When I signed up for the Big Book Challenge earlier in the summer, I figured that Diana Gabaldon's latest, Written in My Heart's Own Blood, would be the only book that I read this summer that would qualify (i.e., >400 pages).
Boy was I ever wrong!
I'm 633 pages into the 822 pages of Written in My Heart's Own Blood, and loving it. I'm glad I'm reading it slowly--just one section per week. This way I have time to enjoy the story and characters and all the details that Gabaldon so painstakingly adds that makes her fictional world seem so real.
I'm also 324 pages into the 601 pages that is John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Man, how I love this book. I haven't read it in over 30 years and it is simply wonderful. I just read the "timshel" section of the book where Lee expounds on the Cain and Abel story and the importance of the phrase "thou mayest." I can't wait to visit Steinbeck country in September when I go out to visit my daughter in San Francisco. In addition to Monterey, I'm planning on visiting Salinas and maybe King City when we go to Pinnacles National Park (hoping to see some California Condors)
I read all 576 pages of Donna Tartt's The Secret History, and reviewed it here. I was half-way through with it before I realized it was an official "big book."
Beatriz Williams' A Hundred Summers qualified as a "big book" with 432 pages. I reviewed it here.
Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier, was my first "big book" of the season, clocking in at 560 pages. I read it in June with the GoodReads TuesBookTalk Read-a-Longs. I cannot believe I never got around to reviewing it as I did enjoy it and am looking forward to reading the next book in this very interesting series.
Since I'm an English major and my mantra is "you do the math," I got out my calculator to discover that I have read 2525 pages in my Big Book Challenge so far this summer, and that's not counting the books I read that didn't have the page count required.
So yeah, I guess I like to read.
Hope you're all have a wonderful summer, reading what makes you happy, and enjoying life.
I wish I had joined this challenge now, though I have read one big book unexpectedly - The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, clocking in at 1107 pages (about 3/4 through now) and then just picked up London by Edward Rutherford at 1124 pages!! I'm planning on finishing the Rothfuss and then continuing with London. Totally unplanned reading for this month! Really enjoying both. Sometimes it's fun to get lost in a big book, isn't it? You are doing so well with your challenge. It will be very satisfying for you when the challenge is over and you look back on what you've read!
ReplyDeleteI'm wishing I joined this one, too. Have already finished 2 books which would qualify and am well into a third (An American Tragedy). East of Eden is a favorite... love the timshel part. I'm just a little envious of your trip to Steinbeck country ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis is certainly a different and intriguing challenge. I tend to really like big books myself. I find that folks are a bit too afraid of them.
ReplyDeleteEast Of Eden was such a great book. I have not read it in a while myself but it is well worth the reread.
Wow, that is awesome! You've had a great reading summer and tackled so many Big Books! Good for you! I have managed 4 so far.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to add your review links to the Challenge page - there is a separate links list for reviews of Big Books!
Sue
2014 Big Book Summer Challenge
And I thought I was doing well to knock out three biggies this summer!
ReplyDelete