I LIKE BIG BOOKS, I CANNOT LIE.
Glorious pages with long plots and major twists and generally just BOOKS THAT MAKE ME SLOW DOWN. Let’s face it, finishing a book can be sad. It’s that whole “do I make it last so I can enjoy it longer or finish so I can finally find out what happened to so-in-so because ohmergod, is he really dead?!!”
But I have a confession. This bookworm is easily intimidated by gargantuan books that are hefty and heavy and long. I have noodle arms, okay?? Furthermore these things won’t fit in my purse! (On that note, ladies, can we please start a petition for cute bags that truly fit all the necessities – you know; journals, books, pens, the like?)
There are two reasons I am terrified of long books:
#1: GETTING BEHIND ON MY READING GOAL.
Example: Sue over here has met her goal of 100 books. (And everyone’s all like “Go, Sue! You’re super human! Yay Sue!”) Fanny, on the other hand, missed it by a daunting thirty books. (Cue everyone going “aww” for Fanny and “you’ll make it next time, don’t fret dear bookish baby.”) BUT FANNY READ 70 CLASSIC, MASSIVE, CHALLENGING NOVELS. And Silly Sue read 100 CHEESY, SHORT, EASY YA BOOKS.
This year – 2016 – I have a goal for myself to read 100 books. Last year I aimed for 50 and got to 70, but it was my first year setting a reading goal for myself and this year I wanted to really work for it. Yet the thing I am realizing is that I am very tempted to reach for the shorter books on my shelf first. It was a goal of mine this year to read more classics. I used to read more of them, but lately since starting my reading challenge and being a part of the bookish community – resulting in knowing all the things about all the releases and ARCs and giveaways and hype – I’ve been lacking in the area. Right now I am a book behind schedule because I’ve started Persuasion by Jane Austen. It’s a little under three hundred pages, but strictly speaking word-wise, it is a massive book to get through.
#2: LOSING INTEREST.
Anyone who knows me knows I am a fan of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. (Obligatory shout-out to my bookish besties who all but forced me to read it.) Winter, the last installment in the series, was an alarming EIGHT HUNDRED & TWENTY-SEVEN pages. (Yes, that is my beautiful copy featured in the photo above. Isn’t that number beautiful?) But when I saw the length of the book, I thought I might get bored. (To anyone who has read this series — I KNOW, I know, Crazy Emily, what was she thinking?)
But Winter was an exception to the often true rule that some books can really s l o w in the middle. (Or beginning or end, if they are too lengthy.) You don’t always NEED 827 pages to cover everything. Sometimes there will be unnecessary scenes in a book that don’t add to the story, and thus makes the reader bored. (Byyy the way – just so you know, with Winter, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECTION. I’m not biased, pfffft, no way.)
With those two points made, I’d also like to highlight the two reasons long books are GOOD. We shouldn’t fear them!
#1: THEY LAST LONGER.
Like I said before, finishing a book (especially a series, particularly if you’ve been waiting for the last release for year(s)) can be sad. Finishing a great book puts me in a major “there is nothing better than this flawless beauty” book syndrome. (Also Known As: the [dreaded] book slump.)
So long books force Emily The Speed-Reader (not really, more like Emily The Never-Stop-Reader, if that makes sense – I don’t read fast, I just read a lot) to take her time. I’m not gonna lie, I was proud of myself for finishing 827-page-Winter in six days. (Thanksgiving week, thank you very much, when I had family duties, ugh. (Kidding, kidding, my family’s awesome. When they don’t interfere with my reading.)) But if Winter had been as long as the previous books in the series – about 500 pages – I likely would have read it far faster.
#2: LONG BOOKS DON’T MISS A SINGLE DETAIL.
On the flip side of the second reason I fear long books – books having unnecessary scenes – longer books also don’t miss a single beat. Because if a book is too short, they can be lacking in some key points, or end with too many loose threads. But long books? They cover everything. (*cough* Winter *cough cough* GO READ IIIITTT.) (No no lemme rephrase that: you may want to start with CINDER, the first in the series. Okay? Okay.)
Do big books intimidate you, sweet bookish friend? What advice do you have to get over our [irrational] fear of longer books? Do you have anything to add to my list? Are there more pros or cons for you?
OH MY GOSH. I AM SO GLAD THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. o.o I just… really like shorter books? Mostly it’s because of reading goals. LONG BOOKS TAKE SO MUCH TIMEEE. And then usually I become bored during it. Under 400 pages is best. Over that… *dies*
YES, exactly. Thankyouthankyouthankyou Katie YOU GET IT. I just feel like I’m going to fall over in exhaustion when I see a long book and I put up this invisible force field to protect myself from it. 😀 Under 400 is perfect. Beyond that, I start to have a mini panic attack.
I get it! And yes for the purses that actually fit the necessities. 😉
You shouldn’t let the reading goal trick you into reading only short books! Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean people are judging how many books you read. It’s not a competition- and let’s admit it, at the end of December if you need to you can dedicate a few days to reading a bunch of short books. Sounds like a fun day to me! 😉
This was a great post- I enjoy all the discussions you have here at For the Bookish!
Sorry, I didn’t link back to my blog in that comment. 🙂
Haha! Right?? None of them fit anything worth taking anywhere, you know?
I love that little pep talk, Olivia! I just really need to get past that mindset of being competitive or feeling pressured to read, ending in reading feeling like a chore. (Which is never fun for any of us.) Yessss if I do, then I can’t *wait* for December, haha!! Thanks, Olivia. And no problem. 😉
Awesome post! I totally get where you are coming at. I don’t really pay to much attention to my reading goal, but I admit big books can intimidate me. When I was in 5th and 6th grade all I really read were big books (with an ocassional medium length book). I was reading HP, Inheritance cycle (those could be longer books), Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and books like that. Then I started reading book blogs and getting into popular YA and MG books. I was pretty cool. Lol.
So while big books intimidate me they also give me a thrill.
I am started to get really excited. James Dashner in a few days! And then my birthday in a few weeks!
You were in the zone in fifth and sixth grade. Had we met then, you probably would have shunned my reading choices. Ha! 😉
Exactly! Me, too. So much possibility… AHHH. OMG, you do have a lot to look forward to. I reeeallllly need to hurry up on TMR. Can’t wait!
This is such a nice post. I am glad i am not the only one who likes to read shorter books. Long books makes me stop reading at all 🙂 great blog by the way and very different interesting post ! Would you like to follow each other on Bloglovin and other social media 🙂
http://www.ambiinwonderland.com
Thanks, Ambi! Yes, exactly! Haha. I’m so glad to know I’m not alone. Aw, thank you for the follow. I’ll have to check out your blog. 🙂
ohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh *screams, throws things*
I just found your blog through Scattered Journal Pages, and I LITERALLY. LOVE. EVERYTHING. ABOUT. IT. Girl, someone has a feature in technology! It looks soooo amazing.
Anyhow.
*ahem* *folds hands primly*
As for long books, I enjoy long books and I am proud to say I HAVE READ BONHOEFFER BY ERIC METAXAS PEOPLE. YES. SIX HUNDRED PAGES OF TEENSY TINSY NONFICTION PRINT THANKYOU VERY MUCH. (it may or may not have taken me a couple months, but let’s just not go there) And advice for getting through long books? Um… *thinks*… sometimes I break and read other books in between? I don’t know, that seems to help though. 🙂
OMG, thank you so much! Haha, weeelll I have to let you in on a little secret. My dad happens to be a professional web designer, so I had a little help. 😉
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENT, Jonathan. Months?! I’m not sure I could stick a book out that long. Though typically when I read classics, I’ll end up reading books in between, so you’re absolutely right — it does help! Thanks for the comment! 😀
Yesyesyes!! Big books totally intimidate me! I’m a slow reader, so they mean a large amount of time on one book. And what if I get bored or want another story for a while?
If it’s a series I already love, big books later in the series don’t phase me. Just more of what I love!!
I purposely set my reading challenge slightly low. I love having the reading challenge badge on my profile, but I don’t want it to make me fret about reading. Reading should be fun!
Exactly! Same here. I totally get you. If I’m going to read a lengthy book, I want it to be good.
Very true. I am totally going to read the next book in a series I like – short, long, or medium – it doesn’t matter, that’s the exception. Once I’m invested in a series, the length no longer matters.
That’s a good point. I’ve heard a lot of people do that, too. I enjoy a challenge, but there needs to be a balance between stretching yourself and just plain stress of reading so many books. You’re exactly right. 🙂