The BIG Books Episode with Chrissie Whitley | Ep. 235

Sarah and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) dig into their very different relationships with big books, from what counts as "big" and knowing when the moment is right to what makes a long book worth the extra pages. They also share some of their favorite big books — and a few they wish had been shorter.

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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Highlights Where Sarah and Chrissie each draw the line between a regular book and a big book. Is a 700-page book intimidating … or an invitation to settle in? When, and why, are they most likely to pick up a long book? Does format or genre change how big a book feels? What makes a book actually deserve its high page count? Some of their favorite big books … and a few they really wish had been shorter. Some Favorite BIG Books Chrissie

4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [30:38]  The Princes of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, 1) by Edward Rutherfurd (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [33:36] Fox by Joyce Carol Oates (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [35:54] Red Comet by Heather Clark (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [39:10] Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:45] The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [44:30]  Sarah

11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:31]  I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:32] A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (1989) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:23] The World According to Garp by John Irving (1978) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:25] Natchez Burning (Penn Cage, 4; Natchez Burning, 1) by Greg Iles (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:19]  Wanderers (Wanderers, 1) by Chuck Wendig (2019) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:40] Other Books Mentioned

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869) [30:06] The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1846) [30:07]   The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (2017) [31:43]  Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd (1987) [33:49] London by Edward Rutherfurd (1998) [33:53]   The Rebels of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, 2) by Edward Rutherfurd (2006) [34:19]  Whistler by Ann Patchett (2026) [38:04]  Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (2011) [40:23] Some BIG Books That Felt Too Long Chrissie

Ordinary Monsters (The Talents, 1) by J. M. Miro (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:39] W