Books Under 300 Pages to Get You Through a Busy Season

When you've got limited time but want to keep reading, try these.

We all go through those seasons when we’re so busy that having time to really sink into a longer book is just not possible. Maybe it’s the upcoming holidays, maybe it’s the summer when you’re home with your kids, maybe it’s a democracy-changing election (ahem, have you voted?). Whatever the reason, sometimes we just need books we can pick up and read in just a couple of sittings before we move on. So today, here are a few of our recent picks.

(We also previously did a podcast episode -episode 114 - on short books - listen to that one here, or in your podcast player.)

Sarah’s Books Under 300 Pages

SANDWICH by Catherine Newman - 236 pages - Literary Fiction
In the running for my favorite book of the year, this novel is about Rocky being in the “sandwich” generation - with near adult children she is still (mostly) raising, while also taking care of her aging parents. The thing I loved most about this book is the way she brought the menopausal experience in in such a tender, beautiful way. It felt like a glimpse into my near-future.
→ full review here

A HEART THAT WORKS by Rob Delaney - 135 pages - Memoir
I actually listened to this book (it’s less than 3.5 hours on audio) and was blown away by the absolutely visceral, profound grief that was poured into this story. Rob Delaney’s one year old son, Henry, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and Delaney spares no feelings as he says the things that parents in this situation are actually thinking. It’s a brutal book, but one still filled with humor and so much love that it feels as if it’s flying off the page.

THE MOST by Jessica Anthony - 144 pages - Literary Fiction
I feel like this book is everywhere right now, and for good reason. It’s about a woman in the 1950’s who one day gets into her apartment pool and refuses to get out. Through flashbacks, we see her marriage to her husband, the birth of her two boys, and how we got to the place where she’s refusing to go back to her life.
→ full review here

FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough - 284 pages - Memoir
A recent read for me, I also listened to this one on audio (highly recommend taking it in in this way) and I felt absolutely heartbroken for Lisa Marie. Not only for the loss of her father, Elvis, who clearly adored her, but for the events throughout her life that seemed to consistently knock her down. I knew very little about this family going into the story and by the end I just wanted to give them all a great big hug.
→ full review here

PIGLET by Lottie Hazel - 287 pages - Literary Fiction
Piglet is days from getting married when she finds out about her fiance’s massive betrayal which unleashes a mass of feelings in Piglet about her self-worth and what she actually wants in life. There was just something about this writing that fully sucked me into Piglet’s story even when at times I felt so filled with anxiety.
→ full review here

BIG FAN by Alexandra Romanoff - 171 pages - Romance
Maya was a rising political star when her ex-husbands sex scandal nearly derailed her career. And then she got a call from former boy-bander (and Maya’s teenage obsession), Charlie, and he wants her help to stage a comeback. This first novel from new imprint 831 stories was a fun, easy ready with just enough steam and chemistry to fly through. It made me excited to see what else is coming from this imprint.
→ full review here

FOSTER by Claire Keegan - 128 pages - Literary Fiction
It is a hot summer in rural Ireland. A child is taken by her father to live with relatives on a farm, not knowing when or if she will be brought home again. In the Kinsellas’ house, she finds an affection and warmth she has not known but this summer must soon come to an end. This was my first Keegan book and made me want to explore others. I think it’s always a good sign when I want MORE of a book when I finish one.
→ full review here

EXPIRATION DATES by Rebecca Serle - 268 pages - Romance
When Daphne begins dating someone new, without fail she’ll receive a piece of paper revealing exactly how long they’ll be together. But now, she’s met Jake and no number has accompanied him - could this be THE ONE? I really enjoyed where this one lead, and was completely unprepared for the twist that came partway through.

---

Mia’s Books Under 300 Pages

TWO WOMEN WALK INTO A BAR by Cheryl Strayed - 31 pages - Memoir
Cheryl’s mother-in-law, Joan, is given weeks to live. As she and her husband help see Joan through her final days, Cheryl reckons with their complicated relationship, determined to connect with a woman who both showed her love and sometimes held her at a distance. If you’ve ever had a difficult relationship with a parent or in-law, I think you will enjoy this short story.
→ full review here

FALLING DOWN by Guillermo del Toro - 30 pages - Horror
Team leader Liev and his band of survivors are stranded in bitter winds and snow with little hope of rescue—or outlasting the wolves that are stalking them. In the distance is the sanctuary of an abandoned stone fortress. That an ancient structure even exists on this freezing summit is beyond comprehension… and so is what lies on the other side of its walls. This was heart pounding and so scene setting that I was freezing just reading it! An excellent start to a series.
→ full review here

LIKE ME by Hayley Phelan - 271 pages - Thriller
Mickey Jones is a 19-year-old model, trying to make it in New York City. Her short career has already stalled, her drinking problem has gotten worse, and she finds herself obsessed with Gemma Anton, a successful model/influencer. Mickey stalks Gemma’s Instagram feed religiously and begins to mimic her every move in search of fame. Soon, the line between social media and reality becomes blurred.
→ full review here

ANKLE SNATCHER by Grady Hendrix - 29 pages - Thriller
Marcus grew up believing his father killed his mother—then blamed it on the boogeyman under the bed. Always leave the lights on, his father warned, or the boogeyman will get you. Marcus still heeds the superstition, especially when he invites his new girlfriend over. Is Marcus haunted by a creature or has he just inherited his father’s murderous delusions? The night will tell.
→ full review here

OF WOMEN AND SALT by Gabriela Garcia - 220 pages - Fiction
In present-day Miami, Jeanette is battling addiction. Daughter of Carmen, a Cuban immigrant, she is determined to learn more about her family history from her reticent mother and makes the snap decision to take in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, must process her difficult relationship with her own mother while trying to raise a wayward Jeanette. This book is about the choices of mothers and the voice of women who refuse to be silenced.
→ full review here