really didn't like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In the end I could never finish it. And I NEVER not finish books.

The few books on this list I've read, I read in school so there wasn't a way for me to necessarily read it in a single sitting. But with fiction books, that's essentially how I read unless the subject is particularly heavy. Non-fiction I tend to read chapter by chapter so I can take it to work.

Lol, The Hobbit took two false starts over a period of 6+ years to get through for me. I pushed my way through that boring slog a chapter at a time.

David wrote: "Lol, The Hobbit took two false starts over a period of 6+ years to get through for me. I pushed my way through that boring slog a chapter at a time."


Nice to know I'm not the only one who didn't care for it. It was a slog for me too. And it's supposed to be a children's book!

I'm too ADHD to be able to read a book all in one sitting. The most I seem to manage is like 150 pages :(

Totally agree with some of these books. I read Ready Player One so fast that i cant even believe it. A really good book. Just waiting for the movie!!! And of course HP!!!! Fuck yeah, JKRowling is the bossssssss!

I have read all the poirot books. they are just spellbounding and thus makes me complete them in a single sitting.

Clare wrote: "I'm too ADHD to be able to read a book all in one sitting. The most I seem to manage is like 150 pages :("

Depends on the book for me.

The very first book I remember reading in one sitting was Jurassic Park, when the movie was just coming out and my aunt bought the book for me. I'd read that on a weekend the day before she took me to see the movie when I was in 4th grade. I read all of the Harry Potter books in one sitting of about 12 hours per book. I've read all of the Eragon books in one sitting per book in roughly the same length as well, along with various books by James Rollins and other similar exciting books.

My best records though were probably the Game of Thrones books. I zipped through each one of those in 12-24 hours a piece, each in one sitting also. My poor eyes were not happy with that one but I'm sure I'll do it again whenever the final book or two gets released.

Haha, I used to have too much free time on my hands. Having to watch my nephew 5 days a week has really cut back on free time though so I don't get as much reading done as I used to :( Probably won't get any done this summer while he's on his school break! :(

Francesco wrote: "Wait a moment, Ready, Player One in a single sitting?
Are you serious?
Really?"

I agree, I couldn't do it..

I haven't read a book in a sitting since I was a kid/teenager. I have read half of those books, though, and loved all but The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo! Even though I didn't like that one, I would be impressed to learn that someone read it in one sitting. That book is huge.

I can't remember ANY book I've read in a single sitting. Maybe when I was kid, but it just isn't possible these days. Maybe in two sittings, a two-day read, with a book under four-hundred pages, but anything else, there will just be too many interruptions, such as having to go to work in order to be able to buy books.

Samantha wrote: "I read Night Film in one sitting; it's thrilling and demands to be finished quickly. And The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them..."

Totally loved Night Film. Not sure how you managed it in one sitting.... definitely a weekend read for me though.

Mary wrote: "I've read six of these books and The Hobbit I've read at least once a decade for five decades. I read The Return of the King in a single sitting. Also various thrillers, several Diana Gabaldon book..."

WOW!!

Read four of them and three are on my to-read list, yet none of them in one sitting.. but these are quite long ones, I sometimes read books in one sitting if they are shorter, super interesting or I have a day off. The last one was with Gemina this Sunday - finished it in five hours or so, truly amazing book!

The one I wanted to read in one sitting (but just couldn't make it) is The Practice House by Laura McNeal. This is a wonderful book and I recommend it highly.

Leinda wrote: "The one I wanted to read in one sitting (but just couldn't make it) is The Practice House by Laura McNeal. This is a wonderful book and I recommend it highly."

Yeah, that looks exceptional!

Jordan wrote: "The only book that I have ever read and not been able to put down is Lincoln in the Bardo. It's completely different from anything else I've ever read. Captivating, distinct, fulfil..."

Agreed!

I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in one sitting, many times. Also The Blue Castle by L.M.Montgomery is always a one sitting book. More recently, Nicholas Barreau's books have been one-sitting books and so was The Vegetarian.

Nasim wrote: "A Thousand Splendid Suns?? It WAS a great book but I couldn't read it in one sitting. Sometimes I just had to put it away and cry! (I haven't cried for a book after that... not that I did before...)"

yeah ; the same thing happen to me !

A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas

Great question! I love reading people’s book recommendations! I find that thrillers usually keep me engrossed from start to finish. My most recent FAVORITE book is "The Persian Woman" by Thomas Booker. This book somehow manages to mix the action/suspense/thriller genre with romance in an interesting and unique way. The book follows the unlikely relationship between Jeffrey Quinn (ex Navy seal) and Muslim FBI Agent Parvin Sassani. Jeffrey has extreme biases towards Muslims because his wife was killed by a jihadist. The book is refreshing in the sense that it covers a very real issue that is happening today with unfounded biases against certain cultures and religions. He is forced to learn about her ethics, culture, and belief system and in turn he falls for her. The characters are extremely likable and the story is riveting from start to finish. You can read more about it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Persian-Woman-... Let me know what you think! Happy Reading!

I remember buying The Exorcist the day it came out and I read it non-stop in one shot ....I believe I re-read - a habit of mine in the 70’s and 80’s. Now I want to and do read so many I don’t re-read very often. Good memory helps.

I never have and probably never will. Not because I don't want to or don't have the time, but simply because I have the attention span of a peanut.

Francesco wrote: "Wait a moment, Ready, Player One in a single sitting?
Are you serious?
Really?"

I did it, I just couldn't stop reading it cause I loved it so much!

Hmmm. that would be Tiffanny Hadish 'one last black unicorn' and Ayobami Adebayo's Stay with me. I was captivated!