Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends

Reading shouldn’t be stressful, but sometimes it’s fun to turn up the heat with a challenge to see how many books you can read in a year. Just don’t talk to us the last two weeks of December – some of us are desperately cramming to get that Goodreads confetti. 

Readers who read a novel a month or more are well in the minority – 82% of Americans read 10 or fewer books in 2023, according to a YouGov poll. But in a busy, chronically online world, any number of books read is something to be proud of.

Short books to read to meet your reading goal

Need a short book to cap off your 2024 reading or a quick, immersive read to get you out of a reading slump? We’ve got 8 suggestions that range from literary fiction to thriller to poetry. These books are around or under 200 pages and can be read in as little as one sitting. 

‘Foster’ by Claire Keegan

Any of Keegan’s novellas could make it on this list, including the wintery “Small Things Like These” (now a film starring Cillian Murphy). In “Foster,” a father drops his young daughter off to live with relatives on a farm for the foreseeable future. During this hot summer in rural Ireland, in a reprieve from her dysfunctional family home, the girl learns care and warmth like she’s never experienced before.

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‘Open Water’ by Caleb Azumah Nelson

“Open Water” is a love story between two young adults, a photographer and a dancer, who meet in a crowded London pub. Over the next year, they’ll be torn apart and tested, facing fear and violence in a world with preconceived notions about them and their bodies. “Open Water” is poetic and tender, a touching portrayal of intimacy between artists.

‘The Mistletoe Mystery’ by Nita Prose

Existing in Prose’s “Molly the Maid” universe, this bite-sized story is Molly’s “most consequential – and personal – mystery yet,” according to the book description. Celebrating Christmas without her beloved gran is always a challenge, but this year Molly’s boyfriend Juan intends to make the season bright. But the merriment may not last long, because a Secret Santa gift exchange is about to reveal some untrustworthy players in Molly’s inner circle.

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‘Time is a Mother’ by Ocean Vuong

“Time is a Mother” is the new poetry book from the award-winning author of “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” Thematically, it serves as a poignant follow-up to the novel. This collection searches for life and meaning after loss, “embodying the paradox of sitting in grief while being determined to survive beyond it,” the publisher describes. I devoured the entire work between subway stops in one afternoon. 

‘I Who Have Never Known Men’ by Jacqueline Harpman

“I Who Have Never Known Men” has the dystopian and mystery elements of both “The Hunger Games” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In this enigmatic world, 39 women and one young girl are kept in an underground room guarded by armed men. The young girl cannot remember her name or past. The older women have equally foggy memories of how and why they ended up in this place, where intimacy is prohibited and time has no purpose. But one day, when everything changes, the women must reinvent themselves as they confront the unknown. 

‘We Should All Be Feminists’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

At just 64 pages, this book is a solid nonfiction essay to add to your end-of-the-year TBR. “We Should All Be Feminists” is adapted from the author’s TEDx talk of the same name and offers readers a modern definition of feminism and critique on what it means to be a woman in the 21st century.

‘Sula’ by Toni Morrison

In “Sula,” two young Black girls – the daring Sula and the well-mannered Nel – grow up together in small-town Ohio. The pair share an inextricable bond, tied by a dark secret, even as Sula leaves to travel the country. But when she returns a decade later, their friendship is tested by change, adulthood, betrayal and Sula’s wayward ways. 

‘The Vegetarian’ by Han Kang

This contemporary horror novel is from this year’s recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. “The Vegetarian” follows Yeong-hye, a woman tortured by bloody, brutal nightmares that cause her to stop eating meat altogether. But it’s a decision not made in isolation – what follows is a grotesque chain of events in her home with her husband, sister and brother-in-law fighting for control over her mind and body. 

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Still looking for the right book? USA TODAY Books has you covered.

Taste is subjective, and USA TODAY Books has plenty of genres to recommend. If dystopian is your thing, check out books we suggest reading after "1984" by George Orwell. If you're into romantic mysteries, try these titles similar to "Verity" by Colleen Hoover or get festive with one of our favorite holiday books. If you want something with lower stakes and loveable characters, see if a "cozy mystery" or "cozy fantasy" book is for you. If you want the most popular titles, check out USA TODAY’s Best-selling Booklist.

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