by Taylor Follett
Since May of 2018, PBS has been hosting an 8 part series designed to get people reading, talking about reading, and to generate excitement about books called the Great American Read. PBS conducted a survey to discover the top 100 novels that Americans love before hosting a nationwide vote for America’s most-loved book. They announced the winner on October 23rd, in the close of their program. The winner?
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Read or re-read the popular favorite from the library’s collection. (We also have a copy in Bancroft in the Leon F. Litwack collection for African American History and Culture.) The controversial sequel is Go Set a Watchman (with big changes for the original characters).
Harper Lee
Bancroft Copy
Harper Lee
Harper Lee
Many of the 100 books selected for the competition are familiar and may even invoke nostalgia. Check out the full list with results here. The top ten books and series span children’s novels and literary fiction, with something for everyone. Read them at the library:
Diana Gabaldon
#2
J.K. Rowling
#3
Jane Austen
#4
J.R.R. Tolkien
#5
Margaret Mitchell
#6
E.B. White
#7
Louisa May Alcott
#8
C.S. Lewis
#9
Charlotte Bronte
#10
Check out The Great American Read’s website for more information. Happy reading!