10 Perfect Books You Can Read in a Day

Image via Faber and Faber Published Jul 28, 2026, 3:24 PM EDT Jennie Richardson is a TV Features and Lists Writer for Collider, and a graduate student pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing. In other words, she really loves stories. Sign in to your Collider account There's nothing like sitting down with a great book and getting hooked from the very beginning. An amazing book will draw its readers in early on and make it impossible to put the book down for very long until getting to the ending. With longer books, the reading journey is just as consuming, but it can take a while. These books keep their readers engaged throughout the reading experience, no matter how long it takes. For those without a lot of free time to read, it can be an amazing experience to just binge-read a single book in one day. With the right book, a reader can inhale it in one sitting, or at least in a single one-day period. These shorter novels make for fast reads, but they still pack quite a punch and leave a lasting emotional impact long after the reader has reached the last page. These are 10 perfect books that you can read in a single day. 10 'Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead' (2021) Written by Emily Austin Image via Atria Books Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin is a quiet and internal contemporary fiction novel that leaves a lasting emotional impact long after the final page. It follows Gilda, a woman in her 20s with debilitating anxiety and non-stop intrusive thoughts about death. Overwhelmed and hoping for help, Gilda goes to a local Catholic church for free therapy, but she's mistaken for a job applicant for the receptionist position. Not wanting to speak up, Gilda interviews for the job and accepts the position, hiding the fact that she's both an atheist and a lesbian. Gilda is replacing Grace, an older woman who left the position vacant when she died. While adjusting to her new job, Gilda accidentally gets stuck regularly exchanging emails with one of Grace's friends on her behalf, and she doesn't know how to reveal that Grace has died. On top of that, it is soon revealed that Grace's death was suspicious, and the police start looking into it. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a short and quick read, but it will leave you deep in thought afterwards. Gilda's internal voice is very captivating, and the writing has a perfect balance of humor and heart. 9 'Transcendent Kingdom' (2020) Written by Yaa Gyasi Image via Knopf Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi follows Gifty, a PhD candidate in neuroscience at Standford. Gifty's studies are primarily focused on how lab mice act when seeking rewards, with the ultimate goal of piecing together what these findings will say about addiction and depression. This is very personal to Gifty, because her brother died of an overdose, and her mother has since been struggling to function in the wake of her grief. Transcendent Kingdom is a short novel with under 300 pages, and it is a fast but emotionally gutting read. The book brilliantly uses Gifty's profession to address heavy themes through the perspective of a logical-minded person who tries to use science to make sense of the world. Transcendent Kingdom is a beautiful and thoughtful portrayal of grief, and Gifty's narrative voice is captivating from beginning to end. 8 'This Is How You Lose the Time War' (2019) Written by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone Image via Saga Press This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is a science fiction romance novella about an unlikely romance between two agents from rival organizations in a post-apocalyptic future. Red works for an organization called the Agency, and Blue works for its competitor, the Garden. Both of them are regularly sent to travel through time and carefully alter the past in order to get to their respective agency's desired results. Red and Blue regularly see each other on the job, but the two women have never actually properly interacted – that is, until Blue one day leaves a letter for Red. The two then start writing to each other regularly, leaving self-destructing letters that are only meant for each other. It starts off as a game, but they quickly start to fall in love. In the process, Red and Blue start to question their loyalty to their organizations, knowing that they will both lose everything if they get caught writing to each other. This Is How You Lose the Time War is a beautiful and fast-paced novella with excellent world-building and a breathtaking love story at its center, and it is a quick but meaningful read. 7 'Check, Please!' (2018) Written by Ngozi Ukazu Image via First Second Check, Please! Book 1: #HOCKEY by Ngozi Ukazu is the first of two volumes of graphic novels about the Samwell University hockey team, told through the perspective of new recruit Eric "Bitty" Bittle. Bitty is a phenomenal figure skater who has a penchant for baking, and who chronicles pretty much his whole life on his vlog. Being on the hockey team is an adjustment, especially with a captain as tough as Jack Zimmerann, but Bitty is an optimist who's ready to do what it takes to make this work. Unfortunately, this includes working on his fear of checking, with the help of private practices with Jack. Through these practices, Bitty becomes more comfortable with this different way of being on the ice, and he develops a crush on Jack. Both volumes of Check, Please! can be read in a single day, and Book 1 is the perfect start. The world of these graphic novels is so cozy and fun, the main romance is an absolute delight, and the dynamic of the Samwell hockey team is laugh-out-loud funny (and surprisingly sweet). 6 'We Play Ourselves' (2021) Written by Jen Silverman Image via Random House We Play Ourselves by Jen Silverman is a short novel about a once-successful playwright trying to outrun her past. Cass was just at the start of what was sure to be her dream career, when a mistake led to an explosive and public fall from success that ruined her career and her life. Now, Cass has left New York City for Los Angeles, where she's hoping to have a fresh start while hiding away from the shame associated with her old life. Cass finds purpose in LA through a friendship with her charismatic new next-door neighbor, Caroline. Caroline is a filmmaker who's making a documentary about a group of teenage girls who are all in a fight club together, and she wants Cass to help her. At first, this project is exactly what Cass needs, but she soon starts to question the ethics of Caroline's documentary. All the while, Cass recalls flashbacks from her time in New York and everything that led to the event that ruined her life. We Play Ourselves is a sharp, fast-paced novel that will draw viewers in quickly, and it's impossible to put down until the very last page. 5 'Little Fires Everywhere' (2017) Written by Celeste Ng Image via Penguin Press Before it was a hit miniseries, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng was first a stunning and captivating fiction novel. The book follows the clash between two very different mothers in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1997. The novel opens with the home that belongs to the Richardsons burning down due to suspected arson. A year earlier, Elena Richardson – a very put-together mother to four teenagers – decides to rent out her family's guest house to an artist named Mia and her daughter, Pearl. Mia and Pearl are always traveling, but they settle down for the first time at the Richardsons. While Pearl is thrilled to have a new home and friendships with the Richardson kids, Mia is careful not to become too comfortable there. There are reasons why she and Pearl have never been able to stay in one place for too long, and Mia is determined to protect their family secrets. Elena, in turn, pays close attention to Mia. When the two women wind up on opposite sides of a local court case between their friends, the tension between them only grows, threatening the life that Mia and Pearl are building in Shaker Heights. 4 'Foolish Hearts' (2017) Written by Emma Mills Image via Henry Holt & Co. Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills is a cozy contemporary Young Adult novel, and it's the perfect comfort read to enjoy in a single day. The novel follows Claudia, a quiet high school senior who's just trying to keep her head down. At home, she loves to spend time playing her favorite video game with her brother and her best friend. At school, she tries to keep from drawing attention to herself. When Claudia accidentally witnesses the breakup of the most popular couple at her school – school sweetheart Paige and mean girl Iris – she winds up on Iris' radar. Iris' intense new dislike of Claudia gets them both in trouble, and they're forced to join the crew of the school play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. In the process, Claudia is forced to break out of her shell. She develops an unlikely friendship with Iris, who gets her into her favorite boyband. Claudia also strikes a connection with Gideon Prewitt, one of the leads in the play. Foolish Hearts has funny banter, complex characters, and so many cozy and fun scenes. It's an absolute delight to read, and it's the sort of book that is easy to binge-read in a single day without putting it down once. 3 'Small Things Like These' (2020) Written by Claire Keegan Image via Grove Press Before it was a film, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan was a beautiful and devastating historical fiction novella. The book follows Bill Furlong, a coal and fuel merchant living in a small Irish town in December of 1985. While busy getting ready for Christmas and doing his latest round of deliveries, Bill uncovers something horrifying at the local convent that changes his life forever. Now, Bill is forced to choose whether to take action in response to what he saw, even though it could destroy his life. Small Things Like These is a breathtaking novella that makes use of every single word. It is a fast read that pulls readers in early on with its atmospheric setting and compelling main character. Most of all, Small Things Like These shines a light on an important and lesser-known part of history. It is a short read that forces readers to consider heavy ethical questions, and it doesn't take the easy route when coming to its conclusion. 2 'We Are Okay' (2017) Written by Nina LaCour Image via Dutton Books We Are Okay by Nina LaCour is a quiet and introspective contemporary Young Adult novel about a first-year college student named Marin. Unspeakable tragedy caused Marin to leave her whole life in California behind and start over fresh for college in New York. Marin has fought to keep her distance from her past, but she's now staying by herself in the dorms over break, and her former best friend, Mabel, is coming to visit her for the first time. We Are Okay divides its time between flashbacks to Marin's past and everything that led to her finally having to get away, to her and Mabel reconnecting in the present day. As the two share a quiet and generally uneventful winter break together, Marin struggles with the resurfacing of old feelings and painful memories. We Are Okay is a beautiful and thoughtful novel that can be read in just a few hours, and it will rip your heart out in the best way. 1 'Never Let Me Go' (2005) Written by Kazuo Ishiguro Image via Vintage Books Before it was a film, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro was a breathtaking and horrifying science fiction novel. The book follows Kathy H., a 31-year-old woman who's been working as a carer for over a decade. Kathy is good at her job and mostly at peace with her life, but she finds herself constantly reflecting on and reliving her boarding school days. Starting in childhood, Kathy goes back and tells the story of the years she spent at a private boarding school called Hailsham with her two best friends, Ruth and Tommy. Kathy's story moves through her time at Hailsham as a child, to the early years after graduating. As children, she and her friends worry about typical squabbles, while occasionally discussing rumors about the secrets that Hailsham hides. As they get older, they start to worry about their futures and their places in the world, all while reevaluating what they all mean to each other. Never Let Me Go is an absolute gut-punch of a novel with beautiful writing, shocking plot twists, and characters that stay with you after the end of the story. Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one. 🚀Star Wars 💍Lord of the Rings 🧙Harry Potter 👑Game of Thrones 🖖Star Trek FIND YOUR UNIVERSE → 01 What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question. ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully. AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be. NEXT QUESTION → 03 How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul. AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count. NEXT QUESTION → 04 Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for. AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space. NEXT QUESTION → 05 What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are. AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat. NEXT QUESTION → 06 How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map. AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying? AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you. AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be. REVEAL MY UNIVERSE → Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose. Star WarsYou believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast. You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance. You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources. Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story. The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is. Lord of the RingsYou understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost. Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate. You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival. Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance. Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world. Harry PotterYou believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise. The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle. You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete. Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying. That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely. Game of ThronesYou see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it. Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation. You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be. Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer. Winter always comes. You are already prepared. Star TrekYou believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation. Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear. You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is. The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better? You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ