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Unputdownable: MORE books I read in 24 hours or less

Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop until you're done.

All hail the page turner! I appreciate an unputdownable book now more than ever after the last few years we’ve had, the sort it feels you almost literally cannot put down until I find out how the story ends. Whether I need something that will grab my attention or cleanse my reading palate, a page turner is a glorious thing. I shared 17 books I read in 24 hours or less several years ago and decided it was time to share more unputdownable books I’ve read since that time.

How do I describe an unputdownable book? Specifics vary, but they share certain qualities: great characters, strong narrative drive, a premise that hooks me. The writing is often strong (though “serviceable” will suffice, if you know what I mean), and it can’t be so dense or challenging that I can’t read it while I’m sleepy, or mentally exhausted. Whatever the case, I’m talking about the kinds of books I can’t put down until I reach the last page.

While this isn’t every page-turner I’ve read since the last time—far from it—I hope these fourteen novels and one essay collection get you thinking about the qualities that make it hard for you to put a book down.

I’d love to hear about your favorite page-turning books in the comments section.

More unputdownable books

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We Are the Brennans

We Are the Brennans

Author:
A big-hearted, juicy family drama for those who love the genre. Five years ago, Sunday Brennan left her small New York hometown, abandoning her parents, three brothers, and devoted fiancé with no explanation. In the present, after a wildly uncharacteristic episode of binge drinking lands her in the hospital, her brother convinces her to come home to recuperate and help with the Irish American family's struggling bar. Not everyone is thrilled to see the prodigal daughter, and her reappearance eventually causes all kinds of long-held family secrets to finally come pouring out. I loved this for its portrayal of complex family dynamics (especially among the four siblings), its sweet tale of young love, the ever-interesting setting of the bar, and its hopeful—but not tidy—resolution. More info →
Let Me Hear a Rhyme

Let Me Hear a Rhyme

Tiffany D. Jackson's plotty novels are easy to read and hard to put down! After their friend Steph is murdered, Quadir and Jarrell are determined to give him the legacy he deserves. With the help of Steph's sister Jasmine, they take his tracks and come up with a plan to release them under a new rapper's name: The Architect. When Steph's music catches the ear of a big-time producer, the Brooklyn teens scramble to prove their friend's talent, even though he's gone. Jasmine, Quadir, and Jarrell each keep secrets of their own, and as they dig into Steph's music and past, they're forced to confront the truth. A powerful story of friendship with a page-turning puzzle and satisfying ending; this YA novel is excellent on audio. More info →
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Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?

Blackburn's debut is based on her own experience as a Nigerian woman whose mother desperately wants her to find love and happiness—which means, of course, that she must find a husband. Yinka is 31, a British-Nigerian woman in possession of a degree from Oxford, a good job, and loads of friends, and yet she can't help but be bothered by her aunties' fervent prayers that she find romance. Driven by this insecurity, she tells a little white lie, which soon enough lands her in a heap of trouble with those who love her most. I enjoyed cheering Yinka on as she attempts to put things to rights and find love, happiness, and—most crucially—self-acceptance. Narrated by Ronke Adékoluejo, it’s a delight on audio. More info →
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Piranesi

Piranesi

Author:
Susanna Clarke's hotly anticipated second novel is a fantasy that plays with fantasy tropes, a mystery but not just a mystery, an altogether weird and extremely compelling book set in a strange house with labyrinthine passageways and just fifteen inhabitants, only two of which are alive. It's decidedly weird and took me a solid 20% to get oriented, but once I did I couldn't stop reading. Our narrator is Piranesi—though he suspects that's not really his name—and while I don't recommend googling the plot before you begin reading, I do recommend those reading with a literary lens google the Italian artist who shares his moniker. More info →
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Wrong Place Wrong Time

Wrong Place Wrong Time

This was the best kind of brain bender! In the opening pages of this time travel mystery, a British woman watches in horror from her window as her 18-year-old son stabs a man on the street. A horrific scene ensues, the police take him away, she spends the evening at the station, in shock and agony. But then Jen wakes up the next morning, only to find that it’s not the next morning at all, but the day before the crime occurred. When she wakes up the next morning, it’s the day before that. Jen seems to be living her life backward, and—with the help of a physicist friend-of-a-friend—determines that the only way to break out of the time loop is to “undo” whatever event put her son on the path to murder. To do that she has to go far, far back in time, getting to the roots of her most important relationships. This may end up on my best of the year list; it will certainly be one of my most enjoyable reading experiences. More info →
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Firekeeper’s Daughter

Firekeeper’s Daughter

This powerfully layered YA debut adroitly balances a thrilling crime plot, a fake relationship, and a thoughtful exploration of identity and belonging. 18-year-old hockey star Daunis dreams of leaving her small community on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and making a fresh start in college. But after she witnesses a terrible crime, Daunis is persuaded to go undercover to nail the dealers whose deadly new drugs are ravaging her Anishinaabe community. While seeking justice for her best friend, Daunis also grapples with burgeoning feelings for her handsome hockey player crush and navigates often-tense relationships within her own family. This one shines for its pulse-pounding first-person narrative drive and prolific use of Ojibwe phrases and practices. (While sensitively handled, triggers abound, including murder, suicide, sexual assault, and racism.) More info →
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Yellowface

Yellowface

Author:
This smart, juicy literary thriller is one of my top picks for summer! June and Athena first met at Yale and now are rival authors, though one has far outstripped the other in success and sales. When the brilliant, bestselling Athena chokes on a pancake and dies in front of June, June takes the opportunity to steal her friend's nearly-finished manuscript and pass it off as her own. June tells herself there are no victims here: it's not like her friend is going to use it. And if readers of the stolen manuscript wrongfully assume June is Chinese because of the story, she tells herself that's nobody's fault but theirs. As June gets in deeper and deeper with her lie, she grows increasingly crazed and desperate, going to jaw-dropping lengths to keep her deception secret. I could hardly wait to see exactly how this author would get her richly deserved comeuppance. More info →
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Hour of the Witch

Hour of the Witch

Author:
Chilling and propulsive, this Puritan-era historical thriller transports you to 1662 Boston, where accusations fly and “it was always possible that the Devil was present.” Desperate to escape her abusive husband, Mary Deerfield seeks a rare divorce from the town council—but it’s a precarious time to pursue independence as a woman. Mary is soon accused of far worse than being a rebellious wife, and realizes a separation from her husband won’t be enough to save her from his escalating cruelty. Relying on a large cast of well-developed characters and an intricate plot, Bohjalian skillfully ratchets up the tension all the way through the exceptional ending. The Puritan era feels immediate and its struggles all too timely in this urgent historical novel set in 1660s Boston. Also fabulous on audio. More info →
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With My Little Eye

With My Little Eye

Jackson has long been an auto-read author for me: I’ll read whatever she writes. Here she once again pulls together things she loves and knows well: Atlanta, the theater, human nature, and autism, combining to tell a story that had me continually going WAIT, WHAT?! The plot of this new thriller revolves around an actress who was in a hugely popular show when she was 23. Now, twenty years later, she’s moved back to Atlanta with her daughter to get away from a scary stalker back in L.A. But when the stalker’s letters start showing up at her new address, she has to find a way to protect herself and her child. I loved this for its delicious misdirection, well-drawn child characters, and breathless conclusion. (Lots of content warnings here, including children in peril.) More info →
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Upgrade

Upgrade

Author:
An ordinary man gets an unwelcome upgrade to superhuman status in this techno-thriller. Logan Ramsay paid his debt to society for his role in the Great Starvation, a global catastrophe caused by his renegade scientist mother. Now, years later, the world is a mess. He dislikes serving the Gene Protection Agency, but his adored wife and daughter make it worth it. But on a routine raid for the GPA, Logan contracts a virus designed to slowly turn him superhuman. He soon realizes another terrifying catastrophe is looming, one with devastating connections to his past, and that he’s uniquely qualified to intervene before it’s too late—even though the cost is unbearable. An engrossing and cinematic blend of hard science and thrilling action, and a thoughtful and ultimately hopeful exploration of what makes us human—and what we stand to lose if we don’t get our relationship with our vast technological power right. More info →
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The Bodyguard

The Bodyguard

A workaholic bodyguard falls for the hunky actor she’s paid to protect in Center’s swoony read about finding love and mending fences. Hannah Brooks may look like a kindergarten teacher, but that’s just one reason she’s a sought-after executive protection agent. Reclusive but adored actor Jack Stapleton doesn’t want a bodyguard at all, and he definitely doesn’t want his ailing mother to know he needs protection from a stalker. But his manager insists. When he meets Hannah—and when she lays him flat on his back with her badass bodyguard skills—not only does he want to hire her, he wants her to pose as his girlfriend so no one will suspect a thing. Complications ensue. With its endearing protagonists, adorable banter, winning sense of humor, and fun industry details for both leads, this one is piles of breezy fun. (Closed door.) More info →
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The Golden Couple

The Golden Couple

This twisty thriller revolves around a seemingly perfect D.C. area couple who are keeping a closetful of secrets from each other and their "therapist," who can't truly claim that title anymore because she lost her professional license due to an ethics violation. She hasn't let that loss stop her—in fact, she believes she can better help her clients with the unorthodox methods she's fully embraced since she was censured. This was a fun and engrossing listen, with an over-the-top ending that scores low on believability but high on entertainment value. Jointly voiced by favorites Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland, this is great on audio: it made me walk the literal extra mile so I could find out what would happen! More info →
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Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give

Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give

Author:
After reading and loving Also a Poet, I was eager to read more from Calhoun and blew through this essay collection on marriage, relationships, infidelity, divorce, and personal growth that came into being because of her viral Modern Love column, and made a hundred highlights along the way. This book would have horrified me when I was younger, but Will and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary this year: we're hardly newlyweds. To give you a taste: "'The first twenty years [of marriage] are the hardest,' an older woman once told me. At the time I thought she was joking. She was not." Or this: "Even good marriages sometimes involve flinging a remote control at the wall." I loved it. More info →
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The Anomaly

The Anomaly

"All smooth flights are alike. every turbulent flight is turbulent in its own way." Alockdown publishing phenomenon in France translated by Adriana Hunter, this 2020 international bestseller is WILD. The author himself calls it "experimental, bizarre, and a little crazy." To American readers, the premise sounds like something out of a Blake Crouch novel: on March 10, 2021, Air France Flight 006 passes through a storm so terrible as to have no precedent and subsequently safely lands in New York, the shaken passengers disembarking on the runway. 106 days later, Air France Flight 006 endures a terrifying storm and subsequently lands safely in New York—and no one knows what to do, because this plane, these people, have already landed. Le Tellier employs this plotty premise to embark on a deeply philosophical examination of what it means to be human, as he portrays a half-dozen individuals wrestling with the unfathomable reality they now face, and—in cheekier passages—shows governmental authorities scramble to explain the unexplainable to their citizens. I couldn't put this down. More info →
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Counterfeit

Counterfeit

Author:
Now THIS was a great reading experience. When I needed a good listen for a long road trip, I queued this up on a whim. By the time I got to my destination, I was done with the book—and the journey was fabulous! On the surface this almost has a heist kind of vibe. The clever structure elevates the story, but what really wowed me was the initially surreptitious and then all at once interrogation of the American Dream. I relished the details of the fashion industry and superfake handbags in particular. This was good, smart fun that made the miles fly by. More info →
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What books did YOU find completely unputdownable? 

P.S. Unputdownable: 17 books I read in 24 hours or less (because they were just that good) and 20 unputdownable mysteries and thrillers to keep you glued to the page.

Unputdownable: MORE books I read in 24 hours or less

44 comments

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  1. Totally agree on Yellowface! This one will set book clubs on fire this summer. I also couldn’t put down Upgrade and Piranesi. I would add to this list Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough, could not stop reading the last 200 pages! I’ll have reviews on my blog soon.

  2. Lisa F. says:

    I recently read Drowning by T. J. Newman and literally couldn’t stop until I finished it. It was the perfect page-turning summer thriller for me.

      • Dawn Darling says:

        Yes!! I read Falling in no time but I am holding off on getting drowning on my Kindle until it’s officially summer! I know I will have no willpower and, as we are moving, that is a dangerous thing! I love her backstory. Did you know that she wrote this book while she was working as a flight attendant and wrote much of it on beverage napkins during flights? How cool is that.??

  3. Sandy says:

    I’ve finished two 24-hour books this week, by means of a combination of hardcover and Hoopla audiobook: the nonfiction “The Wicked Child” and yesterday, the Swedish crime novel “A Nearly Normal Family.”

  4. Haley Wofford says:

    I read Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross a few weeks ago and read it all in one day. I loved the enemies to lovers dynamic and will be counting down the days to the sequel.

  5. Lois Williams says:

    Oh my goodness, so many potential great reads for me on this list. I’m sorry / not sorry that there are so many holds already on some of these at my local library. I’m 114th in line on 8 copies for one, but that gives me time to read everything that’s already checked out. Looking forward to future immersive reading!

  6. Anna says:

    I totally agree on Wrong Place, Wrong Time. I devoured that on audio last month. Another unputdownable one I learned of here on MMD was Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone. Fantastic on audio and such a creative thriller.

  7. Renee says:

    Thank you so much for another unputdownable list! I’ve been waiting to find more and grateful for your list and the comments. My TBR pile is on fire!

  8. Linda Williamson says:

    I totally agree on Piranesi. I kept telling myself to slow down and make it last, but could not stop! Recently, I gulped Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney and because of that, I was unprepared for the ending! Marvelous feeling! Also, the next book I read, Midnight Riot, the first book in a 9-book series called The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, was another “just sit down, enjoy, and forget about getting anything else done” day!

  9. Wendy Barker says:

    Although not quite a 24 hour read I am almost finished Waypoints by Sam Heughen. Sam plays Jamie Fraser in the hugely successful series Outlander based on Diana Gabaldon’s books. He combines his description of walking the West Highland Way in Scotland with his own life story. I’m a sucker for books about walking/hiking and when it lets me learn more about an actor who plays one of my favourite characters it’s a winner.

  10. Deepa says:

    Piranesi is one of my favorite books of all time- stunningly original, so poignant.
    I just listened to Wrong Place Wrong Time over a weekend, and it was pretty riveting. Completely illogical, “hysterical strength” notwithstanding, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief.

  11. Sally says:

    I agree on several of your choices. Two books I recently finished in a day, and thoroughly enjoyed are; Dust Child by, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai and Symphony of Secrets by, Brendan Slocumb.

  12. Erin says:

    I have had lots of “meh” reads this spring, including many highly touted books that I was expecting to like more. So I was thrilled to find two great ones that I finished in less than 24 hours recently. They are very different.
    Sally Hepworth’s The Soulmate was literally something I couldn’t put down until I figured out what happened. Trigger warnings for suicide (clear from the book description) and mental illness (not so clear). But compelling, fascinating and thought-provoking.
    One of my best reads in a long time was Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro. The characters stayed with me for days afterward. Absolutely a beautifully crafted story.

    • Dawn Darling says:

      I am on chapter 3 in Soulmates as of today! I can tell it is going to be difficult to put down so I appreciate your review and comments. It’s the end of the school year and on top of it I’m moving, so it’s not entirely logical that I’m diving into books that are hard to put down, but it does help alleviate the stress and gives me a bit of a brain break on reality!

      • Erin Olson says:

        Dawn, yes I love “brain break” books, I know exactly what you mean. I felt like Soulmate was one of those, for sure! Good luck moving!

      • Erin Olson says:

        I’m so glad you think so and would love to know what you think afterward, it really was so moving. Take care! (P. S. Armstrong was my maiden name. :))

  13. Pat says:

    I am grateful for this list even though I have read quite a few of these already. Also, I am going to read all of the comments. I am in the worse reading slump in years. I am reading lots of books including many on various bookstagrammers’ lists and haven’t found a real page turner yet! This is unlike me. Please keep the recs coming!!!

    • Dawn Darling says:

      Hi Pat, if you like thrillers, then I would wholeheartedly recommend The Eden Test. It took me from the very beginning, and, as I am having a hard time sleeping these days, when I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, it was totally natural to grab my Kindle, and keep reading! Needless to say, I finished it this morning. Strong plot with some clues in bedded in the story that will keep you guessing and wondering what is really going on. I thought it wrapped up nicely at the end and really enjoyed it. Happy summer reading!

  14. Sydney says:

    While reading a book in 24 hours usually means I don’t remember the book, it certainly does make for a reading experience I remember fondly! I read Winter People by Jennifer McMahon and The Bride Test by Helen Hoang in single sittings, and each day sparkles in my memory as a sort of “best day ever”. I also read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty over a weekend at the lake with family and friends. I must have been reading with an obsession that caused me to be totally oblivious to others’ reactions because when I finally shut the back cover and looked up someone said “Oh, and you going to talk to people now?” Oops! 🙂

  15. Jennifer H says:

    My son recently loaned me his copy of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and it was so good I finished it in 2 days. He said he finished it in one day.

    • Wendy says:

      In high school I stayed up reading And Then There Were None until about 4 AM. I really needed to know who the killer was.

  16. Karla Teague says:

    I’ve read 3 books in my lifetime that I could not put down (and finished in less than 24 hours). The first two I read in proof copies (pre-publication): One Witness by Aggie Hurst, also published as Aggie: The Inspiring Story of a Girl Without a Country; and Broken, Yet Triumphant by Aimee Anderson, now a movie called A Murder of Innocence. The third was The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers.
    Its a tie between One Witness and The Last Sin Eater as to which is my all time favorite book, but since one is a true story and the other is fiction, I figure I can have both.

  17. Stefanie N says:

    I am sure there have been others, but the one that comes to mind, doesn’t totally fit. Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea. This book is not for everyone, but it was for me. This chonker is almost 600 pages. While it took me a couple of days to get to page 250 – once I did there was no putting it down. I sat in the same chair, had the whole room (and world) go dark on me as I tried to turn on the lamp next to me without taking my eyes off the page. If you like stories about stories, love an atomspheric, magical world and are there just for the vibes, then this story might be for you. Just block your schedule for the last 350 pages. 🙂

  18. Sandra Mosolgo says:

    The last one I read in 24 hours,The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave and a little more than 24 was The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

  19. Jane Bergeron says:

    The latest book I read VERY late into the night (actually, morning!) was Frog Music by Emma Donaghue. I love this author, and most (if not all) of her books are “unputdownable”!

  20. Suzy says:

    I couldn’t put down either of Rosie Walsh’s books, Ghosted and The Love of My Life! They were MY cup of tea and I HAD to find out the ending!

  21. Adrienne says:

    I love a good page-turner and there are so many on this list and in the comments. I love Blake Crouch’s books – ‘Upgrade’ (which Anne listed) but also ‘Dark Matter’ and ‘Recursion,’ and I flew through all of these. Right now I’m reading Joel Rosenberg’s thriller ‘The Libyan Diversion’; I love his fast-paced books even though they are not a genre I normally read. In fact my daughter picked up ‘The Libyan Diversion’ for me from the library and she told me that she was surprised that the hold was for me and not for her dad – hahahaha! It’s really fun to find those “unputdownable” books…

    Happy Reading!

  22. Carolyn says:

    Completely agree about The Anomaly; such a propulsive and mind bending story. A completely different book that I couldn’t put down was Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen.

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