This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Top Ten Quick Reads/Books to Read When Time is Short”. I am listing below a selection of ten books with fewer than 200 pages – perfect if you don’t have much time to read.
1. Every Eye by Isobel English – A beautifully written novella published by Persephone in which a woman on her honeymoon in Ibiza looks back on her life. (144 pages)
2. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu – This early example of the vampire novel was first published in 1872 and is thought to have influenced Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (160 pages)
3. The Man from London by Georges Simenon – One of many standalone novellas by Simenon, this psychological thriller from 1937 is available in an English translation by Howard Curtis. (160 pages)
4. Water by John Boyne – The first in a new quartet of books based on the four elements. I’m looking forward to reading the second one, Earth, soon. (161 pages)
5. The Beacon by Susan Hill – An atmospheric and unsettling story about a family living in a lonely farmhouse in the north of England. (162 pages)
6. Mr Harrison’s Confessions by Elizabeth Gaskell – This 1851 novella about a young doctor working in a small, rural community is a prequel to Gaskell’s better known book, Cranford. (113 pages)
7. The Lifted Veil by George Eliot – I think this science fiction/horror story will surprise a lot of people as it’s not typical of Eliot at all! My edition also includes her essay, Silly Novels by Lady Novelists. (110 pages)
8. Chocky by John Wyndham – This short book about a boy with an imaginary friend is one of my favourites so far by Wyndham! (164 pages)
9. The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson – A moving little book in which a man with only a month to live sets out on a tour of the world, visiting each place on his list in alphabetical order. (128 pages)
10. The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins – I love Collins and enjoyed this novella based on the ill-fated 1845 Franklin Expedition to the Arctic in search of the North West Passage. (112 pages)
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Have you read any of these? Which other short books have you read and enjoyed?
She Reads Novels 
I’ve read Chocky and The Beacon, both of which I enjoyed. At the moment I’m reading In the Springtime of the Year by Hill, a story of loss, grief and healing, told against the changing seasons -sad! I’ve read several of her shorter books. Wilkie Collins wrote such long books – nice to find a shorter one.
In the Springtime of the Year does sound sad! I’ve only read three books by Susan Hill, but have enjoyed them all. The Frozen Deep is great – not one of Collins’ best, but still an entertaining read.
A great list, Helen. There are several here which interest me. I enjoy a good novella.
Yes, novellas are perfect if you don’t have much time or just don’t want to commit to a longer book and they’re often just as satisfying. I’m glad you’re interested in some of these.
These all tempt me, and not just because they’re short! Hmm, I have a collection of Le Fanu’s stories, I wonder if Carmilla features?
I’m glad you’re tempted! I’ve read very little of Le Fanu’s work – just Carmilla and his Gothic novel, Uncle Silas – but I’ve been quite impressed.
I quite fancy the John Boyne series. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is one of my favourite books ever.
I’ve read a lot of books by John Boyne and loved nearly all of them. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a great one!
The only one I’ve read here is Carmilla, and I actually want to give it a reread soon. I also have a Susan Hill book on my list:
I enjoyed Carmilla and will probably reread it one day as well.
From this list, the John Boyne goes straight to the top of the list. But plenty to enjoy discovering here.
The John Boyne is excellent. I’m hoping the rest of the series will be just as good.
I bet they will!
I’ve read Every Eye and everything else is tempting especially the George Eliot, I do love a quick read!
The Eliot was not her usual sort of book, but I did enjoy it. I’m glad you’re tempted!
The only one of these that I’ve read is Carmilla, but I totally want to find and read that George Eliot one now! 😀
The George Eliot book is very unusual. Not what I had expected from her at all!
What a great top 10 list. I’ve read Mr Harrison’s Confessions, which I really enjoyed. I was just thinking this morning that it’s been awhile since I read anything by Gaskell, so I might do some rereading and include this lovely, romantic story. I also read The Lifted Veil, which I completely forgot about until I read your post on it. Not Eliot’s best work, but something she had to get out of her system, I think. I haven’t read The Frozen Deep but I saw a production of it, which was okay but not great imo.
The Man from London is very appealing. I may have to get a copy of that one!
I haven’t read anything by Gaskell for a long time either. I still have one or two of her full-length novels to read, but rereading Mr Harrison’s Confessions does sound tempting! I enjoyed The Man from London – it was very atmospheric.