Friday Mood Recs: Long books to last you all summer
Personally I love sinking into a long book in the summer time. When I was a teacher, summer was the only time of year that I could devote to such a leisurely and all-consuming reading experience. While summers are no longer endless days of freedom, I still find long books to be an essential part of my summer reading vibes. In fact, sometimes when I’m busier, long books make the most sense. Reading something long cuts down on decision fatigue and the uncertainty of reorienting myself in a new world over and over again. There’s something calming and sustaining about knowing exactly what I’ll be picking up for each reading session and spending many days with the same people in the same world.
If you feel similarly, I have 24 book suggestions for long and leisurely summer reads. These are all novels that I’ve read and loved that I believe are perfect for filling the long summer days. At the end of this list I’ve also shared a few Big Books on my TBR and asking you to share your favorite doorstops with me.
But wait…there’s more! Over at Novel Pairings, and I used to host Big Book Summer for our Patreon community where we’d use the summer month to read and recap a lengthy classic. We’ve compiled these recaps into bundles available for purchase for anyone who wants to go back and deep dive into a big classic with us. In our Gumroad storefront, you can find recaps of The Odyssey (no better time to read it!), Les Misérables, The Custom of the Country, and more. If you’re looking for some classroom vibes that you can work through at your own pace, I think you’ll love these!
And if Big Books are decidedly not your summer reading vibe, be sure to check out ’s list of “shortish books to bring on vacation.” She’s rounded up 21 excellent slim novels and charted them by likelihood to bring on summer malaise. It’s so smart and so fun.
Alright…let’s get into the (big) books!
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia (476 pgs). A multigenerational Mexican saga steeped in magical realism, this book isn’t too too long, but has the kind of warmth and sweep that fit perfectly into long summer days.
The Story of the Stone by Cao Xuequin, translated by David Hawkes (544 pgs). Hailed as one of the greatest novels ever written, this leisurely portrayal of a grand Chinese household in gentle decline rewards unhurried attention and careful reading while containing a plot worthy of a soap opera. This book is just the first part so if you fall in love, you have many more pages available to you!
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif (544 pgs). Weaving between colonial Egypt and the present day of the novel through letters and stories-within-stories, this is an undeniably romantic book that makes you want to slow down and linger.
The Narrows by Ann Petry (560 pgs). Petry’s compassionate, clear-eyed portrait of a Black community in 1950s Connecticut and the doomed love between two hopeful people is the kind of novel that quietly overtakes you and stays with you long after you turn the final page.
