The Great American Read discussion

As I have looked over the list many ties ans soak in all the books, and watched the broadcast and learned more about some of the books, I feel very overwhelmed and excited all at the same time!... My husband reminds me that I can do it! The books I am most excited to read are, The Handmaid's Tale, The Help, The Notebook, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Pride and Prejudice. I could go on, but baby steps, right?!
What books are you looking forward to reading?!

I’m working through them using the FB schedule. So this week I’m finishing up Catch 22 (mixed emotions) and The Count of Monte Cristo (long but SO worth it!).

The FB schedule is a little intense for those of us who love to read, are not fast readers and have not completed many of the books on the list. Perhaps we could have a group read and discussion on this site. In the beginning since there are so few of us we could just do this by consensus. However, if more join, there could be a nominations process and polling to decide what book to read. Could even be expanded to categories such as children's book, series etc.

Shannon wrote: "I’m working through them using the FB schedule. So this week I’m finishing up Catch 22 (mixed emotions) and The Count of Monte Cristo (long but SO worth it!)."
I, too, had mixed emotions about Catch 22. I read The Count of Monte Cristo when I was in high school but plan to do a reread at some point.

Jane- I agree! Luckily I had already read The Count of Monte Cristo so I just had Catch 22 to work on. I’m finding the FB discussion to be a little bland, I would love to nominate books as well so we could really dig into them!

I haven't seen the FB schedule. I'm running book clubs, have another group I have to read for, and have a large backload of books I want to read but....
The list is tempting. I've been wanting to reread Count of Monte Cristo for a long time, but I will probably try some of the books I haven't read like Separate Peace, Coldest Winter Ever, or The Outsiders (something short!) For my summer book club we were planning on reading children's or YA books and I haven't read many of the YA books on the list.
I remember really liking Catch 22 when I read it in college.

I have not seen the FB schedule yet, but will defiantly look into it! I do like the idea of doing our own thing! Do we want to try to follow the FB schedule? What book would everyone like to start with?

I also am trying to complete another list of books, but thankfully a lot of cross over with books, and a reading challenge that I am attempting to do, but i can make books work with the prompts!

My goal is to read five books from the list this summer. I'm leaning towards these 5 titles:
-The Handmaid's Tale
-Things Fall Apart
-Where the Red Fern Grows
-Outlander
-Lonesome Dove

I would love to read Where the Red Fern Grows. I have never read Lonesome Dove so I would be amenable to that as well.

Shannon wrote: "I’m working through them using the FB schedule. So this week I’m finishing up Catch 22 (mixed emotions) and The Count of Monte Cristo (long but SO worth it!)."

I'm going to do the same thing. I will read The Count of Monte Cristo later since I don't have time to read up before the show discussion. That gives me a few weeks leeway because of books I've already read I won't have to finish my next one, Ghost, until 6-14.

On another group I was looking at the members listed the books they hadn't read. The books they had in common for NOT having read yet they were going to read together. Would you'all like to do that?

Marnie wrote: "As I have looked over the list many ties ans soak in all the books, and watched the broadcast and learned more about some of the books, I feel very overwhelmed and excited all at the same time!... ..."

That sounds like a perfect start. I love those books so much - except Handmaid's Tale which I haven't read yet. I saw the movie years ago (not the new series) and it was powerful.

I vote most days when I think of it. I always vote for To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, and Tom Sawyer, and I sometimes all the books I really like. Memoirs of a Geisha, Jane Eyre, Outlander, Curious incident of the dog, and many more.

I make sure to always include Tom Sawyer. First because I have such an emotional family connection to it. Second because I don't know if enough people have read it (since the schools focus on Huck Finn)

After watching the special, I'm intrigued by A Prayer for Owen Meaney and Their Eyes Were Watching God.

We could set up group reads on this page, or do Buddy Reads depending on how many people want to read and discuss a particular book. I really like to discuss books. I get so much more out of them when I do that.

What or where is the FB schedule? I joined the group on Facebook, but I didn't see it. Can it be posted here?

I still need to go through the list to see what I've already read and what still needs to be read.

Should we set up a poll to see what to read first and second?

Denise wrote: "Should we set up a poll to see what to read first and second?"

Hi Denise, Yes, I'm trying to figure that out now. Marnie has an emergency, and I've never done it before. I wanted to create a poll where people could vote for more than one book, to get a better idea of which books people want to read.

I'mmost looking forward to reading 1984, Beloved, The Book Thief, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Siddhartha.

Blueberry wrote: "On another group I was looking at the members listed the books they hadn't read. The books they had in common for NOT having read yet they were going to read together. Would you'all like to do that?"

Yes!!! That's exactly what we need right now. I added a nomination thread, to combine with the books mentioned here.

If anyone wants to help compile them, I welcome the help to get the first 1-2 books selected.

Janet wrote: "The FB schedule is a little intense for those of us who love to read, are not fast readers and have not completed many of the books on the list. Perhaps we could have a group read and discussion on..."

Shannon wrote: "I’m working through them using the FB schedule. ."

Could you share a little on the FB schedule for those of us who haven't seen it yet? Is there anything on the Facebook page that would be useful here?

I really want to read Handmaid's Tale, Sirens of Titan, Book Thief, Americanah, Gilead, Prayer for Owen Meaney, 1984, Anne of Green Gables, Their eyes were watching god. I'm willing to read many more that I haven't read.

I feel like I 'should' read the Intuitionist, because it could be relevant to my professional interests, but I'm not yet excited about it.

I would like to read one of the bigger books this summer too. I never read Don Quixote, War and Peace, or Lonesome Dove.

Based on the PBS show, I think I might really get a lot out of Gulliver's travels at this point in my life.

The Facebook schedule can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-gr...

Their schedule is as follows:
May 24: Catch-22 and The Count of Monte Cristo
May 31: 1984 and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
June 7: The Da Vinci Code and Gone Girl
June 14: Ghost and The Giver
June 21: Don Quixote and Gone with the Wind
June 28: Rebecca and White Teeth
July 5: Memoirs of a Geisha and The Book Thief
July 12: The Alchemist and Gulliver's Travels
July 19: The Little Prince and Little Women
July 26: The Shack and The Stand

I am excited about everything. I don’t watch much tv. Actually I watch no tv. I love this. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Is it just me?

I'm excited to read:

A Prayer for Owen Meany
Catch 22
Little Women (I'm reading this now through Daily Lit)
The Stand
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Watchers

Loretta wrote: "Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "The Facebook schedule can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-gr......"

Yes and you have to request to join. I put in the request a couple days ago, just to see what they're doing. I didn't see a reply. I use facebook so infrequently I could easily miss a reply.

Margie wrote: "I'm excited to read:

A Prayer for Owen Meany
Catch 22
Little Women (I'm reading this now through Daily Lit)
The Stand
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Watchers"


Some of those have already been nominated. Be sure to add yours to the nominations list. We'll pick the next book soon for a June 15 start.

Roseanne wrote: "I am excited about everything. I don’t watch much tv. Actually I watch no tv. I love this. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Is it just me?"

I understand completely!

I agree with Tasha. I have no TV. I have lots of physical books but many are in boxes including my kindles. But which boxes?

Jim

I would never pack my kindle in a box. It's never that far away from me.

Kirsten wrote: "I would never pack my kindle in a box. It's never that far away from me."

That sounds like a line from "Dirty Dancing"! "NO one puts Kindle in a box!" :P

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "The Facebook schedule can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-gr...

Their schedule is a..."
Thanks so much, Allison!
I'm not on FB, so this helps immensely!

Wow, the Quijote and Gone with the Wind in the same month?! Those are both chuckers!

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I would never pack my kindle in a box. It's never that far away from me."

That sounds like a line from "Dirty Dancing"! "NO one puts Kindle in a box!" :P"

LOL!!

Lol !

And why do have to keep paying this cable bill???!? Grrrrr....but here's my book. :)

Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I would never pack my kindle in a box. It's never that far away from me."

That sounds like a line from "Dirty Dancing"! "NO one puts Kindle in a box!" :P"

LOL

Imagine a bunch of laughing imojis.

Can someone tell me how to get imojis in goodreads? I don't know if I even have them on this device.

NancyJ wrote: "Linda Abhors the New GR Design wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "I would never pack my kindle in a box. It's never that far away from me."

That sounds like a line from "Dirty Dancing"! "NO one puts Kindle i..."
Sorry, no clue. I use GR almost exclusively on the laptop. When I'm away from laptop, try to be present and pay attention to whatever else I'm doing.