To Read in One Sitting

Looking for a sense of accomplishment? You don’t have to read a lot to read something in one sitting! There are many ways and formats to confidently “close the cover” in one sitting (including stories you just can’t put down).

Short Stories and Essays

Brawler by Lauren Groff

You Like it Darker by Stephen King

Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham

Season of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar

Also consider these authors for short stories: Colm Tóibín, Lousie Erdrich, James Baldwin, Mary Oliver, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Zadie Smith, Mark Twain, Joyce Carol Oates, Ernest Hemmingway

Novellas

These titles are longer than short stories, but shorter than novels – perfect for a night in, a long drive, a long flight, or a sick day. You can search the keyword “novella” in either SCLENDS or Hoopla for many options, or try one of the following.

• Grief is the Thing with Feathers, by Max Porter | SCLENDs and Hoopla A man’s grief is depicted as a crow. (Also, a 2025 movie with Benedict Cumberbatch.)

• Chaotic Orbits Trilogy, by Beth Revis | Hoopla audio Spunky, space pirate heroine might meet her match in this enemies-to-lovers story.

• Thornhedge, by T. Kingfisher | Book and Hoopla audio A flipped fairytale and retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story.

Poetry

Calm your mind, contemplate nature, cackle with laughter, consider the past, or curse the wrong in the world with poetry.

• Wendell Berry | SCLENDS Husband, father, farmer, naturalist, and author of poetry, essays, and novels.

• Black Girl, You Are Atlas by Renee Watson | Book

Also consider warrior poets Audre Lourde and Joy Harjo, and classic poets Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, Pablo Neruda, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Thrilling Plots

So good, you just can’t put it down! I remember the last novel I read straight through, but these days I’m more likely to accidentally fall asleep with the phone, eReader, or book in my hand. No matter your reading style or format preference, one of the Beaufort County Library locations has something too good to set down!

Freida McFadden on Playaway | SCLENDS

Playaways are small devices that hold one audio title. Plug in some wired earbuds, maybe provide a AAA battery, and you’re listening to a twisty thriller that everyone is talking about. You might not know—Playaways don’t usually have the long hold list of popular titles in print and digital forms.

Psychological Thrillers and Horror

Is it creepier to listen to storytelling or let your imagination run wild with the printed word? Find your next riveting read on Hoopla, in the SCLENDS catalog, or use Novelist to find read-alikes for your favorite authors. Depending on your interest, search keywords “family secrets,” “psychological,” “thriller,” “horror,” or all of the above!

True Stories You Can't Put Down

I’ll close with three of my favorite non-fiction titles. The stories pull the reader along, making you ask, “How does it end?”

• Educated: a memoir, by Tara Westover | SCLENDS and Hoopla

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot | SCLENDS

• Soul of an Octopus, by Sy Montgomery | Book and Hoopla audio

Ask your local branch librarians for a reading recommendation based on your personal interests. Enjoy your next short reading or story you just can’t put down!