World Book Night

Last night I was walking down my street to pick up a bottle of wine when I saw that my local independent bookstore was hosting an event with Nicole Krauss, the author of one of my favorite books The History of Love. Add to the list of reasons why I love being back in New York City: stumbling upon wonderful & spontaneous events that make for unexpected evenings.

The bookstore is an absolute gem, and I'm glad that it seems to be thriving even with the Barnes & Noble that stands not too far down the street. Nicole Krauss was there for a small pre-party leading up to World Book Night, which will be next Monday. This year will be the first World Book Night in the United States, after having launched in the U.K. and Ireland last year, and will start an annual celebration of spreading the love of reading. Special editions of a variety of selected favorite books have been printed and will be gifted to people who would not describe themselves as readers. By the end of the night, there will have been one million books given away, in the hopes that those receiving the books will catch the bug.

I absolutely love the focus on the person-to-person gifting that is the foundation of this initiative. There is something truly special about someone gifting a book--I find that books are always my favorite gifts from others because there always seems to be more meaning behind the selection of a certain title. 

The History of Love joins a fantastic list of books chosen specifically for Monday's event. Nicole Krauss read a section from the book last night (while we enjoyed wine & cheese from the wonderful Community Bookstore staff) and I was reminded of how much I love the characters and how she so brilliantly intersects their lives together. I would definitely recommend adding it to your book-list.

Check out World Book Night and join in by giving away a book you love to someone next Monday! 

Also, see this great article in The Atlantic on a Slow-Books Manifesto.