You had me at Lonesome Dove. I’ve got two Tartts sitting on my shelf…yeah, that sounds kinda dirty…I forgot all about The Little Friend. I do not have that one. I should make 2025 the year of the Tartt!
If you read non-fiction there are numerous long reads well worth the time. That would make another great thread.
Ohhhh DEF have a Tartt year in 2025!!!! sounds dirty— but fun!!!! i feel very confident you’ll enjoy yourself. and you’re so right re nonfiction. i don’t read as much of that as i should, but maybe that’ll be my 2025 goal…🤔
This is such a great post! Your reviews are excellent- and I think we're kindred reading twins, A Little Life is my favorite book of all time too and The Heart's Invisible Furies is also an all time favorite. I also never care to get into any back and forth about A Little Life, I read it at the end of 2015 and it still feels like I read it yesterday. This fall I read The Goldfinch and absolutely loved it, it's now an all time favorite. I also read Babel, a super long book but incredible writing and world building. Lonesome Dove is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finally get to it:)
Thank you so much for reading!!! i love finding kindred reading twins, I totally agree that we are! i have not read babel so will def add that to the list— lmk what u think when you read lonesome dove, it’s such a treat.
I read Lonesome Dove as an ebook where page numbers are more of a guess so I didn’t realize it was that long! It does go quick and then you don’t want it to end. I think of the “you gotta soak them beans!” scene often.
What a good idea for a post. The last long book I read (actually listened to) was Forever Amber, a forgotten bestseller of the 1940s. Nearly 1,000 pages in print and a million hours of listening.
Beauty is a Wound sounds appealing, thank you for putting it on my radar. For big book season I I'd suggest Middlemarch and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois. I also hope to finally start (and finish) The Parisian!
It’s so good! Glad to hear I could make a new suggestion. have not read any of your suggestions! i’ve heard good things about The Love Song of W.E.B. DuBois! gonna add all of them to the list. thanks for reading! 💗📚
This post filled me longing to get TF next to a fire and dive into a big chunky for the next 13 hours. The need is visceral. Loving these recs and Little Life was perfectly described.
Get me next to the fireplace IMMEDIATELY!!!!! Thank you for your kind words— a little life is IMPOSSIBLE to describe but i did what i could. Also you specifically should read Ambergris.
Thank you both so much for reading— Kolina i hear you on Hearts invisible furies, just means we gotta get out there and keep recommending it! :) and glad to have found someone who understands the pain and complexity of loving A Little Life 💗📚
Geoff— i’m so excited for you to read it, i hope you enjoy! Agree re Lonesome dove, but it snuck up on me. slow, but i was hooked before i even realized what happened!
Have you already read The Bee Sting? Long and based on these reviews I think you might like it.
I have not!! I had heard mixed reviews but I trust your judgment and will definitely add it to the list. Thanks Abra! 💗📚
There is one section that felt a little bogged down, could have been shorter. But overall very good.
You had me at Lonesome Dove. I’ve got two Tartts sitting on my shelf…yeah, that sounds kinda dirty…I forgot all about The Little Friend. I do not have that one. I should make 2025 the year of the Tartt!
If you read non-fiction there are numerous long reads well worth the time. That would make another great thread.
Thanks for posting this!
Ohhhh DEF have a Tartt year in 2025!!!! sounds dirty— but fun!!!! i feel very confident you’ll enjoy yourself. and you’re so right re nonfiction. i don’t read as much of that as i should, but maybe that’ll be my 2025 goal…🤔
thanks for reading! 💗📚
This is such a great post! Your reviews are excellent- and I think we're kindred reading twins, A Little Life is my favorite book of all time too and The Heart's Invisible Furies is also an all time favorite. I also never care to get into any back and forth about A Little Life, I read it at the end of 2015 and it still feels like I read it yesterday. This fall I read The Goldfinch and absolutely loved it, it's now an all time favorite. I also read Babel, a super long book but incredible writing and world building. Lonesome Dove is sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finally get to it:)
Thank you so much for reading!!! i love finding kindred reading twins, I totally agree that we are! i have not read babel so will def add that to the list— lmk what u think when you read lonesome dove, it’s such a treat.
I read Lonesome Dove as an ebook where page numbers are more of a guess so I didn’t realize it was that long! It does go quick and then you don’t want it to end. I think of the “you gotta soak them beans!” scene often.
What a good idea for a post. The last long book I read (actually listened to) was Forever Amber, a forgotten bestseller of the 1940s. Nearly 1,000 pages in print and a million hours of listening.
Thanks for reading, Nava! I have never heard of Forever Amber— I will have to check it out! Thanks for the rec 💗📚
This is a great list! Some of these, like Lonesome Dove and Garp, I've been meaning to get to for years.
they’re worth bringing a bit closer to the top of the pile for sure!!! thanks for reading 💗📚
Beauty is a Wound sounds appealing, thank you for putting it on my radar. For big book season I I'd suggest Middlemarch and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois. I also hope to finally start (and finish) The Parisian!
It’s so good! Glad to hear I could make a new suggestion. have not read any of your suggestions! i’ve heard good things about The Love Song of W.E.B. DuBois! gonna add all of them to the list. thanks for reading! 💗📚
I’ve got to read A Little Life…It seems to show up on a lot of lists. I’ll add it to my TBR…with the aforementioned Tartts!
thank you - more good stuff for my tbr pile 🤩
YESSS we love to hear it!!! thanks for reading!💗📚
Omg I ALWAYS recommend hearts invisible furies and feel the exact same about a little life. Loveeee these long thick books! 🤍
This post filled me longing to get TF next to a fire and dive into a big chunky for the next 13 hours. The need is visceral. Loving these recs and Little Life was perfectly described.
Get me next to the fireplace IMMEDIATELY!!!!! Thank you for your kind words— a little life is IMPOSSIBLE to describe but i did what i could. Also you specifically should read Ambergris.
Three things:
1) what a clever post idea!
2) I’ve never met someone else who had read The Heart’s Invisible Furies and I fkn LOVE IT!
3) A Little Life is also my favorite and it’s hard to talk about or explain why!
Thank you both so much for reading— Kolina i hear you on Hearts invisible furies, just means we gotta get out there and keep recommending it! :) and glad to have found someone who understands the pain and complexity of loving A Little Life 💗📚
Geoff— i’m so excited for you to read it, i hope you enjoy! Agree re Lonesome dove, but it snuck up on me. slow, but i was hooked before i even realized what happened!
OK, I just read first paragraph of The Heart’s Invisible Furies and can’t wait to keep reading. It and ya’lls recommendations have me hooked.
Also enjoyed Lonesome Dove. It’s a slow start, slow build into the characters and action-wise things don’t pick up until deep in.
Thanks for the recs.
Enjoy it!!!
Also — I’m obsessed w Donna Tartt but haven’t read The Little Friend. Is it as good as Secret History and Goldfinch????
I just finished reading A Little Life for the first time a couple days ago and I lifted my head out the pages a different person. I miss it already.
yes exactly this!!!! i know the feeling. glad you had that experience with it 💗📚