The Great American Read on PBS

[Outlast]

PBS has started a vote for the best novel. They compiled a list of 100 books (many of which I have never even heard of). But they got a lot of them right too from And Then There Were None to Narnia to Lord of the Rings to Outlander to Little Women to Anne of Green Gables to Jane Eyre to Rebecca to Pilgrim's Progress to Wuthering Heights...this list has most of the greatest book of all time on it.

Here's a link to the list
http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/books/#/

Here's a link to vote
http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/vote/

[Snowbird]

How do you pick just one?

[Outlast]

You don't have to. You can vote ONCE a day for EACH book in their top 100. There is no limit on how many books you can vote for.

Eventually I assume there will be a narrowing of the field, but for now those are the rules.

[Merry Prankster]

 MP in no way intends to offend you, Outtie, but he knows of your respect for accuracy.  “THE GREAT AMERICAN READ is searching for the country’s best-loved novel.”  Quoted from the website.  The only requirements appear to be that the novel be fictional and have been published in English.  The website describes how the final 100 candidates were selected but the explanation seems vague to MP.

The list is eclectic to say the least, ranging from truly great novels to genre classics to purely commercial bestsellers to putrid novels written by authors who must have missed school on the days they taught English grammar, e.g., Fifty Shades of Grey.   Go Vote!

[Outlast]

PBS is still collecting votes until October 18th and they've released a list of the top 40 vote getters so far...
https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/blogs/inside-look/first-look-top-40-books-in-the-great-american-read/?utm_source=tgarnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=button&utm_content=2018_08_13&utm_campaign=americanread_2018&elqTrackId=38f38497b7e447df95a61323fa1e81d0&elq=7031f73eeeb64d93928fd2f01ec16ac5&elqaid=3254&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=1709

Nine of my top ten books (from their list) made the top forty and I at least know of most of the rest, many of which are indeed very good reads.

My Top Ten
Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings
And Then There Were None
Wuthering Heights
Little Women
Jane Eyre
Pilgrim's Progress
Anne of Green Gables
Rebecca
Alice in Wonderland

[ponytail]

I love so many of those books on the top 40! Many of them I have read several times over the years. Just can't beat them. I saw some on the list that surprised me, but glad to know others loved them just as much as me!

Rebecca is one of them! I not only loved the book, but also the old black and white movie. I am a sucker for 30's and 40's films! And Anne of Green Gables. I also never get tired of watching the PBS mini series--one of my all time favorites.

Here are my top 10 from the list, with an extra thrown in because I couldn't cut it down any further:
Anne of Green Gables
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Count of Monte Christo
The Handmaid's Tale
Harry Potter series
The Hunger Games series
Lord of the Rings
Pillars of the Earth
Pride and Prejudice
Rebecca
The Stand

[Snowbird]

One of my top ten that didn't make the list is Of Mice and Men. 
My top ten would include that plus these"

Where The Red Fern Grows
To Kill a Mockingbird
Wuthering Heights
The Outsiders
Little Women
Gone With the Wind
The Grapes of Wrath
The Color Purple
Great Expectations

The Catcher in the Rye and Tom Sawyer are also books I enjoyed. 
My all time favorite book would be Julamay Loves Chancey but it's a book of short stories.  Wonder why I like it so much?

[ponytail]

LOL Bonnie, I'm gonna have to buy that book!

[Merry Prankster]

Thanks Outtie, for keeping us abreast of developments in The Great American Read project.  MP has seen worse top 40 lists.
MP was surprised at the number of Sci-Fi/Fantasy offerings among the top 40.

MP’s personal favorites among the top 40:  1984, Dune, The Catcher in the Rye, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Lord of the Rings, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Books in the top 100 that MP would have included in the top 40:  A Confederacy of Dunces, Catch-22, Don Quixote, Foundation, Frankenstein, Invisible Man, Moby Dick.  MP will not list the books he would have thrown out to make room for these out of respect for the fact that each reader’s list of beloved books is a matter of highly personal taste.

Lastly, THANK GOD FIFTY SHADES OF GREY DID NOT MAKE THE TOP 40!! 

[LindaM]

Ten - I went over.  Here's the ones I chose in no particular order.
The Little Prince
Eye of the World
And Then There were None
Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings
Count of Monte Cristo (but should have been 3 Musketeers)
Rebecca
DaVinci Code
Harry Potter
Outlander
Pillars of Earth
Sun Also Rises
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe.

[ponytail]

I would have to heartily agree with you on Eye of the World, Linda. Didn't know you were a fan of Robert Jordan! I certainly am. And because Brandon Sanderson finished up the series after his death, I'm a fan of Brandon, too!

I noticed Game of Thrones was on the top 100 list, too. But it is sometimes long winded, difficult to follow and just boring, so I don't think I would ever include as a favorite read, but I am enamored of the HBO series!

[LindaM]

I agree Ponytail on Game of Thrones plus I watched the show before trying the book and found it too bloody for my taste.

And yes, I read sci-fi.  I read just about anything that is by a good author.  Ever tried the Zelanzy series.  That's complicated but good up to book 3 or 4.