Does a book's size really determine its readability? I just finished reading book 3 of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and was surprised to hear people say they would like to read them but the size is intimidating. I have heard this said about other series (such as Outlander) as well. So let's talk. Will you skip a book based on its page count?
Shannon:
Just like Carrie, I'm also reading George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and haven't been bothered by the enormous page count of each book. A novel's ability to suck me in with its characters and story is much more important then its size. If I keep hearing positive feedback about a certain book I'll read it regardless of its size, genre or whether its YA or Adult.
Carrie:
Obviously page count isn't an issue for me. I was actually surprised at how addicting the George R.R. Martin series was. As for Outlander, I participated in a read-a-long where we tackled the book so many chapters at a time. I ended up cheating though and couldn't stop reading. If a book hooks me, the number of pages is irrelevant. 
Page count doesn't hold any weight for me in my decision to read a book. If it is in a series, I usually prefer it to be longer, in fact. More pages means more time spent in the world of the characters. However, some books are excessive and could be cut down a bit. Normally I don't take page count into account when picking out a book to read.
ReplyDeleteGreat point about getting to spend more time with the characters. Thanks for your input.
DeletePage count doesnt matter to me either. I like long books as long as they are edited well. 800 page count with bad editing will kill it for me.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I prefee shorter books lately since they are easier to read with a toddler climbing all over.
Lol One day you will finish Outlander, I have faith. :)
DeleteDefinitely. But now I am wishing I had bought it for my nook, since I can read that at night. D hates the light I use for night reading.
DeleteNot really. If I'm interested in it, it shouldn't matter how long it is. I think it more depends on my mood and the time I have set aside to tackle it. If I have a long weekend with nothing to do I would totally go for a big book, because I like to read books pretty fast or I'll forget where I was or discover another book and just leave the long one for later. Sometimes I feel like a short book because I just want to read something in one sitting. Quick fix :P
ReplyDeleteMakes perfect sense. Glad to hear I'm not the only moody reader.
DeletePage count won't put me off, but it definitely makes me consider whether I have time to read them, especially since I started blogging. Before I started the blog, I read the entire Outlander series in a span of a month and a half. That's 5,946 pages!! lol Wow.
ReplyDeleteThat is incredible. I need to make time for book 3 of Outlander soon. As for blogging, I'm glad I don't get many ARC's so that I can read what I want. I can see how a long book would cut into your time if you are on a strict timetable though.
DeletePage count doesn't bother me.I don't mind reading big books or small books. It whats on the inside that counts and keeps me reading.
ReplyDeleteExactly! :)
DeletePage count doesn't bother me either, but if its super long it better be worth it. I read up to book 2 in the song of fire and ice series and I just couldn't take it anymore. I was soooooo bored!!
ReplyDeleteNikita
Well sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the series but I understand how it isn't for everyone. Some of his chapters can be a bit dull. Book 3 was so crazy though.
DeleteI think the only reason page count comes into play is the fact that as a blogger I have many review or tour books to read and I don't have time to get sucked into a 700 page book all the time because it would screw up my blog schedule. I guess if I let go of some of the blog a little and read more books for me instead of publishers or authors then I would have more time to read those heavy books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great discussion!
I totally understand that. It just makes me a bit sad that we feel we can't read what we want. Don't we blog because we love books?
DeleteThe size of the book can sometimes intimidate me a bit, but I like fat books. :) If it's an 'older' book, like Les Mis, then yes, I'm a little worried about getting through it. Though that's more due to the writing than the size. Heck, I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was 11, those aren't exactly small books.
ReplyDeleteGo you. That is pretty impressive. I have yet to tackle those.
DeleteGenerally pagecount doesn't matter for me. BUT i like to be able to read my book in steady stream, so to speak. So if i have to read i thick book, i like to start it at a time when i know i won't have to quit reading it for a few days because of work or an exam or whatever. So a big book can be a problem if i'm busy at work, because i thim can be afraid to pick it up. I don't want those 2 or 3 days break.
ReplyDeleteSo it's not the size of the books really, its more the time i pick them up. So i read the thick books often during weekends and holidays or at times when im not running a project.
That makes sense. Time management is important.
DeleteWill I skip it? No. But does it scare me and cause me to put it on the back burner, or to take frequent breaks from it? OH YES.
ReplyDeleteLOL Lisa. I can see how breaks might be helpful for long reads though.
DeleteI'm not gonna lie, my copy of Outlander is currently propping up my wonky art easel, and I don't see it moving any time soon. Every week I approach my TBR and think, I could read three shiny new books, or I could *almost* finish Outlander. And my easel would be crooked. :-)
ReplyDeleteI think I need to embrace audiobooks for these behemoths. Awesome discussion, ladies!
Well at least Outlander is being useful. You definitely should try and finish it soon though. Oh Jamie...swoon. I listened to book 2 of Outlander on audio. I enjoyed it and it spiced up the work day. ;-)
DeletePage count isn't really a concern for me. I just read Anna Karenina and that is a doorstopper. I've wanted to read the Game of Thrones books for a long time, but the reason I've pushed it back on my to-read list is because I hear from EVERYONE how complex the series gets once you get beyond the first book. So truthfully, even though I enjoy reading a chunky book and then taking a break from the series, I just haven't picked it up because the book promises to be complex enough later on that I won't be able to keep up with reading multiple books at a time, and I think I enjoy reading >1 book more than I might enjoy the one large chunky book.
ReplyDeleteI do plan to read it, though. And I'm considering the audiobook to help me get through it while I maintain my other reads with my eyes. We'll see. FANTASTIC QUESTION. Great discussion.