As a reader with a short attention span long books are a bit of a chore. And, contrary to what my parents believe, I don’t spend my whole life reading. I actually often avoid bigger books because slumps and possibly book commitment issues (come on if your book is more than 500 pages it’ll require some serious dedication). But there are the odd exceptions and there are books that I just wish would never end, so at times a meaty read is worth it.
This Top Ten Tuesday is all about massive books we’ve read, so here’s my list.
1. The Book Thief (584 pages)
I saw this on a few lists and was honestly so surprised to see how long it was! I raced through this novel and it never felt like it dragged or could have been shorter.
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (766 pages)
I remember this Harry Potter book being massive, with the paranoid ministry mucking around in Hogwarts and Fred and George causing even more havoc, this weighed down my school bag for a good two weeks.
3. A Darker Shade of Magic (400 pages)
Although this book isn’t as many pages as the others on this list it was a pretty dense book and takes up quite a bit of room on my shelf. The plot itself takes place over only a handful of days but I remember the pacing being really good so who knows how the author managed that one!
4. Jane Eyre (500 pages)
When I read this novel for school, before I’d discovered the joys of YA, I remember thinking it was really longggg. And that books suck. Who even was I?!
5. The Bone Season (480 pages)
I guess in the midst of my dissertation this novel felt longer than it was, but at 480 pages it’s still a pretty hefty tome. Also when I googled it’s page number it took me ages to find it since the protagonist is called Paige and Google decided to be phonetic about this.
6. Septimus Heap Fyre (528 pages)
I don’t remember any of these books being particularly long when I devoured them as a kid! But apparently Fyre was huge!!
7. Children of Blood and Bone (525 pages)
This book felt all the fatter when I pointlessly lugged it to YALC to just miss out on meeting author. Cry.
8. Skulduggery Pleasant: The Dying of the Light (624 pages)
The book that got so freaky I had to finish the last few pages on the kitchen floor (since the other rooms in dad’s flat are dingy). I remember it being a brick when I lugged it home, the hardback element not helping.
9. Birdsong (407 pages)
This book felt quite a lot slower than it was, dragging out the war and aftermath. Although I did enjoy it and it was well written I found it could have been a bit more punchy.
10. Great Expectations (544 pages)
I had to read this for school and I remember my class didn’t even finish it since it was so dense. Although I was so cool at school that chose to read it after class… Yep I was that kid.
Lets Compare Notes
What’s the biggest book you’ve ever read? Have you read any of the books on this list? Got a list of your own to share? Would love to hear from you in the comments section!
ooo, i haven’t read any of these 🙂
Planning to read the Bone Season and Children of Blood and Bone though.
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Ah you should! I really enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone 😍
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I have yet to read any of the books on your list but I hope to get to the Book Thief off my TBR before the end of November so I can go to the author event that is happening this year.
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Ah you so should try it! It’s amazing but very sad!
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I read The Book Thief and A Darker Shade of Magic. The longest/massive books I read were IT by Stephen King, A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin.
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Haha you read much longer books than me clearly! Did you like The Book Thief or A Darker Shade of Magic?
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Great list! I still haven’t read Children of Blood and Bone yet. I picked it up and started but wasn’t in the mood, and just haven’t picked it back up again! Hopefully soon. Happy reading!
My TTT: Longest Books I’ve Read!
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Ah fair enough! I really enjoyed that book. You too!
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Harry Potter and Jane Eyre are great! I read Great Expectations on my own in school as well, but it has been a very long time since I read it. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
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Ah I’m not alone! We were that kid in school 😂😂 thanks!!
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I love seeing Harry Potter on so many lists today! And Children of Blood and Bone!
Here’s my TTT: https://bookloaner.wordpress.com/2018/10/08/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-400-pages/
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Yeah me too! I don’t remember them by a big tbh but some people have them all listed and they were huge 😯 have you read Children of Blood and Bone? It’s so good! Thanks, will check yours out!
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I’ve got Children of Blood and Bone on my TBR, I’ve heard it’s amazing!
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Can confirm it is! Tell me what you think if you read it 😁
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Ooh, love the image you used for this post!
According to Goodreads, the longest book I’ve read is the bind up of the 3 books in The Nine Lives of Chloe King series (771 pages total).
Also, Jane Eyre made my list too! Though I totally stretched this week’s topic and essentially did a classics TBR (since classics are usually from a LONG time ago, lol).
Here’s a link to my post if ya wanna check it out: http://www.areyoumybook.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/top-ten-tuesday-books-from-a-long-time-ago-that-i-actually-want-to-read/
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Thanks! It’s from my Instagram 😂 oh wow that’s long, was it good? I’ve not heard of it! Ooh that’s really cool twist on the topic, which is your favourite classic? They so feel really long even if they’re not 😝
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Oh, nice!
And it was fairly good, I think? It’s been many years since I read the book bind-up. They also made a TV show of it a few years back that was pretty decent, but it got cancelled after the first season.
Ooooh, so true, classics do always feel long! I think I’d have to say that my fav classic is Beowulf. Tho I honestly like the characters of Grendel and his mother more than Beowulf, lol.
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Ah one of those TV shows 😂 ah I’ve never read Beowulf! Is it long? Why do you like it?
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Lol, yep
And Beowulf is an epic, so it’s not long at all. And I don’t know, I guess because I like the heroic adventures it consists of? But I also feel sympathetic for the antagonists (Grendel & his mom), so the fact that I find myself rooting for both sides really pulls me into the story. 😁
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I never realised that Jane Eyre was that long! I am also always continuously surprised when I remember how long The Book Thief is, because it doesn’t really feel that way at all.
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Yeah same here! The book Theif felt really short to me, but apparently it was huge! Jane Eyre felt quite long to me, it was a bit of a slog 😝
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The Book Thief is surprisingly long. 🙂 Great list!
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Yeah I was surprised too! Thanks!
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I know as a blogger I definitely hesitate nowadays with some of the longer books- after all I’m on a schedule here, don’t they know? Haha! But seriously- yeah there are some chunksters out there, and the later Harry Potter’s have a bit of a page count, don’t they?
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Yeah me too, I won’t get a review up for ages if I read something huge. Oh I know! I never knew they were that big!!
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I’m sad to say that I haven’t read any of the books you mentioned! I have a hardback of Children of Blood and Bone on my bookshelf, just gathering dust. Huhu.
* TTT: Top 10 longest books I’ve read in 2018 🌻❤🌻❤
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Ah you should read it! Do you think you’ll pick it up? Thanks!
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I also have commitment issues! Big books sit on my shelf forever. Order of the Phoenix made my list, too. I read Great Expectations in college. I remember that it felt very long.
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Ahaha not just me! It’s on lots of lists actually!! Yep it really dragged 🙄
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The Order of The Phoenix is the longest book I’ve ever read! I was also so surprised when I saw the page count for The Book Thief, it did not feel that long! The last Skulduggery was on my list this week too. I loved Children of Blood and Bone and I still can’t believe we missed Tomi! The Bone Season is super dense, it took me so long to get into-the second two are better paced. A Darker Shade of Magic is the shortest of that series-but don’t worry pacing is something VE Schwab always does really well, so they never feel as long as they are.
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Try the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
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What’s it about?
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