Top Ten Tuesday
This week’s topic: Books that are doorstop chunksters
Oh, I used to love a giant fat book. Now I don’t read them as much but they still hold a (big) place in my heart.
These are probably the books I have read with the highest page counts.
The Stand – 1,152 pages
It – 1,138 pages
The Witching Hour – 976
I got totally lost in these worlds, especially The Witching Hour. I fell in love with New Orleans reading this book, and immediately took a vacation there to see it in person, to walk those streets, feel the humidity… lol. I even stopped by Anne Rice’s house and had my photo taken on the sidewalk (banquette?) in front. I still love that city, and have visited many times since that first time.
Gosh, this is a trip down memory lane! I loved all three of these so very much as well. I mean, let’s start with Outlander. I have had a book crush on Jamie Fraser for years and years now. My husband is very familiar with the character thanks to my all gushing. Lonesome Dove is just one of those books too, that you will think about forever. And finally, 11/22/63 is one of my favorite King books.
Drums of Autumn – 928
11/22/63 – 880
Lonesome Dove – 864
Some more books with emotional ties. My husband bought me this Emily Dickinson book for Christmas years and years ago and I treasure it, and A Prayer for Owen Meany is probably one of my favorite books of all time. I have read it sooooo many times. My uncle gave me a copy when I graduated, that was his copy. Then I gave it to my cousin, his daughter years later when she graduated from college. We do this in my family, write notes to each other and pass the books back and forth.
And finally, The Secret History which really is as good as everyone says, in my opinion. I love dark academia and this is such a perfect entree.
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson – 716
A Prayer for Owen Meany – 637
The Secret History – 552
Ugh, I love Angeline Boulley!! I can’t wait to read her newest book, Sisters in the Wind, which is only 389 pages. This one weighs in at 489.
And there you have it!
I hope all of you do one thing that makes you smile today!
D’oh! I forgot about The Stand. That and and LOTR….
Lol I saw a few I forgot about too while making the rounds today!
A Prayer for Owen Meany was a good read from what I recall.
I love that book. It is one of those books I think about still, all the time.
What a great list! I also loved reading your thoughts on A Prayer for Owen Meany, as it is one of my all-time favourite books. The emotional ties you described, with your uncle giving you his copy, are so touching. It’s a truly amazing book that is well worth the time it takes to read.
Yes! It really is worth the time it takes to read it. I think most of John Irving’s books have stuck with me, but that one for sure the most. And thank you. 🙂
Fab list! You’re not intimidated by big books!
I didn’t used to be! Now I see a big book and I groan. Lol.
Big books are fun! I used to love lugging around a big ol’ book – now I read most of the really long ones on my kindle, lol … But I definitely still have print versions 🙂
Absolutely *love* that y’all write notes and trade books back and forth! That is the coolest thing 😀
Lol yes! I don’t miss holding a giant book trying to read it and balance it, when now you can do it on kindle or even listen to it.
And thanks! We don’t do it with a ton of books, but for the really special ones.
It was so scary!
Here is our <a href=”https://www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/top-ten-tuesday-books-with-a-high-page-count/“> Top Ten Tuesday.</a>
It really was!! My cousin and I spent a summer when we were 12-13ish checking out Stephen King books and reading them together in his living room. I read It that summer and it scared the heck out of me!
I remember reading The Stand. Stephen King is such a good writer. I need to read 11/22/63. I am adding many of these to my TBR!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
It never fails, whenever I read The Stand I get a cold. It’s like the power of suggestion or something!
Wow! You found some great fits for this subject! Some of these are super high in those page counts (Diana’s books are favorites for this week, too!). 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my list today.
I was surprised at how high the page counts were for a few!
A Prayer for Owen Meany. I haven’t thought about that books as being long. It has been years, though, since I read it.
Right? It didn’t feel long!
I love your family tradition of passing on books! 💖
Thank you Carol!!
OMG, your family annotates books and pass them between each other???!!! That is my dream!! 😭I love annotated books and I go out of my way to buy them if I see them at secondhand bookstores even if I’m not interested in the book itself, but I haven’t done that in a while. I would so love a book buddy I can do this with! I love that your family does this!
Haze
https://thebookhaze.com/
We don’t do it a lot, just with special books, but it would be great to do it more often! I like that sort of thing too!
You have so many favorites of mine on your list…Lonesome Dove…Secret History…Fire Keeper’s Daughter. I really should try 11/22/63.
It was really different. I enjoyed it so much!
This is such a lively list. THE Witching Hour sounds bewitching and I live that you had your photo taken by Rice’s home. 🙂
Thank you Patricia! I loved The Witching Hour, and read it a few times even. There is a whole section that is all just the “history” of the witches, and it was fascinating reading about the “family history”. It was well done.
Oh, thank you for sharing this snippet 🙂 That’s stuff I love in a book. Now I can’t wait to read it 🙂 Have a great week!
I used to enjoy longer books as well. But now I feel nervous if a book has over 400 pages. LOL! But there are times, like Firekeeper’s Daughter, where the book was worth the read.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!https://readbakecreate.com/ten-biggest-books-on-my-tbr/
Lol me too!! I’m always like ugh do I want to take this on? But yes, sometimes they are worth it. I recently read The God of the Woods and that was a chunker too.
I meant to add, and I loved it. lol.
11/22/63 is one of my favorites. Glad to see it on your list!
It’s such a good one!
I read The Stand and It back in my teen years. I don’t read very many big books anymore, but maybe someday I will get back into it.
I don’t really either. At the most, one a year. This year I read The God of the Woods which was fantastic but also a big ‘un. I just generally don’t have the patience for them anymore.
I’ve read most of these and agree they are great! Firekeeper’s Daughter was so good, I’m excited for her new one.
I am too!! One of my friends is a librarian and met Boulley, who told her that this book is even better than the first two!
The Outlander books are so big!! I have the first on my list.
They are definitely huge books, but so good!!
I’ve read The Stand, The Secret History and A Prayer for Owen Meany! The Stand was so long ago now, I think I was in high school. It’s really the only King I’ve ever read.
I feel like the last time that I read The Stand I was in my early 20s, so sadly, quite a while ago for me too!
I should have put Lonesome Dove on my list too!
Lol I saw a few on other people’s lists that I was like dang, I should have put that on mine!
The Witching Hour looks good and my mum loves The Outlander series, she keeping dropping big hints that I should read it!
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/08/19/%f0%9f%93%9atoptentuesday-10-books-with-a-high-page-count-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-booktwt/
The Witching Hour is awesome. And The Outlander series is fantastic! I never finished the series because I couldn’t stand reading about Jamie Fraser getting older. LOL
As much as I love sinking into a story, I just don’t have a ton of patience for really long books these days. I usually read a few 500+ pages a year, but that’s it. I do enjoy Boulley’s books. I loved LONESOME DOVE when I read it years ago. When I did a reread last year, I was quite bored with it, although I still enjoyed it mostly. Great list!
Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I have also read and loved The Stand, It, and 11/22/63. Despite the length, Stephen King pulls you in from the get-go and the pages fly! Someday, I’d love re-read The Stand, but It scared me too much to revisit. I listened to Lonesome Dove a year or so ago, and thought it was remarkable. Such a great story! I’ve read A Prayer for Owen Meany a couple of times. I could read it again, but it’s so long. I have Firekeeper’s Daughter on my shelf to read this summer. Guess I should get crackin’!
I have a little tiny collection of Emily Dickinson poems, had no idea her complete collection was so massive!
My favorite from your list is A Prayer for Owen Meany. One of the most perfect endings of all time.
It really is such a remarkable book.
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