43 - A Book That Takes Place Entirely In One Day

[L Y N N]

A book that takes place entirely in one day

I keep meaning to read Mrs. Dalloway. Perhaps 2023 is the year! :)

This was a 2019 prompt. (I searched because I thought I remembered it!) HERE is a link to that discussion.
HERE is a link Anabell posted that might prove helpful.

Listopia is HERE

[Heather L]

The first book that came to mind was Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

[Rachel]

I'm going to read Summerwater by Sarah Moss, as I didn't get round to it this year.

[Robin H-R]

I recommend the 20 minute series by Daniel Hurst.

First book is 20 Minutes On The Tube

Once you get started in the series, you can probably fill lots of the prompts. BUT YOU HAVE TO READ THEM IN ORDER! They are short reads, and under $2 on Amazon.

[Jennifer W]

There's always Ulysses!!

Chess Story took place in a day, with flashbacks, and is short.

[Nadine in NY]

I read Mrs. Dalloway when I was in college and it's been a long time now so I have forgotten most of it and I think I will read it again.

[Ron]

I'll probably go with #NeverAgain: A New Generation Draws the Line .

I might look for other NF books that take place in a single day but we'll see. The Parkland stuff is easy because it happened on Valentine's (I'll be using a different Parkland book for that topic). Which is why I want to aim for something else so I don't have two Parkland books in there.

[Bea]

Oh, I misread this prompt the first time through. I was thinking it was a book read in one day...and some on the list were hundreds of pages!

I think I will go with Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, which looks like a fun read.

[Joshua]

This one I struggle with because I generally pick up things that happen over time. However! Last year I readBlackout which did happen in one day, and I know that Whiteout is a similar theme so I imagine it's also a single day.

[Jen W.]

I'm Not Dying with You Tonight takes place in a single night.

[Jacqueline]

Heather L wrote: "The first book that came to mind was Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day."

I read this for a similar prompt a few years ago and LOVED it.

This year I'm going with They Both Die at the End

[Angie]

Ian McEwan's Saturday would work for this.

And if anyone wants a zombie thriller that's also LGBTQ+, then G. Benson's Dead Lez Walking would also work.

[Jennifer W]

Depending on how much of a stickler you are, The Overnight Guest kinda works. The modern day story takes place over the course of an afternoon into the next morning. But it jumps back in time over the course of years. So... up to you.

[Chrissy]

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk would be a great choice for this!

[Lilith]

Eleven Hours was amazing! I highly recommend it... and I think I read this book for the first time the prompt occurred.

[chysodema]

Does anyone know if No Exit by Taylor Adams takes place over the course of 24 hours or less?

[Tara]

11 Hours takes place over eleven hours, but it's very spicy.

[Milena]

Lailah wrote: "Does anyone know if No Exit by Taylor Adams takes place over the course of 24 hours or less?"

It does. It's overnight, but less than 24 hours.

[Clarissa]

Do you think Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass works for this prompt?? I've never read it and I'm not sure if something is mentioned about the timeframe. Alice falls asleep and wakes up on the same day, that's why I'm asking it you think that counts.

[John]

Clarissa wrote: "Do you think Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass works for this prompt?? I've never read it and I'm not sure if something is mentioned about the timeframe. Ali..."

This is a good question! I believe that there are several books that blend fantasy with reality in which the fantasy adventure takes several days but in reality it might only be a dream or short peiod of unconciousness.

[Melissa]

I am doing If the Shoe Fits

[Denise]

Chrissy wrote: "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk would be a great choice for this!"

I agree, that one is very good!

[Denise]

I'll read After Dark.

[Ellie]

Holly Jackson's Five Survive has "eight hours" on the cover so I'm gonna guess that takes place over one night.

[David]

Now if you REALLY want to stretch the definition, read The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Downton Abbey meets Quantum Leap meets Groundhogs Day! Evelyn is killed at party. Aiden Bishop has to stop her from being killed. Every time he fails, he "leaps" into a different party guest and relives the day over again! Possibly one of the most tightly plotted novels I've ever read!

[Kaia]

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich seems like it would take place in one day, so that's my pick.

[The Pampered Librarian]

Ellie good to know! I plan to read Five Survive in a different prompt ("a book about a vacation")
"Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds takes place within 60 seconds!!

[Rose]

Laura wrote: "Ellie good to know! I plan to read Five Survive in a different prompt ("a book about a vacation")
"Long Way Down" by Jason Reynolds takes place within 60 seconds!!"
And is a great book!

[Melissa]

Would books about people stuck in time-loops count? The main action happens in the loop of the same day, but the end would be after they break the loop (I mean, hopefully they break the loop).

Mostly just looking for a place to put The Do-Over.

[Sunshine]

Reading one day in the life of Ivan denisovich

[Maria]

I read this in 2022 but it was really interesting! The Wedding Party is a bunch of characters but only one day.

[Diana]

Not sure what I'm going to read but I found these to add to the list:

Take Me Home Tonight - It's billed as Ferris Bueller's Day Off meets Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which also fits this prompt.

We Are the Wildcats - It's about a girls' field hockey team and a night of bonding that evidently gets a little wild.

This Is All Your Fault - This one is described as Empire Records only set in a bookstore. The employees have 24 hours to save their bookstore from closing.

For nonfiction, I found these:
One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America
Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line

[Jamie]

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan takes place in a single night. I thought it was pretty good.

[StefanieFrei]

There must me some mystery/thriller to take place in just one day? I probably must have read some??? Any clues?

[Milena]

StefanieFrei wrote: "There must me some mystery/thriller to take place in just one day? I probably must have read some??? Any clues?"

No Exit is the only one that comes to mind. It takes place overnight, so technically 2 different days, but less than 24 hours (or close enough for me).

[Pie]

The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time this one might be stretching the prompt. There are 8 short stories and 4 of them take place in a day. Possibly 5 depending on how you interpret it.

[Sarah]

This is one of the categories I plan to focus on in January, and I've chosen The Sun Is Also a Star for this one!

[Marie-Eve]

I read They Both Die at the End a while back and was really looking forward the sequel, so that's probably gonna be my pick for that!

[Wendy]

Does Anxious People fit this prompt? The description looks like it might.

[Pooja]

Wendy wrote: "Does Anxious People fit this prompt? The description looks like it might."

The main events do occur over the course of one day, but we flash back a lot in time, and the ending section goes through months and years to wrap the story up. It could count, I think, but probably would not work for a traditionalist interpretation.

[Jennifer W]

I just borrowed 67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence. I will see if it fits here as I don't have another spot for it. I'll have to see how much of it actually takes place the day of the shooting.

[Joanna]

StefanieFrei wrote: "There must me some mystery/thriller to take place in just one day? I probably must have read some??? Any clues?"

I'm currently reading Deadline at Dawn, which takes place over 5 and a half hours.

[Jamie]

Embers by Sándor Márai takes place in one night, although I guess not technically in one calendar day (it starts in the afternoon and ends just before sunrise). I just read it for my around the world challenge, but I think it's close enough that I'm going to double-dip and use it for PopSugar too.

Edited to add: There are also a few chapters of flashbacks at the beginning if that matters to anyone. They're more of one character remembering the past than the actual past, though, if that makes any sense.)

[Flora]

Does Day 21 fit this prompt? I can't find anywhere that says whether it does or not.

[Miranda]

If you like horror, Benny Rose, the Cannibal King by Hailey Piper takes place entirely on Halloween (aside from a short prologue & epilogue). Could also work for the prompt "A book about a holiday that's not Christmas."

[Conny]

Can anyone confirm that Where Are the Children? is really set during one day (possible exposition/prologue/epilogue and flashbacks excluded)? It's on the list, but I have my doubts. I've read a bunch of MHC and they never took place during one day only, and the description isn't helping ... but I have the book right here and I would really like to fill that prompt :D

[Britany]

Finished The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kara]

Leap Day would fit.

[Vanessa]

A Death at the Party fits.

PR blurb: "In this tense, spellbinding thriller set over the course of a single day, a woman prepares for a party that goes dreadfully wrong—for fans of Ashley Audrain and Lisa Jewell."

[Nyla]

I think https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... The Langolier by Stephen King might work. Story started at 10:14 pm PDT and ends 4:17 am PDT.