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Steve's Thoughts on Books: 

I learned to love reading from my dad who taught me to love books of every kind. I think a good book has two primary characteristics. First, it will cause the reader to think deeply. Second, it should motivate the reader to be a little better--a little smarter, a little kinder, a little wiser, a little more understanding, a little more prepared.

I like the wise counsel to "...seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." (D&C 88:118) 

"...study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people." (D&C 90:15)

No matter what kind of book I read, it should have a good story to tell. More and more I like to read biographies--real people's lives are usually far more interesting than what I read in fiction.  

Steve's (Partial) Reading List:

• "The Prize" by Daniel Yergin. A brilliant narrative history of the oil industry and how the history of the last century (and the start of this century) was in many ways driven by the global quest for oil.
• "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" by Samuel P. Huntington. Huntington provides what I believe is the best model by which to understand the nature of the current world order. It points out the fault-lines between civilizations along which exist the greatest potential for conflict. Someone needs to write a book now about how all this clash potential can be mitigated by shared values and mutually beneficial cooperation. 
• "The Middle East" by Bernard Lewis. Fascinating and candid historical survey of this complex region. This is a must-read for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the genesis of current events.
• "As a Driven Leaf" by Milton Steinberg. A story of one man's quest to find truth--first through faith and then through science--and how in the end neither approach worked. A reminder that the search for truth is dependent upon both faith and science. 
• "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Fascinating story highlighting the dangers of the welfare/totalitarian state and the moral weakness it fosters in society. People must learn to stand on their own and make their own way in the world.

Michelle's Thoughts on Books:

A good book should engross me. It shouldn't have a hidden agenda. A good book should be "clean" as in not intentionally wallowing in immorality just for shock value. A good book should have strong women as characters--I hate when women are portrayed as weak and over-emotional. I love historical novels and books that are thought-provoking. I like well-written fantasy where the author creates a richly-detailed world that can be explored in many ways--a place that feels so real it would be seemingly possible to travel there and see it in person.  

Michelle's Reading List:

• The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling.
• The "Foundation" series by Isaac Asimov. 
• The "Little House on the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
• Any mystery novel by Agatha Christie.
• "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang. I like this book because it relates the life stories of three amazingly strong women. 
• "Life and Death in Shanghai" by Nien Cheng.

Steven's Thoughts on Books:

"A good book should have action and mystical creatures. It should be exciting and be epic. Plus it should be funny. That's what I think about books."

Steven's Reading List:

• The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques. I like these books because they have mystery, action, and adventure. They are very entertaining. They teach me about battles and good and evil.
• "Eragon" and "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini. I like these books because they are like Redwall. Christopher Paolini is only nineteen years old and lives in Montana. He wrote this first book when he was only fifteen. I want to be an author like him.
• "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling. I like these books because they have magic and adventure written all over them.   

Sabrina's Thoughts on Books:

I think a good book should have lots of words that I can read and that are interesting to me. Most books that I like are books that have won awards, but some books I like don't have awards. I like books that have big words that I can read too. I really like chapter books and joke books--they are literally my favorite books.  

Sabrina's Reading List:

• Dr. Seuss books. I like these books because they have small words that I can read and they're funny. My favorite Dr. Seuss book is Green Eggs and Ham because we made them in pre-school.
• "Animal Ark" books by Ben M. Baglio. I like these books because they have big words that I can read and they are interesting and have happy endings even though some of them have sad parts. The one I'm reading now is called "Kittens in the Kitchen."