Catch the Next Episode of “The Great American Read” on September 11

Thursday, September 6, is National Read a Book Day, and one way to celebrate is with The Great American Read, an eight-part television series designed to spark a country-wide conversation about reading.

The series — hosted on PBS by television personality Meredith Vieira — premiered on Tuesday, May 22. Booksellers can watch the 90-minute launch special on the PBS website to prepare for the next episode, which will air on Tuesday, September 11, at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

The Great American Read invites different celebrities, authors, and readers to discuss their favorite novels on each episode. Guests slated for the next episode include Sarah Jessica Parker, Venus Williams, Gillian Flynn, George R.R. Martin, Chelsea Clinton, Jason Reynolds, and James Patterson.

These avid readers will discuss their favorites from the list of America’s 100 best-loved novels, which includes everything from classics such as Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath to contemporary bestsellers like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Andy Weir’s The Martian.

Booksellers and readers also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite book from the list. After registering with PBS, voters can choose their top picks through the app on the Great American Read website or by posting an original post to Facebook or Twitter. U.S. citizens can also text their favorites to the Great American Read SMS short code 97979. Complete voting instructions can be found on the PBS website. The winner will be announced during the series’ grand finale, which will air on October 23.

Booksellers who are looking to promote this nationwide event can still take advantage of the downloadable assets that have been uploaded to the PBS website, including the list of 100 featured titles, logos and e-mail signature images, shelf-talkers, bookmarks, and more.

Learn more about The Great American Read, and watch Bookselling This Week for updates.