15 Extralong Books Perfect For Extralong Winter Nights

A winner of the Man Booker Prize, Eleanor Catton’s beautifully detailed novel is set in nineteenth century New Zealand, where Walter Moody has arrived to stake his claim in the gold rush. This is an epic about greed, power, gold, dreams, opium, secrets, betrayal, and identity, but most of all, it’s a celebration of the art of storytelling.

Page Count: 864

On a damp night the daughter of a reclusive cult-horror film director is found dead in lower Manhattan. A journalist soon discovers that this is not the first murder to befall a member of the director’s family. The mixed-media approach to storytelling and inventive, suspenseful plot will keep you turning the pages.

Page Count: 640

If someone were to write a book about the “Friends” theme song, this would be it. Jules, Ethan, Ash, Jonah, Goodman, and Cathy meet as teenagers at a summer arts camp, and remain bonded for their entire lives. These characters are not only unforgettable, they’re so human that you’ll wonder if you’ve met them in real life.

Page Count: 560

In this sweeping novel of World War II, Piercy follows six women and four men who fought, died, worked, worried, moved, and loved through the drama of the conflict. As we bear witness to events known and unknown across Europe, what stands out most is the strength of the human spirit, and the power of survival.

Page Count: 768

A Maine high school teacher steps through a time portal and attempts to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The twists and turns will have you speeding through, but if you need any more motivation, mark your calendar: the Hulu adaptation starring James Franco premieres this President’s Day!

Page Count: 880

It’s fitting that a definitive portrait of the so-called Man behind the Mouse is nearly one-thousand pages: it matches his legacy. Walt Disney was arguably the most influential figure of the twentieth century, shaping and changing American culture as we know it through his films and entertainment empire.

Page Count: 912

This stunning first novel follows the daughter of Irish immigrants in Queens who is determined to get out and achieve the American Dream. Thomas’s gorgeous prose and unforgettable characters will have you turning the pages as fast as you can.

Page Count: 656

A modern epic, Jonathan Franzen’s novel of family and suburban sprawl comically and tragically captures the mistakes and joys of one couple as they struggle to learn how to live in an ever more confusing world, and perfectly captures what it means to come of age.

Page Count: 608

There’s no other way to put it: the novel is magic. Literally. Marion Zimmer Bradley takes us deep into the legend of Camelot through the eyes of the powerful women who helped King Arthur claim his throne, and later brought his kingdom to ruin. Perfect for a long snow day—or any time you’re in need of an escape to another world.

Page Count: 876

Andrew Solomon’s startling proposition in this landmark book is that being exceptional is at the core of the human condition. Difference is what defines and unites us. Solomon interviewed families whose children run the gamut from prodigy to potentially dangerous, and explores how people who love each other must struggle to accept each other—a theme in every family’s life.

Page Count: 976

An American classic on almost everyone’s bucket list, this one is an oldie—and a biggie—but a goodie. Even if you’ve watched the movie of this epic of the Civil War South, read the book. This masterpiece is worth your time.

Page Count: 960

One of DeLillo’s best, this doorstopper—and showstopper—begins with Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World” at the Polo Grounds, and steamrolls ahead to tell the story of the second half of the twentieth century. Though the novel focuses on an artist and an executive, Lenny Bruce, J. Edgar Hoover, Frank Sinatra, and Jackie Gleason all make appearances.

Page Count: 832

The shortest book on this list, this searing and important memoir from one of the great thought leaders and activists of American history is a must-read. As he chronicles his childhood, religious beliefs, and the experience of being black in the United States, Malcolm X’s words shine a light on how far we have come as a country—and how much farther we still have to go.

Page Count: 460

In the summer of 1946, New York City pulses with energy. Harry Copeland returns from from WWII to run his family business and falls for an intoxicating young singer and heiress. Their romance plays out in Broadway theaters, Long Island mansions, the offices of financiers, and the haunts of gangsters—and ultimately requires that Harry risk everything for love.

Page Count: 720

London in the 1870s. Sugar is a nineteen-year-old prostitute yearning for a better life. Her ascent through the strata of Victorian society offers us intimacy with a host of lovable, maddening, unforgettable characters. Twenty years in its conception, research, and writing, this panoramic, multidimensional novel is teeming with life, and rich in texture.

Page Count: 901

Here are more great book recommendations from our friends at Off the Shelf:

• 10 Beachy Reads to Fight the Winter Blues
• Piper's Prison Book Club: 10 Books From Orange Is the New Black
• 11 Contemporary Retellings of Classic Literature