What do you consider a big book? Over 400 pages? More than 500? In 2023 I read a dozen books over 400 pages. This past year I read fifteen for a total of 7,138 pages. Nine of these books wound up on my Top Reads and Honorable Mentions lists, so in spite of my hesitation to read a weighty tome, they tend to be my favorites. It should also come as no surprise that there are a few titles here by Stephen King.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (548 pages)
September by Rosamunde Pilcher (536 pages)
The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard (408 pages)
Billy Summers by Stephen King (515 pages)
Holly by Stephen King (449 pages)
Still Life by Sarah Winman (456 pages)
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (418 pages)
Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane (418 pages)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (401 pages)
The Stonecutter by Camilla Lackberg (489 page)
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (566 pages)
Fairy Tale by Stephen King (599 pages)
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe (441 pages)
The Women by Kristin Hannah (471 pages)
The River We Remember (423 pages)
I've read six of your BIG reads. To me, a big read is over 600 pp. My book club does not agree. LOL. I am almost through with The Brothers Karamazov, 958 pp.! I prefer big reads. I like to be totally immersed.
ReplyDeleteTi, I may re-think my page count in 2025. With so many 400 page books read last year, I might bump it up to 500 to qualify as a BIG book. :) I agree about being totally immersed in a story. I wonder what was my longest read ever... Maybe Anna Karenina, The Stand, or Sarum.
DeleteTo me, anything over 400 pages is a Big book, lol. Such big books often are quite a time investment and can take me forever. I think your list is impressive ... and perhaps I should keep track this year of which big ones I read. I think I read about 6 over 400 in 2024. I think the books I was most proud to finish last year were: Of Human Bondage, Wide Wide Sea, and My Brilliant Friend.
ReplyDeleteSusan, 400 pages is a lot to read, but more and more books seem to hit that mark, so I may bump up my recording stats to 500+ pages in 2025. It does feel like an accomplishment to tackle and finish a big book, doesn't it? I remember that it took me 6 months to read Sarum! I was busy with taking classes at the university (non-traditional student) and my daughter was in middle school with all sorts of activities, so life was hectic. But 6 months? Maybe that says something about Rutherford's writing? ;)
DeleteI'm sure it would take me six months too. That's a thick novel.
DeleteI've read three on your list and I also consider anything over 400 pages a big book. Wait till I hit my James Michener books because those are over 800 pages easily!
ReplyDeleteTina, I tried Michener once and couldn't get interested. I have read something similiar, though. Edward Rutherfurd's tome, Sarum, was quite weighty. My copy was 1,056 pages!
DeleteI love Rutherfurd! I have read all of the Ireland series and I thought The Forest was an excellent book too. One time, probably about 20 years ago, I took my "latest" Rutherfurd book on a camping trip, saving it until we were set up. Turned out I read it. Ugh! Doug heard me cry "Oh no! I read this one!" and I was screwed because I had not brought another book. It was long before Kindles.
DeleteMichener has been an author I loved for many years. I still have a letter from his assistant, replying to me, when I was "stalking" him back in the early 1990's. At least he didn't get a restraining order on me for all the letters, manuscript outline and invitations I sent, haha!
Tina, my husband has read a few more than I have of Rutherfurd's. I can sympathize with your lack of back-up books while traveling. If anything, I take far too many when we are on a roadtrip in the RV! Fun story about your interactions with Michener. :)
DeleteI've read 4 of those books and really liked them all a lot. I have Holly on my shelves and hope to get to it sooner rather than later (or should I save it for the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge?)
ReplyDeleteHelen, Holly would make a great summer/beach read!
DeleteI've only read one on your list for this year, but I've read several King books that are long and I actually like long books. I will say that some might try the read/listen strategy with long books. Goes a bit faster, but I know that wouldn't work for everyone. If it's a book I like, I'm not upset that it goes on and on. Big clue as to why I love mystery series books. It's all like one big book. As to number of pages - at least 500 for a big book - maybe even 600.
ReplyDeleteKay, I've tried the read/listen method (I know JoAnn does this a lot), but I prefer to have one book on audio and a different in print on my nightstand. Yes, a mystery series is like one big long book! As I mentioned in my reply to Susan, I'm going to bump my page number up to 500 for this year's stats. 400 seems pretty common these days.
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