Deliciously Long Books
I am not one to shy away from lengthy tomes. In addition to enjoying the accomplishment of conquering a long book, I like having a world to return to over and over as I pick up the novel or turn on the audio book. I remember when I checked out an especially thick book from the library and calculated how many pages I’d need to read per day to finish it by the six weeks the library would allow me (including renewals). There are many hefty “classics” I could list here, like Bleak House and Moby Dick, but I’m sticking to 21st-century choices in the list below.
Summer reading means different things to different people, but I think these long books and series would make a great summer project.
Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (started 2010)
Book 1, 1001 pages; Book 2, 1080 pages; Book 3, 1243 pages; Book 4, 1232 pages; Book 5, 1344 pages
I have only read one of these books so far (as an audio book, narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer, clocking in around 45 hours), but if my teen has anything to do with it, I will read the rest very soon. This series is part of Sanderson’s Cosmere. In The Way of Kings, Sanderson introduces us to a world at war. We follow many characters over its pages, including slaves, scholars, and warriors. There is magic and semi-time travel, and the characters make it worth every page. My favorites are Shallan and Jasna (apprentice and scholar), an unpopular opinion, my teen informs me!
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)
608 pages
Ifemelu and Obinze were high school sweethearts in Nigeria. Their paths diverge when Ifemelu goes to the U.S. to study and Obinze, his visa denied, moves to the U.K. as an undocumented immigrant. Ifemelu’s observations about being Black in America are sharp and insightful — she starts a blog that gets a lot of attention. Obinze returns to Nigeria and becomes a successful, if not entirely above board, businessman. When Ifemelu finally returns to Nigeria years later, their paths intertwine again.
The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018)
612 pages
I loved this amazing novel all about the lives of trees. This is a hefty and sweeping story that focuses on nine characters over decades of time. There is an immigrant who plants chestnuts trees after he moves to the U.S. There are college students who are protesting the destruction of the forests. There are scientists who uncover the world of communication between plants. Magical and lyrical prose awaits.
Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas (started 2020)
Book 1, 816 pages; Book 2, 816 pages; Book 3, 848 pages
Maas’s adult series has a lot to offer — gods, battles, snarky dialogue. Bryce Quinlan is half-Fae and half-human. Her half-brother is a prince of the Fae, and her best friend is a wolf shape shifter. When her friend is murdered, Bryce is determined to find out why and by whom. Along the way, she falls in love with a fallen angel and learns secrets about the powerful in her world. Lots of romantasy to be enjoyed.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (2013)
784 pages
Theo’s life journey begins when he and his mother are at the Metropolitan Museum when a bombing occurs. His mother is killed, and Theo survives, stealing her favorite painting “The Goldfinch.” Before escaping from the attack, a dying man gives him a ring and a cryptic message, which eventually leads him to connections and a career in antiques. Theo moves between affluence and survival, while the painting remains both a treasure and a burden.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (2023)
736 pages
This stunning family saga follows multiple generations in India from 1900–1977. In each generation, a family member dies of drowning. The fear of water and the grief over these deaths hangs over all even as they try to find a reason behind this malady. Religion plays an important role here, as the family is part of the Christian minority in India.
Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarrow (started 2023)
Book 1, 512 pages; Book 2, 640 pages; Book 3, 544 pages
I’ll be surprised if blog readers haven’t already heard of this explosively popular romantasy, and the length doesn’t seem to be keeping anyone away. Violet believed she would grow up to be a scribe, like her beloved late father. But when she comes of age, her mother (the commanding general of the military) demands that she enter training to become a dragon rider. The training to be a rider leaves many dead even before graduation, and Violet must use her cunning, instincts, and alliances to survive.