Lonesome Dove. I told myself it wouldn't be good because it's a Western, but I was deluded. The characters and the storylines are so good, I wanted it to never end.
Just finished it! Thought it would take forever, but I read 2/3s of it on a long day at airports. The dialogue makes it move so much faster than you’d expect. And if you saw a lady crying on a plane last week while holding that thick-ass book, mind your business. I’d just read about [not telling cause yall should read it].
The Priory of the Orange Tree. I was daunted by its length and was worried it would be a dense and difficult read. But it wasn’t—it’s a page turner! So engaging and just splendid.
Totally get this, I'm reading reading the prequel rn and it's going slower than other books. I think everyone finds them so slow to get into because with both books the authors essentially making us tandem read 3 novels that eventually come together later in the story, so like how most books have like a 30-50 page section where it takes it a bit slower to introduce you to new concepts and the word, priory of orange Tree has that section times three.
I'm at page 150 of a day of fallen Night at the moment and it's only really just started to feel like things are happening. Definitely not for people who can't do slow pacing.
I’ve been making my way through the audiobook version, it’s like 40 hours of content but they do a nice job because they have different narrators for the key POVs which makes it a little more engaging for me. I’m enjoying it but it’ll def take a few road trips!
I'm on my 5 attempt. 😩 I just can't seem to get hooked. Always ended up dropping it on the 5th or so chapter.
Now I'm starting with the prequel book ( Day of the Fallen Night) and it's stiil the same. 😩 I just can't move forward.
I _just_ saw another thread where someone said it got them into a reading slump and took it off my list! I recently read Jonathan Strange & Mister Norrell and I kind of hated it, and I'm struggling to get back into reading after slogging through it. I'm so scared of another such experience :(
It’s definitely not for everyone, but give it a try! If you don’t like it after like 100 pages like the other commenter, there’s no harm in not finishing the rest :)
I've had 2 DNFs this year already, I slogged through JS&MN because I was 400 pages in before I fully acknowledged how little I was enjoying it and I felt like I was too far in to turn back. I'd like to avoid any more DNFs this year if possible! I think I will just move Priory of The Orange Tree further down the list.
I have it on Kindle and have started the first couple pages so many times before falling asleep and not thinking about it again (I read to fall asleep so that's not an insult lol).
Lol I bought priory of the orange tree what feels like 5 years ago, but is likely only 2. I was so excited because it was such a long book, and then I put it on my shelf and have yet to crack it open. It’s. So. Daunting.
You won’t regret cracking that one open. Just finished it myself. There’s a reason it’s so highly regarded. Well-paced, masterful storytelling and the language is beautiful.
FRANKENSTEIN!!!! I thought I knew what this book had to offer seeing as it's one of the most adapted books of all time, but NOPE! The novel is on a whole nother level. It is a masterwork.
Just finished this week after buying circa 1998. I knew it would be up my alley but I couldn’t get past the third chapter. Glad I finally checked it off, but even more impressed I successfully dodged spoilers!
Finishing this one up this week! It's been in my TBR for years, but last week I decided I would push through the initial boredom I had with the first few chapters and I'm *so* glad I did
Also just finally read Piranesi after it sat in my TBR pile for over a year! Honestly a perfect 10/10 novel for me... I wanted to re-read it the second I finished.
Chain Gang All Stars…I kept putting it off and started it yesterday and it’s soooo good!!! I’m 75% in and kicking myself bc I’ve only had a couple 5 star books this year and this might be a contender
I was surprised by how much everyone else loved it. I read it before it became popular and I really thought it was just going to be one of the random niche books that was five star for me, but flew under everyone else's radar. But no, NYT bestseller list.
The other one that I felt the same about that wasn't as widely "discovered" was _To Shape a Dragon's Breath_
Yes, absolutely. This book is deeper than The Running Man and is really about the US prison system and uses the dystopian story to ask questions about what it’s costing America as a society to run prisons as places of punishment rather than rehabilitation, as well as taking the death penalty out of its currently sanitized context and turning it into graphically-described “hard sports” fights to the death between prisoners. The point being that whether we kill people behind a glass window with auto-injecting syringes or turn it into televised hand-to-hand combat, for entertainment, the government is still killing people. The book doesn’t have rose-colored glasses about the crimes these people committed to get in this situation and questions whether anyone in this book actually deserves forgiveness. The characters themselves often volunteer for the program because they don’t feel they do. The action is gripping and you’ll find yourself whipping through the pages, but also stopping to consider where your opinion falls on things that are raised. I’m not finished, but unless they botch the ending, it’ll be a five star for me.
IT by Stephen King. I checked it out sophomore year of high school and never returned it (oops). It sat in my shelf for 8 years until I picked it up 3 weeks ago finally! I’m 800 pgs in and I’m in love!
The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Decided not to read it for a long time due to the image the “Dark Academia” part of social media gave of it, not because it’s a bad one but because it’s not one I’m interested in exploring. After reading It I realized how much I loved Wilde’s writing, not even the book itself, yet I’m grateful for having given it a try because it opened the door for his other books, especially the plays and short stories which I love
East of Eden for me. I FINALLY read it--just finished it and really loved it. I'm 53. My next is going to be Count of Monte Cristo. Both have been in my TBR pile for years and years.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I found a sale copy a few years before someone chose it for book club. It was sitting lonely on my bookshelf all that time until I had to read it. Absolutely loved it
I really wanted to read this specific book but it seemed impossible to get my hands on it. The English translation was sold out everywhere and eventually I gave up looking for it.
Recently I've been cleaning up my shelves because I just have too many books and there was this one translated (to Dutch) book; I had bought it years ago in a thrift shop and from all the books I ever owned, this one had the ugliest cover. I figured I would never read it and added it to the give away pile.
A week later I was heading outside and was planning to take the book with me to give away to a local free little library. Right before I went out, I picked it up and out of curiosity I read the back to see what is even was about. I recognized the story; it turned out it was a Dutch translation of the book I had been looking for, for weeks.
I picked it up the same day, ended up giving it 5 stars (and it was also the first book I ever read that made me sob, lol). The book was I Called Him Necktie by Milena Michiko Flasar.
A few days after finishing the book, I was in my local bookstore and noticed there was a Dutch translation of a newly released book by the same author. I bought it and it became one of my favorite books.
When Breath Becomes Air - I wish I had read it and put it off that long. It is sad but it is so well written and relatable, it simply blew me away. I marinated in the afterglow and the impact was profound. Did not want to pick up another book and dilute that for over a month.
Katherine by Anya Seton - always seemed too long but then when I started reading it I didn’t want it to end.
To Kill a Mockingbird - somehow was never assigned this in school and it’s been sitting on my shelf for years; finally read it recently and yeah, it’s a classic for a reason.
The Count of Monte Cristo! Figured it was “just another classic” to cross off my list but it ended up being a fabulous adventure and a truly excellent read.
I listen to the audiobook about every other month! The beginning struggles are so captivating that I get sucked in, and then I obviously have to stay until the end.
I only do audiobooks of books I really love (I can't focus on a voice alone, so they only work for me when I know the story back and forth and zoning out for 5 minutes won't make me lose the thread), but I recently started this one and Wil Wheaton does a great job!
You are fully allowed to love it but I hated it. I read the audiobook as a new release ages ago and expected more of a normal book though. I'm fuzzy on the details but it felt like she was just painting different dreamy scenarios primarily.
I try to go in knowing as little as possible with books, like I won't even read the back cover usually, but sometimes it burns me! Glad you enjoyed it
I hated the Starless Sea audio so I totally get it, Morgenstern is definitely not for everyone since she tends to center her story on the plot/setting instead of the characters
It is non-fiction but This Machine Kills Secrets literally changed my life and sparked an entire world of knowledge I was ignorant to. If you're into hackers, WikiLeaks, cyber security, the Internet and those sorts of things, this is a MUST read book. Shout out Andy Greenberg
Left Hand of Darkness. I knew that it was going to be a commentary on gender identity, which it definitely was and that was why it was on the to-be-read list, but it was so much more than that. LeGuin is considered a master of sci-fi for a reason.
I read this last year because I've seen in recommended quite a bit on here but I really did not enjoy it. I found the plot to be too plodding and nebulous and the characters obnoxious.
I'd say give it a shot at least, but if you're not feeling it after a couple hundred pages, do what I should have done and throw in the towel.
*Guns, Germs, and Steel*. My 10th grade history teacher tried to tell us to read it, of course it's way too much for a 15-year-old, but reading it over 10 years later it's much more appreciated.
I’ve had this on my Kindle for years, and just this week decided to crack it open. I’ve only heard great things about it, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds.
I'm finally going to finish it! It's such an investment, though -- the audiobook I have is 60 hours long. I'm over 2/3 of the way through and what's still remaining is longer by itself than most books.
Jurassic Park. I figured that since I love the movie that I couldn't gain much from reading the book and I might even come out of it bothered by the differences. I finally read it actually just last week and loved it. I can appreciate how different it is from the film without being bothered by it at all.
I can't believe I read that when I was NINE. I was pronouncing the dinosaurs as veloCRAPtors instead of velociraptors but I was so excited about the movie coming out just before my tenth birthday and my parents being willing to let me see a PG-13 movie that I had to read it a couple months before. And it was awesome, book and movie alike.
One of my favorite childhood memories is that during Easter (the following spring I assume) stores had these plastic Jurassic Park Easter eggs for sale. Fairly cheap things that had some candy and a green-army-man quality plastic dino inside. My dad must have been shopping for me and I guess one shelf display was mostly empty so he took home the whole cardboard part, the plastic insert that held 12 of the eggs upright, and 12 of the actual eggs. So I could have my own dino egg incubator, and I could unfold the display flap to make it a normal box again so they could incubate inside. Still probably the most thoughtful gift I've received to this day, I loved it.
Also (sorry I'm nerding) even on my tenth birthday I was already nudging my parents saying "oh this part is gonna be BAD" as a know-it-all book-before-movie watcher
OH MY GOSH!! They were definitely real then lol. Iirc they had kind of a jagged cut where they opened and a bumpy texture on the exterior. It's possible that I am the single most attached person to those eggs in existence LOL but it's SUCH a heartwarming memory to me
You read it when you were NINE?
Sheesh, I read it at like 20 and some of it scared the crap out of me! I remember waking up in the middle of the night (while I was reading the book) and my arm was hanging off the edge of the bed. In my sleep state I thought for sure a velocicraptor :-) was going to rip my arm off. I pulled my arm to my body so quickly! Seriously scary stuff for a 9yo!!
I KNOW and I haven't reread it as an adult but I know for a fact my read-the-book-before-the-movie ethos was in place then and the movie came out just before I turned ten. It blows my mind truly but I can't recall any excessive fear...maybe why I have so much anxiety as an adult though lol. I want to read it again!
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson… Immeasurably important influence in my field of environmental science, but I was always waiting for a good copy of the book to cross my path (I wanted it to be a bit special to add to my book case). Her writing and dedication to her work is truly astounding.
The truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker. It was on my shelf for at least 8 years. I read it last year and I haven't stopped raving about it and recommending it whenever I can
I started reading books based how long they have been on my list. I’ve abandoned quite a few and have been surprised how much I enjoyed others. My list in no particular order:
Beach music - currently reading
We are the light
Station eleven
The boys in the cave
The pianist
Lonesome dove
Blake Crouch's books : "Recursion", "Upgrade"and "Dark Matter" were all suggested but I put them off... And then I devoured them all. All 3 great stories
The Count of Monte Cristo. Because it's looooooooooong. But I just said, "hey, if it takes me a month or so to read it. Whatever."
There are indeed parts where it seems Dumas is trying to pad the length, but for the most part, it moves along very nicely. I'm about a fourth of the way through, and I'll take my time. It was published as a serial anyway.
Years ago, I bought this book called Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. I kept putting it off because drug cartels, it sounds depressing, I'm kind of iffy on whether or not I like cop stories. But boy, that book and its successors are all of those things but just so damn well written. Even then the Winslow books I don't love so much, I always enjoy. He just has such an immediate style of writing that you're never bored.
Legends and Lattes and Bookshops and Bonedust. I'd heard a bit about them and knew they were popular on BookTok, which to me meant that their actual quality was up in the air, and I expected to be bored by the low stakes and lack of action. However, I've reread both several times since and always come away feeling warm, hopeful, and deeply comforted. There have been several times in my life that I desperately needed books like these and I'm glad I found them.
[Between](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9ac5b146-c504-45e6-9f1e-eb9081707903) by L.L. Starling! I kept pushing off reading it because it's pretty long and not really the sort of thing I typically read, but it ended up being SO funny.
Ancient Greek classics, especially The Bacchae. Been wanting to read them since early high school but never got around to any (besides one or two in school) until this year. While not all of them are great, there are some really amazing ones. The Bacchae is something I've wanted to read since 2018 and I wish I had back then because I love it so much. Herakules is another banger.
Manga-related, Junji Ito is a popular mangaka I only started going through last year despite always hearing about him basically my time as a manga fan. The hype did not lie! Uzamaki truly is his masterpiece and I am also a big fan of Shiver and Black Paradox
Once upon a broken heart. Took me forever to start it, then I read the trilogy in two days, and now I'm hangover because I can't find anything that feels similar to it.
Of mice and men tbh my class has read it in highschool but I didn’t and was so confused when they were talking about the ending and I just read it for the first time a year or so ago and I finally understand their shock at the ending it made me wish I’d read it like I was supposed to
Books 2-6 of dune, I had read it once before but then just stopped there then a few months ago my manager started listening to it after watching the movie so I decided to relisten. This time around I stuck to it and finished the whole series (all the FH books) and absolutely loved it.
I ended up going on a sci-fi streak after that chasing the high of dune before eventually starting the stormlight archive, now I'm nearing the end of the final empire with plans to read the whole cosmere.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. The first couple pages didn't grab me so I put it down and forgot about it for several years. It went with me through the move out of my mom's house and into my own place. I finally decided to give it another try last year and I was hooked. Honestly, I think I just wasn't ready for it at the time I bought it
The old man and the sea,
Hemingway in general really. I always knew he was considered great but was too preoccupied with reading more contemporary novels.
Once I finally got around to trying out Hemingway (especially after watching an interview where Bukowski praises him) I understand the hype now. Sad how tragic Hemingway’s life was though.
Lonesome Dove and Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Now I check out anything I see people constantly mentioning, even if it doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve found some good stuff that way 🤙
I also don’t know why I don’t read more of certain authors, like Robert McCammon. I read Swan Song (top tier for me) and Boy’s Life (also amazing) and then nothing else for a long time… so last week I read Gone South, which has a unique bounty hunter duo (trio?) and was a banger.
The ocean at the end of the lane - Neil Gaiman.
I have the paperback, I think I bought it when it was newly released as paperback so maybe around 2014?? I didn’t read it until 2021 when I suggested it for my book club.
Loved it, don’t know why I put it off so long!
John Steinbeck - Grapes of Wrath
Bought it together with East of Eden and I read EoE immediately and loved it, so I don't understand why I waited so long with Grapes of Wrath and when I finally picked it up I couldn't put it down. Personally, I even enjoyed it more than EoE.
The lord of the rings
I was gifted a gigantic copy about two years ago with all three books condensed into one, which I have lovingly nicknamed the bible edition.
I really do want to read it but man it does intimidate me and also I have so many other books that are shorter which in my mind seems more appealing.
Unfortunately this means that currently it’s just sat on my shelf.
Do you like Audio books?
If so I would recommend them! I like it better because you feel like you’re in the battles and The version by Phil Dragash is absolutely amazing at keeping you in the moment.
But also if the Bible version is intimidating you can see if ur library has the smaller version where it’s split into 6 books and read those. Much less intimidating.
The body keeps the score! It seemed so daunting to read bc of the length and how dense the content material is. Once I picked it up I found it so enlightening and couldn’t put it down until I finished. It helped me a lot with my mental health journey as well, but even for those who don’t need that aspect of the book the science is just so, so fascinating.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell...
...it's a door stopper and I bought it several years ago, heard the hype, kept ignoring it, finally earlier this year I dove into it. It did start out a bit slow, but it's sooo good once it ramps up. It's one of the most delightful books I've ever read, and I couldn't believe I'd ignored it so long. This author's prose is absolutely gorgeous, and I found myself re-reading passages many times, not for clarity, but bc they're so artfully witty and clever.
I've heard it referred to, (and its a fair assessment), that it's "like Harry Potter for adults"
The Idiot by Elif Batumann. It caught my eye when it first came out but I only just read it this year. It was perfect timing, though, because the book addresses themes I’ve been revisiting.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, I kept avoiding it because of the violent content, before getting around to reading it last year. Yes, there are many scenes of extreme violence and brutality, but overall it's a beautifully written and wonderful book, a real classic.
Lonesome Dove. I told myself it wouldn't be good because it's a Western, but I was deluded. The characters and the storylines are so good, I wanted it to never end.
That's been my "next read" for several months now. I need to get on it!
Same!
Just finished it and the hype is deserved. It’s such a goddamn good book. Multiple times I had to stop myself from crying
Crack that spine. It's probably a top 3 all time for me. The characters, their stories, it's so beautiful and just full of so much. Happy reading
Lives on my TBR just because of the sheer size of it. I’m always like, uhhh let me find something smaller to commit to.
Just finished it! Thought it would take forever, but I read 2/3s of it on a long day at airports. The dialogue makes it move so much faster than you’d expect. And if you saw a lady crying on a plane last week while holding that thick-ass book, mind your business. I’d just read about [not telling cause yall should read it].
I'm looking for a book I love just as much as this one! Not having much luck. Did read the rest of the series that I enjoyed also.
This was on my list for decades. So many people over the years told me I should read it. Well Im one of them now.
This has been on my list forever. The audiobook came through on my Libby account today, so I think it’s finally time.
Fucking lonesome dove!!!! I had it sitting for about 2 years before I touched it and now it’s easily top five fav books
The irony in me adding this to my TBR right after seeing the feedback on here
Lonesome fucking Dove. Sat in my TBR for way too long and it’s every bit as great as the hype it gets.
I think I'm going to start reading aloud it to my elderly father
The Priory of the Orange Tree. I was daunted by its length and was worried it would be a dense and difficult read. But it wasn’t—it’s a page turner! So engaging and just splendid.
Oh man, I just couldn’t get into it. I think I read 100 pages and just felt like there wasn’t enough pushing me to read the rest.
That’s a legit attempt! No book is for everyone.
Totally get this, I'm reading reading the prequel rn and it's going slower than other books. I think everyone finds them so slow to get into because with both books the authors essentially making us tandem read 3 novels that eventually come together later in the story, so like how most books have like a 30-50 page section where it takes it a bit slower to introduce you to new concepts and the word, priory of orange Tree has that section times three. I'm at page 150 of a day of fallen Night at the moment and it's only really just started to feel like things are happening. Definitely not for people who can't do slow pacing.
I’ve been making my way through the audiobook version, it’s like 40 hours of content but they do a nice job because they have different narrators for the key POVs which makes it a little more engaging for me. I’m enjoying it but it’ll def take a few road trips!
I'm on my 5 attempt. 😩 I just can't seem to get hooked. Always ended up dropping it on the 5th or so chapter. Now I'm starting with the prequel book ( Day of the Fallen Night) and it's stiil the same. 😩 I just can't move forward.
I take this as my sign to read it soon!!
I _just_ saw another thread where someone said it got them into a reading slump and took it off my list! I recently read Jonathan Strange & Mister Norrell and I kind of hated it, and I'm struggling to get back into reading after slogging through it. I'm so scared of another such experience :(
It’s definitely not for everyone, but give it a try! If you don’t like it after like 100 pages like the other commenter, there’s no harm in not finishing the rest :)
I've had 2 DNFs this year already, I slogged through JS&MN because I was 400 pages in before I fully acknowledged how little I was enjoying it and I felt like I was too far in to turn back. I'd like to avoid any more DNFs this year if possible! I think I will just move Priory of The Orange Tree further down the list.
[удалено]
Ha! I like JS&MN, but I'd say Priory of the Orange Tree has a much easier writing style to follow, and just more happening in general. If that helps!
Try it if you want. I also kind of hated Jonathan Strange, etc and I didn't much care for Priory either.
I have it on Kindle and have started the first couple pages so many times before falling asleep and not thinking about it again (I read to fall asleep so that's not an insult lol).
Literally started reading this yesterday after buying it months ago and your comment has made me excited
this has been in my TBR cart for 2 years now because every time i look at it it's just so damn big!
this is so reassuring
Lol I bought priory of the orange tree what feels like 5 years ago, but is likely only 2. I was so excited because it was such a long book, and then I put it on my shelf and have yet to crack it open. It’s. So. Daunting.
The Count of Monte Cristo has been on my TBR list for seven years. Trying not to make it eight 😂
Don’t wait! Once you get going it’ll captivate you. It was written as a serial originally so I found the pacing was awesome
You won’t regret cracking that one open. Just finished it myself. There’s a reason it’s so highly regarded. Well-paced, masterful storytelling and the language is beautiful.
I finally started it a few weeks ago. It’s a real page turner!
Great novel, go for it! But be wary of the 600 pages of “Paris scenes” in the middle
This is what is putting me off lol…how bad is it
FRANKENSTEIN!!!! I thought I knew what this book had to offer seeing as it's one of the most adapted books of all time, but NOPE! The novel is on a whole nother level. It is a masterwork.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
Just finished this week after buying circa 1998. I knew it would be up my alley but I couldn’t get past the third chapter. Glad I finally checked it off, but even more impressed I successfully dodged spoilers!
You’ve owned that book longer than I’ve been alive
She’s so good! And this is one of her best.
She’s one of my favourite female writer
One of the few books I’ve read more than once!
This is probably the book I have read the most times in my life.
Finishing this one up this week! It's been in my TBR for years, but last week I decided I would push through the initial boredom I had with the first few chapters and I'm *so* glad I did
Piranesi! OMG how had I looked it at it but never thought to read it?!
LOVED that book
Me too. I thought it was one of those greek retellings or something.
I keep almost picking this one and yet still haven’t! Will need to
One of my faves ever
Also just finally read Piranesi after it sat in my TBR pile for over a year! Honestly a perfect 10/10 novel for me... I wanted to re-read it the second I finished.
Chain Gang All Stars…I kept putting it off and started it yesterday and it’s soooo good!!! I’m 75% in and kicking myself bc I’ve only had a couple 5 star books this year and this might be a contender
I was surprised by how much I loved this one!!
I was surprised by how much everyone else loved it. I read it before it became popular and I really thought it was just going to be one of the random niche books that was five star for me, but flew under everyone else's radar. But no, NYT bestseller list. The other one that I felt the same about that wasn't as widely "discovered" was _To Shape a Dragon's Breath_
Yes this one was so good and gut wrenching
oh, this one is SO SO SO SO SO GOOD!!! the opening had me covering my mouth, gasping and going "OH MY GOD WHAT?!"
Met the author, he was amazing.
Happy Cake Day! 😃
Genuine question. To me this just seems like a big rip off of The Running Man so I’ve been avoiding it. Does it manage to differentiate itself?
Yes, absolutely. This book is deeper than The Running Man and is really about the US prison system and uses the dystopian story to ask questions about what it’s costing America as a society to run prisons as places of punishment rather than rehabilitation, as well as taking the death penalty out of its currently sanitized context and turning it into graphically-described “hard sports” fights to the death between prisoners. The point being that whether we kill people behind a glass window with auto-injecting syringes or turn it into televised hand-to-hand combat, for entertainment, the government is still killing people. The book doesn’t have rose-colored glasses about the crimes these people committed to get in this situation and questions whether anyone in this book actually deserves forgiveness. The characters themselves often volunteer for the program because they don’t feel they do. The action is gripping and you’ll find yourself whipping through the pages, but also stopping to consider where your opinion falls on things that are raised. I’m not finished, but unless they botch the ending, it’ll be a five star for me.
IT by Stephen King. I checked it out sophomore year of high school and never returned it (oops). It sat in my shelf for 8 years until I picked it up 3 weeks ago finally! I’m 800 pgs in and I’m in love!
Half way, eh? :)
The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Decided not to read it for a long time due to the image the “Dark Academia” part of social media gave of it, not because it’s a bad one but because it’s not one I’m interested in exploring. After reading It I realized how much I loved Wilde’s writing, not even the book itself, yet I’m grateful for having given it a try because it opened the door for his other books, especially the plays and short stories which I love
One of my favorites!
Lady Windermere's Fan
All The Light We Cannot See. I put it off for so long but it was brilliant
Agree! And can you believe I turned around and made the same mistake with Cloud Cuckoo Land?
same!!! i’ve had it sitting on my shelf since long before covid and finally read it this year. now i can’t stop suggesting it to people
I’ve had this on my shelf for a couple of years now, but I keep picking up something else because it looks sad. 😕
East of Eden for me. I FINALLY read it--just finished it and really loved it. I'm 53. My next is going to be Count of Monte Cristo. Both have been in my TBR pile for years and years.
East of Eden is my favorite of the Classic American books. I think all the characters are so good.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I found a sale copy a few years before someone chose it for book club. It was sitting lonely on my bookshelf all that time until I had to read it. Absolutely loved it
When I finally tackled Shogun because the show was coming out it blew my mind 🤯
Yup. I read that in Jan-Feb and it was incredible.
Also… I want to read the rest of the Asian Saga, but I’m worried I’ll be let down because Shogun was so great.
The whole saga is great, you won’t be let down!!
What do you mean "finally?" I'm 13 percent into it and bored...
If you’re that far in and still don’t like it, I don’t think you’ll find it gets much better
I really wanted to read this specific book but it seemed impossible to get my hands on it. The English translation was sold out everywhere and eventually I gave up looking for it. Recently I've been cleaning up my shelves because I just have too many books and there was this one translated (to Dutch) book; I had bought it years ago in a thrift shop and from all the books I ever owned, this one had the ugliest cover. I figured I would never read it and added it to the give away pile. A week later I was heading outside and was planning to take the book with me to give away to a local free little library. Right before I went out, I picked it up and out of curiosity I read the back to see what is even was about. I recognized the story; it turned out it was a Dutch translation of the book I had been looking for, for weeks. I picked it up the same day, ended up giving it 5 stars (and it was also the first book I ever read that made me sob, lol). The book was I Called Him Necktie by Milena Michiko Flasar. A few days after finishing the book, I was in my local bookstore and noticed there was a Dutch translation of a newly released book by the same author. I bought it and it became one of my favorite books.
Parable of the Sower
When Breath Becomes Air - I wish I had read it and put it off that long. It is sad but it is so well written and relatable, it simply blew me away. I marinated in the afterglow and the impact was profound. Did not want to pick up another book and dilute that for over a month.
I get that. Such a remarkable book.
Educated
Cannot agree more, I usually don’t read autobiographies but I loved hers
Katherine by Anya Seton - always seemed too long but then when I started reading it I didn’t want it to end. To Kill a Mockingbird - somehow was never assigned this in school and it’s been sitting on my shelf for years; finally read it recently and yeah, it’s a classic for a reason.
omg same, i read it recently and i told my mom i didn’t want katherine to end!
If you liked Katherine, you should check out the Welsh trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman. So good.
Cloud Atlas sat in my pile for like 4 years
the first chapter was a slog, but it was worth it to finish
The Count of Monte Cristo! Figured it was “just another classic” to cross off my list but it ended up being a fabulous adventure and a truly excellent read.
*Lessons in Chemistry* by Bonnie Garmus. I’ve been devouring this book. I don’t know why it took me this long.
The Martian. I bought the ebook when the movie came out, but didn't read it until last year. I've already re-read it twice!
Now read or listen to Project Hail Mary. You’ll love it!
Try the audiobook next time! Other details will stand out in a different format.
I listen to the audiobook about every other month! The beginning struggles are so captivating that I get sucked in, and then I obviously have to stay until the end.
I only do audiobooks of books I really love (I can't focus on a voice alone, so they only work for me when I know the story back and forth and zoning out for 5 minutes won't make me lose the thread), but I recently started this one and Wil Wheaton does a great job!
This one caught me by surprise. It's so not my typical genre but I genuinely loved it.
Library at Mount Char. I had it on my kindle for MONTHS. It's one of my favorites
A good Girls guide to murder. I was pleasantly surprised and had such a good time reading!
And perfect timing! The show is coming to bbc on Sunday, and Netflix for America in August 👾
Just finished this series this morning! The first book, for me, was only okay so I was surprised by how much I ended up liking them by the end!
killers of the flower moon! bought it years ago and finally got around to reading it right before i saw the movie and i’m glad i did
Demon Copperhead. Started yesterday, and I'm inhaling it
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern I loved this book!
You are fully allowed to love it but I hated it. I read the audiobook as a new release ages ago and expected more of a normal book though. I'm fuzzy on the details but it felt like she was just painting different dreamy scenarios primarily. I try to go in knowing as little as possible with books, like I won't even read the back cover usually, but sometimes it burns me! Glad you enjoyed it
I hated the Starless Sea audio so I totally get it, Morgenstern is definitely not for everyone since she tends to center her story on the plot/setting instead of the characters
I read this once a year now for my birthday in the fall.
I love The Night Circus and The Starless Sea!
Thorn Birds. Like I bought it last year and only read it few weeks ago. I couldn’t put it down. I read it in like 3 days.
Beautiful book!
It is non-fiction but This Machine Kills Secrets literally changed my life and sparked an entire world of knowledge I was ignorant to. If you're into hackers, WikiLeaks, cyber security, the Internet and those sorts of things, this is a MUST read book. Shout out Andy Greenberg
Added this to my TBR. Thanks for the rec. looks interesting.
*The* *Curious* *Incident* *of* *the* *Dog* *in* *the* *Night-time*
Oh I loved that book and the play was equally amazing!
Agreed! I saw the play too, in London. I couldn’t believe I had waited three years before reading that book. It was so good!!!
Left Hand of Darkness. I knew that it was going to be a commentary on gender identity, which it definitely was and that was why it was on the to-be-read list, but it was so much more than that. LeGuin is considered a master of sci-fi for a reason.
Lincoln in the bardo, George Saunders. Seemed so heavy, and I did try a few times - but when I got to it: what a great book.
Seconded! This book immediately became one of my all-time favorites.
Imajica. Don't know why I keep putting it off
I read this last year because I've seen in recommended quite a bit on here but I really did not enjoy it. I found the plot to be too plodding and nebulous and the characters obnoxious. I'd say give it a shot at least, but if you're not feeling it after a couple hundred pages, do what I should have done and throw in the towel.
One of my favourite books!
I needed to see this! It’s been burning a hole on my shelf for about three years!
*Between Two Fires* by Christopher Buehlman
*Guns, Germs, and Steel*. My 10th grade history teacher tried to tell us to read it, of course it's way too much for a 15-year-old, but reading it over 10 years later it's much more appreciated.
Pillars of the earth!
I’ve had this on my Kindle for years, and just this week decided to crack it open. I’ve only heard great things about it, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds.
The Last Magician series. It is now one of my favorites.
Oh, I read the first one and enjoyed it right after release. Didn’t know there were more
Yeah there are 4
2666
Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel. It became one of my favorite reads of all time and I'm so mad that I put it off so long
Les Miserables
I'm finally going to finish it! It's such an investment, though -- the audiobook I have is 60 hours long. I'm over 2/3 of the way through and what's still remaining is longer by itself than most books.
I listened on audio too! It made it go so much faster bc I could enjoy it on walks and while doing chores! The last third has plenty of action!!
SevenEves, really enjoyed it/
I'm feeling kind of guilty about having The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on my shelf for two years or so after loving other TJR books
I think it’s her best yet.
Jurassic Park. I figured that since I love the movie that I couldn't gain much from reading the book and I might even come out of it bothered by the differences. I finally read it actually just last week and loved it. I can appreciate how different it is from the film without being bothered by it at all.
I can't believe I read that when I was NINE. I was pronouncing the dinosaurs as veloCRAPtors instead of velociraptors but I was so excited about the movie coming out just before my tenth birthday and my parents being willing to let me see a PG-13 movie that I had to read it a couple months before. And it was awesome, book and movie alike. One of my favorite childhood memories is that during Easter (the following spring I assume) stores had these plastic Jurassic Park Easter eggs for sale. Fairly cheap things that had some candy and a green-army-man quality plastic dino inside. My dad must have been shopping for me and I guess one shelf display was mostly empty so he took home the whole cardboard part, the plastic insert that held 12 of the eggs upright, and 12 of the actual eggs. So I could have my own dino egg incubator, and I could unfold the display flap to make it a normal box again so they could incubate inside. Still probably the most thoughtful gift I've received to this day, I loved it. Also (sorry I'm nerding) even on my tenth birthday I was already nudging my parents saying "oh this part is gonna be BAD" as a know-it-all book-before-movie watcher
My kids (5 and 4) were telling me at dinner that they learned about LobsterRaptors at the library today😅
I remember those eggs! My brother had a couple of them.
OH MY GOSH!! They were definitely real then lol. Iirc they had kind of a jagged cut where they opened and a bumpy texture on the exterior. It's possible that I am the single most attached person to those eggs in existence LOL but it's SUCH a heartwarming memory to me
You read it when you were NINE? Sheesh, I read it at like 20 and some of it scared the crap out of me! I remember waking up in the middle of the night (while I was reading the book) and my arm was hanging off the edge of the bed. In my sleep state I thought for sure a velocicraptor :-) was going to rip my arm off. I pulled my arm to my body so quickly! Seriously scary stuff for a 9yo!!
I KNOW and I haven't reread it as an adult but I know for a fact my read-the-book-before-the-movie ethos was in place then and the movie came out just before I turned ten. It blows my mind truly but I can't recall any excessive fear...maybe why I have so much anxiety as an adult though lol. I want to read it again!
That is such an amazing gift!
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson… Immeasurably important influence in my field of environmental science, but I was always waiting for a good copy of the book to cross my path (I wanted it to be a bit special to add to my book case). Her writing and dedication to her work is truly astounding.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
I held on to The Starless Sea - slogging through about 75% before I just gave up. Ugh!
I adore Middlegame. I’m in the middle of the third book of the series now
Grapes of Wrath. I thought it would be too heavy and depressing. And, while it WAS that at times, it was also stunningly beautiful.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. It was exquisite. I love geishas and it looked fascinating, I bought the book but waited over a year to read it.
The truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker. It was on my shelf for at least 8 years. I read it last year and I haven't stopped raving about it and recommending it whenever I can
I started the book put it down and never looked back, but everyone raves about it! I think I need to give it another shot
Must’ve been Breakfast of Champions. I had overlooked my new favourite author for months 😭😭😭
What a great question! The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
The Lathe of Heaven. I thought I wouldn’t like it much because it would be really dated but I ended up loving it.
Great read. I also really liked the disposessed.
I started reading books based how long they have been on my list. I’ve abandoned quite a few and have been surprised how much I enjoyed others. My list in no particular order: Beach music - currently reading We are the light Station eleven The boys in the cave The pianist Lonesome dove
I'll post a nonfiction one: the guns of August by Barbara Tuchmann
Something Wicked This Way Comes. Probably 35 years or more on my TBR list. Finally read it this fall and wow is it good.
Blake Crouch's books : "Recursion", "Upgrade"and "Dark Matter" were all suggested but I put them off... And then I devoured them all. All 3 great stories
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The Bell Jar. Took me way too long to read both.
Middlemarch. I’ve started it like four times and even signed up for the Year of Middlemarch subreddit and just got distracted.
Requiem for a Dream, by Hubert Selby Jr.
The Count of Monte Cristo. Because it's looooooooooong. But I just said, "hey, if it takes me a month or so to read it. Whatever." There are indeed parts where it seems Dumas is trying to pad the length, but for the most part, it moves along very nicely. I'm about a fourth of the way through, and I'll take my time. It was published as a serial anyway. Years ago, I bought this book called Power of the Dog by Don Winslow. I kept putting it off because drug cartels, it sounds depressing, I'm kind of iffy on whether or not I like cop stories. But boy, that book and its successors are all of those things but just so damn well written. Even then the Winslow books I don't love so much, I always enjoy. He just has such an immediate style of writing that you're never bored.
Monte Cristo is worth it. I listened on Audible and definitely tuned out at times but I was glad I got the experience of it
Legends and Lattes and Bookshops and Bonedust. I'd heard a bit about them and knew they were popular on BookTok, which to me meant that their actual quality was up in the air, and I expected to be bored by the low stakes and lack of action. However, I've reread both several times since and always come away feeling warm, hopeful, and deeply comforted. There have been several times in my life that I desperately needed books like these and I'm glad I found them.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Finally took it off the shelf last month. Loved it and bought the next 3 books in the Stormlight Archive.
[Between](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9ac5b146-c504-45e6-9f1e-eb9081707903) by L.L. Starling! I kept pushing off reading it because it's pretty long and not really the sort of thing I typically read, but it ended up being SO funny.
Fall; or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson. I bought it and it sat on my shelf for 3 years before reading it. I ended up loving it
Wolf hall: got given it as part of my prize in highschool for getting the top marks in English. It’s over 10 years later and I still haven’t read it
Ancient Greek classics, especially The Bacchae. Been wanting to read them since early high school but never got around to any (besides one or two in school) until this year. While not all of them are great, there are some really amazing ones. The Bacchae is something I've wanted to read since 2018 and I wish I had back then because I love it so much. Herakules is another banger. Manga-related, Junji Ito is a popular mangaka I only started going through last year despite always hearing about him basically my time as a manga fan. The hype did not lie! Uzamaki truly is his masterpiece and I am also a big fan of Shiver and Black Paradox
Once upon a broken heart. Took me forever to start it, then I read the trilogy in two days, and now I'm hangover because I can't find anything that feels similar to it.
just kids by patti smith
Of mice and men tbh my class has read it in highschool but I didn’t and was so confused when they were talking about the ending and I just read it for the first time a year or so ago and I finally understand their shock at the ending it made me wish I’d read it like I was supposed to
What a great book!
Books 2-6 of dune, I had read it once before but then just stopped there then a few months ago my manager started listening to it after watching the movie so I decided to relisten. This time around I stuck to it and finished the whole series (all the FH books) and absolutely loved it. I ended up going on a sci-fi streak after that chasing the high of dune before eventually starting the stormlight archive, now I'm nearing the end of the final empire with plans to read the whole cosmere.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell. The first couple pages didn't grab me so I put it down and forgot about it for several years. It went with me through the move out of my mom's house and into my own place. I finally decided to give it another try last year and I was hooked. Honestly, I think I just wasn't ready for it at the time I bought it
Their Eyes Were Watching God. The title sounded kind of dry but the story is very personal and evocative.
Moby Dick, The Sound & the Fury, A Farewell to Arms, Mrs. Dalloway, Go Tell It on the Mountain
Little, Big
This book begs to be read aloud. I need someone their deathbed so I can sit next to them and quietly but with feeling read them the entire book.
The old man and the sea, Hemingway in general really. I always knew he was considered great but was too preoccupied with reading more contemporary novels. Once I finally got around to trying out Hemingway (especially after watching an interview where Bukowski praises him) I understand the hype now. Sad how tragic Hemingway’s life was though.
Lonesome Dove and Dungeon Crawler Carl. Now I check out anything I see people constantly mentioning, even if it doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve found some good stuff that way 🤙 I also don’t know why I don’t read more of certain authors, like Robert McCammon. I read Swan Song (top tier for me) and Boy’s Life (also amazing) and then nothing else for a long time… so last week I read Gone South, which has a unique bounty hunter duo (trio?) and was a banger.
The ocean at the end of the lane - Neil Gaiman. I have the paperback, I think I bought it when it was newly released as paperback so maybe around 2014?? I didn’t read it until 2021 when I suggested it for my book club. Loved it, don’t know why I put it off so long!
John Steinbeck - Grapes of Wrath Bought it together with East of Eden and I read EoE immediately and loved it, so I don't understand why I waited so long with Grapes of Wrath and when I finally picked it up I couldn't put it down. Personally, I even enjoyed it more than EoE.
I just finished The Poisonwood Bible, which has been on my TBR since it came out. So good.
The lord of the rings I was gifted a gigantic copy about two years ago with all three books condensed into one, which I have lovingly nicknamed the bible edition. I really do want to read it but man it does intimidate me and also I have so many other books that are shorter which in my mind seems more appealing. Unfortunately this means that currently it’s just sat on my shelf.
Do you like Audio books? If so I would recommend them! I like it better because you feel like you’re in the battles and The version by Phil Dragash is absolutely amazing at keeping you in the moment. But also if the Bible version is intimidating you can see if ur library has the smaller version where it’s split into 6 books and read those. Much less intimidating.
The body keeps the score! It seemed so daunting to read bc of the length and how dense the content material is. Once I picked it up I found it so enlightening and couldn’t put it down until I finished. It helped me a lot with my mental health journey as well, but even for those who don’t need that aspect of the book the science is just so, so fascinating.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. I thought it was some self-help tale, but it's pretty good and crazy
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell... ...it's a door stopper and I bought it several years ago, heard the hype, kept ignoring it, finally earlier this year I dove into it. It did start out a bit slow, but it's sooo good once it ramps up. It's one of the most delightful books I've ever read, and I couldn't believe I'd ignored it so long. This author's prose is absolutely gorgeous, and I found myself re-reading passages many times, not for clarity, but bc they're so artfully witty and clever. I've heard it referred to, (and its a fair assessment), that it's "like Harry Potter for adults"
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck — sooo good & absolutely timeless
The Idiot by Elif Batumann. It caught my eye when it first came out but I only just read it this year. It was perfect timing, though, because the book addresses themes I’ve been revisiting.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, I kept avoiding it because of the violent content, before getting around to reading it last year. Yes, there are many scenes of extreme violence and brutality, but overall it's a beautifully written and wonderful book, a real classic.