MUST READ DOORSTOPPERS!

[@tears-of-stone4678]

One of my favorite doorstopper books is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It’s set in 12th century England and centers on the construction of a cathedral which, I know may sound boring but, trust me it’s not. It opens with an execution and you don’t find why till the end. I love his characters and his world building, very vibrant, vivid, and immersive. It’s a story of ambition, of mystery, of revenge, of love. you like historical fiction, you’ll probably like his work.

[@DrMetalpin]

Pillars of the Earth, Lonesome Dove, Count of Monte Cristo, all of the Malazan books, so so many more.

[@paulwilliams6913]

War and Peace, certainly, belongs here :) Don Quixote (depending on publication dimensions) squeaks in and is magnificent. Bleak House is also quite good.

[@lornabruce6542]

Popped up on my feed today and I was intrigued by the title (love chonky books). Enjoyed your delivery and synopsis of the books and have now added a few to my TBR. Subscribed!

[@Archonsx]

i only read the first book of the dark tower, because i managed to get a very old edition of it as a collector, but i gotta say i really vibed with it, a guy chasing the devil through an western desert is intriguing

[@suzannebell9798]

I do love Under the Dome, despite its quick wrap-up. I'm ashamed to admit I've never read the entire Dark Tower series. I have them all. I guess that will be on my TBR this year. One of my favorite doorstoppers is Swan Song by Robert McCammon. It's a dystopian masterpiece, in my opinion. It's a book I always fall back on if I need a security blanket. Great list!

[@DeloresPottery]

Thank you putting The Dark Tower up here! Best series ever!

[@dmbfreak123]

I’m reading 1Q84 right now and it’s a trip. He’s so good. Also, I just preordered a new version of Musashi cause of this vid. Thanks!

[@BethR-vf8ne]

Count of monte cristo and my 3-in-1 Lord of the rings tome are my favorite doorstoppers currently. This Institute by Stephen King has a fantastic ending. Not quite a door stopper, but still big.

[@ChrisJohnson-pr9jq]

Like the sound of Musashi, gonna have to check that out 🤘

[@AdamBreakey75]

IMHO - Lonesome Dove, Count of Monte Cristo, and Les Miserables are must inclusions in this list - and then Anna Karenina and 11/22/63 both come in just under the 900-page count threshold, but both deserve an honorable mention.

[@caitlinbrewer4843]

The ending of The Dark Tower has stuck in my mind unendingly since I read it in college 😊

[@papamaples617]

Under the Dome slaps. Such a well realized town and characters. If the ending had been a little more interesting, it would have been perfect

[@rammelbroadcasting]

Agreed 👍

[@Alex-jo6rb]

Just finished Lonesome dove yesterday! Highly recommend. So i just starting book 3 of the dandelion dynasty. Can’t wait to read Malazan book 2 and east of Eden soon too, the start of my year is all books that will all take me a month each 😭

[@101Waylander]

I love Under the Dome, and I don’t have a problem with the ending. I see the ending like an original Twilight Zone episode or one of the old EC sci-fi comics from back in the day. Not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but it works for me.

[@IsaacC.Blackwood]

Glad to see Muasahi on here. Have not read but is on my list.

[@Sliceoflife-5]

I’m about 75% through Musashi and loving it. Glad to hear that the last part is great to.

[@steved1135]

Gunslinger for sure. Best opening line of a book ever. But: no Infinite Jest ??!!! Seriously? Egads... My alltime favourite behemoth book, and in my top 10 alltime books.

[@BoilingKoolaid]

I listen to books while I deliver the mail. I have over 140 books on Audible and I think I have 7 I haven’t listened to all the way. I just added 1Q84 and I’m so excited to start it after I finish the Sun Eater series.

[@jch5150]

Love your Malazan enthusiasm, I’m on book 5 currently!

[@rammelbroadcasting]

It's truly wonderful. I'm not halfway through the series yet, and I'm confident it will be a top 5 series for me. It would have to shit the bed pretty hard to not be.

[@jch5150]

@ Everyone seems to say the final book really pays off so I’m happy to invest my time. These books are not easy at all but so well done!!

[@youtubecensors5419]

I'm on page 1,452 of "Remembrance of Things Past" by Proust. Only 1,800 more to go!

[@MiaLeyden]

If we're talking about doorstoppers here, I'll recommend "The Swarm" by Frank Schätzing. My Kindle copy is 1153 pages long and it's worth every one of them (I think the physical copy has a slightly shorter page count). Translated from German. Eco-thriller mixed with sci-fi and some real science. The sea and its creatures are turning against humans and a group of scientists around the world has to find out what is going on before it's too late for humankind. I've only seen 2 people recommending it on KZbin and one of them was a marine biologist trying to put it on people's radars. Very underrated book.

[@esosaamayo8826]

This sounds very interesting. Thanks for the recommendation! Added to my TBR

[@MiaLeyden]

@esosaamayo8826 Hope you enjoy it.

[@4034miguel]

I consider Eiji Yoshikawa the Japanese "Dumas". I lost count of the time I read Taiko and Musashi, as many times as the Three musketeers' series and the Count of Montecristo. Taiko is actually my favorite.

[@AugustusStephens]

I agree with you on the Dandelion Dynasty. The Grace of Kings was the best book of that series for me. I'm currently on book 8 of Malazan and it does vary alot, not every one is great. A near doorstopper that I loved (822 pages) is Bastion by Phil Tucker. A rip-roaring adventure story with so much happening and such a vivid imagination from the author.

[@Rea_K81]

So awesome Musashi is here✨✨👍

[@moonlight01011]

Hawaii and Shogun are some of my favorite doorstoppers. I grew up in Japan and Okinawa and lived for many years in Hawaii, so I'm very much interested in the history and culture of those places. After watching this video and reading the comments, I realize that I have a lot more reading to do!

[@2MuchMajinBuuty]

Door stoppers are my favorite tbh

[@2MuchMajinBuuty]

Also, I second your opinion on the Dark Tower. I recommend TDT to anyone and everyone. Personally, my favorite in the series is Wizard and Glass but even the worst book in the series (Songs of Suzanna) is a solid 7/10. The ending of the series is a little jarring at first until you think about it in the grand scheme of things. IMO, I love the ending of the series. It is my favorite series of all time.

[@r.michaelburns112]

Shogun -- great choice. Excellently researched, terrific character development, awesome political intrigue. Complex enough to be very satisfying, but not overly complex.

[@MikeS-yz9qq]

Actually reading Musashi now, interesting perspective to read thos one having already read the book of the five rings. The understanding i have though is this story although based on real people, take many creative liberties .

[@Lidard]

After all these years, The Dark Tower remains among my favourite series of all time. It feels like I’m in exactly the same boat as you: I love The Gunslinger, I love the ending. A lot of people seem to find those to be the weakest parts about the series. I understand why, as they’re very unique, but I for myself love them for exactly this reason

[@parcaleste]

Not a doorstopper, but speaking of James Clavell and "Shogun", have you read "King Rat"? My sarge when I was in the military gave it to me, I read it in like two days. Totally engulfed me. It's on my re-read list for some time now. A super high recommendation from me.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I haven't read it yet. I have it on the shelf though

[@johngaffney1671]

Read King Rat as a teenager. Great book ❤

[@malibovo1]

I loved the ending of Under the Dome. It's an ode to empathy. The line "Wear it home. It'll look like a dress" will follow me as long as I live.

[@nickthecringe7129]

I agree. I absolutely loved the ending

[@GhostXD666]

my favorite and most read author is stephen king and although i've read some of his best (the stand, the shining, misery, it), under the dome is still my favorite. i know objectively it isn't his best because of the ending but it is what you said, the journey is so awesome.... when it's good it just is SO GOOD that i can't help but recommend it to everyone who wants to read king

[@JVF5793]

Have you seen the adaptation of Musashi? It is a three movie series starring Toshiro Mifune. Excellent!

[@jayspeijer614]

Musashi was a lot of fun! After reading it, I recommend watching The Samurai Trilogy of movies (dir. Inagaki, 1954-1956), which are loosely based on the book. Surprisingly nuanced, these are not your typical Japanese fight movies.

[@Hekilikaua]

Where do you get your amazing band-style book shirts?!?

[@rammelbroadcasting]

@@Hekilikaua outofprint.com

[@michaelborg4771]

The Eisenhorn Omnibus was fun.

[@GarrettNicolai-vc4qk]

"Pages" has always been kind of a weird determination of length for me, given how much it depends on formatting (it might have a lot to do with the fact that I mostly read e-books, where it has no meaning). I love long books, though, and have stopped distinguishing series from books, because realisticly, series are just long stories. Just couldn't get into "Malazan", though. Agree about King, though. His endings are a meme, but I only found a few to actually be disappointing. Journey before destination. Just read "Shogun". Agree that it's 300 pages too long. The first half is 10/10. Second half is 7/10.

[@Princesilk347]

For really long books, I'd say A Wise Man's Fear is pretty good. Not as good as Name of the Wind, but still great overall. Also, if we include stuff that is a series for honorable mentions, definitely Lord of the Rings.

[@susantownsend8397]

People who know my tastes keep telling me I would like The Dark Tower. I have tried several times to listen to The Gunslinger (yes listen, I’m visually impaired). It’s a 7½ hour book and I’ve never made it all the way through the first chapter. It’s been several years so maybe I’ll try again. I’ve heard that if I can make it through this one, the rest of the series will be better.

[@oblivion66gamer]

Lonesome Dove is my personal favorite and go-to door stopper recommendation to folks.

[@nicolerosito2357]

I also loved under the dome. It was my first Stephen king. I was like 15 maybe when I read it. I remember thinking the ending was weird and out of left field but I didn't hate it. I was along for the ride. But I really loved getting to know that town and hating some of the characters (in a good way).

[@billyalarie929]

The Gunslinger is still my favorite of the series, followed by Wizard & Glass

[@keithhealing1115]

No Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell? I tried to read it a few years ago and just could not gel with it - and then I tried again just before Christmas. I ended up loving it so much I bought the Folio edition.

[@CasperHulshof]

I did not finish this book years ago. I will reread it sometime soon!

[@stanleyfarrens6065]

Good catch! Piranesi from her was also top notch.

[@jaxpk2669]

he is reading HOUSE OF CHAINS LETS GOOOOOO. im around page 600 btw cant wait for the review x

[@rammelbroadcasting]

@@jaxpk2669 I'm on chapter 16. WITNESS

[@flaamingeaux]

I don't have many 'Doorstopper' books. But I would consider Uzumaki to be one and the Vampire Hunter D series to be one as well. Those books are around 500-600 pages though so maybe not quite there. My BIGGEST book however I just recently got from a deceased family member's collection and it's nearly 900 pages. The only downside is that it's the 5th book in a series of equally as long books so I can't start it without getting the first 4. The series is called "Earth's Children" by Jean Auel and it's 8 books in total if I'm remembering correctly? A movie adaptation was attempted but quickly dropped, I don't have the full details on why though. Anyways it's a series somewhat rooted in historical events about a Neanderthal clan coming into contact with Humans. As the series goes on, the reader learns through the main character (a Neanderthal woman) about each clan's different societies, religions, customs, and technologies and the growing tension between Neanderthals and Humans.

[@drewwelty1967]

I love Under the Dome, and I will not apologize to anyone for loving the end of that book. It’s perfect and I don’t think it should have ended any other way. Fight me haha 😂

[@KingCrusoe]

A lot of Pillars of the Earth references here and they're all correct. Just read it in December and it was my No.2 of 2024.

[@rachel935108]

What was your #!?

[@TertiaryScroat]

I am not a huge Stephen King fan, read The Stand early on and really enjoyed it but I do love the Dark Tower though, amazing enthralling world that is living and scheming in the background. It is a disjointed series of places but that reflects the narrative thus far. Misery, and I am not into book groups or blogs I do not know what the general opinion is but I think it is a truly great novel, an absolutely absorbing study of this nightmarish situation. It just feels living and breathing.

[@anonymes2884]

"Misery" is pretty widely considered one of King's top tier novels as far as I know (maybe not _quite_ up there with "The Stand", "IT" etc. but it's well liked).

[@TertiaryScroat]

@@anonymes2884 Thanks for the info dude, I was wondering.

[@captnsquashypant82]

In the words of Sir Mix-A-Lot. “I like big books and I cannot lie” or however, the song went

[@jeffreylong1478]

Sir Mix A Lot … a true gentleman and scholar 👨‍🏫

[@fslayer1290]

My door stoppers: The Mists of Avalon, The Historian, Lovecraft compilations, and the manga hard cover compilation editions of Berserk, Evangelion, and Gunum/Battle Angel Alita. 😊

[@brucegrossman3531]

I always referred to them as Bricks. Recently finished The Stand.

[@haxxy40]

I was recommended Night's Dawn trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton. It's supposed to be a very good series, but I'm afraid to start it as every book is 1200 pages long

[@CasperHulshof]

They fill half a bookshelf here on their own! Just start with the first one. I want to reread the series sometime. It's violent.

[@civoreb]

Currently reading The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett(912pgs) and my next read is The Terror by Dan Simmons(960pgs). This is practically all my reading from Mid December and through January 😅

[@2025Mindfulness]

Read Under the Dome when it first came out, liked it, want to read Shogun.

[@chasefugate56]

Another Dark Tower fan who loves the gunslinger. There are dozens of us. It's probably my second favorite in the series after Wizard and Glass and I was enthralled from the iconic first sentence til the end. Top 3 series for me and I've read just about every popular series out there. Malazan is an easy number 1 and the Dark Tower is right there with LOTR fighting it out for second.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I don't know where Malazan will fall on my list of favorites yet. I'm only on book 4, but at this point I'd be shocked if it's not top 5.

[@fashionearrings]

I would recommend Pillars of the earth series by Follett. And also Earth's Chikdren series by Jean M Auel - but only the first three.

[@redzero1649]

Pillars of the Earth 💯

[@anonymes2884]

I guess as I get older, a proper brick has to justify itself more, partly because many of my favourites aren't long (obviously not everyone can be Kurt Vonnegut but I do sometimes find myself thinking "'Slaughterhouse 5' did more than this in, like, 180 pages, why do _you_ deserve 800 ??"). That said, page count doesn't _really_ matter - 250 pages can drag and 1,200 can fly by. And yep, "The Stand" is maybe one of my few genuine "must reads" that are over 1,000 pages (probably "IT" too). (Neal Stephenson's written some "tomes" I really enjoyed too - like King in that either you settle into his pace, digressions etc. or he's likely just not for you because even "Snow Crash" does that, despite being not so long and pretty propulsive. "Anathem" and "Cryptonomicon" spring to mind)

[@Riverwind5]

The Stephen King mentions on this video only serve to remind me once again that Needful Things doesn't get near enough mentions by anybody on BookTube.

[@DanEllingson23]

Under the dome is underrated.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

Yep

[@DanEllingson23]

@@rammelbroadcasting I didn't mind the ending as far as the reason for the dome. It was definitely an eye roll moment. I didn't like the way the human antagonist went out. Thought that would have been more climactic than it was.

[@soupdragonuk]

Earliest I've ever been on a video. I love doorstoppers the more pages the better is my rule.

[@Dan-ji4db]

I was one who got Shogun before the tv show came out and loved it. I agree it could have been shorter without the story suffering too much. Talking about doorstoppers, have you read Infinite Jest? 😮

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I have not

[@anonymes2884]

"Infinite Jest" has been on my shelf for a while now (I _think_ mostly by coincidence, it's right next to "Ulysses"). Every now and then we sort of balefully eye each other then go our separate ways again. One day, I guess ("if i'm spared", as my dad used to say :).

[@Dan-ji4db]

@@anonymes2884 i didn't really know what to make of it. I was just like "huh" and moved on. Maybe its just over my head.

[@anonymes2884]

@@Dan-ji4db From everything I gather, it's definitely one people commonly have to "wrestle" with a bit. Like "Gravity's Rainbow" (or the aforementioned "Ulysses"). (which means I have to be in a pretty specific mood to get into it and so far, nope :)

[@jonesanderson1487]

I have not read Under the Dome but the premise sounds incredibly similar to the Gone series by Michael Grant. I think Gone was published before Under the Dome so I wonder if King took some inspiration from it. If anyone has read both, I wonder which one you liked the execution of better.

[@juanpedrofranco2322]

I mean, the stormlight archive books are quite good doorstoppers (1400+ pages)

[@captnsquashypant82]

I can understand people’s complaints about the gunslinger the first half of the book is pretty slow but it really picks up in the second half especially with the ending and it is a very short book. If people didn’t like that book the follow up is a drawing of the three which I think it’s probably the best in the series and really shows off Stephen King’s writing ability.

[@justinturner9869]

I’ve read 4. All fantastic

[@sheepcouldtalk]

my friend and i back in high school would joke that 200 pgs and below were short stories and 600+ pgs were weapons, regardless of cover type. 😅

[@LucSchots]

Shogun - read it before the TV show ... with Richard Chamberlain!

[@rzairr]

Read Red Rising

[@doclewis8927]

Yep. Under the Dome is GREAT until that ending which leaves you saying "what?" and "I could've written a better ending" but it's still worth the read.

[@KVP94Guitar]

Stephen King normally sucks at endings *cough cough* The Stand *cough cough*. I do not understand the hate for Under The Dome's ending though. I actually REALLY enjoyed the essentially cosmic horror aspects of it and it makes so much sense. Sure it's not all rainbows and kittens wrapped up in a nice box, but it doesn't need to be! It's a horror book and it does what it needs. Leaves you feeling uncomfortable as it should

[@jimmann4763]

Musashi is a movie -- or rather a trilogy. The Samurai Trilogy is based on the novel.

[@fikreeaz]

Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

[@glendowney4459]

I have a quick question for you. Do you like Dean Koontz and Kurt Vonnegut? Just wondering...

[@thothscorner8025]

I think it is Mal-Ah-Zahn. I've been listening to the book on Audible & somewhere they said it, I think. The chapters are too long to search.

[@LucSchots]

Pillars of the Earth, The Physician, Centennial

[@caitlinbrewer4843]

I do love Under the Dome but I'd replace it with The Stand, honestly

[@joannfisher7244]

Have you read Harlot’s Ghost by Norman Mailer. 1300 pages, it’s always been my one book that I really want to read to feel a sense of accomplishment.

[@wasserman7273]

Pillars of earth were mentioned many times, but hear me out, what about Thomas Mann The magic mountain?

[@doclewis8927]

I honestly wish Stephen King would actually rewrite the ending for Under the Doom. Or maybe have Joe Hill write it for him. LOL.

[@connorp8408]

Monte Cristo is a great beef cake

[@sallbanjoman1790]

want door stopers? how about the stormlight archives? as in all of it, all of the books are over 1k pages long

[@mRboylls]

Sorry if you’ve said this but I’m curious your thoughts on game of thrones not being finished and most likely never being finished. It just seems like so much to get into for not conclusion

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I wasn't upset with it not being finished because I only read it last year, and I went into it not ever expecting it to be finished. If I was an OG reader I'd be mad about it.

[@mRboylls]

@ do you feel like the series suffers at all from it or is it still worthwhile. I’ve been thinking about reading it for awhile now.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

@mRboylls That's kinda hard to answer it's really up to the reader. I both enjoyed it and am glad I read it. Because I was prepared for it to not have an ending I am OK with it and don't think it suffers too much because of it. BUT it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger so 🤷‍♂️ keep that in mind.

[@Princesilk347]

​@@mRboylls Whatever you do, don't watch the end of the TV show. Even if you don't read the books.

[@BethR-vf8ne]

It is a lot to get invested into with no ending, but I'm hopeful that the rights will expire and someone will swoop in and finish the series for us (looking at you, BrandoSando).

[@EricMcLuen]

You might hear people say that the best Malazan book is the one you are reading at that time. Am trying to avoid doorstoppers at the moment. But am on book 3 of a 5 book series of about 400 pages each which is completely different....

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I hear all kinds of answers when people talk about their favorite Malazan book it's crazy. It's not like ASOIAF or Sun eater where pretty much everyone says the same book.

[@EricMcLuen]

@rammelbroadcasting and then it changes on a reread. On a side observation, I find it strange that the last book in a series is rarely ranked as the best.

[@careypridgeon]

I've no interest in starting a newly written 'doorstopper' novel. I've read one that really was as good as it could have been that was written since the 90's. I had some hope for David Weber's Safehold Saga, but he quite obviously lost interest in finishing it, so I gave up not long into the series. There are already so many excellent ones from the past I can go back to, and do all the time I've pretty much given up on going to bookshops now.

[@amanofmanetheren]

Dark Tower ... Amazing first 3 or 4 books for me. The last book was massively disappointing. I've found King has a hard time creating good endings. I haven't read a lot of his stuff because he's not really for me so I may have just read the bad ones.

[@kathleenobrien3473]

11/22/63, Lonesome Dove, The Stand, Brood,

[@twiedenfeld]

Some Came Running by James Jones - 1300 pages.

[@BeardofDarkness]

Size Matters

[@noobworker]

No Brandon Sanderson in the list is just criminal, Words of Radiance deserves a spot higher than most of the ones listed here 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@camrodthegreat]

I'm going to need a link to that Ender's Game shirt, please, sir. Thank you.

[@rammelbroadcasting]

Outofprint.com

[@JJ-zr6fu]

Fire and sword first book of the great polish epic trilogy

[@dennish.7708]

Sorry, I can’t take you seriously if you claim any book, especially the transcendent ‘Shogun’, could be shorter. Books are are as long as the author believes they should be to tell the story (and even then, they’ve probably been shortened after compromising with the editors/publishers).

[@moonbrooke27]

Under The Dome has a bad ending? I guess that means the TV show was just being faithful by ending poorly then!! 😝😝😝

[@tjvaughn2]

I've just discovered your channel and despite your obvious love and bias for those two Japanese authors - I caught an episode of your where you admonished everyone who thinks the movie the shining is better than the book - and then went on to say that the idiotic movie starship troopers was superiors to the movie by a wide margin since it was at the top of your list. saying they tell the same story ... well as you said with the shining - be suspect of what people say

[@uncleloof]

Thank you for not recommending 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It clogged and the ending was contrived. Just starting 1Q84...

[@Agi.0112]

My favorite doorstopper is A little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. (I have to say I've read the german hardcover edition which has 960 pages, the english version has "only" about 730) And oh man I love this book more than anything even though it tore my heart to pieces.💔🥲

[@rammelbroadcasting]

I'll have to check that one out.

[@TheHammy1987]

@@rammelbroadcasting You might want to book a therapy session for that one - it'll rip you to pieces time and time again

[@sisterhoney61]

I absolutely love this book!

[@TheHammy1987]

@@sisterhoney61 Oh, me too but I cried my heart out while reading it.

[@bennygiles8115]

Hi Longest book I eead was the second Follllet book the sequel toPillars ofehrearth Btw WTH is your name a si just found your videos but haven't no clue who youa ctually are?

[@C4tey]

Why is Haruki Murakami controversial

[@twitchynosesam]

He gets a lot of flack for his female characters as they are usually one note. And the way he writes about them is creepy, like describing the sexualisation of a 17 year old, or how a 12 year old tried to have sex with her piano teacher. And he has a big obsession with their breasts.

[@C4tey]

@@twitchynosesam Lmaoo thats just what Japanese people are like

[@C4tey]

@@twitchynosesam Lmaoo that just Japanese people

[@PeoplePleaser578]

He is an old Japanese man. People overly criticise his portrayal of women. Normally people who read romantasy novels…