World Book Night is an opportunity for those of us who love books to share our passion with those who may not be such big reading fans. In just one night 1 million books are distributed by over 20,000 ‘givers’ – a great celebration of adult literature. I’m just about to go and sign up as a giver for World Book Night 2012 and I urge you to do the same.
World Book 2012 will take place on April 23 , the UNESCO International Day of the Book, and Shakespeare’s birthday. Double celebration. The 25 titles chosen for World Book Night 2012 are listed below. Of the 25 I’ve read 6 and given up on 2 more. I’ve seen a couple of criticisms of the list for not being diverse enough, however if the aim is to promote reading to those who aren’t keen this seems like a good mixture to me. I’ve decided to set myself a challenge of reading the 17 I haven’t read before and review them in time for World Book Night 2012.
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
The Player of Games – Iain M Banks
Sleepyhead – Mark Billingham
Notes from a Small Island – Bill Bryson
The Alchemist – Paulo Coehlo
The Take – Martina Cole
Harlequin – Bernard Cornwell
Someone Like You – Roald Dahl
A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
Room – Emma Donoghue
Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Misery – Stephen King
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic – Sophie Kinsella
Small Island – Andrea Levy
Let The Right One In – John Ajvide Lindqvist
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox – Maggie O’Farrell
The Damned United – David Peace
Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
How I Live Now – Meg Rosoff
Touching the Void – Joe Simpson
I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak