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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Join us every Tuesday to see MBJ’s Top Ten Listicles!
I forgot to post this last week so instead of the books, I’d take to a deserted island here are 10 books I read in one sitting.
Reading a book in one sitting is something that I used to do a lot. Typically, I read romance novels in one sitting. However, if a book is good enough and short enough I can definitely read it in one sitting. When compiling this list I was actually a little surprised how many books I read in one sitting that weren’t romance novels, though I made sure to include some romance novels as well. Some of these were also assigned readings for school, nevertheless, I read them all in one sitting, start to finish.
Brother
by David Chariandy

This was assigned reading for my contemporary Canadian writers class. I was quite surprised by this book and that I finished it so quickly. While the themes of racism and radicalized violence can be uncomfortable, Chariandy weaves a narrative that draws readers in and keeps them captivated. Brother wasn’t terribly long either, so I was able to finish it in a day.
Ru
by Kim Thuy
This was another assigned reading for contemporary Canadian writers. I didn’t read it when I was supposed to, but then I needed it for my exam. Luckily, it was a short read so I read it in one sitting over a couple of hours, partially by accident. The structure of the narrative really draws in the reader making it easy to get caught up in the book.
A Scandal in Scarlet
by Vicki Delany
Not a school book! At least it didn’t start out that way. I actually ended up using this mystery for an essay I wrote for my detective fiction course. Initially, I borrowed this from the library because I loved the idea of a woman owning a Sherlock Holmes-themed bookshop, solving murders. And it was great, it was so fun to read. The relative light-heartedness of the mystery meant that it wasn’t too suspenseful and therefore allowed me to read it in one sitting.
Dark Lover
by J.R Ward
Sash recommended this book along with the rest of the series and she was right. Dark Lover drew me in and has me hooked. There is nothing quite like a supernatural bad boy and the ones in Dark Lover and the Black Dagger Brotherhood are definitely bad 😉. Aside from the bad boys, the plot and intrigue drew me in and kept me reading until I read it in one sitting.
Metamorphosis
by Franz Kafka

I didn’t actually enjoy Metamorphosis, it was required reading for my Literature of the fantastic course last summer. However, I did read it in one sitting. It is a classic and an interesting example of literary theorist Tzvetan Todorov’s definition of the fantastic but I hated it. Ultimately, I read it in one sitting, more because I had to than because I actually enjoyed the story.
Engagement and Espionage
by Penny Reid
Penny Reid’s Winston Brother Series is one of my favourite romance series. In particular, I love the character of Cletus, he is the absolute best. When I found out that Reid was writing a series dedicated completely to Cletus and his adventures with his partner Jen I was so excited and knew I had to read it. And read it I did, as soon as it was released I read it in one sitting. The way Cletus’s mind works is so amusing to me, he’s so devious and cunning. I love it!
Fun Home
by Alison Bechdel
Another book was assigned for class. Though Fun Home has been on my TBR for a while before I took the class. I find I can read most graphic novels in one sitting and Fun Home was no exception. It was an engaging read and a fascinating look at family dynamics. The idea of “a family tragicomic,” that this book is not just a memoir of one person but of a family is very interesting and kept me reading, so it was a book I read in one sitting.
The Unhoneymooners
by Christina Lauren
I’m a huge fan of author duo Christina Lauren’s romances. I took The Unhoneymooners on vacation with me to Aruba. I bought it when it first came out but held off on reading it until I had an entire day free on the beach. And that’s how I read it, I just sat on the beach and read. Except for what I now believe to be heat stroke it was the perfect day. All I did all day was read all day I didn’t get up until I finished this book.

Don’t misunderstand, this book on its own is worth being read in one sitting, it’s a great romantic comedy. The banter between the character and the plot makes it a fast-paced read.
The Deal
by Elle Kennedy
Every once in a while I go through a sports romance kick. I got The Deal during one of these times and read it in one sitting no problem. The Deal pulls double duty by being both a sport and university romance, at the time totally fixing my book craving. This is a close proximity hate to love romance which is my favourite. That made this book easy and a pleasure to read.
2 Comments
Rissi @ Finding Wonderland
August 2, 2021 at 23:14I’m always all about contemporary reads. They make me happy and seem to, in general, be the books I can read the fastest. 🙂 I know SO many people love Christina Lauren’s, however I haven’t really gotten into their books. Maybe someday I’ll find that ONE that I love. 🙂 Thanks for visiting Finding Wonderland last week.
Lydia
July 28, 2021 at 14:38Ru sure sounds interesting!
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-id-want-with-me-while-stranded-on-a-deserted-island/