text: 7 Epic Books Over 400 Pages to Finally Read Now That You Have the Time - Off the Shelf
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  Let's face it: we have a lot more time on our hands now that social distancing has become the new normal. If there is one upside to this situation, it's that you finally have the time to read those long, intimidating books that have been sitting on your bookshelf collecting dust for who knows how long. If you're looking for inspiration to conquer a lengthier book, check out these recommendations for the best long books to dive into during your spare time.
  As a self-proclaimed history nerd, this book is at the top of my TBR list. Winner of the Lincoln Prize and the Pulitzer Prize, and declared "a remarkable study in leadership" by President Barack Obama, Goodwin's 916-page biography depicts Abraham Lincoln's rise from an Illinois lawyer to President of the United States, uniting his rivals along the way to create his presidential cabinet. If you want to further immerse yourself in the world of Lincoln, and witness an unbelievable performance from Daniel Day-Lewis, make sure to watch Lincoln, the Steven Spielberg film inspired by Team of Rivals.
  If you're a fan of thrillers, what better author is there to read right now than Stephen King? At 1,184 pages, this classic horror story of seven adults confronting a child-murdering monster living in the sewers of their hometown will keep you engrossed for days (and likely spark a fear of clowns).
  Mix philosophy and comedy with an addicts' halfway home and a tennis academy. Then, throw in an unorthodox narrative structure filled to the brim with endnotes. INFINITE JEST is David Foster Wallace's unforgettable magnum opus. There are infinite (pun intended) things I can say about this book, but for the sake of time I will provide three fun facts:
  INFINITE JEST is already lengthy at 1,100 pages but it used to be 600 pages longer before it was edited down (The Guardian).
  David Foster Wallace proofread the book while watching the film Beethoven (the one with the St. Bernard) on a loop (The Guardian).
  There's a website called Brick Jest which recreated key scenes from the book with Legos (The Guardian, Brick Jest).
  Chances are, you've binged the Emmy-winning show based on this book (and had mixed feelings about the final season). Now that the show has come to an end, it's the perfect time to revisit its source material: an over 700-page fantasy epic set in the immersive, ever-changing world of Westeros, filled with rival families, epic battles, treachery, and dragons.
  Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction (Goodreads), THE CORRECTIONS is a compelling, 653-page commentary about the state of American society. Franzen achieves this through strong character development via the Lamberts, a dysfunctional, Midwestern family featuring a workaholic father suffering from Parkinson's, three grown children attempting to wrestle with emotional issues and the consequences of their own actions, and a neurotic mother whose one wish is to bring the whole family together for Christmas one last time.
  Described as "deeply moving" by NPR and "astonishing" by The Atlantic, A LITTLE LIFE is a heavy, gripping story depicting the friendship between four men as they struggle to reconcile with addiction, love, and trauma. Winner of the Kirkus Prize for Fiction, Yanagihara's 720-page novel will make you grieve for the plights of its expertly written characters.
  At 400 pages, ANIMAL'S PEOPLE is the shortest of the lengthy books on this list. However, it has all of the elements necessary for a compelling read: a nontraditional, memorable narrator, a multifaceted glance at corruption and transnationalism, and the potential pitfalls of social justice efforts. Most of all, it's an honest discussion of what it means to be human.