15 Long-ish Fiction Books to Get Lost In But Still Finish (400-600 pages)
I love big books and I cannot lie. There is nothing like diving into a sweeping family saga or an epic world-building novel and getting lost in it. But not everyone has the time or wants to commit to a really long books like the ones I mentioned in my post 25 Books Worth Reading that are 600 Pages or Longer. The good news is that there are many other great books that are long-ish, but not quite that long.
Here are 15 fiction books that are between 400 and 600 pages long. I’ve divided them into five loose categories: horror, page-turners, character-driven, plot-driven, and science fiction. I think there’s something here for everyone.
I’m starting off with a bang by mentioning a book that is most certainly not for everyone, but that I loved and was one of my first Stephen King books. Trigger warnings abound (child death, supernatural stuff, violence), but if you’re a horror fan, this is a great option. Additionally, the audiobook is narrated by Michael Hall of Dexter fame, so if you want double the horror, choose the audio version.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
This was my first Grady Hendrix book and it is absurd, bizarre, weird, and kind of violent. It’s about a group of women in Charleston, South Carolina, who meet a vampire and then have to figure out what to do about him (the title gives you a guess as to what they determine). It’s set in the real world and yet also transcends reality in a way that I found really entertaining. Having lived in South Carolina for more than two decades, I loved recognizing the places mentioned in the book.
Hendrix has written many other books, including The Final Girl Support Group, How to Sell a Haunted House, and Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, all of which 'I’ve read, but this is the only one that got five stars.
The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup
I haven’t found many American writers who can compete with Scandinavian/Nordic writers when it comes to murder thrillers. (I’m looking at you, Stieg Larsson). This book is about a serial killer who leaves small dolls made out of chestnuts (which apparently abound in Denmark) at the scenes of the crimes. Two detectives are racing against the clock to try to find the killer before more children disappear.
These three books are all about as propulsive as the previous three, but they aren’t quite as intense or violent.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
I had long felt Moriarty’s books were so popular that they couldn’t possibly be that good (behold my book snobbery). I repented of my opinion once I read this book. Every plot twist was a complete surprise; the dialogue was punchy and smart; I had no idea what was going to happen next. I loved it. Most of Moriarty’s books fall in the 400-600 page range. Other ones I’ve enjoyed are What Alice Forgot and Apples Never Fall.
State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
Yes, this book was written by a former First Lady and the author of the Inspector Gamache series (which I mentioned in my post on 13 of the best book series ever). I don’t know how these two got connected, but together I think they wrote a pretty good book. This is a political thriller that spans the globe and felt a little too familiar.
I first saw the movie Bullet Train before I realized it was a book. Whenever that happens, if I enjoy the movie, I usually try the book, because committed readers know the book is almost always better. This was a high bar for the book to meet, because I loved the movie, but the book delivered. It’s basically a Japanese iteration of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express—people on a train start dying, and you get to watch how the other people on the train try to figure out what’s going on.
I struggled a bit with categorizing the 15 books into subjective categories, but I think this one holds. All three of these books are not necessarily page-turners, but you get immersed in the lives of one or two people, and before long you’ll be happy to live there with them.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
I don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. I have always loved Russian history, and yet I put this book off for years. It begins in the early 20th century with a man who has been confined to live in a hotel in Moscow essentially under house arrest by the Bolsheviks. The book spans decades and it sucked me in like I could not believe. The relationships between the hotel patrons, the descriptions of the food, the shenanigans the characters get up to… It is rare that a book makes me cry, but this was one of them. (I also liked Towles’ Rules of Civility.)
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
This book covers the AIDS crisis in Chicago in the 1980s, a historical context with which I was largely unfamiliar. This was a painful and uncomfortable read, but one that I was glad that I read at the same time. The characters are real and their relationships struck me as realistic. I haven’t read her most recent book, I Have Some Questions for You, but it’s on my TBR.
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
This book is about an immigrant couple who move to New York from Africa in the 2000s. The husband gets a job driving for an executive at Lehman Brothers, right before the 2008 crash. They are faced with the reality (or not) of the American dream. It’s an honest look at marriage, culture, and disillusionment. I also enjoyed her more recent book, How Beautiful We Were.
These are three immersive books that do have good character development but that are more plot-driven than the previous three. They also exist in unique historical moments and movements, all of which I found added so much to each novel.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
I hadn’t read a book by Kingsolver since I read The Poisonwood Bible in high school. When I learned this book took place in Appalachia, which is where my husband grew up, I knew I had to read it. This is a difficult read full of trigger warnings, and a friend recently said he didn’t enjoy it. I can’t say I enjoyed it, because it was very dark, but from what my husband has shared about where he grew up, I think it was an accurate portrayal of what many people have experienced.
The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
I think I began reading books by John Grisham in middle school (my parents did not screen the books I read), and I’ve been a fan ever since, even if they’re somewhat mainstream. No, they’re not Pulitzer-Prize winning novels, but they are interesting and fun to read. This is a newer one that spans decades from World War II to the present day. It includes harrowing descriptions of the Bataan Death March and also involves the law as a profession, organized crime, and insurance injustices. What more could you want?
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
I have read most of Kristin Hannah’s recent books, including The Nightingale, The Four Winds, and The Women, all of which are between 400 and 600 pages. This is by far my favorite and the one I’d start with if you’ve never read anything by her. It takes place in Alaska, and I never thought I’d want to go to Alaska until I read this book. You get to know a family that has just moved there and is trying to get settled. As time goes on, cracks in the family are revealed and the daughter in particular has to figure out how to make a life in an unforgiving place.
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
I first saw the movie by the same name before I realized it was a book. I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic environmental / disease disaster scenarios and this is a very unique one. There is also a sequel called The Boy on the Bridge.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The movie is as classic, but the book is the real page-turner. Much like the movies, the second one is fine but nowhere near as good as the first.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I actually had this book on this list long before the movie came out, but the recent movie should only provide more encouragement to read it. I loved the book and loved the movie, even though there are differences. I think this is the best of Weir’s three books, although I also loved The Martian. Artemis is fine. (Both of these are a lot shorter than PHM).
I’d love to know your favorite long-ish books — and if you’ve read any of these! I’m hard at work coming up with another list of my favorite nonfiction books in this category, so if you’re not already subscribed, go ahead and do so!