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tryingagain74 ( member #33698) posted at 3:26 AM on Friday, July 12th, 2013
Well, as for very long, The Help was excellent and not a taxing read. Plus, it's based on the civil rights era, so you get a historical angle as well.
I'd also recommend Crime and Punishment. I remember being afraid of Russian fiction... it will be about the cold... and people having deep thoughts that I won't understand... and everyone will be wearing those large, furry hats! 
It was excellent. I was totally absorbed and loved seeing how it unfolded. I don't recall it being super long, though.
One last piece that is also probably average in length, is historical in nature (Holocaust), is a rewarding read since the language is so beautiful, and creates interesting Biblical connections is No One Is Here Except All Of Us by Ramona Ausubel. My book club loved it, but a good friend of mine is struggling to get through it. I still have to recommend it, though. It was one of those books that I just happened upon and was so glad that I did. It's such a different view of that time period, and she finds the beauty in it, if that seems at all possible.
[This message edited by tryingagain74 at 9:26 PM, July 11th (Thursday)]
FBS; now happily liberated!
Two DS and One DD
It matters not how strait the gate,/How charged with punishments the scroll./I am the master of my fate:/I am the captain of my soul.--"Invictus," William Ernest Henley
tesla ( member #34697) posted at 4:24 AM on Friday, July 12th, 2013
East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Love that book.
Also, my brother has been telling me that I absolutely should read War and Peace...so, I guess that is his recommendation for you 
"Thou art the son and heir of a mongrel bitch." --King Lear
h0peless ( member #36697) posted at 5:24 AM on Friday, July 12th, 2013
I don't usually read fiction but you can't go wrong with Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.
If you're interested in some good non-fiction, you might enjoy reading some of Richard Halliburton's stuff, particularly "Seven League Boots" and "The Flying Carpet". They are both amazing books.
[This message edited by h0peless at 11:27 PM, July 11th (Thursday)]
lost_in_toronto ( member #25395) posted at 7:29 AM on Friday, July 12th, 2013
Historical fiction by Margaret George. Her books are very long. I particularly enjoyed The Autobiography of Henry VIII.
Me: BS/48
Him: WS/46
DDay: August 23, 2009
Together 23 years.
Reconciled.
GabyBaby ( member #26928) posted at 2:29 PM on Friday, July 12th, 2013
"The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory. She also wrote a number of historical fiction pieces that were very good.
Me - late 40s
DD(27), DS(24, PDD-NOS)
WH#2 (SorryinSac)- Killed himself (May 2015) in our home 6 days after being served divorce docs.
XWH #1 - legally married 18yrs. 12+ OW (that I know of).
I edit often for clarity/typos.
lamplighter ( new member #39795) posted at 3:29 PM on Friday, July 12th, 2013
Cloud Atlas! Dense, long, epic, many different time periods explored. Satisfying read.
looking forward ( member #25238) posted at 3:13 AM on Friday, July 19th, 2013
All historical novels by Edward Rutherfurd:
Sarum
Russka
The Forest
Dublin
Ireland
New York
Paris
Amazing!
Together more than 57 years, Married 52 years. Sober since 2009. "You've always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself." (The Wizard of Oz)
Lyonesse ( member #32943) posted at 4:01 AM on Friday, July 19th, 2013
Hilary Mantel's books on Thomas Cromwell: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Both Booker Prize winners.
MerryMeNot ( new member #35872) posted at 12:52 AM on Saturday, July 20th, 2013
"The Terror" by Dan Simmons. Great summer read, because it's set in the ice!
BS - 42
my fWH - 48
M 8 yrs, together 10
his DD/my stepDD - 14
DDay September 2004; OEAs, PA that lasted 2 months
I have suspicions! He's up to something, I can feel it....
metamorphisis ( member #12041) posted at 3:51 AM on Saturday, July 20th, 2013
Hilary Mantel's books on Thomas Cromwell: Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Both Booker Prize winners.
*mental note to look for these!! I've seen them mentioned before but forgot about them.
Go softly my sweet friend. You will always be a part of who I am.
Skye ( member #325) posted at 1:37 PM on Saturday, July 20th, 2013
For those of you mentioning the Hilary Mantel books, just wanted to forewarn you. My entire book club disliked the first book to the point where almost nobody finished the book and the leader couldn't find anything to discuss. I'm not sure why that happened. My book club reads and likes very diverse books. I knew I had to leave the club early that day so I put down the book after 100 pages that I didn't like.
Would love to know why it was loved by so many!
pizzalover ( member #38336) posted at 5:09 PM on Saturday, July 20th, 2013
The Stand by Stephen King - excellent and involved read!!
Trying to rebuild each day
Me - WW 41
Him - BH 41 (mpb1974)
2 Furrbabies - sweet cats
Met - 8/13/99
Started dating - 9/11/99
Moved in together - 3/03
Engaged - 6/5/09
Married - 8/21/10
D-Day - 1/24/13
Affair started 5/09
frigidfire86 ( member #32324) posted at 10:59 PM on Saturday, July 20th, 2013
I read a lot (about 150 books so far this year alone) and I highly recommend Terry Goodkind's books. He is, by far, my favorite author of all time. He wrote the Sword of Truth series plus a couple of other books related to the series. And he has another being released next month. They are fantasy books, like Wheel of Time and Game of Thrones, but better IMO because they focus more on the people, their choices, the consequences of those choices (good and bad), and the culture and day to day life of his created world. I'm not a big fan of reading page after page about battles, politics, and tactics.
Wizard's First Rule (gets interesting right away)
Stone of Tears (800-something pages)
Blood of the Fold
Temple of the Winds
Soul of the Fire
Faith of the Fallen (<--amazing!)
Pillars of Creation
Naked Empire
Chainfire
Phantom
Confessor
The Omen Machine
The Third Kingdom (8/20/2013)
^^Those are all one continuous story with the same characters, although the last two aren't technically part of the series.
Debt of Bones is a short novella that takes place before the main series and is about one of the main characters when he was younger.
The First Confessor is a prequel that takes place a few thousand years before the main story. Only 300 copies were printed so you'd have to get the e-book. (It has 103 chapters...you wanted long 
)
The Law of Nines is also related to the main story, but set a few thousand years later and in our world instead of the fantasy one. You can actually read it without reading any of the others, but there are little things you'll "get" if you read the main series first.
I could go on and on about his books forever. Seriously love them!!!
"The only books I read are the Goodkind."
[This message edited by frigidfire86 at 5:13 PM, July 20th (Saturday)]
burnt_toast ( member #16891) posted at 2:19 PM on Sunday, July 21st, 2013
Atonement (Ian McEwan)
Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
[This message edited by burnt_toast at 8:20 AM, July 21st (Sunday)]
I may have not gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
- Douglas Adams
circe ( member #6687) posted at 2:32 AM on Friday, July 26th, 2013
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
Wow, blast from high school english class! My DS also had to read Siddhartha in high school - I've never heard of anyone who's read it who didn't have to!
I absolutely adored Mists of Avalon. It's so hard for me to become immersed in a fictional novel as an adult (biographies are a different story!!) but Mists of Avalon took my adult mind and entwined it in a fantasy land for hours and days at a time.
For me, I found Pillars of the Earth very tedious and stodgy and slow. But again, I read so much non fiction these days that it's hard for a novel to intrigue me.
[This message edited by circe at 8:33 PM, July 25th (Thursday)]
Everything I ever let go of has claw marks on it -- Infinite Jest
jjct ( member #17484) posted at 12:11 AM on Saturday, July 27th, 2013
The Deed of Paksenarrion. Fantasy. One of the original 'strong woman' protagonist stories. Love strong women.
3 book series. Elizabeth Moon is adding 3 more (waiting for the 3rd, or is it 4th?)
Elizabeth Moon coincidentally lives near here.
The Sharpe series (can't believe Thren didn't mention this!) - by Bernard Cornwell.
Historical Fiction. Napoleonic era. 24 books!
I really like JV Jones' "Cavern" series - but like some, she's slow getting the last installment out.
Then there's Janny Wurts, whose "Empire Series" is co-written with Raymond Feist. It has another 'strong woman' character.
It also ties in with a Feist's "Riftwar" series.
Janny just needs to finish The "Wars of Light and Shadow" series, which starts with the "Curse of the Mistwraith"
"Unbroken" - True story. Too good not to mention again. A story of survival. We could use that.
LosferWords ( member #30369) posted at 1:40 AM on Saturday, July 27th, 2013
I'm currently enjoying The Passage by Justin Cronin.
Just finished Under The Dome by Stephen King
I also read War & Peace and Crime & Punishment in the last year or so. Both good books!
childofcheater ( member #33887) posted at 2:34 AM on Sunday, August 4th, 2013
If you love Outlander I second the recommendation of The Bronze Horseman trilogy by Paullina Simons. Amazing!!!
Me: 42 yo, him 41Married 19 years together 233 kids: DD15, DD12, DS9DDay 2/9/12 found suspicious text to coworkerStatus: in R, work in progress
rachelc ( member #30314) posted at 12:40 PM on Monday, August 5th, 2013
I just picked up Marjorie Morningstar... so far - great!
StrongerOne ( member #36915) posted at 10:38 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2013
These are billed as young adult or kid books, but I found them exceptionally well written and engrossing historical fiction:
The eagle of the ninth (rosemary sutcliff, written in the 1950s)
Heroes of the valley (Jonathan stroud)
The ring of Solomon (stroud. Historical fantasy -- really, stroud is a wonderful writer)
The wee free men (terry pratchett. His "kids" books are better than his adult books. This one is fantasy that feels kind of historical.)
Books for adults -- I loved The Master by Colm Toibin. Book for literary nerds -- about Henry James and very much in James' style. Also by Toibin, The Blackwater Lightship.
dickens, bleak House
dickens, Great expectations
You might also like Jodi picoult. Smart, readable, always has a well researched setting.
[This message edited by StrongerOne at 4:39 PM, August 12th (Monday)]
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