Angerball's Chunky Challenge!!

[angerball]

Ok, I'm about to start reading The Swarm by Frank Schatzing. It comes in at 881 pages so I'm feelin' a bit intimidated. I do love reading big hefty books rather than shorter novels, but they have to be that bit more interesting to keep me going. While I can persevere with a bad short novel, I just can't stick with a bad long one.

 

So here goes nothing....!

[angerball]

Still getting through The Swarm. I got to a really exciting bit last night - lots of action - so I got through a good chunk of it, but I'm still only about half way through it. Oh dear!

[angerball]

Finally finished The Swarm. It took me about 3 weeks to finish! Oh, the shame... It was a great read - quite fast paced, with loads of action.

[angerball]

I just finished A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. That was my chunker for June.

[angerball]

I'm still reading An Instance of the Fingerpost (I seem to be reading alot of chunkers these days!). I've just started part two - the story told through John Prestcott's eyes. What a great concept for a story. Initally, when I heard that was how the book was written, I was a bit put off. I thought, "I don't want to read the same story four different times". However, it's not like that at all. It appears that each persons story - though centred around the same events - has a very different perspective, and is driven by a unique motive. What impressed me, is that after reading the Cola's story, I thought "Ah-ha, so that's what happened!"; then reading Prestcott's version, I see that's not the case at all! I'm very much looking forward to the end of this one, as I have a feeling that the ending will show a very different take on events than was first alluded to at the beginning of the book.

[angerball]

Just started The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert. It comes in at 598 pages in the hardback.

 

And it's set in Devon!!!!

[JudyB]

I just finished A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. That was my chunker for June.

 

 

I'm very near the end of this - it's my chunky read for July.

 

Hope you enjoy The Secret of Crickley Hall - that was my chunky read for May (if I remember rightly).

[angerball]

I'm enjoying it so far, though it's a little bit creepy!

 

Hope you are enjoying A Spot of Bother. I thought it was a great read!!

[JudyB]

I went off it a bit in the middle - there's too much cringy bodily functions related description - but I'm back on course with it and very, very close to the end.

 

The Secret of Crickley Hall was creepy - by coincidence it rained everyday that I read it and made me feel quite oppressed.

[Janet]

I went off it a bit in the middle - there's too much cringy bodily functions related description - but I'm back on course with it and very, very close to the end.

The bit where

he tries to remove the lesion?! I kept having to take breaks/deep breaths to get through that chapter!

[angerball]

The bit where

he tries to remove the lesion?! I kept having to take breaks/deep breaths to get through that chapter!

 

Oh yeah! That was absolutely gross! I had to skim through that bit. It was so descriptive, I could really imagine him

snipping away at that thing with a pair of scissors! Scissors, for heaven's sake!

 

[JudyB]

Yes Bagpuss I did start to flag at that point plus it was cringy and I actually asked myself whether I wanted to continue. Decided I would and am glad I persevered as I quite enjoyed it in the end.

[angerball]

Well, The Secret of Crickley Hall is just waffling on a bit too much. It would have been a much better read if it was half the size. I'm about 200 pages from the end, so I'm really hoping I'll finish it today. I'm hankering to get my hands on The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox!

[angerball]

Started the His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman the other day. It's a trilogy, but as I'm reading it in one go, I thought I'd include it as my doorstep challenge. It comes in at just over 1000 pages, so I better get cracking!

[angerball]

Finished the first book of the His Dark Materials trilogy. While I enjoyed it, I wasn't as blown away by it as I thought I would be. Maybe it's because I'm generally not a fantasy fan. I'm about to start the second book, The Subtle Knife.

[angerball]

Forgot to add The Stand as my current chunker. At 1,421 pages of bliss, it definitely qualifies.

[JudyB]

Forgot to add The Stand as my current chunker. At 1,421 pages of bliss, it definitely qualifies.

 

 

You've got nearly 3 months worth there!!

[angerball]

I know! It'll certainly keep me busy!

[angerball]

I have to add World Without End to my doorstep challenge. It clocks in at 1,111 pages, so it will keep me out of mischief for a bit.

[Adam]

I have to add World Without End to my doorstep challenge. It clocks in at 1,111 pages, so it will keep me out of mischief for a bit.

 

 

Thats alot of book

[angerball]

But it's a good one, so I don't mind the long read.

[angerball]

I'm still reading this one. It just goes on and on and on. It's one helluva long story.

[angerball]

Hallelujah! I finished it! Review posted in the review forum.

[angerball]

Currently reading Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. It clocks in at 514 pages of tiny, tiny writing. :thud:It's a bit too dense at the moment; it would be a lot better without the waffle and constant obscure references that don't really add much to the story.

[angerball]

^I'm about 150 pages in, and it's really picking up. It's a great read, and I've gotten used to the obscure references. I can see why it is compared to The Secret History by Donna Tartt; it has the same sort of 'feel' to it.