After weeks of meeting, reading and weeding a long list of nominated titles, a volunteer panel of book lovers has selected two novels and a work of nonfiction as finalists for the 2019 One Book -- One Lincoln citywide reading program.
And they are, in no particular order:
“There There,†the debut novel by Cheyenne and Arapaho author Tommy Orange, examines the lives of a dozen urban Indians living in Oakland, whose lives will “converge and collide on one fateful day†at the Big Oakland Powwow, according to the library’s description.
“The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life,†a work of nonfiction by Lauren Markham, follows the journey of twin brothers who escape the violence of El Salvador and end up in California, navigating a new world on their own, and learning what it means to be American teenagers.
People are also reading…
“The Great Believers,†a novel by Rebecca Makkai, chronicles the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic through a pair of alternating but intertwined characters, one set in Chicago in 1985, the other in modern-day Paris.
The 17-member One Book -- One Lincoln selection committee started its work about 10 weeks ago, with a list of 161 books nominated by the public, said committee chair David Smith. They’d meet, cut the list in half, meet again, cut the list in half again.
He estimated each member read 20 to 25 of the books before they narrowed it to the final three. But now their work is done, and it’s the public’s job to pick the winner.
Lincoln City Libraries will have paper ballots at all of its branches, or you can vote online at , on Facebook at @lincoln.libraries, or on Twitter at @LCLibraries. Voting ends July 31, and the winner will be announced on Labor Day.
started in 2002 as a way to get the city thinking about, and talking about, the same book at the same time. The library has long led that discussion, stocking up on the finalists and hosting special programs and events.
The library still hosts events, but more and more clubs and groups have made One Book -- One Lincoln a tradition, said library director Pat Leach.
And the book talk seems to be spreading away from the library.
“They make it part of their calendars,†she said. “A lot of it is happening in living rooms and coffee shops.â€