Hello all! From today until 6PM Central Standard Time on Sunday, September 14, voting for the Golden Oaks Book Club's first story will commence! It's a very exciting time, I can assure you. I will tally the votes, announce the winner, and announce how long we have to read the winner on Sunday, for now all you all have to worry about is voting! Voting can be done by commenting here or by PMing me if you desire to have a secret ballot. You may only vote for one story, and may only vote if you are a member. The suggestion thread can be found here, and the stories to vote on are:

#1: Lost in Shadow by Lucidenn

Twilight had reached her peak, she was at the happiest point in her young life. The day of her coronation as Equestria's newest princess had finally arrived. Then the unthinkable happened, Sombra appears in the throne room alive and well demanding his chance to be reformed by pony society. The unthinkable happens again, when his wish is granted, spearheaded by none other than Princess Twilight herself. Will Sombra's nefarious plans bring her to ruin, or will she succeed against all odds? Only time can tell as it reminds them both that plans have a way of changing all on their own.

[Dark] [Alternate Universe] [Romance]

#2: Ἐλπίς by Bad Horse

Below her, the remains of the world, and everyone in it, spin slowly, around and around, in a sea of purple goo. But that doesn't mean Celestia's work is done. The Road lies ahead of her, and at its end—the most difficult decision of her life. Again.
How long can one pony keep hope alive?
Long.
2nd place in the "History Repeats" write-off.

[Dark] [Adventure]

#3: Schemering Sintel by N00813

Truly an exceptionally controversial story that is sure to allow for great conversation on the book. And I'm sure I'd love to read this story once again in a different mindset and light.

[Tragedy] [Sad] [Dark] [Adventure]

#4: Chaos and Laughter by Charcoal Quill

The unthinkable has happened. A new Draconequus has emerged, apparently intent on plunging Equestria into chaos once more. To make matters worse, Pinkie Pie is nowhere to be found, forcing Twilight and the others to scramble to find a way to defeat this new threat without the Elements of Harmony.

[Dark] [Random] [Adventure]

#5: Lady Prismia and the Princess-Goddess, by Skywriter

Filly Cadence turns her first heart.

[Adventure]

#6: Sunset by Ciroton

Some things in this world happen by chance. Others do not. Twilight Sparkle is about to learn a disturbing truth that will turn her world upside down.

[Sad] [Dark]

#7: Visionary by Razorbeam

After Chrysalis failed to conquer Equestria, she was shamefully stripped of her title of "Queen of the Changelings".
Their people now leaderless, the Changeling race now finds itself in a unique situation. In the struggle for power, one Changeling seizes the attention of his people. Can he overcome his nature, and the nature of his people, to lead them into a better future?

[Romance] [Adventure] [Slice of Life]

#8: Daylight Burning by Guesswork

"It's so nice to see you again!" said the thing that was not Celestia. "Oh yes, I know who you are, Twilight Sparkle. I had a taste of your magic the first time we met. Mortals forget things so easily, I find. Allow me to refresh your memory: you tried to kill me. But you failed, Twilight Sparkle. You only mostly killed me. And I guess that makes you one very unlucky little pony."

[Sad] [Dark] [Comedy] [Adventure]

#9: Rainbow Burger by KelGrym

She hates the humans. She hates their roads. She hates what the world has become...but most of all she hates her job.
Join Pinkamena Diane Pie (just call her Pinkamena) as she struggles through her day with stupid customers, and dumber management.
Don't look in the satchel.

[Comedy] [Alternate Universe] [Human]

#10: The Immortal Game by Aesthetic B

Long ago, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived a powerful King and his dark Queen. Immortal and ignorant, their end came at the hooves of their daughters, Celestia and Luna, who sought to build a better future for ponykind.
Now ponykind’s old gods have returned.
Twilight Sparkle is trapped inside her own mind, slave to a cruel and impulsive consciousness built from everything she is not. Powerless and voiceless, she must find a way to stop the being that calls itself Nihilus from destroying everything she holds dear.
Luna is tasked with assembling the remaining Elements of Harmony in hopes of freeing their leader. For if ponykind is to have any hope, it is in Twilight Sparkle. And if Twilight Sparkle is to have any hope, it is in her five friends.
Facing her father in mortal combat, Celestia must do everything she can to ensure that ponykind has the tools to survive before she falls. With inevitable defeat bearing down upon her, she makes the first move in the oldest and deadliest game known to creation.

[Dark] [Adventure]

#11: Twilight's Monster by FuzzyFervert

In an Equestria without the Princesses or the guidance of the Elements of Harmony, Twilight Sparkle is a researcher on the cusp of her greatest discovery and simultaneous fall from grace while finding love at the same time.

[Romance] [Dark] [Alternate Universe]

#12: Past Remnants by GreyGuardPony.

Everypony in Equestria fears Corona, the Tyrant Sun.

But there was a time when the tyrant stood side by side with her sister, in the days far before the founding of Equestria and the elder sister's descent into madness. And when something they found in those early days calls them and Lyra Heartstrings (Element of Loyalty) to a lost city, the alicorn sisters are forced to deal with the shadows of the past.

Some secrets, are better left buried....

A Lunaverse story, set in the Summer of Season 2.

[Adventure] [Alternate Universe]

My vote is on Schemering Sintel

3626236 Can we vote for story we've already read? Cause I vote the Immortal Game then. Best ponyfic of all time. If not, Visionary.

my vote is for Rainbow Burger

3626276
Yes, you can.

3626288 Then I vote the Immortal Game.

Immortal Game is a fan fiction I'll vote for.

3626236

I vote for Past Remnants, because among the stories I haven't already read, that's the one that appeals to me most.

I vote for Lady Prismia and the Princess-Goddess.

My vote goes to Ἐλπίς, by the way.

I vote Sunset.

Much as I like the fic I suggested, The Immortal Game is one of those fics that everyone ought to read at least once.

So my vote is The Immortal Game.

I second Schemering Sintel

Immortal game please.

Schemering Sintel.
The Immortal Game is a Splinter Thread material, we shouldn't force people to read such volumes and then wait who knows how long.

3627386
I'm considering disqualifying it, but it's hard when so many people apparently want to read it.

3627393 I'm sure they already read it, so they don't need to read much again. Let's just gather those "many people" and discuss it without formalities, while people vote and prepare for something else.

Oh, and it would be much better if votes came along with arguments for chosen story.

Schemering Sintel, my good fellow.

"Chaos and Laughter" has been on my read later list for almost a year now, so that's where I'll put my vote.

My vote goes to Sunset.

Schemering Sintel - it's been on my read later list for who knows how long.

Lady Prismia and the Princess-Goddess, by Skywriter has my vote

Scheme ring Sintel, I've read it before, but it has been so long that I forgot a lot.

Put my vote in for Rainbow Burger.

I vote for the Schemering Sintel. That could be the first main story we discuss with the Immortal Game being a general open discussion so when people get done with it they talk about it.

I vote for Visionary. I'm a sucker for changeling stories

I vote for past remnants. I have nearly all of those stories on my read later so I'd be happy with any. Yeah, the immortal game is way over the limit. It should go in the other section seeing as so many people want to discuss it.

3626236

I vote for Chaos and Laughter.

I vote for Schemering Sintel; it's been on to-read list for far too long.

My vote is for Chaos and Laughter.

In the future, it might be a good idea to do this in a poll/survey. Google has a really nice polling service with their google drive forms..

I'm just thinking since we're on the cusp of 150 members, you'll eventually have a much more bothersome time tallying up the votes than you'd need to.

Something like this ought to work. Unfortunately the system allows for multiple voting.

I vote for Schemering Sintel.

My vote goes to Ἐλπίς. The Immortal game may be pretty good, but it seems a bit long...