World Book Night - Which books would you choose?

[Belfaborac]

What I find inexplicable, not only in the case of this particular event, but most related "happenings", is that even today Sci-Fi and Fantasy are consistently ignored*. They are, after all, extremely popular genres and as far as I'm concerned include numerous works which stand just as tall as those generally accepted as masterpieces of literature.

Other than that I think the list is fine and contains a number of excellent books. It's not the list I would have devised, but then my own choices would probably be no more likely to hit the spot with prospective readers.

Giving away 48 books is a tall order though. I could probably only do away with 6 or 8 on a personal level and would likely end up dumping stacks of books at schools such.

*-I don't know all the titles, so pardon my ignorance if the list actually contains any such.

[Helen Smith]

issybird, Caleb72, Belfaborc - thanks for joining in the discussion.

There were a few on the list I hadn't heard of (they're geared towards a UK & Irish audience and I live in the UK, so I'd expect to have heard of most of them). It is quite a peculiar list. I wonder what the list the following year will be like. I'm sure they'll try to address any perceived deficiencies in this one.

I know what you mean, Belfaborac. The other complaint I hear quite a lot is from crime and mystery writers whose books sell really well - and whose prose is just as sparkling as other writers' prose - and yet they never get nominated for any literary prizes.

[TGS]

Perhaps "World Book Night" is a bit of a misnomer - books will only be given away in the UK and Ireland.

[Helen Smith]

TGS - I agree, World Book Night is a bit of a misnomer.

I'm still excited about it, though. I just got round to signing up to be a 'giver' so I'll let you know if I'm one of the 20,000 people chosen.

I signed up to give away Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

[SlowRain]

I would love to give away copies of Love in the Time of Cholera to everyone I know, so that's an easy choice for me. Honorable mention goes to The Blind Assassin. I'd love to see more people read John le Carré, but The Spy Who Came in from the Cold just isn't representative of all that he is capable of. He's come so far since then, particularly with his novels written between 1974-1989. Still, that one does have populist appeal.

[Helen Smith]

Thanks, SlowRain.

I signed up for the Muriel Spark and they're going to let us know by 28th Jan if we've been chosen to give the books away. I'll have to have a party or something. Fortunately there's plenty of time to organise it.

I read The Spy Who Came in From the Cold many years ago. Did you ever see the BBC adaptation of Smiley's People with Alex Guinness and Beryl Reid? It was made years ago, in the 1980s I think.

[SlowRain]

Not only did I see it, I had to pay about $160CAD to buy it, have it shipped from the UK, and then have it converted from the PAL format. Ah, escalation of commitment and the stupid excesses of youth. It was a great mini-series. I also watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and A Prefect Spy, but for much cheaper. Did you know there is a remake of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy being filmed right now, with Gary Oldman as George Smiley?

[hgwlackey]

A book-giveaway party sounds like fun!

I would probably sign up to give away The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, too, although Beloved runs a close second. I enjoyed Fingersmith a lot, but only if I set aside my frustration over some of the not-so-well-handled plot points. As I result, I don't go out of my way to recommend it to people. (I do, however, recommend Waters' The Little Stranger quite often.) Also, I can understand why they went the first of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as some of the others, and it's not the kind of series where you have to read it all in order.

A few of the books on the list are in my to-read pile.

And...overall it's a little bit of a strange list.

[Helen Smith]

SlowRain, I didn't know that Gary Oldman was filming a new version as George Smiley. Thanks for letting me know. I wonder how that will turn out - interesting. I think they have had radio adaptations more recently on R4 but I don't like listening, I prefer to read or to watch something on screen or on stage.

HGW, have you read Affinity by Sarah Waters? It's the first one of hers I read and it's still my favourite, though I also liked Fingersmith very much. I haven't got to The Little Stranger yet. I do think that the World Book Night is going to feel like one big party. I wonder if the idea will spread to other countries. I hope so, if it's a success.

For anyone reading this who lives in the UK and Ireland, hasn't signed up and wants to - the deadline has been extended to 24th January: http://www.worldbooknight.org/become...-a-book-giver/

[hgwlackey]

I hope it spreads to other countries, too. Alternatively, I wish I had enough friends in the local area to throw a random book party with. I need to get with the friends who are at least semi-nearby on such a thing.

Affinity is in my to-read pile, along with The Night Watch. I've read Tipping the Velvet, too, but it didn't really stand out of me.

[Helen Smith]

hgwlackey - sorry to take so long to reply. Somehow I didn't see this. I hope you enjoy Affinity when you get to it. And I hope that World Book Night spreads, too. I don't think that many people here know about it at the moment. Presumably that will change if they do some publicity about it on the night.

---
To anyone reading this thread, I had my email from the World Book Night people and I have been selected as one of the 20,000 'givers'. I'm going to collect 48 free copies of Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie from my local book shop some time in the next couple of weeks, and then I have to give them all out on 5th March.

So... I need to start planning a party.

[teadonkey]

I love the idea of fostering a love for people of all ages, but I'm always weary when people start deciding WHAT books other people should read. There's almost always something political going on there. I make book suggestions to people all the time, sure, but I'm making suggestions to people who I know very well and I am making suggestions based on their tastes. I'm a little concerned with a committee compiling a list of 25 books that they think are 'good'.

That's not to say the books on that list AREN'T good. And it's not to say that the committee's intentions were politically inclined. I'm just saying there's a fair amount of room for that to happen.

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Helen Smith

I haven't got to The Little Stranger yet.

I tried listening to that one as an audiobook, but was rather slow moving, so I gave up. Someone else (who'd read it) thought it might be better in print, so I have my library's e-copy on my TBR pile for a second attempt.

[Helen Smith]

@TeaDonkey, I assume they had to do a bit of horse-trading with the publishers. I gather they're going to print special editions of the books. I suppose it could be described as an inclusive list of books that won't upset anyone. From the communications I have had from them so far (I mean, just as someone who has signed up as a 'giver') it's clear that they're still 'feeling their way' a bit.

SeaBookGuy. That's a shame. I find it really hard to listen to books (or the radio). I tend to drift off. I do find with some paperbacks that I have to look at a page and then go back and read it again before I can get into it. Something about 'tuning in' almost. Perhaps that's what the Little Stranger needs. I must read it.

Also, today in the Guardian there was this article (below). Apparently independent booksellers are complaining about World Book Night, saying it will hurt sales. That just seems odd to me since people don't just buy one book a year. Also, the idea is that this will foster a love of reading. The books are all being delivered to local bookshops or libraries. It might get people to a local independent bookshop when otherwise they'd just buy online.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011...ided-misjudged

[Kiwimick]

I was also selected and am giving away Lee Childs' Killing Floor.
Also going to have to think about where they are going to.
Open to suggestions