Hey Bibliofriends,

Happy Tuesday! How is your week going so far? This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Top Ten Quick Reads, books to read when time is short or even books which can be devoured in just one sitting. After scrolling through my virtual bookshelf (a.k.a. Goodreads), I’ve gone for a mixture of my favourite short books, novellas, graphic novels and cover-to-cover in one day reads! If you don’t already know, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly, list-themed book prompt hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

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The Assassin’s Blade novellas by Sarah J Maas

It wouldn’t be a short reads post without mentioning this collection of novellas from one of my all-time favourite authors / series / fantasy worlds… (the SJM love is real over here)! I read these novellas before actually starting Throne of Glass itself and I found that they were a brilliant introduction to whole world of Erilea. I love the way each of the the threads in these stories is interwoven and tied together later on in the series.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Narrative verse always intrigues me and Dean Atta created such a beautiful transformation story in the Black Flamingo. It’s quick to make your way through the story, but the impact it leaves upon you will stay with you for a long time afterwards.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Not a novella or a short story by far, but I did devour this whole book, cover to cover, in just one day. I think I possibly even started reading the first pages in the actual bookshop, then continued it on the car ride home. This series appeals to my treasure-hunting soul!

The Once Upon A Con novellas by Ashely Poston

The Geekerella universe is one that I wish would be brought to life as a TV series adaptation. I started listening to them as audiobooks and became captivated with the characters and their stories – I’m convince Starfield is a real TV show! As soon as I had finished the main series, I found the novellas on Ashley Poston’s website and quickly made my way through them in one fell swoop.

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

I’m not terribly big into graphic novels, but once I saw the exquisite art design and Greek mythology references, these volumes fast became on my purchase list. Lore Olympus originally started as a webtoon, and I’ve tried my absolute hardest not to read ahead as the colours in the artwork are so vibrant that I feel the need to see them in print rather than on a screen.

Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Poetry by William Blake

William Blake is one of my all-time favourite poets. I remember studying this volume of his poetry in school and becoming overwhelmed by the amount of imagery, foreshadowing and hidden meanings within his collection. The perfect anthology to dip in and out of, as well as offering a contrast between the light and the dark.

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Fantasy and Fairytales feel like my life’s blood; I even wrote my Dissertation on Sleeping Beauty. Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber occupies a ‘forever-space’ on my bookshelf; it offers my brain both the magical elements of the childhood fairy stories I grew up with, mixed with the dark, twisted mind-bending tales that make my head spin as an adult.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafôn

I could have chosen any/all of Zafôn’s short stories or novellas to put in this list, but The Prince of the Mist was my favourite. The eerie clown statue inside a six-pointed star, the abandoned mansion house… Zafôn is an expert at taking creepy symbology and plot lines and turning it into an ethereal, yet lyrical page-turner. His way of story-telling borders on an art-form.

Useless Magic by Florence Welch

Since Dog Days Are Over first came pounding into my ears way back in 2008, Florence + the Machine have been my no.1 desert island disc band. If I were at all into tattoos, Florence’s lyrics would be inked all over my body! So it pretty much goes without saying that a book of lyrics and poems by Florence would make this list. Not only is it a quick read, but you can come back to it time and time again, although I defy you to try reading the lyrics without trying to make it fit to the music! I fail every time!

Spies by Michael Frayn

This entry feels a little like a cheat entry. As I normally read full-on novels, I really struggled trying to find a book that was either a novella or a one-sitting read that I had enjoyed enough to put into my top ten of faves. Whilst at the time, I didn’t read Spies in one go, I’m pretty convinced that I could. It has always been a tale which had me intrigued whilst reading, and the relationship between the boys against the backdrop of wartime had me guessing at things which were a little inconceivable. It’s a story which has stayed with me ever since first reading it in high school.

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That’s it! My Top Ten quick reads, one-sitting reads, or books to read when time is short. What have been your favourite one-sitting page turners or novellas? Do you like mixing up your reading with poetry anthologies or graphic novels? As always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx