I brought The Stand with me to Stockbridge, because I thought I could use a big book to keep me occupied for awhile. I like it, I read it last summer, but I think the main reason I enjoy reading it is that it is very long, and thus can sustain my fast reading habits for more than a few days.
I finished the thing in a week and a half. After sitting a moment to figure out what to read next, I discovered that I still have Brendan’s copy of Watchmen that he loaned to me awhile back (so Brendan, if you’ve been searching for it, you know where it is now ^_^). I started it yesterday and am nearly through.
I was fretting all day about what I would read next, and where I would get a book, fretting all through checking my email. “Where on *earth* am I going to find a book to read?” I thought. Then I remembered I was in a library and felt really dumb.
Seriously, though, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten books from a library for anything more than research, I’d nearly forgotten what wonderful things libraries are (and not just for an internet addict to check her email while she’s stranded in Massachusetts).
I picked up Watership Down, because it’s something I’ve always intended to read, and also The Once and Future King, because my friend, Carleton, and I were pondering over its role in X2, and he said that I should read it and then tell him all about it. I guess being a fast reader has its advantages. If I can finish The Stand in a week and a half, I should have no trouble finishing two normal-sized books in two weeks.
Meanwhile, if anyone has any good recommendations of very long books (like, 1500 pages or more…and Not Moby Dick), leave them here. I need long books!
Well, War and Peace is actually pretty good. 🙂
Let’s see… what else… I just read some really good monstrously huge book not long ago, and now I can’t remember it. That’s going to drive me crazy…
I think one summer I read some horribly long biography of Queen Victoria. All I can remember is that the author’s name started with a W. Also, if you are into Japanese literature, the Tale of Genji (Seidensticker translation) is another long one that I read one summer.
Um, if you are into Fantasy, there is the Robert Jordon stuff, which is like 9 books of 700+ pages each. Not necessarily good, but a lot of long books.
My taste runs to fantasy and science fiction, so if that is not cool with you, feel free to ignore my suggestions. Most of these are series which doesn’t exactly meet your question, but might help some. There are a lot of “masters of science fiction” you can try conquering. Heinlein (Starship Troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land), Asimov (I Robot), Frank Herbert (the 6 Dune books), Zelazney (the Amber Chronicles), and not necessarily a master, but a damn good writier, CJ Cherryh (the Chanur books, Cyteen, and the Foreigner books). I also have a bunch of book recommendations up on my website: http://www.starfallz.org/sukinamono/print.html
A book recommendation site addition is a really good idea! I might do one of my own, once I get back to my home computer to update my site ^_^ Thanks!
As a Stephen King fan, let me direct you to equally long but even more interesting (and my favorite book), IT. And if anyone says anything about not reading it b/c they hated the movie, I’ll smack them!! *stands poised to smack at will* I’m a Stephen King fan and I HATE the movies…they really suck! The books are absolutely wonderful though…so much gets left out and changed for the movie…just give it a try…:)
This is one of my favorite books! I recently reread it, and it was even better the second time (the first time I was a bit young to understand a lot that was going on)
yay!!! well, ignore my suggetion then and just read it again! I also just recently reread it…and thought the same thing…so much is going on! it always amazes me that such a story can flow so easily from some creative person…i’m envious!! hehe
read cujo while you’re at it. you could also check out “different seasons,” another stephen king book with a number of different stories, one of which was the basis for “stand by me”
I have that book here actually! I bought it because it had Shawshank Redemption in it, and I was presently surprised that it also had The Body and Apt Pupil.
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle’s Footfall is good if you like Sci-Fi type stuff }:) in fact if you like Sci-Fi most everything of Larry Nivens is worth a read }:)
R.A.Salvatore is my absolute favourite regarding Fantasy. German translations of his (10 books so far) “Shadowelf” (my translation, dunno if thats the english title) usually have 400 Pages, but i heard that the english version contain about 3 german ones each. Definately worth a try since the storyline is quite exciting ^.^
graaah! I love Forgotten Realms stuff, I really like the Icewind Dale trilogy and Dark Elf trilogy, but I just recently reread both of them and I don’t want to get burnt out ^_^ I’ve been meaning to read more of his stuff, but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Whooooo girl! I think you’re talking about the “Drizzt Do’ Urden” Saga here, that’s also a cool Saga by Salvatore but NOT the one i meant.
Update: After some research i finally found out the name of the series is “Demonwars Saga” by R.A.Salvatore. The first books title is “The Demon Awakens”
Link: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/Series37.htm
Ah, I will have to check that out. I was on a WWII kick at the end of the term, because I’m addicted to the History Channel and that seemed to be all they showed for like 3 weeks. I’ll probably pick it up next book.
Ha, Spelling Nazi
HA you spelled my name wrong in this post! not to day you had ever seen my name writen down this early in the summer but HA, I stand in …. in… glory, no…. I stand in something!