Task 10: Read a Book Over 500 Pages Long

[Suzanne]

Just finished City on Fire; at 903 pages, that qualifies!

[Berta]

About to finish Americanah by Chimamand Ngozi Adichie!

[Teresa]

I finished Thorn Birds, almost 700 pgs. It's a family saga. I lost interest halfway through, but completed it. It also counts as my birth decade book, as it was published in the 1970's.

[Maureen]

I have just finished All the Light We Cannot See, 1 down, 23 to go...

[Mary]

A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George was such a good read for me it didn't feel like it was over 500 pages.

[Angela]

I've just started The Name of the Rose: Including the Author's Postscript for this challenge. I've had this book for years and my daughter has nagged me for ages, saying that I MUST read it....so here goes!

[Erin]

For this challenge I'm between reading 11/22/63 or House of Leaves. Does anybody have any comments on either of these?

[Robin P]

Erin wrote: "For this challenge I'm between reading 11/22/63 or House of Leaves. Does anybody have any comments on either of these?"

11/22/63 is the only Stephen King I've ever read. He does have some parts that are a bit violent for my taste even in this book but overall he was a great storyteller. As someone who remembers that era, I loved who he evoked the smells, sounds and tastes of what he calls "The Land of Long Ago". It could have been edited to be shorter but I listened to it on audio and I never got bored with it.

[May]

I started a 600+ page book in 2015 (The Bone Clocks) and finished it in 2016, and I'm wondering if it counts or if I should just go ahead and read another long book...

[Elle]

Erin wrote: "For this challenge I'm between reading 11/22/63 or House of Leaves. Does anybody have any comments on either of these?"

I have not read either of these books but I am tackling House of Leaves for another challenge this year. I say "tackling" because I've read comments and articles by people who have taken on the challenge of reading it and they say it's not an easy task. Both to physically read the book (script sometimes bunched into corners, slanted across the page, in a spiral, script overwrites script, backwards print) and to interpret the story. If you're up for the challenge - go for it.

[Julia]

I just finished rereading Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint. I strongly recommend it!

[Robin P]

May wrote: "I started a 600+ page book in 2015 (The Bone Clocks) and finished it in 2016, and I'm wondering if it counts or if I should just go ahead and read another long book..."

I count books when I finish them, so I think you should put that one in 2016.

[May]

@Robin thanks for the validation! :)

[Jessica]

Just picked up A Little Life for this task.

[Jessica]

I'm using The Passage.

[Betsy]

I'm going to try to finish 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. I finished Don Quixote last year, so I'm determined to finish this one this year. Wish me luck! ;-)

[Jo]

I've started Best Served Cold. I read the First Law trilogy last year and really enjoyed them, hoping this will continue in the same vein.

[Sonia]

The 1st book that popped up in my mind is The Crimson Petal and the White and also the Book of Strange New Things. But I also have A Little Life and Fingersmith sitting on my shelf.

[Karena]

Like a lot of people I've been bitten by the Hamilton bug, so I'm reading Alexander Hamilton.

[Veronica]

I read Roots: The Saga of an American Family for this one (and the historical fiction one!). It was very slow at first, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It's one of the best, most emotionally wrenching books I've read.

[Karen]

I read for this one.

[Katy]

Just finished Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things for this challenge. I really enjoyed it, but have to admit it felt looong. Could probably have done what it needed to do in 400 pages and been a bit more enjoyable for it. But the main character is one I'll remember fondly, and I'm glad to have had this challenge to spur me to read it.

[Julia]

Just finished reading Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Over 600 pages long. It took me a whole week to finish it.

[Callie]

I read All the Light We Cannot See for this task and it was fabulous.

[R]

I just finished Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things. For a 500+ page book, it never once felt like it was too long. If you're looking for an intriguing historical fiction to read (and complete this task), it definitely fits the bill.

[R]

Jaleenajo wrote: "I love really long books, so this will be a fun one for me! I'm thinking I might go with one of these that are already on my TBR list for next year:

Oh, I didn't think to use a Mieville book for this task! I haven't read Scar. Good idea, Jaleenajo.

[Corina]

I just finished All the Light We Cannot See. well worth the 532 pages!

[Maxine]

I've just finished re reading Goblet Of Fire and realized it fits this task. Yay!

[Meghan]

I finished Winter this weekend! Sweet one task down...

[Beachesnbooks]

I decided to go with The Wise Man's Fear for this challenge. It's 1107 pages long, but I really don't want it to end! Such a fast-paced and intriguing fantasy series.

[Krista]

Jaleenajo wrote: "I decided to go with The Wise Man's Fear for this challenge. It's 1107 pages long, but I really don't want it to end! Such a fast-paced and intriguing fantasy series."

Read that last year and it was FANTASTIC!!

[Krista]

Maxine wrote: "I've just finished re reading Goblet Of Fire and realized it fits this task. Yay!"

I hadn't even checked length on that one. I'm using that one as my "Task #4: Read a book out loud to someone". I started reading the HP series to my son last year. I know I can use one book for more than one task, but it somehow feels like cheating. ;)

[Janani]

Since I am obsessed with the Hamilton musical right now (I literally have not been listening to any other music for the past week), I am reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow for this task. I'm really liking it so far. Well, listening to the audiobook, that is. Audiobooks count right? I can always pick up something else if it doesn't.

[Courtney]

Janani wrote: "Since I am obsessed with the Hamilton musical right now (I literally have not been listening to any other music for the past week), I am reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow for this task. I'm..."

Man, audiobooks better count - I can't see how they wouldn't! Some of these topics I'm counting on good narrators to get me through. I work at a public library, and every summer we have a Read For Fines program - for the folks that aren't able to read print, we just count the audiobooks for the program by how many pages the print edition would have.

[Krista]

Agreed Courtney. You're still "experiencing and absorbing" the book. I'd never make any reading challenge if audiobooks didn't count. Once or twice a month I travel to another city to train people - it's 4 hours in the car. Audiobooks keep me sane.

[Janani]

Krista wrote: "Agreed Courtney. You're still "experiencing and absorbing" the book. I'd never make any reading challenge if audiobooks didn't count. Once or twice a month I travel to another city to train people ..."

Oh good, I just figured I should double-check.

[Michelle]

Currently reading Fall of Giants

[Viv]

I'm making a start on Robin Hobb's Ship of Magic for this challenge. 880 pages. Yikes.

[Lauren]

My Shortlist:

Anna Karenina
The Casual Vacancy
His Dark Materials (If three books are bound in one edition and you read all three that counts as one 500 pager right?)

[Erica]

Viv wrote: "I'm making a start on Robin Hobb's Ship of Magic for this challenge. 880 pages. Yikes."

That book is amazing! I love everything I've ever read by Robin Hobb.

[Jen]

I took on War & Peace as my 500+ Thankfully, there was a blizzard and it allowed me some super focus.

Also Lauren, I loved Anna Karenina. Read it. It's lovely.

[Lauren]

Jen wrote: "I took on War & Peace as my 500+ Thankfully, there was a blizzard and it allowed me some super focus.

Also Lauren, I loved Anna Karenina. Read it. It's lovely."

War and Peace is another book on my bucket list! I am sure I am going to LOVE Anna Karenina. I am trying to use the Keira Knightly version on Netflix as my motivation.

[Jen]

That is a stunningly beautiful production. If you like live theatre, you'll love the art direction in that version. It's so entrancing to watch.

[Jenni is on storygraph]

I'm in the middle of Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. This book could have fit a couple of categories. So far, SO good!

[Henriette]

I'm conquering a personal mountain with this one. I freaquently read long books, but the newest danish translation of 'Ulysses' have been on my shelf for the past year. I'm a bit intimidated by it, but now I'm doing to.

[Heidi]

Just finished Jo Nesbo's Police. It's the tenth in his Harry Hole detective series. Excellent writing, suspenseful and set in Norway. I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys crime novels set in foreign countries. It's 562 pages so it met this requirement.

[Karin]

City on Fire was my pick and I really liked it.

[Sendusia]

I have another book planned for this but I was curious if manga applied to this as well? I just realized I finished one the other day that was over 500 pages.

[Corey]

I just finished Sebastien de Castell's follow-up to Traitor's Blade, Knight's Shadow, a solid 570+ pages of swashbuckling perfection.

[Ironinklings]

I feel like this is cheating, but I just listened to Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati which must be a million pages long. It would also fit in the historical fiction category because it takes place in the 1790s.
I'm hoping to read another book that's over 500 pages long, but if not I've got this as a back-up.