Introducing: A New Era for The Big Read

TL;DR: More books. (Plus, November's book selections.)

Hello, readers!

Four years ago, I started The Big Read on a whim, with no grand goal other than reading War and Peace with a few other folks. Since then, we’ve grown to hundreds of members around the world and have discussed a dozen classic books together. It’s been an incredible ride and immensely fulfilling.

Today, I’m really excited to announce a new era for The Big Read

Rather than discussing one big book over two to three months, I’m introducing multiple tracks for readers to choose from each month:

• classic/challenge

• fiction

• non-fiction

Pick one book or all three—my hope is that everyone will find something they love.

With this new framework, I’m also introducing contemporary titles, which will allow for fun collaborations with authors and publishers.

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The Big Read’s November selections

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

In Charles Dickens’ own favorite novel, we find ourselves immersed in the story of Pip, an orphan whose life takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a mysterious benefactor who will raise the boy’s station in life. As Pip navigates the complexities of love and ambition, the novel unfolds as a timeless exploration of human nature and the transformative power of self-discovery.

This will be the classic read for both November and December.

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Few books have been as personally impactful in the last handful of years as Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks. It’s a book about time management that’s actually a book about meaning and finding your way to a fulfilling life.

His new book, Meditations for Mortals, takes some of those same ideas and packages them in a series of 28 “meditations” about time, purpose, and productivity.

Go as a River by Shelley Read

Shelley Read’s 2023 debut novel won multiple awards on its way to capturing the hearts of millions of readers.

Set amid Colorado’s stunning landscape, it’s a coming-of-age story of a resilient young woman whose life is changed forever by one chance encounter. It’s ultimately a tragic, uplifting novel of love and loss, place and displacement, prejudice and family, wilderness and survival—and hope.

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How it will work

In the first week of each month, I’ll introduce the next month’s books. I’ll still mix in longer books, but I’m generally going to try to pick titles that we can go through in the course of one month.

As a paying member, you’ll be auto-subscribed to each available book, which means you’ll get three emails every Sunday morning. If you’d only like to read one or two of the books, you can use the “Manage subscription” menu in your Substack profile to select which books you’d like to participate in. Here’s a short video of how to do that:

(Note: Previous book selections don’t receive any updates, so there are no notifications coming your way for those books.)

Just as I’ve been doing for the last few years, I’ll create a reading schedule for each book, send a weekly recap of the reading, provide discussion prompts, and—here’s what’s new and exciting—interview authors for the inside stories and analysis of their own books.

Let’s read some great books together!