World Book Night - Which books would you choose?

[Helen Smith]

On World Book Night, 5th March 2011, one million copies of 25 books will be given away in the UK and Ireland.

People can sign up to become 'givers' and successful applicants will be given 48 copies of the same book to distribute.

I have written about it on my blog and asked the following questions:

How many of the World Book Night books have you read?
Which book would you like from that list?
If you had to choose one book from that list to give to 48 people, which would it be?
If you had to compile a list of 25 books to be given away on World Book Night, which books would you choose?

Here are the books listed alphabetically by author:

Kate Atkinson - Case Histories
Margaret Atwood - The Blind Assassin
Alan Bennett - A Life Like Other People's
John le Carré - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Lee Child - Killing Floor
Carol Ann Duffy - The World's Wife
Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Seamus Heaney - New Selected Poems
Marian Keyes - Rachel's Holiday
Mohsin Hamid - The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Ben Macintyre - Agent Zigzag
Gabriel García Márquez - Love in the Time of Cholera
Yann Martel - Life of Pi
Alexander Masters - Stuart: A Life Backwards
Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
Toni Morrison - Beloved
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun
David Nicholls - One Day
Philip Pullman - Northern Lights
Erich Maria Remarque - All Quiet on the Western Front
CJ Sansom - Dissolution
Nigel Slater - Toast
Muriel Spark - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Sarah Waters - Fingersmith

[queentess]

I don't see a lot of cohesiveness behind the list, so I'm still confused as to the intent. Is it just a celebration of reading? I did manage to find on their site the following:

Whether a huge bestseller, a prize-winning debut, a lesser known gem or an undisputed classic, it was felt that every book needed to be an accessible work of enduring quality that people would feel passionate about sharing with others.

From the list, Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin is on my TBR list, and I read Philip Pullman's Northern Lights (called The Golden Compass state-side) and thought it was dreadfully written.

My list would include Ender's Game. It's the only book I consistently keep on a shelf for the sole purpose of giving it away to company who come to visit. Some question the quality of the work or the author's religion, but I love this book with all my heart and want to share it with others.

I also love Sanderson's Mistborn series, but I don't think I would recommend that to someone blindly. I have to know the person likes scifi/fantasy before I would recommend that one.

[Helen Smith]

Queentess

Thanks for replying. I think the idea is to get people reading. They appointed a panel to choose the books and these included librarians, people in publishing, previous judges for book prizes, etc.

Presumably they had to choose books that they thought were 'good' and that were likely to prove popular enough for people to want to sign up to give away 48 copies of a single book on that list.

I think it's incredibly exciting. There are people who are carping about the choices on blogs and in the comments sections of newspaper articles over here but any list, by definition, is going to disappoint people by what is left out/put in. I do applaud the initiative.

They're already saying they're going to do it again the year after so hopefully it will be ongoing. Presumably each year they will learn from any lessons about what kind of books to put on/not put on the list.

I would think that it will be incredibly exciting as the books are shipped to libraries and book stores in March to be collected and passed out by the 'givers' on the night. I do remember the buzz when book shops opened for the first time at midnight so children could queue up with their parents to get their hands on a Harry Potter book. There was a collective excitement about reading/books that I hadn't seen before in my lifetime (much as I love reading myself) and no doubt the organisers of this event are hoping to capture some of the same feeling.

Of the books on that list, I have read some but not all. I'd probably put my hand out for Agent Zigzag as it looks interesting and I haven't read it.

From the list, I'd probably sign up to give away The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

I haven't read Ender's Game - thanks for the suggestion. I'll look it out.

[SeaBookGuy]

I've read three of them:

"Curious Incident" -- I'm in the distinct minority of disliking Christopher.

"Toast" -- surprised it made the list, as it's not exactly for everyone.

"Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" -- the one most deserving of the list, and would be a good give-away as it's the best initial exposure to Spark.


I'm a fan of Alan Bennett's dramatizations, so would like to read his book.

[Xanthe]

I haven't read any of those books. Some of the titles are familiar and I have a vague idea of what the books are about, but for the rest, I'd have to look them up and read each synopsis.

World Book Night sounds like a really interesting idea. Don't know that I know 48 people who would be interested in reading the same book that I might like, though. But there are veteran's homes and assisted living residences and senior citizen housing in the area where I'm sure some copies would be appreciated. Not to mention leaving some at community centers.

[Helen Smith]

Here's a link to the list of judges. Their names won't mean much to anyone outside the UK.

SeaBookGuy, have you read Alan Bennett's Writing Home? It sounds as though you haven't as you only mention the dramatizations. I recommend Writing Home. It includes the story of the 'Lady in the Van' that he later made into a stage play.

I think the first thing of his I ever read was Talking Heads, the monologues which were also on TV in the UK. Some of them are available on DVD but I can't find the whole collection anywhere. The second audio collection is listed on Amazon.com. They are available on Amazon.co.uk and no doubt elsewhere in the UK.

I have just re-read Muriel Spark's Loitering with Intent. It's so clever. I'm also recently read The Abbess of Crewe.

I think I will sign up to be a 'giver' for the World Book Night.

Here's the selection criteria according to their site:
* A passion for reading
* A commitment to spread that passion to others
* The spread of givers throughout the UK and Ireland
* The need to have a diverse range of givers

[DiapDealer]

World Book Night

Judging by that list; I don't think much of the World's tastes.
(with the exception of Lee Child)

[Helen Smith]

Xanthe

"Don't know that I know 48 people who would be interested in reading the same book that I might like, though."

I know! There are people commenting on the Guardian books blog saying much the same. But as you suggest, it means that the 'givers' will probably have to make contacts in their local communities to find strangers as well as friends to give the book to, and/or give them to colleagues who they wouldn't normally discuss books with.

Of the books on the list, I have read the following:
Kate Atkinson - Case Histories
Alan Bennett - A Life Like Other People's
John le Carré - The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
Carol Ann Duffy - The World's Wife
Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mohsin Hamid - The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Ben Macintyre - Agent Zigzag
Gabriel García Márquez - Love in the Time of Cholera
Yann Martel - Life of Pi
Alexander Masters - Stuart: A Life Backwards
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
Toni Morrison - Beloved
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun
David Nicholls - One Day
Philip Pullman - Northern Lights
Muriel Spark - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Sarah Waters - Fingersmith

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Helen Smith

Here's a link to the list of judges. Their names won't mean much to anyone outside the UK.

SeaBookGuy, have you read Alan Bennett's Writing Home? It sounds as though you haven't as you only mention the dramatizations. I recommend Writing Home. It includes the story of the 'Lady in the Van' that he later made into a stage play.

I think the first thing of his I ever read was Talking Heads, the monologues which were also on TV in the UK. Some of them are available on DVD but I can't find the whole collection anywhere. The second audio collection is listed on Amazon.com. They are available on Amazon.co.uk and no doubt elsewhere in the UK.

I have just re-read Muriel Spark's Loitering with Intent. It's so clever. I'm also recently read The Abbess of Crewe.

I think I will sign up to be a 'giver' for the World Book Night.

Here's the selection criteria according to their site:
* A passion for reading
* A commitment to spread that passion to others
* The spread of givers throughout the UK and Ireland
* The need to have a diverse range of givers

I have the two Talking Heads as Audible books, as well as the third series with Judi Dench, et als. Thanks for the 'Writing Home' suggestion.

I recommended Beryl Bainbridge's Injury Time to a friend who is a huge Spark fan; he loved it, fully agreeing it's in the Spark style (tradition). I listened to the audio (read by Timothy West); he read the print book.
He's read Old Filth, and I've read The Queen of the Tambourine, which have turned us into fans of Gardam as well!

[Helen Smith]

DiapDealer

"Judging by that list; I don't think much of the World's tastes.
(with the exception of Lee Child) "

Hehe. That's one of the ones I haven't read.

Looking at the judges, they're quite a funny assortment of people. And looking at the books, they include some I'd include, some I wouldn't include and some I'd never heard of. I think they're not suppose to be a definitive list of 'the best' or 'the most popular' but - here's some books you might want to give out to people in the UK and Ireland, none of which are awful.

[DiapDealer]

I think they're not suppose to be a definitive list of 'the best' or 'the most popular' but - here's some books you might want to give out to people in the UK and Ireland, none of which are awful.

I kid.
Giving away books of any kind is a great and noble idea... even if the books aren't exactly my cup of tea.

[Helen Smith]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I recommended Beryl Bainbridge's Injury Time to a friend who is a huge Spark fan; he loved it, fully agreeing it's in the Spark style (tradition). I listened to the audio (read by Timothy West); he read the print book.
He's read Old Filth, and I've read The Queen of the Tambourine, which have turned us into fans of Gardam as well!

I have read quite a few Beryl Bainbridge but not Injury Time. And I haven't read (actually I hadn't even heard of) Jan Gardam's Old Filth or The Queen of the Tambourine, so I'll look for those. I just had a look for a review of Old Filth online and turned up one in the Guardian that mentions that in the book one of her characters is credited with inventing acronym for Failed in London Try Hong Kong. I'm really familiar with the acronym as I know a lot of people who have moved from London to Hong Kong. I'll definitely have to put the book on my tbr list.

To be honest, I should think that as well as shifting a million copies of these books into the hands of grateful recipients in March, I'm sure that there's a hope that it will spark more debate about books - what should be on the list, etc.

There was a meme that has been going around on blogs and on Facebook recently using a list of the nation's favourite 100 books compiled by the BBC in 2003 (not sure why it's suddenly so popular now) and asking how many of those people had read. No doubt this list will have a similar effect - as well as following up and actually getting copies of the books to people.

[Helen Smith]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I kid.
Giving away books of any kind is a great and noble idea... even if the books aren't exactly my cup of tea.

Oh, I know! Sorry, I was kidding,too. Or at any rate, not trying to correct you or admonish you (which it sounds like, on re-reading my comment) just trying to build on your comment by adding my thoughts.

[issybird]

What a very peculiar list! The motive is admirable, but the books have me scratching my head. I've read about half of them, but the only two that would make my all-time list are The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and All Quiet on the Western Front, and I'll give honorable mention to The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Whatever gets people reading is great, so perhaps the books were chosen for accessibility? They make more sense if that's the criterion.

[caleb72]

Margaret Atwood - The Blind Assassin
Haven't read this but gave it as a gift to my mother. Only read Handmaid's Tale which was great. I would like to read more from this author though.

Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Haven't read this one, but I read his next book - A Spot of Bother. Devoured it in one sitting.

Yann Martel - Life of Pi
Read this and it was an amazing experience.

Philip Pullman - Northern Lights
Read this series - it was fun, but there were sections in the later books that dragged a bit.

Regards
Caleb