Top 5 Books Under 300 Pages | Top 5 Tuesdays

Hello again! It’s Tuesday, and of course that means it’s time for a Top 5 post. Top 5 Tuesdays and their topics are brought to you by Shanah @ the Bionic Bookworm. Check out her blog, she’s awesome, and this page for the list of topics for August!

New month, new themes! This week’s theme: books under 300 pages. I had my hands full with picks for this prompt! It helps that I read a lot of children’s literature, which is often under 300 pages! But I challenged myself to pick a variety, so here is what I have:

1. Lady Susan – Jane Austen, 119 pages

I confess that I actually saw a movie adaptation of this Austen book first (Love and Friendship, if you haven’t seen it, it’s great!), but I laughed so much while watching it. And the book is just as funny!

This would definitely be the book I’d point to to show just how funny Austen can be! Her wit is spot on in this novella. It’s sharp, it’s often sarcastic. I also love the format of it, being epistolary. If you’re every in the market for a short, sweet novel with a touch of humor, you have to pick this one up!

2. The Body in the Library – Agatha Christie, 191 pages

I could pick any number of Christie novels for this prompt, but I decided to go with The Body in the Library because it’s a really great Miss Marple story. And part of the story deals with a library, so…

But honestly, I love Christie’s murder-mysteries. They’re so clever and so engrossing. I also love the period they tend to take place in.

3. How I Live Now – Meg Rosoff, 194 pages

Have you ever wanted to read a dystopian novel but without all the fighting/society falling apart? This is an excellent choice. Not only does most of the novel take place in the countryside, the majority of the characters are young, teenagers and younger. It’s a really beautiful story, despite taking place with the backdrop of war. Rosoff really knows how to write.

Despite being such a short novel, I felt so close to the characters, I loved the narrative prose, and it ended with just enough sweetness to give hope (a bit like The Giver). I’ve never read another dystopian like it (aside from maybe Never Let Me Go).

4. Catherine, Called Birdy – Karen Cushman, 212 pages

I was a little late to the game reading this book. I only just read it a year ago, but boy did I love it! If you’re ever in the mood for reading a really funny, really poignant historical fiction novel, read this one. It may be slated as juvenile literature, but it is so beautifully done that I thoroughly reading it as an adult.

Not only does Cushman really capture the time period (1200s, England), she also has created a really relatable, humorous character with Birdy. I think Birdy is probably one of my favorite book characters of all time. She’s great!

5. Shocked: Adventures in Bringing Back the Recently Dead – David Casarett, 272 pages

Man, I seem to favor non-fiction books about medical history! This book is a really interesting look at the history of resuscitation and the strange cases of people “coming back to life.” The author was inspired by the story of a young girl who fell into a creek, was underwater for over an hour, wasn’t breathing when she was found, yet after three hours of doctors working on her, was brought back to life. Miracle? This book is a really great, short read. If you’re not into reading non-fiction, don’t worry! This book is so fascinating, you won’t even realize you’re reading non-fiction.

Thoughts & Thanks!

It was certainly an interesting task of going through my books looking for anything under 300 pages. I was surprised by how many I had to choose from!

What do you think of my selections? Did any of your favorites make it on this list? Thank you for reading this post. Let’s chat in the comments! And, as always, happy reading!