Read To Succeed continues its efforts to battle illiteracy. Making reading an enjoyable habit for all ages is a powerful tool to get residents to read books that can be discussed by the diverse population that makes-up Tennessee's fastest growing county.

Still Time To Read 2016's The Girls of Atomic City

NewsRadio WGNS commends the One Book Committee for its excellent choice of Denise Kiernan's The Girls of Atomic City. That was this past spring's selection.

If for some reason you have not read it, make it a point to do so. The Girls of Atomic City tells the unimaginable story of a secret city in Tennessee. Oak Ridge, the home of atomic energy, was grew out of the Manhattan Project under the cloak of tall cedars in 1942. The book even tells about Rutherford Countians who were a part of the walled community.

As anyone who has been a member of a committee can attest, sometimes some great suggestions are nixed because they don't quite fit the criteria. This past year, committee members wanted to pick a book that shed light on a little known part of Tennessee history. The Girls of Atomic City is a nonfiction writing that shares untold stories of the women who helped win World War II.

One-Book Committee Closer

The Rutherford County One Book Committee is now busy reading to select a book for the 2017 program. Each summer before the One Book selection is announced in the fall, a group of Read To Succeed volunteers reads a variety of books to narrow down the choices.

The remaining books are offered by the committee as a Summer Reading List (see list below).

The committee's first recommendation is The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. It is a powerful and sweeping historical novel that tells the story of early American feminist Sarah Grimké and her younger sister, Angelina. Both women became famous in the 1830s for speaking out in favor of liberty and equality for African American slaves and women.

Keep in mind that while many of the titles on the Summer Reading List can be enjoyed by all ages, some are geared mostly toward adults. Read To Succeed reminds the public to use discretion when choosing titles for families and younger readers.

Read To Succeed is a community partnership created to promote reading in Rutherford County, with emphasis on family literacy. For more information, visit readtosucceed.org.

2016 Summer Reading List

Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel

Horrorstör, Grady Hendrix

All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

Sharp Teeth, Toby Barlow

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, Eric Larsen

The Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown

Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline

We Were Liars, E. Lockhart

Girl with All the Gifts, Mike Carey

As You Wish, Carey Elwes

Sum It Up, Pat Summitt and Sally Jenkins