Suggestions Submitted by the Public "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by David Eggers "A Journey to Hell and Back" by Charlotte Russell Johnson "All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy "All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton, The" by Jane Smiley "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, The" by Michael Chabon "Baby Tree, The" by Erin McGraw "Bee Season" by Myla Goldberg "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger "Chimborazo" by Steven Wise "Columbus in the Americas" by William Least-Heat Moon "Cry, the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton "Death in a Perfect Town: A Cramer Creek Mystery" by Sharon King "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card "Enemy Women" by Paulette Jiles "Evening News" by Marly Swick "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the American Meal" by Eric Schlosser "Fateless" by Imre Kertesz "Finders Keepers" by Catherine Palmer "Finding Fish: A Memoir" by Antwone Fisher "Gifted Sophomores, The" by Terri Blackstock "Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck "Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain's Journey, The" by Linda Greenlaw "Huntsman, The" by Whitney Terrell "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace "Life of Pi, The" by Yann Martel "Lord of the Rings, The" by J.R.R. Tolkein "Lovely Bones, The" by Alice Sebold "Master Butchers Singing Club: A Novel" by Louise Erdrich "Master of the Senate: The Years of LBJ" by Robert Caro "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden "Midwives: a Novel" by Chris A. Bohjalian "Old Ace in the Hole, The" by Annie Proulx "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger "Piano Tuner, The" by Daniel Mason "Power of One, The" by Bryce Courtenay "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver "Remember Me" by Laura Hendrie "River Town" by Peter Hessler "Rule of Lawyers, The" by Walter K. Olson "Secret Life of Bees, The" by Sue Monk Kidd "Standing in the Rainbow" by Fannie Flagg "Straight Man" by Richard Russo "Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World" by Rita Golden Gelman "Taps" by Willie Morris "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe "To America" by Stephen Ambrose "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee "Tomato Red" by Daniel Wood "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Album "Undaunted" Courage by Stephen Ambrose "Wish You Well" by David Baldacci

The task force accepted recommendations for this year’s One Read book from the public in February (see list at right).

In March, a reading panel, made up of community members from Boone and Callaway counties, reviewed the list of titles suggested and narrowed that list to ten (indicated in bold). The panel then read all ten books and presented two of those to the public to vote on in May. The winning book was announced in August.

The One Read task force looked for a book the community would enjoy reading and discussing, that had a broad-based appeal to readers of different backgrounds and reading levels, and addressed themes, issues and topics that would encourage and sustain spirited discussion. The reading panel considered the following when narrowing the list of books: