How to read long books

In general I read quickly, but every now and then I enjoy taking my time with a longer book that will keep me company for many weeks. 

Opinions may vary on what counts as a "long book", but to me it's one that's over 1000 pages, is a weighty tome, and has a complex plot with many interlinked characters and situations.

In terms of my own reading, my most recent long read was the three volumes of 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami which I enjoyed very much. Over the years, some other longer books that I've enjoyed have been The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. 

Still on my reading list - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy!

I thought I'd share some tips, in case you too fancy immersing yourself in a longer read.

Tips for reading a long book

* Do some research into the book that you are interested in reading, as it's going to be your companion for a while. Read a sample chapter and look for online reviews. Maybe choose a book that you've seen as a film or television series so that you are familiar with the characters and story.

* Don't jump into a longer book unless you already have a reading habit in place - build up to it with less challenging books and planning out time in your daily schedule for reading. 

* Aim for reading in regular small chunks rather than less frequent longer reading sessions. That way you won't lose track of what's going on.

* Consider having a lighter book on the go at the same time - both lighter in terms of content and also physically lighter in case you want to take a book out and about. You just have to be careful not to get too engrossed at the expense of your longer book!

* If you can, purchase your own copy of the book so that you don't have to worry about library fines or having a deadline to return it to a friend. Think of it as investment - you can either buy a couple of drinks which you'll finish in an evening, or spend the money on a chunky book which will keep you entertained for months!

* If you have an e-reader then you might want to consider a digital copy of the book. Larger books can be physically difficult to read, especially in paperback, as they can be heavy and awkward to hold open. 

* Audiobooks can be a useful tool to incorporate reading into your daily life. Some people find reading easier if they listen to the audiobook at the same time as they are reading a physical book. Just make sure that your audiobook is not an abridged version. 

* Keep an eye out for a group read along like A Year of War and Peace - search on Reddit, Substack and other social media. Often starting in January, you can join a group of other people that are reading the same book and sharing their thoughts. A moderator will often share background information or historical context to increase your enjoyment of the book.

* Find additional resources to help you with a complicated text. For example, chapter summaries to make sure that you've understood everything. Look for guides like a family tree for a complicated family saga, or historical timelines to give you some background information. You might find it helpful to annotate your book, or add sticky notes to mark important pages.

* Don't feel the urge to rush through the book - make the most of the experience of reading it and really enjoy it. Try not to get hung up on the size of the book, just work your way through it a little at a time.

* It might help to understand the structure of the book, and work out how much you can read in one go to help come up with a reading target. For example, War and Peace is formed of around 365 chapters, depending on the translation, which makes it perfect for reading a chapter each day over the year. 

* Plan to reward yourself with a viewing of the film or television series, of which there is bound to be at least one if you are reading a classic book. 

* When I've finished a book I'm terrible at remembering the books I've read a few months later. So if it's a book that has made a particular impression on me I will make some notes in my journal, and perhaps even print out a synopsis that I can stick in and refer back to - make sure that it's a full synopsis which includes the ending! 

* Finally don't force it - if you really aren't enjoying the book then it's perfectly fine to put it aside for something else. There are so many books out there and so little time - it's not worth wasting it on the books that aren't for you.

Happy reading!

The books that I want to read this year

I've done very well recently working my way through my "to be read" pile which puts me in a position that I've not been in for many years - looking for some new books to read! I have some Christmas money to spend, so I'm going to be treating myself to some new books, both brand new and second-hand.

Here are some of the books that I want to read this year:

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - I've read several books by Murakami and I really like his writing style and the surreal, magic realism elements in his stories. I've had 1Q84 in mind for a while, and when I recently found out that it's set in Tokyo I thought that it would be a good one to read in the first half of this year, before we visit Tokyo in the summer.

Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell - I've shared that I want to indulge my interest in Everest this year, and this book seems like a highly recommended place to start when it comes to learning about the commercialisation of climbing the mountain.

Other Everest books - I've been doing some research and I'm slowly building up a list of books about Everest that I want to read. Some of these aren't available new, and I'm also conscious of my book buying budget, so I have put together an order of second hand books from World of Books. I always order books from there in groups of four as they are usually buy three get one free! So the ones that I'm starting with are Dark Summit by Nick Heil, No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, Left for Dead by Beck Weathers and The Other Side of Everest by Matt Dickinson. These books may well get a bit samey after a while, so I will probably spread them out over the year!

Photo credit Lauren Gray via Unsplash

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - I've had this on my shelf for a while, but I moved it from the "to be read" shelf to my main bookshelf so that I didn't feel the pressure to read it! But I keep hearing about how good it is and I definitely want to give it a go. Just so that I can say I've read it!

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - I've been hearing a lot about this book recently. Although it's a couple of years old now, I think that people are talking about it at the moment because the government has been discussing banning social media for under 16s. I'm really interested in social media and the effect that it has on people, especially children, and obviously having teenagers of my own it's an issue that I want to learn more about.

Finally I want to get back to the library! I've not been for months because I've had such a huge pile of books to be read beside my bed. But now that it's feeling more manageable I want to go and have a good browse in the large library near my daughter's school, and come home with a pile of new books to try.

Do you have any reading plans this year?

Some books that I've enjoyed recently

I read a lot, and every now and then I like to share some books that I've particularly enjoyed in case anyone is looking for some reading inspiration!

My list this time is quite short because one of the books that I loved was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Normally I can read a book in a couple of days, this one took me two and a half weeks, and I enjoyed every minute! My edition of the book is an old one of my Grandma's, so as far as I know it's the unabridged version with tiny text and nearly 800 pages. I couldn't find any information on the translator, but I found it mostly easy to read and understand. I did start to get a bit confused in the middle section as lots of plans were being put into place and different characters were interacting, so I found a website with some really good chapter summaries and analysis so I didn't miss anything.

It's a long and complicated tale of revenge after Edmond Dantès is wrongly thrown into prison. After his escape he inherits a fortune and exacts powerful revenge on the three men that put him there. The plans for his vengeance are being laid before you even realise what is going on, and the story is full of twists and turns and co-incidences which lead to a satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed being engrossed in such a long novel and I felt quite bereft when I had finished it, I've been reading some non-fiction for a while as I don't feel ready to move onto another story just yet!

Before this I really enjoyed The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki. This was a book that I picked up before Christmas when I had a Waterstones voucher and I wasn't sure what to buy. I'm so glad that I picked this one! It's another long book, the story of fourteen year Benny who struggling to cope after the death of his beloved father. 

He begins to hear the voices of the inanimate things that surround him and so he takes refuge in the library where he meets a cast of unusual characters. I also related to the character of his mother who is trying to work on her hoarding problem. She picks up a book called 'Tidy Magic' which introduced a very funny Marie Kondo-esque character. 

It was a really enjoyable read about. Among many other subjects it covered our attachment to material possessions and books, both subjects which interest me a lot!

Finally I loved Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, another one of my Waterstones purchases. I was more confident about this one because I really enjoyed All The Light We Cannot See and I wasn't disappointed, this was a brilliant book. The story takes place over three different time periods - past, present and future - and five different main characters. All of the narratives are linked by an ancient text which exists only in fragments and we see the impact that this story has on all the different lives. It's an amazing book, beautifully written, and I enjoyed reading every page.

If you want to see what I'm reading you can follow me on Goodreads!