Question of the Week: What’s a Big Fat Book You Read That Was Totally Worth It?

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This is a fun one because I love a big fat book.

I’ve been noticing lately that *in most cases* big fat books tend to be really good books, and I have a theory as to why: I’ve heard that in the publishing world, publishers tend to like the sweet spot of around 300-350 pages for books. (If you are in the publishing world, please confirm if this is true.)

With that in mind, here’s my theory: in order for a publisher to be okay with a book being long, it has to be good.

Let’s define a big fat book as a book that is more than 500 pages. Although if it’s close to that, we’ll let it pass.

Here are mine:

• The Goldfinch (771 pages). This is my most recent big fat book I read that I loved. You can read my full review here.
• The Lord of the Rings (1248 pages) So I know this book is technically three books, but when I read it, I read one of those giant single-volume editions. This might be one of my all-time favorite books.
• The Fountains of Silence (495 pages). This is my honorable mention book since it’s just under 500 pages. This might be one of the best historical fiction books I’ve ever read, and it’s not one I hear very many people talk about.

Okay. Your turn. What is a big fat book you read that was TOTALLY worth it??