World Book Night 2014 titles include 'Wild,' 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette'
World Book Night, which is being celebrated in the US for the third time this April, has selected the books that will be distributed for free.聽
On World Book Night, volunteers hand out free copies of a certain number of selected books to friends, family, or anyone they encounter. The event was begun in the UK and Ireland in 2011. The US and Germany adopted the custom in 2012. A group of those who work in the books industry as well as some librarians select the titles that will be given out each year. (Those who have volunteered to distribute books in the past can nominate works for consideration as well.)
This year, a group of 35 titles will be distributed, including 鈥淲ild鈥� by Cheryl Strayed, 鈥淜itchen Confidential鈥� by Anthony Bourdain, 鈥淢iss Peregrine鈥檚 Home for Peculiar Children鈥� by Ransom Riggs, 鈥淲here鈥檇 You Go, Bernadette鈥� by Maria Semple, and more.
The work 鈥淪ame Difference鈥� by Derek Kirk Kim, which will be distributed this year, is the first graphic novel to be given out as part of World Book Night. In addition, Esmerelda Santiago鈥檚 book 鈥淲hen I Was Puerto Rican鈥� will be available in both English and Spanish and two of the works to be distributed, 鈥淏ernadette鈥� and 鈥淗otel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet鈥� by Jamie Ford, can be found in large-print versions.
鈥淲orld Book Night is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don鈥檛 regularly do so,鈥� the event鈥檚 reads. 鈥淏ut it is also about more than that: It鈥檚 about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and touching lives in the simplest of ways 鈥� through the sharing of stories.鈥�
Volunteers can sign up on the World Book Night until Jan. 5, 2014, to give out books. Check out the full list of books that will be given out .
