Saturday, May 28, 2016

My 2016 Big Book Summer

I have just announced the 5th year of my challenge, Big Book Summer Challenge, so I guess I should be the first to sign up!

I really enjoyed tackling some big books the last few summers, and I'm looking forward to doing it again and finally reading some of these bricks that have been collecting dust on my shelf (NOTE: for this challenge, a Big Book is defined as a book with 400 pages or more).

I don't know if I will get to all of these, but I like to have some options to choose from.  These are all currently on my shelves, waiting patiently to be read (along with many others!). I actually chose 6 this year because none of them are 700-1000 pages long, as in some years - these are mostly  in the 400-500 page range:


  • The Marvels by Brian Selznick, 665 pages (middle-grade)
  • Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, 507 pages
  • The Many Lives of John Stone by Linda Buckley-Archer, 444 pages (YA)
  • The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater, 438 pages (YA)
  • The Likeness by Tana French, 466 pages
  • To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, 493 pages
I like to alternate between grown-up books and kids/teen/YA books, so I have three of each on this list.  Most of these have been collecting dust on my shelf for many years, so all of these qualify for my Read Your Own Damn Books Challenge! This looks like a long list, but most of the books are under 500 pages (and the longest one is half pictures), and the kids/YA ones usually go pretty quickly.

I'm so excited for summer now!

How about you?  Are you up for tackling a Big Book (or two or three) this summer?  Join me and sign up for the 2015 Big Book Summer Challenge!



10 comments:

  1. Hello Sue!
    I have a question.... My friend gifted me this book "The trials of Apollo", and I finished reading it only recently... However... I just realized it doesn't make 400 pages. So I was wondering that, since the book is pretty long in height and fairly long in length, does it qualify as a "Big Book"?

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    1. Hi! For the purposes of this reading challenge. Big Book refers to anything 400 pages or longer - the physical size of the book doesn't matter. Also, the challenge just started yesterday, so books you read prior to this weekend wouldn't count. Take a look at your shelves and your want-to-read list - I bet there are plenty of books that would qualify! Hope you will join the fun!

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  2. Bummer... but I did find some books after all.. I think I am starting with Carry on... And then I am going to be reading The fifth wave.... then split second.... so I am all set...

    Thanks!

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    1. Great! If you want to officially join the challenge and be considered for the end-of-summer giveaway, then sign up at the challenge page (link above and also in the sidebar) - either post a link to your kick-off post if you have a blog or just leave a comment on that page if you don't have a blog - welcome!

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  3. I've wanted to read TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG, too. You know I always participate in reverse. I sign up after I've read a 400+ page book. Ha! (Though I think I just finished one yesterday...let me look.)

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    1. I LOVE time travel books, and I have heard this one is a classic, so I am looking forward to it! Sign up whenever you are ready - with all the reading you do, I sure there is at least one big book in your summer TBR!

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  4. Good for you, Sue. All ready and reading my 1st and happy that you're hosting the challenge again. HapPy reading!

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  5. Oh, I love Connie Willis ;)

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  6. Awesome Challenge Sue. Thanks for telling me about it when you commented on my blog. I haven't done a reading challenge in about 2 years and this seems like a great way to get back into them. I was just wondering....can I just add the books to my list as I go along? I never can read according to a list.

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    1. So glad you came by to check it out! This challenge is meant to be super easy-going (it's summer!), so no, you don't have to choose your Big Book(s) ahead of time - it's perfectly fine to choose as you go. All you need to join is a short kick-off post on your blog, with a link back to the challenge page...then start on your Big Books and have fun!

      Sue

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