The Silmarillion is one of those books that you name, and nobody argues that it's a hard read the first time you read it. But once you get through it, you'll feel like you beat a Dark Soul's boss.

Re: War and Peace, I’m currently doing a “slow read” which is one chapter a day - and they’re super short chapters! It’s great because you read other books simultaneously, and yet Tolstoy’s characters remain fresh! Highly recommended!

Speaking for Stormlight, don't be intimidated. Those are the most easy reading books... maybe because I read era 1 mistborne first but Sanderson has a way of making you see the stuff he writes in your head so vividly. Bruh, both you and Ashlynn, I honestly await y'alls intro into the cosmere. All the best, always enjoy the videos. :)

If you're going to read Great Expectations, start in the autumn and make sure you have lots of tea or coffee to drink. Charles Dickens books always need an atmosphere and comfort.

the count of monte cristo is my favorite book and its so worth it i swear!!! it is so entertaining and the characters are so raw and the story is so amazing i cant even talk about it properly. you will absolutely love this book!

17 yo here, I read The Count of Monte Cristo in December and read The Brother's Karamazov in the last month and they are my two favourite books ever. If you commit to finishing any books on this list, I promise these two will be the most rewarding and satisfying when you finish (I am reading War and Peace rn too and I agree it is intimidating).

The Count of Montecristo is so good! I know it’s long, but please try to finish it! It’ll rewrite your brain chemistry. I’m not intelligent enough to properly explain how much I loved and understood this book, but really, the characterisation, the descriptions, the intricacies of the plot, the character growth, everything is just stunning.

Keep persevering with The Count, it’s big but an easy read and incredibly rewarding - one of my favourite classics. For some of the others, there are some really good “how to read (insert book title)” videos that might help😊

The Brothers Karamazov was my favourite book I read last year! It’s a challenge but oh so worth it! Just take it slow and you can get through it. War and Peace, The Count of Monte Cristo and Infinite Jest are also on my TBR this year! So many great books on your list 😊😊

I will be reading Count of Monte Cristo, Don Quixote, and War and Peace, this summer. I prefer classic books to modern books. The writing is just so much better. I will also be trying out The Wheel of Time around the winter holidays.

Dumas is a phenomenal writer. The Count is an amazing story that I still reread the book since my first read in highschool. So insightful into humanity while also keeping you on your toes on what happens next.

Hey Ian, some of these books I have not heard of and I too shall be adding them to my read list. Thank you for the ideas! :)

Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favortie books of all time. I am dipping my toes into the cosmere this year and I started with Tress of the Emerald Sea (loved it) and am now trying to read Mistborne. I am struggling with immersing myself in Mistborne but I flew through Tress, reading it in one day. Glad I found your channel!

As someone who isn't a huge fantasy reader, I got into Brandon Sanderson's mistborn series and I found the magic system very digestible even though I was intimidated. Although Stormlight is longer, I feel like it's similar! Thanks for creating such fantastic videos! All the best to you and Ashlynn ! Cheers from Canada!🍁🍁

I loved this video. Feels like you took the words right out of my mouth. If I were to make a top 10 hard books it would be just like this. It’s like you said, it is a mountain I’m determined to climb. Monte Cristo, les misérables, Dune, and war & peace are def at the top of my list. Anna Karenina used to be on my list, but it feels good to say that I crossed it off. We’ll get there!

Another banger Ian!!!!!! AS ALWAYS. Thank you so much for putting out so many great videos all the time it truly makes my day and I know it makes thousands of others peoples too. God bless brotha ❤

This video popped up in my recommendations and I'm hooked. Subscribed and will become a constant watcher!

It's nice to hear I'm not the only one who hits the same point in a book you're enjoying and just can't continue. For me it's War and Peace. Five times. I've reread the first 200 pages 5x! And I love Tolstoy's short stories, love those first 200 of W&P and yet, I'm blocked. Best of luck with your reading!

I read Count of M.C. via audible because of all the French and it was AMAZING! There are characters that the narrator did incredibly.

I feel you those are some massive books to get through! I feel like all classic books intimidate me and make me feel like I might get bored reading them but I definitely want to get over that fear and read some classic books this year!! Happy reading Ian!!🩷☺️

I’m so glad you’ll attempt Monte Cristo again, I think you’ll love it. I know translation is a rabbit hole but it really does make a difference. (Cristo is my fave book and I’m currently 300 pages through war and peace and I sampled translations before choosing.) W&P is very much a character development book. I found it helpful to annotate Tolstoy despite not usually doing so with fiction 💡I’m excited to see you delve into these🎉 (I got 300 pages into Moby Dick and put it down to start w&p😂

it always makes me smile when booktubers speak about War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy the way you did, when here in Russia we are obligated to read it in our 10th grade literature class :) however, many russians (of any age) agree that it is not a good decision, not only because the book is obviously difficult for 16 year olds, but also because being obligated to read something huge like this leads you to the point of not wanting to read it at all. i personally started War and Peace twice, in 10th and later in 11th grade, but even being a big reader did not manage to finish it. so it is also still on my list of difficult tbr. speaking of the other books you mentioned, i also want to get to other Cormac McMarthy stories (read The Road few years ago as well and absolutely loved it. actually been planning to reread it in 2024), to Atlas Shrugged, to Great Expectations, and to Moby Dick (the one i own an unabridged original language copy of, so it is going to be even more difficult). on my list there are also Under the Dome, 11/22/63 and the Dark Tower series by Stephen King (his books are not that difficult to read but these are damn long! reading It by S.K. took me a whole month, though i loved it anyways), Ulysses by James Joyce, Dune by Frank Herbert, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan, The Man Who Laughs and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. for me also Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky turned out to be a difficult one, the same as with WaP i started it a few times and never finished (actually all of his Big Boys, such as Brothers Karamazov or Demons or Idiot are on my tbr as well). one of my difficult tbr books i am happily reading right at the moment, Middlemarch by George Eliot. very enjoying the exquisite language so far!! well, it’s gotta be all. thank you for the video, Ian! have a great week!!

Great video and great list. I’ve started and stopped Les Miserables a few times. This is my #1 difficult book that I would love to read, but overwhelmed by it. I have it on my Kindle so maybe I’ll try again. I also owned a copy of Infinite Jest for many years but eventually donated it. I’ve also heard a great analogy for Tolkien’s works. The Hobbit is a middle school grade book, LOTR is adult fantasy, and the Silmarillion is a dense history book.

2 videos in one week!? You've been killing it with the uploads lately😁

So many classics! Good luck trying to get through all of these books! They seem super intimidating to me.

Really excited for when you read The Count of Monte Cristo. That's one of my favorite books (like top 10) and once I read it, I was like angry with myself for not reading earlier. Dickens is extremely difficult for me. He's wordy and it seems like all the characters are charicatures. So when I think of "big scary book", I think of Dickens. Russian Litterature is pretty hard, too. I'm totally with you on Infinite Jest as well. Look forward to your updating us saying you've read all of them (eventually) and no, I don't want you to suffer! lol

Infinite Jest is great! Definitely use tabs to keep track of characters and developments. I read it in 21 days and think about it most days since I’ve finished it (last year!) Also, Atlas Shrugged is very readable once you kinda get into the rhythm of her writing. I really enjoy more long form fiction, so I love these videos!! My BIG book for this year is Anna Karenina by Tolstoy.

It's great to see people challenging themselves! I've been reading for years (in my mid-70's). The past 6 years I've been co-reading two grandchildren's school reading lists ...great fun! Here's a few suggestions for some of your choices. I read "The Count of Monte Cristo" in January. It's an easy read & moves right along. I stayed with it until it was done, rather than reading several books at a time (my usual practice). "War and Peace": Once I realized everyone is known by 3 different names & made a character list for reference & it moved right along. I decided to read a book/section, take a break to read a few other books, then return. I ended up finishing the first book/section, took a break, then returned. It was so good I didn't break again & continued to the end. It also helps to know some history of the Napoleonic Wars. I am more familiar with the British POV, this was my first foray into the Russian POV. I loved the battle sections! Overall, It became a favorite! (So far I favor Tolstoy over Dostoyevsky, but have lots more to read!) "Great Expectations" - wonderful atmospheric writing, great characters ...if you listen to audiobooks, this is a good one in that format. "Atlas Shrugged": This & "The Fountainhead" were recommended to me in college. Ayn Rand revealed an alternate worldview I had not previously thought about. Her work got me thinking ... not always agreeing, but definitely expanded my thinking. Good luck with your challenge. Proceed at your own pace & enjoy great writing! (I don't think I will ever read all of "The Silmarillion", though I have friends who accomplished it.) Have fun ...I'd love to read these books for the first time again!

Very kind shout out, and great video!

New subscriber! I really want to start reading big books again, I remember I used to back in college. I want to start with Sanderson, nope, I've never read him. Greetings from mexico!

Daaamn Silmarillion, I am so hyped to hear your thoughts about it! Also Sanderson, maan, no suprise I love watching you. Lets gooo

This is the first video of yours I've seen, and I don't know your personal opinions or tastes, but when ever I have a really hard book that I want to read, Audiobook is the way I go, it often helps me get though long and hard reads. Montie Christo and LotR being ones that were just to tough for me to read

Solid list! I've read eight of your ten, but I haven't read the two fantasy series. I completely agree with Brothers Karamazov as #1. It's my favorite novel of all time. I would highly encourage you to replace one of those with the unabridged version of The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Of all the "difficult" reading feats in my life, that's the one that was the most impactful and rewarding by a pretty big margin. I think it should be required reading.

im sooo sure you're gonna looove Branderson's stormlight!! They are big but the character work and prose is very fluid and easy to read :) Plus they're REALLY fun :O Please try the first two books this year!

Eeeeeeeeeeeek! Sorry I just love The Count of Monte Cristo so much! I was surprised it was on your list. Now I'm kind of curious what part you couldn't get past. I'd say the thing I like most about it is the characters. in terms of books I'm having a hard time getting through it would be Les Mis, I got about halfway through it and haven't picked it back up again in a while but I intend to! Also The Silmarillion, it's hard to read for me because I read the book of lost tales and the Silmarillion is different and I think I prefer the book of lost tales.

Can’t wait for the 50 Shades of Grey reading vlog!

Massive Sanderson fan here. Good luck on you journey, really hope you enjoy the stormlight archive. if it seems too big to tackle try warbreaker or elantris :)

This was really good, I really liked the idea of it. Good luck.

Two words... Finnegans Wake

Malazan is my Everest too! I’m on book 6 and there is always a lot going on and a lot I don’t understand but the journey has been great so far

the count of monte cristo is AMAZING and as far as classics go it is so engaging - i think the most important thing is to be in the right headspace for a longgg classic, i started it once and made it like 50 pages in and wasn't ready for it at that time but when i picked it up again i blasted through it and loved it!!

WOW ‼️ I am impressed with the books that you want to read. I am just attempting to read The ShadowHunters series. 🤠🧡 your videos and book recommendations make me want to read more books that I struggle with. I also can’t read classics like Charles Dickens or Jane Austen because the writing is so hard and I can’t focus and even with audiobooks I find them a bit boring or slow so I won’t read them.

Also on my Intimidating books TBR are King Killer which I will start when any news for book 3, I want to finish Once & Future King, starting Licanius in May, want to read thru Hercule Poirot collection, and also very interested in Discworld series but put starting it off until next year

Great video. If you want to add to your challenging list, a la Malazan, that is also iconic, try Janny Wurts WARS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW. 11 books. See if you are up for it in the future! Worth the struggle. Best prose (for me) in SFF.

War and Peace can be tough, depending on the translation - the copy you showed retains the French when spoken, the Russian nobility at the time used French over Russian. Thankfully the French is translated in footnotes, however there can be paragraph upon paragraph of French in the text. As for my scary books to read they would be Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, and Joyce's Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake. I'm currently reading Infinite Jest, and The Brothers Karamazov.

Stormlight is my favorite series because of the characters. If you like character work you will love the Stormlight archive.

My father's recommendation for any Russian author, but especially War and Peace, is to write down a character's name the first time you come across it. You will at different points need to add patronyms, nicknames, and titles, but it's a handy reference which will keep you from thinking that Alexander Andreiovich (made up example) is a new character when he's the Grand-duke Tovarich who was introduced30 pages earlier. I loved War and Peace. I picked it up when I was recovering from an emergency appendectomy, so I had plenty of time for reading. It captured me quickly. I like Crime and Punishment and I have a friend who adores The Idiot. I think either of those gets you to an understanding of Dostoevsky that lets you approach The Brothers Karamazov more easily.

I would recommend the Karla Trilogy by John le Carre. It consists of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy/ The Honourable Schoolboy/Smileys People. Worth the effort to get through. If it makes you feel any better, it took me 26 years(in which I got married, bought a house and raised a family)to read Vanity Fair by Thackeray; I kept picking it up and putting it down, and finally *got it* this year.

So I'm a relatively new subscriber and I'm low-key bingeing your past videos and I just watched the one where you read thrillers for a week and I think you might enjoy Night Film by Marisha Pessl. Speaking of difficult books, I try to read one every quarter and my four for this year are Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, Walden and Don Quixote.

Dostoevsky is by far my favorite author, but Anna Karenina is by far my favorite book of all time!!!!! I actually am rereading it now and DUDE im loving it so much more!! And as crazy as it may sound, Tolstoy is honestly one of the easiest classic authors to read. I think part of the reason is becuse its translated into english rather than reading like Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, and all the victorian era authors who wrote in english but its old english and thats a big reason why it can be difficult reading those books. But Tolstoy especially really does write so so beautifully in so many ways, even as he rambles on he has such pretty writing in my opinion. I haven't read War and Peace yet, i plan to later this year sometime, but I would say start with Anna Karenina because it truly is one of the greatest works of fiction if not the best.

Great expectations and blood meridian are two of my all time favourites. They are ‘hard’ to get into but once you do, you are in for a real treat.

Great Expectations is one of Dickens more accessible reads so don't be scared if things like a tale of two cities has put you off! Takes a while to get into the language but the plot, the characters, the observations on society - so worth it! Right now I'm intimidated by the Gormenghast series...I think its just going to get so bizarre it could be hard to follow!

Amazing video! So fun to watch and what a list! Those books are huge. There's definitely some books that I'm a bit intimidated by or that have such a serious topic that I tend to avoid them: 1. Forager - Michelle Dowd 2. $500 House In Detroit - Drew Philip 3. Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System - Cyntoia Brown 4. Beyond Ourselves - Catherine Marshall 5. Two Years Before The Mast - Richard Henry Dana Jr. I actually just bought Forager yesterday!

My favorite book, but it is a slog at some points, is In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. Some of his sentences are like labyrinths. But the prose borderlines on being lyrical and his insights into human behavior is beautiful.

I will say that the Brandon Sanderson books that you have on your list are beasts and I am currently reading. I have not seen a magic system like his. It is so fascinating to me. I will say, there are parts of these books that did totally confuse the crap out of me, however it all makes sense in the end.

I do love NASB but I also love ESV & the new LSB. Word for word over thought for thought every day!!

The Count of Montecristo is my favorite book of all time! I found it super engaging and I honestly got lost in it. I'm scared to start War and Peace but that's also on my "Big Book tbr" 😬 Best of luck to you!

The Count of Monte Cristo is awesome one of my all time favorites! I’m currently reading Crime and Punishment and the translation (Oliver Ready) is amazingly easy to read, I’m totally enjoying it. You’ve got this and I totally understand challenging yourself, I still do it and I’m just a little older than you 😉😉😉 BTW Anna Karenina intimidates me 😳

I’m currently reading The Way of Kings and am having a great time! I was also very intimidated (still am tbh 😂) and am definitely more of a character reader too. It’s really good and I love all 3 of the main characters, I’m only 30% through but definitely recommend jumping in!!

I read Great Expectations when I was a freshman in high school so many many years ago, not for class as many people assume when I say that, and I loved it. I've owned Atlas Shrugged and War and Peace for years and still haven't read either past the first few pages. Started Count of Monte Cristo a long time ago but don't remember every finishing it, or anything about it really. I should revisit that one. I am in love with the Stormlight Archives series. I just finished the first book and am starting the second soon. I love the magic system in this series as well as the characters. I hope you read and enjoy them. I don't think I have heard of Infinite Jest. Not sure if it is something I want to tackle! Same for the Brothers Karamozov. I have never tried to read the Silmarillion. This is another that I am not sure I am up for. I hope you eventually read them all and get everything you hope to out of them.

I made a recent vlog of reading War and Peace. I’m in the middle of it and enjoying it. I read The Count of Monte Cristo recently and made a video of that as well. It is now in my top 5 favorites of all time. Highly recommend reading those books.

My Top 10 Scary Books are: The Last Superstition by Edward Feser, 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson, The Finest Hour by Winston Churchill, A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, 1984 by George Orwell, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxis These are in no particular order, but they are all books I really want to read at some point. I enjoyed this video and seeing what you find challenging to read!

I absolutely love Count of Monte Cristo. I found reading these large classics go so much better when I break it down to like 50 pages at a time and only going further if I want to. Some of my difficult books are Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain, The Odyssey by Homer, and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.

Which is supposedly the best translation of The Brothers Karamozov? Nice list! A few of my favorites: Gone With the Wind Uncle Tom's Cabin (really beautiful) Ben Hur

I cracked down and finally got to The Stormlight Archive last year so I could be part of the hype for book 5 this December. It was pretty much only the page counts that got me worried. I got through them easier by checking out the audiobooks on Libby and also having the physical. You don't have to really worry about the wider cosmere, there are easter eggs, but he makes them subtle. that's why rereads are so fun!

The Silmarillion is so good!! I can’t wait to hear your opinions on it

Love this! Lots are on my Wishlist as well as godel Escher Bach

When I was about to comment the Stormlight Archive you said it lol. Was going to recommend that and The Expanse series. 8:50

Count of Monte Cristo also on my intimidating TBR, absolutely loved the movie Perfect time to start with Stormlight Archive with book 5 coming out in December which will be end of arc 1~ but you do need to read a couple others along with the SA books (Mistborn, Elantra’s, Warbreaker, and others) that is why I recommend starting with Mistborn era 1 just to see how you like Sanderson style and to get hooked (maybe)

I feel ya on Dickens. I think it’s really impressive how smooth his prose is, but my problem is his prose is so smooth that my mind easily wanders and I end up rereading pages because it just didn’t stick.

haha…I have the same feelings about Dickens. For my taste, he is a more difficult read than many others. I love anything Steinbeck. Super accessible, great characters, and storylines, great messages. I think part of it is the writing style and era the work is from and part of it is your particular reading brain when you try a book. There are plenty that I loved years before but would be bored by now and others that I have hated before that I love now. Great list!

Just started my Malazan journey. Gardens of the Moon was tough to get through. I had to go back and forth, as questions, and then at the end of reading it, I watched a video review to ensure I understood the material like I was supposed to. It is confusing but what I found was if you just listen, let yourself be confused, it's still a good story and by the end, things will make a little more sense. (not fully, not by a long shot). I'm almost done with Deadhouse Gates and I absolutely love the story.

Slowly reading some of my hard/difficult books already and can understand some of your difficult books to read. My list is Mistborn/Cosmere series, The Poppy War, Throne of Glass (just because so many people like it and I read ACOTAR series and what if I don't like this one), Stephen King, Malic, Robin Hobb's books, and Warbreaker (Length and understanding the magic system in the book).

Hi please keep us updated let us know how it goes. It seems. like it will be interesting. You always give very sincere opinions on books.

I just wanna say Ian that you don't have to feel intimidated by the stormlight archive, you already read a lot of big fantasy series, like GOT for example. It's funny that you say that Brandon does more world building and plot first, that is overall true for mistborn, because the characters were not all flashed out. But in the Stormlight Archive it's definitely Characters first, world building and plot last. So I hope you give them a shot some time, because I wanna know your opinion. I really like your channel btw, your girlfriend and you are such a great couple 🤩 keep it going :)

Oh I’m so looking forward to you reading Brandon Sanderson I’ve read two of his books so far and they have both been 5 ⭐️ reads!

The Brother Karamazov has been on my shelf for years and I fail to make it past the same spot every time. Dracula is another classic that scares me (pun intended 😅 ). Amor Towles is an amazing author, but his books are intimidating and difficult since his prose reads like a classic. Love your videos! All the best to you and miss Ashlynn!

Omg! I love this topic. I have tried to read Don Quixote and War and Peace, they are my 2nd and 3rd, my 1st, Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. Like u, I get to the same spot and give up🤣🤣. I will get through these three books!!!

Silmarillion is worth it when you get to it. (I didn't read it until I was in my 40's, despite reading LOTR 4 times starting at age 12!). Great Expectations is good entry level Dickens (I read one every summer by him), and is definitely one of the ones worth your time. (Not all of them are IMO). Count of Monte Cristo is a top 10 of all time for me - push through! You have a highly readable translation of War and Peace on your video! It's big and dense, but I think is worth it. And Tolstoy is MUCH easier to read than Dostoevsky, so don't be too intimidated to be honest. Brothers Karamazov - this one is definitely more challenging, but (again) worth it. Good luck with these and thanks for a fun video!

Ooo yes I have the Brothers Karamazov on my list to read! My dad loves Russian literature and this is one of his favorites books ever! So I really want to read it hopefully this year!

I agree with you about War and Peace. I've recently started reading it. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't difficult to read. Atlas Shrugged, go for it. Yes, it's very long, but the point of it is so relevant for today. I also want to read more of the classics. I have a hard time with the prose flowing for me.

I read Anthony Briggs translation of War and Peace last January and it was surprisingly approachable and very enjoyable. It’s really not scary once you get into it. I would definitely recommend his translation. I’ve also heard that some people reading War and Peace struggle and DNF because they read one where the French dialogue is untranslated. Briggs translates all of it, so you’re able to get right into the story and not flipping around to find translated passages in the back. Also, writing out or printing a character list from a website is helpful as well, so you can keep track of everyone, especially with all the nicknames and patronymics Russians use.

Ian, watch Brian Lee Durfee’s recent video review of the Andy Serkis narration of the Silmarillion. He said he never enjoyed it until “Gollum” ‘s narration. I downloaded it a few weeks ago but have not listened it to it yet.

I'm with you man. It took me MONTHS to read the Count of Monte Cristo, but the ending gets GOOD. Once you get past the middle you'll soar right through it.

The count of Monte christo is literally incredible!! Plz read it, sooo worth it.

You'll love Great Expectations. It is one of Dickens more accessible books. A Tale of Two Cities works well as an audio book. the other really accessible dickens is Oliver Twist.

Heyo new subscriber here, and also someone who is just starting to get back into reading after years, this video made me think of a book that turned me away from reading because I thought I just couldn’t read a physical book not knowing at the time that the author has such a very hard to read writing style, and that book was Fallen by Lauren Kate and the whole series, I’m not sure if you’ve ever read them or ever plan too but I would love to know your opinion and if you find it difficult to read aswell

As a huge Tolkien fan i completely understand where you're coming from on The Silmarillion. I started to read it years ago but stopped.

I LOVE the Count of Monte Cristo. Currently doing a reread now. There's so much to the book that if you push past where you got stuck you'll almost definitely find a part of the story that you love and sticks with you. Stormlight is large in page count but it's nothing like the Count of Monte Cristo or Malazan. Instead of super dense prose I think you'll find it's very approachable and really a fast read.

Ayn Rand was nuts. We all out grow it.

Originally war and peace was 4 books. It doesn't sound that bad. I would feel intimidated to read war and peace if I saw it in one book, man it looks massive. But it's great! My heart broke and I yelled "no stupid! Ah, please no!" And I was happy and I was sad. You will find there fictional people that will seem so real. For me personally it felt like author was just sitting in that situation and was documenting everything that was happening there. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on all those books. I have Malazan and Stormlight archive in my TBR. And Count of Montecristo still is waiting for me in my dad's library. My dad has all Dumas books.

I'm reading Gardens of the Moon at the moment and I know everyone says it takes till book 3 to know if you like it but I'm already loving it

Glad to have someone else join in on the fun!

Hello…these days I listen to to most of my books ( Marc due to poor vision) and just wanted to note that Mil Nicholson does a beautiful reading of Great Expectations on librivox and I am reading/ listening to The Brothers Karamazov and finding it better for me to read a chapter go back the next day or whenever and read the next one…its taking forever but I’m doing it🤣🤣🤣I have been reading different books at the same time…anyway thats works for me and thankyou for your channel and tenaciousness‼️

I read The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time this year, and yes, it is intimidating.. but man is it worth it! It has become my favorit classic easily, it's very easy to read and the plot moves along very quickly after the prison scene. Stay strong and enjoy the journey 🧡

LOL try listing to them on audiobook format. I did that with a book that I did not want to read but I had to, to get to the next book. And it was so much eaiser. You can also listen and read along if you want to do that. But yeah audiobooks, that was a game changer for me.

Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series is definitely intimidating. However, Sanderson’s writing style is very easy to read. While each book are big chunky boys, once you start you’re not going to want to stop. I’m currently working through Oathbringer (Stormlight #3) and am loving it!

I was very intimidated after starting the silmarillion when I was 19 (over 20 years ago) and not getting very far and being confused. This past year I finally took it on again, this time with the audiobook and was a lot more enjoyable. Andy Serkis does the audiobook and is just so good! A+ to his performance and all the names he had to annunciate. A lot easier to digest.

So far this year I have read the Illiad and the Odyssey which I am proud of myself for. I am currently trying to read Priory of the Orange Tree which is also a brick of a book. I have also read part of Don Quixote for school. I am about to graduate with a degree in English 😂 I did start Great Expectations to try and read a classic for fun, but I DNFed it pretty fast. I struggled to get into it.

Stormlight is so so so amazing, definitely give it a chance!! It’s easier to read than it seems