It's TIme to VOTE on Your Book Choices!

Alright everyone!

It's time to vote on your favorite book choices! You can find all your choices on the blog and need to vote on the poll there. Be sure to follow the directions and only vote on however many you are directed to. (There are 5 polls to vote on).

I made an executive decision and decided to have The Christmas Carol and The Mansion be the books for December. If we vote on The Hobbit we can have that be the book for November so we can read it before the movie comes out and maybe see it if we're together for Christmas. :)

Here they are:


Religious Books: Choose ONLY 1

The Peacegiver by James Ferrell
It's a great book that is written as an extended parable to teach us about the Savior and His atonement. It's a short book, but is very powerfully written and will change your way of thinking about others and help you come unto Christ in a new and rich way.

Raising Up a Family to the Lord by Elder Gene R. Cook
This is a MUST read for all parents and future parents, that gives great advice and encouragement for families.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
While Mom hasn't read this, she's heard a lot of quotes from it and thinks someone makes the deal with the Devil for something and that it has a religious overtone to the book.



Fiction Genre Options: Choose 3

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
A deeply moving novel that takes place in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s during the civil rights movement. It follows the stories of Eugenia Skeeter Phelan and her idea of writing a story based off of the help's (black women) point of view. This novel inventively explores the unspoken ways in which the nascent civil rights and feminist movements threaten the southern status quo.

The Undaunted by Gerald N. Lund
A book about the Hole-in-the-Rock pioneer expedition, that many of us probably know nothing about. It was a projected six-week trip that turned into a six-month saga of determination and sacrifice, with a good handful of miracles. A great read to help us understand our pioneer heritage. It's a heart-clenching read and is very engaging, and is a great story of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the courageous Saints who laid its foundations.

Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
A quick read book that is set in Kansas during the depression-era. Young farm wife Queenie Bean tells about the brief membership of a city girl named Rita, who aspires to be an investigative reporter. This leads her to unearth secrets about the murder of a member's husband, and in the process unearths complicated relationships among the women.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
This story is based off of the author's Grandmother's life. Esperanza is a young girl with everything, but when tragedy strikes she and her mother are forced to move to California to settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. They struggle to fit in among their own people during the Great Depression.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
This story follows the life of 13 year old Sal Hiddle, who has a lot of upheaval in her life. The story keeps reader' interested and the pacing is good, as it follows Sal's life from being moved from her beloved farm in Idaho, having to search for her mother Sugar, and the side-story of Sal's friend Phoebe.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
A book that you can read in an afternoon, it reminds us of the tough world of high school. Stargirl Caraway, a new 10th grader, wears pioneer dresses and kimonos to school, strums a ukulele in the cafeteria, and is thought of as very strange. In time, however, the student body warms up to her. However, popularity is a fragile and fleeting state.

The Alliance by Gerald N. Lund
Follows the story of Eric Lloyd 18 years after the nuclear holocaust. Eric and his family have lived in its own secluded territory, only to be taken from home and relocated in a new society known as the Alliance where a computer chip controls their emotions to eliminate crime and prejudice. What will Eric do to destroy this corrupt power structure and save his family?



Science/Horror Fiction: Choose ONE

I Am Legend
This is a 1954 horror fiction novel by American writer Richard Metheson. It was influential in the development of the zombie genre and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease.

Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Strover
This book was really fun to read if you love the Star Wars Saga. It is based on the screenplay to the 3rd Star Wars movie, and does a great job detailing Anakin's story, but more importantly why Obi Wan Kanobi is successful in defeating him - and why he chooses to not kill Anakin in the end. I thought it was really cool to see how the Force worked, how the different Jedi's fighting styles were explained, and of course to see the demise of Padme. (jk)



Non-fiction/Inspirational: Choose THREE

Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life by Steven Johnson
This book describes how the brain works and how the systems connect to the day-to-day realities of individual lives. The book suggests that learning about the brain's mechanics will help with self-awareness just as well as therapy or drugs.

His Needs Her Needs by Willard F. Harley, Jr.
This book changed my life. I didn't actually read the entire book with Jim, but it is a great reminder that we all have emotional banks that need to be cared for. This is a great way to open up communication with your spouse and really gage how well the relationship is going, and what we should do to eliminate problems that often lead to divorce or extramarital affairs. It is written for Christian couples.

Bonds That Make Us Free
Is a ground-breaking book that suggests that the remedy for our troubling emotions is to address the root cause of the problem. We are responsible for our feelings, such as anger, envy and insecurity that we often blame on others. This remarkable book teaches us how to overcome these issues so we are free to heal and become better parents, friends, and people.

7 Habits For Highly Successful People by Stephen R. Covey
With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
This is the guy who is helping the Rognons turn their life around. Instead of promising the normal dose of quick fixes, Ramsey offers a bold, no-nonsense approach to money matters, providing not only the how-to but also a grounded and uplifting hope for getting out of debt and achieving total financial health.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Proven advice for success in life: Carnegie believed that most successes come from an ability to communicate effectively rather than from brilliant insights. His book teaches these skills by showing readers how to value others and make them feel appreciated rather than manipulated.

Your Memory: How it Works and How to Improve It by Dr. Kenneth Higbee
Dr. Higbee reveals how simple techniques can be incorporated into your everyday life and how you can also use these techniques to learn foreign languages faster, and overcome general absentmindedness.



Fantasy Fiction: Choose 2
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven is a secret nature preserve protecting beings of myth and legend from the outside world. 13-year old Kendra and 11-year old Seth travel to their Grandparents house and discover the world of Fablehaven, and all the adventures that this brings.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein
A story of Mr. Bilbo's journey to win a share of the treasure guarded by the dragon, Smaug. His journey takes him from light-hearted, rural surroundings into darker, deeper territory.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
A fun take on invasion of the body snatchers, but from the "snatchers" point of view, and how she connects to the human host she invades.

The Bad Beginning: Or, Orphans! (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1) by Lemony Snicket
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.


Alright. Some of you have already voted, so be sure to let me know if you have.

Remember - go to the blog and vote on the side polls, and then send me an email when you've voted so I know if I need anyone else to vote before I tally it all up. Thanks guys! I'm excited for our list.

As Wendy pointed out, I only compiled the ones that had the most votes or that most people were interested in. There are a lot of great books to read, and we had to narrow it down to 11 books (or really, 10 since A Christmas Carol is going to be for December). I think we have a nice list of fun, but diverse, books and I'm excited to see what everyone decides on. Feel free to read any of the biographies or books that didn't make the final cut, though.