{Discussion in GIFs} I Hate Big Books and I Cannot Lie

Every time I sit down to compose a new discussion post, I feel like I write them on same or relevant topics and today's topic makes me want to rename this "Confessions in GIFs" because if you missed my last two discussion posts, I talk about confessing to the world that I'm a mood reader and my opinion on quality versus quantity. Anyway, today's topic is about something I have been thinking about for the past two months and is something that actually relates to my last two discussions.

This aint me!

Let's rewind a little bit to the BACKSTORY behind this.... (you should probably grab a cup of coffee or other beverage of choice, because Sofia backstories are always long) At the beginning of August, when I moved in with my friend's family [the long backstory can be found here] I made a promise to my now "little sister" [you really need to read the backstory on this] that I would read this book. 

You might have heard of it

Now it's almost the end of September, and I still haven't read it. Albeit, I didn't want to read it in the first place, but I really need to because I made a promise, and there's that whole, "sticking to your word" thing that humans on planet Earth value so much. Now this promise would have been a heck of a lot easier to fulfill if The Glass Sentence was a measly 250 page book. 

Instead, I pick up this "pleasant, Middle Grade adventure" novel, and....

It is 515 pages! Five Hundred and Fifteen I tell you!!!

Let's back this up to BEFORE I started blogging aka. "the dark ages" It would not have been a problem. I probably would have taken the book from my little sister Ally, spent 2-5 days reading it (no biggie), enjoyed it, and went on my merry reading way. Before I started blogging, I hadn't had TBRs. I never had to structure my TBR for the month based on all the kinds of books and sources I got them. I also read only one book at a time, and I felt fresh as a daisy if I had to DNF a book because I wasn't feeling it. 

Now there are SOOO many books I want to read and SOOO little time to read them!

These are the reasons why I don't read big books anymore....

1. The feeling of accomplishing.... nothing ~ When I was in 2nd grade, I thought reading a "big" book was the best thing in the world, and I was a pro at reading them. (I was in 2nd grade, a big book was 350 pages long) But I'm not in 2nd grade anymore. I am in the middle of what was predicted to be one of the most arduous school years I have ever had on personal and academic levels. I don't have the time I used to have to read. I spend every spare moment when I'm not doing homework, eating, sleeping, or blogging reading. 

How I am at night, when I actually have time to read

Here's the fact of the matter.... I'm lucky to read three average-size books in a school week (300-ish pages). Even though the page count is the same, I would rather read 3 average-sized books than one HUGE 900 page book. It's some psychological issue I have, but I feel so much more proud of myself to have read more individual books.

2. There are the books I NEED to read, The books I WANT to read, and Those "Other" books.... In no way is book reviewing my job (we went over this), but I signed up to read and review those books in a timely manner - whether they're Netgalley or physical ARCs, and I feel sooo bad when I can't stick to those deadlines especially the self-imposed ones. So after I read those blog tour/review books, I want to settle down with a guilt-free book, something that I don't have to review or take notes on. (Believe it or not, those are actually the books I am most excited/willing to review).

There's no way on heaven or earth that I want to read those "other" books that I don't need to or don't want to read
*coughs* Glass Sentence *coughs*

3. There is usually a reason why those books are so long.... I mean, it might just be because the author needed that many pages to tell such a complex story. Yet, when I'm in one of those moods where I want instant satisfaction and thrilling, fast-paced reads, I'm not going to sit through 500 pages of world-building and character development. There are those times when I want nothing but long-winded, intricate descriptions, and to get lost in a good, thick book, where I can get invested in the characters. But that isn't the mood I'm now which is why I don't want to read The Glass Sentence. It took me way longer than it should have to read Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas and that was a book I had desperately wanted and anticipated.

Now this isn't to say that I don't want to read chunksters or think they're horrible. I am not about to go around shaming big book lovers (you're looking at one of the biggest "everyone can read YA" advocates and won't hypocritically say that reading chunksters is bad), but the fact of the matter is that I'm not in right place in my reading habits/taste at the moment to fully endure, I mean, respect everything that big books have to offer. It's kind of like when a little kid wants to do something the "big kids" do, but they're too little (and are fully aware of that fact), yet attempt to anyway. I don't want to always be like this - I know I will have ulcers by the time I'm 25 if I continue putting this much pressure on myself - but for now.... I will stick with my word. 

I don't like big books and I cannot lie.

So what's your verdict?

Do you love nothing more than curling up with a chunkster and plowing through that sucker faster than  a hunger games tribute?

Are you indifferent to chunksters and don't put pressure on your reading habits/dictate what you're going to read by your blog schedule?

Do you wish you read more chunksters, but have suffered through the same plights as I have?