Hi guys! Happy New Year! Hope 2019 started with a bang, that you enjoyed your time off, if you had any, and spent memorable moments with your loved ones. I’m counting down the months until spring, going back to work was hard but yeah…not much of a choice right?
Lately I’ve been thinking…does the length of a book matter? Does it influence my buying decision? Do I prefer shorter or longer books? Hell…how long should a book be?! Have you ever thought about that? Well…keep on reading if you’re interested to know my point of view on that topic!
Short books vs. long books: an endless battle
Both have pros and cons, like everything in life I guess.
❌ Long books can be scary! They are huge and they require commitment. You can get impatient to get to the crucial parts of the story.
✅ But long books can also be awesome! The story is often complex, full of twists and turns. The characters are well developed and you can see them evolve with time.
⚔️
❌ Little books may not be deep enough, the story can feel rushed and you won’t have enough time to get attached to the characters.
✅ But beware of those clichés! It’s not always the case. Sometimes, it’s just the right amount of pages especially for a contemporary story : it doesn’t need as much world-building as a dystopia or a fantasy.
YES: the size of a book matters… in some cases.
? When I’m going on holidays, I will pay attention to the size of the books I take with me.
When I’m traveling, far away or not, I may be looking for a long book so that it will last during all of my vacation time. But if my suitcase is full and I have SO many activities planned, maybe I’ll choose a short book, easy to transport. Yes I know…with e-readers, the size or weight is not really a problem anymore. But damn it, I love my physical copies…
? What if I’m a mood reader?
Maybe I’m just not in the mood to read a long book. I’m scared to commit. What if I don’t like it? I won’t enjoy getting back to the book because of all thoses pages staring straight at me, feeling like the story is taking ages to unfold. Maybe I’m in the mood to read a short story. Maybe I want to read something light, something cute. Or the other way around, maybe I’ll want to immerse myself into a complex story with plots and twists, a story I don’t ever want to see ending.
? I’m not going to lie: I pay attention to the size and weight of my books, I look at the page count before even picking it up. That doesn’t mean I am scared of bigger books or that I avoid them like the plague.
The length of a book doesn’t matter… what matters is what’s inside.
Despite all those factors, I guess a book’s page count doesn’t matter so much to me, as long as I find the story captivating within the first chapter. The story shouldn’t take too much time or not be developped enough, I think that what is important in the end. Evaluating a book by its size seems similar to judging a book by its cover! Whether a book is short or long is incidental and not relevant to its content. In the end, we are all looking for characters that feel real, storylines that captivate and worlds we don’t want to end.
Yet sometimes, I start to wonder… ❓What is the right amount of pages for a book? Is there a right page count? I don’t know about you but I feel like YA books are getting longer. Do publishers or authors think longer means better? Does it mean that they can sell it at a higher price? What is up with that?
? 3 big books you shouldn’t be scared to commit to
… because they are action-packed and totally awesome!
Do you prefer short stories or long ones? Tell me why!
Does the length of a book influence you when you’re buying a book? In your opinion, what is the perfect page count for a story?
Let’s chat in comments ?
I completely agree with your conclusion that the length of the book does not count so much, what counts is what is inside. I prefer longer books than short stories, and some of the best books I ever read are very long – the examples are “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell” and “The Luminaries”. They are 1000+ and 800+ pages respectively, but they are unputdownable and amazing, and I won’t have them any other way.
Yeees, glad you agree with my conclusion! The most important thing is what’s inside the book ? I must admit that I’m a bit scared by 800+ pages, but like you said if the story is awesome it won’t feel too long! Thanks for stopping by ?
For me, I think the length of a book matters, especially if it’s a debut novel or the first in a series. For example, the Children of Blood and Blood is 500+ and I find it daunting even though I really want to read it. But because of the length of it, it feels like it’s going to drag on and on and I’ve seen reviewers mention how long and boring it is which also deters me a bit more. With series, the books get longer and bigger as they go on, and that can sometimes scare readers.
As for contemporary books, I usually like them small. I’ve had the Unexpected Everything for years and I’m still yet to read it because of its size.
This was an amazing post <3
I totally get your point! I must admit that I’m a bit scared by books with 500+ pages and especially for the first in a series like you said! It can totally keep you away, like what if I don’t like it, what if I can’t relate with the characters or understand the world-building. Not that bad if the book is short you know but a long book, it feels like a big commitment. Yes, I agree about contemporary books I don’t mind them being short. Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it ??
Interesting discussion! The length of a book doesn’t impact my decision to buy it, but it does influence how long it takes me to read it. I’ve noticed that long books sit on my shelf forever. This year, I set my Goodreads goal really low, so hopefully I’ll pick up big books without feeling pressure to keep up with my goal.
Thanks ? Yeees! Totally! It’s like we’re scared of diving in ? Great strategy, happy reading and thanks for stopping by ?
Big books scare me!
Haha, me too! Books with 500+ pages are kinda scary ?
Happy New Year
Thank you so much, happy new year to you too! ?
Thanks
Illuminae is deceiving, because there are a lot of graphics in the book and pages with very little text to read, but those others, are big books. Meyer’s series is especially long. I am more understanding of length when it comes to SFF books, but contemporaries over 500 pages are usually stuffed with unnecessary details.
Yeah you’re right! I read that book really fast! Totally, it makes sense that the book is bigger when it comes to fantasy because we need a lot of details about the world-building and the action scenes. I don’t mind contemporaries being short, it’s more about the character’s evolution than twists and turns. Thanks for stopping by ?
Illuminae is a great entry point into longer books because it’s long, but also super quick to get through. I’m hoping to read at least 6 books this year that are over 500 pages, because it’d be five more than I read in 2018!
Totally! I read that book super quickly! That’s awesome, that’s a great goal ? Happy reading ?
Loved the post and it is all so true! The page count surely does matter, it amy not be the most important factor but well, it does have an effect!
Thank you so much ? Totally! Even if we say we don’t care, it still matters a little bit in the end.
I don’t really have a preference but yeah long books can be a huge commitment.
Yees! I’m so scared I won’t like it when I’m picking up a long a book. I always make sure it’s something worth getting into ?
I love bit books but sometimes I’m just not in the mood. I love reading a short contemporary in-between 2 longer books just to change things up. To be honest, I’m a bit scared for Winter by Marissa Meyer. It’s huge! But I hope to read it this year 🙂
Big*
That’s exactly my reading strategy! I like reading a big book and then a short one, like a fantasy story and then a contemporary so I’m not getting bored or anything ? I totally get that but I assure you that book is PERFECTION! Seriously, I’m was SO into the story that I read it super quickly ? Happy reading ?
This post is absolutely on point!! If the content is super duper, then everything’s bliss. 😀
Aww, thank you so much! Happy you enjoyed it ? YEEES ??
I will admit that longer books intimidate me but so long as they are good I don’t have a problem with reading them.
Same here! I always make sure a big book is worth getting into ?
So many good points! I think for me it does come down to the book. If I want to read it enough, it doesn’t matter how long it is…
Thank you! ? Totally, if the story is calling to me, I will get into it without any second thoughts no matter how long it is ?
It does make a difference when I’m picking a book to carry round though. Cos, yeeeh… book backache is real…
Hahaha, I feel you! ?
This is a great post Nyx. 🙂 I’ve never really thought much about the length of books when it comes to short books (unless I’m nearing the end of the year and I need some quick reads to catch up on my GR Reading Challenge) but I’m always slightly intimidated by really long books, mainly because of the first point you mentioned the commitment they require. I’ve had the fifth Game of Thrones book on my TBR list for years now, and I keep putting it off because it’s soooo long.
That said there are long books I dove into right away and loved; Winter is definitely one of them, and two more on my TBR list I think will be the same are Kingdom of Ash and The Priory of the Orange Tree. Both are massive but both I can’t wait to dive into. 😀
Again great post. 🙂 <3
Thank you so much Beth, glad you enjoyed it ? Yeah, big books can be scary because they are really time-consuming. I think we’re afraid that it will take too much time to really get into the story. If the book is short, I don’t really ask myself that question because even if I don’t really fall in love with the story it doesn’t take that long to reach the end. That’s why I always make sure I’ll really enjoy the story. That was the case with Winter, I read that super quickly that was crazy! ?
That’s all right. 🙂 Yeah that is a worry, I mean sometimes I struggle to get into books with are only 300/400 pages long so a book that’s double that size is going to be a risk right?
That’s a good way to look at it.
Yeah I was surprised when I realised how long Winter actually was, because when i was reading it it didn’t feel that long. 🙂
Totally! It better be a REALLY good story haha ? Yeees, Winter was crazy good! It was action-packed and damn all those characters were just awesome ??
Oh I really want to re-read The Lunar Chronicles now! 😀
Oh my god, same here!! ?
This is just me, but I personally enjoy shorter YA books spread out across a series. So you still get a great story, but each chunk feels manageable. A really big book has to really pull me in and be magical for me not to lose interest!
I really like what you’re saying!! An amazing story but divided in 3 or 4 books, I think I would rather get into that than into a huge 800+ pages book! Thanks for stopping by ?
honestly i’m 1000% scared to commit to big books. i’m also a very easily distracted person and lose track of books that don’t interest me or are just hard to get through — which is the reason why Mere Christianity has been waiting on my nightstand for three and a half months ?♀️?
Yeah, I totally get that. I must admit that big books are a huge commitment that’s why I always make sure I’ll REALLY enjoy it before diving in! ? Thanks for stopping by ?
I’m not sure if this is considered small or not, but I really like books that are around 300 pages! The average book, I guess? I feel like I’m more eager to start thinner books because it’s less commitment, especially when I don’t have a lot of time to really read. But if it sounds AMAZING I’ll probably still read the thicker books, but after some hesitation and when I feel like I’m “ready”
Yes, I guess we can call them average. It’s also my go-to books! I totally agree with your point of view, I need to be in the right mood to start a big book ?
Brilliant discussion Nyx!
For me it takes me a while to get the courage to pick up a big book because it means i’m committing so much time to it and its scary. Like Cassandra Clare’s lord of shadows, I didn’t pick that up for so long because of the size of it but then I kicked myself for not picking it up sooner because it was so good.
Sometimes big books though can have far too much detail and you can be like ok get to the point please….!
Order of the phoenix is definitely a hefty one but most definitely worth it! x
Aww, thank you so much ? Yeeees! Big books can be scary, they are SO time-consuming! And like you said sometimes you just kick yourself for not reading it sooner ? Totally, so many useless details! Oh yes, the Order of Phoenix is so so so awesome ?
Good point! Another one for me is if I get a long book as a gift. There’s something about picking out your own book, isn’t there? I’m more apt to read something I’ve picked out, especially if it’s a large book, than if someone else chooses one for me. Of course, I’m thinking of my Christmas haul when I’m saying this… LOL. Good post!
Thanks! ? Oh my god yes!! There is SO much pressure to read it and… like it! In that case, that book is staying on my TBR for a VERY long time haha ?
To be perfectly honest, I’ve never thought of the length of books to be important, so thank you for writing this because it really brought light to a new topic for me. But I agree with the fact that it’s what’s in the inside of the book that matters, because when I look about for a book, it’s the description (and pretty cover, to be honest, haha) that matters. But on certain occasions, we all want certain lengths so we can fill the time best according to our moods or if we want a long or short book, like you said. It can definitely matter, but it also can’t, so that’s a double answer I guess!!
Anyways, this was a great post, it definitely had me engaged!!
Aww, thank you, that makes me really happy! ?? Yeees, in the end the most important thing is what’s inside even if sometimes we’re influenced by their sizes but only because of exterior factors (going on holidays, commuting to work…). Thanks again for stopping by, talk to you soon ?
Definitely! Your welcome! 😀
This is SUCH a wonderful post! I really agree with you everything you said. 🙂 Of course, ultimately, it’s about what’s in the book, but sometimes I will take the page number into consideration if I just want a quick read or if I want a long book for a trip. And I also agree that The Order of the Phoenix is worth every last page, I would read a 10,000 page Harry Potter book if it existed honestly. XD
Aww, thank you so so much ? Totally, it’s the story that’s important in the end! It’s just sometimes, in certain situations, that we care about the the page number. Oh my god YEEES! Same here, I would read one million pages of Harry Potter, haha ??
For me it comes down to what mood I’m in. I typically prefer books that are in the 300-350 page range but if a book sounds good and it’s long, the length won’t stop me.
Same here, 300-350 pages are my to-go books and expect in certain situations I don’t really care about the page number. Thanks for stopping by ?
I definitely get intimidated by longer reads. I think partially because I tend to jump from book to book and I like things that I can finish quickly. But some of my favorite books are pretty darn long {like HP and the Illuminae Files}. I think my happy place is somewhere between 300-400 pages, but I intersperse books at both ends of the spectrum regularly as well.
Same here, I don’t like being “stuck” too long in a story or it’s gotta be a REALLY good story haha ? HP and the Illuminae files are just perfection ? Yees, I think that’s also my prefered page range! ?
I usually try to tackle longer books by swapping between audio and physical/e-book! But if the book is really good, I’ll take my time with a physical book 🙂
Great post!
That’s a great strategy!! Yeah, in the end if the book is really good, the number of pages doesn’t matter at all ? Thank you ?
I read mostly on kindle, so the physical size and being able to carry them is not an issue. It usually is when i’m reading a paper book. I get tired easier, and my lighting is not very good, so i keep casting various shadows over it and feel like my eyes are about to fall out 😀 So i usually end up reading smaller chunks and then it feels like the book is taking forever.
I really liked Illuminae, and despite the 600 pages, i still thought it was not very long. It has a lot of pictures and pages with few words, so all in all, it wasn’t too overwhelming.
I’m still really into physical books but I agree when I’m traveling it’s so much more practical to take a e-reader with you! I feel you! Sometimes your eyes are so tired… so you read less and the book is taking forever to end! Yeees, totally! The Illuminae Files was so intimidating at first but in the end it was a super quick read with that original format. ?
I love big books, but they are pretty scary. Sometimes I guilty myself into NOT reading them by thinking about how many shorter books I could fit into the time spent on that on (bad habit, yikes.) I agree about the travel thing – as much as I hate to be *that* person, I’ve started just bringing my e-reader on flights and such!
Oh my god yeees! Big books are SO time-consuming, you could read 3 shorter books instead of only one! That’s why it’s important to always make sure you’ll really enjoy the story before diving into haha ? I’m actually doing the same thing, it’s much more practical and you’re not scared to be left without nothing to read! ?
Some of my favourite books last year were long ones! I definitely want to read more tomes this year 🙂
Yeah, they tend to be more detailed ? That’s a great goal, happy reading ?
It tends to depend on my mood, whether I prefer short or long books. Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a really epic story that’s hundreds of pages long, and other times I just want something I can breeze through quickly. I definitely find that with longer books there’s more danger of me growing bored, so I don’t like if there’s too many slow bits.
Great discussion! 🙂
Same here, it really depends on my mood! ?Oh yeees, totally! The story must be action-packed and really fascinating otherwise I feel like I’ll never get to the end ? Thank you so much ??
This is such an interesting discussion! ? I totally agree that a book should always capture the reader in the first chapter, I don’t want to have to read a hundred pages before the story gets going. But if the book’s good it doesn’t really matter to me if it’s 200 pages or 800 pages, as long as it’s the right length for the story it’s telling!
Thank you so much ? Yeees totally! That’s exactly how I feel ? Thanks for stopping by, talk to you soon ?
This is very true that when a big book is good enough, it never feels long enough! There are plenty of big books that could have been much shorter and I might have enjoyed them more, and also plenty of shorter books that I would have loved another 500 pages! I also get intimidated by long books sometimes, but some of my favorites are absolutely huge so I shouldn’t let that scare me away!
Yeees, if it’s good – no matter how many pages there are – you can read super quickly ? Yeaah totally! Same here, long books can be so intimidating but in the end you can pass up a really good story you’ll totally fell in love with! ?
I think the wide variety of opinions of what constitutes a larger book is always so fascinating and totally (in my opinion) tied to the genre. I’m a sucker for epic fantasy, so a lot of books I read average 600+ and up. It isn’t until I reach the 1,000+ page more that I consider the book as long. Yet, something about that 400-500 mark hits the sweet spot for me; something I can binge, yet doesn’t feel too short.
I really liked your discussion post!! Thank you for writing it! 🙂
Yeees! It’s totally tied to the genre, I agree. ? When it comes to fantasy or science fiction, it’s isn’t uncommon to see books with 600 + pages. It’s less the case with contemporary stories. Thank you so much, happy you enjoyed it ??
If I love the synopsis, I don’t care whether it’s a short or a very long read. For me, the inside of the book is what matters me the most. I totally agree with you that a page count doesn’t matter as long as you find the story captivating.
Great post! 🙂
Yeees, in the end what matters the most is what’s inside the book. If the story is fascinating and well-written, the number of pages really doesn’t matter ? Thank you, so happy you liked it ?
Wow, I love this post. As somebody who does most of her reading via Kindle, the weight of a book doesn’t really affect me. But I gotta say, I get pretty discouraged from starting an audiobook if I see that it’s more than 15 hours long. Anyways, I love everything about this and it’s so interesting to think about the pros and cons. Your discussion posts are always the best 🙂
Aww, thank you so so much ?? Your comment really made my day ? Yeah, when you’ve got a e-reader, the weight of the book isn’t really relevant. I must admit that it’s really practical when I’m going on holidays! I’ve never tried audiobooks but I would also be totally discouraged if it’s too long. The story must be REALLY fascinating for me to get bored and give up haha ?
Big novels scare me! I love reading them though, and I always feel accomplished afterwards, but I am more hesitant to pick up a big book. Like when I was in school and didn’t have a lot of time, I didn’t commit to big books, as I just didn’t have enough time to dedicate to them. I’m on a gap year now though, so I want to make thick books a priority this year!
Yeees, big books can be so intimidating! And you’re right I do feel kind of accomplished when I’ve finished one! ?Like you said, it’s really depends on the time you’ve got on your hands. That’s a great goal for 2019, happy reading and thanks for stopping by ?
I always get scared to…read big books but I’ve learn to realise that I don’t need to be..as long as I’m enjoying the book! I find short books to always be lacking for me. Well not ALWAYS but most of the time. I like my books around 300 pages haha. I’m reading Muse of Nightmares right now and loving it!
Big books can be so intimidating but in the end if the story is good and it’s well-written it doesn’t feel that long! ? Yees, I agree. I like my books around 300 pages. Not too short not too long , it’s perfect! ? Thanks for stopping by ?
Great post, Nyx ❤️
I think it all depends on what I’m in the mood for – sometimes I want a quick read and other times I want to be able to emerge myself in the story for longer. I enjoy both shorter and longer novels, but I think a medium length is perfect (obviously).
Order of The Phoenix is probably one of the best tomes out there, it is action-packed and SO many good things happen! I still need to read Illuminae and Winter, I’ve read Cinder but haven’t continued on with the series just yet.
Aww, thank you so so much ? Yeah, it totally depends on the mood I agree! Haha, yeees! I think a book with 300-350 pages is perfect for me ? YEEES, the Order of the Phoenix is epic ? With its original format, Illuminae is huge but it really doesn’t feel like it! Oh my god, you need to finish The Lunar Chronicles like right now, I promise you it gets better with every new book ?
I definitely check the size and the weight of a book, before taking it with me on vacation! I usually prefer to take paperbacks, because hardbacks can be easily damaged.
Same here! I’m actually taking more and more my e-reader when I’m going away, it’s so practical. ? And you’re so right about hardbacks, they are so easily damaged that’s a shame! ? Thanks for stopping by ?
Illuminae is sitting on my TBR shelf and I will admit, I’m a little afraid of it. It’s so much that it’s long as it’s so DENSE! Also, you’re so right, YA books just seem to be getting longer and LONGER! What is up with that?! It’s to the point where I’d rather read an adult romance or fantasy because the YA ones are so long. And then they’re usually part of a trilogy too, so not only are they long, there are PROBABLY two more of them!!! Seems kind of questionable to me… 😉
You know what? Don’t be afraid! Illuminae is huge and intimidating but with its original format it’s really doesn’t feel like it. I read it super quickly, plus it’s action-packed you won’t get bored I promise ? Yeeees, I’m glad I’m not the only who noticed. YA books are getting bigger and bigger and there are actually no valid reason for that. And like you said, it’s never just one book, there is always a second and probably a third following… It feels like they are trying to make a lots of money haha!
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT POST!! you literally covered every possible scenario and I totally agree, big books are scary and very intimidating (I find them so satisfying to finish??) but the promise of world building and well developed characters and more cute moments make them easier to get through
and omg YES so many times I pick up ‘short’ books with the hope that i’ll rush through them quickly and then they end up being so cliché and aggravating, so for sure gotta watch out for that
but definitely size and page count comes into play when im looking to pick up a new book or start a new series bc you REALLY have to be ready before you enter some of these worlds. fantastic post!!
AWW, thank you so so so much! ? That makes me so happy ? Oh my god yeees, it’s always such a satisfaction when you’ve finished a book with more than 700 pages haha! Totally, if the story is fascinating and well-written, you don’t have time to get bored ? Yeees short books can be so cliché, it’s sometimes not deep enough that’s a shame. ? I agree, we have to be ready to enter these worlds. I love your sentence ? Thanks for stopping by, talk to you soon ?
Great topic for discussion. I’m simple when it comes to length of a book – I tend to stay away from anything that is more than 300 to 350 pages if I am reading a hold-in-my-hands book. I’ve attempted longer books – 500+ pages – and it could be I just picked duds, but it just seemed like the pages were mostly blah with no real substance; the writer was just filling pages to fill pages. Now, I have listened to a few books that are 500+ pages and I actually enjoyed them immensely. When I finally decided to try an audiobook, I found a new love. I love holding a book, but listening to the story has opened a whole new way for me to see a book come to life.
Thanks! ? I totally feel you! Big books can really lack substance and just like you said it feels like authors are filling pages just for the sake of filling pages. They don’t get that the biggest books aren’t magically better than the others. ?That’s really interesting! I’ve never tried audio books, I’m scared I’ll lose focus and be distracted too easily. Maybe I should give it a try someday. ? Thank you for stopping by ?
I have some of the very same hangups you mentioned about both short and long books. But I agree that, in the end, it’s not the size that matters!
Yeeees, in the end it’s the story that really matters! ? Thanks for stopping by ?
I don’t think it matters to me, especially if it’s an author I’m fond of, but you are right there are times when shorter is better. I like short story anthologies when I’m in a reading slump. ?✨
Yees you’re right, if it’s by an author I like I’m automatically going to read it no matter the size. ? Totally, short books are perfect when you’re in a reading slump! ?
Well, a book size definitely matters for me 😀 I am afraid of big books. If a book is over 350 pages, it automatically makes me slow. SMall books gives me a feeling that I am reading more and fast 😛
Oh my god yeees, I don’t know why but I’m also reading way more slowly when it comes to a big book! Hahaha, yeah totally! ??
I used to love long books. Especially if they were from a favourite author or series. Now I have a hard time with them just because of the time commitment. I tend to put the big ones off until I have time to invest and it breaks my heart. I totally agree with you that Illuminae is very much worth it! 🙂
Yees, big books are SO time consuming and with work and well… life it’s harder to make the time! A short book is much more manageable. It’s a shame because we can pass up really awesome stories. That’s actually why I’m reading big books when I’ve got breaks from work ? Yeees, Illuminae was intimidating at first but so action-packed and with its orignal format I read it super quickly ?
I will admit it, I am afraid of Illuminae. I really wanted to read it, so much so that I bought the first book, but it has just stayed on my shelf ever since because I am afraid to carry it with me! Thank you though for the reassurance that it is totally worth it :]
Don’t be afraid! Illuminae is huge and a little bit intimidating but with its original formatting it’s really doesn’t feel like it. I read it super quickly, plus it’s action-packed you won’t get bored I promise! ? Maybe you can read it when you’re on holidays or something so you don’t have to carry it everywhere ?
Honestly similar to what you mentioned above, page count doesn’t really matter to me because it all depends on the story itself & how the author develops it over that number of pages ?✨ Funnily enough, I find when I would go somewhere on vacation I’d usually take a mix of both short & long books, but usually just end up reading the long books ?✨?
Yeees, totally! ? Oh that’s quite funny I agree. I guess we have more time to get into a long story during the holidays ? Thanks for stopping by ??
Of course! Loved the post! ^_^
Thank you so much ?
Funny story, I am currently reading Order of the Phoenix! But since I am reading it to my kids, it is taking literally FOREVER. We are on page… Idk, 518 I think? And we’re barely halfway hahah! But I absolutely agree about Illuminae.
Okay so I am terrified of long books. I don’t even know why, I just get… intimidated I guess. Fear of commitment, like you said, though I feel that way even when it’s a series I have been enjoying. Like you said too, one size doesn’t fit all books, so I don’t know if it is ALWAYS an ideal page count, but when I see books hovering around 350, I am a happy camper (and tbh, less than 300 for a contemporary always makes my day!)
Hahaha! Poor you! I guess it’s not the same thing when you’re reading it to someone, I feel like it takes SO much more time! Illuminae was really intimidating at first but it was so action-packed and written with such an original format that I read it super quickly ? Yeaah…I feel you! Big books are SO time consuming. I totall agree with you, I think my perfect page count is 300-350 pages ? Thanks for stopping by ??
This is a really interesting question Nyx! For me, it’s a resounding yes 😀 I will be more likely to pick up a book if it’s not tHICK, as a) I don’t have to invest too much time and b) if I don’t like it, it will be over soon 😀 I agree that short books can make the stories underdeveloped, but it’s so rare that it happen for me ahaha.
Thanks ? I totally get your point! Big books are really time consuming. Plus it’s always a risk…what if I don’t enjoy it and since I never DNF…? You’re right it’s pretty rare that the short books I’ve read had underdeveloped stories, I guess we’re lucky ?
It does influence me especially if I’m buying a sequel. I have to be pretty jazzed about the first book to buy the second. If I‘m iffy, I wait for the library.
I had several reading slumps last year from reading back to back 500+ (One was over 600 pages) books. Even when I’ve read long books I loved, I now pick something short and light to follow. Great post Marie! ❤️❤️
I’m Nyx but thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it ? I totally get your point! And yees, I’m always trying to read a shorter book after reading a huge one. I like to change it up in order not to get bored. ?
Honestly, not taking into account having to travel and the physical shape of the books being an issue, I still prefer books that are around 300-ish pages. I agree that sometimes short books feel rushed and long books can have a more complex world BUT what about series? I think I’d rather have 5 short books in a series than 1 huge tome. The commitment from me would still be there, because I am not afraid of ordering entire book boxes haha I am not sure how to describe that preference though …
Great post!!! <3
I totally get what you mean and I feel the exact same way! I’d rather read a series with 3 books around 300 pages than a huge one of 1000 pages. It’s way less scary I think. ? Thank you so much Kat, glad you enjoyed it ??
Very interesting topic! I notoriously shy away from super long books. I think this has to do with the obsession in the bookish community to read as many books as possible in a year period… Also has to do with the fact that amazing new releases are being published everyday & all the backlist books we’d like to get to. I’ve often picked up a long book I’ve been wanting to read but will think to myself “I could read TWO books in the time that it will take to read this one.”
It’s actually one of my 2019 goals to read a few of the bigger books I’ve been putting off! I think I’ll set my official goal to 6 BIG books for 2019 🙂
Thank you ? I haven’t thought about that but you’re absolutely right!! All the bookish community is obsessed with reading as many books as they can – The Goodread Challenge is the perfect example – and so people prefer to read short books than huge books that are WAY more time consuming. ? That totally makes sense and I must admit that I prefer my books around 300-350 pages than more but sometimes it’s a shame because we can pass up some really amazing stories! That’s an awesome goal for 2019, good luck and happy reading ??
Ah that’s interesting !!
For me, I don’t check the page count; but rather the police sizing and how long the chapters are. I much prefer books with short chapters as it seems you go through a book so much more quickly !!
Plus, as i’m mostly reading at night or say, on my break at work, it is easier for me to let it go if the chapter is small. I have the tweak of NEEDING TO ALWAYS END ON A CHAPTER!!! which can get hectic if it’s too long ? Worst case I can do “end of page/paragraph” but I don’t really like it as go back and may be a bit lost..
Thank you ? I haven’t even thought about that but YES the police sizing and how long are the chapters are SO important! Oh my god!! I do exactly the same! I just can’t stop reading if I haven’t finished a chapter. I’m so frustrated otherwise! When I’m reading on the train, I’m always asking myself : “Do I have enough time left to read another chapter or is it best if I stop right now?” haha! ?? Thank you for stopping by ?
Yeps! Ahahah
Book size does matter to me because I hate long books. I read only nonfiction but I prefer books to be 300 pages or less. I’d rather read three 200 page books than one 600 page book.
I totally get your point, and same here, I’d rather read 3 books with 200 pages than only 1 with 600 pages! ? Thanks for stopping by ??
So relate to this struggle!! hehe definitely agree that size matters- in some cases 😉 Especially when going on holiday! But I love your picks for books you shouldn’t be scared to commit too! Awesome post!!
Yeees, totally! ? Aww thank you so so much ??
Before I started book blogging I wasn’t scared of reading huge books, as I could take my time whenever I liked. But setting myself reading goals and realising just how many amazing books are being published all the time has meant that I often leave the long titles on the back burner, just so I can enjoy more stories much quicker! I think I prefer a book with about 500 pages though as, as long as it is written well, can have the right amount of plot development without necessarily being too fast paced.
Really nice post though, great job!
I totally get your point! It feels like we’re being pushed to read more and more books every year. Not that I’m complaining ?? Yeees, I agree with you ? Thank you so much, happy you liked it ??
It’s definitely a topic that some people may not notice. But yeah, seeing areally big book, sometimes can put me off. It’s difficult because with life and everything, I want a book that will not take aways my whole time, but something I can read while advancing easily.
At the same time, I often find that some books would need a little more pages, especially for worldbuilding. I always feel like I don’t know enough
Yeees, big books are SO time consuming! Totally, I agree with you. There are many books that need way more world building for me to really get into the story ? Thanks for stopping by ??
Aahh I love this post so much, Marie! I’m definitely one of those people who are intimidated by big books and will probably stall reading them, but I really love that there are books that are big but they end up being favorites — so while it still sadly ends, it ends a lot later than a shorter book and I can stay with my favorite characters a little longer! And short books can definitely risk less development of the characters and the plot, but they’re a whole lot less scarier to me ? I think my ideal page number in a book would probably range from 300 to 400! (I think a lot of people say 500+ is large but for me it’s like… 400+ ?)
I’m Nyx, Marie’s sister but thank you so much! ? I’m so happy you enjoyed my post ? Yeees, big books require so much more commitment, it can get scary! That’s why we always gotta make sure we’re really going to enjoy the story ? Yeah, I agree with you! I think my perfect page number would be around 400 ?Thanks for stopping by ?