2009

How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else is a memoir by Michael Gates Gill which chronicles his journey from a high-level advertising executive with J. Walter Thompson to a barista at Starbucks.

2008

Three Cups of Tea is one mountaineer’s (Greg Mortenson) story on how after trying and failing to climb K2, he came upon a destitute Pakistan village in the Karakoram Mountains. Motivated by the people’s benevolences, he made a commitment to return and erect a school.Three Cups of Tea is the account of one man fulfilling a promise made to an indigenous people and its remarkable result.

2007

The book selection for 2007 was An Ordinary Man, by Paul Rusesabagina. The Distinguished Lecture Committee brought the author to campus to speak at Convocation and to attend the President's luncheon on Sunday, August 26, 2007. On Saturday, August 25, 2007, Rusesabagina attended a book signing at Linebaugh Library and also spoke to community book clubs who were reading the book. Ruesesabagina also attended one of MTSU's classes.

2006

The book selection for 2006 was Fat Land, by Greg Critser. The Distinguished Lecture Committee brought the author to campus to speak at Convocation and to attend the President's luncheon on Sunday, August 27, 2006. On Saturday, August 26, 2006, Critser attended a book signing at Linebaugh Library and also spoke to community book clubs who were reading the book. Critser also visited one of MTSU's classes to discuss how our society's eating habits have changed.

2005

The book chosen for 2005 was Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. The Distinguished Lecture Committee brought the author to campus to speak at Convocation and attend the President's luncheon on Sunday, August 28, 2005.

2004

The book of choice for 2004 was Naked in Baghdad, written by a National Public Radio's senior foreign correspondent, Anne Garrels. The Distinguished Lecture Committee once again brought the author to campus to speak at Convocation on Sunday, August 29, 2004.

2003

The book selection for 2003 was All Over but the Shoutin', written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Rick Bragg. The Distinguished Lecture Committee brought the author to campus to speak at the University Convocation on August 17, 2003.

2002

The book selection for 2002 was The Color of Water written by James McBride.

For more information about the Community Reading Program (Summer Reading Program), contact Gia Jones at (615) 898-2339, gcjones@mtsu.edu.