By Sarah Hughes

News Editor

The Kellogg Library wants help choosing the 2014 to 2015 Common Read.

The program hopes to provide a book that brings the campus and community together over reading it and discussing its themes. The winning book is supposed to be a source of academic unity, delving at concerns of mutual experiences and considering cultural context. Students suggest some of their favorite books, which have influenced them as adults or changed their lives.

Five books that have been nominated already are The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Last year’s Common Read was This I Believe, edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick. This is the third Common Read at CSUSM. Based on an NPR program of the same name, it is made up of 80 Americans’ stories and features famous and unknown writers.

The excerpt from the book cover says, “Each piece compels readers to rethink not only how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs but also the extent to which they share them with others.”

Here are some books recommended as being favorites, helpful or meaningful books by CSUSM students:

Vagabonding by Rolf Potts – Sarah Hughes

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach – Sarah Hughes

E Myth by Michael E. Gerber – Justin Donner “It’s an entrepreneurship book.”

Winning by Jack Welch – Justin Donner

1984 by George Orwell – Lissette N.

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – Katlin Sweeney

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling – Lauren Hammond

Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling – Amanda Lennox “Every book is good.”

King Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss – Brayden Pack “Even my girlfriend liked it.”

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett – Faith Orcino

Life of Pi by Yann Martel – Noelle Friedberg

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge – Zach Schanzenbach

Amazing Spider-Man by Dan Slott – Resty Grey “It’s a comic, originally by Stan Lee.”

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – Cheyne Palmer

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida – Alberni Ruiz

Lord of the Flies by William Golding – T. A. McElrath “My all time favorite.”

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry – Bryan Wammack “My favorite book ever is a toss between The Little Prince and The Alchemist.”

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer – Kristin Bebout “It’s really funny but it also makes you look at your own life. It is very touching and inspiring.”

On the Road by Jack Kerouac – Celeste Morales- “Great narrative regarding the quest for identity in an ever changing 1950’s society.”

State of Decay by James Knapp – Marie Parrish- “Great exploration on the repercussions of technology and medicine and what it means to be human.”

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

Most of these books are available on Amazon and can be found there by searching the titles. These texts are significant to various members of the student body. Maybe one will influence you in the next year. To share your comments on any of these or a book you have in mind, please comment on The Cougar Chronicle Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/csusmchronicle or Tweet us @cougchronicle.

The book for the 2014 to 2015 book can be picked here: http://csusm.2014-15-common-read.sgizmo.com/s3/

Comments on the nominees can be left, as well as suggestions for books not included in the five that are featured for voting.