World Book Night Announces 2013 Titles, Honorary Chairs & Opening of Giver Sign-up

  • Past  Rosemary Hawkins
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Authors Ann Patchett and James Patterson will be co-chairs of the 2013 commemoration of World Book Night in the U.S. The annunciation was made on Thursday along with the 30 titles to be given abroad during the Apr 23 campaign to encourage reading.  In addition, World Book Night U.S. (WBN) opened the online application process for those wishing to become volunteer volume givers adjacent leap. Bookstore sign-up to become a choice-up location has been underway since September.

In a argument released by Globe Volume Night, both co-chairs expressed their pleasure in being a part of the 2013 consequence. "In my feel, when people like what they are doing, they practice more than of it," Patterson said. "This is the genius of Earth Volume Night — information technology gets people reading by connecting them with amazing, enjoyable books. I'thousand honored to be a part of it."

Patchett, who is also the possessor of Parnassus Books  in Nashville, Tennessee, said, "As both a writer and a bookseller, I'm all in favor of getting books into the hands of people who might not otherwise have access to them."

World Book Night U.Southward. Executive Director Carl Lennertz said that he was "over the moon with happiness" that Patterson and Patchett were lending their support to the cause. "I know that booksellers, librarians, and our volunteer book givers will be thrilled to have these two beloved authors support our reading and literacy attempt in the U.S. in our 2nd year."

The xxx Globe Book Night U.S. titles for 2013, which were called by an independent panel of booksellers and librarians, will exist printed as special, not-for-resale paperbacks.

"This isn't a best-books-of-all-time listing," said Lennertz. "These are contemporary or archetype books that entreatment to a wide range of new readers. We looked for multifariousness and variety in all things: discipline matter, age level, gender, besides as ethnic and geographic considerations. Last year'southward givers likewise got to nominate books. This is a beautiful mix with, I promise, some quondam friends and prissy surprises! And we thank the authors, who have agreed to waive royalties on the Globe Volume Nighttime editions."

The manor of Ray Bradbury told WBN organizers: "Because Ray Bradbury always encouraged and promoted reading books, his family is honored that Fahrenheit 451 will be office of such a wonderful event as World Book Night."

The 30 World Book Nighttime U.S. titles for 2013, alphabetical by author, are:

  • The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (Ballast Books/Random House)
  • City of Thieves, David Benioff (Plume/Penguin Book Group)
  • Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury (Simon & Schuster Paperbacks)
  • My Antonia , Willa Cather(public domain; edition to be determined)
  • Daughter With a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier (Plume/Penguin Book Group)
  • The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (Vintage/Random House) — also in Castilian
  • The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho (HarperOne/HarperCollins) —  also in Spanish
  • The Linguistic communication of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Ballantine Books/Random House)
  • The Worst Hard Time, Timothy Egan (Mariner Books/HoughtonMifflinHarcourt)
  • Bossypants, Tina Fey (Regan Arthur/Dorsum Bay Books)
  • Still Alice, Lisa Genova (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster)
  • Looking for Alaska, John Dark-green (Speak/Penguin Volume Grouping)
  • Playing for Pizza, John Grisham (Dell/Random House)
  • Mudbound, Hillary Jordan (Algonquin Books/Workman Publishing)
  • The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster (Yearling/Random House)
  • Moneyball, Michael Lewis (W.Westward. Norton)
  • The Tender Bar, J.R. Moehringer (Hyperion)
  • Devil in a Blue Dress, Walter Mosley (Washington Square Press/Simon & Schuster)
  • Heart School: The Worst Years of My Life, James Patterson (Petty, Brown Books for Young Readers)
  • Population: 485, Michael Perry (HarperPerennial/HarperCollins)
  • Good Omens, Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman (HarperTorch/HarperCollins)
  • The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan (Disney)
  • Montana Sky, Nora Roberts (Jove/Penguin Volume Group)
  • Look Again, Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin'south)
  • Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris (Dorsum Bay Books/Little, Brown)
  • The No. i Ladies' Detective Bureau, Alexander McCall Smith (Anchor Books/Random House)
  • Glaciers, Alexis M. Smith (Tin House Books)
  • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur'southward Court, Marking Twain (public domain; edition to be determined)
  • Salve the Bones,Jesmyn Ward (Bloomsbury)
  • Favorite American Poems; Large Print edition, diverse authors (Dover)

"We believe that the wide range of books existence offered will appeal to our volunteer book givers and, in turn, to a half million new readers," said Lennertz.

Volunteers may apply to exist book givers at www.worldbooknight.org from now through January 23, 2013, by providing answers to several questions and picking a book title to give out from the World Book Dark U.S. 2013 list.

"I know booksellers are eager to encourage customers to apply to be givers for year two," said Lennertz. "Fortunately, we are starting earlier this year and have the list of last year'southward givers to e-mail, and so we are non in a panic to become to a sure number. I am much more interested in quality vs. quantity in year two. Still, I would love it if you got the word out for your sake, and nosotros as well don't have the learning curve of last year. The message is just to get thee to the website, read up on the giver guidelines and requirements, and apply. The website has much more data this twelvemonth, and we volition take more resource for you and the givers come March and April."

For booksellers who would likewise similar to exist givers, Lennertz added: "You can utilize online, or wait for an Excel spreadsheet going to each shop that tin be filled out with your giveaway location and volume picks and sent directly to me — whichever you lot prefer."

ABA fellow member stores are encouraged to sign-upwardly to be WBN selection-upwardly locations by completing the 2013 Host Store Marketing Understanding  before the holidays. The agreement, which is due by December 1, 2012, affirms a store'south commitment to be both a book pick-up location and an active promoter of World Volume Night in the customs.

Indie booksellers are represented on the World Book Night Lath past ABA CEO Oren Teicher, and on the organization'due south Steering Committee by Cathy Langer of Tattered Cover Volume Store in Denver.

Larn more well-nigh Earth Book Night U.S. at us.worldbooknight.org; facebook.com/worldbooknightusa; twitter.com/wbnamerica; pinterest.com/worldbooknight/;  wbnamerica.tumblr.com/; and youtube.com/user/wbnamerica.