Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books with a High Page Count (Share those doorstop books!)
Once upon a time if I saw a big, thick book on a bookstore shelf then there was every chance I would buy it. The bigger, the better! I even used to participate in a Chunkster Challenge. These days, I don't read that many chunksters. Also, if I am going to buy big books, it would most likely be an ebook that I can read on my Kindle.
Originally I was planning to refer to my spreadsheets and do this topic by looking for the books with the most number of pages. However, I decided to go with a simpler approach. Instead I scanned my overflowing bookshelves and looked for the thickest books I could find! The only rule/guideline I had was that I could only use one book per author. Of course, when I was putting them back on the shelves I found several other books that I should have used for this prompt too!
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb -(863 pages) I swear that I got this book not long after it came out, but I still have never read it!
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - (1270 pages) I am currently doing a chapter a day readalong so after talking about reading it for 15 years I am finally doing it!
The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes - (614 pages) This is another one I haven't read yet. It almost feels like a pattern forming here right?
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon - (980 pages) Most of Gabaldon's books could fit this theme. I have read this one. (My review)
The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley - (672 pages)I am not even sure why I have a paper copy of this book because I listened to all 8 books in this series. That's a lot of listening time.
Bettany's Book by Tom Keneally - (599 pages) It looks like I got this off of a remainders table. I haven't read it yet and I am not really sure if I will or not. It survived the last cull of my bookshelves. It might not survive the next one whenever that happens!
A Song in the Daylight by Paullina Simons - (767 pages) I loved many of Paullina Simons's books, but this wasn't my favourite. I did see that she has just announced that she has a new book coming out. It sounds great, but I am not sure if I will rush out and read it or not.
Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor - (860 pages) Gosh I loved this epic book! Someone I know is reading this at the moment and called it a great romp, and that is the perfect description of the book! I used the words bawdy romp in my review.
When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman - (909 pages) SKP is another author who wrote big epic books!
Dawn on a Distant Shore by Sara Donati - (647 pages) This is a favourite series. I noticed when I took it off the shelf that there is a bookmark in it. I must have been intending to reread it at some point.
By looking at the variation in pages numbers on all the page numbers you can really see what a difference the way the book is produced from the thickness of the paper to the size of the font!
Do you love big books!
I love to sink into a big book! Of those in your photo, the only one I have read is I Know This Much is True. It's still on my keeper shelf and someday I'd love to read it again. You really should give it a read. :)
ReplyDeleteOne day!
DeleteWar and Peace is one of my beefy bois as well. I didn't realize Keyes had written something so long!
ReplyDeleteMarian Keyes has written quite a lot big books!
DeleteI like your attitude about War and Peace. I hope to read Anna Karenina next year using that same sort of attitude.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy AK when I read it years ago!
DeleteGreat titles, and I haven't read any from your list. Thanks for the suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThank you Patricia
DeleteIn recent years my tastes have changed, and I find myself steering clear of chunky books. But when I did read them, they were almost always from the library.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/ten-biggest-books-on-my-tbr/
I would feel the pressure of trying to read a big book by the due date!
DeleteWhen you see the actual books...wow!
ReplyDeleteI know right!
DeleteI do love big books but have only read four of these. I had a negative experience with one of Lucinda Riley's books but I know most people love that series. Maybe I will try her again at some point.
ReplyDeleteToo many books to worry about the ones that you don't enjoy!
DeleteSomeday I should read War and Peace.
ReplyDeleteSome day!
DeleteDiana Gabaldon is hitting the lists of several bloggers for this challenge. My mum loves her books and keeps nagging me to start them.
ReplyDeletehttps://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/08/19/%f0%9f%93%9atoptentuesday-10-books-with-a-high-page-count-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-booktwt/
She does write very big books!
DeleteI’ve read a few of them. Donati is a favourite.
ReplyDeleteIndeed she is!
DeleteI have Diana Gabaldon on my list too - but Drums of Autumn. Lol. You are right, that series can pretty much be used entirely for this list.
ReplyDeleteThe whole series! Then again Gabaldon admits that she can't write short. Even her short stories are book sized!
DeleteThis is a fantastic list! It's so relatable to get lost in a good "chunkster" book, and I love that you just went through your shelves to find your picks.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I absolutely love big books! There's something so satisfying about the commitment and the feeling of getting completely lost in a long story.
It was fun to just go and look at the shelves and pick things out, although when I went to put them back I did notice other books I could have used.
Deleteawesome list!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
ReplyDeleteI have to agree - after having spent nearly 30 years as a receptionist - typing, writing, filing - any book over 350 pages has to be in ebook or audio. These poor hands can't hold those chunksters any longer. LOL
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
My hands were killing me when I was reading Les Mis which was massive and I was reading it on the train everyday so I had to carry it around with me!
DeleteI forgot The Shadow Sister was so long! My TTT
ReplyDeleteThey are all long books in that series!
DeleteI don’t mind a big book as long as it’s GOOD! You have a great list here! ~Carol @ ReadingLadies
ReplyDeleteThat's true of books of any size Carol!
DeleteI'm not a fan of big books so I never read them. The only ones that ever tempted me were the Diana Gabaldon Outlander books, but then they became a TV show and I watched instead of read :)
ReplyDeleteThe books are, of course, better than the TV show Yvonne!
DeleteRecently, if I have a big book to read, or if a book is daunting, I commit to reading a chapter a day, until the story pulls me in (or not), then I am fully committed! It's how I read North and South. I didn't love it, but something about the writing kept me going.
ReplyDeleteNorth and South as in the John Jakes books. They all absolutely count as chunksters!!
DeleteChunksters were the thing in the 70s and 80s. Your post has reminded me that I forgot Outlander! lol
ReplyDeleteThey definitely were a 70s and 80s thing!
DeleteSeveral of those are unfamiliar to me. I do have the Outlander books on my TBR, though.
ReplyDeleteI have at least one Outlander book on my pile but I am not sure that I haven't lost interest. One day I might read it.
DeleteI have that exact copy of I Know This Much Is True!
ReplyDeleteHave you read it?
DeleteI don't read a lot of chunksters. I did manage to find 9 that I had read that had over 600 pages, but I normally keep my books under 400. I need to read or listen to the Seven Sisters series.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised when I saw the Big Books of Summer said that a big book was anything over 400 pages but that is big enough for me most of the time I think.
DeleteSame! I don't exactly avoid chunksters these days, but I don't gravitate to them either. I usually read a few doorstoppers every year, that's it. I'm getting impatient in my old age, I guess!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Every now and again I read one but it does feel like a big commitment and taking up space when I could read two or three shorter books!
DeleteI want to read War & Peace, Marg. Still haven't read Wally Lamb or Diana Gabaldon despite many recommendations. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletehttps://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-books-with-high.html
I think breaking War and Peace down to a chapter a day or a certain number of pages makes a lot sense as otherwise it can be intimidating. I haven't read Wally Lamb but I have read a lot of Diana Gabaldon books over the years!
DeleteI have only read one of your books, War & Peace, which seems to be a favourite on these lists this week. But I have read a few books by the other authors, just not long enough for my list.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog:
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-ten-tuesday-high-page-count.html
It doesn't surprise me that War and Peace is on a lot of lists this week. Even though there are bigger books out there that does seem to be the one to measure against!
DeleteMy edition was in two parts, that makes it even worse.
Delete