The Great American Read discussion

Let us know which Great American Read Books you are currently reading, recently read, or are about to read. You can also use this thread to discuss books by GAR authors. For instance Margaret Atwood's and Colson Whitehead's new books.

Tell us what you thought, and feel free to comment on other GAR books. There is another thread for any other books.

I reread The Handmaid's Tale in September, and the Graphic Novel as well. I commented on them in the discussions in the folder for Handmaids and The Testaments. I just started The Testaments today.

The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel

I also read my first book by Colson Whitehead last weekend for an upcoming bookclub meeting. The Underground Railroad. I don't know what took me so long to read it. I haven't read his book on the GAR list yet, and I'll have to remedy that soon.

I am reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban right now. I have not read The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead yet but when you decide to read it Nancy let me know. I would be interested in reading it with you.

Finally put my spreadsheet together - again. I have read 25 of the books. Now I am reading Another Country

I have been reading short stories by Hemingway, but am about to start the GAR book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. I read excerpts from it in college in a British Lit class, but have never read the entire thing. Also, I really don't remember too much from that Lit class.

I have read 48 on the list. This year I have read Americanah, Another Country and I reread The Handmaid's Tale The The Intuitionist is next on my list.

Kelly wrote: "I have read 48 on the list. This year I have read Americanah, Another Country and I reread The Handmaid's Tale The The Intuitionist is next on..."

Janet wrote: "I am reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban right now. I have not read The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead yet but when you decide to read it Nancy l..."

Great, I think Intuitionist might be great for November or December because it's short. Gilead could go in either one.

NancyJ wrote: "Kelly wrote: "I have read 48 on the list. This year I have read Americanah, Another Country and I reread The Handmaid's Tale The [book:The Intuitionist|162..."
Sounds good. I already read Gilead (love it) and I am looking forward to Intuitionist.

I'm rereading the Outlander Series. I'm on the 6th book, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.

I finished Hemigway

I'm almost through The Testaments, and I'm loving it.

I'm reading Dragonfly in Amber.

Joe Hill's "20th Century Ghosts"

the stories of john cheever

I finished Testaments, and I'm listening to an old Sherlock Holmes story at bedtime. I'm starting Another Country right now.

I'm a little more than halfway through "An Echo in the Bone".

Parker wrote: "I'm a little more than halfway through "An Echo in the Bone"."

This is next in the series for me too. How does it compare to the previous book? (I thought the last one had WAY too many sexual assaults and was in need of a tough editor. But otherwise I loved it.)

Started Animal Farm. Quick read while I struggle through Another Country

I took a break to read In the Woods which was quite good, but a little depressing. Tana French is not like most mystery/thriller authors.

I'm back to Another Country, about halfway - getting to know more about Eric in France. I've made a lot of highlights so far. The author makes so many really poignant observations about the character's lives. Gretchen, let's stay with it!

NancyJ wrote: "I took a break to read In the Woods which was quite good, but a little depressing. Tana French is not like most mystery/thriller authors.

I'm back to Another Country, about halfway..."

Thanks for the encouragement, Nancy. I will finish Animal Farm tomorrow or so and then commit to Another Country. :)

Are you enjoying animal farm. I’ve never read it. I liked 1984 when I was young, but I didn’t like it last year.

NancyJ wrote: "Are you enjoying animal farm. I’ve never read it. I liked 1984 when I was young, but I didn’t like it last year."

I think 1984 has a good message to hear but personally I think Animal Farm is the better book. I think Animal Farm is amazing.

NancyJ wrote: "Are you enjoying animal farm. I’ve never read it. I liked 1984 when I was young, but I didn’t like it last year."

I am almost finished. It's a quicky read. I like it but it's an obvious story. Reflects on communism or dictatorship. Communism the Soviet way.

I finished Handmaid's Tale and Testaments. Now on to The Three Musketeers. I hope I'm up for this long tome.

Finished Animal Farm. Not sure about the ending but the book is creepy in the sense that it very reflective of 45 in the white house. ugh

Gretchen wrote: "Finished Animal Farm. Not sure about the ending but the book is creepy in the sense that it very reflective of 45 in the white house. ugh"

Ugh. I know he really wants to be a fascist dictator. Let's hope that the checks and balances in our constitution can prevent that.

I'm reading Gilead right now and it's a nice change of pace. He's writing a long letter/journal for his young son because he knows he doesn't have much longer to live. At first it seems like a bunch of random thoughts, but he's gradually building much bigger stories. I love how he is finding joy and wonder in things. Listening to some of this is the nice way to start or end your day.

I'm revisiting Catch 22. I seem to have finally hit its "stride" and am finding myself laughing at the scenes. I had almost given up the last time I tried to read it because my mind was too tired to keep up with the word play. Imam glad that it seems to be over though! It reminds me of Men Who Stare at Goats.

I am excited that I might reach my goal of 10 books read or attempted for the year from the GAR list. I did quit Foundation, but that is the only one I have totally crossed off the list for myself. I hope to read 12 next year, but we will see. I have Lonesome Dove as a first choice, and I'd like to tackle either War and Peace or Little Women as well.

I am reading Americanah. Enjoying it so far.

I finished Gilead and I still have tears on my face. It starts off as rambling, but the story gradually becomes clear and important. I’m so glad I finally read it!

I’ve got Outlander in my car, and I’m enjoying the details I had forgotten.

Kim wrote: "I'm revisiting Catch 22. I seem to have finally hit its "stride" and am finding myself laughing at the scenes. I had almost given up the last time I tried to read it because my mind was too tired t..."

Good for you. I haven’t tried that one yet. My brother is a marine and I wonder if he’d like it.

NancyJ wrote: "Kim wrote: "I'm revisiting Catch 22. I seem to have finally hit its "stride" and am finding myself laughing at the scenes. I had almost given up the last time I tried to read it because my mind was..."

He might! I know someone who is an Air Force veteran and I wonder if he would laugh at this or be offended. I don't have any experience with the military myself so I don't know if it is "on point" or not. It just hits me with Monty Python level humor applied to the military environment.

Holly wrote: "I am reading Americanah. Enjoying it so far."

I loved Americanah! I hope you continue to enjoy it.

My husband liked it. Apparently it really rings true.
You do have to have a sense of humour...

I'm reading Outlander for the third time (at least). I can't believe I'm still hanging on every word! I got my husband interested in watching the TV show, and we're watching at about the same place as I'm reading. The show made some changes but I can't fault them for any of them. (Though I can't say that about the Voyager and the third season.)

I'm also listening to The Book Thief in the car. I needed to start over because I wasn't focusing. I like the clever touches in the chapter headings and Death's narration.

I just finished the Outlander series a few weeks ago. Every time I read it, I pick up some small detail. We're also watching the TV show on DVD, and enjoying it very much. We're on Season 3, and though it felt really rushed at first, it seems to have settled down. We've got two more episodes, then the extras. Then we can move on to Season 4.

I'm reading Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. It is the second of the Alex Cross series and is very easy reading after finishing Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. That was a challenging book written in stream of consciousness and full of symbolism that was difficult to understand at times. There are times when you wish SparkNotes was available for a book.

Just a random comment: Why is it whenever I see the title Outlander, I always read it as Outlandish? I have not read the book and barely watched the first episode. I had no opinion, but always Outlandish. Makes me laugh

I finished The Book Thief, and a reread of Outlander. Both were great reads. I think I would have been better off reading The Book Thief rather than listening to the audio. It didn't seem as powerful as I expected. Maybe it was just too YA for my present state of mind. I might reread the last few chapters in print before trying to write a review.

Gretchen, parts of it are Outlandish, that's for sure. Other parts are deeply human, raw, relatable and very entertaining.

Ok. Just finished Game of Thrones. Have to count where I am in completion rate. Still pretty low.

Gretchen,
What did you think about it?

NancyJ wrote: "Gretchen,
What did you think about it?"

I could not help but compare to the series (which I am watching again for the 4th time. :) ) By the way, the first season followed the first book almost to a T, including the dialog. At the end of each episode in the series, there is an inside look by the writers and they discuss how the book and episode work, etc.

I like his writing. Very straight forward which suits me. I do not consider myself a prude, but I prefer that the book does not have the explicit sex and less violence than the show. I understand that those things sell for TV but I feel it would have been just as good in the series without it. I find too much sex and violence can distract from a story than add to it. OK, maybe I am a little prude. :)

If you like fantasy-type stories and straightforward stories, I would recommend this book. I am debating whether to move on to the second book but I have other big books on my list and I ain't gettin' any younger.

Also, I sometimes listened to the audiobook, esp. if I was driving long distances or at work. :)

Gretchen wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Gretchen,
What did you think about it?"

I could not help but compare to the series (which I am watching again for the 4th time. :) ) By the way, the first season followed the first..."

I know what you mean about the sex and violence. Cable TV keeps raising the level in order to grab people with the show value of the shows. It's like the producers don't trust the material to keep people's attention. Standards have changed a lot during my life. I'm now accustomed to a lot of sex and violence, but I have my limits.

I felt like a prude watching the half-time show of the superbowl Sunday. I loved the dancing, but I couldn't stand all the crotch shots, especially when JLo was wearing that leather outfit. It made me cringe every time.

I forgot to post about The Book Thief. It was so much better than I expected. I thought I saw the movie, but it must have been something else completely (and/or I slept through it all). I didn't fully appreciate it right away, because I was really preoccupied when I read it. I kept the CD in my car, and I'm still listening to the last third of the book. I'm picking up more of the details and the nuance, especially with the book within the book that her friend Max wrote for her.

New to this conversation.
I am challenging myself to read all the books on the list in order, starting g on the bottom with Dona Barbara. I am currently in Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Enjoy your challenge, Julie.