Hello, readers!
Our November reading officially kicks off on Sunday, November 3. While these schedules are just guidelines, the weekly recaps will follow what’s outlined below. Each Sunday, paid members will receive a recap of the previous week’s chapters as well as a few ideas to ponder and discuss.
I’m also happy to let ya’ll know that I’ve secured an exclusive interview with Oliver Burkeman, author of Meditations for Mortals. Look for that towards the end of the month if you’re following along with that book.
Without further ado, here are the schedules and a quick synopsis of each book.
P.S. Next week I’ll announce our December picks!
Go as a River by Shelley Read
On a cool autumn day in 1948, Victoria Nash delivers late-season peaches from her family's farm set amid the wild beauty of Colorado. As she heads into her village, a disheveled stranger stops to ask her the way. How she chooses to answer will unknowingly alter the course of both their young lives.
Go as a River is a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettable characters and a breathtaking natural setting, it is a sweeping story of survival and becoming—of the deepest mysteries of love, truth, and fate.
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
Addressing the fundamental questions about how to live, Meditations for Mortals offers a powerful new way to take action on what counts: a guiding philosophy of life Oliver Burkeman calls "imperfectionism." It helps us tackle challenges as they crop up in our daily lives: our finite time, the lure of distraction, the impossibility of doing anything perfectly.
How can we embrace our nonnegotiable limitations? Or make good decisions when there's always too much to do? How do we shed the illusion that life will really begin as soon as we can "get on top of everything"?
Reflecting on quotations drawn from philosophy, religion, literature, psychology, and self-help, Burkeman explores a combination of practical tools and daily shifts in perspective. The result is a life-enhancing and surprising challenge to much familiar advice—and a profound yet entertaining crash course in living more fully.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor—these form a series of events that change the orphan Pip's life forever, as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman.
Dickens's haunting novel depicts Pip's education and development through adversity as he discovers the true nature of his great expectations. Published nine years before Dickens's death, it remains one of his most celebrated works.
Customize your Big Read emails
All paid subscribers are automatically “enrolled” in all three books. To customize your settings, visit thebigread.substack.com on your computer, and follow the steps outlined below:
Looking forward to reading with ya’ll!
-Jeremy
I for sure want to do Dickens and plan to do “Meditation for Mortals “ as well. Looking forward to your newest version of the Big Read. Thanks Jeremy!
Very cool! I wish I could read all three books, but I will focus on Dickens and maybe try to also start with "Meditation for Mortals". Looking forward to another great Big Read (or several, rather)! Thanks, Jeremy!