Happy Holidays from Maryland Center for the Book at Maryland Humanities! Whether you’re curled up on vacation, grabbing the next train home, or just looking for an engrossing read to stave off the post-holiday blues, check out one of the books below. It could be the 2017 One Maryland One Book pick!
The 2017 One Maryland One Book theme is “Home & Belonging”. Readers across Maryland suggested 140 unique titles via email and the Maryland Center for the Book Facebook page. Our committee narrowed the list to the top 10 and will select the top 3 titles in late January.
Follow us on Facebook and subscribe to Maryland Humanities’ e-News to get the latest updates on the selection process and be the first to hear what we’ll be discussing across our state. We will know the 2017 selection in February or March. Learn more about the criteria and process on our website.
Top 10 titles under consideration for One Maryland One Book 2017
- Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Nine Years Under: Coming of Age in an Inner-City Funeral Home by Sheri Booker
- The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons and an Unlikely Road to Manhood by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- A Curious Land: Stories from Home by Susan Muaddi Darraj
- Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
- The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
- Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
- Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
- Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
- Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
About One Maryland One Book
One Maryland One Book authors Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely discuss All American Boys at Prince George’s County Memorial Library System’s Oxon Hill Branch, as part of the 2016 Author Tour.
When we read a great book, we can’t wait to share the experience and talk about it with others. That’s one of the joys of reading. In that spirit, Maryland Humanities created One Maryland One Book to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book.
One Maryland One Book programs, including an author tour, take place each year in the fall. We invite you to participate in book-centered discussions and related programs at public libraries, high schools, colleges, museums, bookstores, and community and senior centers around the state. A calendar of free public events will be available online this summer.
What do you think of the 2017 Top Ten list? Have you read any of the titles and if so, what did you think? Let us know by posting a comment below! Please share this news with fellow readers from Mountain Maryland to the Eastern Shore.
I couldn’t be happier with your selections! I’ve read books by several of the authors and have even read the Ta-Nehisi Coates memoir. I’m sure it was difficult to narrow the suggestions to only ten books. I added 7 of the 10 to my “to-read” list on Goodreads, so regardless of which book is chosen, you’ve already given me plenty of ideas about home and belonging. Thank you!
What a great list! I just finished Born a Crime and I think it would be perfect for OMOB. It could appeal to both teens and adults, is funny, well-written, and thought-provoking. I think it fits this year’s theme so well and could lead to some really interesting discussions in our communities.
Vote for Hillbilly Elegy
I second a vote for Hillbilly Elegy. They all look good. I have enjoyed every OMOB and I’m sure I’ll enjoy this one.
I have nothing against learning about people from the ghetto (I grew up in one), but I think that theme might be too similar to last year’s selection. Also, I think it might be nice to have something whose setting is in the States as opposed to overseas. Just personal opinions that I’m putting out there. 🙂
Sheri Booker’s book is wonderful and a real local picture of Baltimore and funerals.
I have read Hillbilly Elegy and highly recommend it as the next OMOB as it really sheds light on some key cultural challenges facing our state and country and it is well written. I have also read Coates and that would be a fine choice too.
Trevor Noahs book.