Conversations' Presents Its Top 150 Books of 2011

It is one of Conversations' most anticipated events of the year: the revealing of its picks for Top Books. Book Club President and Founder Cyrus Webb always looks forward to sharing his list, however, this year he ran into some challenges.

"Normally we do the Top 100 Books of the year," says Webb, 36. "I just couldn't do it this time around. There were so many great titles that we had to expand the list to 150." Webb personally reads each title and has interviewed almost every author on his radio show Conversations LIVE, making the list even more personal. "It's a privilege to talk with the authors and get to share what they hope readers take away from their work," he says. "It also helps me to introduce individuals to authors they may have only heard or read about."

This year's list like each before it features books that have been released by major publishing houses, small presses and even self-published outlets. It has been Webb's goal to give everyone the same treatment as he gathers this listing, and he hopes it will also shine a light on books that are worthy of exposure but may not get alot of attention.

Conversations' Top 150 Books of 2011 will be featured in the Dec./Jan. issue of Conversations Magazine coming out Mon. November 28, 2011. Enjoy and make sure to add as many as you can to your own reading list.



Nonfiction Titles --- (Listed in no particular order)
1. "Never Give Up", Ruthe Rosen (Cypress House)
2. "The Playful & Powerful Warrior Within You!", GJ Reynolds (Beachlifestyle Publishing)
3. "Instant America", Lawrence Salone (LSS Publications)
4. "Spiritually Rich & Sexy", Pamela Jo McQuade (DreamSculpt Mindful Media)
5. "Practical Glamour", Constance Dunn (RLD Publications)
6. "Teddy Bear: Stolen Innocence", Loren Due, Ph. D. (JL King Publishing/Dr. Due Books)
7. "Georgia Justice," Jackie Carpenter (Xulon Press)
8. "The Handbook of Love", Bruce L. Thompson, Jr. (unknown)
9. "The Warmth of Other Suns," Isabel Wilkerson (Random House)
10. "Raised Right", Alisa Harris (Waterbrook Press)
11. "Rise Above", Greg Little (Dog Ear Publishing)
12. "The Life and Times of Willie Holloway", Minister Willie Holloway (Christian Services Network)
13. "Miracle Man: 100 Days with Oliver", Robert B. Haas (Bascom Hill)
14. "I Beat The Odds", Michael Oher (Gotham Books)
15. "Lost Edens", Jamie Patterson (Beaver's Pond Press)
16. "Irrepressible: The Life & Times of Jessica Mitford", Leslie Brody (Counterpoint Press)
17. "The Inspired Life," Susyn Reeve (Viva Editions)
18. "Enlightenment of Evil", Don English (unknown)
19. "Death & Oil", Brad Matsen (Pantheon Books)
20. "Moxie For Managers", Ann Tardy (Fishhead Publshing)
21. "Walking In The Deep End", Susan Parker (Silver Threads)
22. "Beyond Success," Jeffrey L. Gitterman (Amacom)
23. "Chili Pimping In Atlantic City," Michael "Mick-Man" Gourdine (Strategic Media Books)
24. "Who Is She & What Is She To You?", Pretty Tony (World Movement Records)
25. "Let My People Go," Lynn D. Cawthorne (Inkwater Press)
26. "Where Am I Going?," Michelle Cromer (Balboa Press)
27. "Smarter, Faster, Cheaper," David Siteman Garland (Wiley)
28. "Le Freak," Nile Rodgers (Spiegel and Grau)
29. "Straight From The Hood," Ron Chepesiuk & Scott Wilson (Strategic Media Books)
30. "Gridlock," Pardis Mahdavi (Stanford University Press)
31. "Evel," Leigh Montville (Doubleday)
32. "The Veil of Victory," Yorli Huff (Engendering Strength, Inc.)
33. "All I Know About Management I Learned From My Dog," Martin P. Levin (Skyhorse Publishing)
34. "How Could My Husband Be Gay?," Ondrea L. Davis & J'son M. Lee (Foresight Publishing)
35. "The Disease of More," Eleanor R. (Take Charge Books)
36. "Theology For A Violent Age," Woody Carter, PhD. (iUniverse)
37. "The Available Parent," Dr. John Duffy (Viva Editions)
38. "Once Upon A Recesssion," Selwa Hamati (3L Publishing, LLC)
39. "One Isley Brother's Daughter," Elizabeth Ann Isley (Xlibris)
40. "Start It Up," Kenrya Rankin (Zest Books)
41. "One Minute Mindfulness," Donald Altman (New World Library)
42. "A Book Of Miracles," Dr. Bernie S. Siegel ( New World Library)
43. "The Soul Solution," Jonathan Parker (New World Library)
44. "The Paper Garden," Molly Peacock (Bloomsbury)
45. "The Long Hello," Cathie Borrie (Nightwing Press)
46. "Bad Dog (A Love Story), Martin Kihn (Pantheon Books)
47. "It's OK To Tell," Lauren Book (Prospecta Press)
48. "The Stovepipe," Bonnie E. Virag (Langdon Street Press)
49. "The Persistence of the Color Line," Randall Kennedy (Pantheon Books)
50. "Arrival City," Doug Saunders (Pantheon Books)
51. "Manufacturing Hysteria," Jay Feldman (Pantheon Books)
52. "One Bowl: simple Healthy Recipes For One," Stephanie Bostic (CreateSpace)
53. "New York Fashion Week," Eila Mell (Running Press)
54. "Pervis Principles," Pervis Taylor III (Right Angle Entertainment)
55. "Sharing The Victory," Jill Ewert (Summerside Press)
56. "The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook," Pat & Gina Neeley (Knopf)
57. "The Third Wave," Alison Thompson (Spiegel & Grau)
58. "Rise & Fall of a Track Star," Omegia Keeys (Passionate Writer Publishing)
59. "Passion = Success," April Pickering (Two Harbors Press)
60. "Something Inside of Me," Chitoka Webb (Emerald Book Co.)
61. "Life Is What You Make It," Carl Mathis (Tate Publishing)
62. "Equal Verdicts," Antonne M. Jones (Clear Vision Publishing Co.)
63. "Mr. Date Night," Cary Farley (3L Publishing)
64. "It's Always Personal," Anne Kreamer (Random House)
65. "Love Shrinks," Sharyn Wolf (Soho Press)
66. "What A Wonderful World," Ricky Riccardi (Pantheon Books)
67. "Be Different," John Elder Robison (Crown Publishing)
68. "Expand This Moment," John Selby (New World Library)
69. "I Had Every Excuse To Fail, But I Chose None," Sebastian K. Young (Skybash)
70. "How I Broke My Addiction To White Women," Skip Masters (Masterful Books)
71. "Master of Disguises," James Benjamin (Authorhouse)
72. "Breakthrough," Shea Vaughn (Health Communications, Inc.)
73. "Eat Naked," Margaret Floyd (New Harbinger Publications)
74. "Kiss Me Quick Before I Shoot," Guy Magar (Sea Script Co.)


Fiction Titles (Listed in no particular order)
1. "Half-Past Dawn," Richard Doetsch (Atria Books)
2. "Just Wanna Testify," Pearl Cleage (Ballantine Books)
3. "Aloha!", Stephen A. Enna & Dennis J. Wootten (Authorhouse)
4. "Now You See Her," Joy Fielding (Atria Books)
5. "The Kitchen Daughter," Jael McHenry (Gallery Books)
6. "Allegro," Adora Bennett (Genesis Press)
7. "Split Second," Catherine Coulter (G. P. Putnam's Sons)
8. "Money Can't Buy Love," Connie Briscoe (Grand Central Publishing)
9. "Contrary Creek," Tom Walker & Mary Walker Baron (Wheatmark)
10. "Damned," Chuck Palahniuk (Doubleday)
11. "Caught In The Middle," Jennifer Luckett (nHouse Publishing)
12. "Come Sunday Morning," Terry E. Hill (Urban Renaissance)
13. "Strategic Moves," Stuart Woods (G. P. Putnam's Sons)
14. "Blood On The Pen," David Huffstetler (Wild Child Publishing)
15. "Feed Me," Nigel Barto (unknown)
16. "Bridge of the Single Hair," Candida Pugh (Langdon Street Publishing)
17. "A Good Excuse To Be Bad," Miranda Parker (Kensington Books)
18. "The Stormchasers," Jenna Blum (Plume/Penguin)
19. "Beneath The Surface," Roy Glenn (Escapism Entertainment)
20. "Aleron," Kane (Passionate Writer Publishing)
21. "The Safehouse," T. Thomas Ackerman (Outskirts Press)
22. "Pimpin Ain't No Illusion," Mississippi Slim (Struggle 4 Mine Publications)
23. "Justify My Thug," Wahida Clark (Cash Money Content)
24. "Witches Of East End," Melissa de la Cruz (Hyperion)
25. "The Murderer's Daughters," Randy Susan Meyers (St. Martin's Griffin)
26. "The Revelation Gate," Brian L. Thompson (Great Nation Publishing)
27. "The Hum & the Shiver," Alex Bledsoe (Tor Paperback)
28. "Murder Mamas," Ashley & JaQuavis (Urban Books)
29. "The Butterfly's Daughter," Mary Alice Monroe (Gallery Books)
30. "A Dream Before Dying," Tony Scott Macauley (Dancing House Publishing)
31. "Riding The Corporate Ladder," Keith Thomas Walker (Genesis Press)
32. "The Kykuit Bunker," Steven Janke (Landgon Street Press)
33. "The Last of the Good Guys," Ernesto Patino (L&L Dreamspell)
34. "Survivors," James Welsey, Rawles (Atria Books)
35. "Family Storms," V. C. Andrews (Simon and Schuster)
36. "Finding Frances," Janice M. Van Dyck (Winston Higgins Press)
37. "The Collectibles," James J. Kaufman (Downstream Publishing)
38. "The Albuquerque Turkey," John Vorhaus (Crown Publishing)
39. "Exposure," Therese Fowler (Ballantine Books)
40. "Chain Reaction," Ross E. Goldstein (unknown)
41. "The Robbin' Hoods," Ericka Williams (E-Sharan Publications)
42. "More Boy Than Girl," Tony Lindsay (Penknife Press)
43. "Scattered Lies 3," Madison (Influential Writers Publishing)
44. "Journal of a UFO Investigator," David Halperin (Viking)
45. "He Beat Past My Skin," Jessica Green (iUniverse)
46. "Soul Trapper," F. J. Lennon (Atria Books)
47. "The King Of Diamonds," Simon Tolkien (Minotaur Books)
48. "I Take This Woman," Chamein Canton (Genesis Press)
49. "Transitions," Cathy Jo (Twisted Word Publishing)
50. "Dancing Her Dreams Away," Alretha Thomas (Diverse Arts Collective)
51. "The Dog Who Knew Too Much," Spencer Quinn (Atria Books)
52. "Water's Edge," Robert Whitlow ( Thomas Nelson)
53. "Good Graces," Lesley Kagen (Dutton)
54. "The Winters In Bloom," Lisa Tucker (Atria Books)
55. "The Dawn Country," Kathleen O'Neal & W. Michael Gear (Forge)
56. "The First Law," Richard L. Ragle (MedArt Publications)
57. "Postcards From Nam," Uyen Nicole Duong (Amazon Encore)
58. "The Disgruntled Wives Club," Portia A. Cosby (Distinct Publishing)
59. "Blitz," Ebonee Monique (Peace In The Storm Publishing)
60. "Altamont Augie," Richard Barager (Interloper Press)
61. "Later With Myself: The Misadventures of Millie Moskowitz," Sheryl Sorrentino (unknown)


Top Books Designed For Our Youth
1. "Growing Pains," K. P. Smith (Doin It Publishing)
2. "Of Thee I Sing," Barack Obama (Alfred A. Knoff)
3. "Stuck," Rhonda Martin (Jabberwocky Books)
4. "Hunka Chunka Monkey Shapes Up," Sam E. Bromley (Jabberwocky Books)
5. "Before There Was Mozart," Lesa Cline-Ransome (Schwartz & Wade Books)
6. "The Sons Of Liberty: Death & Taxes," Alexander & Joseph Lagos (Random House)
7. "Baby Barbells," Joshua Levitt, ND (Running Press)
8. "Mr. Pish's Woodland Adventure," K. S. Brooks (Cambridge Books)
9. "The Fenway Foul-Up," David A. Kelly (Stepping Stones Books)
10. "Of Mouse & Magic," Allan R. Gall (Two Harbors Press)
11. "Trouble In Troublesome Creek," Nancy Kelly Allen (Red Rock Press)
12. "Hothead," Cal Ripken, Jr. (Random House)
13. "The Berlin Boxing Club," Robert Sharenow (Harper Collins Publishers)
14. "The ABC Field Guide to Faeries," Susanne Alexander-Heaton (Friesens Corp.)
15. "Teen Girls Need L.O.V.E.," S. Dodson (Mahogney Ink Publications)

For more information about Conversations' Top 150 Books of 2011 make sure to visit www.thebestbookclub.info. Have questions about titles or interested in getting your book on an upcoming list? Contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. CONVERSATIONS: Feeding your love of life!