My 2026 Big Book Summer Plans

I have just announced the 14th year of my annual reading challenge, Big Book Summer Challenge, so I guess I should be the first to sign up! Everyone is welcome to participate (details at the link).

I always enjoy tackling some big books in the summer, since I first came up with the idea in 2011, and I'm looking forward to finally reading some of these bricks that have been collecting dust on my shelf (for this challenge, a Big Book is any book with 400 pages or more).

NOTE: Don't let my stack below intimidate you! You only need to read ONE Big Book over the next three months to join in the fun and participate in the challenge. I like to make a "pile of possibilities," but you do you 😀

I definitely won't get through 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!):

 

From the top of the stack:

·      The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (582 pages)

·      Burn by Nevada Barr (472 pages)

·      Empire Falls by Richard Russo (483 pages) 

·      The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (429 pages) 

·      Dead Man’s Walk by Larry McMurtry (461 pages)

·      The Fraud by Zadie Smith (454 pages) 

·      The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (558 pages) 

·      The Toll by Neal Schusterman (625 pages)

·      Never by Ken Follett (802 pages)

 I know that looks like a huge stack--and it is!--but as you can see, many of my choices are in the 400-500 page range and several are fast-paced reads. 

All of these also qualify for my Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2026. My shelves are overflowing, so this is good!

I also devote my summer to listening to Big Audio Books (audios and e-books count, too). I will choose those as I go, throughout the summer, though I just started my first: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.

And here's my husband's pile of possibilities for Big Book Summer 2026--he enjoys Big Book Summer every year, too!

 

Check out my 2026 Big Book Summer Challenge Video for more on what I plan to read this summer. You can also find great Big Book recommendations on my Big Books! list on Bookshop and my Big Book Recommendations video. I have read and enjoyed every single book on that list and in that video, and they both include a wide variety of book types and genres--something for everyone! And visit the Big Book Summer Goodreads group or Storygraph group to see what everyone else is reading this summer!

 How about you? Are you up for tackling a Big Book (or two or three) this summer? 
Join me in the fun of the 2026 Big Book Summer Challenge! The details and link-ups are on that page.

Join me for some bookish summer fun!

Big Book Summer Challenge 2026

Welcome to Big Book Summer 2026!

The idea behind this reading challenge is simple: Use the ease of summer to tackle a Big Book (400+ pages) or two or ... however many you want! You set your own goals. And if it is the start of winter where you live, then it's your Big Book Winter Challenge. Everyone is welcome to participate.

You can hear more about how it started and what I'll be reading in my video, Big Book Summer Challenge 2026.

Melinda at A Web of Stories is my co-host again this year. Besides having a YouTube channel (at the link), Melinda was a longtime book blogger (first as West Metro Mommy and later, A Web of Stories) ... and a longtime virtual friend of mine! I've been thrilled to have her help in recent years, as participation in Big Book Summer continues to grow. You can watch Melinda's Big Book Summer kick-off video.

The Details:
Hey, it's summer, so we'll keep this low-key and easy!

• Anything 400 pages or more qualifies as a big book.
• The challenge runs from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend (May 22 this year) through Labor Day (September 7 this year).
  
• Choose one or two or however many big books you want as your goal. Wait, did you get that?  You only need to read 1 book with 400+ pages this summer to participate! (though you are welcome to read more, if you want).
• If you are a blogger or YouTuber and want to share your Big Book Summer plans, book reviews, or wrap-ups, you can add your link(s) to the links list below so others can find you (it will remain open until September 30). If you post a YouTube video for Big Book Summer, please tag Melinda and I, so we can visit and share it with others.
• Join the 2026 Big Book Summer Goodreads group to enjoy Big Book discussions all summer long! We always have a lively group with lots of fun book chat. Or if you prefer, join the Big Book Summer Storygraph group and/or the Big Book Summer Storygraph Challenge.
• For chatting on other social media platforms, use #BigBookSummer
  

That's it!  Go check out your shelves and your TBR list for chunksters and get started!

What kind of books "count"? All kinds! Middle-grade, YA, graphic novels, classics, all genres, all types--as long as they are at least 400 pages. Yes, e-books and audio books count, too--just check online for the number of pages in the print edition.  

Looking for Big Book recs?  See my list of Big Books on BookShop for some great ideas from my own past reading or my Big Book Recommendations video from last summer.


Check out my own list of books to read for the challenge this summer and my Big Book Summer Kick-Off Video for more on what I plan to read this summer. 

And you can pick up some fun Big Book Summer swag! Check out my shop on Printify for all kinds of Big Book Summer merch: mugs, insulated cups, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, notebooks, magnets, stickers, phone cases, hats, drinking glasses, and more! If there's something you want that's not in my store, just let me know, and I'll add it. There are some fun new items this year, including new messages besides the Big Book Summer logo!

 

Help spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media with #BigBookSummer. You can follow me at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzanljackson/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@suzanljackson

Twitter: @suebookbybook 

Facebook: the Facebook page for this blog 

YouTube: SueJacksonDE

Challenge updates will be posted in all of those places.

 

Hope you'll join the Big Book Summer fun!

What Big Book(s) Are YOU Reading This Summer?

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

2025 Reading Wrap-Up and Best Books

It's that time again! Well, past that time, but we've had a lot going on here lately. 

I've compiled some fun facts on what I read last year and my top picks for favorite books of the year. I will share some stats on my reading, my #1 picks in various categories, and my Top 10 (or whatever) lists. Any links go to my reviews (mini reviews in my Monday posts). You can also watch my videos: 

2025 Reading Wrap-Up

 Top 10 Fiction Books Read in 2025

 Top 5 Nonfiction Books Read in 2025

Please share in the comments: What books were YOUR favorites in 2025?

 

2025 Reading Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 72

Number of Fiction Books Read: 63 (87.5%)

Number of Nonfiction Books Read: 9 (12.5%)

Types of Books Read:

(some categories overlap)

Adult Fiction: 44 (61%)

Adult Nonfiction: 8

Teen/YA: 10

Middle-Grade: 9

Audio Books: 29 (40%)

Graphic Novels/Nonfiction: 3

Classics: 8

Poetry: 0

Short Story Collections: 0

Fun Facts:

Books Written by Women Authors: 36 (50%)

Diverse Books: 38 (53%)

Books from My Own Shelves: 34 (47%) - I don't count e-books or audios.

Re-reads: 2

Authors Read More Than Once: 3

Shortest Book:   Unauthorized Bread by Cory Doctorow (112 pages)

Longest Book:  The Love Songs of WEB DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (816 pages)

Average Book Length: 346 pages

My 2025 Reading Challenges:

To see my full recap, with lists of books, categories, and hosts, visit my 2024 Challenge Page.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge (and Read What You Own challenge): My goal was 36; I read 34 (almost!)

2025 Motif Reading Challenge: This is always a fun one! I hit 9 of the 12 monthly themes.

The Classic Six Challenge : My goal was 6; I read 8!

2025 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge : I got 19 of the 26 letters.

2025 Nonfiction Reader Challenge : My goal was 12; I read just 9 (but they were all great!). I got 7 of the 12 categories.

2025 Diversity Reading Challenge : I read 38 diverse books in 2025.

Around the World Reading Challenge (a perpetual challenge): I read 26 books set outside the U.S., set in 23 different countries.

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge: I read books set in 27 states (less than last year).

Mardi Gras Readathon I read 5 books, covering 5 of the 9 spots on my Bingo card.

Middle-Grade March I read just 2 middle-grade books last March. 

March Mystery Madness: I read 6 mysteries in March. 

Big Book Summer Challenge  (hosted by me): I read 8 Big Books last summer.

June on the Range: I read Streets of Laredo by Larry McMurtry 

Shorty September: I read 10 short books in September. 

R.I.P. Challenge: I read 17 dark books in September and October (Shorty September helped)!

Nonfiction November: I read 6 nonfiction books in November.

My Top Picks

Best Adult Fiction

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

 

Best Nonfiction

We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo  

 Best Memoir

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad   

 

Best Audio

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese   

 

Best YA

   Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri 

 

Best Middle-Grade

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackey   

 

Best Graphic Novel/Nonfiction

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Yuen Lang and LeUyen Pham

 

 

Best Classic

 

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton   

 

 

 

Top 10 (or whatever) Lists

These are always tough choices! I narrowed down my Top 10 novels and audio books, plus whatever Top number seemed appropriate for the other categories. Lists are in alphabetical order.

Top 10 Adult Novels

Bridge by Lauren Beukes

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 

Dark Ride by Lou Berney 

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

The Love Songs of WEB DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

The Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington 

Streets of Laredo by Larry McMurtry

Sweetland by Michael Crummey

 

Top 10 Audio Books

(Chosen because they were great books where the audio production made them even more special.)  

Artifice by Sharon Cameron

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel  

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad 

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 

Gulp by Mary Roach

Knife by Salman Rushdie 

She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper

Swing by Kwame Alexander

We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo

 

 Top 5 Nonfiction Books

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad 

Dear America by Jose Antonio Vargas

Gulp by Mary Roach

A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko  

We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo

 

Top 6 YA Books

Artifice by Sharon Cameron

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel  

Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Swing by Kwame Alexander

Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman

 

Top 4 Middle-Grade Books 

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackey 

Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Heroes by Tracey Baptiste and Shauna J. Grant

Stranded by Nikki Shannon Smith 

Two Degrees by Alan Gratz

 

 What were YOUR favorite books read last year?

Nonfiction November, Week 3: Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings

I'm enjoying  Nonfiction November, as I always do!

This week's topic is Fiction and Nonfiction Book Pairings, and this week's host is Liz at Adventures in Reading, Running, and Working from Home:

This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. Or maybe it’s just two books you feel have a link, whatever they might be. You can be as creative as you like!  

So, I  looked through my many years of book reviews here on the blog and found two books, by two highly acclaimed and talented writers, that pair perfectly together (links are to my reviews):

 

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is the compelling, horrifying true story of the American ambassador (and his family) assigned to Berlin in 1933. They had front-row seats to the rise of Hitler and fascism, but the world around them changed gradually so that they didn't realize just how dangerous things were. It's fascinating to read about the ambassador's wife and children, just trying to live normal lives, when we know what is coming.

 

Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz is a YA novel with a very similar set-up. Michael O’Shaunessey's father is the Irish ambassador to Germany during WWII (the Irish were neutral in the war, so they were allowed to stay). You get some of the very same settings and tone, as this nice family is stuck is in the midst of a changing Germany, living among Nazis.This fictional tale includes plenty of historical details, including Michael's required participation in the Hitler Youth at school, but it's also an exciting spy thriller, as his parents are actually smuggling information out to help the Allies, and Michael gets involved.

Both of the excellent books are wonderfully written, filled with fascinating historical facts, and compelling, suspenseful stories. In fact, if you don't normally read YA but enjoy historical fiction, Alan  Gratz is a great place to start; all of his novels are outstanding.

 

Can you recommend any nonfiction/fiction pairings?

I would love some book recommendations! 

  Let me know in the comments below.

Nonfiction November, Week 2 - Choosing Nonfiction

This week's host is Frances at Volatile Reader blog.

The topic is Choosing Nonfiction: There are many topics to choose from when looking for a nonfiction book.  For example:  Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Travel, Health, Politics, History, Religion and Spirituality, Science, Art, Medicine, Gardening, Food, Business, Education, Music.  Maybe use this week to challenge yourself to pick a genre you wouldn’t normally read? Or stick to what you usually like is also fine.  If you are a nonfiction genre newbie, did your choice encourage you to read more?

I have to admit that when it comes to nonfiction, I don't often go outside my favorite types: memoir, outdoors/nature, travel, health, and a sprinkling of history.

 

My current nonfiction on audio is squarely inside my comfort zone, but it's a genre I rarely read: science. I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach. I've been meaning to read one of her books for many years, and I'm so glad I finally got to it. It's absolutely fascinating, hilariously laugh-out-loud funny, and really gross. My husband heard me laughing while I was cooking dinner while camping this week (he was outside grilling), and when he came in for dinner, he asked what was so funny. So I told him, as he looked at me open-mouthed and said, "We're eating dinner!" He has forbid me from sharing any more of the book with him. ha ha

 

What kinds of nonfiction do you prefer to read?

Can you remember a time when you tried something different? Did you enjoy it?

Let me know in the comments below! 

Nonfiction November Week 1: My Year in Nonfiction (so far)

It's time for Nonfiction November! The link takes you to a blog post that explains what it's all about, who the hosts are, and the topics for each week.

Although I participate in Nonfiction November every year, it's been years since I had time to do the weekly posts, so I'll give it a try!

This week's topic is Your Year in Nonfiction:

 "Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?"

This is pretty easy for me since I read most of my nonfiction for the year during November, when I devote the whole month to reading (and listening to) nonfiction. So, that's what I hope to get out of the event, as always!

But I did read a few nonfiction books earlier this year. According to my 2025 Reading Challenges page, I'm participating in the 2025 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out and have so far read: 

Wintering by Katherine May

Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks: Civil Rights Heroes by Tracey Baptiste and Shauna J. Grant

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad 

 

Yes, that's it! The first and third were both memoirs, dealing with mental and physical health. The second on that list is a middle-grade history book, in a series (History Comics) that is excellent. In past years, I enjoyed a couple of others in that series and another one on the history of our National Parks (all links go to my reviews).

Of these, I enjoyed them all and tabbed SO many quotes from Wintering, but I think my favorite so far was Between Two Kingdoms because she so beautifully captured the experience of chronic illness and living in a world so different than what the rest of humanity is living. And bonus: the memoir includes a great road trip, too! It was outstanding on audio. 

Do you read much nonfiction?

What types of nonfiction do you enjoy?

How many nonfiction books have you read so far this year?

  Let me know in the comments below!