TTT: Books Read in One Sitting

I used to read books in one sitting often when I was younger, mostly because I liked staying up late at night to finish a book. Nowadays, it hits 11 o’clock and I’m dozing off whether or not the book is super-interesting. However! There are definitely times when I will sit down on my bed and then refuse to get off until I have finished a story. Normally this happens on books that aren’t massive, and it’s almost always the case when I pick up a graphic novel to read. That said, I’m discounting manga, children’s picture books, and graphic novels, only because yes, they do take faster to get through than a regular book.

Top Ten Books I’ve Read In One Sitting

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling – Hah, remember when we had to wait an actual year for the next installment of the Harry Potter series? Well, my wait wasn’t so bad. Books 1-4 were already out by the time I got on the bandwagon, though when OotP finally came out, I was one of the nerds lined up in front of a bookstore just to get myself a copy. Which I then proceeded to read without interruptions for an entire day. Gone went breakfast and lunch, and when I emerged during dinnertime…well, I sulked in the corner. Lawd, this book took me places.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier – Oh, this book was lovely. And so was its spinoff. I also cried by the end of this, though I’m not sure if it was because I was sad that the book ended or super-happy at the result. In any case, I’m pretty sure someone found me curled up reading in the basement at 4 am and wondered why the hell I was still up. Oops?

Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermere – I’m pretty sure I had a Computer Science exam the next day. I ended up reading this and pulling an all-nighter to finish reading the story of Cecelia and Kate. So worth it! (But double oops?)

Iron Kissed, Silver Borne, River Marked, and Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs – Hah, and just about every other Mercy Thompson book out there. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I marathon-read the first four books over one weekend, and then subsequently read its sequels within a day. Not necessarily one sitting, but they really were just so addicting!

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause – One of my first introductions to YA supernatural fiction. I’m not sure I’d actually have enjoyed this book now if I read it again, but I did spend an entire day arguing about this with a friend because she and I were on different ships. That said! It was far better than the silly movie that was loosely based off it.

Cress by Marissa Meyer – Alright, strictly speaking, Cress took me at most two days with breaks. However, that was mostly due to me starting the first ten pages, and then going to work. But then the weekend happened and I lay in bed reading all of Cress until I’d finished. So. Damn. Good.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – I would not recommend reading this at night. I say this out of experience. The funny thing about Ocean is that it is a story of a child, though I don’t believe it is a children’s book in any sense. I suppose the best way to describe it will always be that it’s a children’s book written for adults, and that’s why I added this on the list. It was such a great read, and Gaiman has always been a wizard. So there.

Do you often read books in one sitting? What books kept you up all night?