I like BIG Books | Stephanie Rush & The Shan

We like BIG BOOKS and we cannot lie! In today's episode, Steph and Shan guide us through the world of big books. What are they? Should we read them? What strategies can we use to tackle them? They'll discuss things like choosing the right time to invest in a big book, determining if your lifestyle supports the effort they require, and balancing the completion of a big book with a lighter read. You'll also receive pro tips; such as, using audio books so you can freely move while reading, or buddy reading to keep you accountable, or even finding a condensed Young Readers edition when the big book is simply too much to tackle. Shan will make an argument for why Lord of the Rings is the ultimate big book. And Stephanie will tell us all the reasons why Stephen King should be on your reading list. If you've been intimidated by big books in the past, let this episode inspire you to finally curl up with a hefty tome this winter. Enjoy! 

Book Recommendations

11/22/63 by Stephen King
It by Stephen King
The Stand by Stephen King
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein
The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig 

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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Transcript

0:09

Hello and welcome to Middletown Strong. Looking up with the Russell Library, A Shop Live Takeover. I'm Stephanie Rush and I'm here today with my friend Shannon. Hey, what's going on? Today we're going to talk about big books. I can't wait. And what is a big book? Why should you read a big book? And what are some strategies to tackle reading a big book. So I want to start by asking, what do you consider a big book or like a long book? Do you long. Book? Like a long book or a big book? When we talk about like this topic, what does that mean to you? Oh, God. Sorry. Put you on the spot. That totally did. No big books. I'm a big fan of big books. Yeah. As we all know, you do? Well, fellow coworkers now, I can't say our listeners know that about me. They do now. They just hear me enter and that show up. But the first thing that came to my head is like war and peace. Okay, so Leo Tolstoy, like, I did last year. War and Peace and Anna Karenina as some big books. And that's kind of something, anything that's over 700 pages that it's like it's a serious take on like you are. This is a project that you're taking on. Exactly. Because it's not your easy fun. Oh, like my New York Times bestseller. Like, that's a rom com. Having a good time. This is. Oh, no. I'm taking on something serious with depth. Like it's worldbuilding, It's character development. It is like you are engulfed in this for months, and it's a fun journey. So the big books don't be afraid. And as I say, I think that's why people are intimidated because they think that every big book is really going to be like homework. It's not, though. I don't think it is, because look at all, Stephen King. I was going to say I wouldn't talk very much about Stephen King today, so I will have the counterargument to that. Yeah, because like 1122 six is my. My first book. Oh, it's the best. Yeah. And it was a New York Times bestseller, which is so funny that you said that I'm like 1122 or 63 was a New York Times best. Yeah, but wasn't that like over 700 pages? It's almost a thousand. It's like a thousand pages long. Yeah, So it's a long one, but it's it's so interesting that you forget how long it is. That's the thing I love about Stephen King. So. Yes. He has his big books and his character development is amazing. And his world building is amazing because it rings so parallel and true to our world sometimes, depending on which books you're reading. But yeah, he knows what he's doing. He knows what he's doing that his big books aren't that big. Like I just read the stand. The Stand is a big one. And I took the stand on really post-COVID because I needed to have some type of distance. I took it on a long before, like in the midst of COVID, and it hit like too close to home. Like my anxiety was through the roof. So I said, this is not time for the stand. And I recently read it and oh my God, it read like a month, not even maybe like two, three weeks and just totally engulfed. But that's also that that that's the funniness of big books to like you're. You're completely immersed. Yeah. You're in this world like you're one of the characters. And I think what you said about the stand like waiting I think sometimes that's important about big books, too. Like don't start a big book when you are like, on a deadline, Don't start a big book when you know you're not going to have time to read for six days. Like I know. Do you be strategic about it? Like, yeah, I normally save a bigger book for when I have a vacation or like a really long car ride. So I'm not trying to read small pieces of a 700 page book in really small snippets because one, it's going to be frustrating to you're not going to get fully immersed because you have to dip in and out. And three, for me at least, I'm not going to feel a sense of accomplishment because the book is going to take me so long to get through. Yeah. So I always say to readers, be strategic. Don't just pick up a 900 page book willy nilly unless that's your vibe. Like you always read that in your page books. That's fine. But like I wouldn't say just pick one up for fun without thinking about how you're going to actually approach reading it. Yeah, Yeah. Because even though we're trying to make light of big books, you also have to appreciate it at the same time and understand something that you're taking on. It's like I sometimes wait for bigger books in the winter time. Yes, when it's dark at night and it's cold and I can just sit in my reading chair and sit and read excuse me, like one of my big books that I would like to read soon is Infinite Jest. We've talked about this a lot. David Foster Wallace I have only read his essays. I've actually never read any of his books. But that is something that is is a journey I want to go on. And if anyone who knows Infinite Jest, it's there's two stories in one and that was the same in War and Peace. You're in two stories going in at the same time. And if you like that, then you'll be in on this kind of book. Yeah, but you need the time to just sit there and embrace and appreciate what is being written and told to you. I do think that winter is like a really good time to dig in on a big book because we tend to be spending more time like in cozy spots or at home, depending on your schedule and your life situation. It's so funny. I actually read it over the summer, not this summer, but like I read it on vacation because I knew I was going to have a long stretches of time, which is like, it seems counterintuitive because on vacation, like you want to be kind of going and going, No, I wanted to sit by the lake and read a thousand pages of Stephen King that went really, really fast as my vacation. So I'm not saying don't bring a big book to the beach, but I really depends on your life and your choices. If you're trying to, like, watch kids, you're not going to be invested in any current at all. Like, no, that's like you sit and read and like with smooth jazz playing and being sassy. That's my guy. But I also I don't have kids and I know if I'm on vacation, I'm just chilling. I'm just vibing, so I have the time to do that. So listeners and readers, this is more like, know yourself and make decisions based on your own discretion. Like if you know you can't get into a book because there are lots of children in your home or other things like, you know, maybe save it for a time where you don't have that going. Yeah, and there's so many different types of big books out there you and I like. We're both Stephen King lovers. I just read Washington A Life by Ron Chernow. Yeah, and it was amazing. There was also like 800 pages. Were you reading other books at the same time? No, I only read that one book at a time. I cannot do two books at a time because then I feel like I'm not giving the book its worth. I'm just saying that to me. And I know some people will take a big book and they'll break it up with other books at the same time so that they don't get stalled out. But I'm the same as you. I'm like a one book pony. I just yeah, I have to have focus on it. But I also find that if I feel like I'm getting really stalled out because so I'm reading the Dark Tower series right now. Stephen King I'm five books in five books and to a seven book series. Yes, they're they're long and they're immersive and a couple of weeks ago when I was finishing book five, I thought to myself, Wow, I'm really starting to get kind of bogged down in the length. So I stopped. I read a couple of comic books and that kind of helped you pick back up? Oh yeah, I felt accomplished and I didn't feel like I was spending two weeks not finishing a book. So you can kind of do that. Some people will literally like read a fiction book, another fiction book. At the same time. I can't do that. But audiobooks also a really great way to get in big books. That's actually an awesome way to get into big books. It was I was in grad school for my library science degree and I could not read physically read a book because I was reading constantly. So I took on Jonathan Franzen. So I did read the Corrections like the book physically, but I listened to all of his other books. And let me tell you, these are 36 hours. Right. There. Extensive, but those are also fun. Right? Like some of them like it. It's the family, it's the character development. It's the stories about real people. But it was really good and some of it was a little farfetched, like I think is John know John Irving as he long. He's like my head. I really like a prayer for Owen Meany Yeah. Like Cider House Rules Center. It's probably. Like. Those are average. Three. Or four never mind. Pretty average. But even then that those are the books I like listen to. Yeah, they're a little far fetched, but realistic people. Yeah, but the big book, it was just like also a sense of accomplishment. Yeah. At the same time while like, okay, I'm doing grad school work and I'm accomplishing something else at the same time because you weirdly need both for some reason when you're in school. I don't know. Why I need to feed different parts of your brain, I think. Is what it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was reading a lot of fiction in grad school because my grad school reading was all nonfiction. Yeah. And so I was reading just, I mean, I read a lot of Young adult anyways, as most listeners know, but I was reading so many young adult books because they took me out of the, the clinical. Stuff. Yeah. So yeah, I read during grad school, even if it's hard or, you know, take a break doing grad school and come back to it when you're ready to be joyful about. Books again or dig in back to big books. But like, take a break. Like after you just accomplished in a thousand page novel or a nonfiction and go read a graphic novel. Go read like a fun little rom com. That's what I do. Because you need that balance. Because if you engulf yourself all the time in these big reads, you're like, is taking away the art in the funniness of the big read. Yeah. So I hope you're not making this intimidating. I mean, I hope maybe, but in some aspects it is. But you know, you have to take chances in life. Take a chance on a big book. Yeah. So. Okay, I like it. So I've done the accidentally read a big book. I don't know if you've done this. It sounds counterintuitive, but years and years ago, I was on spring break and I was visiting my now husband and he was still at work. So while he was at work, I was just like, Well, I have all day to read. So I would go to the library in his town, pick up a book, and I picked up The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which is like 700 pages. And at the time I liked I liked it so much more than I thought I would because I didn't like her other book. But that's a topic for another time. I picked up The Goldfinch because I heard it was good, and this is back when I was just like, Oh, someone said that book was good. I'll read it. Before I really honed in on my taste. I picked it up not knowing it was 700 pages. And then I just kept reading and it like didn't bother me because I had so much free time. I was on vacation. I didn't have like lots of concerns or pressing issues. I was just like, I'm in on this book and I read it probably over three days. But today I wouldn't pick up a 700 page book unless I knew I had the time. But that day I was just like, This book sounds good. I'm diving in. See, in I'm a Donna Tartt lover. You are. Except a little friend, but different story. Very different story, right? Yeah. But I loved The Goldfinch. It's so good. I read that and I when it was big, I think when it was like everyone was reading it. I read it in maybe. I think maybe. What I'm reading around the same time. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I loved that book. Yeah, it was great. You don't think about the fact that it's a long book because it's so propulsive. Yeah. And the plot keeps twisting and turning and you're just like, Wait, this is a heist book? What? Yeah. I also didn't know what that book is about, which is not me. But yeah, it was kind of fun to go into a big book and not get intimidated. Just dive in without caring that it was a choker. Mm hmm. So that one I actually had a really positive experience with. But sometimes I'll pick a book up and be like, Oh, no. And then I'll look at how long it is and be like, Not right now. Yeah, I've done that with a lot. So I did The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I was 22. Yeah, that was a year. I picked up Atlas Shrugged once, twice, and then finally the third time read it. I did the same with War and Peace. Like you pick it up and you're like, I can't do this now. Yeah, and that's okay. And it's okay to say, I can't do this now. Yeah, not right now and. Not right now. But if you come back to it, great. And if you don't. That's okay too. It's not a big deal. That's the fun thing about books. If you want to read it, read it. Yeah. If you don't, don't. But there's so many other big books out there like isn't the court in thorns of. Yeah, the Sarah Dumas books, the Avatar books are very long. I was just saying that to Kate. They're very long. And that is catering to a whole different type of audience than of what we read. And so I was going to say fantasy books or series. I feel like you're more likely to read long books because you're already hooked. You are. So the first book in the Avatar series Court of Thorns in Brussels twice, RJ Moss is maybe 400 pages, three or four. So the first one is a good like. Introductory. Introduction. I personally didn't like the first one, so I didn't keep going. However, if you keep going, you probably don't care that the books get longer. No, because you're just so involved in the series. And I think that's how fantasy authors really get it. Yeah, like they hook you with the first book and then once they've got you, they're like, Oh, I can really play with this world. I can, I can keep cranking out pages and people will continue to read them. I would think. If you're looking to read some big books, but you're not committed to necessarily picking up a classic, like trying a fantasy series that starts a little shorter, but builds I think is a really good entry point for people. I do too. I love fantasy and I love sci fi, but that comes in due time. You know? It's like, I need a special moment to write that, but. BABBEL Yeah, I loved that. Book, and that was a longer write. It was a long book. I think it was like six, 700 pages. And that was one of people's, like, favorite books. Last year it was in. But the thing is why it was so long. You're building a world like when you are world building, you have to give it the justice that it needs. You have to create this so the reader can comprehend what's going on and see where these characters are coming from. So that's what, yeah, I loved that book. That was a great one. Yeah. And there are so many more out there like that. So it's like there's so many fun, easy reads there, but a big book could be a fun, easy read. Yeah, it's not this intimidating hunk of words on paper. Yeah. I also find that you have to be careful with big books in print because sometimes they fall apart. So I don't know if you have this experience. A couple of years back, I read Leviathan wakes the first book in The Expanse series by James Corey, which is quite a famous fan or science fiction series. So I started with book one, which is probably 500 or 600 pages. And halfway through it was a it was a paperback copy from a library, which now I understand was probably not the right choice, but paperback copy halfway through the book, binding just like snapped and a whole chunk of the book fell out. So for like a week and a half before I finished, I was carrying it around rubber banded because I didn't want it to get further damaged. We were like, I have to finish this book. It's like I have to finish. But this book is basically falling apart. Yeah, yeah. And then when I returned to the library, I gave them the rubber banded copy and I was like, This was not me. I tried to fix it, but just so you know, this book is not staying together. Well, it's very long. You need to buy a new car. I didn't say that, but I was insinuating that. Yeah, so. But yeah, you're sometimes to be careful with the physical copies. Same thing when I read 11 2263. I like to walk and read while I used to when I was living in an apartment and I didn't have a lot of room, I would walk laps in my living room holding my book, you know, was a really heavy book to hold and walk. 11 to 11. 2263 I did the best that I could, but after a while my arms started to hurt. You're getting a good workout. Yes, I was getting to work on it, but I had to sit down to finish most of that book because it was too heavy to carry. Oh, yeah, because I'm not. I'll go on the treadmill and I'll walk with a treadmill. Book is. It's. Hard in dark Tower on the treadmill, and it's really hard to keep it up because it's so big. It's so big, and then you're holding it and you're like, Oh, my arms again. Yes. And if you're a Fitbit user like me, if you're holding the book your arm, doesn't it? So yeah, big books are a workout too. So if you're looking to really multitask, you can carry your big book or you're going to do an audiobook for 40 hours, take an hour walk. That's what I. TR Yeah, that's what I did. It was my peace time. Yeah. I would like walk for an hour after I did homework in the morning before going to work, and then I would walk on my lunch break for an hour listening to my book and then drive and listening to it. It was perfect. You can also do you can do chores to. Audiobooks, and it's. Not cheating no matter what people say. Audiobooks are reading and using them to get through other tasks is perfectly fine and acceptable. Yes, yes, yes. Especially with a long book. I know. So I know you're also getting your more more bang for your buck or your audiobook for. Having a library card is essential. Yes. Not only do you have Livy, you have hoopla, but you also have the Palace app as well, right? So if you can't find it in Libby or Hoopla, check out the Palace app. Yeah, and it's one checkout and you could get one check out for a three hour book or one check up or a 40 hour book. It does not discriminate based on length. So you want to really get that more bang for your audiobook buck by picking a 40 hour book and really squeezing all that time. Out of it. Yeah, this is all access to your library card, which is pretty cool, which is awesome. There used to be a section on hoopla. I don't know if it's still there, but it would say like long books for long days or whatever. And it was a section that was specifically geared towards letting people check out longer books so they would get more. More time. Yeah, more. Time because it takes more time to listen to it. Yeah, it was like, yeah, you could use your credit on this, but you could also extend it and it for one credit. You still get whatever you want. So I thought that was actually a very clever strategy. I mean, it's a free book either way with your library card, but you only have a certain amount of credits on hoopla. So using your credit for a 40 hour audiobook is actually a really good deal. Is a good deal. Yeah, I know that. Yeah. Yeah. They also have a quick listen section. If you want something that's like under 2 hours. Well, I don't think I've ever listened to anything under two. I it was great. Yeah. I don't, I only pick like a short audiobook if I need, if I like, just need to bridge that gap between something I'll listen to like a two hour. But there aren't that many. There aren't that. Many. And I like nonfiction on audio. So I see that. Yeah, I see that sometimes I'm the kind of person that I'm realizing I used to be such a multitasker and I'm not now. I cannot do two things at once, so I can if I want to be focused, I want to be engulfed in it. So like walking in, listening is different. Yeah, Doing chores and listening to a book I could not do. So anyone who who can do that, I give you. A lot of people do it. I'm picky about it. I could do like laundry while listening to an audiobook. Even then I get distracted because then I start thinking about something. I was like, Oh, did I get that stain out? Should I put this in the dryer or not? Is it cold or hot? I don't know. Missed a whole. Section and you miss you like, Oh, what just happened? That's the thing. Why? I think nonfiction for me is a little easier because if I miss something, it's not plot crucial. Yeah, but then it could be factual. It could. So I can go back. But like, if I miss a plot element, I've missed an entire section of the book. So, yeah, I mean. Sometimes I still do it. I'm picky. I'm really picky about audiobooks. This is a whole separate article. That is a whole set of conversations I will. Bring. But I'm also thinking about fantasy readers who do audiobooks. Mm hmm. Which is not me. But I know a lot of fantasy readers do audio. They pronounce the names for you. Oh, wow. So the long books, especially those, you know, three dramas and other romances, the universe books, if you don't know how to say that name, the audio book is going to tell you how to do it. Oh, that's good. Know it's going to like if you're reading in print and you are reading a character's name and you're just like taking your best guess, you listen to the audiobook and you're like, Oh no, I've been saying it wrong. I like what my head comes up with, though. I do too. But if you're listening to like a fantasy on audio, it does. It fills in all the gaps, especially all of the made up words and made up languages like I did The Hobbit on audio. Okay, which I recommend. I mean, the illustrated version of the physical text is beautiful, so do it together. But like The Hobbit on audio was so much easier for me because I didn't have to know anyone's name. I didn't have to know any lan's name. They told me exactly what it was and I just let it wash over me. See, I look at Lord of the Rings trilogy. I didn't. Finish. I did. I took a class on it in college. You did them in print? Yep. I think you take that book out. It's one book. The trilogy is one so that's probably like the ultimate big book. I don't look at Lord of the Rings, which is the truest of all fantasy novels in my personal opinion. Again, made up words, different language. Yes, character names. So the it's it's Middle Earth. It's a whole other world. Yeah, that's because it's one story. It's, you know, like it's one entire story with the same characters that I don't. Because then you look at Ursula Le Guin sometimes and Oh, sorry, we're getting off just now into fantasy, though. It's fine sci fi. I'm fine with a fantasy sci fi fantasy. But some of her books, they're they're shorter, but there's different quests in that. So that's why Lord of the Rings, I think, is probably the most ultimate big book. Yeah. You know, I didn't. Think about it that way, but yeah, because it's one story told over thousands of pages. Exactly. So the thing is, because I think it's like War and Peace in Infinite Jest have like they're the highest of high of like the longest books. And I think Stephen King is up there, too. But I don't think people think about Lord of the Rings being the ultimate book like. Because it's almost always broken up. Into the trilogy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a good point. But yeah. Yeah. Although I don't know anyone that sat and read it straight through like that as one. Oh, I'll go with you. Yeah. Actually the kids, some of the kids in my class, like they did awesome. Yeah. Of course. Yeah. I know. I love how one kid he was reading for fun. It he's like, Yeah, I'm just rereading it because the movie was coming out again. At Oh, yeah, that's the only one that my husband has read twice. I have not read it. It's my favorite Stephen King book. Will I read it again? Probably not. We talked about this the other day like favorite that you would read again versus favorite as in best book because they're not the same. He said. What's your fave Stephen King book? I said it and he's like, You'd read it again. I said, No, not favorite as I would read it again, favorite is like the best reading experience. Yeah, it's a thousand pages. I'm probably not going to read it again. I already retained all the information. I don't need to read that story again. Yeah. And then it went into a whole conversation about like how we judge our favorite books, which again holds every conversation. I know. But like, really interesting. I was like, Oh yeah, no, that book was super long. I'm not going to sit through it again. Yeah, but it's still my favorite reading experience. Now I'm talking to 63. Like both of those are my favorite reading experiences. I'm Stephen King, but they're not ones that I'm going to revisit and I'm not a reader in general, but like if I'm going to read a book, it's not going to be thousand pages. I know personally, because it's too many books. No, I mean, think like there's so many nonfiction biographies that are they're big books. Like I read Teddy Roosevelt. H w brands biography. Well done. Very well done. These are also big books. These are huge take over. Like, I think my one of my first big books when I was a kid was Daniel Boone's biography called Boom No Joke. I was. So accurate to how I know you. As a writer. I think I was like 13 or something and, Oh, God, I loved it. Of course you did. It's Westword expansion was like, Let's go in the wilderness and, like, find all this stuff and interactions with indigenous people. And it was just really awesome. I was like, I really want to read this because I was just like a weird little nature kid. But biographies are there's so much fun and there's so much that you get out of it. And some people are like, I don't want to read that whole thing. And the thing is, with a big book, like a nonfiction book like that, you have to. Know the in the last 100 pages are footnotes. That too. But so you just want to read like Teddy Roosevelt when he was defining all the national parks. That's a good point. You could skip around Yukon Fiction. Exactly. You're not because there's no worldbuilding, there's no character development, there's no plot that you have to follow along. However, what biographers do do sometimes is it's a paper, it's a thesis. You're getting to like the whole point of why you're writing this. Like what was from all of the research that I've collected, this is the like, the literal sentence that you're going to get out of this, like, which is the meaning of this entire biography. And sometimes it's more than a sentence. But if you can simplify the words enough, like this is the point of the book, but if you're just looking for information, yeah, you can also just read snippets of a big book. It's a good. Point. It's not like you are like, Oh, I have to read this. You're not like glued to it, Don't worry. Also along the same lines, they make young readers editions of a lot of nonfiction books out of them. But so, for example, I think I've talked about this on the podcast before, stamped from the beginning by Dr. Ibram X Kennedy is a thousand pages long about the history of race in United States. It's very heavy, it's very cerebral. I'm sure it's excellent. I have not read it. However, he worked with young adult author Jason Reynolds to do Stamped Remix, which is a young readers edition that condenses the information down for young audiences. It's 300 pages long. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down like it's compelling, but it's less cerebral. And even if you're not a young reader like you get a lot of the same information in this condensed version, so you don't feel like you have to commit to a thousand page tome that might seem overwhelming. Same thing with like the People's History of the United States. There's a young readers version, the People's History, the Indigenous People's history of the United States as a young people's version. Like. Well, that's a project. Like Look out for young readers versions of books, especially non-fiction books, because they do exist for larger titles. And if you don't want to commit to what might seem more academic, there are versions that are meant to be more accessible for readers. So that's another project. Also an offshoot of that. What I've noticed and what I like to do is they take like classics and make them into graphic novels. They sure do. And so say you don't want to read like Charles Dickens, The Great Expectations. That's a relatively normal sized novel. Yeah, but sometimes maybe the language is a little bit more to for a developed reader. It's. Intimidating. It's intimidating, and it's it's not, but it is at the same time. And what graphic novels do is they make it so it's more understandable. And maybe you read the graphic novel and you're like, Oh, maybe I do want to read exactly. You can always come back. You can always come back to it. Yeah. And there's also I've noticed a lot of classics that have been basically adapted into young adult novels that are based loosely on them. So like Anna Karenina, there is a young adult novel called Anna K, which is like a modern take on the inner Karenin a story. So it's like definitely a more accessible version of the same type of story. If you find that the the long books or the classics are a little intimidating. So there's always ways around it. If being if it being a big book is like the barrier for you, there's lots of ways around it. Yes, exactly. And if you go to this episode and you don't want to read big books, that's totally fine. Well, that's my it's you don't have to. My sister is like that. She's an avid reader. Loves to read. Just not drawn to long tomes. No she's like, I'm not reading Stephen King. That's why I'm going to get bored. I was like. I mean, you. Read Jane Austen. No offense to Jane Austen fans out there because I like some Jane Austen. Yeah, or she'll like some a room with a view. It's like, yeah, but that's maybe not my type of entertainment. Yeah. Like, she's never going to sit there and read War and Peace. I love Russian authors. Exactly. You know, like, that's totally fine. I don't expect you to do that. And big books don't have to be for everyone. But if you do want to kind of experiment, if you're tired, there's lots of ways. Yeah. I think we've outline also a couple other tips. Join a group or read with a buddy. If you're finding that a big book is really intimidating. Yes, there was a thing because when I first took a warm piece, it was like when Twitter was Twitter, it was people were like, you would read 12 pages and then like, people would comment about it. Yeah. So like there stuff also online because maybe your friend group or your readers around you. And peers. Are not interested in that. There's so many things online that it's like you can join a group and they're like, Oh, we're reading this together and this is how we're doing it. Yeah. So if that's another way to get into it, Yeah, another option. So I joined a group called Big October last month when I was reading my most recent Dark Tower book because it was 700 pages and I was like, All right, I really need like stamina for this. I'm interested in the story. It's left it picked up where it left off, but like the length is really bogging me down. And so I joined this group on Instagram and it was basically just every couple days we would check in and be like, How's everybody doing? Like, where? Where is your progress? How are you feeling? It was very low stakes. It wasn't like, what page are you on? It was like, How are you feeling? What are you doing? Do you need help? Like, how can we help you as a group? Like push through this? It's like. Cheerleaders. Yeah, I got a cheerleader and there. Was no pressure to read a specific book. There was no pressure to even enjoy the book. It was just like a check in which I thought was really, really nice. And some people read more than one big book that month. I did not, but it was just nice to have like, a little cheerleaders in your little message box. Yeah, that's. Nice. That's good. Also setting goals if you're a goal setter, if you are wanting to tackle a big book like, say you do want to tackle War and Peace, maybe you want you want to read a certain pages a day or you want to read a certain pages a week. Like setting goals for yourself might works. It's not going to work for everybody. But you know, I want to finish section part one by the end of this week and then like, make those little markers for yourself. Yeah. Yeah. And but also be kind to yourself. Yeah. Reading is not a competition unless you're in a competitive reading group, which I did, which was hard. I don't recommend it. Not for. Me. No reading sort of competition. Joy Yeah. And basically I think what we're trying to get across is don't be intimidated by the big book. Yeah. If you want to take on the big book, take it on. There's support out there, there's forums, there's people that you can connect with online. You can go to your local library and talk to a librarian that's. Literally this. And because we love doing this kind of thing and just tackle it, have fun with it. It's getting to be cozy season. It's getting

dark at 5: 31:27

00. Oh, even before that. I know it's the shame, but it's okay. Daylight savings. Oh, tandem reading another another strategy. Yeah. So having a physical copy of the book and having an audio copy of the book so that you can read them at the same time or so that you can read them in different areas of your life. So if you're in the car, you can listen to it and make progress. And then when you're at home, you can read the physical copy. So you're kind of doubling up on, Wow. Kudos to people who do that. I will miss up my place constantly. Well, you're a Kindle reader. It saves your. Space. Oh, okay. Yeah. No. I did that a couple of years ago when I was reading a long series. I would listen to it in the car, and then when I was home, I would read the physical copy. But yes, you do have to keep moving your bookmark. Yeah, it's extra work, but it works for a lot of people. Okay. Yeah. Do you have any other more tips to give to our people? I think so. think I got through all of my tips. I think I got the right. Hands on them. I'm really here because I just love big books. Yes. So I'm probably I don't know, my the one on the team who reads all the biggest books. I think you probably do. Yeah. And it's not coming from a person who actually, like, grew up not liking to read until she hit a certain age. I took big books by storm and like wasn't afraid at 13 taken on boom like y. I don't know. Yeah, but just embrace it. Have fun. Yeah. And if the book sounds interesting to. You, do. It and it's long. Just try it. Like station 11. It's one of my favorite books and that's it's a pretty long one. But I was just like, It sounds cool. I'm going in. Yeah. And I just I went with it. So it's okay to be intimidated by big books, but there are strategies and if you actually want to read big books, give it a try. Just do it. Yeah, just a just as Mike says. Just do it. Just do. It. I found that I've actually read fewer big books over the last few years. I went back like this year. I've read one last year, I read to the year before I read three. So it's dwindling. That's why this year I was like, No, I want to make it a point to read a big book. At least once this year. Yeah, and I think if you do like. What are your if you want. If you want to. Yeah, that's right. Like I think about the big books I've read. Yeah. You read several of your. I do, but I don't think I read that many this year that were big like last year. You took them. You did a. Couple. I know this year when I find Infinite Jest, I will read it. How I'm going to come across this book is I go to a lot of used bookstores and you can find it's nothing against not taking it out in a library. I just need a big book. Sometimes you want to you kind of you love the copy. You want to hold it. You want to hold the copy all the time. You don't you know. And I so that's just me personally. But when I find it and I come across it, that's when I know it's my time to read it. And I go to a lot of used bookstores. So, yeah, you'll find. It. I'll find it. And then I. Memento. When I'm meant to. Oh, goodness. It got a little woo woo there. The and it's all right. It's okay. All right. Well, that was our conversation about big books. Do you have any you want to recommend? I mean, you already talked about a ton. Do you have any going want you want to recommend if you haven't already mentioned? I think if you're starting off with the big books, sometimes go with the author. Like their essays first they have essays or they're shorter books. But honestly, I'm an avid Stephen King. Start with Stephen King. I think it's so effortless and smooth, and he's just such a great. Writer as a cinematic writer, as my husband calls it. Like you're watching a movie. That's very true. Yeah. I think start with Stephen King. If you need a Stephen King recommendation personally, come ask me. Because he's more than just like horror and like what people make assumptions about like 11 2263 is an amazing book and that is about the assassination of John F Kennedy. It's a science fiction time travel book. Yeah, it goes back in time. Yeah, that's. Great. But it's amazing. And then even put it, I loved Billy Summers. And I. Did. That was a really long one. It was like 550. Yeah. And if you're ready to take on the stand, I suggest reading the stand. I think it's a really good book because it's more than just this global pandemic. It was really well done. And then if you want to take on Tolstoy, if you like Russian authors, if you want a history book, read War and Peace, if you want a love story in like real humanness reading Anna Karenina, that book has stayed me in such a way because it was so raw and emotional that I can't get over that book still. I just think it's amazing. Jonathan Franzen The Corrections. Okay, that's it. Best book. It was actually named the one of the best books of the 21st century. Wow. As of right now New York Times did that list not that long ago and it was number five, I think. Wow, You don't see a lot of long books on that list. No, those are some of my recommendations. I'm a little biased because it's what I like, but I think start with Stephen King. Yeah. Start with their. Guy. Yeah. I mean, my top two are 1122, 63 and eight, both very long books. Yeah. I also want to shout out the Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendigo, which is a horror book that is about five or 600 pages. And it was one of those books that I didn't care. I was just flipping, but I read it in like two days. I couldn't put it down. And it was it was pretty chunky. Yeah. He has another one that came out last year, Black River Orchard, which was like 650. But his his writing is just so propulsive, just like Stephen King, where you don't care how long the book is, you just keep going. Also with horror, you want to know what the heck is going on. So you just keep turning the pages. Exactly. And then this is going to be a maybe a little different recommendation. But if, you know, my reading tastes, it won't be out of left field. It's called The Blackbird Girls by Ann Blackman. It is a middle grade book about, Oh boy, what country is it now? I believe it is about, oh my gosh, Chernobyl. Why am I blanking? It's about what it was like to be in the evacuation zone outside Chernobyl, which I had never read a book on. And it's from the perspective of two young girls. Interesting. And for a middle grade book, it's over 500 pages, which is not typical, but the cover is stunning. I picked it up because the cover is stunning. It's red and purple has these the backs of these two girls. And this, like the smoke in the sky is rising, but it's red. It's stunning. So if you have a younger reader or are interested in kind of getting in with a little bit of an easier entry point. Yeah. Blackbird Girls by Amy Blackman. Wow. Good recommendations. Totally. You and I totally. We have such different so things like our only overlap. Is the only thing. I mean he's the great. He's the great. What's the word? He's just looking. Yeah. I mean, yeah, yeah. He's also being a troll on the internet right now, which I love is. All right, well, thanks for listening. Yeah, and stuff. This was fine, but that's fine. You're like a person to talk big books about. Oh, they. I had a good time. Yeah. We hope you enjoyed our talk about big books, and we hope we encouraged you to maybe pick one up or try it out with some of our tips. Stay tuned for a turn that up and we'll see you next time. See you next time. Okay. Bye. Hello and welcome to the segment we're calling. Turn that up. Projects at Russell Library that are too good to keep quiet. Now, speaking of noise, the library is going to be closed on Wednesday, November 27th at 5 p.m. until Monday, December 2nd for construction to update our lobby and the roof in the reading room. We are going to reopen Monday morning with new programs and events for December. So, Shannon, do you want to tell us a little bit about that? I do. So the next friends of the Russell Library book sale is on Friday, December six and Saturday, December 7th, during library hours. So both those days, 9 to 5. Browse titles ranging from current bestsellers to collectible classics. All proceeds support new programming and other projects at the library. I love a good book sale. I do too. I always miss them. Yeah, because I'm not here and it's. It's fine. It's fine. I don't need any more books, but I always miss the ice. I was like, It's the friends book sale again, and I'm not going to be here. It's fine. It's fine. That's all right. It leaves more books for others. Exactly. Yeah, it totally does. Also, on December 7th at 3 p.m., the library will also host singer songwriter Sarah Lou Richards for a folk Americana concert in the Hubbard room. Sarah Lou Richards is a middletown resident who crafts lyrics that are personal and universal, sharing a sound developed over the years and Nashville. Ooh, So does she have like a country folk ness to it? She does, yeah. Nashville's really hitting it off. It is. It's boomed. I went to Nashville, I fell in love with country music. I was not a country fan. And then I left there with a cowgirl hat and cowgirl boots and I was ready to join. But for any additional information to sign up, please visit the library's online calendar. Also, the library's Science Saturday series continues with two sessions on December 14th in the Hubbard Room with experiments that explore all things shining, glowing and dazzling jazz hands learn about bioluminescence and light refraction while singing and dancing with this fun STEM program. The 10:30 a.m. session is recommended for kids ages 3 to 8, along with their caregivers in a second session. For kids, ages 8 to 14 will start at noon. U.S. Saturdays are always fun. They really have assisted with them. They blew up balloons and confetti came out and they did bubbles and some crazy things. I've had fun. Participate ing as a staff member. Yes. I mean, it's a great job. She really. Yeah, she. Really. Does. And, you know, she's not afraid to get messy. And science is messy sometimes. Scientists, definitely messy. So I'm also messy sometimes homework. So if you're finding that you need homework help, we have a new drop in program at the library on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and experienced tutors will be available to help in a variety of subjects. And we'll work in small groups to assist students on their homework assignments. The homework Help Center is intended for middle and high school students, but elementary school students are welcome to attend. If a student attending is under the age of 12, a caregiver must remain in the building for the duration of the session. Now, these sessions will take place in the space in the teen area of the library, and it is sponsored by the Teen Violence Prevention Grant. Courtesy of the YMCA. So thank you, YMCA. They appreciate. Yeah, we do. We also appreciate a good meal book discussion. And that, of course, means books and brews. So Books and Brews is going to meet on Thursday, December 12th at 6 p.m. to discuss Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk at the library, and the group is meeting at a new location for a city brewing at 180 Johnson Street in Middletown. So join the folks with books and brews for an evening of good food and thoughtful discussion. And Once Upon a River is a really good read. It's an oldie but a goody. I have yet to read it. I know. I think for City is right next to stubborn beauty. Yes, it's in that same area. Yeah. So I have yet to go there. Their beer's probably great. The food's probably good. So. And you know, from photos, it looks like the vibe is really nice. So definitely check it out. Definitely. So the library's programs for young adults are going to include opportunities to learn how to crochet, make beauty products and fight disinformation. So on Wednesday, December 4th at 6 p.m., Middletown Pride's Ben GREENE will discuss common sources of disinformation, misinformation, more information, and demonstrate strategies to combat them. More information. That's a new. One. That's a new one for me, too. Yeah, I think well, I'm not going to spread misinformation and guess what? It is. But neither am I. I think I have to get the definition now. Yeah, I mean, so maybe we should go. We should probably do this and. Yeah, most definitely. Yeah. And then we can also, you know, learn how to combat all of those things. So if you want to learn something new on Tuesday, December 17th at 6 p.m., you can learn crochet basics or work on current projects in the space. And if you need some time to unwind, the library is going to offer hot chocolate and cookies to help relax before finals week. And that's going to be on Thursday, December 12th at 530. And I know what you're wondering. It's the winter is coming, but glamour on a budget is possible and the library is hosting a DIY beauty workshop on Saturday,

December 14th at 3: 44:56

30 p.m.. Join Rachel, who is also known as the replanted Witch, to make a shimmering dusting powder inspired by lush cosmetics, dry shampoo or an edible face mask. Oh my guide. So it's a beauty ritual and a snack. That's awesome. I've had lush stuff. Like the best stuff. It's very nice. It is. It's really nice, isn't it? Like all natural or again, I have no idea. Yeah, I think it is. Yeah. It has an ideology. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but yes. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's good. The products are natural. It's just a whole experience. It really is. It's a vibe. Well, we've got a lot of things going on. I know. My goodness is right before like the holidays are coming up. What a scary say, I can't believe we're at the end of the year. I can't. Be. That's the scary part. I can't either. We appreciate you listening to this episode of Middletown Strong. Thank you for listening. And feel free to share what you've learned with others. Middletown Strong is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere that you get your podcasts. So please subscribe and again, feel free to share what you've learned with others. Russell Library has too many exciting things going on to keep them quiet.