Let’s be honest, nothing feels better than telling someone you read a gigantic book. Oh, you read a 200-page book? Well, I just read an 800-page book, not saying that I’m better than you or anything….. Okay, maybe that is a tad dramatic. But you have to admit that the sense of accomplishment after finishing a big book is unmatched. Here are my best tips for picking, starting, finishing, and enjoying big books!
Popular Books are Popular for a Reason:
The first-ever standalone big book I read was It by Stephen King which is 1116 pages. Yes, it’s a popular book. It’s also one of the best books I’ve ever read. Never has a book made me laugh, cry and been so afraid that I put the book down all in one go. Books like It are mainstream for a reason: they are good. One of the hardest things is committing to reading a big book, so you probably want to know it’s good before getting into it.
Pick a Genre You Love:
This feels like an obvious one but let’s break it down. I tried to read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 759 pages, probably 4 different times. Each attempt I didn’t get more than 50 pages in. On the other hand, when the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas dropped I read both of those 800+ page books in about 24 hours each. I find the fantasy genre way more compelling than a work of realistic fiction. So to break into big books, pick a genre you know you enjoy.
Resolution Comes Quicker in Big Books
This one is probably subjective. Why read four 200-page books when you could grab an 800-page book and get all parts of the story in one go? I love a good series, but there is something slightly more satisfying to me about knowing that a whole story is going to play out in one fell swoop. The rise, the fall, the climax, the resolution, it all happens in one spot.
Set Attainable Goals
If a book is good, you don’t need goals, you’ll breeze right through. But with big books comes a slight readers anxiety. Give yourself a goal of something manageable, say 50 pages a day. Hopefully it’s just something that gives you motivation to get into the book, the best big books are ones you literally can’t put down until they’re over.
Big Books are Great for Special Occasions
For this I’m thinking roadtrips, vacations, time off. There is no better time to tackle a big reading goal than when you have a lot of time. Audio books are also great ways to break down reading big books, it’s great to go back and forth between mediums to make the reading more manageable.
Here is my Big Book Recommendation List:
It by Stephen King (1116 pages)
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (803 pages)
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (444 pages)
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (640 pages)
The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer by Christopher Clary (432 pages)
11/22/63 by Stephen King (849 pages)
Dune by Frank Herbert (687 pages)
Kendal @whatskendalreading
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