Intimidating books, are they sitting on your TBR pile? Which ones are you nervous to start?
Intimidating books, are they sitting on your TBR pile? Which ones are you nervous to start?
132 Answers
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Loading Please wait
Les Miserables and Alexander Hamilton are mine. They are just soooooo big.
@Jaleesa Les Miserables is also mine. I’m excited to read it but I have so many other books to read I always go with those first.
Les miz is a great book totally worth it
Pretty much the Russian literature section makes me shudder. I can’t tell you how many times I have started War and Peace.
@Erin haven’t tried War and Peace but I really enjoyed Anna Karenina….if that helps.
I read War and Peace on my lunch breaks at Wendy’s one summer. The lines were always so long I wanted to finish it and say I started reading it when I got in this line
Proust.
Cloud Atlas
@Natalie mine too. It’s been there three months.
The Name of the Wind
@Brooke I was thinking of getting this today! I have been told to read it so many times.
It seems so good but it’s SO HUGE. Like I can’t lug that around all day lol. I’m putting it off until summer break when I can stay home and read it
Also I have the 10 year anniversary edition so it’s got like 100+ extra pages of calendars, glossaries, currency conversions….it’s a lot
It’s SO good though! I hesitated starting at first too but once I got into it, I had trouble putting it down.
Is so worth it, Brooke, I promise
I’m going to say none – if I didn’t want to try it I wouldn’t have bought / borrowed it . . . And if I don’t enjoy it I’m at the stage in my reading life where I’m confident enough to quit . . .
I’ve owned The Mists of Avalon for 15 years or more, and have yet to read it!
@Kayla it’s so worth it! One of my all time favorites!
The count of Monte Cristo!
It’s amazing! You won’t even notice it’s length once you start ?
You will stay up all night reading
Night Circus
@Richa read it soon!! It’s amazing. I loved it. Utterly fell in love with it ?
@Richa I haven’t bought it yet…I keep putting this one off as well
@Rachel I’ve heard so many good things about the book that I am kind of scared to read it. What if it doesn’t live up to it….. If that makes sense ?
@Richa I get that, I was like that with a man called ove and we were liars. But it’s good to make your own opinion, even if it isn’t omg I love it ? though you will because it’s literally brilliant ?? swear I’m not being sponsored to say this ?
@Jaleesa this is your sign that you shouldn’t ?
@Jaleesa ?? one of these days.. I promise ?
The Night Circus has a really slow pace, but it’s SO good!
Shantaram ? I borrowed it off a work colleague 2 years ago almost, and now I don’t work there anymore ?♀️ I’m just now sure if it’s even my cuppa tea, and it’s so large ?
It’s such a great read – I highly recommend it
LOTR. Please don’t hate on me or attack me for not reading it (jk ?)
@Munzarin I’m right there with you lol!
You’re not alone!
@Munzarin I haven’t read it either
I’ve had them for such a long time, but this year I decided that it will be the year! I read The Hobbit in January to introduce me to the world and because a lot of people recommended me to start with that one, and it was amazing!
Dracula. It’s long and I want to like it, but I know the style might not be my favorite, so I’ve been putting off reading it for a while.
@Gisselle I tried reading it a few years ago and couldn’t finish it. I picked it back a year later ( more prepares for what I’m getting into) and loved it!
A lot of people love it but say it’s a slow book, but I’m bad at keeping up with slow books. I need that instant gratification! lol
Outlander
Song of ice and fire game of thrones
@Danielle I’ve only read the first of those books so far…I’m really bad with commitment to a long series
I’m normally not into the fantasy genre but I do like the show and my girlfriend is a big fan so I got the book for that purpose but can’t bring myself to read it
House of Leaves is on my TBR shelf at home and this year I *am* going to read it.
@Rebecca give it time to grow on you and you’ll be glad you did. As long as you like scary stories.
@Michelle, thank you for the encouragement; I’ll need it. (And, yes, I do love scary stories.)
The Goldfinch. Kind of nervous to start it in case I hate it!
@Megan Same!
Megan Hanley same!
It’s a really long book but I liked it, specially the first half. I think is worth it
Necromonicon. Big black book mocking me for 4 years now. Got it as gift.
I am a huge Brandon Sanderson fan and have read everything by him except the Stormlight archives. I have the three current books staring at me from my shelf everyday ?
@Nicole read them!!! I am a sanderson devotee and I love the stormlight books!!!
@Nicole don’t read them! It’s gonna be a ten book series apparently, so it doesn’t end with the third…. And it’ll take him years to finish them ???
Game of Thrones. It’s extremely difficult for me to get into books like that. I usually do much better watching the movie/show adaptation, but I want to make sure I get the full effect. I’ll kinda feel like I’m missing out if I begin the show without the full detail of the books.
@Tyler I feel the same way. I’ve only read the first book in that series
well worth the read… I’ve read the series 4 times. I catch new bits every time I re read
Murder Meyhem short stories. It’s a Gothic book, I never read any Gothic books, and I’m scared AI won’t like it.
Anna Karenina and The Iliad and Odyssey
@Caitlin I enjoyed Anna Karenina but the other two are still on my TBR pile
The book thief
@Abby that’s our book club book this month
@Jaleesa maybe it should be my personal book club pick for the month hahah
Outlander
I love the Outlander series, but the audiobooks helped me a lot. Especially with the Gaelic, hearing the names pronounced helped me tremendously. I listened to the first on audiobooks and paperback for the rest (I’m not done yet)
Infinite Jest
@Morgan Same
A Little Life, The Fireman and The Goldfinch
War and Peace, Infinite Jest, Les Miserables
Les Miserables, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
House of leaves.
@Devine jump in! Give it time and you’ll be glad you did. Well worth it.
@Michelle aw thanks for the support! I will give it a go!
@Devine that’s mine too. I’ve already read it but desperately want to reread it! I really do know it’s worth it, but I need to get myself in the right place to tackle it.
@Adrienne the re-read is even better. Great book, isn’t it?
@Michelle So good! It’s been way too long. I think I’m ready to get back to it.
East of Eden
@Nancy one of Steinbeck’s best for sure
The Little Friend by Donna Tart
A Little Life ?
@Dizar oh my days, I loved it ❤️ Yes, it’s a lot to read but I just thought it was amazing ❤️
The Count of Montecristo
Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke and Black Lamb and Gray Falcon by Rebecca West. At the beginning of the year, I decided this is the year I’m going to tackle a couple of intimidating books. I am currently well on my way in another beast, The Complete Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant. Blonde is up for this spring and the other two for the summer.
@Myrthe Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is a really good book. Blonde is long, but Joyce Carol Oates is such an interesting writer, it goes quickly. I applaud your reading of Guy de Maupassant. I have his complete works in volumes. He’s intimidating! Good for you!
I read some of De Maypassant’s stories in French in high school and some in English years later and I liked them back then. I’m taking my time with the stories, reading one a day and taking a break every two volumes or so. It’s a year-long project. I’m enjoying it, but his view of women is starting to grate.
I’ve read and liked other book by Joyce Carol Oates. My favorites so far are The Gravedigger’s Daughter and We Were the Mulvaneys. I still have a number of other books by her on my TBR. She’s such a prolific writer whose work I definitely want to explore more.
@Myrthe I loved We Were the Mulvaneys but haven’t read The Gravedigger’s Daughter. Do you recommend it?
Yes. It’s depressing, though. It was my first JCO.
I’m reading Ulysses by James Joyce, the most intimidating book of all time.
It took a class.
The GOT prequel fire and blood. Hubby is reading it right now but just looking at its size is putting me off. Maybe after watching the last episodes of the series I might be more enthused.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson because 1 – it’s huge and 2 – I’ve been reading a lot by him lately and don’t want to get burnt out.
IT (by Stephen king) lol. I’ve started and stopped that book so many times. The length intimidated me
@Amber I don’t own that one but every time I see it in a bookstore I think “someday” and then walk away lol
@Jaleesa hahaha I own like three copies of it, true story. I bought the mass market paperback first and figured the reason I couldn’t finish it was because it was too small and thick. Then I bought the hardcover at a book sale and thought maybe I didn’t finish it because it was too heavy. Then I bought a larger paperback thinking THIS WOULD BE THE ONE……then I just got so overwhelmed being 200 pages in and still having 800 to go that I gave up lmao. I’m the worst
@Amber I did that with Les Miserables. My friend got me a beautiful copy and I decided I couldn’t read it because I couldn’t take it with me so I got a mass market copy…. we’ll see if it works
I just rented The Mists of Avalon from the library…didn’t realize it is nearly 900 pages…
In Search Of Lost Time by Marcel Proust.
A Little Life
That one spent a lot of time on my TBR before I felt ready to tackle it. Once I did, I raced through it. I loved it. But yes, you need to be in the right place to read it.
It seems like a book that takes emotional preparation for sure
anna karenina…only because i know i’ll need to be dedicated
@Lily it’s worth the time
I read most of it got bored stopped for a year heard how it ended from a clue on jeopardy then finished it. It was a good book
“It” is super intimidating. It’s so big!
@Jen but so creepy! Really worth it. Plus, once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop! Give it a try!
Dune – Frank Herbert
Gone With the Wind
@Megan I read a lot as a child stopped for a long time gone with the wind got me into reading again as an adult
@Megan Me too.
“Forever Amber”
I have a lot: Anna Karenina, les Miserables, and I, Claudius have all been collecting dust. I really want to read them but they are so intimidating
Handmaids tale. For some reason i just cant get myself to open it and start reading it
@Ashley I may get blasted for this but I may be the only person who didn’t enjoy the Handmaids Tale. Margaret Atwood is a fantastic writer. She writes the story very well, it’s just not in my top 50.
The Goldfinch and Anna Karenina are super intimidating for me!
@Arlena I feel you on the goldfinch!
@Arlena haven’t read Anna Karenina but The Goldfinch is *so* worth it! ?
@Arlena The Goldfinch is so worth it!
@Arlena The Goldfinch has been on my TBR list forever. I keep moving it to the bottom of the pile. It just seems intimidating for some reason.
I read both ans I especially loved Anna Karenina.
Possession by A.S. Byatt.
@Robin it’s gorgeous
@Robin it’s a beautiful story.
I hated it. One of the very few books I DNF’ed. Or rather, technically I did finish it but I skipped most of the book.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Only because I watched the movie first and that was wild. So I can only imagine how crazy the book is gonna be.
@Makayla it’s crazy, but you might just laugh out loud. That is sort of rare, even with the best of books, you know?
@Makayla these books are very funny and weird
House of Leaves
I’m struggling to finish Call of the Wild and it’s not even intimidating lol. Idk why I cant get into it
The Priory of the Orange Tree
@Tara just got that book and I’m psyched to read it but damn is it large.
@Tara i almost picked that one up….and then I saw the size of it?
Lord of the rings. All of ‘em.