I just recently got into reading (legit have only read books for school, and I’m 28 now so it’s been a long time).
The first book I’m working on right now is the first Game of Thrones book and it is over 800 pages. Starting out I’m just trying to read for 30 mins-1 hour per day, and even though it doesn’t matter, for some reason it is daunting feeling like I’m making no progress in the book after reading for an hour. So I think it would be good for me to start out with some shorter books once I finish this one.
Like I said, I’m just getting into reading so I’m not sure what exact genres I like, so I’m open to literally any suggestions. Thanks!
by mattyicee7
8 Comments
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (at least the edition I have is under 500)
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
What genres are you most interested in? If only fantasy, I recommend starting with the first few Harry Potter books which are engaging and short. The Narnia books are also great. If you find these a bit juvenile, The Witcher books are also lovely and more adult.
If you’re interested in mystery, I recommend most or all of Agatha Christie’s books. I think the most well known are Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None, which are fantastic.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
I think you’ll find that Game of Thrones (and some fantasy in general) is just absurdly long. Most books are 300-ish pages on average, you just happened to pick up a monster of a book 🙂 Below are my recommendations at or around 200 pages:
T. Kingfisher writes horror and fantasy novels, that are quite short. See *What Moves the Dead*, *Nettle & Bones*, *Thornhedge*, or *A House with Good Bones*.
One of my favorite shorter fantasy books is *The Ocean at the End of the Lane* by Neil Gaiman. Very sweet and whimsical, almost has the vibes of a Studio Ghibli film.
For other horror a classic author is Shirley Jackson. Check out *We Have Always Lived in the Castle*.
Cassandra Khaw is a newer horror author, I particularly liked *Nothing but Blackened Teeth* and *The Salt Grows Heavy*.
For sci-fi, *This is How You Lose the Time War* is a bit abstract but wildly popular (and for good reason).
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (107 pages)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (160 pages)
Ocean at the End of the Line by Neil Gaiman (181 pages)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (323 pages)
Recursion by Blake Crouch (326 pages)
Circe by Madeline Miller (393 pages)
You could try:
Discworld by Terry Pratchett – I think all those would qualify – try Mort or Going Postal as intro books (they are all standalone stories but they all also fit into the whole)
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells if you fancy something more sci fi
There was a Neil Gaiman recommendation in a previous post and I love NG but maybe Ocean at the End of the Lane, Coraline or Stardust would be less daunting if you want to feel like you are seeing progress through the book session by session
PG Wodehouse – the Jeeves and Wooster books are generally in the 3-400 page or less area from memory – may not be to your taste but I like the gentle humour and farce type style of them
You could also look for collections of short stories – Stephen King has several and I’m sure the subreddit for him will be happy to point you at the best options if you want guidance rather than just grabbing one randomly
Try some novellas! They’re faster reads and will help narrow down your tastes. If you’re interested in fantasy and sci-fi, tor.com publishes a lot of them. Personal favorites are the Singing Hills Cycle and the Murderbot Diaries.
I’m reading Godkiller by Hannah Kanner right now and it’s packing a lot of action, character and worldbuilding in about 300 pages. So if you’re enjoying GoT and want that epic sprawling fantasy feeling in a condensed package this might be a good choice!