Two of my top fears in life are (1) rotting exploded pumpkins, and (2) very very long books.
Don’t even get me started on my pumpkin explosion story ok, because it’s traumatic and I’m still withering from the disgusting smell. Also it happened while I was home alone, therefore dousing the pantry with cleaner to try and get rid of the odour while considering renting a kayak and disappearing into the mountain river system.
Anyway.
We’re actually here to talk about books, believe it or not (since apparently I DO run a book blog). And I have said it quite a few times but: I AVOID LONG BOOKS. It is a bit ridiculous because I’ll read two 300-page books in 2 days but I hate reading one 600-page book in 2 days. Does it make sense? No. Will I eventually out grow this and get some sense? Also no.
(ILLOGICAL) REASONS I AVOID LONG BOOKS
- I actually have lost my attention span as I get older wow were did it go.
- I like ticking off my TBR fast ah ahah, sorry, this is a terrible confession. But I can tick off 2 smaller books faster = makes me feel industrious.
- Most long books just seem to draaaag. Like if you can’t say it fast, then I WANT TO KNOW WHY.
- They’re huge and my hands are so smol.
- They’re DAUNTING.
- Seriously, it could’ve been edited much shorter…
- If I don’t like the book = I’m stuck with it forever because I finish everything I read ugh.
- If I drop one on my face while reading, I will die.
However I DO like a lot of long books and I DO have a lot of long books on my TBR that I want to read!! But am avoiding them!! Which leads us to:
Let me just list 10 Really Long Books that I haven’t read yet, but WANT TO SOMEDAY.
Probably. And also yes I’m aware 500pages is probably not “long” to some people, but it is to me so laugh at me, ok, but softly as I am delicate.
Top Ten Tuesday [Longest Books I’ve Ever Read]…I’m twisting the prompt just a little. REBELLION ARRIVES.
1. THE ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE
Page Count: 490
Okay laugh at me, because this isn’t even 500 pages sO WHAT AM I WHINING ABOUT??? Well, sir, I whine about everything. Just give me a chance and I will come through. But I also just find epic fantasy really daunting at the moment. Getting into worlds and staying focused…ahhhh. Watch my brain fritz.
However I fully intend to start some Hobb books soon because my friend adores them!!
2. THE SECRET HISTORY
Page Count: 600
So I’m not even sure I’d like this because it’s adult and kind of literary isn’t it??? But I’ve heard it’s about dysfunctional teen squads and the blurb also indicates they all end up betraying and corrupting each other which is honestly what I am here for. SLYTHERINS??? DO I SEE YOU???
I’m so so undecided about this one bUT YET…
3. REPLICA
Page Count: 520
I actually got this one at a library sale for 50cents!! And it is so huge…so so huge. I actually love a love/hate relationship with Lauren Oliver books so I will probably just look at this one and scream vaguely at it for the next 15 years.
Why must it be so long though.
4. JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL
Page Count: 1,006
Why are adult book covers so freaking boring though. It’s like all the cover designers got together and were all: “Ok adulthood sucks so let’s make sure book covers reflect that so no one thinks there’s any possibility of fun.”
Anyway. This is about books isn’t it? I’m 99% sure it’s about books and magic and that is what I aspire to in life. BUT AT 1000 FLIPPING PAGES LONG. what the heck and why the heck.
5. TALES FROM THE SHADOWHUNTER ACADEMY
Page Count: 670
Now I’m just being a little wilted daisy here because I love Shadowhunter books. ALL OF THEM. I’m so obsessed with Lady Midnight and that series is clocking well about 600 per book.
But yet (sobbing) I’m just finding it hard to start this one because it’s so looooong.
I shall procrastinate a little more until it, perhaps, gets smaller over time. This seems logical.
6. CITY OF BRASS
Page Count: 533
I mean look at that freaking cover!! LOOK AT IT!! This book is so pretty you would name your kid after it! Or, like, your goldfish or something. But moving forward! I was so excited for it until I got an ARC in an Illumicrate box and…it…is…huge.
I keep waiting for it to magically transfer its words —> to my head —> without me stressing over the page count, but it has yet to happen. Rude.
7. BRIDGE OF CLAY
Page Count: 592
Look at these adult covers go again. DO WE NOT DESERVE GLITTER WHEN WE ARE OVER THE AGE OF 25???? But regardless, I was so lucky to get sent a surprise ARC of this and … I’m only slightly panicking that I haven’t read it yet. I was going to read this via audio (I find long books much more manageable that way) SO THIS CRISIS ISN’T EVEN MY FAULT.
Also my ARC says “most anticipated book of the decade” and pfft, um, excuse you? My book was the most anticipated of the decade. I mean, for me and my dog and my mum probably. But still. Settle down there, Clay.
8. BEFORE SHE IGNITES
Page Count: 480
I could’ve sworn this would’ve been like seventy billion pages long because the hardcover sure looks like it? Anyway. Apparently not. Apparently I’m panicking over nothing.
I actually got this in an Owlcrate box and it’s about DRAGONS so whyyyyy have I failed my own good name and not read it?! It’s not even over 500 omg.
9. THE QUEENS OF INNIS LEAR
Page Count: 570
Ok to be fair, I actually (1) used to think this was YA but it isn’t, and (2) I realised reading a retelling of King Lear might not make sense if you don’t know the original, um, at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’M SMART, I TELL YOU. So I was going to buy this one, but it’s being pushed further and further to the bottom of my list.
I don’t know if I’ll ever read it?? Or if I will just complain recreationally.
10. THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE
Page Count: 840
Now this isn’t out till February 2019!! So It’s not like it’s on my TBR actively yet. But I’m so torn?!! I didn’t like The Bone Season but tHIS HAS DRAGONS. And the author is awesome on twitter, making me feel like an overturned codfish for not liking The Bone Season. I realise I don’t make sense, shh.
When I get back from panicked sobbing about the fREAKING PAGE COUNT I will probably try and read this! It has DRAGONS and hopefully oranges which are delicious. I don’t actually understand the title at all…? But I do love orange.
And psst before you go, just know that I DO love some long books incredibly much! I’m not a total limp seaweed spiral! So here are some I’ve read and adored and wouldn’t miss a page.
lol! I agree with this so much. And this is exactly why I will never read, It by Stephen King.
O recently posted…(REVIEW) Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter by C.A. Verstraete #ihba #ZombieHorror
I haven’t even read a single Stephen King book because of this.😂I mean ONE DAY…but probably not for a while haha.
Try Carrie. Most editions are under 300 pages. (That was the only King novel I’ve had the courage to try. I get freaked out by 1000-page books.)
La Coccinelle @ The Ladybug Reads… recently posted…Review – The Lifeboat at the End of the Universe
Oh that is one I’m most interested in too anyway!
Honestly I am so INTIMIDATED by long books. I don’t want to invest so much time reading and back pain from having it in my bag in something that I might not like.
I’m much freer with my DNFs nowadays but also I’d still have to carry it around all day until I got home if I didn’t like it, and it’d be so big there’d be no room for a backup book.
I still try to challenge myself to read one a year though. Just to prove to myself that I can do it.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
Cora @ Tea Party Princess recently posted…The Longest Books I’ve Ever Read
It’s definitely the time investment factor that’s scary! I mean, people can just not finish…but then I always worry and think about the ending SO much it’s worth it just to finish even if I’m suffering.😂
Hahaha I love this post. I love all your reasons for avoiding long books and I feel the same way! I loose feeling in my hands with the smaller ones and its just about impossible with the super large ones. The more books I tick off quickly the better, so shorter wins here. I have luckily learnt to dnf books if I am seriously not enjoying them, even though I have hated the beginning of books before and loved the end so its a real struggle.
Yesss *hi fives for our love of smaller books* It just feels more productive to tick off more books?😂And I just often feel the long ones drag, although I frequently get proven wrong BUT STILL.😂
Tbh long books are kind of stressful and it is more satisfying to knock two books off the TBR pile than one, but at the same time…I kind of love them. Done right, they get to unfurl A LOT, and it gives me something new to pour all my attention and love into that shorter books just don’t do unless they’re a finished series I can run through in a few days.
I bingewatch most of my tv, and prefer to bingeread my series, I guess?
AGREED. Just like ticking off two books feels more productive, even though I know it shouldn’t just be about the numbers. 😂But I can’t help myself haha.
I, like you, am not a fan of big books and for many of the reasons you mentioned. For some big books, it might take me a month to read/listen to it and I just don’t have that kind of commitment in me. LOL! I own Dragonfly in Amber, which is longer than Outlander, but haven’t read it because it’s simply too daunting of a task. And, the way I look at it, I can read/listen to 3-4 books in the time it would take me to finish that ONE. I guess I like variety too much.
Visiting from TTT
https://edb214.blogspot.com/2018/10/top-ten-tuesday-day-early-longest-books.html
Ericka @ A Quiet Girl’s Musings… recently posted…Recently Read – Vol. 31 (Aug. & Sept. ’18)
The commitment issue is REAL here.😂 I also prefer feeling productive lmao and two 300-page books feels better than one 600-page book. I DON’T MAKE THE RULES. IT JUST IS.😂
I read long books, but I tend to procrastinate them because I’m such a slow reader! Each of the Game of Thrones books took me a month to get through. I’ve read The Secret History and loved it. I’d reread it if it wasn’t so long. I’m going to read Bridge of Clay as soon as my preorder gets here. I was supposed to get it today, but it’s delayed for no reason at all. 🙁
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books I’ve Read
Ooh that makes me excited that you liked The Secret History! I think I might challenge myself to read it next year.😂 And Bridge of Clay is SO BIG I’M TERRIFIED AHHH. I actually felt the release day came really fast.😂I’ll look forward to your review though!
Fun list! Long books can be very intimidating, but I try not to let it dictate if I will read a book or not. Otherwise I would have missed out on some really great books! Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Ah haha same though.😂I’m definitely missing out on some good books by being freaked of the long ones…yet here I still am.😂
Assassin’s Apprentice may only be 500 pages, but they’re 500 loooong pages. I don’t blame you for procrastinating. And honestly, I still don’t know if this series is the best place for you to start. But maybe you’ll enjoy the audiobooks? We can only hope.
I have ZERO desire to read The Secret History, and I’m surprised you do!
I DNF’d City of Brass. **hides**
I decided I don’t really want to read The Queens of Innis Lear.
And theoretically I want to read The Priory of the Orange Tree? But yeah, same problem.
Ohhh which Hobb would you recommend I start with then? I thought they were just like the very beginning so I should start there.😂I do have the audios!! I feel like I’m going to challenge myself to read like 12 really long books next year (one per month) or something noble like that lmao. And someone said The Secret History has Raven Cycle like dynamics?? But I suck at literary fiction so. 😂
(OK that makes me feel better for having not so much interest in City of Brass anyway.)
(Priory maybe we should aim for the audios.😂)
I read replica and it was a very quick read for me. if you think of them as two books, then it’s really kind of short. the others on your list I haven’t read.
I like a long book as long as it keeps me interested but sometimes you really do need patience.
have a lovely day.
lissa recently posted…Longest books & book series I’ve ever read
I just had a couple of people say Replica felt really short so I take courage from that!😂
Your reasons for avoiding long books made me giggle.
While I have been known to read some real beasts in the past (all but 3 books on my list this week are over 1000 pages), now that I’m a book blogger, I find that I tend to avoid the longer books too.
Hope you have a great week.
Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books recently posted…*Top Ten Tuesday* I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie
I AM SO WEAK AND PATHETIC.😂😂But omg maybe being a blogger has also done this to me a bit?? Like I don’t remember caring about page count as a kid, so maybe just needing to get through SO many books as a blogger has made me flop on the big ones.😂
Long books scare me too! Which is the main reason I keep putting off reading high fantasy book such as Mistborn, Name of the Wind, LOTR, and many more. I just don’t think I have that much time and energy to read them! Even if I enjoyed them, I tend to feel bored and exhausted after reading it :/
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They ARE exhausting!! And if I don’t read it fast enough I’m forgetting the beginning by the time I get to the end.😂
I used to read 500 pages in just a few hours back in high school and now I can’t even manage a 100 pages without reaching for my phone to check Twitter? It’s the worst 😂 but I also flock to thick books so I’m my own worst enemy 😂
THIS IS THE REAL MOOD RIGHT HERE.😂See adulthood is terrible on the attention span, it is fact.
Right? I know doctors say ADD gets better in adulthood but I’m sitting here with 15 or so posts to write, 11 or something series I’m currently watching – but I’m thinking of sorting my Pictures folder on my laptop out 🤦.
But I did take out two thick books (IT and The Way of Kings) so I’m hoping to read at least 100 pages a day and I’ll be done with both in less than 2 weeks!
I don’t think I have ADD because I didn’t as a kid so much.😂But like right now? I’m a very hot mess when it comes to focus lmao.
I split my list into two just the same as you! And priory of the Orange Tree is right up there in massive books I really want to read too!
But whyyyy are books so long?
JJ Crafts recently posted…Top Ten Tuesdays: Longest Books
Ahh I hope we both manage to tackle Priory next year then.😂
I KNOW. I hate reading long books because I like to seem ultra impressive (I am a Slytherin) and saying that I read a big book instead of saying that I read THREE books in that time, well, yeah. I am not ashamed in saying that I like to outdo people, lol.
I’m reading Way of Kings right now (it is like my friend’s favorite book) and it is good, don’t get me wrong, but 1,001 PAGES OF SUPER SLOW, NOTHING REALLY HAPPENING, AND A NARRATION BY A CHARACTER THAT I DON’T LIKE? Um, no. I am a very sad child right now. AH. So ya, I definitely relate to this post on a spiritual level. 🤣
Omg but see my Slytherin works opposite.😂I prefer saying “oh yeah I read DOUBLE the amount as you” even though I read like, um, a 200 page book and they read a 1000 page book. I’m hopeless. I like numbers and overachieving reading goals. lmaoooo.
Omg Brandon Sanderson books KILL ME WITH HOW LONG THEY ARE. I died after Well of Ascension (although I’m sworn off reading his books for other reasons) but it was so freaking long and nothing happened.😂
I don’t avoid long books, as a rule. I like to mix it up a little, though. A few quicker reads and then one long one. They can be such a drag when they’re not well-written, but when they are, they’re such a great experience to be lost in a world for that many pages.
Anything over 500 is my “I’ll only read it if it’s highly recommended or by an author I like” limit.
I totally forgot about this book until I saw it on my Goodreads recently, but the longest book I must have read is Shantaram, which was 933 pages. I read it back when I was an actual child (15) who thought that reading grown-up books was soo much better and made her look so serious.
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oh definitely agree!! Like some long books I still didn’t want to end!! (Definitely Muse of Nightmares fits that for me.😂) I feel like books over 500 pages sometimes are slower though, because they have more room to get things done. And while that’s NOT a bad thing, it does slow things down so probably that’s why I prefer short books with tighter pacing.😂
Long books definitely scare me but I did somehow make it through all of the Eragon books!! 500+ pages are really hard to pick up and commit to! But if the story’s good, then I don’t mind.
I cannot wait to read Bridge of Clay! It has an ugly adult cover 😒 but oh well. You should definitely read that one because Markus Zusak deserves it lol
Oh and I need to read the illuminae books!! I keep forgetting and they’re a huge commitment but everyone raves about them so I feel like I should get on top of that 😂
Thanks for the great post!
Duuuude, that is actually the biggest achievement right there.😂I feel like the last Eragon book is the size of a small country ah ahha. Omg though WHY is Bridge of Clay so ugly.😂 At least The Book Thief had an amazing cover!!
Oh I get the feeling of being a bit terrified of big books, I mean… the commitment haha, the time they take to be read, the fear that they just, won’t hold your attention long enough…. that always stresses me out haha.
I’m really curious about The Secret History as well, it sounds sooooo intriguing. I hope we’ll both get to read it! And I love Lauren Oliver’s books so much, I hope you’ll give Replica a try sometime and that it will be a hit for you, hopefully 🙂
It is kind of stressful, really.😂I also feel like I just have SO much to read these days that getting stuck for ages on a super long book makes me feel super behind ah hah.
I really want to read The Secret History though! We should both challenge ourselves to read it next year or something.😂
The number of pages doesn’t really bother me. It used to though… But I overcame my fear :)) But I must admit a book that has 800+ pages can be a bit frightening.
I loved The Book Theif(!!) so I am excited to see how Bridge of Clay will turn out.
Nicoline Simone recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – The longest books I have ever read
I definitely need to get over my fear.😂Especially since I have Bridge of Clay STARING at me reproachfully ah hahh.😂
Hahah! You will just have to stare right back at it until it looks more humble and appealing 😉
Nicoline Simone recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – The longest books I have ever read
I avoided Pillars of the Earth for a long time because of how long it is and I’m so glad I finally got around to it. Same with Dune. Also, I loved the Kingkiller Chronicles so much. I can’t wait for the next one to come out!
I actually need to read the 2nd Kingkiller book but I’m slightly worried it’ll end on a cliffhanger lmao. So I’m pretending book 1 was a standalone for now.😂
This is perfect timing! I just finished making my way through a 578 page book (it was actually a trilogy squished into one book, but felt like one big book split into 3 parts) (and I say it was 578 pages, but it was actually a massive book, so probably more in normal book terms).
It was absolutely amazing, but high fantasy and very wordy and detailed. And it took quite a while! But so, so worth it – one of the best books I’ve read in a while.
And I’m actually now going to go and start reading Illuminae – big books for the win!
Aww I’m glad it really worked for you reading such a long one! And honestly being totally absorbed into the world and following the story from start-to-end is really special and magical. Illuminae is BEST. I hope you enjoy it!
I love your last reason!! People don’t realize that reading can be dangerous!!! 😂😂
Brittany recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday – Longest Books
😂😂we risk OUR LIVES HERE
Honestly, I couldn’t read any of those books. Who??? Makes??? A Book??? That??? Long??? I’m kind of outraged. My attention span is like, ‘Ooh time to read. WAIT. Is that ICECREAM?!’
THIS IS MEEEEEE. Like I would be down for shorter books and more pictures pls and thank you.😂
I also need to read The City of Brass… However, some of my favorite books are on your list! The Secret History is long, and it did take me a bit to read it. But I also loved every second of it, especially how the author managed to change your opinions on characters without making it feel like she was enforcing her thoughts on you. If that made sense… I ended up hating the characters I loved at the start.
I also adore Assassin’s Apprentice (and the rest of the Farseer trilogy)! A lot of people end up feeling a bit disappointed by it because they expect a fast-paced story on an assassin. That’s really not what this is. It’s more of a character-focused story, following Fitz’s life.
I hope you’ll end up loving all of these!
Jolien @ The Fictional Reader recently posted…Longest books I’ve read | #TopTenTuesday
Omg this makes me excited to actually try it then! I like having my opinions challenged and changed and like seeing layers displayed and such?!? So I should read Secret History for sure.😂 And Hobb is my friend’s very favourite author SO I WANT TO READ THEM.
These days I feel like I have a poor attention span for everything EXCEPT books. I’ll play a game for half an hour and then be like “okay that was fun, what next.” But I can still fall into a book all day. Like I read A Conjuring of Light in a day (and neglected everything else I was supposed to do >__>)
Anything 600+ still makes me hesitate because I am afraid of commitment or something.
Minority opinion here, but I didn’t like The Secret History much…the leader of the squad was cool, but I kinda hated everyone else, and the main character had the personality of a limp scrap of lettuce. Also I think the book could’ve benefited from ~100 pages of trimming.
I’m glad it’s reversed for you though and books DO make you slow down!! I seriously have no idea what’s going on with my brain these days.😂Although I admit I also read ACOL in like a day…oh except the last 100pages because it was SO LATE and I couldn’t keep my eyes open.😂 I always make exceptions for Schwab lmao.
OK limp scrap of lettuce is NOT appealing at all.😂I’ve honestly heard such mixed things about Secret History, hence it is on this list haha.
The Assasin’s Apprentice is so worth it Cait, seriously. You’ll love Fitz. 😀
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I NEED TO!! I’m really excited to read them .😂
I see a suspicious lack of Stormlight Archive books on here. I mean, if we’re talking about long books that you need to read, they definitely fit the category. (I know you’ve mentioned them at some point, but I’m pretty sure you haven’t read them yet, correct? I remember that you read and disliked Mistborn, but Stormlight is honestly better. Also longer. But still.) Also, if and when you read either Assassin’s Apprentice or Jonathan Strange, let me know what you think. They’re both on my TBR list too, but I haven’t managed to get my hands on them.
I think the problem with adult book covers is that they feel the need to be either realistic or minimalistic and to reflect the theoretically serious nature of their readers, while YA covers have no such problems.
As for me and long books . . . honestly, it depends on the author and the genre, but I don’t consider anything less than 600 pages to be long. That said, I grew up on Tolkien, then read Sanderson and Jordan, and they’re kind of the kings of long books, so, yeah. But I sometimes avoid long books anyway, especially if I’m at school. (Look, I’d love to reread LOTR and work on the Wheel of Time series while I’m here, but those books are too long to feasibly read in snatches between classes and in ten and fifteen and thirty-minute spurts before bed.) That said, with Sanderson books, I get excited about the length because I know that the writing will still be fairly quick-paced and something will always be happening no matter how long the book is. (Like, some of his books are over 1,000 pages in hardback and I’m just like YES GIVE IT TO ME.) But yeah. I’m also wary of books that are too short, because I’m kind of like “How can there possibly be a complete story in this few pages?” Which is silly, because I write books in that few pages, but anyway.
Excellent post and list as always.
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I’m glad long books don’t scare you!! That’s great 😂 and honestly I was into long books WAY more as a kid…it didn’t bother me that much?! But my attention span has dwindled a lot as I got older haha. And I’ve just become more critical, because I feel (a lot of the time, but not always!) if a book is passed 500 words then the story isn’t as taut or precise as it could be. I need books that get to their point.😂
And, eee no actually I am permanently off reading Brandon Sanderson. I think he’s problematic as an author and openly homophobic and I don’t want to support him/his work at all. I didn’t mind Steelheart but yeah, nooooot reading more from him after I found that out.
That’s fair. And, I mean, I definitely read more long books as a kid too, just because I had time to just sit and read for hours on end. I do think that there are long books that don’t fall into the trap of unnecessary fluff or words or whatnot, though. (There aren’t many of them. But there are some.)
Ah. Fair enough.
Sarah Pennington recently posted…Favorite Long Books
And I think as a kid it was like a “LOOK I CAN READ SUCH LONG BOOKS I’M AMAZING” thing.😂Someone get me a sticker. Although tbh I still am motivated by stickers??? I would read more long books now if I got stickers.
ugh yes!!! long books frighten me to my very core! every time i see a long boi i’m like, “will this take me 100 years to read??? will i ever have time to pick up another book ever again?? better just put it off for all time.” also, if you dislike a long book?? that’s a long time to suffer. short books would never hurt me like that. (anything over 500 pages is what really gets me scared.)
i also want to read The Secret History and Bridge of Clay someday when i’m feeling brave!! and A Conjuring of Light – that one’s been on my owned TBR for a whileeee but i live in fear. especially because i didn’t love the other two books in the series all that much – it threatens to be slump city baby.
great post as always!!
Ugh yes it’s that feeling of being trapped reading a super long book if you don’t like it ahhhh. I mean YES we can just not finish. But I need closure.😂
ACOL is very very good and actually flew by which I don’t often say for long books.😂I think having shorter chapters on occasion can help it not feel like it’s taking forever? If that even makes sense omg.
Love your twist on this week’s TTT post. I have not read any of the novels on your TTT post! They look like really good reads. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to get around to reading a few of them!
Here’s a link to my TTT post this week: http://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/10/top-ten-tuesday-longest-books-ive-ever.html
Here’s to both of us finally getting to them.😂
I read Assassin’s Apprentice ages ago and really enjoyed it, but it did drag quite a lot! I’ve still not read any more Robin Hobb books anyway, even though I liked it, because they are quite a facing. Plus I’ve now forgotten everything that happened, if I wanted to read the rest of the series!
I’ve also always wanted to read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but have never got round to it. I’ve even had it out of the library a couple of times, but just couldn’t bring myself to start on it. I like crossing off my TBR quick too! 🙂
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I’ve actually got the first Robin Hobb books on audio (which I prefer because I don’t have to worry about page lengths) and STILL haven’t read them, gah. I am shameful!😂
And Jonathon Strange is so so long. 0_0 I have no idea what one can even fill 1000 pages with. That’s nearly four of my books.😂
I am all for long books… when I have time. Which is never! Lol If it’s more than 400 pages I am careful to start it until I know I will have at least a little bit more free time so I don’t end up reading the same book for months.
I don’t really have anything against them, and I have loved a lot of long books, but it’s just SO hard to start them. 😅
And I didn’t know Bridge of Clay was that long! Ahhh RIP my responsibilities! 😂
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I totally get that!! I like to be changing what I read really frequently (I have a short attention span ha) so with the long books I always feel super stuck if I can’t whip through them fast enough.😂
I get intimidated by long books so easily because I’m a slow-ish reader and it’ll end up taking me a month to read a book that’s a million pages long 😅 It took me a long time to read Winter because of the length of it, so finally finishing it felt like crossing a marathon line. For me, any page count more than 500 pages a pretty intimidating, but once it gets to about 700 or 800 I’m sweating in fear because books like that look like they’ll beat me up and steal my lunch money 😂
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I totally get that too!😂And sometimes I’m prone to rate huge books higher because it’s like “REWARD @ ME FOR GETTING THROUGH THIS”.😂Which makes no sense omg, but that is my life, making no sense.😂
I totally agree that 400 pages is getting into the too long category. XD But if you get them in paperback they seem a lot smaller so I guess that makes it less intimidating. In theory anyway. 😛 I have a lot of big books on my TBR but there’s only a few that I’ve actually read. XD I want to read A Darker Shade of Magic series, Priory of the Orange Tree, Before She Ignites, Replica, and i recently bought a copy of Illuminae! So I really hope I’ll get to them and that I’ll actually like them. 🙂
Ohhh I do that too with the paperback vs hardcover.😂WHAT EVER MAKES IT LESS INTIMIDATING, THANKS. I’m such a wimp.😂
ADSOM is amazing and Illuminae isn’t actaully as long as it looks because so many of the pages are unique formatting and pictures!
THIS IS THE TEA. Seriously editors, PLS. I mean, I get that the story must be A-MAZ-ING for the books to be that long, but like… I’d like to not die before the ending, thanks. Honestly, I haven’t read any of the Cassandra Claire books for this reason. Like, I seriously really really want to. BUT C’MON KAREN. My .453 sec attention span cannot grasp such lengths. I forget more than half the story by the time I’m halfway through it lol. LOVE YOU CAIT AGH.
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Omg I am glad we are in agreement.😂I just think so so often the books could be shorter?! Like so much waffling goes on.😂HOWEVER I am totally biased for my favourite authors and wouldn’t sacrifice a page ha.
Hahaha I saw the picture with A Thousand Perfect Notes at the top and I had to think “didn’t you write that one? How can it be too long?”
I generally don’t get overwhelmed with long books. I get exhausted if I read too many in a row, but I don’t mind reading them. I’m looking forward to reading City of Heavenly Fire next week! I think 600 page books are long, but that won’t keep me from reading them.
The Priory of the Orange Tree and City of Brass are both on my TBR. I bought City of Brass already… since it was on the Kindle I didn’t realize it was that long. Kindle books I often only realize their length by the “time left in book” number at the bottom of the page.
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Aw haha my book was just was in that pile for that photo. 😂No real meaning behind it. And I’m glad you’re not daunted by 600-page books! They often are really good, I’m just a huge wimp.😂
City of Brass is quite terrifyingly large. (What is it with “City” in titles meaning the book is huge!?😂)
I am always intimidated by big books even though I believe I will enjoy them. I like Robin Hobb’s books but they are so long and only in the last 100 pages things seem to happen. I have had The Mad Ship on my shelf for a year now and still haven’t found the courage to pick it up. I really enjoyed The Secret History and The City of Brass.
Have a wonderful week!
I feel like a lot of these I’ll end up trying on audio?😂That might help.
Ohhhh long books scare me so much! Lady Midnight looked so terrifying to me, but once I got into it it was just increddddddible (duh Cassandra Clare is the best!) I swear my TBR is taller than me at this point and your amazing suggestions just made it so much longer! Gorgeous post and photos as always Hun, I always love reading your posts so much 🙂
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OMG CASSANDRA CLARE IS EVERYTHING AND I LOVE HER BOOKS. I mean they do freak me out, but I don’t procrastinate the.😂 And also omg big books make one’s TBR taller just for their sheer width. 😂
I haven’t read any of the books you’ve listed. Well, apart from the ones you’ve read. But I don’t think Illuminae should actually count because yeah, it may be quite a few pages, but based on the format it’s actually quite a quick read so it’s really just deceiving.
But I DO love long books. I agree that they never NEED to be as long as they are, but for some reason I like knowing that I’m going to be stuck in a book for ages (even though I have tons of other books waiting to be read so maybe that’s not such a good thing). When I was younger, I would actually shop for books with page count in mind. The longer the book, the more likely I’d buy it. One of my favourite books that I read as a teen, This Is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers was over 800 pages long. (I actually really want to re-read this one too. But of course, one of the worst things about it being so big and being a hardback is that it weighs quite a bit so I haven’t been able to bring it with me to the UK, fail.)
Also, ewwww rotting exploding pumpkins. I’ll pass on that. 🤢
Illuminae is totally deceiving. 😂 So it’s like more of a 400 page book with PICTURES which I am down for. Like if someone told me the Norrel book had pictures I would go for it. 😂
Also I do admit that longer books you generally get more for your money. (Is that terrible to admit, lmao.) And being totally lost and consumed in a world is actually a delightful thing. I do wonder if blogging and stressing about getting through maximum books/ARCs/etc has also not helped me reach for the long ones?😂
I meant to do this post and then… I didn’t, oops? But anyway. I was going to do a “long books I actually liked” but wow would I have even FOUND 10, Idk!? I did like Illuminae and Gemina (we’ll not talk about Obsidio right now) and MONSTERS OF MEN and also Strange the Dreamer. So. Fun fact: I haven’t read a lot of the books on your list for the exact same reason. Um, like almost all of them? People were at ALA talking about Priory and I was like… nah fam, that won’t even fit in my suitcase. City of Brass, Bridge of Clay, and Queens of Innis Lear are sitting on my shelf… for the EXACT same reason. (Oh, and if it helps with Replica- while I didn’t love it as much as I usually do a Lauren Oliver, it actually goes by pretty quickly!) As for Jonathan Strange… don’t do it, save yourself! A thousand pages, thing could be a trilogy! And a LONG trilogy at that! Like was the entire Hunger Games even that long? (You’d think I’d know this, right?)
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omg did you not like Obsidio?!?! I didn’t know that! I loved it 😭😭 And Strange and Monsters of Men were definitely excellent, so at least you would have a list of…4. 😂And omg I was excited for Priory and then I saw the ARCs on twitter after ALA and I’m like *packing bags* It was nice to think about but I have to go now.😂
1000 PAGES IS LIKE 3 OF MY BOOKS. I’M NOT EVEN REMOTELY KIDDING.
There are so many books that I want to read but the size are daunting me. IT by Stephen King, actually many books by him would be on my list that I have been avoiding for a while now. The longest book I read might be Gone with the Wind I think.
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Omg isn’t Gone with the Wind like 309409 million pages?? WELL DONE YOU!
Ha. I don’t consider anything less than 700 pages “long” so it’s funny to see some on here less than 500 pages! I almost didn’t read JOHNATHAN STRANGE & MR NORELL because it was so long. It also starts off really slow. But I cruised through it once the real magic started happening! Totally great book.
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We all have different perspectives haha.
I love the IDEA of long books, (they look so cool! and impressive!) but they are actually a bit intimidating. Especially now that time is a thing I seem to have less and less of? When I was twelve five hundred pages wouldn’t have daunted me and now it’s like….help. I feel like maybe that’s backwards, but whatever,
I want to read Bridge of Clay too! But….length. And time. And deteriorating attention span. AND SO MANY OTHER BOOKS THAT I WANT TO READ. HELP.
I actually read a monstrously long book this summer and I’m still recovering. So short books for a while would be nice,
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Ugh yes exactly. It’s the time thing that crops up too. Like knowing you don’t have hours to devote and it takes longer to read — ergo you might FORGET things…😂It’s a nightmare. (At least for my sieve brain.)
Bridge of Clay is HUGE. I gotta start it this week though rip me.😂
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is huge but it’s one of my favorites. I actually listened to it on audiobook which was probably about 28 hours or something, but I would have kept going if it was longer. Plus, the miniseries adaptation is absolutely amazing! 🙂
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I feel like trying the audiobook might be the way to go for me?! I tend to find audios less intimidating and I listened to all of Game of Thrones via audio!
I tend to avoid long books at least during the Uni semester, because I just don’t have time to read them! I have really loved long books in the past, I just find them quite intimidating now because I only have time to read them three months out of the year! I would say 500+ pages is long-my comfort range is about 300-500 pages. I still have Priory on my TBR, I want to read it because dragons but I know I’m going to have to dip in and out of it, because otherwise I’ll be spending the whole of 2019 reading just one book! City of Brass is also intimidating me, it looks great but so thick!
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I hope Priory is really good with the dragons at least!! That’ll make up for it.😂
I wanted to hear the pumpkin story! I’m disappointed, Cait. Replica is split in two, no? Technically, it’s 2 books! I live for loopholes. 💛
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IT WAS GROSS. THAT’S THE STORY. I’M STILL TRAUMATISED. Also rotten pumpkins smell so bad.
But Replica still only counts as one book on Goodreads so😂
BREAK THE RULES, ADD IT TWICE!
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i cannot believe you haven’t read Tales From Shadowhunter Academy yet??????? And Innis Lear… SAME! i don’t know a single thing about the original but well the writing is pretty so i am just gonna go with it. until i saw other stuff and got distracted halfway through ummm i will finish it soon though (like in a few years, but yes)
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I KNOW! I FEEL SO ASHAMED THAT I HAVEN’T READ IT YET.😭😂This year though!?!? I like 50% promise.😂
Not going to lie. I have such a hard time finishing long books. Like, in general, it’s hard to find books that I LIKE or don’t find predictable. But I have the shortest attention span EVER and so if I can’t read the book in one or two sittings, then I don’t always finish it. Then, I sit there guiltily going “I really should finish the shiny baby” and can’t get myself to read anything else until I do finish it, but I drag it out all the live long day. So yeah, generally speaking, I definitely go for shorter books. I have exceptions, like anyone, but they’re few and far between.
I totally relate.😫And it’s often those “not bad…but not great either” books that are the issue when it’s HUGE. Like I don’t want to stop reading, but it’s such a drag to keep going because I’m not in love with it?! LIFE IS HARD.
Yes. So very often it’s the ones I look at and say “it was okay” but I think about it as someone who writes and who reads a lot of things and think that someone else could have written it better and I might have loved it.
I actually adore long books because I can get lost in them, especially when I’m enjoying it!
Out of these, I’ve read Assassin’s Apprentice which was a really frustrating read, City of Brass which I DNFed half way because it actually FEELS like a long book, and Replica which I wouldn’t recommend at all. Hopefully that helps with your TBR lol
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As long as they’re good right?!😂Like it’s the “meh” ones that kill me. They’re not bad enough to ditch, but they seem to drag because I’m not 100% invested, whoops.😂 Omg maybe I won’t even bother with City of Brass then.😂 And I remember you weren’t happy with Assassin’s Apprentice!! I’m torn. Ahhh.
Gosh, I adore Cassandra Clare’s books and The Infernal Devices is always going to be one of my favourite series – but I am petrified by the sight of Dark Artifices because:
1) It’s HUGE.
2) It has an even more heartbreaking forbidden relationship and I’m a sucker for those
3) It’s going to send me down a tumultuous path and I’m a scaredy cat.
Next year. I promise.
That’s what I tell myself with the release of each sequel. AND GOSH THERE’S ANOTHER SEQUEL SERIES AFTER THISSS
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Omg the Dark Artifices are WORTH IT THOUGH I PROMISE!!! But they are terrifying.😂I really enjoyed listening to Lady Midnight via audio though and hopefully will continue that habit because it makes them less terrifying haha.
I have read some totally amazing long books and I also always get this weird need to say that I love long books to prove how literary I am or something but I do, in fact, constantly postpone longer books! I’m doing two year long reading challenges this year and despite the fact that I actually can read long books in a reasonable time, I still have SO much trouble getting myself to read any longer books for the challenges… Even if it’s a book I was wanting to read anyway, I will find an alternative that fits the challenge prompt!
Oh yes doing reading challenges doesn’t help with super long books either 😂It feels more productive to power through shorter ones haha.
I could not get through Jonathan Strange … it felt like nothing happened in the first few chapters. And I’ve successful read Les Mis, Dumas, Dostoevsky… so be forewarned. 😂 Also omg Markus Zusak has a new book out??!!
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I understand that! It looks SO logn haha. 😂 (and yes!! Markus Zusak is here to ruin our feels again woo!)
I’m kinda scared of reading long books too… I mean yesss most of the time they are long solely because the author is dragging it out HOW BORING
Take Dan Brown for example 😐
Takes of Shadowhunter Academy is good! Think of them like short stories, certainly more helpful 😜
Also omg 1000 pg novel = me out of the equation
So like I love shorter books because I love being able to get through a bunch of books I’m excited about quickly, but at the same time some of my all time favourite books have been longer ones. Like Stephen King’s It or Stephen King’s Sleeping Beauties (I like Stephen King) or Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. I tend to enjoy long books because I can love them for a longer time. I always get sad if a book I love is over super quickly cuz I miss my fave characters. But thats just me