I thought I knew what being busy meant, but then I had a baby in December, and life is definitely not the same! Maybe you like to read but you don’t like the commitment of a series or a 400-page book. Or maybe you are too busy to pay complete attention to a book for too long. Since I’m trying to get back into the groove of reading regularly again (besides fantasizing about what sleep used to be like), I thought that I would compile a list of quick reads to get started.

The majority of these books have 200 pages or less and all are designed to keep your attention from the very beginning. You could also try reading plays or poetry to pad your reading belt or to try something new.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks

Sunburn by Laura Lippman

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry

Night by Elie Wiesel

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Many of these books are considered Young Adult. If this is a genre you have never read before, you’re definitely missing out! I’m kind of a slow reader anyway, but Young Adult fiction tends to move quickly and has language that is easy to follow. The next time you’re here, browse the Teen section of the library or ask a staff member to help you find your next great read.

Do you have your own suggestions of quick, attention-hogging reads? I’d love to hear them!

Happy Reading!