The book arrived from the publisher without any fanfare, wrapped in plain cardboard and sent through the U.S. mail. Record-Bee reports.
With no more effort than it took to tear open the perforated strip that sealed the package closed, the small church library that I oversaw was now part of a “common read.” What an exciting moment!
My first experience with a common read was just a few years earlier, during an effort to encourage all of California to read John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” My husband and I read aloud to each other from my copy that had been given to me by the Calistoga Junior/Senior High School librarian.
It was intriguing, as we read to each other, to know that across the state of California, other people were reading the same book and that, moreover, public events were promoting “The Grapes of Wrath.” One of those events was organized locally through the efforts of Harold Riley.
My experience taking part in a common read had been very enjoyable so when the organization that oversees our local church selected a common read, I knew that I wanted to make the book available to the members of my church: to give them a chance to have that much more in common with people in other communities, in congregations around the world. Read more.
How many?
I’m very curious how many people across CA actually read “The Grapes of Wrath” at the same time. Did anybody count?
Is this a Baby Boomers’ equivilant to social networking?