5 Fiction Books You Can’t Help But Read In One Go

by Martin Treanor
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5 books
This is a list of books where the story was so gripping I – Martin Treanor – couldn’t help but read in one go . . . or, at least as close to it.
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Foucault's Pendulum

Umberto Eco, 2014
I have read Foucault’s Pendulum several times. The book takes the reader – through the main character, Casaubon – on a quest, delving into a place where the maybe possible, even probable, becomes reality and into that mysterious world where conspiracy theory laps around the edges of the real world. It is a thought experiment, of sorts, and the perfect example of being careful what you wish for . . . or expect . . . or deem to be true. It’s also a compulsive read – as you might expect from Umberto Eco.

Baudolino

Umberto Eco, 2011
Set in during the Forth Crusade, Baudolino is another book by Umberto Eco I have read numerous times and, as with Foucault’s Pendulum, throws up the idea that, if the world isn’t as we would like it to be (the great enigma of should and is), is there an imperative for someone of influence to create the illusion, engineer a fantasy, bring forth a false reality . . . all to satisfy their need to mould existence to their own world view. In Baudolino’s case, his self-delusions really do create his reality, as his quest to find truth in his religious devotions unfolds exactly to his perceptions.

Artificial Wisdom

Thomas R. Weaver, 2025
So, we’ve reached a future where the climate has finally broken down, and the world has decided a dictator is what’s needed to fix things. AI is the norm, as is neural/advanced AR communication. Yet, even in the midst of crisis, politicians are doing what they always do—trying to manipulate the situation for their own ends. I loved this technothriller – it’s a fantastic read. The characters are relatable and nuanced. The story is a gem. I was gripped so quickly; if I didn’t need to do ‘life’ stuff, I would’ve finished it in one day.

The Book of Illusions

Paul Auster, 2003
Like many of Paul Auster’s books, the narrative of The Book of Illusions is a speculative dream. Written like a thriller, the book unfolds much like a crime fiction novel, with clues and insights revealed in a trail of breadcrumbs. Wracked by grief at his lost wife and two sons and, most days, lost in a drunken haze, the protagonist lives in a dreamworld, which leads to infatuation with a bygone figure who disappeared from public view in 1929. His infatuation grows. He journeys out. Strange things happen. The prose is something else – as you might expect from Paul Auster and the prime reason why I am drawn to his work – and the story is so intriguing I read it in one go. Superb stuff. Recently departed, Auster is sadly missed.

The City & The City

A Novel
China Miéville, 2009
I have read many China Miéville novels and, for me at least, they never disappoint. That said, I have singled out The City & the City because of one overarching characteristic of the two cities in which the book is set, that – even though they share a border – the inhabitants of either can never admit that the other city exists. Throw in a murder on one side and a detective from the other, the whole idea of repressed awareness plays with the concept that what we perceive makes our world, even when such perceptions are put aside for the practical pursuit of solving a crime. And, as with all China Miéville works, the story is beautifully crafted and very hard to put down.