Sit Down and Get Comfy...

...because you have a book to finish! Or rather, you have these books to finish. That's right, here's another Top 10. This time, the focus is on ten books that you'll read in one sitting. And trust me on this one: they're worth it.

10. Paper Towns by John Green

I just had to include a book by one of the most popular YA authors in this list. Margo Roth Spiegelman wakes Quentin Jacobsen up in the middle of the night to go on an adventure. Of course, he follows her. But come daylight, Margo has vanished, leaving a clue for Q to follow on what everyone else thinks is a wild goose chase. But Q follows the path that Margo has left and finally convinces his friends that he has a lead on where Margo is. They rush to Agloe, New York on a frantic road trip. They find the barn where Q thought Margo was to be empty, and while the others leave to head home, Q stays behind. Q starts to hike into town to buy a bus ticket home when he sees Margo in the streets. Margo wants to escape from town and live in solitude. Q says he understands and heads home alone. This book, although a strange one, kept its claws in me until the very end.

9. Five Feet Apart by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott

Stella Grant has control issues, likes to be extremely organized, and likely has a little bit of OCD. But what she has been diagnosed with is CF–cystic fibrosis. CF causes a person to slowly suffocate as their lungs build up more and more mucus. That's why Stells sticks to the six-feet-apart rule that every CFer knows. But Will Newman couldn't care less about his health. He doesn't want to stay in the hospital any longer. He'd rather explore the world. Will is exactly who Stella needs to stay far, far away from. But she can't help but slowly fall for her hospital neighbor. Would taking back one more foot be all that dangerous if it keeps something even more precious from breaking? Five Feet Apart is a hospital romance that both entertains and also brings the disease of cystic fibrosis to light. This was a quick read that kept me hooked through the very end.

8. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon Spier who is not-so-openly gay prefers to save his drama for his performances for the school musical. But when he forgets to close out his private email account at school one day, the typically "I'm fine with nothing changing and I'd actually prefer it if things stayed the same" attitude that Simon is known for must change. He has to decide if he'll step out of his comfort zone before someone pushes him into the spotlight–but he has to protect the identity of a guy he's never met but has started to fall for in the process. This coming-of-age and coming-out story is one of my favorite LGBTQ+ stories. Albertalli also has two novels and a novella in the same universe that I read just as quickly as I read Simon's story.

7. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

I know, it sounds morbid, right? But for Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio, knowing what day they'll die is just a phone call away. When Death-Cast calls you, you already know what they're calling to tell you. They're going to go through the usual script–"we are so sorry to lose you"–and tell you that within 24 hours, you'll be dead. Mateo and Rufus didn't know each other until their End Day. They met through the Last Friend app, where two people can spend their End Day together. Mateo and Rufus pull each other out of their comfort zones and go on adventures on their shared End Day. They travel around the city together and say goodbye to friends. Mateo finally gets up the courage to kiss Rufus, who asks him what took him so long. Neither of them knows exactly when their time will come, but they are determined to spend their last day doing what they want. That's exactly how I'd want to spend my last 24 hours, which is why I read this book in under a day.

6. Matched by Allie Condie

This trilogy is another dystopian for fans of an "all-powerful" government. Cassia has always trusted the Society to create her perfect life. She believes that everything the Society does is what is best for her–and the rest of humanity. And when Xander's face is the one that appears on-screen during her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows that the Society is right once again. Until Ky's face flashes on the screen for just a moment. That's when Cassia starts to wonder if the Society ever makes mistakes. If her Matching ceremony tells Cassia that she might have another match, what else could the Society be hiding? I read these books in a day each and I loved the way Cassia and Ky are a "glitch" in the otherwise perfect system the Society has created.

5. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

This book is the first in what will become a trilogy in April of 2021. Henry "Monty" Montague doesn't care that the pastimes he participates in are considered improper for a "gentleman" of his status. He doesn't care that his shameless behavior at parties brings embarrassment to his father (he's actually rather proud that he can elicit that kind of emotion from the man). And he certainly doesn't care that the crush he has on his best friend, Percy, would be called scandalous if discovered. In the 1700s, a man like Monty should be settling down at his estate with a child on the way–not flirting with another man during his last hurrah as a bachelor. But Monty was never one to follow tradition. This is one of my favorite series and I can't wait for the last book to come out! I read this book in a day, despite its length (over 500 pages) and I'm sure that if you make time for it, you'll be able to, too!

4. Chosen by Ted Dekker

Chosen is the first of the Lost Books series I have mentioned in my "Some Call it a Slump" post. In this religion-based fantasy novel, Johnis, Silvie, Billos, and Darsal are chosen by Thomas Hunter to lead a special mission to try and save their people from the Horde. However, the four are interrupted in their assignment and redirected and given a new challenge from Elyon himself–to find the seven lost Books of History before the Dark One uses them to control the past, present, and future of their world...and our world, as well. In this six-book series, Dekker uses the Dark One as a representation of the Devil and Elyon is a depiction of God. I read a novel a day in this series, and it is the only series I have reread...so I hope you enjoy it too!

3. The Selection by Kiera Cass

This series by Cass is reminiscent of the Bachelor, but with a dystopian flair. Prince Macon must get married to ascend to the throne, and just like his ancestors, he sends out invitations for girls across the country to compete in the Selection. This competition involving thirty-five girls is the chance of a lifetime for some, but for America Singer, it is her worst nightmare. She only applied for the Selection to get her mother off of her back. The man she wants to marry is back home, but he is a caste below her. Little does she know that the life she always thought she'd wanted might not be the life she could have. I finished these five novels in a couple of hours each, and hopefully, you'll find them just as un-put-down-able as I did.

2. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

This is the first book in what will eventually be a trilogy. Lei is a member of the Paper caste, which means that she is considered the lowest of the low. When her mother was taken years ago, Lei watched helplessly as the royal guards snatched her away. Now, Lei is the one being taken–to be a consort of the king. The king is a beast, and his nature goes hand-in-hand with his outward appearance. Lei and eight other girls are trained to be exactly what the king wants in a consort. But Lei does the unthinkable for a consort: she falls in love. This romance begins to puts Lei and Wren in danger and also threatens the way of life in their world as they know it. This LGBTQ+ Asian fantasy novel is a work of girl-power art. I read this book and its sequel in just a couple of days and I can't wait for the third.

1. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Oh, what can I say about Kerri Maniscalco besides this: I love all of her books with an ardent passion. This book is no exception to that rule. Emilia, a streghe (witches who live secretly among humans) finds the body of her twin sister, Vittoria, violated and mutilated beyond belief. To find her sister's killer, Emilia will do anything–including use forbidden dark magic. She summons a demon but is surprised when her spell summons Wrath, one of the seven Wicked–the princes of hell. Wrath says that he is on Emilia's side, and is trying to solve not only Vittoria's murder but also the murders of multiple other young streghe in the area. But everything the Wicked say has to be taken with a grain of salt...or so Emilia has been taught. When I say I devoured this book, I really mean that it devoured my soul and it has since been given to the Wicked as a thank-you gift for my latest obsession. But no matter. I already gave this book my full attention from start to finish, so why not the rest of my life, too?

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And that wraps up my Top 10 List of One-Sitting Reads. If you give any of these books a try, be sure to let me know, because I'd love to hear your thoughts on them. Leave a book that you read in one sitting in the comments below!