Similarly to the best TV shows you can't quit watching after just one episode, there are books you can't put down after reading just one chapter. Then the chapter turns into "just a couple more," and there you are, at 3 am with your eyes drowsy, reading the endnotes. For many, it might have been one of the beloved children's books or one of the classic novels that had them gripped but also sowed the seeds of their love for books.
With today's dynamics and overload of responsibilities, many would probably agree that reading for the whole day, perhaps on a weekend or a day off, is an incredible luxury. Hence we usually stick to just a few chapters. However, sometimes you come across books that are hard to put down. Books so tempting that you decide that house chores and sleep can wait. However, unlike your situationship, the best books you can't put down are worth losing sleep for. Perhaps not every night, but every fortnight. Interested to learn what books kept members of the r/books community prisoner, Reddit user jollyflyingcactus asked, "What's a book that was so good/enjoyable that you couldn't put it down?" The thread with just over 1K comments revealed the many gripping books that bookworms couldn't stop reading until the very last page. But beware, these books had people either rushing back to the library to get other parts of the series, had them up reading into the early morning, and some were so enthralled that they had to be reminded to eat. Finishing a book in one sitting is a serious commitment, yet it's a very fulfilling one.
Below, we've compiled some of the picks from the thread, which shared books that you can't put down and must bury yourself in until they’re finished. Whether you're looking for the best books to get back into reading or books you can read in one sitting, you will find plenty of worthy suggestions. If you have read a book from the list and would recommend it to others, make sure to give it an upvote. Also, what was that one book (or more) that held you captive until the very last page? Share it in the comments!
#1 Discworld (41 Books) By Terry Pratchett
PunkandCannonballer said: "Every Discworld book. I blast through all of them in one sitting."
Sketzz replied: "Yep, started last year and am around 17 books in. Discworld is simply amazing."
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44points
#2 A Short History Of Nearly Everything By Bill Bryson
"For those with an active curiosity. I loved it, answered so many questions. I would like to retitle it as everything you could have learned in High School if your teachers weren’t so drab and boring."
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30points
#3 The Martian By Andy Weir
"The Martian by Andy Weir read it in a single sitting."
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27points
#4 The Stand By Stephen King
srmlutz said: "I picked it up on a whim and it absolutely gripped me."
Cranks_No_Start replied: "I blasted through the Stand when I first read it. I even picked up the "Extra" version when it came out for a reread. IIRC it had 400 extra pages vs the original and I was so hooked it could've been longer."
peb396 answered: "That was my experience. Was summer break and I had never been a "for pleasure" reader. Wanted ti work on that so I read "The Godfather" first. Then I saw the unabridged version of "The Stand" and literally read ot through two nights. I was gripped."
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24points
#5 Project Hail Mary By Andy Weir
Zesto_Sunshine said: "To all you people who mentioned Project Hail Mary... DAMN YOU! My dog may need to make his own supper."
Accurate-Let-3579 replied: "And then you’ll spend years finding something like this to read, that can play roller coaster with your emotions like this book did. Imagine my torment, I read this when it came out and I’ve been searching for another one like it, still."
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24points
#6 Memoirs Of A Geisha By Arthur Golden
"I started it on a flight to Japan and ended up missing a whole day of exploring Tokyo because I couldn't put it down."
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22points
#7 The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd By Agatha Christie
Home_Gnome11 said: "I almost exclusively read in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genres, but for whatever reason I had the desire to try something new and was convinced to pick up Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. It was the very definition of unputdownable. It's the first book I've ever started and then did nothing else until I had finished it, knocking it over in one session. I have now read a bunch of other Agatha Christie novels and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is firmly in my top 5 all-time favorites. I guess change can be good sometimes."
newb4213 replied: "M*rder of roger ackroyd absolutely blew my mind."
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21points
#8 The Help By Kathryn Stockett
"I read that start to finish in a day."
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21points
#9 The Murderbot Diaries By Martha Wells
"The Murderbot Diaries. Rarely have I been so blown away when I had mediocre expectations. It's one of those sci fi stories where the setting is used to its full potential."
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20points
#10 Into Thin Air By Into Thin Air
"It prompted an Everest reading marathon that continued for weeks. I still re-read it occasionally."
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20points
#11 The Clan Of The Cave Bear By Jean M. Auel
"Wow, haven't heard that name for a while! I read that when it first came out and I've never forgotten it. Every so often i think of it. The sequels are good as well but that first one always stands out for me."
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18points
#12 The Count Of Monte Cristo By Alexandre Dumas Père
"Was one of those books I was "Forced" to read for school. Was blown away once I got started. Finished it in a weekend. Still need to get the 1000+ page version and do it again just want to find a hardcover. Also for the interested there is an underrated movie adaptation that was made a while ago. I enjoyed it for what it was."
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18points
#13 11/22/63 By Stephen King
"It was totally unexpected. Very long, could not put it down. Sank hooks into me deep."
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17points
#14 Jurassic Park By Michael Crichton
sparkymiddlefinger said: "The first time I read Jurassic Park I couldn't put it down. I was late for stuff."
jollyflyingcactus replied: ""I was late for stuff." Yeah, that pretty much says how much you enjoyed it. Nice."
Vbcomanche answered: "Agreed. Actually reading it again for like the fourth time lol. Anything by Michael Crichton is hard to put down."
16points
#15 The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins
jawnbaejaeger said: "It was years ago, but I read it in one sitting, then immediately went to the library to get the other two and read those within a day."
Ebice42 replied: "I think I read all three books in under a week. Once I started I just had to keep going, see where the madness ended. I thought the movies were OK, with a couple of outstanding scenes. (The hanging tree)."
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16points
#16 The Silo Series (Wool, Shift, And Dust) By Hugh Howey
"The author teaches the dystopian world through various primary characters - their history, current life, and perspectives."
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15points
#17 The Name Of The Wind By Patrick Rothfuss
radioblues replied: "The worst part of reading The Name of The Wind is when you realize what the fanbase has been going through for over a decade. We might never learn what’s behind the door."
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15points
#18 East Of Eden By John Steinbeck
ruxinisunclean said: "For me it was East of Eden. Before that book I sort of hated reading related to having adhd. I could not wait to crack that book open again everytime I had some time to k*ll. Such a great story and the way it involves so many but I never felt lost. Others that I really enjoyed were the long walk, the road, the collector, and the war of the worlds. I'm just starting American Psycho and Crime and Punishment. Although I'm not as captivated by them so far. We shall see where it leads."
Beneficial-Match289 replied: "Agree about East of Eden! I started it just looking to k*ll a half hour or so and ended up reading into the early morning. Slept awhile then got up and read the entire next day. Steinbeck’s best IMHO."
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14points
#19 Solaris By Stanislaw Lem
"I read it in a single Sunday afternoon."
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14points
#20 Outlander By Diana Gabaldon
"I know a lot of people don’t like it. But I was going through an extremely hard time in my life at the time and sometimes the only thing keeping me alive was that I had to find out what happened to Jaimie and Claire next. That book saved my life as cliche as it sounds."
13points