Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

It's time for a long book. Feel free to start a week or two early if you need more than one week to read a doorstop. You can sort your TBR by length by clicking Settings, then clicking the box next to Num Pages.

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Suggestions:


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Optional Questions:
- What are you reading for this category?
- Do long books intimidate you?

I'm going to read The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. I'm not intimidated by long books. If I'm enjoying them I don't really notice the length and I tend to be a pretty quick reader anyway.

I used to love long books. Like a criteria for reading would be if it was a long story that I could just get sucked into. A big fat book. But since I started doing challenges they terrify me LOL. anything over 400 pages makes me feel the pressure. And long classics.....I'm scared.

For this I'd like to finally read All the Light We Cannot See, But for times sake I may go with Illuminae

I have quite a few long books on my TBR so I have a lot to choose from. I'm thinking of:

The Luminaries
The Thornbirds
Midnight's Children
Invisible Man
Cutting for Stone

For this I'll likely read The Help, The Luminaries or The Diviners.

I AM intimidated by long books and somehow dislike short books. I like mine right where they should be. I will probably opt out of this prompt by reading Ghosts of Greenglass House which has 480 pages.

I am going to read Middlemarch and I am going to do it early in the year, like maybe in March. I was supposed to read it this year, but I put it off for too long.

Like Milena, I was “supposed to” read Middlemarch this year... and last year, and the year before! I hope 2019 will be the year. Although, my husband recommends Vanity Fair over it. I have lots of choices for a 500+ page book, since I tend to put off reading longer books. My most recent purchase/choice is The Adventures Of Augie March by Saul Bellow.

I started Middlemarch this year for the intimidating prompt and HATED it. It moved so slowly, and if I had to hear about one more person's taxes...

So I'm reading Anna Karenina instead, and actually really enjoying it.

That being said, for this prompt, I'm probably going to stick to the 500-700 page range... I can't stomach another 900-1200 page book for a while!

Currently looking at The Luminaries or Jane Eyre (because I own them) or Middlesex or The Heart's Invisible Furies (because I've heard great things).

A "cheat" for those who dislike long books is to read a large print version of a book that is normally a more moderate length. The book you read will be over 500 pages and thus within the rules.

I hate long books so I groaned at this category! But 500 pages is just a hair on the long side of average, so I'll be okay. I tried to pick a fast read for this: Night Film.

Serendipity wrote: "A "cheat" for those who dislike long books is to read a large print version of a book that is normally a more moderate length. The book you read will be over 500 pages and thus within the rules."

Serendipity, I like the way you think. ;-)

Illuminae is definitely the perfect book for those who don't like long books. I read it in two days but really could have read it in one.

On the complete opposite end would be A Little Life. A very difficult read emotionally for me but one of my all time favorites.

If you dislike long books, or are visual people, 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' is over 500 pages and probably two-thirds are drawings. I actually often recommend this to dyslexic kids in my library - we have a dyslexic group/ class of 11-15 year olds on regular visits, so I am always on the lookout for easy to read and visually based books with content worthy of that age. The easy reads that they are technically capable of are just not interesting at their age.

Pam wrote: "Like Milena, I was “supposed to” read Middlemarch this year... and last year, and the year before! I hope 2019 will be the year. Although, my husband recommends Vanity Fair over it. I have lots of ..."

I read Middlemarch for the intimidating prompt this year and am currently a little over halfway through Vanity Fair. So far, my preference is Middlemarch. Both are slow at times but while I like the humor of Vanity Fair quite a bit, I prefer the characters in Middlemarch which I think is why I got through it relatively quickly. I had to take a break from Vanity Fair because I felt it was getting repetitive but I'm enjoying it more now that I'm back at it.

I tend to read at least a few long books each year so I'm looking forward to this one. I have several on my TBR that fit but am leaning towards The Luminaries or The Secret History.

I think I'm going to try to read 12 500+ page books next year. I definitely cut down on long reads since I started doing reading challenges, since I get so focused on quantity of books rather than length. I used to love reading doorstoppers! So I think making a month long project of a huge book will be fun. Here are some possibilities:

Les Misérables
The Historian
The Portable Dorothy Parker
The Histories
The Magic Mountain
Infinite Jest
The Passage
The Woman in White
The Book Of English Magic
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital
The Years of Rice and Salt
The Satanic Verses
The Poisonwood Bible
Cloud Atlas
Lonesome Dove
Dune
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype
Passage
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
The Golden Notebook
Villette
The Once and Future King

I loved Middlemarch! And Melanie, Lonesome Dove is amazing, an all time favorite. Hated Golden Notebook though. :-)

I have tons of books that will fit the bill. To narrow it down a bit, I'm restricting myself to books over 600 pages long. This is my narrowed down list, based on priority reads. I have a few other longer books planned that would fit, but I have them penciled in for other categories, and I really want to use this one to plow through a doorstopper.

War and Peace (1392)
The Stand (1152)
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (916)
Washington: A Life (904)
The Historian (704)
The Prince of Tides (679)
The Woman in White (672)
The Name of the Wind (662)
Night Film (640)

Melanie, that's a huge goal! I applaud you!

I just picked up Cutting for Stone, which I did not realize was 658 pages! I really had no idea.. so if you have it on your TBR, you can use it for this prompt.

Emily wrote: "Melanie, that's a huge goal! I applaud you!

I just picked up Cutting for Stone, which I did not realize was 658 pages! I really had no idea.. ..."

Oh , maybe....

Melanie wrote: "I think I'm going to try to read 12 500+ page books next year. I definitely cut down on long reads since I started doing reading challenges, since I get so focused on quantity of books rather than ..."

I'm thinking about doing something similar. I've sort of stayed away from doorstoppers the last years because of all the challenges I've taken on, but next year I hope to read some of the long books I've neglected.

Some of the books I want to read:
Gone with the Wind
The Count of Monte Cristo
Russka: The Novel of Russia
Middlemarch
Vanity Fair
The Thorn Birds
East of Eden
Les Misérables
Anna Karenina

And I could go on. I wonder if it would be possible completing the challenge with only 500+ pages books??

I think you could, but time would probably be an issue.

Marina H wrote: "Melanie wrote: "I think I'm going to try to read 12 500+ page books next year. I definitely cut down on long reads since I started doing reading challenges, since I get so focused on quantity of bo..."

That's a great list you have there Marina! I loved Russka, Middlemarch, Thorn Birds, and East of Eden. The rest are on my TBR also. A goal of 12 is admirable! Good luck. A whole challenge of 500+ page books - well, there are some people who could do it but I'm not one of them! If there is any interest, maybe someone could start a "500+ club" thread to track, discuss, and motivate members to read these longer books (not just the one for this prompt). Glad to see you are back!

Welcome back, Marina! Good luck on your 500+ page books.

Thanks Pam and Kathy. I'm glad to see your both here still!

That's not a bad idea, Pam. I have a feeling several of us feel like we avoid the longer books. Maybe a thread dedicated these books would encourage us to pick up some of them!

I think it's a great idea! I just checked and I've read 6 500+ page books this year and am almost finished with the 7th. The last two I delved into because I had finished my main challenges and didn't feel as much pressure.

Now of course, I'm getting behind in my total books to read for the year so I may have to seek out a few shorter books to ensure I hit that goal!

I just got curious and checked as well. I am in the middle of my 11th 500+ pg book this year. I had absolutely no idea... :)

I’ve read 6 this year. I try to read 1 per quarter for the SRC. I need to up that, though, to get through my collection!

I'm finishing up my 10th book over 500 pages.

I'm working my way through my 11th right now. I had no idea I had read so many! I guess it helps that the entire Discovery of Witches series is 500+ pages, and most of the other ones came from series as well!

From series:

A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
City of Glass (from the Mortal Instruments series)
Rebel Angels
War Storm (from the Red Queen series)

Standalones:

Cutting for Stone
The Book Thief
The Night Circus
All the Light We Cannot See

It always feels to me like the 500+ pages are doable, but at 600, I start thinking maybe I’ll wait. Don’t know what it is about that number.

Lizzy wrote: "It always feels to me like the 500+ pages are doable, but at 600, I start thinking maybe I’ll wait. Don’t know what it is about that number."

ha ha for me it's anything over 700 that gives me pause but I still have several on my TBR so I'm determined to read at least one or two of them per year.

Out of curiosity, and because I'm procrastinating doing some things which I really should be doing, I thought I'd see how many 500+ page books I've committed to so far for next year. The answer is 5. Not to mention 2 that come in at just a page or two under. I was considering reading Kristin Lavransdatter for the Reading Women book in translation before 1945 prompt but I'll admit it's length (1000+) is putting me of, mainly because of the other long books I'll be reading. And I've still waiting for the Back to the Classics prompts to come out (those classics can be wordy) not to mention Book Riot. I've also got the Cairo Trilogy on my TBR. But at over 1300 pages it may have to wait to 2020.

Pam wrote: "Marina H wrote: "Melanie wrote: "I think I'm going to try to read 12 500+ page books next year. I definitely cut down on long reads since I started doing reading challenges, since I get so focused ..."

This is such a great idea! I decided to make a little thread, so post here if you like! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Some of the doorstoppers that I've enjoyed over the years:

11/22/63
It
The Gamble
Throne of Glass
Don't Tell
Angels & Demons

I plan read, or rather, listen to the audiobook version of The Eye of the World, but Robert Jordan. The book is over 800 pages and the audiobook version is just short of 30 hours.

Generally, doorstoppers don’t bother me, because I listen to most of my challenge books. I’m apparently crazy enough to start off next year with Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell!

WVrambler wrote: "I plan read, or rather, listen to the audiobook version of The Eye of the World, but Robert Jordan. The book is over 800 pages and the audiobook version is just short of 30 hours.

Generally, door..."

I'm in the middle of Anna Karenina, and I think I'm going to have to use audiobooks for all of the long books I want to read from now on. It's the only way I can stomach the classics... short bursts while I'm driving.

Melanie wrote: "This is such a great idea! I decided to make a little thread, so post here if you like! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... "

Thanks Melanie! I need a lot of help/motivation with these longer books. I'm going to try extra hard in 2019 to read some of the ones I own so I can start clearing my shelves! I'm starting with a library book, though, of course.

I read 18 books over 500 pages this year, I hope to do the same next year since I have around 50 books over 500 pages on my TBR.

I'm another who's tended to shy away from longer books since I started doing challenges. That said, I'm on my tenth over 500 pages at the moment (and fourth over 750), so I'm not doing too badly this year. I can't find my previous years' spreadsheets (I have a sinking feeling I deleted them when I changed computers ... which would make me very sad!) so I can't check up to see if I've improved, but I think I have!

I'm still tossing up whether or not to do the challenge next year (well, any big year-long challenge), and I am loving the idea of going almost totally free range and finally getting stuck into all of the big ones I've been putting off. But then I saw Marina's idea of doing the whole challenge in books over 500 pages and now I'm conflicted all over again!! What have you done to me, Marina?

Adding my voice to the chorus of possibilities ...

I really want to read:
A Suitable Boy (but holy crap, it's almost 1500 pages)
The Tale of Genji
Blonde
The Arabian Nights
Don Quixote
The Pillars of the Earth
Anna Karenina
Lonesome Dove
Vanity Fair
Gravity's Rainbow
The Iliad
Crime and Punishment
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Alias Grace
The Three Musketeers
Oliver Twist
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
Dune
Doctor Zhivago
The Adventures of Augie March
Invisible Man
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The Secret History
The Poisonwood Bible
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Cloud Atlas
Native Son
The Canterbury Tales
Faust

(Phew ... and that's just from my small 125 book priority TBR)

Because I love lists ...

Some of my favourite doorstops:
A Fine Balance - this is one of my favourite books ever, and I recommend it almost every chance I get. It's devastating, but absolutely incredible. I think about this book a lot, even two years and a couple of hundred books later.
Les Misérables
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (clearly I love me some Victor Hugo!)
Middlesex
Gone with the Wind
The Goldfinch
The Woman in White
The big Harry Potter ones (I think 4-7 are all over 500 pages)
Catch-22
Moby-Dick or, The Whale
The Bourne Identity - admittedly I read this almost twenty years ago, but it was really engaging and totally out of my normal comfort zone. This is one of those quick big books. Unlike freaking Middlemarch.
Oscar and Lucinda - this one was a real slow burn for me, but I loved it by the end.
Great Expectations
The Casual Vacancy - another slow burn, and it took two attempts to get through, but by the end I was totally hooked.

Some of my least favourite doorstops:
Middlemarch - yawn.
War and Peace - I loved the peace, but not the war.
The Stand - I sometimes feel like Robinson Crusoe on this one, but I thought it was bloody awful.
The Executioner's Song
Scarlett - if you loved Gone with the Wind, please don't read this abomination!
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders - the first part of this was really interesting, and super-disturbing, but once it got to the trial it just dragged for me.
The Name of the Wind - another one where I'm on my own here, especially in this group!
The Time Traveler's Wife - I hate this book with a fiery passion.

I'm loving reading what big books people want to read and that they loved, but would also really love to see what people really didn't like too - anyone care to share?

Jody wrote: "Some of my favourite doorstops:
A Fine Balance - this is one of my favourite books ever, and I recommend it almost every chance I get. It's devastating, but absolutely incredible. I think about this book a lot, even two years and a couple of hundred books later."

I have never read this book for two reasons: (a) it's 600+ pages long and (b) I hate the cover art on every single edition. Your adoration of this book made me realize that these are not necessarily good reasons to avoid a book.

(Also, pretty much your whole post amused me.)

I'm totally with you on Scarlett, Jody! It was SUCH a disappointment after GWTW... how anyone could think they had the right to follow up a classic with that travesty.

Also, Middlemarch, bleh.

I may be in the minority (although my IRL book club totally agreed), but Life After Life was the biggest snoozefest for me. The concept was... interesting.. but I was so, so tired of the repetition. I attempted (and failed) to read it twice, but on this last read I gave it until 50% and then gave up. It just wasn't getting any better for me.

I don't know what it says about my current attention span that I read doorstoppers like The Clan of the Cave Bear and Gone with the Wind for funsies back in my teens (side note: I completely agree with you guys that Scarlett was terrible), but now anything over, say, 450 pages fills me with dread makes me hesitate.

I wish I remember more of what happened in The Far Pavilions. I remember it being a genuinely epic read, but at 950+ pages, I doubt I'll ever get around to a reread.

dalex wrote: "I have never read this book for two reasons: (a) it's 600+ pages long and (b) I hate the cover art on every single edition. Your adoration of this book made me realize that these are not necessarily good reasons to avoid a book. "


LOL I routinely avoid books just because I hate their covers!! There are books that get rave reviews and get rec'ed on those " you really need to read" type lists, but I just look at the cover, and ... nope. Can't do it. (Archangel for example - I just look at that, and ... nope, can't do it.)

Nadine wrote: "LOL I routinely avoid books just because I hate their covers!! There are books that get rave reviews and get rec'ed on those " you really need to read" type lists, but I just look at the cover, and ... nope. Can't do it. (Archangel by Sharon Shinn for example - I just look at that, and ... nope, can't do it.)"

Haha! It's just the silliest thing, isn't it? That Archangel cover is definitely one that would make me reconsider reading the book!

I also have an issue with . I just could not look at that grimacing dude for the multiple days it would take to read all 700+ pages. I've actually seriously considered buying a copy of the British edition just so it would have a better cover

Nadine wrote: "dalex wrote: "I have never read this book for two reasons: (a) it's 600+ pages long and (b) I hate the cover art on every single edition. Your adoration of this book made me realize that these are ..."

Oh man, I totally know what you're saying about a bad cover being a turnoff. So many books languish on my TBR cause I am bored to death by/actively dislike the covers they come with. I also have been known to change ebook covers on Calibre so that I don't feel annoyed when scrolling through my library!

Re: Archangel. I bought that book way back when on the strength of its premise alone, given that I found its original paperback cover pretty darn ugly in that generic 90s fantasy way...


P.S. It really is worth the read!

Johanne wrote: "If you dislike long books, or are visual people, 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' is over 500 pages and probably two-thirds are drawings. I actually often recommend this to dyslexic kids in my librar..."

Thank goodness - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is just perfect for me - I hate 'doorstoppers' Thank you for the heads up!!

That cover of A Little Life always reminds me of Jim Carrey doing his annoying schtick. It’s completely off putting to me!!

dalex, you really should give it a go (A Fine Balance). Oh man, it’s wonderful.

Jody wrote: "That cover of A Little Life always reminds me of Jim Carrey doing his annoying schtick. It’s completely off putting to me!!"

But it's such a good book. Dark and depressing but wonderful written!

Jody wrote: "But then I saw Marina's idea of doing the whole challenge in books over 500 pages and now I'm conflicted all over again!! What have you done to me, Marina?"

Haha, I'm so sorry... Not!
I don't think I'll be able to only read 500+ books next year, which it would more or less require to complete the challenge, but I've decided I'll give it a go anyway and see how it turns out, so 2019 is dedicated long books. And I think you should join me, Jody ;-)
I think I'll start with Gone with the Wind, Anna Karenina or The Woman in White but I have a long list of books I want to read. I only need to find out if they fit the challenge, but I'm really not in a planning mood these days. Ohh well, we'll see how it goes!