Wednesday, April 23, 2014

World Book Night


Tonight is World Book Night! 

Are you familiar with World Book Night?  I've blogged about it before--for the last two years, in fact.  It truly is a world-wide event, designed to encourage people to read--what else?--books!  To celebrate, for the third year in a row I will be giving away free books to strangers, special editions published for the giveaway and sent to my local bookstore for me to pick up and distribute.   

The title I'll be giving away this year is Agatha Christie's AFTER THE FUNERAL, a Hercule Poirot mystery.  But there are books of many different genres to choose from, everything from CATCH 22 to KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL to Garrison Keillor's PONTOON to WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE in regular and large print versions.  There are 38 titles in all.   

Those of us who requested to be givers got to designate our first and second choices among the selections, and weren't guaranteed which we'd get.  We also had to say why we wanted to participate, and how we'd give books away. 

What's the purpose of all this?  Well, we're to hand out copies of books to people who don't like to read!  The idea is to stoke some interest in books by giving out freebies. 

To apply, I usually say I'll talk as much as possible to people who are glued to their computers.  Some of them are probably too busy to read books.  Of course they can read them in e-versions instead, but they may be too busy with social media or games or whatever to actually delve into a book. 

For the third year I'll do this in downtown Studio City, California, which isn't far from where I live.  This year, a writer friend and her grandchildren are going to join me.  

How about you--are you participating in World Book Night?

2 comments:

Betty Hechtman said...

It sounds like fun, Linda. I'm celebrating by being on the Die Laughing Panel at the Buena Vista Branch of the Burbank library. I'm bringing along an ARC for a giveaway. Though I'm guessing that the people who come to the panel are already readers.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Wish I could make it to your panel, too, Betty. I hope it's a great one!