Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books Over 600 Pages That are Totally Worth Reading

600 Pages is a LOT

Do you like long books? Even though I’m a fairly quick reader, I tend to avoid long books whenever possible. I like a book I can finish in a single sitting. But occasionally I come across some exceptions, though it’s admittedly pretty rare. (Even my review guidelines make note of this.)

This week, as part of Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, I’m sharing ten of the longest books I’ve ever read with a bit of a caveat. Obviously more than one of the Harry Potter books is over 600 pages. I only included the longest book in any of the series mentioned, but with the exception of Lady Midnight and … Continue reading

Vampires, Ghosts, Witches, and Teen Fiction

twilight_sagaby_reggie_bIf you are a parent of a teen and have escaped the Twilight craze and the Harry Potter boom, you are probably in the minority. This week, and for many weeks past, vampires dominate the young adult bestseller lists, as Harry Potter did before them. Also not long ago, the Newberry Award was given to Neil Gaiman for his middle grade novel The Graveyard Book, a story about a young boy on the run from a killer, raised by ghosts and other beings in a graveyard. Is this bad news for Believers?

Some say no. After all, we read the Narnia chronicles, which have many connections to Greek mythology. Tolkein’s Gandalf is a wizard. Is that so different from Rowling’s characters?

To others, Rowling and Lewis … Continue reading