I’ve been asked that question a lot lately. World Book Night is an annual event. The motto says it all: Spreading the love of reading, person to person.
What's better than a good book? A whole box of them, and the opportunity to share them with new readers. The idea behind World Book Night is inspired and as a writer and a reader I'm thrilled to be part of it.
Each year on April 23rd (Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!), thousands and thousands of volunteers across the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom head into their communities to give away specially printed books to people who aren’t readers or might not have books of their own. It’s a heady experience. Linda, a Book Giver from 2013 described her best moment, “hearing these young guys walk away with their copy saying, ‘we can have our own book club.’”
Our Part
Give a book, get a smile in return.
This is the library’s third year taking part and our first as a pickup location. Beginning April 14th, Givers will pick up their books at the 3rd floor desk, or drop in to get them at our World Book Night Celebration on Wednesday, April 16th. Everyone is welcome to honor all our Givers with food, fun, and, of course, books. I loved being a part of all of this. I get a charge out of seeing the surprised smiles on people’s faces when I hand them a book to keep.
The Books
Who wouldn’t love a free book?
Last year my pick was Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court because I wanted to share a laugh. In 2012, I gave out A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, a book that showed me that inner beauty is what counts in the ones we love. Cliched or not, that book changed my life. Every bibliophile out there has read a life-changing book. It’s one of the reasons we love to read. I hope, when I share my pick this year, The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman, that reading it will change someone’s life for the better. But I’ll be satisfied to give someone a reason to smile.
Spreading the love of reading, person to person.
Have you read this year's World Book Night picks?
It’s not just a powerful humanitarian idea, it’s a fantastic book list!
36 books, 33 titles, half a million copies, being given away by tens of thousands of readers on two continents, all on one night, in the hopes of sparking book love in someone new. That’s my kind of word problem. I think Shakespeare would approve.
