Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
When the nights grow longer and the air chillier, it’s prime read-at-home-under-the-covers season. Bundle up; here are eight long reads — around 450 pages or more — to get you through winter.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Page count: 592
Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea threads together achingly pretty prose with a dreamy, loose narrative brimming with pirates, painters, secret worlds, ancient libraries, time-traveling lovers, and a mysterious book. At the center is graduate student Zachary, who finds himself navigating the “starless sea.” Existential and atmospheric, this is an ideal read for anyone looking to get lost in an Alice in Wonderland-esque fantasy.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Page count: 601
Winter is the perfect time to knock out a few classics, and East of Eden might even make your family seem more normal before you head to holiday dinners or gatherings. Backdropped by Salinas Valley, California, John Steinbeck’s sweeping, multi-generational novel retells the story of the fall of Adam and Eve and the rivalry of Cain and Abel, through two families: the Trasks and the Hamiltons. More than a Genesis retelling, East of Eden is, at its core, a deeply human story of love’s destructive tendencies. You won’t regret sinking into Steinbeck’s rich imagery!
The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade
Page count: 448
Can’t get enough sweeping family epics? Reach for Kirstin Valdez Quade’s heartfelt debut The Five Wounds. Set in Las Penas, New Mexico during Holy Week, the novel follows multiple generations of the Padilla family as they navigate changing dynamics, sickness, addiction, and what it is to be both a parent and a child. While moments are tinged in tragedy, the ending is elevated by hope. And if East of Eden and The Five Wounds still have you hungering for multigenerational drama, pick up Jeffery Eugenides’ Middlesex.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Page count: 849
The King of Horror sometimes dips into other genres, and this time-travel sci-fi thriller is one of his best works. 11/22/63 follows Jake Epping, who is given the chance to go back in time to prevent John F. Kennedy’s assassination. History fans in search of suspense, take note: This one is for you.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Page count: 848
Calling all dragon fans! At over 800 pages, The Priory of the Orange Tree is a dense fantasy that’s perfect for those who love immersive worldbuilding. Billed as a feminist retelling of Saint George and the Dragon, it’ll keep you entertained well into January. And, its prequel, A Day of Fallen Night, clocks in at 868 pages. So, if dragon fire helps keep you warm on the long, cold nights, you’re all set!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Page count: 496
Released in 2024, The God of the Woods is a few pages shy of 500 but will keep you gripped until the end. Set at a wooded summer camp in 1975, the mystery is spurred by the disappearance of camper Barbara Van Lear, whose parents own the property. Her older brother disappeared 14 years ago without a trace. Throw some water on the kettle, pour yourself a cup of hot tea, and settle into this atmospheric, twisty mystery with lush prose.
(And if you can’t get enough layered mysteries, try another recent bestseller: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.)
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Page count: 592
The first book in the All Souls series, A Discovery of Witches invites readers into the world of historian Diana Bishop; upon opening an alchemical manuscript, magic enters her once ordinary life. As this fantastical novel unfurls, Diana finds it increasingly difficult to push her family’s magical legacy aside.
And, as an added bonus, this entire series is already published! If you love the first, author Deborah Harkness has two more in the trilogy, and two spin-offs waiting for you on the shelves of the library.
Another Country by James Baldwin
Page count: 448
Published in 1962, James Baldwin’s Another Country is hailed as one of the most important novels of the 20th century, and for good reason. Baldwin shapes his characters, in all their flaws, with expert precision and care. Steeped in complex themes like race, gender, and sexuality, the novel follows a group of friends as they navigate a traumatic death, grief, loss, loneliness, prejudices, and growing older.
Add a comment to: Long Reads for Long Nights