Not every great book is a thousand pages. These short reads, most under 200 pages, are perfect for busy schedules, reading slumps or anyone who wants to feel the satisfaction of finishing a book.
1. Animal Farm by George Orwell
A farm fable about power and corruption. Short, sharp and easy to remember.
2. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
An aging fisherman battles a giant marlin. Simple prose with real emotional weight.
3. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Two drifting workers in California dream of a better life. A heartbreaking classic.
4. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
A man wakes up transformed into an insect. Strange, funny and unsettling.
5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
A charming story for children and adults about love, loss and seeing what matters.
6. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
A young man searches for enlightenment in ancient India. Calm and reflective.
7. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A miserly man is visited by three ghosts. Warm, atmospheric and perfect for the holiday season, but good any time of year.
8. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
A landmark African novel about a proud man and the arrival of colonialism in his Igbo community.
9. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A short, persuasive essay adapted from a talk. You can read it in under an hour.
10. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
A darkly funny, unconventional anti-war novel with a time-traveling narrator.
11. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A gothic mystery about a respectable doctor and his dangerous double. Quick and atmospheric.
12. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
A graphic memoir about growing up during the Iranian Revolution. Visual, personal and moving.
Why short books are worth your time
Short books are ideal for building confidence, trying new genres without commitment and rediscovering the joy of finishing. They also make great gifts and book club picks.
Weekend reading plan
Pick one title from this list, read for 45 minutes on Saturday morning and again on Sunday, and you will likely finish before Monday.