As an extremely fast reader, the size of a book has never intimidated me, but I know that isn't the case with everyone. Because of that, I'd like to recommend some big books that will draw you in and will be totally worth the effort.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: We've all heard of Vlad the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula, but how much is truth and how much is conjecture? That's essentially the question that Kostova attempts to answer in this novel. The best way to describe it is to say it's the history of Dracula, if Dracula existed. It's both creepy and and beautiful at the same time and while this is a novel, Kostova intersperses the true atrocities of Vlad the Impaler so well, that sometimes you can't tell what is real and what isn't.
Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon: I won't rehash my previous post but will just reemphasize how much I enjoy this series.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: Mr. Norrell is a magician in early 1800's England who is attempting to demonstrate England's superiority in the Magical Arts by changing the course of the Napoleanic Wars. But despite his achievements, Norrell is almost forgettable, a fact that is emphasized when he is upstaged by his apprentice, the glamorous Jonathan Strange. It's kind of a mix of fantasy and history and as one reviewer put it, is an echanting, epic tale.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: This one may be a bit more difficult than the others because the slave dialogue can be a bit difficult to follow at first, but the story of Scarlett will draw you in until you are part of the story. If you enjoy it, I recommend Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley, which is an unofficial sequel. If you want the officially sanctioned sequel, read Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig; personally I preferred Scarlett, but that's just me.
The Stand by Stephen King: I'm not usually a King fan, horror scares me too much and since he's so good at it, I prefer to skip his stuff, good though they may be. However, The Stand is a very worthwhile exception to this rule. It's the story of the apocalypse; a mutating flu virus rapidly wipes out over 99% of the world's population. While this also has some scary moments it's because in the back of your mind, you can't help but think, "could this actually happen."
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: We've all heard of Vlad the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula, but how much is truth and how much is conjecture? That's essentially the question that Kostova attempts to answer in this novel. The best way to describe it is to say it's the history of Dracula, if Dracula existed. It's both creepy and and beautiful at the same time and while this is a novel, Kostova intersperses the true atrocities of Vlad the Impaler so well, that sometimes you can't tell what is real and what isn't.
Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon: I won't rehash my previous post but will just reemphasize how much I enjoy this series.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: Mr. Norrell is a magician in early 1800's England who is attempting to demonstrate England's superiority in the Magical Arts by changing the course of the Napoleanic Wars. But despite his achievements, Norrell is almost forgettable, a fact that is emphasized when he is upstaged by his apprentice, the glamorous Jonathan Strange. It's kind of a mix of fantasy and history and as one reviewer put it, is an echanting, epic tale.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: This one may be a bit more difficult than the others because the slave dialogue can be a bit difficult to follow at first, but the story of Scarlett will draw you in until you are part of the story. If you enjoy it, I recommend Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley, which is an unofficial sequel. If you want the officially sanctioned sequel, read Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig; personally I preferred Scarlett, but that's just me.
The Stand by Stephen King: I'm not usually a King fan, horror scares me too much and since he's so good at it, I prefer to skip his stuff, good though they may be. However, The Stand is a very worthwhile exception to this rule. It's the story of the apocalypse; a mutating flu virus rapidly wipes out over 99% of the world's population. While this also has some scary moments it's because in the back of your mind, you can't help but think, "could this actually happen."
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