The BIG Books Episode with Chrissie Whitley | Ep. 235

Sarah and Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) dig into their very different relationships with big books, from what counts as "big" and knowing when the moment is right to what makes a long book worth the extra pages. They also share some of their favorite big books — and a few they wish had been shorter.

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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Highlights

• Where Sarah and Chrissie each draw the line between a regular book and a big book.
• Is a 700-page book intimidating … or an invitation to settle in?
• When, and why, are they most likely to pick up a long book?
• Does format or genre change how big a book feels?
• What makes a book actually deserve its high page count?
• Some of their favorite big books … and a few they really wish had been shorter.

Some Favorite BIG Books

Chrissie

• 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster (2017) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [30:38] 
• The Princes of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, 1) by Edward Rutherfurd (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [33:36]
• Fox by Joyce Carol Oates (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [35:54]
• Red Comet by Heather Clark (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [39:10]
• Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:45]
• The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [44:30] 

Sarah

• 11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [32:31] 
• I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [34:32]
• A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (1989) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:23]
• The World According to Garp by John Irving (1978) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:25]
• Natchez Burning (Penn Cage, 4; Natchez Burning, 1) by Greg Iles (2014) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [41:19] 
• Wanderers (Wanderers, 1) by Chuck Wendig (2019) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:40]

Other Books Mentioned

• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1869) [30:06]
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1846) [30:07]  
• The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (2017) [31:43] 
• Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd (1987) [33:49]
• London by Edward Rutherfurd (1998) [33:53]  
• The Rebels of Ireland (The Dublin Saga, 2) by Edward Rutherfurd (2006) [34:19] 
• Whistler by Ann Patchett (2026) [38:04] 
• Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (2011) [40:23]

Some BIG Books That Felt Too Long

Chrissie

• Ordinary Monsters (The Talents, 1) by J. M. Miro (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [48:39]
• Wellness by Nathan Hill (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [51:24] 

Sarah

• City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [45:39] 
• The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (1986) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [49:51]

Other Books Mentioned

• The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe (1987) [46:06]
• The Second Coming by Garth Risk Hallberg (2024) [48:05] 

Books From the Opening Discussion

• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (1989) [9:24]
• The Brightness by Chad Harbach (October 27, 2026) [11:47]
• I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998) [14:07]
• Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, 1) by Sarah J. Maas (2012) [14:51] 
• Outlander (Outlander, 1) by Diana Gabaldon (1991) [19:05] 
• 1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin (2025) [22:12]
• Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry (1974) [22:19]
• Generations by Jean M. Twenge, PhD (2023) [22:26]  
• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026) [26:13] 
• The Elements by John Boyne (2025) [29:08] 
• A Court of Forgotten Memory (ACOTAR, 7) by Sarah J. Maas (January 12, 2027) [29:39] 

Other Links

• The Gilmore Guide to Books | Catherine's Review of Ordinary Monsters