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Friday, January 20, 2012

Book Lovers Needed

"Pass along your love of reading, literally."

That's the catch-phrase that caught me when I went to check out what World Book Night is all about. Turns out it is an opportunity for book lovers to promote reading in their own communities. Here's the goal: on 1 night, April 23, 2012, all across the country, 50,000 volunteers will give out 1,000,000 free books. They want volunteers - "givers" - to choose a book they have already read and loved from the 30 available and to share that book with 20 strangers who are light readers or non-readers. And when you apply to be a volunteer, you can tell them where you want to give the books away, to whom, and why.

Want to participate in this million book giveaway to promote reading? Be a volunteer book giver on World Book Night, April 23, 2012. Sign up at www.worldbooknight.org by Feb. 1.

I hope I can give out A Prayer for Owen Meany - one of my favorite novels of all time. When I first read it, I understood that reading was so much more than just a school requirement. Reading that book was a soaring pleasure and an escape to a whole new world. I'd love to share that treasure with someone who has yet to discover the joys of reading.

Which book would you want to give, and why? 
  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
  • Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
  • Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
  • Kindred by Octavia Butler
  • Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
  • Little Bee by Chris Cleave
  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  • Blood Work by Michael Connelly  
  • The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz 
  • Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo 
  • Zeitoun by Dave Eggers 
  • Peace Like a River by Leif Enger 
  • A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick 
  • Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton 
  • The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 
  • A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving 
  • The Stand by Stephen King 
  • The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 
  • The History of Love by Nicole Krauss 
  • The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri 
  • The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien 
  • Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 
  • My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult 
  • Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson 
  • Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 
  • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot 
  • Just Kids by Patti Smith 
  • The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2 comments:

Laura Adler said...

I really love The Things They Carried and The Lovely Bones. I think I would select The Lovely Bones, however, to distribute to light readers and non-readers, particularly young women. In the months following the book's publication, there seemed to be an influx of young women who were not big readers but who loved that book or who came to the library because a friend said "You must read this book." It has that extra, intangible something that makes for a rich reading experience. Maybe it's artistry combined with a story that feels essential rather than a story written simply because someone aspires to be a writer or to fulfill a book contract. We need more of the former and less of the latter.

Cathy F. said...

What a great and varied list.

I'm fascinated by this project - a collaboration between the private and public sector where the outcome is going to be a win for society.

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