Recommended for you
Sometimes, less really is more—especially when a short book can make you spiral, question humanity, or just stay up too late. If you're craving a quick read that still hits deep, these under-200-page books are proof that page count doesn't equal power. Here are all the quick reads and fantastic books you should pick up to help get you out of that reading rut!
Scroll to see all the books under 200 words you'll absolutely devour in one sitting!
Amazon
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
This quietly offbeat gem follows a woman who finds purpose and identity in her job at a convenience store—until society starts pushing her to want more. It's quirky, unsettling, and sneakily brilliant in how it critiques conformity.
Amazon
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
In just over 60 pages, Keegan manages to build tension, unpack a man’s entire internalized misogyny, and leave you stunned. Tiny book; massive gut-punch.
Amazon
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Told in lyrical vignettes, this coming-of-age classic gives voice to Esperanza, a young Latina girl growing up in a Chicago neighborhood filled with struggle, hope, and stories waiting to be told. Through fragments of everyday life, Cisneros paints a vivid portrait of identity, cultural expectations, and the desire for something more. At under 150 pages, it’s deceptively small but emotionally expansive. A quick read, yes, but one that echoes for a lifetime.
Amazon
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
A psychological sci-fi that’s as eerie as it is mind-bending. A team of women—a biologist, a surveyor, an anthropologist, and a psychologist—enter the mysterious Area X, a quarantined zone no one fully understands. What they find is nothing short of disturbing, surreal, and strangely beautiful. VanderMeer’s writing is atmospheric and claustrophobic, blurring the line between reality and hallucination. This book is about control, transformation, and the terrifying unknown.
Amazon
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
A socially anxious killing machine (that calls itself Murderbot) just wants to binge soap operas instead of protecting humans. A fast-paced, surprisingly heartfelt sci-fi novella with a sharp sense of humor. Definitely read this one before you binge the Apple TV+ thriller!
Amazon
The Employees by Olga Ravn
Imagine an HR report from space written like poetry. That’s this haunting, minimalist sci-fi about grief, labor, and what it means to be human.
Amazon
Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
A fragmented, razor-sharp portrait of a marriage unraveling, motherhood, and existential spirals. It’s introspective, poetic, and impossible to read without underlining half of it.
Amazon
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A must-read classic that’s somehow still alarmingly relevant. In a future where books are banned and burned, one fireman starts to question everything. Short, fast, and heavy with meaning.
Amazon
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Not for the faint of heart. In a dystopia where humans are bred for consumption, this book will rattle your brain and maybe your stomach. It’s grotesque—but that’s the point.
Amazon
You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann
A screenwriter retreats to the mountains to finish a script—until the house he’s in starts turning on him. Quick, creepy, and filled with eerie metaphysical twists.
Looking for more book & entertainment news? Follow us on Facebook so you never miss a thing!
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
