The Great American Read discussion
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Summer Goals and Challenges - ideas
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I'm going to try to read at least five of the titles over the summer. I have also been voting on the PBS website. My kids are homeschooled, so I'm incorporating several of the books into their curricula for next school year. My 8th grader is an advanced reader, so he has already read several of the titles and will likely join me in attempting to complete the entire list!
Mod
That's wonderful! I like that the list covers so many books that are accessible and interesting to young people. My youngest became a reluctant reader around 6th grade (he hated the assigned books). Harry Potter helped him enjoy books again.
I have read 40 (considerably more since some of those include series) and I hope to read at least 10 more by the time October gets here.
Mod
Wow that sounds so fun, and romantic! I'm in a romantic mood today -it's my anniversary.
I was thinking one of the challenges would be to have a joint read with a friend or relative. (I will be reading a book with my son.) Also invite someone new into goodreads.
Mod
That'a realistic goal. I'm thinking of also challenging myself to read one of the monster books (based on size and or difficulty), and at least one that I initially did not consider because it's outside my comfort zone (topic wise).
Mod
Read 5 of the GAR books this summer
Read 10 by October
(Should very long books earn more points in a challenge?)
Read at least one very large and/or challenging book that I put off
Read at least one book outside your comfort zone - in a different genre (or a classic book)
Read one book from each category of the list.
Vote for your favorite books on facebook or twitter
Discuss books with friends and family.
Get a reluctant reader to read a book
Persuade a non (infrequent) adult reader to read a book.
Read a GAR book with a friend or relative
We could challenge people to do each item, or X of them. We could assign point values to each book read, or each reading promotion task.
Nancy, these are great ideas.I especially like the encouraging reluctant or infrequent adult readers to read a book and reading a book with a friend or relative. That reminds me of doing other activities with a buddy to help motivate ( such as going to the gym, bike riding, etc). I personally can handle at least one book a month, perhaps two some months if they are not long so my goal would be 3-5 books during June through August. Reading a book from a non- familiar genre is a good challenge!
Hi,Those are creative.
My goal is to combine this group challenge (if I do it) with another group. I haven't participated in their quarterly challenges in a while now, so thought I'd try for the summer. Their minimum is two books per challenge. This summer's is:
1) a book that takes place in the Middle Ages
2) One that takes place in the future (btw, how do we qualify 1984 now? It was science fiction when I was young, lol)
3) a contemporary story
4) one that takes place during WWII
5) a book whose cover caught your eye
6) a book with more than 500 pp
7) a book that's part of a saga/series
8) fantasy
9) historical or adventure novel
10) Intrigue
11) a book that has a serial killer
12) a novel that contains romance
13) a book that you own and haven't read yet
14) a book whose main character is on vacation
15) New York Times bestseller
So, like yours, pretty creative and casts the net wide, makes it easy for lots to participate. The spring challenge was related to seasons and colors (in the titles, etc)
Mod
1) a book that takes place in the Middle Ages - Pillars of the Earth, Don Quixote?
2) One that takes place in the future (btw, how do we qualify 1984 now? It was science fiction when I was young, lol) Dune? Martian
3) a contemporary story - Oscar Wao, Gone Girl, Ghost or Looking for Alaska?
4) one that takes place during WWII - Book Thief? Catch 22
5) a book whose cover caught your eye - Mind Invaders
6) a book with more than 500 pp - War and Peace, Lonesome Dove, Jane Eyre, Count of Monte Cristo
7) a book that's part of a saga/series - several
8) fantasy - several
9) historical or adventure novel - Tom Sawyer, Don Quixote, Gone with the Wind, War and Peace
10) Intrigue - Count of Monte Cristo,
11) a book that has a serial killer - Alex Cross?
12) a novel that contains romance - P&P, Outlander, Gone with the Wind, One hundred years..
13) a book that you own and haven't read yet
14) a book whose main character is on vacation - Hitchhiker's Guide?
15) New York Times bestseller - Current? Maybe Ready Player One
I don't know if I'll get to any of the books on the PBS list that I haven't read yet, although there are a couple I'm quite interested in. I've got a number of challenges going on other groups that keep me fairly occupied.
I like your challenge ideas! And longer books should have more points.
NancyJ wrote: "OK, just for fun, let me see if I can find some from the GAR list. I'm just guessing on a few.1) a book that takes place in the Middle Ages - Pillars of the Earth, Don Quixote?
2) One that takes..."
Pretty easy to do0, the way she sets them up, right? :)
Another suggestion for a book to put on your list is a title which won an award (Pulitzer, National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, for example)Another suggestion: A book which takes place in your home state or nation.
I create a spreadsheet each year listing books I want to read. This year I included the re-reading of The Hobbit and the LOTR series. The Harry Potter series is there as well. I have 3 or 4 of the HP books done and have The Hobbit down for the third time! I love that story. These challenges to finish these two series will be what I most concentrate on. But I just snagged a copy of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" at a thrift store, and since I'd never read it, I can finish another on the list, perhaps by year's end.
Thank you, everyone for the suggestions for challenges. This is what makes our reading groups fun and interesting.
Mod
Another suggestion: A book which takes place in your h..."
I've never read LOTR. I tried in high school, but I never got into it. It always seemed to be a book that boys liked more than girls. But I like a lot of books that men like, so.... I think my son left a copy of one or more of them, so maybe I'll try again.
Mod
It would include ALL the GAR books you read, regardless of when you read them. The challenge would be to fill gaps in your life long reading, focusing on variety by Dec 31 (or some alternative date).
Century Challenge: Read at least one book from every century (starting with 1600-1699 (maybe just one choice for that one). Based on original publication date (not setting).
Decade Challenge for 20th century.
Big Book Challenge
Continent Challenge. Read at least one book from every continent in the world. Or X number of countries. This might get complicated when the author's origin, language and setting don't match. I hope someone knowledgeable will help to research it and make a list.
Genre Challenge - Read at least one book from each genre.
The Genre list on the GAR site is kind of weird though. I'd want to regroup mystery, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, etc.
And add:
War/historical events
Spiritual/Religious
Philosophy, politics
others?
Theme Challenge - could add other groupings to the genre list.
Award
Other canon/classics lists?
2019 ideas
- Top 10 list - the top X books based on the GAR votes.
- GAR author's other (better?) books. Slaughterhouse Five, Huck Finn, East of Eden, etc.
Series challenge
Nancy, I've never read LOTR either. I got myself a remainder copy of the whole trilogy, and it's not super duper fat, but it's a big book, and I think I want to read The Hobbit before LOTR (nope, dunno why, just I think for some reason that would work.) I've never read either one. I was supremely uninterested in these books as a kid (and all fantasy/sci-fi, westerns, etc.) It's a miracle I read at all, I was so picky. But I'd like to read them at some point. Not this month though, I'm overloaded.
NancyJ wrote: "Paula wrote: "Another suggestion for a book to put on your list is a title which won an award (Pulitzer, National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, for example)Another suggestion: A book which takes p..."
I liked The Hobbit most of all, and just like the films, The Two Towers less, because it was a lot of war and battles. I do remember, as a teenager, it was hard to keep some of the characters separate (the two princes from Gondor have similar names, as do some of the dwarves). But The Hobbit was definitely the best, for me.
Have you set a goal for the number of GAR books you plan to read this summer?
What else do you plan to do to participate in the GAR program? Vote on PBS site, Facebook, Twitter? Talk about it with friends and family. Local book clubs? Buddy reads?
What additional challenges could we set up? Please post ideas and comments here.
Let's share ideas and goals!