The Great American Read on PBS

Part 3: America's 100 Most-Loved Novels List, Titles 41–60

A Recap of The Great American Read on PBS

The Great American Read is an eight-part series that explores and celebrates the power of reading through the prism of America's 100 most-loved novels as chosen in a national survey¹. The series explores how and why writers create their fictional worlds and features documentary segments with testimonials from celebrities, authors, notable Americans, and book lovers across the US.

The 100 books on the list were revealed in the first episode, so no spoilers here, just the goods to get you reading! Also, you can participate in choosing "America's Most-Loved Novel" by voting for your favorite—the winner will be announced in the finale.

¹PBS does not endorse any of the books on the list, so for the curious, the FAQs outline the process of selecting the titles on the list.

The Next 20 Books: Titles 41—60

Each title has a hashtag, so you can vote for your favorite book on social media or via SMS. You can also vote on the PBS website, or skip voting altogether and let ThriftBooks help you build a "100 Most-Loved Books" collection.

41. The Giver by Lois Lowry — #VOTETheGiver
42. The Godfather by Mario Puzo — #VOTEGodfather
43. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn — #VOTEGoneGirl
44. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell — #VOTEGoneWind
45. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck — #VOTEGrapesWrath
46. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens — #VOTEGreatExpect
47. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — #VOTEGatsby
48. Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift — #VOTEGulliver
49. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood — #VOTEHandmaid
50. Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling — #VOTEPotter
51. Hatchet (series), by Gary Paulsen — #VOTEHatchet
52. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad — #VOTEHeartDark
53. The Help by Kathryn Stockett — #VOTETheHelp
54. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams — #VOTEGalaxy
55. The Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins — #VOTEHungerGames
56. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy — #VOTERedOctober
57. The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead — #VOTEIntuition
58. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison — #VOTEInvisible
59. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë — #VOTEJaneEyre
60. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan — #VOTEJoyLuck

Happy reading, and keep an eye out for #TheGreatAmericanRead, Part 4 blog post with books 61 through 80 on the PBS list!

Read more by Beth Clark