Three finalists have been selected for the “One Book One New Orleans” reading challenge of New Orleanians to read a book. They are:

• “The ‘Baby Dolls’: Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition,” by Kim Marie Vaz (LSU University Press, 2013)
• “Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans,” by Gary Krist (Broadway Books, 2014)
• “New Orleans: A Food Biography,” by Elizabeth M. Williams, AltaMira Press, 2013)

Voting will be held through Feb. 22, 2016. The challenge is sponsored by the Young Leadership Council. You can cast your ballot here.

Check out the feature on “The Baby Dolls” here, and a review of “Empire of Sin” here.

Here’s a list of of previous selections:
“A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines, 2004
“Rising Tide” by John M. Barry, 2005
“Coming Out the Door for the Ninth Ward” by Nine Time Social and Pleasure Club, 2007
“City of Refuge” by Tom Piazza, 2008
“Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at The New Orleans Table” by Sara Roehen, 2009
“Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans” by Louis Armstrong, 2010
“Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Life, and Death” by Dan Baum, 2011
“The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square” by Ned Sublette, 2012
“Louisiana“ by Erna Bordber, 2013
“Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas” by Rebecca Solnit and Rebecca Snedeker, 2014
“New Orleans Boom and Blackout: One Hundred Days in America’s Coolest Hot Spot” by Brian Boyles (2015)